EXTRA ORDINARY DISCOVERY.

Waikato Times, Volume XVIII, Issue 1498, 9 February 1882, Page 3

EXTRA ORDINA R Y DISCOVERY.

It is to be hoped (says the London Telegraph) that some ingenious archaeologist will lose no time in enlightening mankind as to the fatyle, title, and personal history of the ilhistrous potentate whose mortal remains hove recently been discovered at Formentera, one of the Balearic Isles, in a subterranean chamber. A party of sportsmen, while beating some thick low cover, came accidently upon the entrance to this tomb, all but totally blocked up by rank growths of weeds and briars. Stimulated by curiosity, they cleared away these obstacles, crept for several yards along a narrow passage hewn through the solid rock, and presently found themselves in a small domed mausoleum, containing tv<o huge &tone coffins, richly inlaid with bronze and silver ornaments. Both sarcophagi were covered with metal coitin-lids, exquisitely wrought and embossed. Upon raising these, one of the coffins was seen to contain the embalmed corpse of an elderly man. colossal in stature, crowned with an imperial diadem, and grasping a sceptre in its shrivelled right hand. The inmate of the other coffin proved to be the body, also embalmed, of a young woman considerably over 6ft. in length, bedecked with jewels of extraordinary size and splendour — among others, a triple collar of enonnoua Oriental pearls, two huge ruby ear-drops, several dia« mond rings, and a massive golden crown, thickly encrusted with precious stones of inestimable value. The fortunate finders of this treasure have set a watch upon the entrance to the tomb, which will be guarded by day and night until the Royal authorities in Madrid— to whom a detailed report of the discovery has been addressed — shall issue their orders in respect to its ultimate disposal. It appears that the existence of a cave iv the interior of the island had long been known to the inhabitants of Formentera. As, however, it had borne an evil reputation — that of being infested by unknown numbers of venomous snakes — no one had therefore dared to explore it.

Lady Avonmore, better known as Mrs Theresa Yelverton, has died at Pietermaritzburg, of paralysis. The profound interest which this lady's case excited in the public mind many years ago will still be fresh in the recollection of many of our readers. During the last four or five years she has travelled much in South Africa, where her fortunes have been of a somewhat chequered character. She took a great interest in the death of Prince Louis Napoleon, and when the Empress Eugenie visited Zululand followed in her wake. For many months past, however, the deceased lady has lived in comparative obscurity. It will be remembered that she alleged she had married Major Yelverton innboth Ireland and Scotland, but that the House of Lords pronounced against the validity of the