Untitled

Thames Star, Volume XII, Issue 3787, 16 February 1881, Page 2

A more beautiful and amiable woman than the Duchess of Westminster has never perhaps, reigned in English society. Tbose who can remember the Exhibition' of 1851, and were then at all acquainted with the great personages who were in London society at r that . time, will remember the Duchess of Sutherland as the most splendid of grcmdes dames, who was rarely seen without her charming daughters, of whom the most beautiful was the Lady Constance Leyeson-Gower, who has since been known as the first Duchess of Westminster.. Her face was then in every " book of beauty," and hers was beauty of that order —so perfect, so enduring—which we proudly call " English." The Duchess of Sutherland was' the matronly adviser of the young Queen, among rising statesmen, there was none to whom her Grace was more friend!^ than Mr Gladstone. It was the pi£«teut Prime Minister who, when Lady Le^fsOnGower had become: Marchioness of Westminster, wife of the richest nobleman in the realm* had the gratification of advising the Queen to confer a dukedom upon her husband ; and while the Duchess of Westminster had been the friend from childhood of Mr Gladstone, she was related to Lord Granville, to the Duke of Argyle, and distantly to Lord j Hartington. It is not too much to say [ that the death of the Duchess of Westminster has spread sadness far and wide. Water Telescopes.—According to Land and Water, the Norwegian fishermen always carry with them on their expeditions, a kind of telescope called a water telescope. This ia a tube three or feet long with an eye-piece at one end. The other end which is open, is placed ia the water over the edge of the boat, And a little practice easily enables the observer to distinguish objects at a distance of from 10 to 15 fathoms. The fishermen are thus enabled to discover shoals which would otherwise go unnoticed. They then give the signal, their comrades surround them with seines, and frequently ' make wonderful hauls in some places, and under circumstances that would nerer have been suspected but for the use of the telescope. Mr Frank Buckland re. commends the instrument to the Engliih and Scotch herring fishers.