The Cardiff Times

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WORKMEN'S TOPICS. BY MABON, M.P. OPENINGS FOR BRITISH TRADE IN FRANCE. Mr Consul Hearn, of the Bordeaux Consu. fete, gives in his report a brief review of 15 departments, and makes careful, well-considered Suggestions how British trade can be pushed with Success in those districts had our English com- Boercial men proper and sufficient means at their Disposal so to do. Speaking of his consular district alone, he affirms that fruit and vegetable growing is largely warded on in most of the chief towns, •aid that in nearly all the chief towns there are found firms engaged in preserving and tinning them. And we conclude, from his remarks that there is a great demar d throughout that district for tinned plates. And as it is a well-known fact that the tin plates manufactured in the United Kingdom are not only better, but also cheaper than those manu- factured in Prance, then a great demand should ,tie-for the British made goods. The demand for agricultural tools and instru- its, he says, is great everywhere there, but i there is no doubt that the American-made articles-are quickly superseding those of the I British manufacturer. In the Pyrean Valleys the meadows are reported to be well irrigated, and immense crops of hay are found on them everywhere. These are still largely ent by the :Bcythe, although on much of the grass machinery could be well used. In many towns and villages m the Pyrean district departments where sheep are raised in quantities, factories for treating R»d weaving woollen and cloth are numerous, and into these factories British machinery, he says, could be well introduced, and with advantage to ',831 concerned. But in these days it is impossible tdintroduce new machinery without pushing it., And because British manufacturers will not push their goods anything like vthat other people do, 'Clhers who are doing so are having the trade. The commercial competition is raging there, though the indi-a-tins are thatit is a warfare that fur British manufacturers are not engaging themselves in, nothing like what the genera) interests of English ttrade demands that they should. Commercial competi- tion is no less a war because it is bloodless and ¡ friendly. The world is one immense commercial Seat of war. Each country acts on the defen. sive, according to its views, by imposing duties ^oreor less protective and prohibitive on foreign I (oods. It is true some countries may even pay bounties to their own manufacturers to enable 'them to advance in foreign lands to attack com- iPeting manufacturers on new and old grounds. To act on the defensive only would bring no increase to trade or commercial prosperity and it is hetessary for the growth and success of com- merce to carry the war vigorously into the eUemy's country. And certainly this can be done only by systematic pushing and proving that the manufactures offered, no matter of what kind are, so to speak the stronger and better, and if those who make the strongest attacks and fight ,'rith. the greatest energy who will gain the vic- tory, For the United Kingdom to remain under sUch circumstances in the camp, as it were, testing on her laurels gained so easily in days I gone by, while the competing armies of manu- facturers from other countries are pushing for- ^ard, gaining in all directions, means nothing knt disastrous defeat, and even possibly loss of fte ground already in her possession.. CommBPcial Education. itis-astme that there is room in the woiid all commerce as that at present there is I for\ all nations, but the United Kingdom not be the great nation she has ^oiae had she been content to remain }.hut up in her little island home pushed forward in advance of all Alters and laid the solid foundations of her Empire in all quarters of the globe. Conse- iQently it becomes more necessary every day that Commercial men should be educated and trained 40"Perfection in the art of buying and selling ..afterfira of all knowing what are the best pos- Slble articles to snit the requirements of various trades in divers countries, and divers places in k^h country that they go to. Moreover, they ^ould be fitted, by learning the languages, bits, and requirements of foreigners, to become P-bits in the invading armies which are, and should be, carrying British commerce to the fore so many-countries already. The necessities Is country demand that commercial men I snomd be properly taught and should be on the atch and ready to advance wherever there may .be an opening, in order not to be outmatched, or ^Qirenderor retreat in favour of the foreign hordes of competitors under foreign flags that e for ever pushing forward with the object of OuttauJsiug them. UommereiaJ Agents' Fee. As one has often said, establishing commercial £ encies to assist manufacturers and traders in ^thering their purposes and attending foreign lba-zhets was a very good idea spoilt in the hinery thereof. The agencies were proposed be, and are, commercial, but for some far 'Sufficient reasons the agents were attached to Diplomatic Service and not to Consular 0rps as they should be. And the utility of those agencies were further hampered by an un- necessary fee. In defending the Foreign Office votes the other day Lord Cranbome told 1,8 in the Hanserof Commons that, estimated by fees received, the commercial agency scheme. failed. But having learnt a bit by past Experience his Lordship was wise enough to re- ■Qce the scale of these fees. And although this fcas astep in the right direction, still one is ra.i.d-thougb thankful for small rnexcies-tht-t j Will avail but little, while the system itself Otallds in need of a radical revision. Circumlo- ettion kills this system from the beginning, and men of business cannot afford to wait its ^oeking. Just suppose that a man in any one &f"0ur great manufacturing towns wants informa- on in respect of some machinery or manufac- r'fesin some important centre in the United ^ates^say somewhere in Wisconsin forinstance- "tes to our Ambassador at Washington, who In his turn communicates with onrrepresentative Chicago. who, as best he can, makes the neces- ry inquiries at the proper place. Then tbL- officer from the first place to Chicago, then the at Chicago reports to Washington, and Ambassador at Washington reports to the .fetish manufacturer. And oftentimes he fails get the information he wants. This admittedly s almost incredible, and still it is perfectly e. Were this agency attached to the Con- service no doubt the Consular agent In each contre would be able to ^Ptoly the necessary information the same as is .0rie by the present machinery. And it is to bs °Ped that Lord Cranborne, now that he has re- ^Ived to initiate some remedy, will see that the al matter will be sifted, and the system based practicable business lines, so that the British ^trufactarers may hove at least a semblance of service that is secured to th9 manufacturers pother nations, who are so well served by both the Consular and commercial agencies abroad- ^e'Steeiwerkers'Strike and Organisa- tion in America. l and present—of this great j .'tugle between Capital and Labour in America the present moment, as far as one can gather ^0rii Consul-Generals" reports, is as follows :— 0f some time past the three great companies "Uprising the United States Steel Corporation American Sheet Steel Company, the African Steel Hoop Company, and the Arneri- i'?111 Tinplate Company—before becoming part of a 6 Steel Corporation, paid their workmen J^°rding to a scale of their own, and the men is. most en3es required to sign an agreement g^dijlg them not to join any labour organisation. t.1'F:! then the companies have also continued to to J 03 sca'^e ami the agreement as *p-nonr or gar,; sati ons. j. 1 the other liand the Amalgajnated Associa- St °f Workers has been ondcavoi'ring to get the j. e(0* Corporation ofiicials to sign the Union 2 °f wages for the three companies in ques- ILy)(lbavirg failed in this they ordered the >3, and at the same time made dern-anda- Ih" the three companies referred to sign IJ e. acala for all mills, whether Union or non- thus preventing discrimination in favour 11\)1\,Un!f):! plants dwirg dull irnes, twd that all agreements now in force between the com- panies and the men binding the latter not to join any labour organisation be cancelled." In the latter end of last month a conference was held between Mr J. P. Morgan and officials of the United States Steel Corporation on the one hand, and the president and secretary of the Amalgamated Association of Workers on the other hand, for the purpose of arranging terms for ending the strike, and according to the re- ports the terms proposed at the conference were understood to be as follows :—" That the Amal- gamated Association should recede from its demand that the scale be signed for all the sheet steel mills; that the plants that were non- Union on July 1st when the strike com- menced, should continue to be such except those in which the Amalgamated Association had effected an organisation that the American Sheet Steel Company should pay the same wages in all mills, Union and non-Union that all mills should be open to all men with or without Union cards that the Amalgamated Association should not try to compel men to join the Union against their will, or require the American Sheet Steel Company to employ only Union men and that the American Steel Company should permit men to join any labour organisation if they desire to do so." Since then it appears that these self-stultify- ing terms were rejected by the Amalgamated Association, and a general strike ordered of all steelworkers throughout the United States, to commence on the 10th inst. Up to the present no accurate figures can be obtained showing the number of men who have gone out on strike.

