MISCELLANEOUS.

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume III, Issue 188, 19 May 1847, Page 2

MISCELLANEOUS.

Deatst** Lord Stourton. — This venerable nobleman, the representative of one of the oldest Roman Catholic families in the empire, died on the 4th instant at his seat, Allerton House, Yorkshire, aged 71, after a protracted illness. The deceased nobleman, William Stourton, Baron Stourton, of Stourton, county of Wilts, was born June 6, 1776, and succeeded to the title April 29, 1816. In 1800 he married Catherine, daughter of Thomas Weld, Esq., of Lulworth Castle, Dorsetshire, by whom he had fourteen children. His lordship was the elder brother of the Honourable Sir Edward Vavasour, Bart., and of the Honourable Charles Langdale, late M.P. for Knarosborough, both leading members of the Roman Catholic party. In politics the deceased was a decided Reformer. The Honourable Charles Stourton, who succeeds to the title and estates, married August 1, 1825, the Honourable Lucy Clifford, sixth daughter of Lord Clifford, of Chudleigh, and has issue by her, four children.

The Polar Expedition. — Considerable apprehension exists amongst the relatives and connexions of the seamen engaged in the" expedition of the Erebus and Terror, v/hich sailed from the river in June last year, under the command of Sir John Franklin and Captain Crozier, and many anxious applications have lately been made to the Admiralty on the subject. No tidings have been r«ceived since

last December, when, from information obtained from Esquimaux, and conveyed "to the Danish settlements in Greenland, opposite Discoe Island, and thence overland, the expedition was preparing to winter in Gilbert's Sound. The last wbaler for the season has returned without bringing any intelligence, and from all accounts this their second winter in the ice, has set in at the north with great severity. — Globe, Dec. 16.

" Emerald" Auxiliary Screw Steamer, — We have much pleasure in giving our readers the extract from a letter by Captain Prichard to Lieutenant Sarsfield, R. N., the intelligent Marine Manager of the City of Dublin Company: — "Belfast, October 15, 1846. — This is to infoim you of our safe arrival in this port from London, after a passage of four days and three hours. The first thirty hours, we had a strong breeze from the west ; after five or six hours the wind was flying about to the south-west, until we got to the Isle of Wight. We then got the wind to the northward, which carried us to the Lizard, after this little or no wind ; but at ten that evening it came on like a hurricane from the westward to the north-west, aud round to the southward, and then came a-head. There were two screw boats wh eh had left London, one twenty four hours before us, for Limerick, and we passed her off the North Foreland. The other left thirty hours before us ; we passed her off the Isle of Wight. The Pearl left the same day from Southampton that we left London ; we spoke her off the Land's End, and anived here* seven hours before her. Close hauled we beat them the most ; we went to windward more than any we tried with : we^ acted well both with the wind a-head and fair, and did not labour the least — were quite .dry» and ran much better than I expected." — We wish particularly to draw attention to this account in consequence of the Emerald being the first of several vessels of various sizes, built at Liverpool, with auxiliary steam power, having Mr. Grantham's patent arrangements, by which all spur wheels and multij lying gear are removed, and the engines applied direct to the screw shaft as in paddle wheel steamers ; thus obviating otic of the greatest objections to the screw-propeller. The vessel was also modelled by Mr. Grantham. Besides the fact of the Emerald's great superiority over the other three screw-vessels, as stated in Captain Pnchaid's letter, we would notice a siillmore important circumstance. The speed of the hmtratd has been about equal to the coasting paildle-wheel steamers. These average about 700 tons measurement, and 250 horse power, and cost about £28,000. They carry about 200 tons dead weight, besides their coals, and burn fiom 80 to 100 tons uer voyage of the same distance. On the other hand the Emerald can take from 200 to 3*'O tons cargo, burns about 25 tons of coals, and cost under £9000. We shall wait with much interest for the result of the Sarah Sands, a vessel of 1000 tons, now building under Mr. Grantham's directions, aud fitted on the same principle. — Nautical Magazine.

