The Aberdare Times

DEATH FROM POISONING —A man named George Wrag* has just died at Sheffield from poison adminis- tered to him by his mother, under the belief that it was a dose of medicine. The deceased had been under medical treatment for indigestion, and had been taking medicine. After he retired to rest the other night, his mother, an old lady of 80, gave him what •hetboaght was adose of themedicine. The bottle, how- ever, contained strong ammonia, whichWragg purchased come time before to clean some clothes. He soon afterwards experienced aU the symptoms of having taken all irritant poison, and, in spite of prompt medical ntten.iap.ee, died in three hours. RIOT AT 1 RIPOLI-As the Arab population of Tripoli was cs'eorating the birthday of Mahomet by waking m procession through the town, an Italian quarrelled with one of the Marabouts, whom he Bvereiy wounded. This act of aggression produced the greatest excitement. Crowds of i ctissulmans rushed about tha streets crying "Death to the Christians I" and further collisions occurred between the natives and the Italians, Order was only restored by the adoption <A encrgetic measures. The Italian whose violenoc >d to the disturbance was arrested. J

DISASTROUS COLLISION III- Tllll CHANNEL. A collision bsfcweett two large tailing vessels, both belonging to Glasgow, burred in the Channel on Friday night In lass Wk, ftbout 2a miles west- sou h-weat of tha Naediue, They were the Aus- tralian clippat ship City Qj .lÆckI!OW, Captain James MacdoEh d. bound from Poifc Adelaide for London, with a c»rga of wool. aad the four-masted Iron ship Sinwa, Captain Malcoka Nicholson, outward bound from London fo? Sydney, with a gsneral cargo. The former vm»l hadaorewot 28 In all. and the latter had about oO persons on board all, told including two passenger.?. The 8imla was formerly a steamer m the P, and O. Company's fleet, and, after changing owners, was converted Into a sailing ship. About eight o'clock on Friday night, the weather at the time being very thick and squally with heavy seaa running, the two vessels, one on her course up Channel and the other down, were sighted, and before they could steer clear of each other, they came in collision, the Simla being struck amidships, and some of her boata stove in. She re- bounded, but struck a second time, carrying away the two main masts of the Simla, her mizen and foretop masts, and her jibboom, the wreckage smashing her boats. A general rush was made by the crew of the Simlaito board the City of Lucknow, and mt.ny suc- ceeded in their efforts. The people on board the City of Lucknow worked moat manfully to save the crew of the sicking vessel, but the work of rescue was unfortu- tunately interrupted by the separation of the vessels, and although boats were immediately launched from the City of Lucknow they were unable to get near the Simla, owing to the rough sea. There ia little doubt that not one person left on board the sinking ship at this moment would have been saved but for the opportune arrival on the scene of the South Western Railway Company's steamer Guernsey, Captain Gregory. The Guernsey being unable, owing to the tempestuous sea, to get near enough to the Simla to rescue any of those on board, a boat containing ten men and the fourth officer was launched from the latter vessel, and with great difficulty succeeded in getting alongside the Guernsey, the deck of which they had scarcely reached when their boat was smashed to pieces. The fourth officer informed Captain Gregory that most of his men had got on board the City of Lucknow whilst the two ships were in collision. They were for some time locked the one in the other, and the Simla crew managed to get on to the City of Lucknow over the bows. The captain of the Guern ey then steamed to the City of Lucknow and hailed her. He received an answer to the effect that the ship was all right The Simla was, however, fast sinking, and the Guernsey then made for her, and got as near as possible, but owing ^to the heavy sea and the wreckage around the vessel it was impossible to get close enough to her to be of any service. Her mainmast was then gone, having fallen upon the deck. Another boat soon after succeeded in getting alongside the Guernsey, and con. tained the chief officer of the Simla. He was rescued, four men were also taken from a lifeboat which appa- rently hid been launched by the City of Lucknow, The chief officer of this ship said be had tried to get alongside the Simla, but found it impossible owing to the wreckage and the heavy sea. The Cap- tain of the >imla was saved with bis wife and children, and they were all put on board the City of Lucknoio. The Guernsey remained as close as possibly to the wrecked vessel until nearly midnight. The weather was then increasing in severity, and there wa3 a terrinc gala which continued until about half-past one in the morning when a tremendous "quail occurred and there were vivid flashes of lightning and loud peals of thunder. The atmosphere got very thick, and Captain Gregory lost sight of both ships. He searched abont in vain, and found no further traces of them. He accordingly steaaed towards the Needles, and put in at Yarmouth to report the collision. Having done this, he proceeded on to Southampton, where he landed the officers and men who had taken refuge on the Guernsey.