MUSIC IN WALES. BY D. EIVTLYN EVANS. THE MUSIC AND MUSICAL INSTRU- MENTS OF THE CYMRY. The following is a translation of a paper read in Welsh before the Society of Cymreigyddion Cyfeiliog," Machynlleth, and which it has been I suggested may prove acceptable in English dress. In offering some observations upon this sub- ject, I must give warning at the commencement that I have nothing particularly new to state. I am not by any means the first to deal with the question in some form or other, and so far as I know no recent discoveries have to be recorded < in connection with the matter, nor anything to be revealed that was not already available to our predecessors. It is a difficult question to handle on account of the paucity of data, and the obscurity which surrounds so many epochs and events in-our national history. The Welsh historian has not yet fully declared himself, especially the musical historian but according to the old adage Deuparth gwaith yw ymbarotoi (half the work is to prepare), and possibly the more we discuss these things, though it may be in a cursory manner, the more we shall prepare the way for the master historian that is to come, as we all hope. As will be perceived, the text is of a compound nature, containing first our music, and secondly, our musica instruments but the two sections are nevertheless inseparably connected. I do not know of any civilised nation that does not possess musical instruments and it is quite patent that there can be no use for instruments unless a nation is in possession of music more or less adapted to the instruments. The term musical instrument is here applied to such as have resulted from the ingenuity of man there was a musical instrument in existence before a note of mnsic was written or engraved on wood, I stone, or metal—viz., the human voice, the most perfect of them all and it is pretty certain that this was the medium through which music first i expressed itself. What manner of music that II was we do not know, nor what it may have been like for many generations—ages—-after, although it is but reasonable for us to suppose that it largely partook of the form of musical recitation — such as the chant and the recitative in our day and it is possible that some of the strains chanted at the i altars of our country long centuries since have been transmitted down unto us, and become incorporated in some of the old melodies now sung in our midst. Of course, that is Only a fancy—a conjecture at best, and not history, although an authority such as the late Sir F. A. Gore Ouseley has expressed the opinion that it is not unreasonable to conclude that in their 1 oldest tunes (the Cambro-Britons') we may have ) the remains of what was anciently the music of ¡¡ this country long before the Roman invasion under Julius Ctesar." But I do not propose to go back to such wilds as these, nor attempt to follow such apparitions as Gwyddon Ganhebon—according to the Triads, the first composer of music not only amongst the Cymry, but throughout the world nor Hu Gadarn, nor Tydain Tad Awen, nor Blegwryd, —" the god of play," &c. It will be of no prac- tical use either to linger with Roman authors, and their references to British music in their time although it is of some historical import- ance to note that Marcellinus (circ. 380 B.C.) refers to an instrument similar to the harp which existed here that Diodorus Seculus (eirc. 45 B.C.) makes a like statement; and that Strabo (about the same period) says that the bards were singers as well as poets—i.e., that the bard and the, musician met in the one and same individual. Keither would it be of much service at present to investigate the history of the old eisteddfodau, fron those which it is asserted were held under the auspices of Maelgwyn Gwynedd and King Cadwaladr, in the 6th and 7th centnry respec- tively, down past the Cardigan eisteddfodau of Cadwgan ap Bleddyn, 1107, and Lord Rhys, 117(i, Caerwys (Gruffydd ab Cynan) about the beginning of the 12th century, to the hot I eisteddfod fawr held in the latter place, 1568. The only facts that they prove, pertinent to the preijent subject, is that music flourished and I occupied an important position amongst our ancestors that the national instrument was the harp-although the crwth came into prominence subsequently as another leading instrument and that the ancient Cymry would have nothing to c'io with the Irish bagpipes, although Gruffydd —who had spent many years as an exile in Ireland- endeavoured to tempt them by offering a Pib Aur (gold bagpipe) as a prize. The music and musicians of Wales are under an eternal debt of gratitude to those sturdy old Cymry As observed above, the same person filled tho office of poet and musician at first, but the two arts separated in the course of time and if we refer to Brut y Tywysogion if will be found that Lord Rhys offered and awarded two chairs at the Cardigan Eisteddfod—one for the bard and one for the musician. Here it will net be un- seemly if I emphasise this fact before my bardic friends, who take such an active and commend- able part in the doings of this Cymreigyddion Society viz., that in those golden days there were equal honours for musician and poet. Since then our brethren of the Awdl have captured the I chair but for my own part, that is neither here nor there—the bards are full welcome to the timber of all the forests as chair materials, so far as I am concerned. But if the Brut had I deigned to inform us what music, and what manner of music was that played or sung by the victor—and he was a dyn o'r South" (South Walian)—and his fellow competitors, that would be something worth reading and talking about. All the authorities from Giraldus Cambroasis and Dr. John David Rhys, to Blind Parry and Bardd y Brenin—the most copious and enter- taining of them all, but who was too ready to believe, or at least to chronicle evsry old woman's tale—are equally disappointing. And similarly our later writers; indeed, the majority only I follow those who have preceded, religiously adoptingd even the printers' errors. Unfortu- nately our musical historians were not critical, I and our best general historians were not musical. Evan Thomas Stephens (" Literature of the Kymry ) is inadequate here, whilst Gweirydd ap Rhys (" Llenyddiarth Gymreig '•) is.alto- get her valueless. So far as he gees, Carnhua- nawc (" Hanes Cymru ') is the most satisfac* J tory and copious, he being to some extent experienced in music. The inclination of our writers on musical matters is, as has been already stated, to believe everythmg-lllstead of first of all making as complete an investigation as possible, and then form an opinion upon some definite basis. For instance, an old manuscript was found—and which is now in the British Museum, so it is I stated—which it was u said was a copy by one Robert ap Huw, of Bodwigan, Anglesey, of another manuscript by Gwilym Penllyn, an eminent musician of the previous (16th) cen- tury; in which it is stated in a note that it consists of British music, as adopted at an Eisteddfod held under the authority of Gruffydd ab Cynan, &c. One of the pieces it contains is called "Gostag yr Halen," which was performed, so we are told, before the knights of King Arthur when the salt cellar was placed upon the table and in the Myvyrian Archaeology (Gee edition) it is gravely asserted that the piece, dates so far back as the time of Arthur, the middle of the 6th century. Apart from the fact that the musical notation of the manuscript is a. sealed mystery to us in the present day, and consequently that the reading given in modern notation in the Myvyrian is simply arbitrary; some far better proof is necessary than a mere note in an unauthenticated copy of a manu- script as to the existence of which we have no tangible evidence, before we can accept all this about Arthur and his knights, and their music, and salt-cellars. Again, very authoritative and positive argu- ments are advanced in connection with the titles of old national melodies. In the laws of Hywel Dda reference is made to Unbenaeth Prydain," sung by the family bard at the division of the spoil ("pan ranoent yr anrait"); and at once the quidnuncs assert without the least doubt that that is the air which has come down to us under that title. And similarly with Mwynen Gwy- nedd" and" Cania-d Pibau Morfudd," men- tioned by Dr. John David Rhys in his grammar, in connection with King Cadwaladr and his eis- teddfod; of course—so "they" say—the latter air is bound to be identical with the "Pibau Morfudd known to us; whilst others proclaim just as confidently that the Morfudd of the-text can be none other than the heroine of Dafydd ab Gwilym's numerous cywyddau bearing that name. The hoary legend about "Morfa Rhudalau'" being composed by Caradoc's bard when the chieftain was defeated and slam on Rhuddlan Marsh, 795, and The Monk's March," at the massacre of the monks at Bangor-is-coed, 603, and various others could be cited as cases in point. These inventive people are not unlike nor far- related to those oracular etymologists that are found about the country and figuring in the press fanciful and superficial—charlatans, as stigmatised very appropriately by Professor John Rhys. Every intelligent musician knows that the melodies referred to above are quite modern, melodies referred to above are quite modern, comparatively speaking, and do not belong, in their present form at any rate, to an earlier date than some 200 years ago. 1 have said in their present form" advisedly, because, as I have already stated, some of the strains and the fundamental material found in many an old tune may have been transmitted to us, only that they have undergone alteration and remodelling at the hands of harpers, singers, arrangers, and even the people themselves in the course of transit. Of course some of our national airs are older than others, some having retained their original form more, some less, completely. Possibly, as one instance of the former, I may mention "Unbenaeth Prydain" referred to in connection with the laws of Hywel Dda. There are, on the other hand, writers at the opposite extreme to the above, viz., the unbe- lieving Thomasites, who doubt almost everything —some related to us, some to our Saxon neigh- bours. I have no time to follow the one or the other-Chappell, Powel, Wynn, &c. I shall only refer in passing to Powel's statement: that we are indebted to the Irish musicians who came over with Gruffydd ap Cynan for all our instru- mental music. True, he says indebted "in a manner." But to mention such a preposterous assertion is sufficient, without stopping to de- monstrate its fallacy.

