TIME OF HIGH WATER At the different Harbours in Cook's Straits at the Full and Change of the moon.

Colonist, Issue 12, 1 December 1857, Page 2

TIME OF HIGH WATER At the different Harbours in Cook's Straits at the Full and Change of the moon.

New Invention.—We perceive in the Geelong Advertiser that Mr. Bruce, the wheelwright in Unipnetreet, has. just turned out a carriage for transporting timber, which unites with this power a simple method of eradicating stumps of trees. For this purpose an elevating screw is centered in the axle having suspended to it below two grapnells which are made to clasp hold of the stump, and by a rotaiy motion given by the screw and the draft applied to the carriage at once forces up the most deop-seated stump. The wheels of this machine are eight feet and. a half in diameter—the naves, felloes, and spokes being of equal proportion. The carnage—which might not improperly be termed a root extirpator as well as a transport carriage—-has been made in Geelong to the order of Mr. Frederick Staughton and destined for the Brisbane ranges. Its cost is about 100£. and considering its immense utility for clearing land, will, no doubt when better known, come into general use in the colony We understand that Mr. Bruce intends to take out a patent for the improvement, and will, it is hoped reap the benefit of his own ingenuity.

Five Days Without Food.—The Journal Viennois contains the following recital: —A little girl about nine years of age, residing at Chattonay (Vienne), was employed to take three goats to browse iothe neighbouring wood. About ten days ago she went out as usual with her little flock, but did not return in the evening, nor on the next two days, and considerable alarm was felt. Five days after her disappearance, a woodman belonging to the Commanl found the child lying among some brushwood, with her head supported on one arm, and the goats standing around her as if mounting guard for her protection. The face of the child was livid, and at the first glance he supposed her to be dead. On lifting her up, the man found that she still breathed. She was conveyed to the house of a farmer near, where every attention was paid to her, and she soon recovered. On the day of her disappearance a severe thunderstorm had come on, and in alarm the poor child had wandered into the thickest part of the wood, andhaving lost her way, had fallen down from fatigue, and remained there exposed to ihunger and cold for five days until found.

Camphor an^-Effectual Antidote to.Stbyciinine.—in the Lancet, Dr. Pidduck relates an interesting recovery from poisoning by strychnine. The patient was a weakly man afflicted with neuralgic pains, for which a quarter of a grain of strychnine was taken by mistake, instead of one-sixteenth of a grain. Five grains of camphor were administered in an emulsion, and almost immediately after taking the dose the epaams ceased. Another successful recovery is reported by Dr. Tewkeabury, of Portland, Maine, viz.:— A boy was seized with convulsions, after eating a biscuit containing one grain and a half, for the purpose of killing rats. The spasms were so severe that immediate death seemed inevitable, though all the usual remedies were Vesorted to. Camphor could not be introduced into the stomach on account of the locked jaw. Strong injections, therefore, of camphor were used, and the body immersed in a camphor bath, and in a few hours the boy was comparatively wel'.

Cultivation of Green and Black Tea.—lf there is any one now who still clings to the old idea that green teas can be made only- from the plant called Thea virHes, and black ones only from Thea bohea, he will find a difficulty in giving credit to the account I have to give of the manner in which the Ning-ehow districts have changed their green teas into black. But, hcJwcver difficult it may be to get rid of early prejudices, " facts are stubborn things," and the truth of what I have to. state may be fully relied upon. Many years ago a spirited Chinese merchant who, no doubt, saw well enough that black and green teas could be made easily enough from the same plant, had a crop of black teas made in the Ning-chow district and brought to Canton for sale. This tea was highly approved of by the foreign merchants of that port, and was bought, I believe, by the great house of Messrs. Bent and Company, and sent to England. When itgot home it found a ready sale in the market, and at once established itself as a black tea of the first class. Year by year after this the demand for this tea steadily increased, and was as regularly supplied by the Chinese. At the present time the Ning-chow districts produce black teas only, while in former days they produced only green. If proof were wanting this would, appear suiilcent to show that black or green teas can be made from any variety of the tea plant, and that the change of colour in the manufactured article depends entirely upon the mode of manipulation.— A among the Chinese. By Robert Fortune. -

At Barrett's Reef Port Nicholson Cape Terawitte Mana ... ■ ..." Kapiti .. Wanganui Manawatu Cape Egmont .. .. New Plymouth .. At Cloudy Bay .. Rununder Point Queen Charlotte's Sound, South entrance Ditto Jackson's Head N. entrance Stephen's Hand French Pass Nelson Haven .. Centre of Cook's Straits H. 4 6 8 9 10 10 10 10 9 6 7 8 8 8 8 9 9 M. 30 30 15 40 20 20 20 20 30 30 15 20 15 15 15 45 45