Louis Planck, able-bodied seamin, belonging to the City of Lucknow, bas made a statement, in which he says About ten minutes past eight on Friday evening the man on (he look-out reported two lights ahead. The order was immediately given to port the helm, and as the vessel swung round wa just cleared a brig which was directly in our course. In clearing the brig, however, we ran into another four-master, which after- wards turned out to be the Simla. We struck the Simla with a terrible crash right amidships. There was at once a scene of the greatest confusion, during which the captain of the Simla, the chief mate, the third mate, and as many as ten or twelve of the crew and apprentices, together with the skipper's wife and two children, managed to climb on board the City of Luckncw. The two ships parted for a few seconds and then came into collision azain. Thia time the anchor of the City of Lucknow eot foul of the Simla, end tbey remained locked together, ruing and falling with the tossing of the -ea, making it very dangerous for any body to get from one vessel to the other. As soon as we found out what had happened we endeavoured to clear our three boats, and with some difficulty we managed to get our port boat over the side. Ten of the Simla's srew and four of our own went into her, and they were picked up directly afterwards by the steamer Guernsey, which had come up to our assistance and was lying about 200 yards from the City of Lucknow. The rest of U3 got the other two boats clear, and two of thij City of Luckncw's crew, together with the chief mate and two of tt e crew of the Simla, went into the atar- b^d boat to see if we could save any of those left on board the Simla. I should state thst while we were looking after the boats our anchor chain had given way and the two vessels had drifted apart, the Simla being now about four miles away. The two ships had been locked together about a quarter Jf an hour altogether. We pulled about two hours Mid a half before we got to the Simla, We got within about fifteen yards of her and then found we could not pull any nearer because of the heavy sea and the mass af broken spara and rigging which hung over the side it the vessel. As near as I could count there were 20 to 25 men on board the Simla at this time. We iung out to them to throw something overboard. We thought if we could establish a connection between the boat and the ship we might be able to save a good many of them by having them lowered one at a time into the boat. But the crew of the Simla would not make eny attempt to come down. They seemed to be luite paralyzed and horrorstruck and appeared to have lost all nerve. At last, finding we could not get near snough to the wreck to be of any assistance, we pulled back to the "uerrney, But here another difficulty met us, for the waves ran so high that we could hardly gat near the steamer. After much dodging about wo succeeded in getting hold of the rope that was thrown to us and were drawn alongside. The mate of the Simla sprang on board as soon as the ooat touohed the Guernsey, but directly afterwards the loat broke adrift again. We got up to the steamer again and the two men from the Simla !prang on board; then the boat broke adrift a second time. The next time we got up to the Guernsey, my mate and myself from the City of Luckncw managed to climb on board, and it was lucky we did, for the boat was Btove in by the waves almoat immediately afterwards. This was about half-anhour after midnight. The Guernsey kept close to the wreck—within 200 yards of her-until two o'clock in the morning, when it became pitch dark, and the wind blew a perfect hurricane. As soon as we lost sight of her we made tracks for the Needles. About half-past five in the morning we anchored off the Yarmouth Roads. We were brought from there by the captain's orders to Southampton, and then came up to London. Six of the Cily of Luclnow's crew and eleven from the Simla were brought away by the Guernsey. We tried the City of Lucknow's pumps before we left. She had only got 7in. of water, and we could just see the water rolling over the forward part of the water-tight compartment. This was before we left the fhip to assist the others. The men belonging to the City of Lucknow who were landed by the Guernsey are — Benjamin John, able se?m*n, from Western Australia Menzies, the cook, a Scotchman Thomas Cardigan, able seaman Ctrneliua Ryan, able seaman and an apprentice, who was always known on bJard ship as James. When we were lying alongside the Simla I asked how much water they had got in their hold, and they told us 8ft. We could not see whether she was sinking, the sea w&s so high. She was heeling over, the weight of the broken masts and the tangled rigging giving her a list to one side. We could not get to windward of her at all. The men on beard the Simla seemed tco horror strurk to do any thing. Although we shouted to them, not one would make any attempt to get over. If we could have fastened a line to our boat, and brought them over one by one, we could have got them to the steamer in two bo&t loads. When the boat broke adrift from tbe steamer the second time, Johns and myself, who were the only men left in her, made an attempt to find the City of Lucknow again, but without success.1' but without øucceBP." Charles Soul, able-bodied seaman, one of the survi- vors of the Simla, has also made a statement, in which he says — "The City of Lucknow struck ua on the starbnard beam. She Btruck us once and then came out and struck as again. The third time we locked together and seemed to be smashing each other to pieces. There was not much wind at the time, although it was very dark. There bad been a heavy squall a few minutes previously, but it had blown over. When I got on board the City of Lucknow I saw some men getting out the boats, and one of my mates said, Let ua go and see if we can help.' We made sure cur vessel was going straight down. We helped them to get out their boats, and just as we were lowering the tirst the two ships struck heavily t'other, and the two mainmasts of the Simla fell. We sang out for them to lower the boat away quickly, because the wreckage was coming down on us, and we pulled away. We dodged about under the ttern quarter of the Simla to see if she waa going down, and after waiting about ten minutes I saw another vessel's lights. We could not 'give much assistance ourselves, as our lir.tle boat would only take two or three more, and in the heavy sea that was running wd had a fearful j b to keep her from cap. sizing, so we pulled for the strange vessel. When we got alongside my leg was jammed, and I had to ba hauled on board. After I got on board the Guermey, which was the name of the steamer to which we had pulled, I saw the Simla once or twice, but she did not seem to be very low in the water. At the time the collision took place the pilot was in charge of the Simla. After we were picked up there was much a heavy sea that the little boat in which we Jrnl ien was caP8'Z3d or swamped, and we lost it. The Quermey stood by, and about ten or eleven o'clock we heard that the City of Lucknow was not making water. The captain of the Simla, with his wife and went on board the City of Lucknow when the two ships were locked together. The first of the Simla also got on board the City of Luckncw, but he went in the second boat with four other men to see if any assistance could be rendered to those on the Simla. As far as I can judge there would be about 20 men and boys left on board the Simla besides the pilot and the second mate when the two ships parted. After the first crash the man on the out-look went forward, saying that he waa going on the out.look again, I never saw him afterwards. The City of Lucknow struck the Simla right amid- shit s, the bow of the former cutting three planks into our ship. We were poing at the rate of abcnS six knot* an hour. The Simla has watertight compart- ments at each end of the 79mJ, btlO act Matfshipf where ah* was gtrook."

GENERAL GORDON IN EGYPT* Writing on Friday night in last weak, the Cairo cor- lespondent of the Standard say* :— Aftsr rising -v *ry early this morning, General Gordon called on the Khedive, by whom he wat most cordially received, as also by Nubar Paoha. After- wards, tcoompanied by Sir Evelyn Wood, Lieut.- Colonel Stewart, and Major Watson, he paid a visit to Evelyn Baring, with whom he discussed the whole situation in the Soudan for several hours, the conversation, which was only interrupted for lun- cheon, lasting until six o'clock in the evening. Sir Evelyn Wood, however, left about three to attend to his dutiea elsewhere. These deliberations were, of course, strictly private, and absolutely nothing is known of the result, bat there is reason to believe that General Gordon is to be entrusted with a mission, half military, half diplomatic, and without any very definite instructions tueb as might hamper his initiative while on the spot. His primary object will be to secure, in whatever way o--m possible, by negotiation or otherwise, the safety of those inhabitants of the Soudan who remain loyal to the Cairo Government. Should it appear to General Gordon on his arrival at Khartoum that the strength of the Mahdi is exag- gerated, and that there is a reasonable prospect of holding the town by the opening up either of the Sustkim.Berbsr or the Masaowah-Kuala route, there is little doubt that an effort will be made to carry out what are known to be his personal feelings on the subject. General Gordon leaves Cairo to-morrow evening. He goes by train to Assiont, whence a steamer will be j' chartered which will take him as far as Wady Haifa, at the second cataract. Thence he intends to strike directly across the desert for Abu Hamad, following the course of the river from this point to Khartoum. Thia plan, however, may be modified by circum- stances. The extent to which confidence has been restored amongst all classes, European and native, by General Gordon's arrival is almost miraculous. An old Pacha, t named Tohami, who -rved under him In his previous i undertaking in the Soudan, predicts that, immediately on the ex-Governor's arrival, the Madhi's hordes will "melt away like dew," and the Pretender will be left like a small man standing alone, until forced to flee back to his Island of Abbas." Making all allowance for Oriental exaggerations one can only hope these anticipations will be verified. It is not only the enthusiastic and possibly interested natives who are so impressed by the advent of General Gordon. Sir jEvelyn Wood, speaking of him after their meeting to day, expressed himself in the warmest terms, ending by Baying that the General had only one fault-that he was too good for his time, and should have lived centuries ago and compared him to the Chevalier Bayard. Although Generals Wood and Gordon have not met since they served together in the Crimea, the mutual recognition, when Gordon appeared on the poop of the Tavjore at Port Said, was instantaneous, and a warm friendship had already sprung up between the two, as, indeed, is the case with all whom General Gordon comes in contact.

