terribly destructive to life as well as property. A visitation of the kind in Peru, 1746, killed 3,800; 1797, from a similar cause, 1,600 Peruvians perished. At Caracas, 1812, 10,000 men were destroyed; 60,000 at Lisbon in 1755; 40,000 in the two Calabrias and Sicily in 1783, and 20,000 more by sickness resulting from it. IN VERA CRUZ. Vera Cruz is nicely situated; it is surrounded by beautiful plantations, which are studded with snug villas. Though most of the houses look rough and falling into decay, the outside appearance of dilapidation is the worst of them, and is more than compensated for by the internal comfort and luxury which the Mexicans know so well how to enjoy. The smiling gardens seem ever rejoicing in the balmy breezes of summer, and the gay-colored flowers delight the senses with their perfume. The bowers of mimosas or the neighboring orange groves fill at intervals the air with their odors, whilst the crowns of the feathery palms wave slowly above the silent roofs which they overhang like symbols of peace and tranquility. During the heat of the day few pedestrians are to be seen on the streets or thoroughfares, but in the cool evenings, under skies of intensest blue, all is activity. The Mexicans then resign themselves to enjoyment; tinkling guitars are everywhere heard; parties bent on pleasure or for short excursions or picnics are met, and everything possible seems to be done to pass the time pleasantly. In the magic twilight, when the air is still and scarce a breath is stirring, beautiful women can be observed thronging the smooth, dusty streets. They are peculiar in dress and manner, lively and chatty, with an elegance of carriage and contour that are matchless. Some of them seem like figures chiseled out of marble. Their beauty is sure to excite the admiration of strangers, and many a sigh of regret is heard as they pass. Their culture, it is said, is narrow; but they walk like empresses, and the love liness of their features is nowhere sur passed. You can see many a face marked by that lofty stoicism and quick sensibility, that princely pride, carrying the grandeur of the Castilian noblesse, that native gentleness and passion combined which, as is known, are the qualities of her lord, whose burdens she helps to bear. GEORGE WASHINGTON'S COURTSHIP. Near the end of May, 1758, Washington was ordered by the quartermastergeneral of the British forces to leave Winchester and make all haste to Williamsburg, there to explain to the gov ernor and council in what a desperate condition the Virginia troops were as regarded clothing and equipments. Accordingly he set out on horseback, accompanied by his servant, Billy Bishop. Ferry, on the Pamunkey river, and had Chamberlayne, a Virginia gentleman, crossed on the boat, when they met Mr. living in the neighborhood. The hospitable planter insisted that Washington should at once go to his house. It was afternoon, and dinner would be served as usual, early, and after that Colonel liamsburg, if go he must. Besides all Washington could go forward to Wilthat there was a charming young widow have known her, the daughter of John at his house-Colonel Washington must Dandridge, and the wife of John Park Custis. Virginia hospitality was hard to resist. Washington would stay to dinimmediately afterward. ner if his host would let him hurry off The two men had reached Williams ter's horse around after dinner in good Bishop was bidden to bring his masseason, and Washington surrendered himself to his host. Dinner followed, and the afternoon went by, and Mr. Chamberlayne was in excellent humor, as he kept one eye on the restless horses at the door, and the other on his guests, the tall Indian-like officer and the graceful, hazel-eyed, animated young widow. Sunset came, and still Washington lingered. Then Mr. Chamberlayne stoutly declared that no guest was ever permitted to leave his house after sunset. Mrs. Martha Custis was not the one to drive the soldier away, and so Bishop was bidden to take the horses back to the stable. Not until take his leave. Then he dispatched his the next morning did the young colonel business promptly at Williamsburg, and whenever he could get an hour dashed over to the White House, where Mrs. Custis lived. So prompt was he about his business, also, that when he returned to Winchester he had the promise of the young widow that she would marry him as soon as the campaign was over. Thackeray, in his "Virginians," has a description of Washington's courtship hardly so satisfactory as this. } Scientific. VENTILATION. Speaking upon the subject of the ventilation of dwelling houses before the Toronto Sanitary Association, Mr. David Dick controverted the theory that the carbonic acid of an inhabited room can be drawn off by outlets placed at the floor level, which is the French practice. He pointed out that, in view of the principle of the diffusion of gases, it is impossible to expect that carbonic acid, although the heavier gas, will so far separate itself from the other components of the atmosphere as to be susceptible of withdrawal at a low level. According to Mr. Dick, the only factor to be regarded in ventilation is temperature. The air is cold at the floor line and warm at the ceiling, the difference in rooms artificially