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THE MARINE RECORD. ee GENERAL NEWS. The Treasury Department has decided that in the event of the sale of a vessel of the United States from one customs districts to another the bill of sale should be recorded at the port which is to be her home port in the district to which she is transferred. The vendees mortgage should also be recorded at the same port. It is also considered ad- visable that the bill of sale be recorded also at the former port. Sensible people are trying to solve the problem of preventing by some kind of legislation the ‘‘cornering’’ ot grain and other commodities. But legislation does not seem to offer the protection demanded, The failure of last week, however may lead people to believe in the truth of the state- ment that “corners”? of this kind are most often failures and ruin those engaged in them. All the signs now indicate that the British will have a Snez canal of their own, The French company is not in a position to offer all the demands of the British ship-o vners. Even if the greatest concession were made they would be only a temporary bar. ‘lhe desire for a separate canal under British contro] has taken hold in England and will not rest until it is fully gratified. The management of the Richelien & Ontario Navigation Company, on reception of reports from the west that there were no hopes of getting off the stranded steamer “Spartan,” placed her inthe hands of the underwriters, but from a despatch received by the traffic manager from the insurance agent yesterday, it appears that the steamer will. be got off with but slight damage.— Kingston News. The Chicago and Alton smoke-consume: has been placed upon the tug Mary Mc- Lane, and the tug willdo her work fora week with thelappliance in place, thus fully testing it. George McLane, one of the best marine engineers on the lakes, handles the engines on the McLane, and he will give the Alton consnmer a fair test. If any engineer can get along with this consumer Mr. McLane can. The tug Alpha has a consumer, invented by Mr. Crane, her own- er, and the O. B. Green has the Hutchinson consumer on. A Leader dispatch from Kenosha, dated June 29, says: ‘The lighthouse department have caueed the erection of a new building for the light at Kenosha, and sailing masters will do well to take notice that a change of jight will occur for a few days and until the present lights are removed to the new struc- ture. At present and from this date a red lantern will be exhibited on the east side of -the new structure, and as soon as the old lights are placed in a position in the struc- ture nutice will be given. ‘The new struc- ture has been built under the superin- tendency of George A. Kern, foreman of lighthouse construction and repairs. ‘The work has been pushed forward energetically and well performed. Wonderful stories are told of the rapid Alight aud long endurance upon the wing of the carrier pigeon, but from the following account sent us for publication, the ‘palm for flight and endurance must be given to the “Mullihawk.” Our contributor says: Herewith is an account of the finding of a A MISSISSIPPI PILOI’S FEAT, From Mark Twain's “Life on the Mississippt.” Coming up-stream pilots did net mind low water or any kind of darkness; nothing stopped them but fog. But down-stream work was diflerent; a bont- was too nearly helpless with a stiff current pushing behind her; so it was not customary to run down- stream at night in low water, ‘There peemed to be one small hope, how- ever; if we could get through the intricate and dangeroua Hat [sland crossing before night, we could venture the rest, for we would have plainer sailing and better water. But it would be insanity to attempt Hat Is- land at-night. So there was a deal of look- ing at watches all the rest of the day, and a constant ciphering upon the speed we were making; Hat [shiud was the eternal subject; sometimes hope was high, and sometimes we were delayed by « tad crossing, and down it went again. For hours all hands lay under the burden‘of this suppressed ex- citement; it was even communicated to me, and [ got to feeling so solicitous about Hat Island and under such an awful pressure of responsibility, that L wished 1 might: bave five minutes on shore to draw a.good, ‘full, relieving breath, and start over again.» We were standing vo regular watches. Each of our pilots ran such portions of the river as he had run when coming up stream, because ot his great familiarity with it; but both re- mained in the pilot house constautly. An hour beforesunset, Mr. Bixby took the whee] and Mr. W, stepped aside. For the next thirty minutes every man held his watch in his hand and was restless, ‘silent