The Railway Kino. — It is said that Mr. George Hudson is to figure at full length in an Dombey as a companion portrait to the elder Boler, and that the great man will be depicted so that his most casual acquaintance cannot help recognising him. This, however, would be rather in the forte of Thackaray than of Dickens, for the monarch of the rail Kas lately taken to the decoration of his not particularly elegant English by the use of all sorts of foreign words he chances to overhear, without the least reference to thrir applicability or significance. One of the latest stories current about this new hobby of his is, that at a dinner he gave at the Albert-gate the other day, some noble lord who was to have been present did not show, whereupon the chairman of the Eastern Counties said he was sorry for his absence, as he regarded him as the prima donna of the evening. A lady present whisperingly suggested to Mrs. Hudson that her spouse would do well to confine himself to a language he understood, and so avoid the ridicule which attended absurd displays like the one he had just perpetrated. Whereupon the hostess observed, " Yes, I always tells George to give over his Latin, but the more he goes on with hisparley voo."

DESTITUTION IN THE WESTERN Isiands. — A gentleman resident on the island of South Uist has communicated to us facts regarding the state of the population in that and the neigbouring islands, which are truly startling. The statement by this gentleman is, that the amount of provisions now in the peopled possession cannot possibly sustain them for more than two months to come at the very utmost. Their crop, he confidently states, Trill not yield seed sufficient to be sown next sjpring, allowing they use none of it for food at all. On the 11th ultimo, when our informant left Uist, British cholera and inflammation of the intestines bad begun to be epidemic ; he knew of upwards of 200 cases of this, at that date, in South Uist alone, and by accounts he had since received

this epidemic has been, and still is, increasing fearfully. This, our informant says, is the result of deficient feeding, and the food used being of unwholesome quality — the diseased potatoe, while any of that food remained, and quantities of small fish, called in j that country " cuddies," which come to the coast at this season, and which the people, having literally no other manner of food whatever, have been living upon, and are now suffering in consequence. The entire dence of the whole population upon potato diet is a iact not known adequately in this part of the kingdom. The people are deprived of their only food, and literally have now no food. The gentleman who is our informant, and whose name and address we shall be ready to communicate, was asked whether labourers would be found to leave those islands and repair to the south country, where railways are in progress? His answer was, that three months ago large squads of able-bodied working men would have undertaken that labour gladly ; but that now, in theii present famished condition, those very men were altogether unable either to travel or to work at ordinary day labour. Such a state of matters, at this period of the season, is very appaling. The statements already conveyed to the public regarding the destitution in the Highlands and Islands have been considered by some to be exaggerated. We have here the most competent testimony as to the state of facts. A ve^y imperious and solemn duty is laid upon the whole community to extend their sympathy and aid. To this gentleman's house some sixteen or twenty men, not the pauper class, come of a day craving food, not having tasted any for two whole days, and, feeling in themselves that their fish diet was inducing disease, they loathed that diet, and had nothing else whatever to look to. — Greenock Advertiser.

Indictment of an X ast India Director. — This indictment, founded on a true bill found at the last sessions by the grand jury against Sir William Young and others, for the sale of cadetships, has been removed from the Central Criminal Court to the Queen's Bench by certiorari.

The Army. — After the lapso-bf iwo-and-thirty years, and repeated reiubdls to entertain the question, the government has issued a commission to test the clai-us of surviving heroes of the Peni,nsu!dr war, to such mark of distinction as a mefdal commemoiating then achievements" can confer. The nieddhis at last to be granted, despite the frown t f the Duke. The old soldier who fought and bled at Badajos, S-lamanca, Albuera, or Toulouse is no longer 10 he left in a condition which excites envy and jealousy towards him who had the fortune to be present at Waterloo. We thai-k God that the prestige of the meie sol- i dier is on the decline, but that is> no reason why we should -have acied with cruelty and in--justice to those who have in past times (ought so nobly for their country as did the heroes of the Peninsular war. — Lloyd's, 20th Dec.

The Channel Islands. — The fee-farm of the land of Jethou, belonging to the estate of the late .Mr." John Allaire, jun., has been purchased of his heirs by her Majesty's Government for £1000, in addition to ,30^ quarters of wheat rent — equivalent to about £30 per annum — payable thereon. It is not known with what object this purchase has been made, but it fs probably with the intentu n of either erecting a fortification on the island for the protection of the Great and Small Russells, which it commands, or of extracting granite for the construction of other works. Perhaps both intentions may be entertained. The one would not interfere- with the other, Dut the contrary : as, for the purpose of constructing batteries which should command the two passages, it would, in the performance of this work, be necessaiy to remove a mass of rock which would give a supply of the finest stone, sufficient for the construction of the most extensive works elsewhere. — Guernsey Star.