A PANTOMIME CHILDREN'S FEAST. The Daily News ef Saturday describes an enter- tiinment given the previous day at the Elephant and Castle Theatre to the children who take part in the pantomime there. We take the following from the account:— The National Anthem-the last piece in the pro- gr»mme—having been sung the signal was given for a change of scene which was hailed by the numerous party with unmistakable tokens of satisfaction. Sud- denly parting midway in the fashion of the panto- mimf-S "hoon the time has come to reveal the fairy glade or tile abode of bliss, the double flat rolled b\ck in its grooves and exhibited a central table presided over by a cheerful looking lady, with other long tables to her right and left covered in like manner with white cloths, upon all of which tbe abundant supplies of refreshment stood resdy for consumption in the mid«t of towering tea urps. We have been present at gatherings of tiia sort, whereat it has been deemed advis- able t) consign the boys and girls respectively i t) sep^rite tables; but no such separation was attempted yesterday. All in brief took their places where they would; and it is only just to say that although there was nothing like want of alacrity dis- played in tha process, there was no disorder. While the business of pouring tea and distributing cake and sandwiches was in progress we had leisure to obseree and talk with some of the little company, whose ages at a gaesa ranged from four to twelve yeara. It waa j easy to see from their attire that they were mostly children of very poor parents, though all had been j made clean and neat for the occasion. As regards the j boys, where white shirt fronts and collars were pre- 1 sumptively wanting, worsted comforters had been ) artistically tucked into waistcoats to conceal deficien- cies. Knickerbockers and trousers of a cut strongly indicative of home manufacture were rather frequent, and ample p'nafores of white linen, or brown holland, were particularly conspicuous. In the came of the girls there were to be noticed some exceptional efforts in the way of personal adornment in the shape j of pink and blue sashes, head ribbons, and double and triple necklaces of imitation amber and pearl beads, while one little rosy-faced maiden had been made the object of the envy of her young companion* by a con. spicuous display of what, without any stretch of cour- tesy, might be called art needlework upon the bodice of a frock of white woollen material. It was grati. fying to observe that, though pantomime perform- ances while they last involve rather late hours, pale faces were decidedly less frequent than ruddy cheeks. To our enquiry of an intelligent little boy, whose thick crop of black hair seemed to have defied the most industrious brushing, what he played at night, we received the prompt answer, "First a rat, and then a demon, and a waggoner, sir. We further learnt that three or four minutes sufficed for the necessary change of costume in effecting any one of these complete metamorphoses. A fair-haired little girl, encouraged to be oommunlcative by this ex- ample, volunteered tlie information that she was • glow-worm and a draper," the appearance of the Tatter character being explained by the cir- > cumstance that the pantomime includes a pro- i cession of typical representatives of various tradea. A little fellow by her side was thereupon anxious to let us know that his name was William Parker," and that though he is now ten he was only four when he appeared one Beason as the tiny clown in a pantomime at the Surrey. But by far the moot popular of the company, judging from the good-natured attentions bestowed upon them by their little companions, were a small couple who, it ap' pears, figure in the pantomime as Mr. and Mrs. John Bull." From inquiries we gathered that in most cases the parents ot the children are employed at the theatre as gas men, lime-light men, scene- thifters, or what not. Most of the children, we learnt, attend the Board Schools in the neighbourhood, from which they were absent on this occasion by special permission. The final ceremony of the gathering was the calling of a muster-roll for the purpose of presenting each in turn with a bright new shilling. It was in thi3 pro. cess that the manager waa reminded that two little invited guests were absent on the mournful business of following to the grave a dead sister, whose funeral took place yesterday afternoon. Much satisfaction was expressed when it wa.) announced that two bright shillings were to be duly conveyed to the absentees, together with a fair share of cake and pudding. The ceremony was a brief one-extending over scarcely two hours-and, as they were reminded in the businesslike tones of the stage manager, at half-past six "-it being then just five-the whole party were to return to the theatre in order to go through their nightly duties. The bag of coin being now emptied, the assembly was about to break up, j when some cautious person was struck with the idea f that, like most other quarters of the town, the neigh- bourhoodsl of the "Elephant and Cattle" is not entirely frequented by honest fclk and that the bright coins in the possession of the little people might prove too great a temptation for some unscrupulous prowlers thereabouts. In these circumstances it was deemed well to exhort the little folk to keep the money In their pockets, while one grown-up visitor kindly volunteered to see them at least safely started on their way home.

EXTRAORDINARY CHARGE OF SHOOTING. In London, on Saturday, at the Hammersmith Police-court, Albert Joseph Evans, a hackney carriage driver, living in North-row, Park-street, Grosvenor- square, was charged with firing a loaded pistol at Lucy Spiller, a musician, with the intention to murder her. —The complainant, a young woman, said: I live at 30, Oxford-road, Hammersmith. On Friday afternoon I beard the smashing of glass and heard my nrdther screaming. I ran upstairs from the kitchen, and saw ) the prisoner standing on the mat in the passage, and my mother in front trying to prevent him from gett ng farther into the house. He said, I have got something for you now," and took a pistol from his pocket. I ran upstairs, followed by a dog. I heard the report of a pistol, but the dog received the bullet in his back. I don't know whether be intended it for me or the dog. He ran away after he had fired the pistol.—Mr. Paget: He has been courting you ?—No he is my sister's husband, j but she is not living with him. He wishes her to return to him. Was your sister there at the time ?—No; she h-ard the report, and locked herself in the kitchen. By Mr. Claydon: My sister left him nine or ten months 8go. The prisoner has repeatedly asked his wife to return to him. He has said if she did not he would put an end to her, and she should not live with any other person. In answer to further Questions, the witness said the dog was a Mount St. Bernard, and Bhe said "After him," when the prisoner came on a previous occasion. Mr. Claydon: It is a large dog, and you set it upon him f—Yes, certainly, when he uses threats, Mr. Paget: Did yon set the dog upon him thia time ?—No, It followed me up from the kitohen, and it waa not a minute before he fired. I should have received the bullet if the dog bad not been close to my back. On the previous occasion he said, The next time I will come prepared." Esther Spiller said I am the mother of the last witness. My son-in-law came to the door while his wife was sweeping the parlour. She said, "Don't open the door, mother." He knocked twice, then broke the window, and let himself in. He drew a pistol and said, I have got something for you now." My younger daughter came up, and, seeing the pistol, ran upstairs. He fired the pistol, and ran away.- riergeaat Greet proved apprehending the prisoner at I his lodgings, when he made the following statement t } I did not fire at her they set the dog npon me, and I shot the dog. She waa behind me when I fired, I went there to persuade my wife to leave the life she was leading, I took the pistol for my protection. When I was there last they set the dog on to me." The prisoner also stated that he threw the pistol into the ro» as he was running away. He (the witness) saw the wound on the dog's back probed, and it went in the direction of the tail.—Mr. Paget remanded the prisoner for the attendance of the veterinary surgeon who was attending to: the dog, and refused to grant bail.

Of 459 IItudentø who have this winter matriCTlIltftd at ths University of Znrfob 51 were women. |

