ENGLISH EXTRACTS.

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 617, 2 July 1851, Page 4

ENGLISH EXTRACTS.

The Royal Academy has filled up its four vacancies with Sir John Watson Gordon, F.R.A.S., Messrs. Grant, Creswick and Redgrave. Among the new ornaments of the metropolis we must not omit to mention the Army and Navy Club House, which will be opened to-morrow : the cornices of the hall, and the portraits of distinguished members of the services, are, after its splendid furniture, the special ornaments. A portrait of the Queen, and tbe Gobelin tapestry presented by the President of France, are prominent. The palace of exhibition is drawing nearly to completion ; the divisions and fittings are making rapid progress, and the stalls and compartment of nations and articles are already arranged. The prices are fixed ; they graduate from one shilling on certain days to one pound oh others. Messrs. T. Tucker & Co. of Liverpool, ship-builders, have offered to accept the American challenge, to construct a sailing ship, of any size, to compete with one of the Yankee build ; and the owners of the winning ship to gain the losing one. _ The United States frigate St. Lawrence, with articles for the Exhibition, as reported in the latest advices from New York, is nearly ready for sea, having taken on board nearly all the contributions—numbering about 500. A proposition was some time ago made to tbe Treasury, and is still under consideration, to make the Commissariat chests of our various military stations abroad available for the extension of the “ money-order” system to the colonies.

The first series of sales of Col • for the present year, consisting of A o 1 der of last season’s clip ( an j aCQ e proportion in second hands), comm ß „ n er ? ble the 13th and closed on the 25th 0,1 quantity (17,650 bales), although*. brought together a fair attendance o f h* dealers and manufacturers, and a 8 n of foreign purchasers; the tone of bidJ- ? was less spirited than at the late sales iff' cember, partly arising from the miscelfii 1 - descriptions offered ; nevertheless, parcel ’ fair quality known to be in first bands p f maintained in average the rates previously tained. Sydney wool was considered . - in price, the finer qualities having terfered with by the anxiety evinced to Si sales of German wool during the lait r weeks. For Port Phillip, y an ** Land, and Adelaide wool, former prices w ’ very fairly supported ; scoured, of which t? proportion was large, obtained very S aiif factory rates. Cape wool was in odod 1 * mand at slightly advanced prices. Eai( h dia wool was in request, especially the r?/ tiling and lower qualities. Of colonial vj in this market little now remains, and stocki in the hands of dealers and manufacturers u; light; to this cause we attribute the comps, ratively satisfactory result of tbe presents!, ries of sales ; nevertheless, ’the political changes taking place at home and abroad hut interfered with the buoyant state of the nn. ket previously existing, and we cannot quote a rise, as was anticipated at the close of the late sales. — Times, Feb. 27.

Sir Walter Raleigh Gilbert.— V/ e are indebted to the courtesy of J. Hamley, Esq., of Bodmin, for a sight of a represents, tion of a piece of plate which has recently been presented to that distinguished warrior and sportsman, Sir W. R. Gilbert, by the members of the Lahore Jockey Club. The design of the cover of the cup represents tbe gallant General on horseback, on an elevated piece of ground, with members of his staff by him, also on horseback. Before him are several Seikhs, mounted, who are surrendering their arms —swords, lances, muskets, shields, &c. (It will be remembered that after the decisive battle in the Seikh war, General Gilbert, with his division, pursued the flying Seikhs ; on his coming up with them, they sought a parley, with the view of taking the chances of delay ; but the General would stand no nonsense, and told them they must “ fight or surrender.’’ On this they chose the latter alternative.) The numerous figures and objects introduced in the design, illustratire of the historical incident we have mentioned, are executed with much spirit; and the plait is apparently massive and handsome. The inscription on the base is as follows: — “ This cup was presented by the friends and admirers of Major General Sir Walter Raleigh Gilbert, G.C.8., especially to commemcrate bis glorious career of upwards of forty years on the Indian Turf, of which he has ever been the staunchest supporter. Lahore. Autumn meeting, 1850.”— Noya) Cornwall Gazette.

Reported Loss op upwards of Thr» Hundred Lives.—During the week several appalling losses have been reported at Lloyd s and have excited considerable attention in consequence of the great loss of life by which they were attended. The most heart-rending are those announced in the early part of W week; the total loss, with all hands, of»» whaling ships in the arctic seas, off Behrings Straits; and the wreck of two English vesj seis, with adventurers for the gold mines a California, off the west coast of South Ao®' rica. The wrecks of the whalers were 15 covered by a Captain Roy, on tbe Ist of Sep tember last, off the West Cape; but the riers of ice along the land, and a heavy precluded him approaching nearer than• ‘ miles of the spot where they layquently he ascertained from the natives miles to the southward of the wrecks, the vessels were lost in the early pa ft , j spring, and that all the hands had P er V te No information could be gleaned as to they belonged, The English vessels o the west coast of South America were posed to be tbe Julia and Lucifer* mer was a barque, and was. on her P from Panama to San Francisco, passengers on board; theLwct/er, a ® n g had 50 persons on board, and was from the latter port for Boston. .11 Aet exception of about twenty indiyidu alS j al) . yfi, with a watery grave. — LondonTwW*