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(an annual demand of about one-twelfth of the quantity needed for making a railway, engines, and carriages,) we shall find ourselves in possession of means for making iron much beyond what have at any previous time existed, and very greatly beyond any probable demand to arise from other and existing channels of employment at home, or from foreign countries. The price will consequently fall, and we shall then find that this metal will again be employed in uses from which it may have been excluded by the previous high price. From improvements in the processes of manufacture, the market may even fall to a lower point than has hitherto been witnessed, and new uses may, in consequence, be discovered where to apply this metal. All this, however, must be a work of time; and it seems but too probable that, in the meanwhile, our iron-masters will have to undergo a somewhat lengthened season of adversity, for the enduring of which they are, in a measure, prepared by former experience."

THE DISCOVERY OF DIAMOND MINES IN THE PROVINCE OF BAHIA.

THE DIAMOND MINES OF SINCURA.

The Journal des Debats furnishes some interesting facts in relation to the recently discovered diamond mine of Sincura, in the province of Bahia. As the interest of the matter deepens with the details, and the certainty that they are authentic; and in view of the commercial, historical, and picturesque, we deem it of sufficient importance to put our readers in possession of the full particulars as we find them in the French journal.

"For some months past," says the correspondent of the Journal des Debats, "the communications and commercial relations with the province of Bahia have assumed extraordinary activity. A great number of inhabitants, speculators, adventurers, and even proprietors of sugar-houses, have emigrated with their slaves into that province-the site of a diamond-mine, the produce of which is incredible. It was discovered, in October of last year, by a slave, who, in the space of twenty days, had picked up 700 carats of diamonds, and taken them for sale to a considerable distance. Arrested and imprisoned, he still obstinately refused to disclose their source; whereupon his escape was connived at, and some intelligent Indians were put upon his trail. They followed him for several days, and surprised him at last, rooting for diamonds, not far from Caxoiera in the province of Bahia. Researches were then made over a large space, parallel with a chain of mountains called Sincura-which have since given their name to the mines-and along the banks of the river Paraguassu, which falls into the gulf of Bahia.

"The first individuals who established themselves at the mine of Sincura were mostly convicts and murderers; and their presence was marked by burnings and assassination. The difficulty of procuring sustenance in the country, and the danger incurred by those who came thither to exchange diamonds against the paper money of Brazil, prevented the respectable merchants from engaging in this commerce. But as the population, nevertheless, gradually increased, police regulations were adopted by the new colonists; and the working of the mine began then on an extended scale. The population, which, in the previous August, numbered only eight thousand souls, distributed amongst three townships, was, at the close of July last, upwards of thirty thousand, and is continually increasing. The villages now inhabited and worked are seven in number-Paraguassu, Combucas, Chique-Chique, Causu-Boa, Andrahy, Nage, and Lancoes. The latter of these, twenty leagues distant from Paraguassu, contains alone 3,000 houses and 20,000 inhabitants. The central point of the diamond commerce is Paraguassu; which, though populous, has yet only twelve small houses of masonry. Nearly all the miners come hither on Saturday and Sunday, to sell the stones which they have collected during the week-taking back, in exchange, various articles of consumption, arms, and ready-made clothing, which come from Bahia at great cost. The diamonds found at Paraguassu are for the most part of a dun color, and very irregular conformation. Those of Lancoes are white, or light green, and nearly transparent as they come from the mine. They are octagonal, and the most prized of any. It is often necessary to penetrate to a depth of three or four yards, ere coming at the diamond stratum. Diamonds are gathered, too, in the stony ravines at the bottom of the Paraguassu itself, and of its tributary streams.

"The price of the diamonds of this mine varies at Bahia from 250 to 500 milreis (670 to 1,340 francs) the octave, according to their size or water. The octave is 174 carats; but the carat of Brazil is 7 per cent below the French carat- which makes the Brazilian carat from 67 to 134 francs. The actual course of exchange at Bahia is 365 reis for a franc.

"The two English packets of May and June last took home about 5 millions worth (£220,000) of diamonds from this mine; and since then, during the months of June and July, it has produced nearly 1,450 carats per day. It is estimated to have yielded, in the ten months during which it has been worked, nearly 400,000 Portuguese carats, (about £732,000 in value,) three-fifths of which has taken the road of England, another fifth has gone to France and Hamburgh, and the remaining fifth waits for purchasers at Rio Janeiro and Bahia.

"All the lapidaries in Europe could not cut even one-half the stones produced by the mine of Sincura; a reduction in value is therefore looked for, and the traffic gives rise to very hazardous speculations.