MR. FORSTER ON REDISTRIBUTION. On Friday evening in last week, Mr. Forater ad- dressed a crowded meeting in connection with the National Reform Union in the Free Trade Hall, Man- chester. He claimed that the extension of the fran. chise must be separated from redistribution, and that Ireland must be included in the measure. In enlarg. ing upon the subject of Redistribution, Mr. Forster said:- The redistribution will be no easy matter. It will be a very hard business indeed. Just let us go over for a moment what are the claims and wants of the different parts of the population. What does justice require ? First, justica requires that the three kingdoms should be treated alike. My friend Mr. Elliot aaya that Scotland might c mplain if London got many more members. What Scotland haa to complain of really is not that London should have what it has a right to have, but because Scotland has not got its right share. Taking taxation as the test, Scotland would get many more members. Sir Charles Dilke introduced a new idea of apportioning the electors, under which, after equalizing the franchise, Scot- land would get a very considerable increase in the number of its members. I would give Ireland tha same franchise as England, whatever use the people might intend to put it to. I hope there will be some principle of finality in the biil. I thould not give to Ireland more than its share of representation. And kind of calculation founded on taxation of property would deprive Ireland of a very great number of votes, and I should not attempt to apt ly that principle in that fcrm. But I should prefer to base representation on population by itself. Taking tie inhabited houses, Ireland would, I believe, lose close upon ten members. That is the first principle treating the three kingdoms alike. Then there are districts that must get many more votes. We in the West Riding and you in South Lancashire—I put us together because we are very similar in our circumstances-have fercy- four members, exactly one-elereath of the present members for English counties and boroughs, and we are very nearly one-fifth of the population. The northern division of Lancashire, with Glasgow and its suburbs and the populous districts round it, has more than one-fifth of the population of Scotland and one. fifteenth of ita present members. London—and you must not forget London—takiog the present metropolitan district only, with the suburb3 which were just like London, around it, has twenty. two members, and upon a fair apportionment to popu. lation it ought to get sixty-four. I do not think London, and I doubt whether we in the West Riding or you in South Lancashire, will get all we have a claim to, because we can only get it by disfranchising other constituencies, who will fight very hard; but I confess, if you will allow me to say it—for he is a very old and intimate friend of miae-I think Mr. Shaw. Lefevre a day or two ago put the claims of London too low. My belief is that we shall have to consider London more than we have in former days. The social problems beset us in London even more than anywhere else, and I doubt whether they would have got to the ptint of solution which they have at this moment if it had not been that London had been kept in the background, and had not been sufficiently con. sidered by the Legislature. We must not for a moment take this into account-that London is perhaps not so distinctly, so eminently a liberal population as are our own district*. It is quite true that the popular vote in 1874 was not upon our side. I speak not merely for myself, but of all the Liberals I twe—aye, and for the^normnus majority of the Libe-al party-that in this difficult and most impoitant measure of redis- tribution we must not for a M)ment consider the possible party views of men at present, or even of what they are likely to be in future. Now, as to the [ great question, what are W9 to do with the boroughs I we disfranchise, or rather with constituencies that we bava either to get rid of or to alter? We shall have to get a great number of fresh seats. We are not going to increase the number of members of the House. Everybody agrees to that: Then we shall have to deal with the small borough", and they can only ba dealt with in one of three ways. They must be absorbed in the counties, aa were most of the rotten boroughs at the time of the great Reform Bill, or they must be grouped as in Scotland and Wales, or they must be increased by the addition of country districts, as at East REtford, for example, and made borough counties, of which we have already several specimens. I will not dwell on that question now, except to say this— that the first of these plana is one which I do not think can be adopted. It will lie between the grouping and the increasing of the borcugbs and, upon the whole, I prefer the increase of them. I think the great argument against it will disappear, which was to keep up a separate borough franchise from the county franch pe. It will disappear when we have given the lame occupying franchise throughout the kingdom. If not the most important, the moat difficult question will ba what to do with large constituencies—the populous, the very populous constituencies. There we must do one of two things. We must either increase the number of constituencies or we must give more members to the present constituencies. Well, I am in favour, as I ventured to say to my own constituents, of increasing the number of the constituencies. I do not for a moment say that we are ready for electoral dis- tricts, but I would aim at that. I believe that they are, upon the whole, the most just and the wisest mode of apportioning representation (hear, hear); and I think that, as regards the populous rural counties and the districts round present boroughs and London, it would not be difficult to apply that prin. ciple to London epecially. You have divided London Into several electoral disti icts already. Chelsea, Mary- lebone, or Finsbury might, without difficulty, be di. vided. The difficulty really will be with our large towns—with you, with Liverpool, with Glasgow, with Leeds, with my own borough of Brad. ford, and several others. I d i not think that you will get a representation according to the fair proportion which you are entitled to. Glasgow would have a right to ten members, Liverpool to ten members, and Man- chester without Salford to seven members. But sup- posing you got anything like that, what is to be done ? You must elect your members upon some principle of proportionate representation or by division into wards, I prefer the division into wards. I know there will be sentimental opposition to the proposal which will necessitate the breaking up of the old borough. I am going to say something with which I know you will not all agree. But I think you know me, and you expect me to say exactly what I think, and I should be ashamed of addressing such a meeting as this if I did not do so. I think that by far the worst plan would be to elect our members by a simple majority, and for this reason-that if you elected by simple majority three members or more it would be both dangerous and unfair. It would be dangerous as enor- mously increasing the swing of the pendulum. The real danger we have to guard against is over-haste in legislation. I think also that it would be unfair, because it would be giving to a simple majority in a con- stituency the great majority in the representation; and it would be enabling a few men to band themselves together for any s)rt of purpose, good or bad, and sometimes for no purpose at all except for their own selfish interests or vanity, thereby controlling the repre. sentation of a great city like Manchester, where tha parties are pretty equalled divided. You know Mr. Morley uttered a formula—a phralle-which took hold of men's imagination and of their judgment, and thore was much in it—"One man, one vote." I can con- I ceive no greater denial of that principle, no more abso- lute disregard of it, than by giving to a few voters in Manchester, by their having seven votes, an enor- mously increased power over the men in other con- stituencies with only one or two members, and who have only one or two votes; and we have some evi- dence of this danger. It has been tried on the Conti- nent. I think that, considering our history in Par- liamentary government, we need not go to foreign nations for much teaching in regard to our Reform B.Ilg.

SERIOUS STABBING CASE. j In London, at the Mansion House, Alfred Darcey, 18 years of age, underwent a final examination before the Lord Mayor, charged with maliciously wounding James Fletcher, with intent to do him grievous bodily harm,. The prosecutor, James Fletcher, it will ba re- membered, was the night hall-porter at The Times office, and the prisoner had been a labourer employed in the electric light department. The occurrence took place on the night of Sunday, December 2nd, when, in consequence of the prisoner in- sulting one of the overseers, the prosecutor was in- Btiu ;ted to order him to leave the office. The pri- soner asked the prosecutor several times whether he would allow him to go or send for his character, but the complainant refused to allow him to do so, and said that he had better call again the next morning. The prisoner th3reupon told him that he was no man, and as he uttered these words the prosecutor felt himself stabbed in tha groin, and he received two other wounds in the left arm, and a fourth in the back, the prisoner being alleged to have inflicted them with a steel ) instrument called a "rimer," used for the machinery j in the engineers' shop in the department in which he was employed. The prosecutor fell jjrostrate, and was removed to St. Bartholomew's Hospital, being still under medical care. A police-constable named Perria, who waa on duty in Printing-house-]ane on the night' of the occurrence, proved finding a steel "lirmr about ten yards from the door of The Times office. Mr. Charles Arthur Morris, house surgeon at St. Bartholomew's Hospital, deposed that the wounds inflicted on Fletcher were email, punctured wounds, half an inch deep, and were not of a dangerous character. In consequence of the wounds and the shock to the nervous system it was^ thought advisable that the prosecutor should remain in the hospital, which he accordingly did until December 18. The prisoner, on beintc asked any questions to pu\ said tliat he should like the doctor to look where the prosecutor, as he asserted, struck him with the instrument. The prosecntor denied that he f-truck the prisoner, and the Lord Mayor said that as the doctor had not seen it be could not give any evidence as to it. Henry Taylor, detective, deposed to apprehending the prisoner at Birmingham on the 21st inst. In reply to the warrant prisoner replied that he thought the prosecutor ougb*v to be charged and not himself he (Fletcher) stabbed him first, and I he somehow took the instrument away from him and used it. The Lord Mayor committed the prisoner, who said he had nothing to say, for trial at the Central Criminal Court upon two charges of wounding with intent to do grievous bodily harm, and unlawfully wounding,

QUITE So.—Aunt Towzer is not at all snrprised to hear that there are sham sapphires. Why, they re Brumma gems on the very face of em. exclaimed tha dear old lady. Who'd ever expeck truth in a Sap. I phira t"-Funny Folks. f GAMBLING AT MONTB CAM-O.-The Nice Journal continues to report further tragedies both at Nice and Monte Carlo. In a recent iesue it stated that a rich I. stranger had blown out his brains at the Hotel da Paris, after having lost all his fortune at play. On January 13th it records the case of a commercial clerk at Nice who, from a similar cause, put an end to hia life by shooting himself through the head. On the same day a man committed suicide behind the Hotel de Londres at Monte Carlo. In the night a successful gamester waa assassinated by poignard stabs In the gardens of the Casino des Spélugues. He had won during the evening six or seven thousand francs at roulette, and when the dojrs of the casino were about to be closed be took It into his bead to take a solitary rslk. j

