Thus 107 Dutch schepels are equal to 82 Winchester bushels, 4 schepels are about 3 imperial bushels, and 11 schepels are about one quarter.

Cloth Measure.

1 ell is equal to 27 Rhynland inches-1 yard to 3417 Rhynland inches. The proportion between Dutch ells and English yards is generally taken at 3 yards to 4 ells; but the real rate is 100 yards to 129 ells.

Land Measure.

144 square inches are equal to 1 square foot Rhynlands.

144 square feet

600 square roods

1 square rood
1 square morgen,,

A morgen is generally reckoned to be equal to 2 English statute acres; but the true proportion is considered at 497 morgen to 100 acres.-Porter's Official Tables.

NATAL.

This colony derives its name from the fact of its having been discovered on Christmas day of 1498, by the Portuguese. It was subsequently, in 1575, again visited by one of their famous navigators, who was sent by King Sebastian for the express purpose of exploring the country.-Ed.

ARROWROOT CROPS.

The extraordinary productiveness of arrowroot in the soil of Natal is illustrated by the fact that from a plot of less than half-an-acre, on the estate of Mr. Morewood, at Compensation, a quantity of the root or tubers has been taken weighing 12,700 lb., and this crop has been sold for cash at 1d. per lb., being upwards of 507. for less than half-an-acre! The prepared arrowroot from this lot has been sold in this town at 1s. per lb.- Cape Town Mail, Dec. 1853.

COFFEE AND SUGAR PLANTING.

A letter from a gentleman who has large landed property in Natal to a friend of his in Cape Town states that he has no less than 100,000 coffee-trees, many He is also going to of them blossoming, and which will bear freely this year.

plant out from 5,000 to 10,000 new plants this season. Sugar-planting, he states, is also rapidly increasing, so that in a short time sugar and coffee will be reckoned among the staple articles of export from this flourishing colony.— Cape Town Mail, Dec., 1853.

AFRICAN PORTS ON THE RED SEA.

Principal Ports.-Cosseir, Massuah, Souakim, Suez.

ROYAL GEOGRAPHICAL SOCIETY, APRIL 10, 1854.

Sir RODERICK J. MURCHISON, Vice-President, in the Chair.

Dr. G. BUIST read an interesting paper on the Physical Geography of the Red Sea, which described it to be the most remarkable estuary on the surface of the globe. It is 1,280 miles in length, with a maximum breadth of nearly

200 miles, a circuit of 4,020 miles, and an area of 108,154 miles; its greatest depth is 400 fathoms; the mean depth of its axis about 150 fathoms for about 10 miles along mid-channel; the neap tides at Aden, Ras Mohammed, and Suez, are about five feet, the spring is about seven feet, and the rise at the upper end of the sea, by a continual south wind, is about four feet. The temperature and saltness of the Red Sea are almost the same as that of the

ocean.

CAPE VERD ISLANDS.

Principal Ports.-Brava, Bonavista (Islands of), Fogo (Island), Mayo (Island), Midello, St. Antonio, St. Jago, St. Lucia, St. Nicholas, St. Vincent (Islands of), Praya (Island of St. Jago).

MONEYS.

Translation of a decree Nov. 1853, giving legal currency to the Foreign coins as hereinafter mentioned :

:

The island of St. Helena, and all forts, factories, public edifices, and hereditaments whatsoever in the said island, and all stores and property thereon, fit or used for the service of the government thereof, shall be vested in His Majesty; and the said island shall be governed by such orders as His Majesty in council shall from time to time issue in that behalf. 3 & 4 Will. c. 85, § 112.

SHIPPING.

St. Helena, Dec. 29, 1853.

The increase of ships this year is not very great, but the tonnage shows a great increase, nearly 50,000 tons. The tonnage of homeward bound merchant ships, touching at St. Helena, amounts to within a small fraction of half a million tons yearly, of which about two-thirds are English.

THOMAS BAKER & Co.

