MES IMPRESSIONS D.E VOYAGE. BY A GARDE NATIONALE IN LONDON.

New Zealander, Volume 5, Issue 324, 5 July 1849, Page 3

MES IMPRESSIONS D.E VOYAGE. BY A GARDE NATIONALE IN LONDON.

Wb have recoiv< d several letters from the Garde Nalionnlc. They are full of good feeling and good humour, and end with the pleasant words, when friends are concerned, " ait reuoir." We select the following, as hot exhibiting the «pite with which " our natural enemies-" now regard the " perfide Albion." [t looks bo strange that opposite neighbours, living vis-a-vis like Franco and England, should have beca until n w in kuch blind ignorance of one 'Miotlrer. Cut now that they are introduced— now thrftfrtluy have entree of each other's houses— we are sure the two nations will mix more frequently, and will soon learn how much pita, santei it is to drop in than to fall out. As for wa», when studied at each other's firesides it must etplode, and be replaced, doubtlcibly, by roaited chennuts. Here is the letter, which we have translated as closely a* possible. It is from Monsieur Bongailiard, a private in the Second Legion, and is the copy of one addressed to his wife, in the Rue St. Denis : — " My very Dear Clementine,— Oh, I wish yon had been with me ; but only wait— the next time— these devils of English have said as much, and politeness is the only law which we Frenchmen obey without the smallest rappel. Tliey have said 'My good felluwb (' fellows' means coquim,) you have come alone this time ; well, you must bring your wives the next.' Don't be alarmed; they won't cat you, my dear, unless it is with kindness— for 1 can tell you lam half devout e«l myself. If it continues there will be nothing left of me but my red epaulettes. You will receive the remains of your dead husband in a bind box or a bon bonnicre. " Imagine, my dear, ttase Anglais do not hate m— I was so astonished. They took me every whet eby ihe hand, and wcie wringing it every day from morning to night. I wonder I have a finger left. First of all it was a shake for myself, then a squeeze for La France ; then another one for myself; th.n half-a-dozen for the two countries ; and a (huusand more — I don't know for what. And when 1 tell you I felt a bean in each hand I took, I was stung with my own meanness for having ever raised an arm or a cry ugamst them. It does one ' pood, though, to be convinced in this manner. It is like the feelings I hive had, when we have had a little disagreement together, and one of us has confessed being n the wiong. You recolieot how happy we were \ for the icuouciliation, aud that we were all the belter friends h»r it afterwards. Well, for the time bung, England was you, Clementine,— don't be jealous— and I was so pleated for being in the wrong, and hcknowledging my error, that I could have ciied for joy. We Fiench have been fools. We have had Iriends whom we have treated for centuries lice enemies ; but we must make up for lost time. lam sure myself I trampled iv onp day upon the antipathies of a whole life. I niah