"Brazil, whose privilege it is to furnish the diamonds of commerce, produced annually, before the discovery of this mine, no more than six or seven kilogrammes-which cost more than a million of francs in the working. Hitherto the diamonds found at Sincura are all of small size. It is known that there are but few in the world which weigh more than 20 grammes. The largest is that of Agra-weighing 133; that of the Rajah of Matan, at Borneo, weighs 78-that of the Mogul Emperor, 63-and that of France, called the Regent, 28 grammes, 89 centi-grammes; but this latter is of fine form, and in all respects quite perfect. It weighed before cutting, 87 grammes, and took the work of

two years.

"The mine of Sincura presents the aspect of an independent colony in the heart of the mother country. Hitherto, the government has taken no steps for assuming the direction of this trade, which promises to be so abundant a source of wealth to the province of Bahia; and they will probably have, now, to sanction the regulations which the inhabitants have laid down for their own security in the working of this vast mine-that spreads already over a superficies of more than thirty leagues."

IMPROVEMENTS IN ALKALI MANUFACTURE.

Mr. Bell, of the Alkali Works, South Shields, says the London Morning Journal, has obtained a patent for condensing the muriatic acid evolved in the manufacture of sulphate of soda, and for condensing the acid fumes or vapors which arise in the manufacture of sulphuric acid. For the first method, the patentee employs several pipes or tubes placed vertically-say four-about twenty feet high and six feet in diameter. These cylinders are filled with coke in pieces about the size of a walnut, and water is allowed to flow in small streams through the coke. They are so arranged that the acid vapors will ascend through one and descend through the next, alternately; and with these is combined a peculiar means of obtaining a draft through the condensers. This is done by making the flue from the last terminate in a cone, and applying a jet of steam just below the orifice. To prevent any escape of a deleterious vapor into the atmosphere, a close cistern is placed around the condensers, having one or more partitions descending from the top, and dipping a few inches in water. The second part of the invention consists in employing similar condensers for collecting the fumes in the manufacture of sulphuric acid. In this case water is not allowed to descend through the coke, but a jet of steam is admitted into the first condenser, as also into the sulphur chamber. The patentee states that he obtains a much greater produce of acid from the condensers than from the sulphuric acid chamber in the same time; and can thus add more burners to the chamber, and he has obtained acid by using the condensers only.

WORSTED MOSAIC MANUFACTURE.

The pleasing effect of mosaic, and the delicate perception of the nuances of colors required in the artists who fabricate it, are well known. The various colors and shades employed in a mosaic landscape or portrait, are many thousands in number, and the artist must be able to discriminate among them, and to assign to each its due place in the composition. The minute pieces of glass or stone used for this purpose, have a consistency and firmness that render their successful manifestation easily conceivable. We felt more difficulty in conceiving the means by which a new description of ornamental manufacture, which lately fell under our notice, and which we cannot more fitly designate than by the name of worsted mosaic, was produced. To fix and compress such a yielding and elastic material, so as to keep the threads dyed with finely differenced shades in their proper places in the pattern, seemed impossible. Yet there it was before us, rich scroll work, and glowing wreaths of flowers, formed by an aggregation of worsted threads on

the same principle of mosaic. The process is this: the colored design being placed before the workman, and a great number of worsted threads of various dyes, cut to equal lengths, assorted beside him, the threads are arranged horizontally in a frame, so that their ends, when shorn, shall reproduce the pattern. When a narrow stripe as broad as the pattern has been completed, mechanical pressure is applied till the “pile" becomes as dense as the finest Turkey carpet. Caoutchouc cloth, with the caoutchouc reduced to a semi-liquid state, is applied to one end of the pile as soon as it has been brought to the requisite density. Another layer of the worsted mosaic is then super-imposed and fixed by the same process. When the pattern is completed, a uniform surface is given to it by the ordinary operation of shearing. The texture is delicately soft, and the colors at once gorgeous and lasting. With the aid of ingenious pupils from the school of design, accustomed to form new combinations of color from the study of natural objects, we believe that this new manufacture might be made to surpass the richest Turkey carpets. We have seen specimens which, after seven years' "wear and tear," retained their original color and elastic softness. The process has been patented by the inventor, Mr. Taylor, of Lochwinnoch, Scotland.

MANUFACTURES OF CONNECTICUT IN 1845.

COTTON. The number of cotton mills in the State is 137; value of cotton goods of all kinds manufactured, $3,023,326; capital invested, $3,312,450; hands employed, 5,362. WOOLLEN.-Number of woollen mills, 123; value of woollen goods of all kinds manufactured, $3,280,575; capital invested, $1,786,640; hands employed, 2,149.

PAPER.-Number of paper mills, 37; value of paper manufactured, $1,186,302; capital invested, $684,700; hands employed, 659.

