ITEMS BY THE MAIL

Wellington Independent, Volume XXVI, Issue 3192, 10 May 1871, Page 3

ITEMS BY THE MAIL

The China "Express" of January 13th says: — There is no truth in the statement that a New Japan Loan will shortly be announced, aud its origin must be traced to Stock Exchange influences, as the present Loan stands at £104, a point which probably does not suit the " Bears." The interest due on the Ist prox. will be, announced in a few days, payable by the Oriental Bank. If 1 were asked (says Dr Russel) why the Prussians had beaten the French in this great war, I should answer that I thought they had done so because they had better heads, arms, and legs than the French. If I were asked whether I thought the Prussians could lose that superiority, I should say that they might if they remained too long in France. We h6ar that an enterprising merchant, near Dublin, has perfected a plan, which he has patented, for making paper from timber, which appears to be as good as that made from rags. Deal hoards are chopped up into fibre, and then placed into a boiler at 2001bs pres sure. It then assumes the form of a rich, cream-colored pulp. The inventor is, it is said, is about to manufacture this paper on a large scale. A new musical instrument is now being' exhibited, It is a keyed instrument of six octaves, resombling a harmonium in general form, but very different in mechanism; The sounds are produced by the friction of wooden hammers against a revolving cylinder of wood, set in motion by the leet. The tones produced are said to be very sweet and most wonderfully varied. One can sometimes hardly believe they are not tlmse of a wind instrument. The " Havre Correspondence" says that in his correspondence with M. Jules Favre, it appears that Count Bismarck bus disclosed the fact that Prince Napoleon had offered himself to Prussia, •not as Regent of France under the Prince Imperial, but as successor to Napoleon 111., with the full imperial power. The Pope's prison' — since he insists on so calling it — contains upwards of twelve thousand rooms, including a chapel as large as an ordinary sized church, and several courtyards, and it has a fine garden and park attached, where, when the weather is fine, he takes his constitutional walk. The London " Telegraph's" • correspondent at Washington thus describes the Hon. Robert C. Scheuk, the new

Minister to London : The new Minister is a man of large experience and undoubted ability. He has only been a few years abroad as diplomatic representative at Rio de Janeiro ; but he has been in public life a long time, and for many years in the Lower House of Congress. He is a good debater, close, logical, witty, and incisive. He is, moreover, a very shrewd party leader and manager, I take him to be about sixty years of age. He is of the German type, as his name implies ; by no means handsome, but with a clear complexion, and pleasant expression. For an American and a Western politician he has a fair share of bonhomie ; and, if not the equal of Mr Motley or Mr Everett in culture ox social graces, he is certainly far better qualified than either for the momentous trust of preserving friendship between the two great families of the Anglo-Saxon race. " Nature" says that the disasters of a ship have made tbe Peruvians acquainted with the situation of a new guano island in the South Seas. This is called Baker's Island, in 12 N. latitude, and 176 E. longitude. It has some smaller islands neur, and is surrounded by coral reefs, on which thirty wrecks have been counted. The island has been taken possession of by a North American company, and is peopled by three A mericans, one of whom is the Governor, and about a hundred Kanakas. The cargo of the English barque Borneo, bound to London, consisted of a yellowish earth, which the Peruvians say has no smell of ammonia, but may sell at a profit to mix with Peruvian guano. |

Dr Grace Culvert states that iron immersed for a few minutes in a solution of carbonate of potash and soda will not rust for years, though exposed continually in a damp atmosphere. It was believed long ago by soap and alkali manufacturers that the caustic alkalies (soda or potash) protected iron and steel from rust, but that the components of these salts preserved the same property as they do in a caustic state new. It does not seem to matter whether the solution is made with fresh or sea water.

A brief paper issued on February Gth by Dr Neilson Hancock shows in a very striking manner the growth of prudent and saving habits among the humbler classes 0/ the Irish community. From 1862 to 1870 the deposits in* the Postoirlce savings' banks have increased from £73,096 to £583,165. The deposits and cash balances in Irish joint-stock banks have also greatly increased. In 1800 these amounted to £15,609,237 ; last year they mounted up to £21, 300,478. These brief facts speak volumes for the growing prosperity of the country.

Some extraordinary mental phenomena occur in drowing. As soon as respiration is suspended by the indrawing of water into the lungs, consciousness is immediately extinguished. From all that can be gathered in regard to the action of the heart,. that organ probably acts, but feebly, a considerable time after the function of respiration is suspended. By its muscular force arterial blood is driven onwardly to the head faster than the veins bring it back, and consequently the mind is plunged, as it were, into profound sleep ; for the loss of consciousness results from a sudden apoplexy induced by an extra accumulation of blood in the delicate texture of the brain. When the pulsations of the heart stop, then the tension of the muscles relax ; and if no efforts at resuscitation are made, vital heat diminishes gradually, and the next change is an expansion of compressed gases in cavities of the body, due to the first processes of chemical decomposition. If the body, however, is recovered immediately, even though respiration and the circulation are quiescent, it is possible to re-establish the movement of the blood by artificial warmth, friction, aud artificial inflation of the ljngs, vigilantly continued for a long while. The trial is not always successful, but so encouraging that the prospect demands the utmost perseverance. With the revived action of the heart, the moment the lungs begin to take in oxygen from the air forced into them, life begins to return. So it is admitted by physio- ! logical philosophers that the soul is won back, if it had gone, in the act of restoration ; or else it is morally certain its departure at death is a gradual | process, which may be interrupted, find is rcimprisoned in the brain again by j human effort and skill. — " H. "Weekly."