and uneasy. doomful sigh :— “Well, yonder’s Hat Island—-and we can’t make it.” ; All tive watches closed with a snap, every- vird which had previously been caught and marked. This bird must have flown East, as the prevailing winds are trom the West, thus showing that it had traveled 238° 09” making 9,645 miles diff. longitude and 18° 28? diff, latitude in 57 days or about 170 miles per day! ‘Captain Alexander Dorward, of the bark Peruvian, at Fleetwood from the West Coast of South America, reports that when rounding Cape Horn, in latitude 56 47 ‘south loingitude 67 50 West, on the 7th of Setober last, he caught a bird, commonly called a ‘‘Milihuawk”’ by sailors, from the neck of which was suspended a thin slip of yellow metal with the following words roughly engraved thereon, as near as could be deciphered: ‘American bark I. L. Skol fiela, New York—Calcutta, latitude 38 19 South, longitude 54 10 East, August 11, 1882.” ‘The above named vessel is doubtless the American bark Isaac L. Skolfield, which arrived in New York in April, on her return from Calcutta.” The total stealings of the San Francisco harbor commission ring, according to the|the tube: expert’s report, amount to $87,248.10, body sighed and twuttered something about iv’s being “too bad, too bad—uah, if we could only have got here half an hour sooner!” and the place was thick with the atmosphere of disappointment. Some started to go out, but loitered, bearing no bell-tap to lard. 7 Tne sun dipped behind the horizon, the boat wenton. Inquiring looks passed trom.one guest to another; and one who had his hand on the door-knob aud had turned it, waited, then presently took away his hand and let the knob turn back again, We bore steadily down the bend. More looks were exchanged and nods. of surprised admiration—but no wortia, Insensibly the men ‘drew together behind Mr. Bixby, as the sky darkened and one or two dim stars came out. ‘The dead ailence and sensé of waiting became uppres- sive. Mr. Bixby pulled the cord, and two deep, mellow notes floated off on the night. Then a paneeand one more note was struck. The watchman’s voice followed from the hurricane deck :— . “Labboard lead, there! Stabboard lead !” The cries of the leadsmen began to rise out of the distance, and were gruffly repea:- ed by the word-passers on the hurricane deck. ““M-a-r-k three! .... M-a-r-k three! .. Quarter-less-three!... Half twain!... {Quarter twain! .. . Mea-r-k twain!... ! Quarter-less—"’ Mr. Bixby pulled two bell-ropes, and was | answered by faint jinglings far below in the engine-room, ard our speed slackened. ‘The steam began to whistle through the gauge- cocks. ‘The cries of the leadsmen went on— and it is a wierd sound, always, in the night. Every pilot in the lot was watehing now with fixed eyes and talking under his breath. Nobody was calm and easy but Mr. Bixby. He would put his wheel down and stand on a spoke. And as the steamer swung into her (to me) utterly ‘nvisible marks—for we seemed to be in the midst of a wide and gloomy sea—he would meet and fasten her there. Out of the murmur of half-audible talk, one caught a coherent sentenee now and then, such ‘as: “There, she’s over the first reef all right !” After a pause another subdued voiee : “Fler stern’s coming down just exaetly right, by George!” ‘Now she’s in the marks; over she goes!” Somebody else mutterea— “Oh, it was done beautitul—beantiful 27 Now the engines were stopped altogether, and we drifted with the ewrrent. Not that I could see the boat drift, for 1 eeuld nor, the stars being all gone by this time. This dritting was the dismalest work; it held one’s heart still. Presently I saw a blacker gloom than that which svrrounded us. It was the head of the island. We were ‘elos- ing right down upon it. We entered its deeper shadow, and so imminent seemed the peril that I was likely to sufficate; and I had the strongest impulse to do something, any- thing, to save the vessel. But still Mr. Bix- by stood by his wheel silent, intent as a cat, and all the pilots stood shoulder to shoulder at his back. “She'll not make it,’’ somebody whispered. The water grew shoaler and shouler, by the leadsman’s cries, till it was down to— “Kight-and-n-halt,.... E-i-g-h-t feet! . ... K-i-g-h-t feet... . . Seven-and—” Mr. Bixby said warningly through his speaking tube to the engineer: “Stand by, now!” “Aye, aye, sir!’ “Seven anda half! Seven feet! Six-and—’”’ We touched bottom! Instantly Mr: Bix- by set a lot of bells ringing, shouted through h “Now, let her have it—every ounce you’ye got!” then to his partner: At last somebody: siid witha} “Pat her bard down! suatch her! snatelt | ber!” The boat rasped and ground her way through the sand, hung upon the apex of disatter a single tremendous instant, and then over she went! And stich a shout as went upat Mr. Bixby’s back never loosened the roof of a pilot-house before ! There was no more treuble after that. Mr. Bixby wasa hero that night; and it was come little time, too, before his exploit ceased to be talked abeut by river men. WANGED AN) DIDN'T KNOW IT. From the New York Star, The dismal rain beat against the windows of the courthouse, and swept in sheets across the jail-yard. Court was adjourned for, the day, the glerks bad gone hose, and a band ef officers gathered in the grand jury room for a half-hour chat. But the tlow of con- versation was less free and jovial than com- mon. Apparently the depressing aspect of things without had alfected the spirit of the county Maynates, ‘The usuglly smiiling face of the sheriff wore a sad expression, and the jolly surrogate gazed mournfully out upon the cheerless, muddy street. Upon the benign visage of the County Judge was a melancholy look, as if in his official capacity she had) sentenced himself as a private iudividual to, sulfer the extreme penalty of the law. ‘Vilted) back ina big arm-chair, the foreman of the grand jury thoughtfully cleaned his finger-tails., A long silenve was broken by the Sherill, who observed, a8 a sudden gust of wind dashed the rain noisily against the ylass: What a day for hanging ?, “Wretched !” replied the currogate, care- lessly turning the leaves of the penal code. . “Ll wouldn’t be hanged ona day like this for any consideration.’ “A tellow would catch his death of cold,” putin the foreman of the grand jury. ‘* What put the subject of hanging into your head, sheriff?” “O, L was thinking of a poor tellow who expiated a murder in Iowa teu years ago on just such a day as this?” “Another of your Western- yarns, ch, sheriff?’ said the surrogate with a yawn. “Why will a manalways draw a long bow when he tells what happened to him out West?” , » “This is gospel truth,” retorted the sheriff, quickly, ‘‘and ivs nothing that. happened tu me, or I should not’ be hear to tell it. Moreover, Mr. Surrogate, I never exagger- sate. “Oh, no,” was the sarcastic rejoinder. “Never mind him said the foreman of the grand jury, *‘go on with your story.” The sheriff seated himself on the green- covered table and began: “Well, as I said, this happened ten years ago, way out in lowa, A tellow killed his brother-in-law and was senteneed to death. ‘The hanging was public, the gallows being erected’on the open prairie a little distance behind the jail. I was sworn in as a special deputy. Holy Moses, how it did rain en that day. The water came down in chunks with sufficient force to tear. umbrellas into tatters in fifteen minutes.’” “Sheriff, sheriff’ murmured the eounty judge, in a tone of gentle 1eproach. “Oh, its a fact! ‘he condemned man was carried to the place of execution in an open cart. Another deputy and Lrede with him. A bangibg was tco rare a treat to be missed vy people out there, no matter what the weather war. Shivering and wet, a large crowd stood iv the cozrse, saturated grass about the seatfold. We phaeed our man under the evoss-picee and: fastened the rope about his peek. Everything was ready ex- cept the last prayer and letting the trap fall. ‘The sheriff asked the prisoner if he had any- thing to say. “¢Yves,’ said the man. He made a long speech, declaring his innocenee, abusing the judge aed all that kind of thing. Suddenly he stopped in the middle of a sentence. All this time, you must remember, the rain fell in eataracts. Seeing the Qoomedman silent the sheriff tipped a wink to the elergyman, who, being a Baptist, did not mind the rain. Tbe reverend gentlemen began to pray. We all bent Our heads, although no one was pious enowgh w take his bat of. Just as Brother Hardshell was winding up his peti- tion we heard a cry of astonishment from the crowd. I looked up,and what do you think L saw?” ©The prisoner escaping?” asked the sur- | regate. “No, sir; he was hanging two feet from the platform.” “What?” cried the sheriffs gether. «Tbe rain had shrunk the rope enough to hang our man for us.” For a moment the silence of the room was broken only by the ticking of the elock and the rattle of the rain drops against the panes. The foreman of the grand jury drew a long breath and said: 7 “Sheriff, aman of your imagination should write unsolicited testimonials for patent medicines.” auditors to- An authority in fron matters says that n> less than $5,000,000 has been diverted from Pennsylvania within the past two years and invested in the mineral d :pc sits of southwest Virginia. In Portland, Ore., shipowners claim they have the advantage in view of the large ex» pected wheat harvest on the