MM—BBt THE BOMBARDMENT OF MAHAMOVO A correspondent writing to the Standard under date Mabanovo, Dec.11, says s— We have had a visit from the French here, and the fort has been subjected to a furious bombardment, over 200 shells having been fired but the affair was a complete fiasco, and the French steamed off, leaving the Hova flag still flying, I take the first opportunity of trending off a detailed account. About eight o'clock on the morning of the 12th of last month two steamers were Bighted steering direct for the barbour. For some time we could not make out what they were, but at last the telescopes brought the tricolour in view, and we knew then that they were French men of war, and that it meant a bom- bardment. They anchored opposite the Hova Fort, which is separated from the mainland by about two hundred yards of water and in- stantly there was immense excitement amongst the natives. Women and men could be seen in all direc- tions running for the interior, and carrying such of their belongings as they were able to carry. Exactly at 1.10 p.m., the first shot was fired from the Vau. dreuil. It fell in a direct line for the Hova flag, but rather short. This was followed In a few minutes by the second from the Niivre, the other ship, and fell right into the town they then kept on pounding away alternately until five o'clock, by which time they had expended fifty-pix large shells and a great number of small ones. At half-past five a oolumn of smoke was seen to rise from the town, and we thought that one of the shells must have set fire to a house which had been smouldering, and now broke into a blaze but it was not so it appears the Hovas fired some huts themselves, for what object could not be ascertained. All night the Hovas kept a sharp look out to prevent any surprise. At half-past six next morning, the 13TB, the Nibvre commenced with a large shell, and con- tinued firing till eight o'clock, by which time she bad got rid of twenty.. Daring the same space of time the Vaudreuil had been pegging away with small shell at a dense bush which is directly in front and under- neath the fort, and at eight o'clock four boats left the Vaudreuil and made for shore. When they arrived within a quarter of a mile from the fort they opened fire from some small guns which they carried in their bows. One of the boats pulled in close to the shore, and the officer on board began to gesticulate and beckon to nB, but, finding he could not make us understand what he wanted, he came into the breakers and landed a sailor on a strip of sand which lies in front and ia parallel to the housea of the white population, and ia divided from the mainland, where the houses stand, by a river, which it would be necessary to cross to reach us. The sailor came along thie str-p, being covered by the guns from the boats (which, of course, brought them to bear on the houses); and when he arrived opposite the British Vice Consulate, and was about to cross tfca river, our Consular Agent, Mr. Connorton, went out and stopped him, asking what he wanted. Ha said he wanted to know whether there were any strangers in Mahanovo who wished to leave, but the Consular Agent replied that we were all British sub- jects here, and did not want to leave. The sailor then returned and got on board. This energetic act on the part of the Consular Agent is] considered to have saved much British property, and perhaps some lives, for if the French sailor had been attacked whilst on our side, the guns would have fired to cover him, and much damage would have been done. The boats now began to approach closer to the fort, when Euddenly a loud report was heard, and ft lot of smoke arose from a corner of the fort, the Hovas having at laet returned the fire. This unexpected episode seemed to stagger the attacking party, for they instantly began rifle firing, but at 10.40 they ceaatd, 1\nd returned to their ship, nothing more being done tlntil the evening, when they lifted up anchor and sailed away. The official statement of the Hova loss is one pig killed and one wounded. The shells do not appear to have done much damage. On the 23rd the Niivre returned, fired twelve shells, and then steamed away northwards.

THE DEFENCE OF HAIPHONG. Writing under date Haiphong, Dec. 4, the Special Correspondent of the Daily News gives the following particulars respecting the recent attack upon that town by the Chinese :— Although we have lived in daily expectation of a visit from one or other of the many piratical bands who have lurked in the neighbourhocd for the past three months it must not be supposed that Haiphong was entirely at the mercy of any attacking fcrce. Since Major Coronnat's arrival here, Haiphong has been put into a complete state of defence and though there is apparently little to show as the result of three months' labour, this town nevertheless is as strongly protected as even the most timorous could desire. Advantage has been liberally taken of every point that could be turned to account in defensive works. The approaches to the town, both by land and water, are strongly guarded while the flatness of the turrounding country suggested the erection of lofty look. out posts, from which a sweeping view of the whole country can be obtained, and the movements of an enemy ap- proaching Haiphong observed. It was as much to Major Coronnat's foresight in providing against every possible contingency as to his prompt and energetic action on the afternoon of yesterday that this town owes its very narrow esoape from a night attack by 3000 Chinese. It is believed that these men formed the attacking force which made so determined an attempt to wreat Haidzuong from the French last month. Colonel Badens once had it in his power to hem in the whole body, but for some unaccountable reason he allowed the Chinese to pan by him unmolested. He bad been out on a reconnaiaance in the direction of Bac-Ninh with a column of 1500 men; but,meeting with some opposition, he made a detour, and in returning towards Hanoi crossed the rear of the Chinese in the vicinity of Haidzuong. Foiled In their attack on the latter place, the Chinese, considerably strengthened in force by the detached bands of pirates picked up on the way, advanced towards Haiphong, taking up a position in a large village about three kilometres to the north. Here they began to entrench themselves, and I have no doubt elaborated a plan for a night assault on Haiphong. The darkness would have been in their favour, as their numbers would have permitted them to break up into several bands and attack the town from half-a-dozen different points simul- taneously, and, although the fortifications were strong enough to resist the advance of an ill-disciplined rabble, it is certain that in the confusion which would have onsused many lives would have been uselessly lost. Major Coronnat, however, has saved Haiphong. About three o'clock yesterday afternoon the Chinese were observed in the village before mentioned, and fn almost as short a time as it takes to write it the gun- boats Lynx and Carabine were steaming up the river, followed by a launch carrying a company of infantry. The first intimation which the Chinese had of the nearness of the French was a shower of shot from the Hotchkiss guns in the maintops of the Lynx, which did terrible destruction in the ranks of the former. After a brisk cannonade, the infantry were landed, and at the point of the bayonet drove the Chinese out of the village. A rather amusing incident happened at the landing of the troops. A soldier in jumping ashore found himself, not exactly on terra firma, but in a bed of soft yielding mud, into which he sank as far as his waist. The man's plight was not noticed by his comrades, who marched on, leaving him quite alone. One of the Chinese, however, not far off, observed that the soldier was helpless, and, ooolly advancing on him with a bamboo stake, his only weapon, he treated the soldier to as sound a thrashing as a parent would administer to a young hopeful. The Chinaman's career was cut short just as he began to warm to his work, the Frenchman's cries having reached a few of his comrades, who sent a volley into the assailant a body, and then dug out their brother in-arma. The novelty of the situation so im- pressed the soldier that he cut off one of the China- man's ears as a souvenir of the incident. The action, which lasted but a couple of hours, coat the Chinese a heavy expenditure of life. Forty-two dead and ninety wounded were left behind; the French had only two men alighfly wounded-a. trifling cost to pay for the safety of Haiphong.

