Flintshire Observer Mining Journal and General Advertiser for the Counties of Flint Denbigh

BANQUET TO MR. W. H. SMITH. Speaking at a complimentary banquet given by merchants, bankers, and other citizens of London at Merchant Taylors' Hall on Wednesday night, Mr. W. H. Smith, M.P., said he felt undeserving of the great and unusual compliment. He had ijever sought his present position as Leader of the House of Commons, but, having undertaken the responsi- bility, he had sought to lead the first Legislative Assembly in the world in paths worthy of tte past, and calculated to make England greater and happier in the future. There were great issues involved in the position of the day, but the Government bad behind it the support of the merchants, bankers, and manufacturers, acd he had no fear of the ultimate victory. There wis now a great demand upon the strength and health of Ministers, and the country would have to seriously consider the obstruction which prevailed. Mr. Ralfour responded for The House of Commons," and in the course of his remarks alluded to the obstruction in the House, and tba dis- ceditabls gcjngg to c,2! with it.

AN ARCH HYPOCRITE. The death of Dr. L. M. Shaffer in the Pennsylvannia State Penitentary recalls the most remarkable series of criminal transactions known to police records- the bond swindling insurance case. Dr. Shaffer bore an unblemished reputation for honour and probity among his fellow-men, but he led a double life. In connection with the bonds he had used his official I position in the Royal Templars of temperance, an in- surance organisation, to defraud it by the enrolment of fictitious names on the membership list, and by furnishing proofs of the death of the alleged members and obtaining the insurance money thereon. The grotesque and ghastly nature of the mock funerals and re-interments of real bodies stolen from the potter's field under fictitious names, has hardly a parallel in fiction. Dr. Shaffer was the leading spirit in the celebrated corpse trust, which defrauded the United States Mutual and a number of other life insurance companies out of thousands of dollars. The ringleaders were convicted, and sentenced to the penitentiary last year. The body of Dr. Shaffer was interred in the penitentiary cemetery, but will be removed by his two sons as soon as they have served out their terms.

BOULANGER'S POPULARITY. Never, probably, was there a political Pretender more lucky (remarks the Graphic) than General Boulanger. He is not known to have any of the qualities which go to the making of a great states- man and he has committed innumerable blunders, any one of which would have destroyed the chances of an ordinary politician. Yet there is no perceptible diminution of his popularity, and to-day he is more talked about than at any previous period of his career. For this he has in part to thank the imprudence of his opponents. If he had been left alone, the probability is that during the next six months he would have found it difficult to keep himself prominently before the public. The Great Exhibition will soon be opened, and some time ago the people generally were in a mood to devote themselves rather to business and pleasure than to politics. No sooner was the prosecution of General Boulanger pro- posed than he became the observed of all observers; even the thought of the exhibition was not attractive enough to check the renewal of interest in his career. He fled to Belgium, and once more the dominant party seemed to have an opportunity of weakening his influence by simply ignoring him. But, instead of Ignoring him, the Government caused the Presi- dent to issue a decree convening the Senate as a High Court of Justice to investigate the accusations against him, and a bill regulating the procedure of the Senate was passed by the Chamber. By all this fuss and excitement the irrepressible General has largely profited, and it seems not unlikely that he will benefit in like manner by his trial, whether he be ac- quitted or condemned. The Republicans persistently close their eyes to a fact which is plain to the rest of the world-the fact, namely, that General Boulanger is powerful merely because the existing system of government has not succeeded in winning public con- fidence. If they would set to work to make the Re- public pure and efficient, the agitation which causes them so much anxiety would give them little further trouble.

ROYAL "EXTRAS." The return showing the names of all present Lords of Parliament in receipt of public money from the national exchequer incidentally brings into relief (says the London correspondent of the Liverpool Post), the little extras which the Royal Family receive. The Prince of Wales, in addition to his pension of £ 40,000 a year and the rich revenues from the Duchy £ 40,000 a year and the rich revenues from the Duchy of Cornwall, draws JE1530 per annum as hon. colonel of the 10th Hussars. The Duke of Cambridge has X12,000 a year pension, but in addition he receives £ 6631 14s. 2d. as Commander-in-chief and Colonel of the Grenadier Guards, with J6109 10s. thrown in as Ranger of Richmond Park. The Duke of Edinburgh, in addition to his JE25,000 a-year pension, has for some time been drawing at the rate of X1825 per annum as Commander-in-Chief of the Mediterranean Squadron; but that does not represent the full emoluments of this prized post. The duke has L1642 a-year for table money, X55 allowance for stationery, and the precise sumofjE54 15s. as light allowance when afloat. When on shore a careful country cuts downs his Royal Highness's candles to an allowance at the rate of £ 27 7s. 6d. per annum.