const. and are generally asking full rates for freight. | proven by a practical test, ‘now. The reward of merit is su NAUTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC ‘Tue Sailors,Magazine gives an interesting account of the progress of the U. S. Fish Commission in their work; containinga description of the special appliances neces- sary for the work, as seen on the steamer Albatros. After givivg a description of the Albatross and her electrie lights, to be used under water to attract fish, it Says: “The vessel is provided with two large laboratories, one on the spar deck in the amidship house, and the other on the deck immediately below. In these laboratories the reporter found yesterday specimens re- cently taken in soundings and dredgings in 1,200 fathoms.of water. There were star fish, differing entirely from those common in shallow water, submarine worms of curl ous forms, crabs of viridus kinds ot verte- brates and invertebrates. In one jar of al- cohol were several yourg sharks which were taken alive from the mother. ‘There were specimens ot plants, and of the mud-at that depth—making in alla curious and in- teresting collection. ‘The specimens will be taken to the Smithsonian Institution at Washington, : “There is also in the. vessel a complete photographie apparatus for taking instan- taneous photographs of specimens raised . f-om the bottom of tLesea. “he -hotograph! apparatus will‘be used alsa-in Aue eee photographs of minute organisms by aid of the electric light.lowered in the sea. Pho« tographs of the intensity of light will be ta- ken at different depths, the photographic. plates being sent down, opened and closed, raised to the surface for comparison, and preserved to be sent to the Smithsonian In- stitution. One vestel recently carried to Gre: ~ ain from Canada 736 head of NPE ae sheep. ; It was the largest cargo of the kind ever shipped. « The total value of Canadian fi = elusive ot Manitobs and the Noh wsteen: tories during 1882° was $16,524,092, an in- crease of $1,000,000 over 1881, The Iowa coal-miners will hol convention at Oskaloosa July 10 3 peony a thorough State organization, adjust the screen question, and fix the price of. mining for the various localities in the State, and adopt measures to assist. in enforcing the Icwa mining laws. The skill in beating out and inlayir and other metals to which Homer sg aie alludes, is attested by the remains found in the tombs at Mycenx, of which perhaps the mort Homeric are the designs on the scabbards of awords, which at the times when P'r, Sebliemann’s book appears were too much inerusted with rust to be made out, but. whieh have been recently engraved and described by Mr. Koumanoudes, The subject represented on these scabbards are a lion hunt, attaeking a herd of deer, winged monsters, fish and plants. The manes of the lions are of red gold, their bodies of paler gold, probably eleetrum. So with the flowers—the sta'k, leaves and branches are of gold, the ealyxes of electrum. The same distinction of color is observed between the sea and the fish swimming in it, and also in representing the birds—in which the eolor of the blood flowing from their wounds is discriminated from theeolor of their feathers. Farther variety ts obtained by the use of enamel in portions of the background. In the deseription of the plowing on the shield of Achilles, the poet says that the furrow behind the plowman was black, as plowed land is although heing of gold. Probably to produee a change of color, a dark enamel, such as that found in the scabbarde was combined with the gold. Homer, therefore 80 far from inventing the shield of Achilles out of his imagination, as was formerly con- tended, derived many details both of subject and technical exeeution from works of art whieh he had actually seen, and whieh in- spired him with the conception of what a work by the god Hephivston himself might have been. So, again, in regard to the choice of subjects on these scabbards .and through- out the Mycenean antiquities, the “ that when ITesiod describes the Pandora as ornamented with creatures such aa the sea he borrowed these orna of his own time Yy proye crown of all: manner of and the land breed,” mente from the art —Nautical Review, RENEWING AN OLD AN q MENT. ee The real value of an artic le can only be This is. the pre- cept of the oldest tradesmen in the world—- men, who, knowing the character of their goods, do not fear the result of a practical trial. Some people may term this egotism butit is nothing more than honest. dealin : Dr. Swayne made this announcement vere ago when his pills for dyspepsia, hiliiows- ness, sick headache and spring complaints were first introduced, and he reiterates it CCORR,