DANGER OF FOREIGN 'RESIDENTS IN CHINA. A Renter's telegram, dated Jan. 25, Bays- Intelligence received here from Hoikow, in the Island of Hainan, states that great uneasiness pre- vails there. Inflammatory placards have been posted up inciting the people against the foreign residents, one of whom was recently attacked by the mob, and compelled to take refuge at the British.Consulate. The Chinese authorities have taken rigorous measures to prevent the renewal of disturbances. The passage of the Canton River is still open.

The following despatch hai been received at the London office of the New York Herald from its Special Correspondent in China :— HONG KONG, Jan. 25. Serious news comes from the island of Hainan. The arrival of the Chinese troops who are to protect it from French seizure has caused great excitement amongst the population. The foreign settlers are much alarmed. Those who live at Hoikow, the port of the island, are daily insulted by the mob, and threatened with violence. Placards are everywhbre posted calling on the people to massacre the foreign devils." Two of the residents have been stoned but not seriously injured. A British gunboat lies in the harbour, prepared to render assistance, but as the port is over three miles bread its efforts cannot be very effective. For the moment the town is quiet, though the settlers anticipate an outbreak.

THE GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF PALESTINE. The first report of Professor Hull, dated from Gaza, Jan. 1, has been received at the office of the Palestine Exploration fund. It is necessarily brief, the details being reserved for the full report to follow, but it announces the success of the expedition so far. The professor baa made a complete geological survey of the Wady Arabah and the Dead Sea, with a traverse across Southern Palestine. Captain Kitchener, R.E., who accompanied him, has carried a trigonometrical survey, which connects with the old workoverthe whole ground. Akabab he fonnd to be laid down too far loath. The south part of the Dead Sea as shown on ;tho maps is quite out of its true ehape and position, and the Lisan has to be shifted three mile3. From Ciezi, when the rest of tho party were kept in quaran- tine, Captain Kitchener .rode back to Egypt ac- companied by four Arabs only. Ha took a previously unknown route, and arrived at Ifinalia rJter a ride of 200 miles. He WIIB everywhere well received by the Arabs, who took him for a cousin of Sheikh Abdullah (the late Professor Palmer), whose memory is revered among them, and whose murder they still deplore. They are also reported to be deeply impressed with the energy and pertinacity of Sir Charles Warren's pursuit of the murderers, Aj regards the other mem- bers of Professor Hull's party, Mr. Hart ia reported to have made ]aNe additions to the Flora. Mr. Laurence has kept a continuous Beries of metoorogical observations; anJ Mr. Gordon Hull his obtained a hundred photograph*, lares and small. Professor Hull had still to execute two traverses of the country. The complete reports both of himself and of Captain Kitchener will probably ba published in tha iournal of the Bocietv- 1

[ FUNERAL OF A PARIS RAGPICKER. Writing on Sunday night the Paris Correspondent of the Daily News says :— The funeral of the chiffonnier who suddenly died at the indigBAtion meeting passed oft quittly. Fortu- nately papers proving his id«ntity was found on him, and the tramfer of the body to the Morgue was thua rendered unnecessary, The burial place of his part of Vilette being almost out of town, there was no occa- sion to take tbe corpse through the crowded quarters. The deceased was 73. and when laid out hia head re- sembled Blanqui's. The hovel in which he lived was on the top of a wooden shed approached by outside stairs, bare, reeking with damp, but net dirty. Aristocratic Paris went to visit this slum, and wood-pictures of it are given in all the Boulevard journals. The body of the old chiffonnier was laid out on a straw mattresj and enveloped in a clean winding-sheet. A holy water font was nailed over hia bed, and a crucifix placed on hia breast. Notwithstanding this sign of Catholicism his brother ragmen, who subscribed to give him a decent burial, insisted on its being civil. They placed on the coffin a black bead crown, bearing the inscrip- tion A notre ami," and an immense one of immor- telles. About a thousand poor people, comprising some blind and decrepit, led by ragged children, attended the faneral,

THE WEST COAST OF AFRICA. Advices just received from the West African Coast confirm the newlot the annexation of Landana by the Poituguese, One of the English traders there had B400 worth of oil "tied up," and he appealed to the captain of the Portuguese man-of-war to get this oil for him. The captain sent for the chief of the district where the oil was and told him to send it down at once, that if he did not troops would be landed, and if once landed they would not be taken back again. The result of this threat was that the oil was brought down to the coast in twenty-four hours, At Fernan V IiIZ Mr. John Mactaggart, an employe of Mr. Fothergill, was arrested on a warrant issued by the judge at Gaboon at the suit of Mrs. Quao, Mr. Mactaggart wan subjacted to very harsh treatment He was put in irons, and subaequeatly a heavy chain fifteen feet long was fastened to one of his legs, and to the other end was attached a douanier or Custcm House offioer, a black man, who was charged with some offence. They were kept thus chained together for two or three days until the arrival of a M. Averinc, a gentleman who, it was said, had cxma to Fernan Vaz shortly before that for the ostensible purpose of shooting gorillas, aud who went away a few days later with a signed treaty which haa handed over to the French the whole of the N'gove territory. On the arrival of M. Averine Mr. Mactag. gart and the dounanier were sent on board the ss. Benguela and taken to Gaboon. Mr. Mactaggart waa released as soon as he got on board the British vessel, but the captain of the Benguela had to sign a formal receipt for his person. Arrived at Gaboon, the judge there at once ordered Mr. Mactaggart to be set at liberty on parole pending the hearing of the cllse against him. The new Governor of Gaboon arrived there on the 24th December, and was received with a salute of 21 guns. The late Governor was very un' popular in the colony, especially amongst the English traders, A lleuter's telegram dated Cape Coast Castle, Dec. 31, eay8 On the 22nd init. a severe fight took place between the inhabitants of the towns 01 Great Cormantine and Ahbahdzie, in consequence of an insult offered to the former by the latter. A party of the Ahbahdzies had been to another town, when they exhibited a flag with a design insulting the Great Corrnantines, whom they had recently defeatei in a scufflj with sticks and stones. The Great Cormantine3 waylaid their oppo- nents on their return home, and fired upon them. A general fight ensued, sixteen of the Ahbahdzies and eight of the Corrnantines being killed on the spot and upwards of sixty wounded, several of whom have since died. A number of the Cormantines have been seized and committed for trial at the next assizes. A servant of Koffee Kalcalli arrived here about a week ago with a message from the ex-King of Ashanti imploring the Governor to have him brought to the coast, as he was being very ill-treated and was kept without food. Two days afterwards another servant arrived with the news that Kalcalli had been removed from his place of confinement during the night, and had been carried no one knew whither.