heated or full of people being seldom less than twenty degrees Fahrenheit. Owing to this tendency of heated air to rise, and to be supplanted at the floor line by cold air coming in from crevices in the doors and windows, etc., Mr. Dick considers that a room can not be properly warmed solely by the radiant heat of a fire. The heat from this source should be helped by some means for preventing the draughts of cold air on the floor. With this view, Mr. Dick advises that rooms should be provided with many inlets for warmed fresh air at the floor line, the effect of which would drive up all impure air toward the hotter stratum near the ceiling. An outlet at the ceiling line would then carry off the whole of the vitiated air. As the warm air begins to rise as soon as it enters the room, the more it is sub-divided into separate inlets the better, because it will ascend by the most direct line to the outlet; and there fore a number of small streams will move the general body of air in the room more effectually than one large current, which would be likely to pass through the body of air without affecting anything that did not happen to be directly in its path. The temperature of the inflowing air should be moderate, and its velocity low. It is desirable, however, that there should be only one outlet for foul air from an apartment, because if there were more than one the draught might be unequal, and then one would pull against another, causing a flow of air down one and up the other, instead of from the proper in lets. Of course, the one outlet need not appear as such in the apartment, as its mouth may be concealed by a perforated cornice or other device. WHEN THE EARTH WILL STOP A problem which is attracting to its study astronomers, relates to the earth as a timekeeper. We measure time by dividing either the period during which the earth revolves around the sun, or that in which it turns on its axis. By the first method we measure a year; by the second a day. The earth, according to some astronomers, is losing time. Through two causes, the sun's attraction and the friction, so to speak, of the tides, the earth each year revolves more slowly on its axis. The speculative question which these astronomers are discussing is whether in the end the earth will stop its revolution on its axis and will present always the same face to the sun. When that event occurs there will be perpetual day in one part of the earth and perpetual night in another. But there is no occasion for immediate cause of alarm. The rate at which the earth is supposed to lose time only shortens the year by half a second in a century. There are more than 31,000,000 seconds in a year. Therefore, if the earth ever does cease to revolve on its axis it will be more than six thousand million years before it will stop. A plan for rendering paper as tough as wood or leather has been recently introduced on the continent; it consists in mixing chloride of zinc with the pulp in the course of manufacture. It has been found that the greater the degree of concentration of the zinc solution the greater will be the toughness of the paper. It can be used for making boxes, combs, for roofing, and even for making boats. The rays of the sun do not strike at the same angle upon the earth at all times and places. It has been ascertained that water is raised four and a half feet at the equator. This elevation corresponds to the increase of temperature. The pressure at the bottom also decreases. This is the source of the gulf stream, which exercises so important an influence upon the climate of the eastern and western continents. ALASKA. The exploration of Icy bay, which is simply an indentation of the coast with an artificial guard composed of an immense glacier on its western side, was first made. On the south there is no protection from the heavy seas that almost constantly roll in, making landing even in the best of weather precarious. An important geographical discovery was made in a large river that forces its way through passes in the St. Elias Alps and empties into the head of Icy bay. It is described as possessing a bed from a mile to a mile and a half wide, with a width of water from eight hundred to a thousand yards, and with long stretches of mud and swamp on either side. The river has not yet been explored, but it is surmised that its headwaters are far inland, and that it is not simply formed from the mountain drainage. A GREAT TELEGRAPHING FEAT. ations of the pneumatic tube for carrying An Englishman when shown the operparcels in New York, said: "I have seen that," said the visitor. just one thing more wonderful than by cable from London to Calcutta, India. "I have talked over 7,000 miles of wire. Two years ago I called upon managing director_W. Andrews of the Indo-European Telegraph Company, at No. 18 Old Broad street, London. It was Sunday evening, and the wires were not busy. Mr. AnGive me Odessa,' he wired; in a few drews called up Emden, a German town. seconds we got the signal from the Russian seaport city, and asked for Teheran, the capital of Persia. 