A GIGANTIC LOTTERY. The committee of the Paris Exhibition has hit upon a method for raising funds, which is rather novel and certainly very ingenious. An arrangement had originally been entered into between the State, the town of Paris, and a guarantee syndicate to share in the loss or profit of the exhibition. The expenses had been estimated at 43 million francs, of which the State and the town of Paris had guaranteed 25 million francs, leaving to the syndicate a responsibility of 18 million francs. The committee of the Exhibition has now promoted a new scheme, and Mr. Tirard has already submitted the particulars thereof to the Legislative Chamber for approval. By this new scheme it is proposed to issue 1,200,000 shares at the price of 25 francs each, thus producing a capital of 30,000,000 francs. To each of these shares will be attached 25 tickets of admission to the Exhibition, which the shareholder may either use personally or otherwise dispose of. The shareholder might thus be supposed to have received back the full value of his in- vestment, but each share is, in addition, entitled to participate in 81 drawings, with prizes amounting altogether to four million francs. The first six draw- ings will take place during the time of the Exhibition, on the last day of each of the six months, May, June, July, August, September, and October. Each of the first five drawings will have: One prize of 100,000 francs, one prize of 10,000 francs, ten prizes of 1000 francs, and 100 prizes of 100 francs. The sixth draw- ing, on the 31st October, will have one prize of 50,000 francs, two prizes of 10,000 francs, ten prizes of 1000 francs, and 200 prizes of 100 francs. After this, there will be only one drawing per year for 7 5 years, with prizes ranging from 50,000 francs down to 100 francs. Any of the shares not included in either of these drawings will in the last year-1963-be repaid at par. These shares, although not yet issued, command already a premium of three to four francs.

WASHINGTON CENTENARY. The Centenary of Washington's Installation as first President of the United States, which falls on the 30th instant, will be celebrated with much pomp in New York. The festivities begin on April 29, when President Harrison will meet the Governors and Commissioners from the various States at Elizabeth Port on Staten Island, and go in procession to the City Hall at New York for a grand reception and lunch. In the evening there will be a ball, arranged, as far as possible, on the plan of the inauguration ball 100 years since, all the descendants of any citizens who held office under Washington being especially invited. The ladies are hunting up ancestral costumes to wear on the occasion, and they expect to receive a Washington fan-with the General's por- trait—like those presented to their grandmothers at the original ball. Sixteen of the highest ladies in the land, including Mrs. Cleveland, will dance in the opening quadrille. On the actual anniversary- April 30-every church bell in the States is to ring from nine to ten a.m.—just as in 1789-while Pre- sident Harrison attends a Memorial Service in Old St. Paul's, New York, sitting in Washington's pew, and hearing the Scriptures read from the same Bible and pulpit as his great predecessor. Then comes the grand feature of the celebration-the monster naval and military parade and review, occupying at least 50,000 troops. An industrial parade follows on the succeeding day, when numerous mercantile and trade organisations, charitable and religious societies, police and firemen take part, while special groups will illustrate the industries, arts, and sciences of the country. Washington relics are being collected on all sides for exhibition-such as the Bible whereon the President took the oath, and which belongs to St. John's Masonic Lodge of New York, and his in- auguration sword, bequeathed to his friend Samuel Lewis, and now owned by the grand-daughter, Miss Virginia Lewis.

I'M on my own hook now," groaned the butcher, as he hung suspended from a beam in his shop. HE HAD VISIBLE MEANS OF SUPPORT. YOU are well acquainted with the prisoner, are you ?" asked the counsel for the prosecution. 1, Very," replied the witness. Had he any visible means of support ?" « He had he always carried a cane." How THE DOCTORS CURED Hi-,t.-Two men were disputing by the bedside of a man during his recent illness. I tell you the liver is diseased," said one. Nonsense, nothing of the kind, it is the spleen," said the other. Very well, we shall see who is in the right at the post modem examination." Hearing which, the patient became really mad and got up and dressed himself. He began to improve from that time, and hasn't known a sick day since.

