ANCHOVIES AND TOAST;

Auckland Star, Volume IV, Issue 1202, 10 December 1873, Page 2

ANCHOVIES AND TOAST;

Or, Home Jottings by our Lokdos corkespondent. Simul et jucnnda et idonea dicere vitse. Aliena negotia centum Per caput et eircumsaliunt latus.

Londox, September 25. EXPLORING SHIP I'OLAHIS.

The story of the balance of the crew of the Polaris, American exploring ship, who have been picked up by the British whaling fleet and brought to Dundee, is extremely interesting. \ou doubtless remember how Captain Hall started from Now York with the Polariß, determined to reach the North Pole ; how tho American Govormnent voted 50,000 dollars for the purpose; how the vessel was unfitted for the voyage, being an old gun-boat; how Captain Ball was not a seaman, but an old resident amongst the Esquimeaux ; and how after penetrating to very high latitudes the leader died, the vessel was lost, and the crew separated. I may, however, be excused for running briefly over the occurrences of the expedition, which, begun bravely but badly, has ended far more favourably than could have been anticipated. The Polaris sailed in the summer of 1871, and before the end of August reached its extreme northern point. The winter was spent in lat. 81 deg. 38 mm. north. Thence Hall tried to penetrate north over the ice, but had to return, and shortly after died. In August following Captain Buddington (his successor) resolved to return, but in October the ship was beset and it was determined to abandon her. Half the crew were on the ice, and boats and provisions were being got out when a sudden •torm occasioned a break-up of the floe, and the landed crew were separated from the vessel, the latter with the moiety of the ship's company being driven rapidly away from their comrades, unable to asaist them. Those left on the ice managed to construct shelter, and with the provisions landed, and the birds and seals they killed, lived through the winter, drifting about the Artie Seas, and on April 29 last were picked up by the Tigris, off Labrador. Those on board the ship had to beach her and winter ashore, where they built a house and lived through the awful weather on their own previsions and what they could get from the Esquimaux. In January they made an effort to escape, and at the instigation, and under the leadership of Mr Chester, chief mate, they constructed a couple of boats, and gradually worked their way south through infinite peril until they were picked up by the Arctic whaling fleet. Captain Hall taken his vessel some degrees higher than had ever before been reached on the American side, and had been within 420 miles of the Pole itself—nearer than any vessel had ever approached, and within a few miles of the highest latitude ever reached by any Arctic discoverer. Happily the records of the expedition have been aaved. These adventurous navigators, who appeared to be in excellent health, left Liverpool yesterday for America.

THE MURILLO.

The Spanish steamer Murillo, which ran down the emigrant ship Northfleet, off Dungeriess, in the early part of this year, put into Dover on Monday last. As soon as the fact became known to the Admiralty, directions were sent to the harbour authorities to pmt the Tassel under arrest. I fear, however, it will be too late to punish the murderers of the Northfleet's passengers.

BALLOON VOYAGB.

The balloon voyage across the Atlantic ia announced to be abandoned. Professor Wise states that he was quite willing to .go, but that the false parsimony of the projectors has prevented the completion of necessary preparations.

'* INCREMATION' CLUB,

The Lancet says that an Incremation Club has been established, which already numbers 400 members, each of whom has made a will directing his body to be burned.' The Lancet decidedly approves of the system on the score of health, but thinks that the great objection would be the high price of fuel, since io large a quantity would be required to satisfactorily consume a humn body.

MISS RYE'S EMIGRANTS. I hope that the seventy young women sent

out to you by Miss Rye by the ship Hindostan will turn out satisfactorily. It is extremely difficult to obtain a good class of women as emigrants, since they are always so reluctant to leave their families.

BISHOP PATTESON MEMORIAL,

The Attorney-General has erected a memorial to his cousin, the late Bishop Patteson. In this instance the memorial has taken the form of a wayside pillar, set up at four cross roads, near Ottery St. Mary's. The pillar acts as a guide-post, but bears texts of scripture containing allusions to "paths" and "ways" as well as a short inscription to the memory of the Bishop. The monument is of red brick and stone, designed by Mr Butterfield, and is built on a site given for the purpose by Sir John Kennaway.

FRANCE,

In France matters remain in slalu quo, with a decided tendency towards the reestablishment of a monarchy. Indeed it will not be too umch to say that if the Count de Chambord will agree to adopt the tricolour flag the throne of France will shortly be occupied by Henri Cinq. In this case the Pope will be invited to Paris to perform the ceremony of the coronation.

TYPHOID FEVER

The combined effect of the late fatal spread of typhoid fever in London by means of milk, as well as the fining of several batches of milkmen for selling adulterated milk, has been to occasion a riae in the price of the commodity from 4d to sd. If at the latter price a really good article is supplied howover the public will have no cause to regret the change.

yiNE FOB CONTEMPT OF COURT,

Th« editor and proprietor of the Cheltenham Chronicle, a Mr Cochrane, has been fined £150 for contempt of Court in writing an article commenting on the Tichborne evidence. His remarks were strongly in favour of the defendant. The fine will be paid by subscription, and everybody believeg that the whole business was a regularly planned scheme on the part of the defendant's party. ' The obnoxious article 'has of course been copied into every paper in the kingdom, and the publication in this manner of the defendant's own arguments, in a popular form, must have been well worth the money. The trial is not expected to end before February. It seems more then ever probable at present, according to the evidence for the defence, that there have been two Arthur Ortona in Australia, and that one of them is dead, the other, the defendant, being aware of his death, is trading on the circumstance.