Lloyd's Agents.

MADAGASCAR.

Principal Ports.-Tamatave, Fort Dauphin, Foul Point.

MOZAMBIQUE.

SEA AND FISCAL PORTS.

June 20, 1854.

Custom-houses have been established in the seaports of Ibo, Quelimane, Inhambane, Laurenco, Marquez (Goa Bay), on the east coast of Mozambique, Africa; and the ports of Tofalla, Angoxe, Mecambo, Conducia, Firmao, Vellozo, Pemba, Tungue, and Rio de Arero, are to be fiscal ports. These ports are open to all foreign flags, but in no other ports will foreign vessels be permitted to enter, except in case of distress, or of urgent necessity to procure water, stores, or firewood.-Lloyd's.

BONDING.

June 20, 1854.

At the Custom-house at Mozambique foreign merchandise can be admitted to bond in the warehouse belonging to the State, under the control of the custom-house, for a period not exceeding two years from the date of entry. At the end of that period the goods must be either entered for home consumption or for re-exportation; and, if the latter, they are not subject to duty. Goods can be re-exported within two months of their arrival, free of duty. The Government holds itself responsible for the goods in bond.Lloyd's.

ISLE OF BOURBON.

Principal Ports.-St. Denis, St. Paul.

MAURITIUS.

Principal Ports.-Mahebourg, Port Louis, Seychelles Island.

TRADE WITH MADAGASCAR.

The terms upon which the trade with Madagascar has been re-opened with the Mauritius are as follows:-1. There is to be no restriction between buyer and seller. 2. The customs duties are to be levied as formerly, viz., 10 per cent. on imports and exports. 3. Any attempt to take possession of land and

settle on the Hova territory is prohibited. 4. All nations are to enjoy equal privileges. 5. Traffic in slaves is specially prohibited.-Economist, Feb. 1854.

SUGAR.

Mauritius, March 16, 1854.

The total quantity of sugar returned fur 1853-54 was 190,000,000lb., of which 130,038,3221b. has been shipped to the United Kingdom. The prices of the finer qualities ranged from 4 dol. 50c. to 5 dol. 40c.-Cor.

MONEYS.

Accounts are usually stated in British currency. The Dutch currency is sometimes made use of. In Mauritius accounts with merchants are chiefly kept in dollars and cents, but with the Government in British pounds sterling, as in the other British colonies.

PART THE THIRTEENTH.

AMERICA.

HUDSON'S BAY COMPANY.

Few among us are aware of the extraordinary resources and wide-spread. ing plans of this remarkable society, which has exercised in its barren domains a steady enterprising policy not inferior to that of the East India Company itself; and now, in Mr. Farnham's language, occupies and controls more than one-ninth of the soil of the globe. The great business of this company is the fur-trade, of which it is now nearly the sole monopolist throughout all the choicest fur-bearing regions of North America, with the exception of the portion occupied by the Russians. The bulk of its empire is secured to it by charter. Edinburgh Review.

VANCOUVER'S ISLAND.

GRANT TO THE HUDSON'S BAY COMPANY.

By a royal grant or letters patent under the Great Seal of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, bearing date at Westminster, the 13th day of January, 1849, Her Gracious Majesty Queen Victoria did give, grant, and confirm to the Governor and Company of Adventurers of England, trading into Hudson's Bay, and their successors, that portion of North America called Vancouver's Island.

OPEN FREE PORTS.

By the same grant, all the ports and harbours shall be open and free to the freeholders, and to all nations, either trading or seeking shelter therein.

BRITISH POSSESSIONS IN GENERAL.

Importation and Exportation.-No goods shall be imported into, nor shall any goods, except the produce of the fisheries in British ships, be exported from any of the British possessions in America, by sea, from or to any place other than the United Kingdom, or some other of such possessions, except into or from the several ports in such possessions, called "Free Ports," enumerated or described in the table following, riz. :- [3 & 4 W. 4, c. 59, § 27.]

GG