ONE FIGHTS FIFTEEN. A correspondent of the Exchange Telegraph Com- pany gives details of a desperate fight on the 1st inst., between two Englishmen (brothers) named W illiams, who had gone up the Missouri on a hunting expedition, and a party of Indians. The encounter took p'ace while the Englishmen were trapping bears. Their assailants first seized the traps and then sur- rounded the cabin occupied by the hunters. Their first volley killed one of the brothers (Tom Williams) whereupon the other, taking his brother's revolver,. faced the Indians, 15 in number, with a revolver in either hand. With every discharge an Indian fell, and when the number of the savages was reduced to five, panic seized them, and they fled, leaving the surviving brother wounded and almost disabled. Notwithstanding his condition, the hunter buried his brother's body, and managed to reach Fort Stevenson on floating ice, drifting down the Missouri.

MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS. SMOKING AMONG CHILDREN.—In more than one of the German States legislative action has been taken against tobacco smoking by children. But in no case, perhaps, has the severity been equal to that of the measure which has now become law in Connecticut. A heavy fine is imposed upon anyone convicted of sell- ing, giving, or delivering pipe, tobacco, cigars, or cigarettes to a minor of not less than 16. Every such child found smoking in the streets or in a public place is also to be fined. There is no doubt about it, that tobacco is doing much harm to the health of boys in the United States. A GIRL'S MIRACULOUS EsCAPE.-An almost miracu- lous escape from death is reported from Rochester, United States. Ann M'Carthy, aged 12 years, fell over the river bank near the Lower Falls, a distance of 200 feet. Not one of her bones were broken, and though she was severely shaken she will soon be able to get about again. MONSTER ARMOUR PLATEs.-During the past week several heavy trains passed over the St. Gothard Rail- way, laden with armour plates, which were being con- veyed from Germany on account of the Italian Govern- ment. One train consisted of five trucks, two of which ran upon twelve pairs of wheels. One of these trucks- carried a block of steel weighing 82,000 kilos., and the other a block weighing 38,000 kilos., three empty trucks being placed between them to prevent collision. These monster steel blocks came from the Gruson Works at Buckan-Madgeburg, and wete destined for the arsenal at Spezia. FROM CASTLE TO CONVENT.—The Castle of Meyer- ling, which was bequeathed by the Crown Prince Rudolph to his little daughter Elizabeth, has been pur- chased from her trustees by the Emperor. He ha& decided that the castle itself is to become a convent of Carmelite Nuns, an order which has severer rules than any other in Austria. The mortuary chamber is to be turned into a chapel, where funeral services are to be held on certain anniversaries. The smaller build- ings are to be transformed into almshouses and orphanages for the poor of the neighbourhood of Vienna. "A RELIC OF SAVAGEDOH."—The family crest it but a relic of savagedom. According to what Dr. Franz Boas now reports, the family crest is an institu- tion universal among the Kwakiuti Indians, British Columbia. In their houses, he says, the uprights are- always carved according to the crests of the gens to which the master of the establishment belongs. The emblems of both his father's and his mother's family are displayed. FORGED DUTCH BANK NOTBS.—A large quantity of spurious 25-gulden notes have lately been set in circula- tion in Holland. It was suspected that the forgeries were committed in Germany, and the Dutch police have succeeded in arresting one Heinrich Schulen- burg, in Ruhrort, on the Rhine, in whose posses- sion a quantity of newly forged bank-notes were found. An accomplice, who succeeded in escaping, is master of a Rhine boat, and was the principal means of circulating the forged notes. AN OMINOUS DAY.—Saturday is a black day in the history of English Royalty. William III. died Satur- day, March 18, 1702; Queea Anne, Saturday, Aug. 1, 1714 George I., Saturday, June 10, 1727 George II., Saturday, Oct. 25, 1769; George III., Saturday, June 26, 1830; the Duchess of Kent, Saturday, March- 16, 1861; the Prince Consort, Saturday, Dec. 14, 1861 Princess Alice, Saturday, Dec. 14, 1878 and the Duchess of Cambridge on Saturday, April 6, 1889. FRESH Fisu.-Frosh fish are assured to patrons of the better class of restaurants in Russia. In each restaurant there is a large pool in which fish of various kinds swim about. The lover of fish goes to the pool, watches the fish, and with his eye marks the one he would like to eat. A waiter is summoned, aNd he captures the doomed fish with a scoop-net, and it is sent to the kitchen to be cooked. WOLVES AND TR8 WIRE.