English and Foreign Items.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume 16, Issue 822, 15 September 1870, Page 3

English and Foreign Items.

THE ROYAL IRISH RESIDENCE. The Irish Times believes that although the purchase of Tollymore Park has not yet been concluded, it is certain that the negotiations have been entered into for its acquisition, and sives the following des cription of its—" Next to the Dargle, we should say that Tollymore Park is one of the most picturesque and romantic demesnes in Ireland. The park is bounded' by the great range of the Mourne Moun tains, which present every possible variety of form. Close to the park edge, and separated only from it by Lord Anuesley's demesne., is Slieve Donard, the highest mountain but one in Ireland. A valley runs between this mountain and Slieve Bieglan, and the Newcastle river, broken by many a descent, and swarming with salmon and trout, runs through the centre of the vale. The hills on either side of the river are wooded up to the very summit, and amongst the trees are some of the very finest larches in the United Kingdom Rustic bridges, erected by Lord Clanbrassil, cross the river, and the whole demesne has been ornamented regardless of expense, and with consummate taste by the care of its owners for generations. The view under the gigantic arch of the entrance of Bryansford is probably, for its extent, •the most beautiful in the world. The house is old but very extensive; and the rose-garden beside the bouse contains an immense variety of native and foreign plants. We suppose that in case the pur chase of Tollymore Park is completed, the Prince of Wales will have the shooting over the thirty miles' range of the Mourne Mountains, which abound in all sorts of game. These mountains are interspersed with numerous lakes, amongst which the Blue Lake is celebrated for its trout. The park is about two miles from the thriving town of Castlewellan, and about the samo distance on the opposite side from Newcastle, the Brighton of Ireland. The park is within two hours' drive of Dublin by railway, and about the samo distance from Belfast: so that at any time the owner could hold his levees in the Castle of Dublin, or visit the seat of the staple manufacture of Ireland, and return without inconvenience within the limits of a day. If the Prince admires the scenery about Balmoral, Tollymore Park presents a representation of it more attractive perhaps, by the verdure of the country and the productive character of a great portion of the soil. We question whether it would be possible to combine all the advantages of sea and land, and proximity to Dublin and the great capital of the North, so fully in any other portion of Ireland. We need only add that the air is proverbially pure, and that the health of the district is shown by the appearance and longevity of its inhabitants."

A Michigan couple who had been married 19 years were divorced recently, but quickly repented, and four hours later called on a clergyman and were made one again.

The revenue by sale of tobacco in Franco amounted last year to 248,000,000 franc* —say £9,920,000 sterling. The Parisians alone consumed, either in smoking, chewing, or snuff taking, 40,000,000 francs —say about £1,600,000. A singular discovery was recently made in a chimney in the office of Mr Norman, vVilberforce buildings, High street, Hull. Some workmen were engaged at the chimnew in that part of the offices occupied by M»* Norman, when they discovered the skeleton of a man, which, by its appearance, had evidently been in that position for many years. A considerable time since the office was used for the purpose of a banking business, at which time an entrance was made by thieves, and money to the extent, it is believed, of about £9O stolen. It does not appear to be thoroughly known whether the burglars were caught, but from the straight position in which the remains were found, the only inference to be drawn is that the thief, being surprised, had made up the chimney, and whilst in such confined condition had been suffocated. Considerable curiosity has thus been caused, and several people have visited the offices to see the remains.

A remarkable marriage recently took place at Ghtlesbourg, Illinois. The bridegroom and bride were aged respectively eighty-three and eighty-one years. When they were eighteen and sixteen they were engaged to each other, but broke their troth ; and since then each has followed two companions to the grave. Late in life the early love has been rekindled. The workmen at present employed in demolishing a house upwards of a century old, at the foot of South Bridge street, Airdrie, discovered, recently, a large adder coiled in the thatch. When disturbed it turned upon one of the men, and was in the act of springing upon him, when he brought it down with a blow of a shovel which he fortunately had in his hand. He then threw the reptile into the street, where it attracted great attention. It belongs to the species of the common viper or adder, and was about two feet long. The head was depressed, almost oval, slightly widening about the eyes, the gape being as long as the head. There were no teeth except the fangs in the upper jaw, and there was a row of ten teeth in each side of the lower jaw.—^Scotsman. Women, in discussing their grievances,; do not make enough use of the fact that! they were summoned to Parliament in Edward lll.'s time. Among the summonses to Parliament in 1301, the 35th Parliament of Edward 111., there is one writ I)e admittendo fide dignos ad colllogiiiam; and among the earis and barons

