ENGLISH EXTRACTS.

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume II, Issue 82, 2 May 1846, Page 3

ENGLISH EXTRACTS.

Birth of a Hanoverian Prince. — On the 21st inst., at half-past 3 p. m., her i Royal Highness the Crown Princess of Han- | over gave birth to a Prince. From the peculiar circumstances attending the succession to the throne of Hanover, this event has been hailed with the liveliest joy. The citizens assembled before the palace of the King, and sung the hymn, " Nun dankel alle Gott;" after which the most enthusiastic cheers resounded for the welfare of the house. The city of Hanover was splendidly illuminated during the evening. Ikon versus Wood. — The Admiralty are determined to test the comparative qualities of the material for building ships — wood and iron. The Rifleman, steam-gun vessel, of 208 horse power, is being built at Portsmouth Dockyard, by Mr. Fincbman, master shipwright, of wood; and an iron vessel, the Sharpshooter, of similar tonnage and power, is in course of construction, by Messrs, Ditchburn and Mare, Blackwall. The Teaser, screw vessel, of 120 horse power, is being built at Chatham Dockyard of wood : and the Minx, an iron vessel of the same dimensions and horse power, has been laid down for the Admiralty by Messrs. Miller, Ravenhill, and Co., at Blackwall. Within the last few days two Post-office packets have been ordered by the Admiralty ; one to be called the Violet, to be built of iron by Ditchbum and Mare ; and another, to be named the Garland, is to be constructed of wood at Woolwich Dockyard by Mr. Oliver Lang, the master-ship-wright of that establishment* They will have engines of 120 horse power, and the Garland will be about 147 feet in length, by 20 feet in breadth, diagonally planked.

Value of Engineers. — We hear that the price of engineers has so advanced in the market that Sir John Renuie is to have £ 1,000 per week for the survey of a new line in the north.

Marshal Soult has relinquished the office of Minister of War, in which he is succeeded by M. Moline de St. Yon, the Under-Secre-taryship of State of that department being assigned, to M. Martineau dcs Chenez. The Moniteur of Tuesday contains two Royal ordonances, announcing these appointments, and expressed his Majesty's deep regret that the health of Marshal Soult would not permit of his continuing to discharge the laborious duties of the War Department ; but being desirous of still retaining the advantage of his great abilities and experience, his Majesty had continued him in the post of President of the Council of Ministers. — John Bull, Nov. 17. From the Levant we have the gratifying news that the Sultan has at length acceded to the request of our ambassador, and has granted his finnan for the construction of a Protestant church at Jerusalem. Private letters sent us by a close observer tend strongly to confirm the rumours in the London papers, that the breach between Peel and Stanley is becoming so serious as to render the retirement of the latter from office before Parliament meets more than probable, — Scotsman.

Arrival of an Arabian Prince. — Saeid Hilall Ben Saeid, the eldest son of the Iraaura of Muscat, and heir apparent to the throne of that principality, has arrived in town from Arabia. On his Highness's reaching Southampton, Captain Cogan, of the In* dian Navy was appointed to receive and conduct the Prince to London, where accommodution had been prepared for him at 40 Brook- street. The Prince visits England for the purpose of getting information regarding our Government and institutions, and personally inspecting our works of arts and science, with the view to their gradual introduction amongst his subjects in Arabia and East Africa. While passing through Egypt, the Prince was splendidly entertained by the Pacha.

Rivoli Bay. — The South Australian Gazette says : — " Rivoli Bay is not the Elysium some of our folk considered it. The blacks had attacked the company's sheep, and carried off one hundred. The marshy nature of the country, besides facilitating these attacks, operates injuriously to the sheep by producing foot-rot, a disease which is thought to be occasioned by the contact of the sheep's foot with moist decaying vegetable matter. Lacepede Bay, it is believed, may become a port for shipment. Cape BernouilH shelters in from the south and south-east ; in the quarter in which it appears most exposed it isprobably protected by a reef of rocks at agreat distance from the shore, as during the prevalence of a gale it is little disturbed."

The Right Rev. M. S. Alexander, D. D., late Bishop of Jerusalem, departed this life at Suez, on the night of the 22d November. He was on his way from Jerusalem to Cairo, and ! had made lengthened journeys hoping to reach this place in time to preach on the Sunday. j Finding he could not succeed, he wrote a long letter to the Rev. R. Luder, and retired to rest in his usual health, Soon after midnight,. Mrs. Alexander was awakened by hearing an unusual noise, and upon looking at her husband discovered him to be dying. She immediately aioused the Rev. W. Veitch, theBishop's Chaplain, but his lordship no longer breathed — life was extinct. I shall not attempt to describe the agony of his amiablelady and daughter, but merely state that the body was brought into Cairo on the 24th ult. r and, at Mrs. Alexander's request, was examined by Drs. Chedijau and Abbott, when it was discovered that the cause of his lordship'ssudden and almost instantaneous death wasthe rapture of a large artery immediately given off the heart- — the Aorta. Preparation* were made for the interment of the body in the new Protestant burial ground, and a vault was built, but it was ultimately determined that he should be buried at Jerusalem, and the body left this place yesterday morning to re-cross the Desert : it is in a double coffin r and transported between two camels in a talih~ tarrawhan. The Rev. Mr. Veitch, the Chaplain, accompanied it. Mrs. Alexander and hex daughter left this morning for Alexandria, oft their way to England r the rest of the family, seven children, are in Jerusalem, and will probably go to Alexandria from Jaffa by sea. The late Bishop was a Prussian, under Eng"lish protection, and appointed by H.Bv Majesty. The King of Prussia has the nomination of his successor, and it is rumoured that the Rev. Dr. Abiken, one of H. M.'s Chaplains, and a very learned man, is likely to obtain the appointment. Since my last, Suleyman Aga, the selledar or sword-bearer of the Pacha, has died. He was an old man, and one of the Pacha's earliest friends ; — in consideration of which, the Pacha has taken charge of his only child, a daughter. The old Aga was well known to have accumulated immense wealth, both in jewels and money, and during bis life time

-always said he had so settled his property as to prevent it going into the Pacha's hands — in fact, that he had given to his Harem and Mamelukes all his property ; and there is no doubt that a large proportion of it has passed into the hands of the ladies in the shape of diamonds and pearls, as he was well known to have purchased, at different times, all the most valuable that could be procured, and we do not learn that any have been found since his death. The Pacha haying kindly made himself guardian of his friend's child, placed soldiers around the house to prevent the removal of the property, and has since had a public sale of all the moveables. On the first day's sale, many of the grandees of the country were present, and among them Abbass Pacha, Shereeff Pacha, and Buchi Bey, the Governor of Cairo. The carriages and furniture were disposed of, and among other things announced was a large iron box : this being very heavy, excited the suspicion of the auctioneers, who, not fiuding the key, ordered it to be forced open, which, after much trouble was effected, and they were gratified by finding it filled with dollars— supposed about 20,000. The chest, of course, was not submitted to public auction, but ordered to be removed to the treasury, While it was waiting for porters, or some means of fastening, certain lynx eyes fancied they saw a brighter colour than belonged to dollars, and removed the first layer, when, to the surprise of all, and the joy of the government agents, it was discovered that the chest was filled with Doubloons, which, on being counted , amounted to 16,000 — upwards of £50,000 sterling ! Other boxes of equal value are said to exist, all of which will go to the treasury — of course for the benefit of the orphan girl. — Cairo correspondent of Calcutta Star.