Roman Catholicism. — A letter from Berlin, dated the 12th instant, says :—": — " The discovery of a Catholic association, under the name of ' the Rose Order,' furnishes matter of conversation in our circles, especially as it is at present the subject of long investigation. This society appears to be like a number of similar ones which have long existed in Silesia, a sort of lodge in which various gradations of initiated are enrolled. Thus fifteen individual members compose a rose wreath, fifteen wreaths a rose branch, and fifteen rose branches a rose tree. A Romish ecclesiastic of this city stands at the head of this singular association, and is the leader of the individual members as well as of the whole society. Each member receives a sheet of paper adorned with a rose, and containing various verses, mostly of a religious, nature* tQ learn by heart, or to sing. The design of this society is maintained to be, and most probably is, of a purely religious nature ; yet as its tendency and aim are undeniably the spread of Romish doctrines, more especially among the populace, it evidently falis within the examination at least of the police. Then it has been found that a

considerable number of Protestant maid-ser-vants have been inveigled into the society, through one-of whpm the discovery of its existence was attained, and by her master an intimation giverrWfhe Consistory, who are now engaged in investigating the matter."

Copper. — The smelting of the common ores of this metal, which are so important to this country, must now undergo a vast change; J^rJ£32iflHhu2roYements as decided as the hot blast ir^^WWlting of iion ores be effected immediately, it is certain that the very rich ores from South Australia will operate most prejudicially upon the .mining interests of Cornwall. There, is however, much reason to believe that the reduction of the Cornish ores is susceptible of great improvement. But to show the nature of the competition that the miners here must have to encounter, it becomes necessary to mention the following facts — The export* last year of copper ore from South Australia amounted to £17,179, and the exports of this year have b en much greater and will probably amount to £100,000, or one-eighth the value of the copper ores raised in Cornwall. This ore, coming as it does from a 'British possession, is only liable a duty of £1 per ton, whatever the per centage of metal may be ; from foreign parts the duty would be £6 it' the ore contained more than twenty ]>er cent. .In other words, the protection to the Cornish miner against the colonist is £3 per ton of copper, which, in the form of tile copper, sells at present at £87 : 10s.; and against the foreigner £25 per ton. In this estimate the average of South Australian copper ore is taken at 33 per cent., the duty on the 'att-T being £5 : 10s. per ton. The former can therefore sell his copper in the home market at a large profit, while the latter is obliged to find a market in India or other parts, where the disc iminating duty is small. The greater distance of Australia, compared to Cuba, &c, from which copper ores are shipped to this country to be smelted, is no objection. As even common salt is shipped at Liverpool for Calcutta as ballast, or at most for £1 : ss. per ton, all captains of ships laden with wool from Australia must therefore he delighted to ship as much as they can of this very superior copper ore/ merely as ballast ; and generally the freight will be quite insignificant to this country. It is also more than probable that the settlers will reduce the ore on the spot, as the operation does not require much outlay ; for the process necessary is ci a much simpler nature than that pursued at' Swansea. Should they smelt their own ote they will have an excellent market in India ~ which, of course, must react upon the B.ritish copper market. Though some injury will be done to the mining interests in this quarter, it is probable it will he reduced, if not overcome altogether, by the exercise of greater skill in the smelting of common ores. The extraor.dinaiy abundancp of ores in South Australia cught, however, to induce caution in mining speculations. Gieat praise is due to Governor Gawler for the talent and perseverance lie displayed in so soon developing the resources of that rich district of country ; and which, though founded but ten years since, is already the richest colony, relatively to the number of its inhabitants, of any of the British Crown. — Devonport Telegraph.