Andrew Fletcher cf Saltor.n, in a letter to tha Uarquis of Montrose, wrote :— I k&ow a very wise man that believed that if a mtlou were permitted to make all the ballads he need sot care who should make the lawsoi the nation."

THE LAST ACT. I If life's a play—then what of us who sit j Filling the boxes, balconies, and pit? How strange th$drama, when not one of all Can keep his seat untill the curtain fall! Some stay the first act out, and some the second; I Who sec the fourth "old stagers" may be reckoned, But ere the last is ended, every one Takes up his cloak, and looking back, is gone- Like poor suburbans hurrying for a train, Longing to see the end, alas 1 in vain. -M. A. De Wolfe Howe. j

60URAGE. Dost thou in sorrow weep to-day Beside the dead ? He speaks Who wipes all tears away,— Lift up thine head." i Ere slumber seals thy weary eyea With earthly hands, Now, for an evening sacrifice, Lift up thy hands." Vj Share with thy brethren thy good cheer, -.j; Bid them rejoice; The heaven-sent message let them hear, j: Lift up thy voice." s So shalt thou from God's holy ways No more depart; But still to Him in love and praise H IJift up thine heart." Arthur O. Townssnd.

A SATURDAY SERMON. Every position in life has its hardships, which are very easily transformed into grievances. A iittle brooding over the former, and lo, they are the latter! The first suggestion of wisdom is to avoid that brooding, as yon would contagion. Accept them simply a.s hardships, indispensable, parts of healthful discipline, unavoidable, in any occupation or calling, wherever exercised. En- dure them bravely, patiently, and, above all, silently. Next to brooding over them, talking about them will make them grievances. Talk about anything, even the weather, bnt never about your hardships. I

One ef the Judge's Economies. Among the members of the Court of Appeal when that body was first elected by the people at a spring election in 1870 was Judge Martin Grover, a quaint and curious old man, whose ec- centricities attracted attention wherever he was known, but whose robust mind, judicial fairness and intellectual capacity compelled respect. That he was an exceedingly odd old fellow may be gathered from the following anecdotes of him When I was a young man," he said, I nsed to take The Gospel Herald and Evangelical I Magazine,' as it was called. It was published in Utica., and was edited by the Rev. A. B. Grosh, assisted by the Rev Dolphus Skinner. That paper saved me hundreds of dollars. How ?" he was asked. I'll tell you," answered the Judge. Up at Angelica, Alleghany County, where I live, the Methodists, the Presbyterians and the Baptists used to get up frequent revivals of religion. They weren't satisfied to have a nice revival among themselves—they wanted to get me in. When they found they wouldn't, they insisted that I should help pay the expenses of converting the other sinners. There's where the Herald came in. I could see 'em coming towards my office 'way up the street, and then get out my Universa- list papers, and when a party of em entered I'd appear to be very much engrossed mstudymgm 'Herald.' 'Good morning, Brother Grover,* they'd say. Then I'd look up m apparent sur- prise and return their grectIll J still holdin on to my Universalist paper. You oughtersee the looks of these good deacons. They'd hem and haw and glance about my office, and finally go awaywith- out asking me to subscribe. If one was bolder than the others and demanded a subscription, I shut him up pretty quick by offerin' to lend him some back numbers of my Universalist Herald.' But you don't believe that stuff,' he'd say sadly. No not exactly,' Id. answer him, 1 only I'm doubiin' in my mind if it ain't true.' Good morn in' Brother Grover,' he'd say, and go out. And when he'd gone Fd put up my papers and lrj\c>de down to law again until the next deacon came. It saved me hundreds of dollars," chuckled the Judge. and it only cost me one dollar a year." "It.

A gentleman who visited a new police station was shown over the building by the officer in charge, On his return home he related the cir- cumstanco in the hearing of his youngest boy. A j few weeks later father and sort were travelling by rail, when, just before feachingtheiT destination, the train pulled up within sight of a large gloomy-looking building. Young Hopeful in- quired what place it was, and was informed that it was the county gaol. Is that the gaol you were in, fs.th.er ?" he asked. The parent was seized with a violent fit of coughing, and his fel- low-passengers looked rather weasy.

