Cl. 623. Cl. 666. Cl. 666. Cl. 666. Prestoe, Hy. Esq., Government Botanist. Nutmegs, 1 bottle fresh, perfect fruits; do., 1 bottle prepared, do.; Cloves, 1 bottle fresh, flower buds; Cloves and Nutmegs, 1 bottle mixed, fresh; Mace, 1 bottle prepared. Somes & Co., Nariva Cocal. Sample of fibre extracted from the husks of the Cocoanut, adapted for making Brooms, Brushes, &c., value about $250 per ton; Sample of ditto, adapted for Upholstery and Bedding, value about $110 per ton; Coil of the above spun. Devenish, Syl., Esq., Surveyor General. Samples of fibre of Agave Vivipara and of Mats made thereof. Prestoe, Hy., Esq., Government Botanist. Fibres, various kinds, in 20 samples, as follow: No. 1. Sida carpinf olia, L. Malvaceæ. REMARKS.-These fibres-with one or two exceptions as specified-were all prepared in 1866. They are to be regarded as of two classes:First. Those obtained from the bark of the plant, as in Hemp, Flax, &c.; and Second.-Those obtained from the substance of the leaves or leafstalks, as in "Manilla," Hemp, &c. Nos. from 1 to 11, and No. 20 belong to the first class the first four being obtained from the bark of the entire plant; 5, 6, 7, 8, and 20 are obtained from the younger branches; and No. 9 from the trunk of the tree. Nos. 12 to 19 belong to the second—12, 13, 14, 15, and 16 being obtained from the leafstalks (forming the stem in the plantain), and 17, 18, and 19 being obtained from the leaves. The colour and strength of the fibres depend much on the manner of preparing them, but with very ordinary care they can be brought out of extraordinary strength, and of snowy white, or golden yellow, by simple maceration. The size, strength, and colour of the fibre appear not to vary in branches or stems of different ages in Nos. 1 to 4, but in Nos. 5 to 11 these characters vary in growths of different ages: being fine and silk-like in the younger, and coarse and easily separable in plaits as "bass" in the older branches and stems. In No. 9, the bark of the young branches reaches a maximum degree of coarseness, and is scarcely useful; but the bark of the matured branch or trunk furnishes an exceedingly fine and abundant "bass," well adapted for any purpose to which such an article is usually applied. Of the foregoing, Nos. 1 to 6, and 9, 11, 17, and 20 are indigenous to Trinidad, and very hardy and abundant. The others are introduced plants, but all are completely naturalised; some, such as the variety of Musu Paradisiaca, known here as the "Jumbee Plaintain," and Sansievera, have become wild plants. Colonial Company's Agency. Sugar (1 box) manufactured at Usine (central factory) St. Madelaine, Trinidad, W.I. the property of the Colonial Company, Limited, 16, Leadenhall Street, London. Manufactured direct from canes cut on the same day. The juice is first treated with temper lime in the clarifiers, sub CL. 659. Cl. 660. Cl. 657. sided, passed through animal charcoal, then Molasses sugar (1 box) manufactured at the Siegert, Dr., Port-of-Spain. "Angostura Trinidad, Government of. Cassarip. Cl. 662. Cl. 254. Cl. 254. Somes & Co., Messrs. Cocoanut Oil. Trinidad, Government of. Collection Cl. 254. VICTORIA, AUSTRALIA. VICTORIA, the most populous colony in Australia, is situated on the southern extremity of the continent, and extends from the 34th to the 39th parallel of south latitude, and from the 141st to the 150th meridian of east longitude. Its extreme length from east to west is about 420 geographical miles, and its greatest breadth 250 miles. The extent of coast-line is nearly 600 miles. The area of Victoria is 88,198 square miles, or 56,446,720 acres, or the thirty-fourth part of the whole surface of Australia, an extent about equal to that of England, Wales, and Scotland, which contain 89,644 square miles. Victoria is therefore very much smaller than any of its neighbours on the mainland of Australia, although its population is very nearly as large as all the others put together. The highest mountain in Victoria, Bogong, has an elevation of 6,508 feet, and there are several ranging from 4,000 to 6,000 feet. The Murray runs along the northern boundary for 670 miles, but the Goulburn, with a length of 230 miles, is the longest river which flows throughout its course entirely in Victoria. Owing to its geographical position Victoria enjoys a climate cooler and more invigorating than any other Australian colony. The mean temperature of the air in Melbourne, derived from a series of observations extending over a period of 14 years, is 57° 6. Upon examining a chart showing isothermal lines, it will be found that the Victorian capital is situated upon or near the line corresponding with that on which, in the northern hemisphere, Marseilles, Bordeaux, Bologna, Nice, Verona, and Madrid are situated. The difference between winter and summer, between the hottest and the coldest month, is less in Victoria than in any of the places mentioned, and the European city the climate of which most resembles that of Melbourne is Maffra, 18 miles north-west of Lisbon, and 700 feet above the level of the sea. The three months from September to November are considered to be the spring quarter, from December to February the summer, from March to May autumn, and from June to August winter. January and February are the warmest months, June and July the coldest. The observations taken for 17 years show that on 61 occasions the thermometer has risen above 100° Fahrenheit, and that there are 52 instances of its having fallen to or below freezing point. The mean temperature of the air during the two hottest months has been 66.7 in January and 65.6 in February, while the coolest, June, shows 49'0, and July 47 7. The above figures give the temperature of Melbourne. Some of the districts in the interior, which enjoy an elevation of from 1,000 36714. C C |