FATAL COLLIERY EXPLOSION. A terrible colliery explosion occurred on Sunday morning at Penygraig, in the Rhondda Valley. The explosion took place at the Naral Steam Colliery, where a disastrous explosion occurred a few years ago. The explosion happened immediately after the | descent of the Sunday morning repairing shift. The colliery is Bituated within a distance of seven miles from Pontypridd, and the downcast shaft ia close to the Tail Vale Railway Station at Pandy. The upcast shaft is in the Ely Valley, a short distance away. About 550 men are employed in the colliery, and work in day and night shifts. The day shift numbers 350 men, so that had the explosion occurred on any ordinary day the con- sequences would have been terrible in the extreme. Aa it is, however, the consequences are serious, and several families have been thrown into the profoundest grief through the loss of their breadwinners. The col- liery is known to be a fiery one, and the lights at the pit-top are actually supplied by a blower which ia tapped with pipes. The pipes were amashed by the explosion and the lights were extinguished. The colliery is worked with safety lamps. The ventilation fa worked by a fan, which has keen damaged by the explosion, so that the ventilation is exceedingly weak, if not at a stand still. The firemen descended the pit on Sunday at half- past five o'clock, and the day repairing shift went into the pit half an hour or so afterwards, before the return of the firemen, so that there were in all eleven men in the colliery. About twenty minutes to seven o'clock a fearful report was heard and a tremendous concussion was felt, not only at the pit top, but at Penygraig and other places in the neighbourhood. The force of the concussion was such that a child was thrown out of bed by it some half-mile away. Upon inspection it was Been that the downcast shaft was torn up, the trams blown about, and one of the guide ropes twisted round the carriage 110 that it was impossible to take the carriage to the pit bottom for hours afterwards. There was immediately a rush of people to the scene. Upon inquiry it was ascertained that Thomas Daviea, known as "Double Power," owing to his gigantic physical strength, who had been working one turn and had gone home for good, returned to the pit and could not have gone I further than the colliery stables before the explosion occurred. Davies was a contractor in the mine. Among the men at the upcast shaft was the farrier or master of haulers, Solomon Edwards, who had only just reached the shaft bottom before the terrible report|was heard. John Heycock, the fireman at the top of the fault had on this occasion, as waa his practice on Sundays, taken a son with him upon his rounds. The lad had gone to spare his brother who was unwell, and thus lost his life. The first colliery manager to come upon the scene was Mr. Daniel Thomas, of Dinas. Immediately he set to work with the people who gathered round to set things to rights at the top in order to make an effort to descend the shaft. With the fan at stand- still a descent from the upcast was out of the question, so as soon as the carriage could be got at properly, Mr. Thomas and a few men entered, and the cage was very slowly lowered, Before it had gone far, however, the twisted guide prevented further descent. One exploring party went into the other carriage and were lowered in it. By about eleven o'clock the bottom was reached and some direc- tions were shouted by those below. Mr. Edmund Thomas, Maindy-hall, a manager of experience, and one of the former proprietors of Gelli Colliery, had by thia time come to the pit top. He assisted in organiz- ing another gang to go down. The explorers travelled some distance in the colliery, finding the doors damaged or blown down, and some falls. Great excite* ment prevailed above ground owing to the length of time the exploring party waa down. The lifeless bodies of two oi the ostlers were subsequently brought to the bottom of the shaft, and a report then ob- tained currency that Mr. Daniel Thomas was miss- ing, This intensified the agitation. The pit carriage was brought up, and the moment the explorers were seen there was a great rush towards them. John Jones, a member of the party, wad completely prostrated. He said that Mr. Thomas, Mr. Thomas Lewis, the under-manager, and Mr. Edward Watkina had gone along the surface by the return airway till they came to a fault." Jones felt weak and shouted to his companions that he was returning. He had no doubt, from what he eaw, that Mr. Thomas and the other two were suffocated, The party had traversed the workings a distance of 800 yards from the pit bottom. The following is a list of the killed. It does not, however, include the two explorers: Solomon Ed- wards, 30, married.. with children James Seville, 50, os.ler, married, with children Oliver John, fireman David Jones, fireman John Price, fireman William Williams, firtmin; John Heycock, senior, and John Heycock, junior; Thomas Davies, contractor; WIl. liam Augustus, ostler; and Frederick Nugent, ostler. The elects of the explosion on the top of the upcast were heavy. The fan-house was wrecked, and the gaseous hurricane carried off the wooden roof; the boiler debris was hurled away 10 or 15 yarda, and the bticks were squeezed into the spools of the fan. The engine-house was badly damaged, as waa also the pit- t jp timber. The pit cage waa smashed,

VIOLENT STORM IN PARIS. On Saturday night a storm of phenomenal violence swept over Paris acd many departments of Franae. It travelled in an oblique course from south-west to north-east, and was accompanied by a waterspout. Cabs were upset and smashed in the streets, tramcars brought to a full Btcp, and some driven forward by the wind with an impetuosity which made them seem as if the horses had got the bits between their teeth and were running away. The railway service wIn greatly interrupted, The tele- graphic poles, and in some p aoea poplar trees, were blown down upon the rails. Rirely has such a for. midable downfall of tiles and chimney-pots been seen in Pa is. The hurricane lasted for several hours, and increased towards midnight. Sad havoc waa made in several of the public parks and gardens. Gas explo. sions added to the terror of the acene. There was a very bad one in the Rue Amelot. A rush of wind down the chimney extinguished the jets in a chan- delier. As the gas was not turned off it continued to stream up, and when somebody theatre entered tho room with a lighted oandle, it exploded.

A very painful story of an accident on the ice ia reported 'rom the village of Kohr, in Pomerania, Fifteen children, oa coming out of school, were amtta< m themselves by sliding on a frozen pond, when tho jca broke, and all but two of them were drowned, A meeting of rag pickers, held in Paris the other night in relation to the Prefectoral daerea, was ln« le.-npted by a tragical incident. A veteran member ot th" mdtMtry. named Lsplaoe, who waa present, npparansiy fainted. He waa cariled out, but b efon retina the door he expired

SINGULAR SCENE AT THE ZOOLO" GICAL GARDBNS. In London on Saturday a small party of ,peciallr invited persons, compoaed almost exclusively of repre" sentatlves of the press, were privileged to witnef so-called Burmeaa religions service in the Room at the Zoological Society's Gardens. Pnirieas Barnum's rapreasntatives, with a viewdoabt" le-s to stimulating curiosity in tkeir white elephant) had resolved to entertain the public in the elephant" house with a representation of Burmese rites in wbleb the new arrival was to take a leading part. The cat" rying out of this intention, however, was frustrated b1 the action of the society's officials, as constituting all outrage upon the religioa of Kiag Tkeebaw's subject I and ;thus, as frequently happens in this country 10 matters email as well aa great, a n^e was effected. Touag" was left iff I peace in his den to eat the buna offered to hilØ by the visitors, while two individuals described øI priests," who have accompanied him on hia journef from the United Statea, most obligingly exhibited themselves at their devotions. Theae appeared to & addressed to two wooden idols, depicted in a squatting attitude, like a couple of black tailors. On them carved tawdry gilt sashes, set with a profusion jewels, and their heads were crowned with a gi" bonnet aurmouated by a email bump, as though the hair underneath were twisted into a knot at the bac* of the crown. As for the worshippers, there was curious want of dignity of the priestly office both »° their oppearance and manners. They are apparently mere youths, of sallow complexion, and a decided!? Mongolian type of countenaace. Their dress consisted of a pale yellow skirt and tnrban of the same colooTi j with a loose flowing maatle of a dark orange colodt. On muking their appearance, however, they had 00 long overooats and lace-up boots evidently of Western manufacture, and thus attired there was nothing to distinguish them to all outward appearancet with their turbana and their trouserlegs, from the pe** formers in a travelling circus or menagerie. Botll seemed eminently docile, and took instructions for the conduct of their sacred rites from Mr. Barnum's reprfl" sentative. That geatleman, after they had retired for awhile into an adjoining apartment to divest them' selves of their coats and change their boota fot embroidered alippera, brought them forward, and they stood up patiently before the assembled guests aa be explained that they could aot apeak a word of English, although they had been in the United States or England since laat July, and that they would not come into the room with their shoes on until the idols had teen put out of eight. The idols, which had been put under a counter, wsre then produced, and the priests, having removed their slippeis, assumed devotional attitude by rquatting down in imitatioO of the imatreB which tbey appeared to be wor" shipping. For a brief space of time they remained thua, neither uttering a word, and neither betraying the slightest sign of religious fervour. After a brief space of time spent in this way they rose, and the ceremony, it appeared, was over. Mr. representative then invited any gentleman who chose to do so to "come up" and inspect them closely, oft as he intimated, the priests would, if preferred, paat round among the audience. Besides the idols therf were two gilt umbreHas on long bamboo canes, alleged to be of the kind which none but priests are allowed to carry in Burmah, In England, it seems, matterS are different, for these sacred emblemB were handled without any seeming reverence by the visitors, and it did not appear that the susceptibilities of the two priests present were in any way hurt. The names 0* the two priests are given as Bahchone and Hpochoe« each being dignified with the prefix of Moung or Mister. They proceeded afterwards to the elephant house, where they are quartered for the present, a bed- room having been fitted up there for their use, pending their departure to fulSl an engagement with the white elephant in the provinces.