Illustrated Humour. Most men beat their wives-that is when it comes to a game of cards. I think," said the emphatic girl, "that the way she treats her husband is positively awful." "Well," replied her friend, "to say the least it's awfully positive." A youth of the diplomatic corps At a five-o'clock tea found Miss Morps Reigned as belle, and said he, As she gave him his tea, AhL you. not only reign but you porpsl" An Exploded Ambition. Fanny: How do you like my new hat, deax? I flatter myeslf that I look quite pretty in it, Jessie Oh, yes, you do. Fannie: You think it suits me, then ? Jessie: No; that you flatter yourself. "Excuse me, sir," said the man in the next seat, "but your cigar is burning a hole in your paper?" That's all right," responded the other, "I'm just burning out the price of those opera cloaks at Suitall's sale. You see, I take this paper home!" Better than the Easy Payment System. Mrs Trippe: Didn't you say that Mrs Strappe got her furniture on the instalment plan? Mrs Craven: Yes she had four husbands, and got a little with each. A gentleman who was on a visit to Niagara (when the ear raised and lowered by steam power was in use) went into the starting house to wit. ness the descent, being too timid to go down himself. After the car started, fully impressed with the journey he turned to the man in charge and said, "Suppose the rope should break?" Oh," said the man, who had no eye for any- thing but business, "they all paid before they went I An Error of Judgment. Coöke: It's surprising how unpractical some nien axe. Brooke: Why, how's that? Cooke Why, there's Professor Linguist, for example. He spent the best part of his life acquiring fluency in nine or ten different lan- guages, and then went and married a wife who never gives him a chance to get a word in edge- ways. A man on horseback came dashing into the little town. There had been a serious accident at a large manufactory some distance away, and the doctor was wanted at once. The physician quickly got his traps together, and was just clambering into his gig when another messenger on a bicycle came flying down the dusty street. He bore a note which the doctor, receiving, opened and read, Dear doctor, you need not come the man is dead already! e- < 'c"-=- What Price In.q.,aerza ? Bill: There's a chap as writes books sez there's nothin' like a pint o' whisky for curin' a What.do think o" it ? Harry Well, I think that cove never 'ad a proper cold! Friend Do you live happily with your hus- band ?—Muscular Female Of course I do. I'd like to see him try not to live ha.ppily with me, The following ambiguous notice is attached to the electric bells in the rooms of all hotel in a I New England city :i ]Pre"gli the knob if yoti wast the waiter fesw ¡an" ,¡

0- THE HIPPQS, RHIN08, I AND ELEPHANTS. By C. J. CORNISH, F.Z.S., &c. (Author of Life at the Zoo," Wild England of To-Day, AnimalsA^ Work and Play," &c.) The closing of the century marked a fact of especial interest to those who remember the birth of the first hippopotamus at the Zoo. The lady hippo came of age." Twenty-seven years is the date at which the lady hippo is considered to be fully grown up which suggests that the pro- bable extreme limit of-iife to which she might hope to live is somewhere between one hundred and one hundred and eight years. The first hippo brought to the Zoo lived for twenty years in the nl' gardens, and its urate, Adhela, twenty-nine years, leaving this orphan daughter, born in 1872. The smaller hippo is a male purchased from the Amsterdam Zoo. Thus both the London hippos were born in Europe, and. way be, indeed are ex- pected to be, the parents of a race of Anglo- Dutch hippopotamuses, developed specially for I life in Eropean menageries. Considering that they live naturally in the warm waters of the rivers of tropical Africa, their hardiness in this country is remarkable. The female will be for hours asleep in the water with only her nose pro- truding, and resting on the edge of the bath in the most inclement weather of the equinoctial gales. The house is warmed with hot water pipes, but she does not care to enter it. Survivals of an Older World. There is a very small hippo, not bigger than a Jersey cow, which lives in some of the rivers of West Africa, and in the Congo tributaries, where it was seen by Captain Bind, one of the Congo State officers. This has never been brought to Europe, and it is the ambition of several of the leading dealers in wild beasts to be the first to do so. In an earlier period of the earth, when the existing animals had already appeared, but the divisions of land and sea were not the same, hippos of more than one species were common in Europe. Quantities,of their bones have been discovered in Sicily. This is really not more won- derful than that the explorers of a Derbyshire cav- ern should have found in itthe complete skeleton of a rhinoceros, which once lived and ate grass on the hills round the Peak, but the mere thought of these immense and antiquated animals trampling on the English turf or swimming in the Sicilian marshes within a measurable distance of time almost destroys belief in the perseverance of any given state of things in this world. The ages pass so rapidly, change e0ijjes with such incred- ible speed, that if the'past throws any light on the future all that can be prophesied is that nothing in nature lasts. T-iii, "s the of gian beasts, very properly grouped together at the Zoo, are so impressive. They appear absolutely I unique, survivals in the most emphatic sense, of another and an older world. They are not destined to remain long in this. One, the white rhinoceros, has disappeared in our day. Another, I the African elephant, will probably be extinct before the close of this century unless the nations who have partitioned Africa find him use- ful enough to preserve as a beast of burden, as the Indian Government does those of Assam, Burmah, and Ceylon. In Europe there are now scarcely any African elephants left in the menageries. There were only 12 in 1893, and two have since died. Our Zoo has one of the finest, "Jingo," which is still growing fast, and, being a male, will probably rival Jumbo in size. There are now only about 12 inches between the top of his head and the ironclad roof above the top rail of his stable bars. When his head just fits this aperture as he leans over to ask for food he will be the exact height of the monster ele- phant. His rate of growth is still astonishing. African elephants run to height and though I bulky enough they never look as solid as the Indian species. Though less docile they are easily trained. This animal's education began when he was no higher than a child's pony. The keepers used to put a chain on his leg, and walk him round the garden to teach him the ways of the place. Then they put a rug on his back, and later rode on him themselves. Then a small saddle was made for hiru, and he was used to carry children. Since then he