Variety

Ten sleamboats have been snagged on the Alissíssippi within a few days. The blame is laid at President Polk's door. Woxderful Ixdeed. - Professor Bush, of New York, announces tlmt he has a mesineric subject, who, in his "ecstatic state," can quote Hebrew, lec'uro learnedly on geology, and y et, to neilher of ihese departmenls fias he ever devoted a day's application ia his life. Also, the profoundest qüesliona of historica! and biblical archiologv, oi' mythology, of the origin and aflinity of languago, of the progressof civiüzation, &c. - all ofwhich those who havo heard may believe, if they choose. Speed of the Magnetic Teleoraph. - The Kingston Chronicle says that the wires are found to workjust as wel! upon the longest as upon (he shortest lines, and were a continuous line in operation be tween theeitiesof New Nork and Boston, the communication would be, to all appearanc9 intantaneous. Were a wire stretched eleven times around the earth, the magnetic fluid would pass the distance in a second. Were a wire passed through London, Paris, St. Petersburgh, Constantionople, Cape Town, Lima, Cairo in Egvpt, Pekin, and back by the way of Oregon, the fluid would pass the entire distance during the timo of one puhation of the heart American F&uit in "E.vgland. - We observo by the Liverpool papers, that a sale of American apples was held there on the 2d inst. at which the pricos from lüs. to 20s. a barrel, although tho apples were in a bad condition. Sound apples of good quality, it issaid, would bring 30s. to 35s. (say $8) a barrel ■; and a quantity carried out by the ship Henry Clay, from New York, were to bs sold on the 4th, which were expected to bring the latter price. Explosive Sawdust. - A recent num ber of the London Alhenaum, stat es tha a Mr. Geo. Turner, of Leeds, has dis covered an explosive compound cheape than that from cotton. Instead of cotlon he uses saicdust, or any fibrous vegetabl matter, which he immerses from eigh to ten minutes in equal measures o nitricacidjspeciflc gravity oneand a hal a"nd of common oil of vitriol. A sligl increase of the latter increnses' the rapic ity of combustión. With this preparec sawdust, Mr. Turner discharged a pocke pistol, loaded with ball, with force equa to that of gunpowder. Weight fo weight ho thinksthe sawdust will prov the betler projectile. A new invention in railroad machiner has lately been cfiected in England, b which each carriage becomes a locomotive, and the whole train is thus enabled to ascond any rise that may orcur abnve the level of the railroad, which the engfte, if alono, would be able to ascend. It is estimatcd that thoamount expended in N. Y. citv, annu.nllv,for cigars alone, is not less than S750,000. Sugar. - The Indians of one of th islands of Lake Huron marie the presen year over one hundred tons of Map] Sugar.Calculations are made that nearly four lundred churches are now in some statrs f progresa in England, eilher being in ctual process of building or continuully rdered, or pnvafcly prepared. Eight sisters of ihe association of Notre3ame are to Jeave Paris for Oregon. - 'hey go to join six nuns of the same ommunity, who proceeded to that counry two years back, to sprend religious nd temporal institulions amongst the iftople.