Japan. — The most remarkable thing in the Paris papers of Thursday is a statement in the Presse. About the year 1843 the King of the Netherlands wrote a friendly letter to the Emperor of Japan, to induce him to depart from the exclusive system pursued for the last three centuries, by extending to all foreign nations the privilege of trading to Nangasaki and the inlands of Niphon and Yesso. With immense difficulty the letter was conveyed to the Emperor's own hands; and then two whole years passed without any reply. At length, howerer, the Emperor has vouchsafed an answer to the King of Holland; He says that he has watched events in China, and noted the gradual breaking through of ancient, institutions in that country, which he regards as a consequence of letting the English form estaVishments on a large scale at Canton. He is willing to leave the Dutch theiri^resent privileges ; but he will resist to the utmost every extension of foreign intercourse. He winds up by saying — " I have given orders to my officets in consequence, and the future will prove to you that our policy is wiser than that I of the Chinese empire. — Spectator. -

The Various aspects of the Canadian Lakes. — Ontario is pure and blue; Erie pu r e and green ; the southern part of Michigan, nothing particular. The uothern part of Michigan and all Huron are clear, transparent, and full of carbonic gas, so that their water sparkles. But the extraordinary transparency o&the waters of all these lakes is very surprising. One of the most cuiious things on the shallow parts of the Huron is to sail or row over the submarine or sublacune mountains, and to feel giddy from faney — for it is like being in & balloon, so pure and tintless is the water. It is, like Dollond's best telescopes, achromatic. I have often enjoyed on

Ontario's shores, wh£re.£' have usually resided, the gfand spectacle which takes place after an intense frost. The early morning then exhibits columns of white vapour, like millions of white Geysers sprouting up to the sky, curling, twisting, shooting upwards, gracefully forming spirals and pyramids, amid the dark ground of the sombre heavens, and occasionally giving a peep of little lanes of the dark waters, or else being shrouded in dense mist. People at home are apt to despise lakes — perhaps from the usual insipidity of lake poetry, and to imagine that they can exhibit nothing but very placid and tranquil scenery. Lake Erie, the shallowest of the great Canadian fresh-water seas, very soon convinces the traveller to the contrary ; for it is the most turbulent and boisterous sea that ever I embarked upon — a region of vexed waters, to which the Bermoothes of Shakspeare is a trifle, for that is bad enough, but not half so treacherous and so thunder stormy as Erie. Huron is an ocean when in its might ; its wavers andswe Is rival those of the Atlantic ; and the beautiful Ontario, like many a lovely dame, is not always in a good temper. — Bonnj castle's Canada.

Another European Congress. — A rumour has been in circulation for the last few days, that Louis Philippe has demanded a congress of t <c powers of Europe, with a view to his laying before them the whole of the circumstances connected with the Montpensier marriage, and also the position in which, in consequence of that marriage, he finds himself placed with the other Court of Europe, and especially the Court of St. James's. The King of the Fiench it is added, repudiates the idea of having acted with bad faith to England, or in any way which would justify the cessation of that friendship which has so long subsisted between France and this country, and in the perpetuation of which there will be found the best, if not the only guarantee for the preservation of a European peace. ~ He expresses himself as both pained and surprised at the circumstance of so grave an accusation as that of pursuing a perfidious course in reference to the Spanish "marriages being preferred against him by the Government of Q,ueen Victoria. But even was the accusation just, he main*^ tains his right to demand a congress, in order that measures nfliy be devised to prevent the possibility of a war in Europe, in consequence of the estrangement of England. He represents the existing state of affairs as very unsatisfactory, and intimates that he deems it his duty, not only to France, but to Europe generally, to lay before a congress of the European Powers the precise position in which matters stand between himself and the English Government. — Observer. "- 1

Sweden. — On the 26th of November, at noon, an ill-dressed young man appeared at the Palace, and, with violent gesticulation, required Colonel Peyron, his Majesty's chamberlain on duty, to procure him audience of the King. The chamberlain, declined to do so, he threatened the colonel with a pistol, which he drew from his pocket, and soon afterwards fired a second pistol at Count Horn, governor of the palace, who had hastened with some men from the guardhouse to arrest him. Yon Platen, when he required thp captain of the guard to introduce him to Colonel Peyron was so extremely dirty, that when be desired to have an audience of the King, the latter gave him an evasive auswer, and desired him to leave the palace and to come another day. He then immediately drew out a pistol, and held it to the breast of the chamberlain, exclaming, " Announce me, or I will fire !" The chamberlain turned asfde the muzzle, got possession of the pistol, and sent to the guard house. About an hour afterwards, Count Yon Horn, the governor of the palace, came-from the guard-house, and ordered his men to arrest Platen, who stood behind a screen, and drew out a pistol, and fired at the count, whose cheek and temples were grazed by the shot, so that his hair was singed, and the bullet entered the wall. From the examination of the prisoner, which immediately took place in the police office, it appears his name is Platen, and that he was quarter-master in the regiment at Ualecarlia ; that he has been for a year in the Lunatic Asylum of Danviken, fromwhich he was discharged as cured on the 20th of May, 1845, when he was sent back to his relations, and had only been two days in Stockholm. The physicians declared him to be insane in the j hignest degree. The next day he was again conveyed to the Lunatic Asylum. He is a youriaynan between twenty-three and twenty-six Jffiars of age, and has suffered mental aberration for many years, but without showing any violence. In consequence of the danger which threatened the King yesterday,, the audience of the theatre called for the national hymn, which was sung amidst the loudest' applause.