has grown into a highly respectable steady going Zoo elephant, and earns about f.150 a year in "rides" for the society. He has only been in the gardens 17 years, and will continue young till he is 25. Elephants Suffer from Worry. Of the magnificent collection of animals brought back by his Majesty the King, after his Indian tour, two were placed in the gardens and grew up to be the finest Indian elephants in Europe. One of these. Jung Perrad, died sud- denly in 1899. The other, a massive and gentle creature, is still alive, though it is outstripped in height by the young Atacan. jt came to the gardens in 1876, and is now about 30 years old and full grown. The y°un^ stocks of the elephant house is represented by a most promis- ing young Burmese elephant, which joined the collection in 1896. The excellent management and tranquil life there exactly suit these crea- tures. They have only moderate work, good food and plenty of it, and no worries, from which elephants, being sensitive creatures, suffer much. So all they have to do is to eat the hay of tranquillity on the carpet of silence and grow as fast as nature likes- This young one has grown faster than any other which has been in the gardens. It is rather a pity that nearly all our elephants come from Lurrnah. These far East" elephants are not naturally so tall or well built as the Indian race, though as workers and teak-porters they excel- It is quite in keep- ing with the aspects of thhese. gigantic beasts that one of the inmates of the elephant house is the oldest inhabitant of the Zoo. L- It is not an elephant, bu an immense old Indian rhino- ceros. It was given to the society in 1864 by Mr A. Grote, one of the Fehovrs, and is still well and vigorous. There is nO reason why it should not live for another 20 years, if the average life of the elephants in G°vcrnrnont service in India gives any data for calculating the possible length of life °L an animal almost as large and far more strongly built. In India there are said to be two rhinoceroses, one of the large kind here seen which survives in the Terai, the unhealthy jungle at the icot of the Himalayas, and in tho swamps of Assam, and a smaller kind, in the Sunderbunds, or delta of the Ganger. Both are now scarce. The Malay Peninsula the great islands of the Eastern Archipelago an the chief strongholds of these huge beasts in A. ia, and it is thence t^-t the greater number come to our collections. species here found are much smaller than tLe Indian rhino. They also Jack the extraordinary piateg of hide which this creature weal's like armour. Their skins fit close and they have a certain amount of hair and bristle like a pig- The stock of rhino- ceroses at the Zoo is rather low at present. Beside the two large Indian specimens there are only a pair of the far Eastern varieties. These are both the hairy-eared rhinoceros of the far East. though one was captured as far to the wept as Chittagong, where it was taken by officers engaged in capturing wild elephants. h Rhinoceros Quarrel. These animals have two horns, and, Hke the large variety, are quite harmless if not molested, though ill-tempered in captivity. In each rhinoceros den is a strong steel shield for the keeper to take refuge in If the animal should chance to attack him when cleaning out tbe house. The writer once saw one of these rhino- ceroses attack ths other acd hurt it considerably. They quarrelled over some slices of mangold root which were placed OP the floor. Tha large one gave the smaller a blow with its horn, at the same time uttering a kind of grunt. The smaller did not take the hint, but went on eating, and then struck the first, swinging its head, but without charging. The big rhinoceros then drew bttck about six feet, lowered its head, and rushed at the other sideways. Its horn struck "r\ the other a heavy blow on the knee, which, with the charge, nearly upset it both the near legs were off the ground, The blow was undoubtedly painful, for the other gave a scream, rather like a pig, and hobbled off on three legs. Far the most formidable rhino is that still common in parts of East Central Africa. This is the black two-horned rhinoceros, from whose skin the Arabs make their round shields. It is not a scarce animal, but for some reason none have found their way to Europe. The last seen at the Zoo was caught at Kassala in 1868. As Kassala has now been retaken from the Dervishes, we venture to prophesy that it will not be long before Lord Cromer, who is keenly interested in the new Zoo he has caused to be started at Alexandria, manages to procure some specimens. It is said that the white rhinoceros has been re-discovered by Major Gibbon in Central Africa. If so, we may look on the gigantic form which so astonished the early ex- plorers in South Africa, elsewhere than the Natural History Museum. There the stuffed or rather modelled form of one of the two last rhinoceroses left may be seen. It was killed in North Mashonaland with another of its race, and the skin and skeleton carefully preserved, and brought to Europe. One of these is the property of the Hon. W. Rothschild, and may be seen in his museum at Tring, in Hertfordshire. The other is uaat South Kensington. Old superstition and a clinging tradition, half instructive and prior to all history, maintains the conviction that somewhere in the remote past all beasts and most men were gigantic. There were giants in those days," says the Hebrew annalist, echoing a dim tradition of his own time-and the annalist recorded the existence and some of the names of the last of the giants. Greek, that is very early European, legend said the same. There were gigantic men, few and far between, but Titans all and there were monsters—but these were all sea monsters, not gigantic land animals. The difference of legend corresponds with the difference of time at which the giant beasts which lived formerly over the whole globe, disappeared. In Europe they vanished early. Consequently the fancy of the ancients only pictured sea monsters, that is whales, which appeared to eat unhappy maidens like Andromeda. The beasts were mainly such as they really saw. The lion of Nemea and the boar killed by Hercules are instances. But in India or amongst the natives of North America, legends of giant beasts are part of the folk-lore of the land. Giant tortoises, snakes, elephants, eagles, jaguars, and even gigantic beavers play a part in myth and legend, and it is precisely in America and India that the remains of these gigantic creatures are found, animals whose daily life we can easily realise by;comparing them with the harmless giant vegetable feeding creatures of our own day. Looking at them, living and breathing in this odd congeries of creatures at the Zoo, we see and realise that there were other worlds than ours" at no long distance, even in our planet, and that some of the ancient inhabitants still live amongst us. Next Week i THE MONKEY HOUSE, THE SNAKES, AND PYTHONS."