FORESIGHT IN THE GARDEN. It is well remarked by a contempoary that "th" effects of the present mild weather, with the disagree- abie accompaniment of heavy rain and dense black fogs, upon vegetation are giving rise to Eome anxiety in the minds of many gardeners." It is not at all suf" prying that it ia BO. If, after the spring-like mildnes* and excessive moisture of tha winter up to the present* we are visited with sharp frosts and cold winds, much disaster will result, and that in apite of the greatest care in mattera of protection exercised by careful cultivators. If at this season of the year we afC favoured with what h the nsual wintry weatheft the whole of our tender plants would be under their winter covering. The present mildness forces many planta into activity which, if continued, must inevitably be followed by fatal consequences, unless we have no cold weather at all during wintef and spring, which is sarely more than we dare bope for. Trees and shrubs are bursting their buds. bulbous plants are rapidly pushing up young and tender leave* through the ciuat of the earth, and all around us W*' see a marvellous activity in vegetation which is unse** Eonable in January, and that would not usually be looked for until the month of March. It will be neces- sary for all those who are anxious to prevent any serious consequences to their plants to take all possible precautions against the cold winds and frosts. At the Eame time every care must be taken that too much "coddling ia not resorted to, as by doing thia the veff evil sought to be remedied will be increased. It too frequently the practice to set about the work OF strawirg, matting, and covering all tender plants •* soon aa the cold weather may be expected, although much may be said in favour of such practice, it is nnfortoaately too often tbe case that barm rather tban good ia wrought by it. As an In- stance of this may be mentioned what occurred last year, when we were visited with weather of extra- ordinary mildness during the greater portion of the winter, followed by sharp frosts at the commencement of the spring. As usual, the moat tender plants covered sufficiently to prevent severe froata frolD injuring them, and thia covering was allowed CO remain on all through the season, until all danger of cold weather had passed. The result of this was that, what with the warmth of the earlier portion of the winter and that afforded by the oovering, many of the plants were fatally injured. Some of the moat herbt* cseous had perished altogether, and the effect of the spring cold upon many others was soon apparent ïØ the shrivelling of the young leaves and the weakness of the flowers. It was plainly evident that efforts to Ereserve from frost had really resulted in much harm f ad no covering been put on until it was really required, little or no harm would have reeultedo- Land, and Water.

THE SNOWY MOUNTAINS OF EQUATORIAL AFRICA. In London the other evening a lecture on The Snowy Mountains of Equatorial Africa "waa delivered at the Royal Institution by Mr. H. H, Johnston, who is about to head an expedition, under the auspices of the British Association and the Royal Society, for the purpose of exploring the region of the Kilimanjor* Mountain and thoroughly examining its floraand f aunft* The mountain in question, which is 18,000ft. above the sea level, is the highest point of a chain stretching from Abyssinia, and continuing again until the lofty ranges in the neighbourhood of Nyassa LakÐ- are reached. a These on their part are connected across the Zambesi and Matabeleland, with chains of hills and high tablelands, which in their turn trend away hIt) the mountain ranges of Natal and Southern Africa. With a little stretch of imagination, Baid the lecturer,- we may suppose that the mountains of Abyssinia are Blightly connected northwards, by mean" of the Nubian and West Arabian hills, with the mountain mass of Sinia, and that again with the Lebanon, the Caucasus, the Taurus, the Balkans, and the Alps. So that it is not very far-fetched to say that there is an almost continous line of elevation, whether marked by plateaus or sierras, or isolated peaks, exteod- ing from the West Asiatic and mid-European system" down the east side of Africa to the Cape, and in this long line Kilimanjaro comes nearly midway. One object of his expedition, Mr. Johnston went on to explain, waa to determine whether Kilimanjaro belonged to Europe or the Cape whether this snowy mountain had inter* cepted and retained some of the present South African forms of life, which have been driven in the course ot time to the temperate regions of the south by the incursion across the Sahara of the more vigorous northern agencies or whether it marks an extension Bonthward of the several glacial epochs whioh passed over Europe, and whether, in that case, will be found on its summit creatures or plants which will connect its fauna and flora with thoae of the Alps, the Taurus, and the Himalaras. The lecturer explained at length the results obtained by previous explorers, and con* eluded by stating that the name Kilimanj aro did mean Mountain of Greatness, but the Mountain o* Njaro—or the Wicked Spirit—who is supposed by the natives to cause the biting cold. and to infliot on theH*' such ills as chilblains and frostbites.

MARKET VEGETABLES. The season, so far, has been most favourable to market growers, not only in the constant growth s8LØD' in the oaray crops, but also in the admirable mannet In which the ground workg, and has favoured ita cieaO* ing and turning throughout the winter. Already con- siderable breadths of early peasand broad beans are beinfr sown, and should the weather continue dry as in the past, we may expect to find unusually large breadth* of peaa sown this season-not least, perhaps, that seed is fairly abundant. Peas are a popular crop, not only because always profitable and certain, but also they are Boon cleared off. The haulm, well harveatedi is useful for winter fodder, and the ground can be RE* cropped immediately. All kinds of green staff BA* £ made continuous growth, never having received a da? check. Such an experience, even in past mild winters, is most unwonted, but froat, rain, and wind alike, have all remained quiescent, and the winter, ao far, has BEEN little other tban a pleasant autumn. The dry cond*! tion of the soil and the mild weather have PROVES favourable to pruning, and that work has been GREAT!/ advanced. Specially valuable haa the dryness of weather been for fonl soils, as forking and cleaning have been done largely; indeed, we have never seeØ so much activity in the market gardens during winter months as in the present season. Thus only have the poor been spared mnoh suffering pinching, but work has been unusually abundant* Let what may be said as to the profitableness or other* wise of fruit culture, and of spade labour in particular' at least market gardens, if in the hands of capabj men, come into any locality as a blessing to the LAHOITF ing classes, finding them ample work at good and generally diffusing the sweets of abundance around.—Gardeners' Chronicle.

-er AN UNPLEASANT EXPERIENCE. —An old man, describing his personal experience of BE"* scalped, says :—"Imagine some one who hates l with the utmost intensity grabbing a handfnl of hair while you are lying prostrate and j, giving it a sadden jerk upward with foroe ea?^L1 almost to loosen the scalp then, while this P»J° J- tension is not relaxed, imagine the not PARTICTU»^JFL sharp blade of a knife being run quickly IN » JET round your scalp with a saw-like motion. FITAT yemr imagination grasp, if it can, the effect W fl Strong', quick j6rk on tne tuft of hair to releaJi scalp ?rom any clinging particles that may stul ° J0 J In {Mace would have on your nervous and P°Y J* M SYSTEM*, and you will have tome idea how W W" bt »eaiot±'l