The Long Range. — The experiments with' Mr. Warner's apparatus for destroying large ships or other objects at a " long range" have been tried, and have, as was expected, terminated in their total failure. The officers

selected by government were Captain Chads, R. N., C. 8., Colonel Chalmers, R. E., and Colonel Dundas, R. A. The Master-Gene-ral of the Ordnance (the Marquis of Anglesey) gave them a spot to try the " long range," on his estate, in the Island of Anglesey. It was a valley, eight miles in length, and at the extreme end there was a solitary tree; of course this could not be seen from the ground where Mr. Warner was placed, but the exact bearings were furnished. Mr. Warner was requested to fire in that direction, and endeavour to strike the tree, or propel a shell near it ; two of the officers stationed themselves at proper distances to observe the result ; after some time had elapsed in Mr. Warner's getting all ready, which he kept a profound secret, not being interfered with' by any of the committee, the explosion took place, but the shell fell very far short of the object. Several other trials afterwards were made, but on no occasion did the shell ever reach three miles. After some time Mr. Warner admitted that he had failed in his experiments, and the investigation finished. The foregoing is a brief statement of the result of this much agitated question. A sum of £1500 had been advanced Ly Government to Mr. Warner to enable him to purchase the requisite materials and defray his expenses, which he was to refund if the experiment failed. Now that the Government have by this trial satisfied the public that Mr. Warner's " long range" is an imaginary and impracticable scheme, and that the question is settled, the repayment of the £1500 will not be pressed. The official report has been to the MasterGeneral of the Ordinance. One of the officers was so satisfied that the " long range" would prove a failure, that he stood under the tree during the explosion. — Liverpool Albion.

Cause of Mr. Alsager's Dismissal from the " Times". — It is undeniable that recently the monetary and commercial articles in the limes have not displayed that high talent nor that accurate prognostication of events which formerly distinguished them. The chief point in which a grievous error was committed was in regard to the supply of corn in the country. On that affair you may perhaps remember that the Times, after declaring that was on our shores^ in about three weeks turned completely round, and said that it was preposterous to suppose that there was any insufficiency in the country. People were not slow to notice this, least of all Mi. Walter •of Bearwood, the chief proprietor of the Times. He came up to town, made enquiries, and wrote a letter desiring to see Mr. Alsager "at' the Times office next day. Alsager wrote in reply that he would come, but he would meet Mr. V/alter as a co-proprietor, and not as a servant. They met, and high words ensued. A meeting of committee of the Times was called and Mr. Abager requested to resign. He did, and within a week he cut his throat. These are the details I have heard, and I am told that the principal subject which touched poor Alsager was an imputation that he Had been largely speculating in corn, and had been adapting his articles to the requirements of his speculations. It is a subject which cannot be referred to without regret. He was a talented and, I believe, a high-principled man, a most hearty friend, and a charming companion. — Manchester Advertiser.