GARDEN AND FIELD. Wrih Hints en Poultry and Stock. By COUNTRY COUSIN. Pig Keeping. So far as we can see there does not appear to be any reason why every working man in the rural districts should not keep a pig, that is of course providing he had the necessary conveni- ence. Kept and housed in a clean and roomy sty, there is no need for the pig to be the dirty, foul-smelling animal that is so frequently met with, but quite a respectable member of rural society. The working man who intends o-oiua in for pig keeping should first of all thoroughly make up his mind what he intends to do. For example, he must fully decide whether he will keep a sow with the view of breeding from her, and when the young pigs are ready to sell them at a profit, or whether he will keep one or two pigs for converting into bacon or" pork. The majority of cottagers prefer—and very wisely, too, in our opinion-to go in for the latter system, raid by so doing secure the opportunity in due course of sampling meat of their own produc- tion. It is one thing to find room for one or two fattening pigs, or for growing stores, but it is another matter altogether to provide quarters suitable for breeding sows. The latter require a good roomy sty, good-sized pounds or yards, and the free run of an orchard or paddock. The outrun may possibly be dispensed with if .there is a good large yard, although the sow will generally pay the bast that has the grass to graze over and exercise on in summer. Where such convenient quarters are not to be had it is folly to attempt breeding, because it will pretty surely end in disappointment. Even when all the food eaten by the animals has to be bought pig keeping can be made to pay, but, in the case of the cottager, who is satisfied with one or two for making into bacon and ham, he will be generally able to secure a supply of waste food from neighbours .and his own A Useful Sort of Pig for a Cottager. garden, which will go a long way towards making ends meet, and will prevent so much food being purchased. When the pig is purchased-—the oest time for this is just after weaning-it should be fed on some food-wash, such as middlings, and, if it can be had easily and cheaply, skim milk, in addition to the waste already referred to. A i handful of peas or beans put into the trough now and again will greatly assist to improve the meat. If there is a field or paddock into which the animal can have a daily run it will prove beneficial. We append an illustration of a useful sort of pig for a cottager. Late Dwarf Beans- la the majority of gardens a plentiful supply of beans may be had up to about the second week in September, but after that time the yield gradually becomes less and less, until in Octo- ber good useful pods are very seldom to be found. It becomes, therefore, very important that plenty of delicate kidney beans should be had at the very end of the season, and as far into the winter as possible. To obtain these a special late sowing should be made to yield a supply when the early sowings are exhausted. Seed I should be sown at once as follows :—Select a sunny position, sheltered from cold winds, and where the Soil is rich, and sow the seed in rows in such a manner that the sun can reach both sides of the plants when up. If sown at the foot of a wall it will be a very easy matter to arrange a shelter of mats, sacks, old carpet, etc., in the event of frost coming. When the plants are well up. draw a little earth around their stems; this will prevent them being damaged by the autumn winds. In tb, event; of the late autumn and early winter proving I mild a good supply may be had until quite the end of November. Kidney beans are extremely sensitive to cold, and will not do well unless the temperature is over 50 degrees, while unlea3 they are very carefully protected two or three degrees of frost will be apt to kill them. For this reason those of our readers who have one or two spare frames in their possession will find J The Long-pocldec! Dwarf Algerian Batter Bean. it a very good plan to make a sowing now of- a nice lot of dwarf beans. These will come in very useful after the outdoor ones are cut down by the frost. If this pl-an be adopted, previous to sowing choose a sunny, warm day, and thoroughly soak the soil with water, at the same time well washing the inside of the frame with a syringe. After sowing the seed allow the lights to remain off day and mght until the nights become too cold for the frame to be open. During cold nights good warm coverings will be required. The long-podded dwarf Algerian Butter Bean-mustrarta. above-I"s,&,Vzry good kind for this work. This is a free-bearing kind. and the pods verv free from membrane. The nettle-leaved Canterbury kiansy bean is a hardy and productive sort, and remarkable for its ability to resist disease and unfavourable weather. For the use of the above illustration we are indebted to the courtesy of M.M. Yilmorin, Andrieux et Cie, seedsmen, of Paris, France. Profitable Fruit Trees.—I. This, and also the following notes on this sub- ject, will more closely concern those amateurs who grow for their own use rather than for I those who grow in large quantities for supplying the market. Amateurs who are thinking of planting a few fruit trees or bushes in their gardens, would do well to finally decide what they intend to have, and then place their orders as soon as possible. In the following notes we intend touching briefly upon the various kinds of each fruit which are in our opinion most suit- able for the amateur who grows simply for home consumption. Before doing so, however, there are one or two things which the beginner would do well to bear in mind. The first is to deal with a respectable firm, so that when a certain variety is ordered one is certain of getting it secondly never under any circumstances buy trees because they are cheap, in the majority of cases they are worthless and lastly, do not overcrowd. Remember that while fruit trees grow, the garden does not, and what was ample room this season will not be so a few years hence. Taking apples first, amateurs who grow for themselves will find no variety among dessert kinds equal to Cox's Orange Pippin, but it does not do well in all districts, and it cannot be looked upon as a heavy cropper, whereas King of tho Pippins is the reverse, rarely failing. The latter is a true amateur's variety, and not particular as to soils, while the fruit in addition to being of good appearance is of very good quality. Another apple that must be given a high place among dessert varieties is the well- known Rihston Pippin, but it has one great fault, and that is the trees canker badly, and in a well-kept garden there is no greater drawback than for trees to get diseased just at the season when they are wanted to be at their best. Probably one of the most useful apples ever sent out is that old favfourite, the Blenheim Orange. It is very often classed as a cooking variety, but it is good for any purpose. The great disadvantage to the amateur is that in a young state It does not fruit freely. Irish ¡ Peach is a good early kind, and one of the best I for regular cropping and flavour. Wealthy is a free bearer and very good for October use. Brownless Russet, Sturmer Pippin, Scarlet Nonpareil, and Baumann s Red Reinette are all profitable, and on good lands Hormead's Pear- main and Gascoigne ocaiiet may be included I with advantage. Among profitable cooking kinds the Codlins are invaluable, as they bear freely and sell readily. Heswick, Lord Gros- venor, and Manx are good. Cellinni is superb, and to these may be added Warner's King, Lord Derby, Bismarck, New Hawthornden, Beauty of I Kent, Wellington, Lane's Prince Albert. Bram- ley's Seedling, and Alfriston. The above will provide fruit from July to May the next year if only two or three g.re required Lane's Prince Albert, Alfriston, and Manx should be selected. Some people like apples which may be both cooked and eaten. Six of the best are Lane's Prince Albert, Blenheim, Cellinni, Lady Hen- niker, Golden Spire, and Cox's Pomona. All. these are good, both for crop and quality. Diary of Garden Work- Week ending September 7th. I Flower Garden.—The mallows are very bright and showy, both annuals and perennials. These I flowers are just the thing to scatter about among the shrubs in a new garden where something cheap and effective is wanted to fill np. Among perennial mallows, Malva moscha-ta alba is a I I very desirable plant for mssin. in the herba- ceous border or in any open positions along the margins of shrubberies. Carnation layers must be kept moist so as to encourage the forma- II tion of roots. The improvements in the border carnations effected during the last few years, soems to be acting all against the old-fashioned florists'carnations, and this is to be regretted, but their turn will surely come round again they are much too beautiful to be left neglected for long. Many of the hardiest varieties, if I planted in a mass and allowed to remain till the second year, with just a few of the longest shoots layered, and a little mulch of old cow manure and loam placed among them before the frost comes, will do far more to bring them into ¡ favour again than will ever be done by dressing j single blooms up in paper collars on the show board. Some very charming masses are also to be had by large clumps of show pinks, and one I day these things will be better appreciated for massing than they are now. All dahlias, holly- hocks, and other tall growing plants should be looked over and carefully staked. Gales of wind will soon do a considerable amount of mischief among plants that are badly supported. Fruit Gardt-n.—Fruit trees on walls should be carefully gone over, and any secondary growths which have been made removed. There are large numbers of old worthless fruit trees still remain- ing in orchards and gardens, and all these should be marked for removal as soon as possible the sooner the better if it is intended to plant young. trees on the same site. Remember, however, that young trees of the sxme species must not follow old trees on the same spot without chang- ing the soil. This is not such a difficult operation as it appears, while the cost of taking out about half a artload will not be very great. The same principle runs through all fruit cul- ture. Strawberries, raspberries, and small fruits generally will be found to do much better on fresh land. Go carefully over strawberries that were planted some weeks ago, and make the soil firm about them. Do this when the ground is dry. A mulching of short manure laid along the rows will be a great help. Late grapes under glass should have sufficient air left on at night to keep up a circulation. See that all inside borders are kept moist. Very few seem to realise the quantity of water needed by a heavily- cropped vine. Vegetable Garden.—Spinach and lettuce for spring may still be sown. Sow corn salad and chervil for flavouring, Ina plant out endi ve and lettuce for autumn and winter salads. If the early-sown spinach is required to form large leaves, thin the plants to six inches apart. In many cases spinach is left unthinned, and then the leaves are small. Earth-up celery and early leeks in order to have a constant succes- sion. Now the nights are longer and the dews heavier, the plants will grow very fast. Lift I three or four dozen root of parsley, cut off the large leaves and re-plant at the foot of a wall, where some shelter can be given in sever weather. Even if this plan is not adopted it will be a great advantage to cut off a number of the old leaves so as to encourage fresh new growth for winter. This may not be so important in gardens where midsummer sowing was made, as the young plants will some in well for winter use if they are thinned out now. The time when parsley is scarce is from about Christmas to the end of March. Cauliflowers for spring use should I be sown now, if noyalready done. Greenhouse.—Thin the foliage of tomatoes in order that the fruit may ripen before the house is filled with plants again. Cuttings of the I usual decorative plants may still be taken. The fancy and show pelargoniums that were cut I down last July will now be ready for re-potting. This is generally done by shaking out sufficient of the old size smaller, moving them back into their flowering pots later on. If the plants, however, are to be grown into specimens, the shaking out need not be done so freely, and the loam should be the very best, slightly enriched now and more freely enriched at the next shift. In order to give pelargoniums a robust, sturdy habit, they must be potted very firmly. Soft potting causes sappy, soft, strag- gling plants, and the blooms are poor and few. Sow a little more mignonette for winter flower- ing. The most useful sized pots are 5-inch, and allow half-a-dozen plants to each pot. Cold Frames.—Continue to shift cyclamens. cinerarias, and primulas. The new* seed of cyclamen may be sown now for flowering next season, There is a great advantage in sowing in autumn and keeping the plants moving sterdily in a warm greenhouse all through the winter. Window Garden.—Pretty well all the plants comprised in this department will be outdoors now, but they must be taken inside before frost comes, Anything requiring re-pott:"c shonH be attended to wilhout further delay.