'Call Kurrachee, said Andrews. In less than a half a minute we were signaling that India town. The signals came at the rate of Mt. St. Elias, the ascent of which was that the London office was testing the fifteen words a minute. After learning the objective point of the expedition, was ascended to a height of 7,200 feet long wires, Kurrachee gave us Agra, and above sea level by Lieutenant Schwatka we chatted pleasantly for a few minutes and Messrs. Ward and Seaton Karr. with the operator on duty there. In a This is believed to be the highest Alpine short time the operator switched us on climbing ever made. The summit of the the cable to the Indian capital, Calcutta. mount was not reached, nor can it be At first the operator there could not befrom the direction followed by this ex- lieve he was talking to London, and he pedition. Deep, yawning crevasses are asked in the Morse language: 'Is this everywhere present, making wide detours really London, England?" It was a wonnecessary in ascending as far as the party derful achievement. Metallic communiwent. Three immense peaks, from 12,- cation between the capital of the Eng000 to 8,000 feet higher, were named lish nation and the seat of her governrespectively "Cleveland Peak,' Whitment in India, 7,000 miles away as the ney Peak" and "Nichols Peak.” The Yukon river, one of the most extensive streams in the world, was little known until Frederick Whymper, in the employ of the Russo-American Telegraph Company in 1866, directed attention to it by publishing in 1869 an illustrated volume detailing his observations made during the residence of a year in its vicinity. In 1867, nearly two years before the appearance of Whymper's book, an article in the Atlantic Monthly, which was the first published article on the newly acquired territory, gave an account of the adventurous boat voyage down the unknown waters of the Yukon from above Nulato to the mouth of the river, over 200 miles, made by the late Charles H. Pease. Later, in 1883, Lieutenant Schwatka, the head of the present expedition, explored the Yukon to a distance of 1,000 miles from its mouth, and established the fact that to the United States belongs another great river. bird flies." MAGNETIC CLOCK. A curious application of the magnet is described in a French journal, the subject of it being a clock recently patented in France. In appearance the clock consists of a tambourine, on the parchment head of which is painted a circle of flowers, corresponding to the hour signs of ordinary dials. On examination, two bees, one large and the other small, are discovered crawling among the flowers. The small bee runs rapidly from one to the other, completing the circle in an hour; while the large one takes twelve hours to finish the circuit. The parchment membrane i, unbroken, and the bees are simply laid upon it; but two magnets, connected with the clock work inside the tambourine, move just under the membrane, and the insects, which are of iron, follow them. day and a half less than the "Britannic. Servia," and compare her with the "Etruria." The best passage of the latter is, in round numbers, 6 days; the best passage of the former is, also in round numbers, 7 days. Using the figures given by Mr. John, of the Barrow Ship Building Company, and neglecting coal spent in getting up steam, etc., we have for the Etruria," 315 × 6.25 IMITATING ROSEWOOD. Various methods have been devised for treating the surface of certain woods so as to produce imitations of rosewood, walnut and other choice varieties. Some of the most attractive work in this line, however, is effected by simply spreading on the surface of the material a concentrated solution of hypermanganate of potassa, this being allowed to act until the desired shade is obtained. Five minutes suffice ordinarily to give a deep color, a few trials indicating the proper proportions. The hypermanganate of potassa is decomposed by the vegetable fiber with the precipitation of brown peroxide of manganese, which the influence of 1,968.75 tons; and for the "Servia," the potassa, at the same time set free, fixes in a durable manner on the fibers. 205 × 7 = 1,435. = 1,435. That is to say, over When the action is terminated the wood 500 tons of coal are expended in shortenis carefully washed with water, dried, ing the passage by 18 hours. It may be and then oiled and polished in the usual urged that this is not all, and that the manner. The effect produced by this difference in the dimensions of the two process in several woods is really remark-vessels must be taken into account. able. On the cherry, especially, it develops a beautiful red color which resists well the action of air and light, and on other woods it has a very pleasing and natural effect. WHAT SPEED COSTS IN ATLANTIC One of the first things to suggest itself about such ships as the "Etruria" or the 'Umbria" is the vast cost at which their efficiency has been obtained--a cost which no one in his senses would have suggest ed a quarter of a century ago. We do not here refer so much to the outlay of capital on ships and engines, enormous as that is, as on the working expenses. Let us compare the performance of the "Etruria" with that of the " Britannic." An interval of nearly ten years separates the construction of the two ships. The "Britannic" is still running. Her consumption is, we believe, about 90 tons of coal per day of 24 hours. Her passages average 8 days 9 hours outward and 8 days 2 hours