■
A"OLU:\IE L
OXFORD, N. G., W]:D1nES1.)AY, NOYEMRER 8, 1875.
KEMBER 41.
TiaE gPOK45ffi FISBIEltY.
The sponge-fisiicry is exclu
sively practiced by the Greeks
jind Syrians ; tliat of coral by the
Genoese and Xea])olitans; that
of pearls and mother-of-pearl, in
Asia by the Oingaleseand Malays,
in America by the Indians and
negroes.
Sponges were formerly c^iught
in the Rod Sea and along a great
part of the north coast of Africa.
' At present, the fishery is princi
pally iiursued in the Greek Arch
ipelago and on the Syrian shores;
It is open to all nations : but, as
1 have just said, the Greeks and
Syrians adono follow it up as a
regular trade, and make its pro
ducts the staple of a regular com
merce with the West. Operations
ordinarily liegin early in June,
and terminate in October; but
the least favorable months are
those of July and August. The
barks sail from Tripoli, Batroun,
the Isle of Rouar(I,Latakia,Kalki,
Stainjialia, Castcl-Kosso, Simi,
and Kabninos ; each boat usuall}’
carries four or six men. The
pponges are found at a distance of
1,000 to 2,000 yards out at sea,
on banks of rocks formed by
molluscous debris. The finest
specimens lie at a depth of twelve
to twenty fathoms; tliose collect
ed in shallower waters are of
inferior quality.
At tlie opening of the fsliery,
lim Greeks and Syrians arrive at
Biiiyrna, Be\-rout, Latakia and
RlaYe- in largo sdam^ps, wnich
tiioy (k.-mantic i)i er ler^to eCjuip
the’bmaii craft suitable tor tim.r
o])eratioi)B, and then dis]>erse
clmig the coasts. The fshery is
(■''luiucted in two ways. I or the
common kinds they emplo} tbrec-
toothed harpoons, by means of
i'h they catch Imid of liio
'But tnis implomeiil
will'
s])onires,
Would injure the imer species
and in quest of these, Bkilllij
cjveys doBcend to tim bottom of
the sea, and caretiilly rmtach
tiiem with a strong knife. Hence
l-'m enormous dhlcrence of price
between the divers’ sponges and
tim ]mr])Ooned sjonges.
The Greek divers are, as a
rule, bolder and more skillful
t::an the Syrians. Tlioso ol
ih.lnunos and Rsera are the most
renownO'i. While they can re-;
inaiu in the water longer than the
Byrians, their fishing is generaJly
more abundant. Tliey dive to a
dejitli of twmity-nve fathoms,
while their rivals, for most part,
cannot descend beyond fifteen or
twenty at the utmost The pro
duct of th(9 sponge-fishery varies,
moreover,-according to the weath
er and the cireiimstances. I'n
1827 it was valued at an average
of 2 ibs. 6 oz. avoirdupois for a
boat manned b}' five or six divers,
and this calculation is confirmed
by tlie most recent documents.
The proportions of the difierent
qualities in this total are valued
approximatively at one-third of
the superfine, and two-thirds for
the medium and rough. Betwee-n
the two latter varieties, the pro
portion varies according to local
ity,' The Greeks devote them
selves more })artlculai’iy to the
fishing of the large sponges call
ed Venetian, although they ^ sell
them by weight four or five times
cheaper than the fine sponges ;
but the inferiority in price is bal
anced by the macli greater facil
ity of the fishing.
There has been introduced in
to European commerce, witlii!!
the last few years, a species of
sponge collected on the coasts of
the Lucayos Islands, in the Carib
bean Sea, which is known as the
Bahamasponge. It isof a peculiar
ly attractive .appeaiaince, thanks
to its fine close tissue, and to the
preparations which it undergoes,
in order to give it a beautiful pale
blond color but k is liard,
strong and without solidity.
OS'fiE BAIV51.
Extracts from the Report *of
THE Geological Sinvr/r or
XoRTH CaROLIXA, BY pROF. ^Y.
C. Kerr.
In kliic’iell count3ms found one
of the most remarkable iron-ore
deposits in North America. It lies
on the western slope of the Iron
Mountain, (a part of the Great
Bmoky range,) in the northeast
corner of the county, 8 miles from
the Tennessee line, and a-bout a
mile fiom theraind torrent of Elk
ifiver, the }>nncij)al afliuent of the
Watauga, it has been long known
as the Cranberry Ore Bank, from
Cranberry Creek, -wliicli fio-ws at
'the foot of the steep mountain
spurs, on which it outcrops. The
prevalent and characteristic rock
of the mouuTains in this localiW
is hornblende, slate and syenire,
and is on the northern margin of
a mountainous ledge of such
rocks, tlint the ore-bed occurs,
gray gneisses and gncissold slates
coming in be^roiid In immediate
succession and association, in
paj't.