are returned Marie Countesae de KorJT, Alian or Countesse de Ormond,Philippe Countesse de March, Agues Countease da Pombrook, and Katherine Countess© da Athole. In the preceding year, also (%4* Edward III), there had been writs tested at Wynston on the sth April, issued to divers earls and barons, fo the Archbishop of Canterbury, to several bishops and abbots, and to " four abbesses," requiring their attendance at Westminister on the morrow of the Trinity. It does not appear, however, that any ladies ever actually took their seats in Parliament by virtue of these summonses, although numerous instances are on record of both knights and esquires having sat in the House of Lords in right of their wives.

A hair merchant lately arrived at a German village, and exhibited to the inhabitants a paper which he certified to have been sent from a " Sainte Association " formed for the purpose, of collecting the hair of girls and young women, and weaving it into a cope for the Pope, to be presented to him on the day of the proclamation of his infallability. Numbers of women were thus deluded, and submitted to be shorn; and it was not until the " merchant" had departed that they found the hair was intended not for his Holiness, but for chignons and false plaits. A much-respected physician residing at Bercy, near Paris, has recently fallen a victim to his professional zeal under singular and painful circumstances. A young women had thrown herself into the Seine from the Q'uai de Bercy; some young men plunged in after her and sueceded in bringing ho body to the shore. Dr Launessau was sent for and on his arrival found the young woman apparently dead. He, however, had resource to all the known methods of restoring animation and among others to that of reviving the action of the lungs by the inspiration of his own breath. After two hours assiduous efforts he had the satisfaction of observing signs of recovery. The doctor was exhausted and as his patient gradually recovered strength so he became enfeebled, and finally died from exhaustion produced by his incessant and successful efforts to preserve the life of one who was a complete stranger to him. A novel experiment has been the re« moval of a wind flour mill, with all its fittings, from Westawe to Clenchwarton, Norfolk, a distance of sixteen miles. The mill was a wooden structure, and with its machinery of enormous weight, stood upon wheels. Having been purchased by a man living at Clenchwarton, he determined to endeavor to draw it along the road by a traction engine, but all efforts to find one strong enough proved ineffectual; the application, however, of a powerful steam cultivation engine proved more successful. Ir» passing along the route various expedients had to be tried, such as in ascending a hill the engine proceeded to the summit, and then pulled the mill up by a chain, and so carefully had the task to bo performed, that it occupied three days to make the journey. In crossing the Great Eastern Kailway at Walton the telegraph wires were broken. In attempting to cros3 the Ouse it was feared that the c_ele« brated long bridge would not be strong enough to bear the enormous weight, but the engine having first passed over, the mill itself was drawn over, the timbers of the bridge in the meantime creaking, and showing that a veiy severe test was being put upon its powers. At first it was feared that the bridge had been broken, but this was found not to be so. Tha mill's arrival at Clenchwarton was received with quite a demonstration. M. de Lesseps is not to have all the honor of opening up the highways of the world. Colonel Chesney has just reminded those who had forgotten it that, thirty years ago, he carried two steamers across from the Mediterranean to the head waters of the Euphrates, and them steamed down to the Persian Gulf, a distance of upwards of a thousand miles. This, he still contends, is the natural highway for trade between Europe and India. He is now endeavouring to get up a Euphrates Vallay railway; and if he should succeed, as he ought, the new route will be traversed in a much shorter space of time than is possible by any other. The Brindisi route is now open, the mail being carried over the Mount Cenis railway. The European standing armies aggregate 4,200,000 men. The London Gazette is the oldest newspaper princrd in English in the world.

A massacre of the French Consul, a priest, and Sisters of Mercy, with horrible maltreatment, at Tien-Tsing (not Pekin) by the Chinese populace, with the connivance of the Government, took place on 2]at June; also of two Russians. No British lives were lost. All the Protestarst as well as jßoman Catholic chapels were demolished. Grreat excitement prevailed throughout the treaty ports, and war ap pears unavoidable.