homeward. Her consumption may, allowing for getting up steam, etc., be taken at 840 tons per voyage The "Etruria's" fastest passage has been 6 days 5 hours 31 minutes. Her average we do not know, but we shall not be far wrong if we call it 6 days 12 hours. She burns 320 tons of coal per day of 24 hours, or, making allowance for getting up steam, etc., about 2,250 tons of coal on the trip. She makes the passage in a But it so happens that the "Servia" is a larger ship than the "Etruria," the displacement of the former vessel being 10,960 tons, and of the latter 9,860 tons, or 1,100 tons less. The indicated horsepower of the "Servia" is 10,300, and that of the "Etruria" 14,321. The latter ship has 1.45 indicated horse-power per ton of displacement; the former a little less than 0.94 indicated horse-power per ton of displacement. The enormous increase in horse-power required to put on a knot or a fraction of a knot in speed explains the difference in the coal consumption of the two ships. Nor does the additional expense end here. It will be seen that not only can the "Servia" make a trip with 500 tons less coal than the " Etruria," but she has available for some purpose or another 1,100 tons more displacement. Part of that can be devoted to cargo, part to passenger space, even after due allowance is made for the greater weight of the hull. But, furthermore, the boilers and engines of the " Etruria" weigh a great deal more than do those of the Servia." The more carefully we investigate the construction and performance of the two ships the clearer does it become that the price paid for reducing the time of transit between Liverpool and New York seems to be out of all proportion to the result gained. If such a ship as the "Etruria" can be made to pay her way, then the profit earned by such a vessel as the Servia" must be very large, while that earned by '' the "Britannic" ought to be colossal. We believe that the truth lies between the two statements, and that the fastest ships in the Atlantic trade are partly sup ported out of the earnings of their slower sisters. Mr. John has hinted that the express Atlantic steamer of the future will carry no cargo; and this, we think, is more than probable. If any ship is built to beat the "Etruria," it is clear that there will be no space left for cargoengines, boilers and coal demanding every ton of displacement available. THE COLOR OF THE EYE. Some curious researches have recently been made by Swiss and Swedish physicians on the color of the eyes, but without any apparent purpose. For convenience all eyes were divided as blue or brown, the various shades of gray eyes being classified according to the prominence of blue or brown in their color. Some of the conclusions from a great many observations are these: That women with brown eyes have better prospects of marriage than those with blue; that the average number of children is greater with parents whose eyes are dissimilar. In children both of whose parents have blue eyes, ninetythree per cent. inherit blue eyes; but in children both of whose parents have brown eyes, only eighty per cent. have brown eyes. The above results were reached in Switzerland. In Sweden the discoveries were not quite the same. The women there with brown eyes were more numerous than the men with brown eyes, but brown eyes are apparently increasing there as in Switzerland. A BEAUTIFUL AND CURIOUS OLD ease, and invalids from all parts of the A LINIMENT FOR EARACHE. posed of camphorated chloral 21⁄2 parts, Common salt is the most widely distributed substance in the body; it exists in every fluid and every solid; and not only is everywhere present, but in almost every part it constitutes the largest portion of the ash when any tissue is burnt. In particular it is a constant constituent of the blood, and it maintains in it a proportion that is almost wholly independent of the quantity that is consumed with the food. The blood will take up so much and no more, however much we may take Few cities in the world are so favor with our food; and, on the other hand, ably situated as Jalapa, preserving eter- if none be given, the blood parts with nal summer, with little change of at- its natural quantity slowly and unwillmosphere, from year to year, yet suffi-ingly. Under ordinary circumstances, ciently elevated to escape the baneful a healthy man loses daily about twelve vapors of the tierra caliente (hot lands) grains by one channel or the other, and which it overlooks. It is par excellence if he is to maintain his health, that quana paradise for the artist, the naturalist, tity is to be introduced. Common salt, the hunter and the health seeker, and is is of immense importance in the processes. the loveliest of resorts, both for winter ministering to the nutrition of the body, and summer. People from the far north for not only is it the gastric juice, and come down here to escape the winter's essential for the formation of bile, and cold; the citizens of Vera Cruz, Cordova, may hence be reasonably regarded as of and other fever-haunted districts come up high value in digestion, but it is an imin summer time to enjoy the refreshing portant agent in promoting the processes breezes and secure immunity from dis-of diffusion and therefore of absorption. |