LORD MAYOR

The Lord Mayor of London olect is Mr Alderman Lusk, M.P., for Tinsbury since 1805. He was bom in 1813, and is a son of the late Mr John Lusk, of Barr, near Girvan, in Ayrshire, and has been for years in business as a ship's provision merchant in Wapping. The Mayoralty of Sir Sydney Waterlow, Bart has been brought rather magnificently to a close by a grand banquet given to bis Lordship, at York by the whole of the mayors of the Kingdom. Municipal institutions are on the whole in a very popular and flourishing condition just now, and in consequence of late legislation have been quite enabled to cast off that sleepy condition into which thiy had lapsed of late years.

AFFAIRS IX SPAIX

The prospects of the Carlifits in Spain are looking but; dull just now. The Vandalisms of the partisans of Charles, and the monstrous excesses of the priesthood, have enraged the populace, and wherever the.people can procure arms they do not fail to attack the Carlist in detached parties, and frequently with great success. The British Government have restored the captured frigates to the Madrid authorities, and the Deerhound and her crew have been released, so that all danger of complications in that quarter have so far blown over. The insurgent Spanish frigate ironclads have bombarded the town of Alicante and inflicted some damage, but had to withdraw in consequence of injuries received from the heavy and well-directed fire of the defenders of the town. . Poor old Garibaldi offered hii services the other day to Sanor Castelar, the new President of the Spanish Republic, but was answered that the Republic was quite able to take care of itself.

CAPTATH MARKHAM,

Captain Markham, who commanded the Rosario on the Australian station, has just returned from a voyage to the arctic regions, which he undertook on board a steamwhaler for scientific purposes. He has brought home a great deal of valuable information in several branches of natural science, and it is hoped that he will give the benefit of his journey to the world in the form of a book, sines there has been nothing written on the subject in a popular form since the days of Scoresby. Captain Markham went heart and soul into the whole thing, and took the steer-oar of a whaleboat during the whole of the cruise.

COUKT DS CHAMBORD.

It has just struck me that some of your readers may care to know who the Count de Chambord is, he being so likely to occupy the Throne of France. He is a posthumous son, hit father haying been killed by an assassin seven month before his birth. At that time the Royalists of France were fearing the extinction of the House of Bourbon for ths Due d' Angouleine had died childless. It was on the 29th September, 1821, that Louis XVIII, had the pleasure of announcing the birth of a Henri, who was to be as great as the great Henri Quatre. Poets and scribes wrote in praise of the infant son of the Duchesae de Berri, and amongst other remarkable words that were used of him it was said that he was regarded as "the presage and guarantee of peace and repose."

UKSKAWORTHINKI3 OF BRITISH VESSELS,

The Royal Commission to enquire into the overloading and unseaworthiness of British vessels, which was appointed in consequence of the pressure brought to bear on the Government by Mr Plimsoll and his friends, has sent in its interim report, and has pronounced its opinion that although the allegations of Mr Plimsoll are founded on undoubted facts, and although vessels are often sent to ■ea in a wretched condition, yet that the interference of the Government would only make make matters worse, and that questions of inspection and the like must be left to salvage committees and bodies of that description. The commission charges most of its difficulties upon the confliction of the evidence adduced; but it is quite evident that the "influential shipowner of immense :eiperience" has been at work in his usual disinterested way, and that mammon is to make money even if it be at the cost of blood.

REV. W. H.OSWALD.

The Rev. W. H. Ewald, M.A., of Wadham College, and late of Wellington, New Zealand, has been appointed to the Church of England Chaplaincy, at Warsaw, in Poland.

SIR E. LANDSEKR,

Sir Edwin Landscer died day before yesterday, the greatest animal painter certainly that the world has seen. To enumerate his pictures would alone be a work of time ; they were almost innumerable. He was seventy -one years of age, and had for some: time been in declining health. Ilia father John Landster, It.A., was an engraver of the highest merit, and was an Associate of th« Royal Academy for fifty years. He had three children, Edwin being the youngest. The boy was bom in

1802, and at the age of five he drew animal, i with wonderful correctness and Bpirit a! thirteen he exhibited a picture at +X Academy, and at the age of 24-the earhW possible period—he was elected an asjocwl He was knighted I^lßso by the Queer? £h received a gold medal at the Paris Exhibit^ in 1855. At the death of Sir CharS ff lake a few years ago, he was offered the President's chair at the Academy, hut d« chned the honor. MESSRS. SAMUEL AND RUSSELI/a NEGOTIATIONS. - The papers announced yesterday that tk« negotiations between Mr Samuel and Mr Russell, on behalf of New South Wales and New Zealand respectively, having been «T proved by their respective governments the first of the new mails would leave England for Australia and New Zealand, touching at Fiji, via San Francisco, on the 10th January 1874 ; that a very superior class of vessefe would be employed on the Pacific, and that the transit would occupy forty-two days. It has just been announced that the 28th Companj, R.E., commanded by Captain R. H. B. Beaumont, are under orders for the Gold Coast. Greenstohe.