all Franco could have seen with my eyes, and hf>ve felr with ray heart, and have known Ihe •wed uliamc ( experienced (or hvaing ever abuiicd these poor i<nt;li&li-~-< these 'good snaps/ as I called them, Clementine ('snaps* is ' giieuxf or rather • bans enfant' J— and I have thnnked them, if not in words, at least in fWling, for having disabused me of all my vulgar prejudices. 1 return — if ever I can get away—with another country. Henceforth I am native of England a» well m Fiance. Every one of us have been nauunlized by kindness. When you sec me, you will cnbrace nn Angfah, pur tang— and I am sure when you know them, you w»U not dislike your dear husband any the ices for it. " Oh ! I have drunk so 1 perhaps a liitlu too much, but I could not help it. When the heart is too full, it: always overflows, I find, into a tumbler. I huve drank porter-— oh ! the beautiful porter — you must come and laste it— a'e, both Scotch and IrUh, and every sort of ale— -and vine—and grog—and stout— something of everything— but how could I refuse it ? When one is hemmed in by ft circle of glasses, you aro obligee? to seize one, if it is only to mnke an opening to ('fleet; your escape— and the escape too is ttopiu-nsaU! — Kvery tresh glast I emptied 1 telt another prejudice going down with it. " Oil ! the antipathies I have swallowed since I hnve been here, and feel all the better for; oniy 1 wibli it had been the British Channel we had bien drinking, lor there would not be a diop of it lett, novr. The l>iff ditch would bediicd up and theic would be no difficulty in running over from onecountiy to oouu ry j not that there is any difficulty bince our visit ; far I mean to •ay, every Frenchman coming o\or bi ought a portable bridge with him in his sac de nuit, which remains behind him, and hundreds of my countrymen will very quickly pais over the same bridge, and thousand! of Englishmen come orer to us by the same meant ! " I have no time Clementine, to tell you what T have seen, for, in Uc», I have »een everything, and everything ban been bo summing about our visir, that really I have too many words too many ideal and sensations, to exprefci one of them. If I begau I should never end. I could talk of " ces hon Anglais" till the dictionary wai exhausted and your patience also. Suffice it to •ay, you must come and see for yomself ; and don't be surprised at my returning home with a whole regimene of Horse Guards, or a hundred young men or so, or two or three dozen families, for really I have given so many invitations, that a'l Puriu, I think, would not be largcenough to quarter them. To guard against any show of uihoßpitality, thereiore, you hud batter get b di fitted up in every room, maigasift, and loft in our street, ami ask our neighbours to be kind enough to lend us their larders and cullers to feast our new guests. "We must not allow these ' braves ' to outdo us in good cheer. Heilceforth the kitchen shall be our only batt'c-field, and the batterie de cuisine the only battery we will point at one another. Majoi, lam so hot for the fray, J aliould like to brgin to moirow. lam burning to conquer these English with their own weapons. You must hrlp mo, Clementine, and with ou<- efforts , we will turn in time, the Hotel dcs hivalules into a real Ho el ; no maimed soldiers, but fat cooks ; and over the portico shall be written, 'hi 0 ?i doane il manger et a boire.' That's my notion ot gloiy. Anything warm in the stomach, but a cannon bull, tout chad. Depend upon it, the National Guard has been the best diplomatics that one country ever eeut to another. " I have said enough ; the rest will suffice to fill up our long winter evenings— when,'l will chaimyon,Clementinc, with the wonders of thio wotidcifiil nuti m ot a town ; but no wonder will please you bo much, or appear to you half so irouderiul as tlic kindness we have met with everywhere Jrom everybody m it. II riy a plus de ' bnulcdoyncs V " Expect me, love, when you see me, but not a post before. *' Your happy husband, "130NGAIir,AHD." u I have such a beautiful penknife for you ! I know you will ktart with astonishment when you See it— ie contains a hundred blades 1 I have also a pair of scii>« sors— such little loves— for Angvliqws, anJ a flannel ' waistcoat for gros papa; and us foi Jules, tell him I liave got, for him, all snug, a botttc of real English demi-et-demi — ihe veritable half-and-half. It will warm his good heart. " Oh 1 I must tell you of a « toast' I delivered at a grand dinner at our Hotel, the Red Lion, which made a grest fury. I was on my Isgs, and said, • Messieurs —rßwions an rapproachement de V Anylclcrre el dc la .Francqj deux nations gui setiennent si Mioifcmenf par la Manchs d-oiveut se leuir austi par la mam. 1 h vms not bad for me, eh ? * Clementine /—but you see I was inspired with the supei b stout, vruich is the most de« lirioiis, the most — but the remainder of the adjectives unothcr tune."— Punch.

Submarine Communication beiwekn England and Ireland. —The more speedy transmission of intelligence tcrois the Irish Channel, and improved means of communication between ibe Bister islands, will be socured by the determination of ihe government to take advantage of the facilities afforded by the sub - marine electric telegraph. The Lords of the Aduaii alty have uiven permission tuC, Blunt, E g., civil engineer, to effect a communication by laying; down his submarine fleetric tolegiaph between Holyhead and Dublin. The telegraphic wires will hn connected with the lines of railway radiating from the Irish met opolis, and nidi the Chester and Holyhead Railway at Holy head, and we understand that convenient positions at both tho termini hare been chosen and marked out where tho wire* will tciminate. The Admiralty are desirous of furnishing M. Blunt with the necessary aid; and for I his puipoae have aulhoriied Capt. Fraser, R.N., the commanding officer of her Majesty's n.ivul establishment and dockyard at Holyhead, not only to ptrmiu the former gentleman immediately to ro.nmencc his operations, but also to afford every ai&ibtauce which, he may require in the performance of his undertaking. This deanublo enterprise will form another liale in the great chain of communication between the two counuies. By iti means space will be almost annihilated, and in a few minu eg the most important political intelligence, or the minutest detail of busineu*, will be conveyed between the capitnlb of England and Ireland. The town* of Liverpool and Manchester will also be bencfitted, as the telegraphic communications will bo at least twelve hours in advance ot the ordinary mails.-

Italy Open to Missionaries. —The following letter, written by Signor Feirtti, formerly rector of a Florentine church, but for some years a zealous Pro* testant, has jutt been received :—"'l he liev. Signor di Menna (furmerly head of one of the oolls&ea at Kouc) has established himself at Nizza, wheto he is preaching the Gospel with God's blessing in the midst of the people. The Government of Turin has ordered the Holy Scriptures to be redd in the public iehools and in the University, though with the ucnntatio 8 of tho Popish Church. The Canon Mapic in on the point of ttirling for Florence. He Iw-> mlilio-',<■<! a Icflct f-» hit brethren in Abruzzi, ateling «iiy ho <>it Uic pa'eot Rome. All the priests of hu uc(,uaiiUuiicu have replielto him, approving of \vl\ut lie Isab <ione, und ?»« proving a hope of oacuiy foJJowi»« li*= t >^«>, '>' '— ifirUiiifH Tana,

