ads
are either bare or covered with a black shawl, out of which their
olive-complexioned faces shine and their dark, lustrous eyes look at you
with a strange wonder.

The Indian women are especially picturesque. They often wear dark-blue
cottons, and about their heads they drape a cotton shawl or reboso, so
that only the upper half of the face shows. Some of them wear bright-red
skirts and white waists, and many of them go barefooted.

The future of this great republic is difficult to foresee. At present it
is in a transition state, and is not making very rapid progress,
according to our ideas. But great results are expected from the railroad
which now extends to the City of Mexico.

As the "feeders" are gradually extended on either side it is believed
that many abandoned mines will be reopened, new ones discovered and a
great impetus given to agriculture and commerce.

Just now, however, the railroad is chiefly of value to the tourist, who
can, by its means, visit with ease and comfort a land as strange in many
respects as ancient Egypt.

SOMETHING ABOUT COAL-TAR.

by B. SHIPPEN, M.D.

Most people know and dislike the odor of coal-tar, which is distilled
from soft or bituminous coal in making gas, as well as in other
processes.

It seems to have been first collected by a German, named Stauf, in 1741.
Of course there was no question of gas-making then, and the German, who
was more of an alchemist than a chemist, was looking for other things
than the coal-oil which he obtained.

The coarse oil which Stauf procured had little in it to his eye, but it
contained, nevertheless, many bright and varied colors, delicate
perfumes, useful medicines and the sweetest product ever known to man.

From coal-tar is derived benzine and naphtha, and colors--especially
purples--which are used in dyeing. From one ton of good cannel coal,
distilled in gas retorts, there comes ten thousand cubic feet of gas,
twenty-five gallons of ammoniacal liquor, thirty pounds of sulphate of
ammonium, thirteen hundred weight of coke and twelve gallons of
coal-tar.

From this tar are produced a pound of benzine, a pound of toluene, a
pound and a half of phenol, six pounds of naphthalene, a small quantity
of a material called xylene and half a pound of anthracene, which is
used in dyeing.

From benzine are derived fine shades of yellows, browns, oranges, blues,
violets and greens; from the toluene are obtaine