Ail Gone. A quotable story is told of a missionary who was spending a, short holiday in Texas. After he had been at his hotel for some days he met with a very fierce-looking man of the cowboy type, who.he noticed,had anything but a sweet temper. Do you know," he said to himone day, "that you should love your enemies ?" u -^at s a thing I can't do. sir." What I am sure a man like you could do anything if you tried." Anything but that, parson it's impossible;" Impossible, said the missionary, surprised 1 and hurt. "How?" I I got one to love. I shot the last this I morning."

Harry Stayed. Harry Stayed. It cannot be," 3ighed the maid. I respect you highly, Mr Hunniwell, but we are incom- patible." Well, I suppose it cannot be helped," replied the young man pocketing his chagrin and look- ing about for his hat. But it defeats all my cherished hopes. I had planned a house in which I fondly imagined we might be happy. It Wis to have a, drawmg-room twice as large as the ordi- nary size with a capacious wardrobe in every room in the house." she said falfcerinply. Perhaps I I have been too hasty. Give me a day or two to think it over. It is not impossible that—that—" ¡ And Harry stayed.

A Scottish minister wa,s once asked how long it would take him to prepare a speech. That depends," said he. upon how much time I am to occupy in its delivery. If I am to speak for a quarter of an hour, I should like a week to pre- pare if I am to speak for half an hour, three days will do if I am to go on as long as I like, I arm ready now."

Illustrated Fashions. I' This is the holiday month par excellence, when even the most indefatigable worker finds time for a period more or less prolonged of recreation in the country or by the seaside. In spite of the continual influx of fashionable materials which each ensuing season brings with it, there is one variety which never loses its place in popala r estimation, namely serge, which for really good hard, rough-and-ready wear has no rival. In stormy or fine weather it always looks well, and if a costume of this material is really well cut to commence with, it will stand all the hard vtear consqnent on boating or picnic expeditions in all sorts of circumstances, and yet retain a look of smartness unknown to any other fabric. Exce 1. lent frocks for young girls can be expressed in this serviceable material, while it reigns pre-eminent as the fabric above all others for a bathing cos- tume, whether in white, red, or navy blue. or a combination of all three colours. Some very smart little dresses designed for holiday wear were of bright red serge made with a black silk sailor collar tied with a white silk tie spotted with red, the vest being of the same spotted silk. The blouse bodices pouched easily over the black silk waistbands, and the short skirts were plain > save for stitched tucks. These were made b 7 one of the best modistic establishments for three little girls whose ages ranged from eight to fourteen, and the finishing complement of their success was to be found in wide hats of burnt j A Smttrt Little Frock. straw, a scarf of the red spotted silk surrounding the crown and tied in a careless bow with fringed ends in front. To better explain the charms of these smart frocks, I have sketched one, and I can warmly recommend all mothers to send their girls forth in this period of holiday-making clad in one or other of the coloured serges made in a similar style. Indeed if one could afford it all three colours would not come anriss. as the blue is unequalled for morning wear on the seashore, the red might serve for the afternoons spent on the pier, while for more dressy occasions what could possibly be nicer than a fine white serge ? The same hat might do duty on both the first- named occasions with a variation of the scarf to suit the costume, while a finer one trimmed with with lace or chiffon scarf would go well with the white serge. The smartest of the yachting dresses are of serge, and many are the styles in which they are fashioned, but throughout all the same note of simplicity is evident. A gown for really com- fortable wear when travelling by land or by sea, must be made with a plainness and severity oi style above everything, as anj elaborate trim- mings only serve to catch dust and dirt, and therefore the whole toilette soon exhibits a general eff^r-t of shabbiness while yetconipara- A Yachting Dress. tively new, which is a. state of affairs particu- larly undesirable to those to whom expense is a great considera.tion, and the purchase of a new frock a matter for much meditation. The elegant boating or yachting dress whose charms are here depicted in a navv-blue serge with a plainly-cut skirt, the pina.fore bodice being cut away round the neck so as to-show a yoke of Russian embroi- dery, the front of the pouched bodice having for trimming little groups of nautical buttons. A simple straw hat ornamented v.'ith quills com- pleted the toilette. One of the very newest styles of hats is that introduced by the yachting costume tailor most famous for his creations. This consists of a hat very similar to that worn by Jack Tars, or such as children wear. These are trimmed solely by the ever useful quill, and a worn well set back on the head. It is needless to say that such a style of headgear is only suited to a young girl in her teens or very early twenties, as a veil is out of the question, and this is a sine qaa non A Novelty in Hats. when the first fresh bloom of youth is gone. It is a pity so many women are "blind to this fact and their complexions to all sorts of weather, oblivious of the fact that the slight signs of lost youth in the form of lines aDd crow's feet might be altogether concealed by a becoming veil. Very many go out on the river or yachting in a smart hat but minus a veil, though had they only realised it they would have looked twice as nice and half their age behind the friendly shelter of a becoming veiL One should also be very particular in the choice of veils, and always have one or two varieties to wear, as what is becoming one day is not so on another. I have illustrated here the yachting hat described above, whose fascinations render it well worthy of note. In this case the brim is bound with navy blue ribbon, and the quill is bright red spotted with silver. A touch of red so introduced makes a pleasing note of bright colour with a navy blue costume, and the same shade of red might be echoed in the silver- knotted tie which usually appears as a finishing touch on such dresses. COQUETTE.