The American Presidency. — There is a greater number of candidates for the presidency at present than there ever has been at any former period. Unless the names be cast into a h^t, and 4 a selection be made at random, we know not hjaw any satisfactory adjustment of the opposing claims can be made. A day or two*ago we* gave the names of a batch of candidates, but we did not" give half the number of aspirants. We will now give them in tabular form : — 'Names. States. Politics. Daniel Webster. . Massachusetts. .Whig. Lewis^ Cassj .... Michigan .... Democrat. Silas Wfight. . . . New York. . . .Democrat. John M. Clayton . Delawere .... Whig. John D. Calhoun . South Carolina .Democrat. Samuel Houston.. Texas .&. . . .Democrat. Henry Clay .... Kentucky .... Whig. J. J. Crittendon . . Kentucky '. . . .Whig. John M'Lane . . Ohio Whig. Winfield Scott ..U.S.A. ....Whig. Of the two first we have before spoken. Of Silas Wright it may be said that his chances were much greater before the late election than now. There is no doubt that Mr. Wright possesses talent. It was most uuIbrtunate for him that he was ever allied with the faction known by the name of the "Albany Regency." That faction now hangs like a millstone round his neck. Could he escape from its influence, his prospects would be perhaps far better than at present. „ John M. Clayton is 8f man of talent, and would run well for the vice-presidency. We do not think there is any serious idea of running him for the presidency. Mr. Calhoun's claims are of no ordinary character. He has been now more than twenty years before the people, and is withal a man of powerful in-

tellect and great purity of character. He has many friends who will doubtless make a hard push to .secure his election. Sam Houston's chances are by no mjpis to be overlooked. He has a great many warm friends, and the romantic character of his life throws a good deal of interest around his name. He is a different man from the Sam Houston of twenty years ago, and his popularity in some sections of the country is unbojtflttb He would command a strong vote *fMHKessee, of which he was once the Governor ; and the war party all over the country, remembering his conduct at San Jacinto, would give him strong support. We need scarcely say that Henry Clay is still looked to by a large portion of the Whig party, as an available candidate. - The old man still possesses the affections of the progressive portion of the Whigs, and should he not decline a nomination, would in all probability distance all competitors of his own party. But it is rumoured that he will decline in favour of Mr. Crittendon, of Kentucky, than whom there is not a more pure, able, or honest Whig in the union. Mr. Crittendon has intellect of the highest order, and though a strong party man he is not narrow-minded. He would command a strong vote. Of Mr. M'Lane we have spoken in a former article. General Scott is still a candidate of a section of the party. He once stood very fair with the people, but his letters at the commencement of the present war damaged him considerably in the estimation of his fellow-citizens. We fear his prospects are at .present gloomy, but he may yet retrieve his lost ground and make atonement for his error. Thus, it will be seen there are already eleven candidates for the next presidency. They certainly cannot all reach the consummation of their wishes, and we therefore wish the best man success. It may happen that the people's choice will not fall on any of those above named. There are doubtless others who will become prominent in the list of candidates before the next conventions of both parties. The manoeuvring at the next session of Congress will fully develope the designs of both parties, and will serve to indicate those who stand the best chance of success. Where is General Taylor's friend ? — New York Herald.

A Dickens' Portrait. — There lived in those days, round the corner, in Bishopsgatestreet Without, one Brogley, a sworn broker and appraiser, who kept a shop where every description of second hand furniture was exhibited in the most uncomfortable aspect, and under circumstances and combinations the most completely foreign to its purpose. Dozens of chairs hooked on to washing-stands, which with difficulty poised themselves on the shoulders of sideboards, which in their turn stood upon the wrong side of dining tables, gymnastics, with their legs upwards on the tops of other dining-tables, were among its most reasonable arrangements. A banquet array of dish-covers, wine glasses, and decanters, was generally to be seen spread forth upon the ! bosom of a four-post bedstead, for the entertainment of such genial company as half-a-dozen pokers and a hall lamp. A set of window curtains, with no windows belonging to them, would be seen gracefully draping a barricade of chests of drawers, loaded with little jars from chemists' shops, while a homeless hearthrug, severed from its natural companion, the fireside, braved the shrewd east wind in its adversity, and trembled in melancholy accord with the shrill complaining of a cabinet piano, wasting away, a string a day, and faintly re- i sounding to the noises of the street in its jangling and distracted brain. Of motionless clocks, that never stirred a finger, and seemed as incapable of being successfully wound up as the pecuniary affairs of their former owners, there was also a great choice in Mr. Brogley's shop ; and various looking glasses accidentally placed at compound interest of reflection and refraction, presented to the eye an eternal perspective of bankruptcy and ruin. Mr. Brogley himself was a moist-eyed, pink-complexioned, crisp-haired man of a bulky figure and an easy temper, for that class of Caius Matiuses who sits upon the ruins of other people's Carthages can keep up lis spirits well enough. — Dombey and Son.