The ore is a pure magnetite,
massive and generally coar.se
granular, and exhibits strong
polarit}'. it is associated with
pyroxene and epidote, in certain
parts of the bed. The steep
slope of the mountain gorge and
ridges which the bed occupies,
are covered with bloc.ks of ore,
often of luiudreds of pounds
w^eight, and in many places, bare
vertical ■•vails of massive ore, 10
and 15 feet tliick, are exposed,
and the trenches and open dig
gings, ■which are scattered, with
out order, over manv’- acres of
surface, every where roach the
solid ore ■within a few feet of the
surface. The length of the out
crop is about 15U0 feet and the
breadth 200 to 800. A large
quantity of ore has been qiiarriod
and smelted liere during the last
two or three generations, but no
mining lias been done, the loose
and partly decomposed and dis
integrated masses of ore and
magnetic gravel mixed with the
surface earth, having been jire-
ferred by the ore diggers, as be
ing more easily obtained, and
much more readily stamped and
granulated for the forge fire.
Idre smitlis and farmers of the re
gion w'ill use ito other iron, if the
CranbeiTy can be had, and they
willingly pay fifty per cent more
for it than any other in the mar
ket. The softness and toughness
of this iron is very remarkalile,
and its tensile strength, as test
ed by the E'nited Stafi's Ordr
iiauco Department, ranks with
that of the best irons known.
The blooms from the Cranberry
forges have been extensively us
ed in Baltimore for boiler iron,
and commanded fifteen dolkars a
ton above the market. In quali
ty it is unsurpassed l)y any iron
in the world. Awd in regard to
quantity the bed much exceeds the
groat deposits of Missouri and
Michigan, and at least equals
auTthing in the Champlain region.
So that it lias not probably an
equal in this country, it lias
been recently sold to one of the
leading iron manufacturing com
panies in Peus^’lvania, for S17o,-
000, and wliou they shall have
completed the lirancli railroad,
tliirty miles in leugtli, from the
ore to tbs East Tennessee & Vir
ginia Railroad, no doubt tlie iron
world will Ijegiu to hear of the
deposit in a practical way.
A very AsicieESS rViiSi iu I?Ijssi3sissi>i.
About eighteen miles from
Port Gibson, mid one mile from
Braiulywine Siirings, on the place
of Mr. O’Qum, tl'.e existence of a
great number of blocks of cut-
stone has been known for an in
definite time, and the people in
the noig'liborhood have used them
for prop.s for their houses, Mr
Janies (luge, Jr., went out there
a few days ago to explore, and
had a specimen stone brought in
to town. It is about three feet
long, by about twenty indies
square, resembling in .shape a bar
of soap. It is probably a native
sand stone. Mr. Gage took this
block himself from beneath the
roots of a large pine tree. It
formed a portion of a wall about
twenty feet broad on the top,
lyliidi 3Ir, Gage traced for a dis
tance of two luiiidred and fifty
yards. The inference tliat one
would naturally draw from this
siiperiicial view is that this must
have been a city' wall, but deoj
exploration might show it to be a
portion of a fort, temple or other
building. Anyway, its antiquity
is probably immense, antedating
the history of the red men.—J’ort
Gibson Standard.
C^iieap €ai>iSa5.
We often hear men com|dain-
ing of the w'unt of ‘capital’ with
which to prosecute business and
make their way in the world—to
support themselves and families
and reach a (mmpetenc}' in world
ly store. You will see them
lounging on stieet corners, sitting
at the tavern or post office, whit
tling chairs ami goods-boxes, or
in their offices propping their feet
iqion the table or ' window-sills,
repining over the lack of starting
ca]jital—buiiding air-castles and
laying sclieines, like Col. Sellers,
with “millions in them” if only
the capital -was at liand with
which to }!rosecute and develop
them. Arid all the while there is
‘capital’ witliin their reach ;—not
money resources, perhaps, but
capital more necessary and pow
erful than money and muefi
clieaper—capital without ■which
money i.s of little avail. Every
m.on with a modiciun ot sense
and good health can be readily
furnished ■with cajiital it he would
only utilize it. A good name is
the starting point—not an ans-
tocratic name with tlie accumula
ted dignity and importance that
attaches to an illustrious f unily,
, but a na;ne among one’s neigh
bors for sobriety and lionest}’—a
name that when mentioned elicits
respect because of the virtue and
wortli of him who boars it. Any
one can acquire tliis capital b}’
careful conversation and upriglit
conduct among Ins fellow-inon,
and wlion acquired is an invalua
ble means to success in business.
llonoskV, scrupulous, unbending
honesty in dealing, in buying
and selling, lliougb it may somor
times require the sacrifice of some
temporary advantage and gain,
-will in the end bring ])utronage
and prosperity, if conjoined with
other qualities.
Attention to business, punctu-
alit\- in meeting engagements, fi
delity in keep'ing promises, ener
gy and seal in the prosecution of
what the baud finds to do, econ-
om}" in expenditures, politeness
toward equals, inferiors and su-
]ieriors in age, experience and
station, are all elements of capital
stock witliin the power of every
one to seize and use. Nature,
the great capitalist, furnislies these
to all her children, without usury,
only requiring that they shall be
employed and culti\’ated.—llcd-
eigh Christian Advocate.