SEWING SILK.-Value of sewing silk manufactured, $173,382; capital invested, $121,001; hands employed, 272.

LEATHER-Number of tanneries, 187; number of hides tanned, &c., 535,036; value of leather manufactured, $735,827; capital employed, $532,070; hands employed, 518. CARPET.-Number of carpet factories, 6; value of carpets manufactured, $597,028; capital invested, $584,000; hands employed, 946.

CLOCK FACTORIES.-Number of clock factories, 32; value of clocks manufactured, (Bristol not included,) $771,115; capital invested, $369,000; hands employed, 656. COACH AND WAGON.-Number of coach and wagon factories, 323; value of manufacture, $1,222,091; capital invested, $670,981; hands employed, 1,506.

BOOTS AND SHOES.-Value of boots and shoes manufactured, $1,741,920; value of hats, caps, and muffs manufactured, $931,806; value of saddles, harnesses, and trunks, $547,990; value of tin ware, $487,810; value of pins, $170,000.

MACHINERY.-Val. of machinery manufactured, $363,860; capital employed, $196,380; hands employed, 436.

BRITISH EXPORT OF COTTON MANUFACTURES.

The following is an account of the total quantities and declared value of cotton manufactures, entered by the yard, exported from the United Kingdom in each year, from 1814

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COMMERCIAL STATISTICS.

STATISTICS OF THE TOBACCO TRADE.

TOBACCO is, of all articles, one that will bear a heavy tax, without materially injuring the trade, because it is not a necessary, and is a luxury, used in quantities so small, that how great soever may be the tax, it enters but slightly into the expense of the individual. The government of Great Britain was not slow to avail itself of the capacity of tobacco to yield a revenue. In 1821 the duty was 4s. sterling, or 96 cents per lb.; the first cost of which, in the United States, was about 4 cents. The duty was, therefore, near twentyfour hundred per cent. Such a premium on smuggling would not fail to excite the cupidity of the adventurer, and the duty was of necessity reduced to 38. sterling, or 72 cents the lb.; at this rate it has continued ever since. The enormous charge has, of course, led to numberless frauds in the adulteration of the article as manufactured in England, as well as the introduction of it into the country. Parliamentary investigation has shown that the tobacco sold for use in England is adulterated ten to twelve per cent, with sugar of milk, brown paper soaked in sarsaparilla, rhubarb leaves, &c. The number of frauds detected in, and arrests for smuggling tobacco, are greater than in all other articles. Almost the whole expense of the English coast-guard, amounting to $2,500,000 per annum, is now incurred for the prevention of smuggling in tobacco. Notwithstanding this state of affairs in England, and the oppressive regies that exist on the continent, the tobacco trade of the United States has progressed as follows:

EXPORT OF TOBACCO FROM THE UNITED STATES, FROM 1821 TO 1845, INCLUSIVE.

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The following table, showing the destination of United States tobacco, will indicate the influence which the English market has upon the demand :

EXPORTS OF HHDS. OF LEAF TOBACCO FROM THE UNITED STATES.

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The great increase of the trade to the Hanse Towns has, of late years, been owing to the great extension of the interior trade of Germany consequent upon the Zollverein. The destination of manufactured tobacco has been as follows:

EXPORTS OF LBS. OF MANUFACTURED TOBACCO FROM THE UNITED STATES.

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1841,.

1842,.

1,650 1,820,387 3,256,675 18,571 1,428,337 3,615,591 51,388 1,338,554 5,008,047 545,352 4,214,943 7,550 1,880,713 6,787,165

257,124 31,364 2,825,737 1,769,935 59,982 2,559,602 7,503,644 234,449 89,784 1,144,539 1,442,337 137,480 1,385,632 4,434,214 48,248 55,714 990,083 1,047,718 107,832

33,463

1843,..
1844,.... 362,042 30,245 1,634,055 2,026,884
1845,.... 143,064 40,349 1,741,699 1,857,872 55,992

1,154,657 3,404,252

1,960,189 6,046,878 1,475,997 5,312,971

If, now, we compare the quantities of leaf exported from the United States in each year, with the quantities imported into England, from official reports, we shall observe a remarkable discrepancy between the exports from here and the receipts there.

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198,109,200 171,748,469 43,081,537 111,060,803

The hogshead is calculated at 1,200 lbs., and it is observable that the total imports into Great Britain are reported at twenty-seven millions of pounds less than the export from the United States thither. A great deal of the tobacco which is entered in bond, is exported to the continent and returned in other packages, as herrings and other commodities. This is a regular trade, and the charge is 2s. per pound, by which 1s. is saved. In the above table, the fiscal year 1841, of the United States, commenced October, 1840; and

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