he new expedition was not only to lay a new cable, but also
to take up the end of the old one and join it to a new piece, thus
obtaining a second telegraph line. The vessel sailed from Valencia
July 13, 1866, and July 27 the cable was completely laid to Heart's
Content, Newfoundland, and a message announcing the fact sent over the
wire to Lord Stanley. Queen Victoria sent a message of congratulation
to President Buchanan on the 28th. September 2d the lost cable of 1865
was recovered and its laying completed at Newfoundland September 8,
1866.

ENGRAVING ON EGGS.--The art of engraving on eggs is very puzzling to
the uninitiated, but in reality it is very simple. It merely consists
in writing upon the egg-shell with wax or varnish, or simply with
tallow, and then immersing the egg in some weak acid, such, for
example, as vinegar, dilute hydrochloric acid, or etching liquor.
Wherever the varnish or wax has not protected the shell, the lime of
the latter is decomposed and dissolved in the acid, and the writing
or drawing remains in relief. In connection with this art a curious
incident is told in history. In the month of August, 1808, at the time
of the Spanish war, there was found in a church in Lisbon an egg, on
which was plainly foretold the utter destruction of the French, who
then had control of the city. The story of the wonderful prophecy
spread through the town, causing the greatest excitement among the
superstitious populace, and a general uprising was expected.
This, however, the French commander cleverly thwarted by causing
a counter-prophecy, directly denying the first, to be engrossed on
several hundred eggs, which were then distributed in various parts of
the city. The astonished Portuguese did not know what to think of this
new phenomenon, but its "numerousness," if we may so call it, caused
it to altogether outweigh the influence of the first prediction, and
there were no further symptoms of revolt against the French.

CAYENNE PEPPER.--The name of the plant genus from which cayenne pepper
is obtained is capsicum, a name also given to the product of the
plant. This genus belongs to the solanaceae, or night shade family, and has
no relation to the family piperaceae, which produces the shrub yielding
black pepper. The plant which yields cayenne pepper is identical with
the common red pepper of our gardens. It is an annual, a native of
tropical countries, where it thrives luxuriantly even in the dryest
soil