Cloves are the unopened flov.'-
ei’s of a small evergreen tree tliat
resembles in appearance the laurel
or the bay. It is a native ot the
Molucca or S])ice Islands, but
has been carried to all the warmer
parts of the world, ami it is now
cultivated in the tropical regions
of America. The flowers are small
in size, and grow in large num
bers, in clusters, to the very end
of the brancbe.s. The cloves wo
use are the fio'rvers gatherd before
they are opened, and while they
are still green. After being
gathered they are smoked ]jy a
wood fire, and then dried in the
sun. IXicli clove consists of two
parts—of a round head, which is
the four petals, or leaves, or flow
ers rolled up, inclosing a number
of small stalks or filaments ; the
other part of the clove is termina
ted with four points, and is, in
fact, the flower-cup of tlio unripe
seed-vessel. All these parts may
be distinctly seen if a few cloves
are soaked for a short time in hot
water, when the leaves of the flow
ers soften, and readily unroll
Both the taste and the smell of
cloves depend on tlie quantity of
oil they contain. Sometimes the
oil is separated form the cloves
before they are sold, and the odor
and taste are, in consequence,
much weakened.
Emerson discourses as follows :
“Show us an intelligent family 0[f-
boA’s and girls, and wo shall ^ho\y-
you a famil}^ where newspapers
and periodicals are }il.‘ntifiiL No
body, who lias lieeu without these
silent, ],'rivate tutors, can know-
thoir educational ]■)ower for good
and for evil. Have you never
tlionglit of the innumerable topics,
of discussion whicli they suggest
at the breakfast table, the most
important jiublic measures with
which, thus oaii\" our children
become familiml}’’ acquainted ;
groat jdiilantiiropic questions of
t)io day, to which unconsciously
their attention is awakened, and
the general spirit of intelligence
which is evoked by these 'quiet
visitors f Anything that makes
home pleasant, cheerful andcha'.i
t)'^ thins the haunts of vice, and
the thousand and one avenues ot
temptation, should certainly be
rogiirded, when Ave consider its
influence on the mind of the
young as a great moral and social
blessing.”
ISeasliiag' lor tJic Young*.
I’liere is in market a flood of
literature that is fitonlj^ for kind
ling fires, that should never be
read; and there is a flood, also, of
pure, fine, high-toned literature
for men and Avomen, for boys, an^
girls, for the old and youiig, for-
tlie intellectual and unintelleptual,
but discrimination must beusediq
selecticui, aud fevA^ cliildreii are
capable of inaking a AAdiolesome
choice in liooks. Their- habits,
and tastes in reading must be
formed, if formed ariglit, by wise
and judicious counselors. A boy
or girl accustomed to eat at a
cleaiq ovderl}-, Avellfuriiished
table will luive no appetite for
food that is filthy, unwliolosome,
illcocked, and Avill s.tarvvM long
before Im Avill feed on it. Just,
so a young person Avhose intel-.
lectual appetite has fieen stimu
lated and gratified by intimate
acquaintance AAutli pure and noble
Avriters Avi; I loathe tlie produc-.
tious of vicious and depraved au-
thora.
A quiet reproof Avas adroitly
glAmii by Dr. Bethune to the Rev.
Dr. 'fyng in a }datform meeting
in Philadelphia, A. \), 1878. Dh
Tyng had introduced liiinself to
us by assuring us of his firmness
as an Episcopalian; that in his
birth, baptism, confirmation, &g.,
he had been an Episcopalian;
that he expected to ii\'e, mid die,
and go to heaven an Episcopa-
liuH, and to be an Episco])aliau
in heaven. Dr. Bethune, being
iutrucuced, said; -‘As for myself,
lam nolliing buta Refurniod
D Li t cl i m an. 1 ex]) oct to live and die
a Refbrined Dutchman ; but Avlien
I got to heaAum, I sluill be an
Ejuscopalian, fori am determined
te be Avith brotlur Tvng.
In Cashmero 100,QOO person^
are employed in the sIiaAvl manu
facture. fl’iie AveuAmrs are all
men, and most of the spinners
Avomen. The real Cashmere
tl'.road is made fi’on> dovAui, net
the hair, of the Tliibet goat. TId§
doAvn, or avooI, is all carried to
Cliasmere for manufactrire, the
business being under such strict
governmental control that no real
Avool can bo sold, or smuggled in
to any other province pf India,
Fine shaAvls are made iii other
jirovinbes and sold as genuiqa
Cashmere, but are an inferior ap-:
.tide. These shawls, are of tAvp
kinds: one is made by AA^pavin^
snicill pieces and seAving tlipm to
gether, the other by ombroidoj>
ing the pattern on a jJ.ain
cloth, The Aveaving of a shaAij
of ordinary pattern occupies three
AvcaAmrs three months; the more
elaborate ones from twelve tq
fifieen months.
Trqe ])letj is not a morose, buj,
a clieerful thing; Avlpl^t it niake^
us ju}'fi}l3 ii tleli\mrs us from frivT
olity ; 3’et it causes us to be plea.^-
clllt.