Tins Nkw Electric Light.— Tlis second public ewiimental exhibition of the new electric light took place 0!i Tuesday night, December 5, upon the raised steps foimmg tuo entrance to the National Gallery and the Rojal Academy. Thu'c was a large attendance of scientilic gentlemen and noblemen. Upon the summit of the steps a Kind of easel wai raised, beneath which were placed the battery and a •mall lump. About ft foot nbove the battery was the light produced burning upon two pieces of charcoal, backed by a single tin reftVctor, and the light enclosed within a glass case. The light produced was of a most powerful character. The e,uel on which the machinery vrai suspended adinitlcJ of being turned about, and as its position was altered, objects within several hundred yards' distance was rendered ns clearly visible ta in the light of day, and persons at a considerable distance beyond the NcKon cjlumn were enabled to read a newspaper difAincty. The patcnicis stated that the light would be paiticularly applicable for light houses, and ndded that the light then exhibiting (the expense of which would not exceed a half-penny an hour), if placed at an altitude wish the icflcctor above it, would perfectly illuminate an nn*s of ten wiles in circumfir- J cnce» ond that it would be possible to produce a , light which would illuminate an area of 100 miles. ! Notwithstanding the inclemency of the weather a vaat crowd assembled on Thursday evening in Water-loo-place, and the various a%enucs leading to the York column, to witness the Chevalier Le Molk's experiment in the pioductiou of light by means of electricity. Aa far as the production of a most brilliant light if concerned, the cxpcuuicnt was attended with complete success, A single jet, appaieutly not larger than a star, as seen with the naked rye, made the whole area of W,itei)oo-pluce as bngLt ub dny, ond enabled sprctatorß to distinguish features and read baud-bills across the street. The efft-ct was c\(rcinely singular and picturesque. The gr.s lamps cut a most lugubrious fi jure, making shadow instead of light in every place i.ot pcnctiattd by their more brilliant rival, while in patta under the luflueuce of the light, every freize and cornice wos thrown out with a distinctness which we have seldom noticed even in the day-time. At the flfimo time wo must adJ, that the Chevalier doei no seem to liave altaiucd the desideratum of continuity of light any more than his. competitors, llegTa. Taite and l'etrie. 1 113 ligh f , though brilliant was fitful, exhibitins changes of niensity and colour as the ends of the charcoal were consumed by the fluid. The inventor piomiscs to attain a continued light for ten hours, .Hid hope? to make hit. invention applicable to lighthoUbC and railway pui poses, not contemplating street or house illumination at present. There it likely to be a war of patents with reference to this inven ion. Messrs. Taito and Petrie preceded the Chevalier by some d.iys in their application to the Patent Office, but the latter contends that, although using the Fame mntcnal in the production of light, he has so greatly altered and improved its preparation an to make 1m arrangement an entirely new invention; Many impiovcinents will be necessary before either can be applied to any practical purpose. How David Price Cokhd his Wiie's Shocking .Bad Temper. — David, a man of meek and kindly spirit, had long sullcicd fiom the palter- clatter, never-ending scolding tongue of his woiscr hilf. One day a herb doctoi greeted David at hh> woik, with a " Well, Master Divid, and how be you?" 4< Oh, Ibe very wel 1 , i hanks to ye, but my xnic'6 not so vety nicely." " Indeed '" said the gatl.erei of simpleii with a quick ear for an aliment, "what may be the matter wi she, Mailer David?" '♦ Well," said David in hit usual dry and quiet way, " she hoy a bad breaking out about her mouth every now and then, that troubles her, and me varry goic, I 'ture ye, Master Doctor." " Well,'' said the latter, " I can make a grand cure of her, I'll warrent—l hcv a salve '«t I makes fra the juice of the jujrpci tree, and by biling up a vast o' d'fferent kinds o' things, 'at quite cures that in no lime!" "Deed," said Dovid, " an' what might your charge bo, now, for a box o' that 'intment, 'at would quite cure her ?" 41 Oh," 6aid the heibulist, looking anxiously up in David's f.tce, " only the matter of a shilling." " Well, that's dirt cheap," said David ; " if you cures her, I'll give you eighteenpencc, there now !'' With tins offer the doctor set off home to prepare his nostrum, and' straightway hied the very next day to David's home, box in hand. There ho found Mrs. Price, and went at onca to business. " Well, Mrs. Piice, your master lell mo th.it yon hey betimes a bad breaking out about the mouth, iwid I've brought a box o' fine 'intmeut 'at will cure yi, !" With this announcement, Mrß. Price filing up— at once seeing her husband's jeit— raised the brush with which she was sweeping the floor, and pummelled the doctor to her heait'a content, even following to beat him a field from her house— he Ecreaming out all the while, »' Oh, Missus Price, bo you gone mad ?" From that day, however, Mrs. Price has been wholly cuied of her scolding habits. David has only to look up in her faco nnd Bay, " I'll get a box 'f that 'intment," and thcie's an end of the matter. David honourably j aid the doctor his Is. 6d. and treated him to make him foiget his pummelling. The whole of these circunibtan«.es ate stiictly true.— Durham Chroniclu. YouksiUßi, Jimous. — " I remember," says Lord Eldon, " Mr. Justice Gould trying a case at York ; and when he had piocccded about two houis, he observed, ' llotc me only eleven juiymcn in the box ; where is the twelfth?' 'Please you, my lord,' said one of the eleven, ' he is gone away, about some business, but he has left his verdict with me' "