The Royal Visit to Ajrundel Castle. — On Thursday, December 4, her Majesty and the Prince Consort paid a visit to Petworth House, where they were received by Colonel and Mrs. Wyndham. Petworth House was bequeathed to Colonel Wyndham by his father the late Earl of Egremont. The mansion, a modern building, is in no particular remarkable for its architectural elegance, but its size renders it imposing to the eye of a stranger. It is surrounded by a beautiful park, more than twelve miles in circumference, and according to a popular author " Nature must have formed it when in one of her sportive moods." The interior of the mansion fully compensates for the absence of elegance in the exterior. All the principal rooms are spacious and of noble proportions, and the different apartments abound with works of art and vertu. The Carved Room, as it is call-

Ed, is the grand object of admiration, and as might be imagined from its name, contains some of the most exquisite wood carvings by the famous Grinling Gibbons. It is recorded, that while the work was in progress a fire occurred, and in saving one of those superb carved festoons which embellish the room, Selden, a favourite pupil of Gibbons, lost his life from the conflagration. The Prince greatly admired the room, and remained in it some considerable time. A fine collection of portraits is hung in the room, the carved frames being unadorned by the hand of the gilder. In the other saloons are numerous antique statues. There are also selections from the best productions of English sculptors. The Prince and her Majesty greatly admired Flaxman's beautiful group of " Satan and the Archangel Michael," and his graceful "Apollo." Carew has contributed his best works. A large number of paintings by Rubens, Claude, Cuyp, and the old masters, are deposited there, as'well as a valuable collection of the works of Reynolds, Gainsborough, Romsey, Callcott, Fuseli, Hilton, Leslie, and Turner. Petworth House is celebrated for its matchless series of portraits of the Percys, to i whom Petworth originally belonged, by Vandyke. When the Percy family became ex- j tinct, Petworth passed by marriage to Charles Seymour, Duke of Somerset, through whose second daughter it came into the possession of the Wyndham family. Her Majesty and the Prince Consort, on leaving, gave expression to the pleasure they bad derived from the visit. J' In the afternoon, after the return of the , royal party from Petworth Castle, they proceeded to a part of the grounds adjoining Arundle Castle called the Small Park, where her Majesty and the Prince each planted a young oak tree, with all the ceremonial that has bee,n usual on similar occasions. They afterwards proceeded to view the very iuteresting and ancient burial place of the Fitzalans, which forms a part of the church of the town. In the course of the evening there was a " carpet dance," the Queen and the Earl of Arundel and Surrey opening the quadrille with Prince Albert and Lady Adeliza Howard vis-h-vis. A country dance took place in the libraiy, comprising eleven couple. Her Majesty gave her hand to the Duke of Norfolk, and Prince Albert danced with Lady Mary Howard. After partaking of refreshments in the corridor at twelve o'clock, the festivities terminated by the retirement of her Majesty and the Prince. On Friday morning, punctually at ten o'clock, the Queen, attended by the Duke of Norfolk, followed by Prince Albert and the Duchess or Norfolk, descended from the staircase, and, after taking a final leave of the Duchess, her Majesty and Prince Consort entered the carriage, the' band instantly striking up the national anthem*; A royal salute was fired from the artillery in the park on the departure of the august visitors, and the royal standard, which had floated from the keep, was lowered as tlie royal carriage passed the precincts of the castle. The Duke of Norfolk preceded the Queen on horseback as far as Chichester, and was afterwards to accompany her Majesty to Portsmouth. At the lodge gate at Arundel an escort of the Yeomanry Cavalry was ranged on each side, commanded by the Earl of Arundel and Surrey, and as the royal cortege merged from the entrance to the castle, her • Majesty and her royal husband were enthusiastically received by the crowd of spectators that had gathered there. The escort immediately formed round the royal carriage, and, amidst the reiterated cheers of tie populace, the cavalcade proceeded on the journey to Chichester at a brisk pace. Embarking at Portsmouth on board the Fairy, the royal [ party reached Osborne House at a quarter before two o'clock. The hospitality of the Duke and Duchess of Norfolk was of the most princely character, but devoid of anything approaching extravagant parade. The noble duke and duchess, while engrossed in offering proper respect to the Sovereign and her illustrious consort, were not unmindful of the poor, who bountifully shared their munificence.