Welsh Tit-Bits. Ticyn a Dipynau Cymreig. By CADRAWD. Revival of the Celtic Hwyl, We have been deeply interested lately in rea4 ing the account of the Pan-Celtic meetings whicl were held in the capital of the Green Isle. reioice at the apparent success which seems to have crowned the Dublin Congress. Thejiationat spirit which has of late years been excited amonf the tribes appears to us to be pointing to a netf epoch in the near future in the annals of Celtic literature and song, if not to something mere. The passion for literature and music seems sff prevalent among the Kelts of the present day as it appears to have been found in these islands by the Romans when they first invaded out shores At that period the language o the Cymry, the Ysgoedogion, and the Gwyddelod was more intelligible to each other than at pre< sent, and though we are not able to converse witi and understand each other at the present the difference is not so very material as some may think between the dialects of the Celtic tongue, and by frequent communication w& should soon regain the grouud we have long lost. What a pleasing reflection to contemplate, that at Dublin (Du-lyn) were gathered in these days representatives of the first people wha penetrated into this corner of the globe, and speaking the same language, and in history known by the general appellation of Celts, at name given them by the Greek historians of old, and a name by which the migtfty Roman empire recognised them in after years. The meaning of the word Celt is a covert, from the Welsh eel, a shelter, and is applied to woody places. I may here remark that all the old synonyms of celti, colyddon, gwyddeli, gwyddelod, and ysgodi, ysgo. dion, and ysgoedion are still preserved in thg Welsh spoken and written language in the pre- sent day. The congress held at Dublin in the summer of the first year in the twentieth century eems to me to have more of the image of the original form of the primitive Bardic Congress, which is recorded to have been held before the Christian era. The main object was the promotion of the moral and political welfare of the communi t y. The cultivation of the arts of poetry and music was only minor or subordinate to the original ob- ject of the most ancient British Drnidic Con. gress. The first and only notice we have of this gathering is in the "Triads," ascribed to Dyfn. wal Moelmud, who is supposed to have flourished about three centuries before the birth of Christ. This primitive congress, in the old Triads, is numbered among the national privileged meet- ings or assemblies of the Cymry, and held afi a stated and fixed time, in the most central oi exposed part of the country, carefully announced; through the length and breadth of the land, and in keeping with the wen-known old maxim ¡. In the face of the sun and in the eye of light." When we meet with the next mention of the Gorsedd, in the sixth and seventh centuries of the Christian era, it seems to have been consid- erably changed, in character and its mission; and we find that the old national institution at this period is devoted more particularly to the encouragement of the musical and poetical talents of the people, together with the preserva- tion of the ancient ordinances and traditions of the Welsh bards. This last-mentioned Bardic Congress was held under the patronage of King Cadwaladr, the last of the British Royal blood who reigned over all Britain. The next mention of a Bardic Congress is in the time of Blethyn ab Cynfyn and Gruffydd ab Cynan, when we and that the original designa- tion of Gorsedd is exchanged for that of an Eis- teddfod, cr Session. During the reign of the latter we find that considerable alterations and amendments are made in the bardic code of laws, and the national mtisie and poetry were subjected to a variety of important regulations, some of which are in force to this day. There is a clanse in this ok1 code of laws, which may be seen in the Greal," 1805, where it is declared that no poot be rewarded for singing the praises of a clergyman who spent his time playing at games. or the praises of women fond of fight ing. These subjects were deemed unworthy of the Welsl muse. The reign of Gruffydd ab Cynan is the most im- portant epoch perhaps in the history of Welsh { music. Having been born in Ireland* and receiv. ing his education there, owing to his father being obliged to seek refuge in that country on account of the turbulent state of his own dominion and his son Gruffydd evidently owed to the land of his birth the great taste for music which is so well known he possessed when he returned to his owii country to take possession of his heritage after » prolonged absence. Soon after his return it seems that he found that the national minstrelsy of Wales had greatly decayed, and the Bards lost much of their old repute. Being wishful of im. proving matters he commanded that several con- gresses be held, or more probably what havesinca been known in Wales as Eisteddfodau, to whieb, not only the Welsh bards and minstrels were summoned, but bards of other countries, and especially those of Ireland and Scotland. At these congresses held in the eleventh century the celebrated Ystatud." known as that of Gruffydd ab Cynan, was agreed upon. Hwfa Mon, the Arehdruid. and his retinue of WeIh bards, should not fail to thank the Irish even at this late hour for coming over to Wales, and so materially assisting their brethren, the Welsh, eight hundred years ago, to revive in them the poetic aspiration which had been blunted and neglected, through being forced to take up arms against the Norman intruders, who were bent upon destroying their independence and taking possession of their land. It is a very pleasing duty with the Welsh bards, I am sure, ta give the Irish every helping hand to regain the ground which they seem to have lost in the retention of the national language of their country, and to revive the national customs, traditions, the literature, and the poetry of old Ireland. It appears from the statute of Gruffydd ab Cynan that the custom of singing with the barp Cynan that the custom of singing with the barp was even then a peculiarity with the Welsh, and in considerable repute. Not only did the Welsh bards and minstrelsexper-ience the patronage and protection of Gruffydd ab Cynan, the King of North Wales from 1075 till his death in 1137, but Blethyn ab Cynfyn, Princp of Powis, and after him his son Cadogan patronised them in tha most liberal manner and in South Wales Rhvrt ab Gruffydd, grandson of Rhys sb Tewdwr. encouraged them in every possible way so that the twelfth century may be regarded in everl point of view as the Augustan era of WTales, av far as music and poetry are concerned. To the Welsh magzine called Seren Gomer," about the year 1824 the Rev.T. Price. Carnhn&n- awe, contributed a series of articles on the Celtic language, in which he manifested extraordinary knowledge of his subject, which attracted con- siderable notice at the time. Soon after the ap. pearance of these articles the pages of the same periodical became the arena of a contest between Cariiimana-we and the eminent Dr, W. C. Pughe, the anthm-of the Welsh and English Dictionary." The questions in dispute were Are there, or are there not. Irish word; in the Poems of Myrddin ?" and Is the roaa whick- [ crosses the dyke at Stonhenge a Roman road otr not ?*' Carnhuanawe, trusting to the .lathority 1 of the author of "Celtic Researches," main- tained that there were Irish words in those poems. He decided on a. personal survey of the road to pronounce it to be Roman. In after years Mr Price became convinced that hewas wrong in both instances,and in his Hanasy Cymru," p. 327, he makes the following confes- sion, Justice calls upon me to make the fol- lowing confession with reference to the contro- versy in Seren Gomer '—I did in my ignorsvirte, my hurry, and my self-sufifciency, say with greai boldness that a Roman road crowed the dvke at Stonehenge, etc. Dr. Pughe denied thst asser- tion, and now. after I have been over the plac* again, and investigating it mirmtely. 1am con- vinced that it is only a common of tb, country." Carnhuanawe took the prize of 75 guincr at Abargavenny Eisteddfod, 1845, for the bc-t estiv on the ancient literature in the Welsh, Irisfe, and Gaelic languages. He was a Coltic scholar. :tL,

That was a very practical youth wbo. on being asked, during a lesson on miracles, what he would think if he SRVT ths sun rising in middle of the night, immediately ropli., Ple, 3GT. I shoaH ihink it were jhc« lo-gtt up."