-The Russians have found that wolves will not pass under telegraph wires. The Government has utilised this discovery in clearing many of the districts by erecting many wires throughout the regions infested with the brutes. PHOTOGRAPHING FLYING BULLETs.-Herr Mach, an Austrian chemist, has succeeded in photographing rifle bullets in motion. Their initial velocity was from 438 to 530 metres per second. LIGHTNING SPEED.—Electricity moves with the velo- city of 288,000 miles per second. The velocity of light is much less—185,000 per second. OIL ON THE WATERS.—Canadian insurance com- panies announce a reduction in premiums upon all vessels which carry a store of oil for the purpose of quieting rough waters. The reduction, it is said, more than covers the cost of oil. THE GREAT POWERs.-The war strength of six of the European Powers aggregates over 10,000,000 men. On a war footing Germany's army numbers 2,520,000 France, 2,440,000; Russia, 2.495,000; Italy, 1,010,000; Austria, 1,145,000; Turkey, 620,000. A PROSPEROUS DAIRY SCHOOL.—The Aspatria Agri- cultural College, Carlisle, has just received on account of its dairy school an additional grant from the Govern- ment of L50, making X300 in all. This was the last grant made during the financial year ending 31st March. The dairy factory and method of instruction were inspected by Mr. Peel the other week. Mr. Ritchmond, of the Charity Commissioners, who is at present organising several schemes for agricultural edu- cation, visited the college and dairy last week, and was very highly pleased with the method of instruction. FEVER IN THE RIVIERA.—Recently a correspondent at Ice pointed out how sadly sanitary precautions were neglected in the Riviera. A distressing illustration of this just comes to hand. Some months back Lord and Mary Winchilsea, accompanied by Lord Maidstone and Lady Muriel Finch-Hatton, left England for Grace, a little village some 12 miles from Cannes, in search of health. Unfortunately, Lord Winchilsea and Lady Muriel have been laid up with blood poisoning, while Lady Winchilsea and Lord Maidstone have been attacked by scarlet fever. Lady Winchilsea is still suf- fering, but the other members of the family are con- valescent. AUSTRALIAN RABBITS.—Writing from Sydney a cor- respondent states: The commission appointed to examine M. Pasteur's method of destroying rabbits has issued a Progress Report, showing that, while chicken cholera is fatal to the rabbits inoculated with the virus, or fed with infected food, the disease does not readily spread from animal to animal." PUBLIC COMPANIES.—The capitals of the new joint- stock enterprises registered at Somerset House in the last official week has probably never been equalled in one week. The companies numbered 55, and the united capitals amount to the total of £ 14,936,000, which on the Stamp Tax will produce for the Inland Revenue about £ 15,000. THE SEASON AT SPA.-The Spa season promises to be very brilliant. Horse races will be held from the 25th of June to the 2nd of July, from the 29th of July till the 7th of August, from the 15th till the 22nd of September, and again in October. The great pigeon- shooting match will take place on the 10th of August, 5? i c Battle of Flowers has been fixed for the 15th of August. SHEFFIELD MUNICIPAL BUILDINGS.—The Sheffield Town Council has decided to erect Municipal buildings at a cost not exceeding £ 80,000. This is exclusive of the site, which was purchased a few years ago for £ 49,000. HUMANITY REWARDED.—The Board of Trade have received through the Foreign Office a binocular glass, which has been awarded by the French Government to, Captain Williamson, of the schooner Esther Ann, of Belfast, in recognition of the services rendered by that vessel to the crew of the French vessel Epervier, of Bordeaux, wrecked on Shearweather Sand on the 7th of January last. BRITISH MUSEUM.—Mr. C. Urury tortnum vice- president of the Society of Antiquaries, has been elected a trustee of the British Museum. THE SPRING ASSIZES.-Assizes will be held at Man- chester and Liverpool cn the Northern Circuit at the ensuing spring assizes, the judges being Mr. Justice Denman and Mr. Justice Stephen; and at Leeds on the North-Eastern Circuit, the judges being Mr. Justice Field and Mr. Justice Hawkins. These are the only towns at which spring assizes will be held and both civil and criminal business will be taken at all three places. The commission day at Leeds will pro- bably be Saturday, May 18, while the busiress on the Northern Circuit is expected to commence at Man- chester in the early part of the same month.

A PANvSLAVJST INTRIGUE. I am infornrsd (says a Timr," Vienna correspondent ) on good authority that attempts were lately made to persuade the Sultan that the Austro-Hungarian Government, instigated by Germany, had proposed to Russia to conclude a partition treaty for the division of interests in Eastern Europe." The Sultan is said to have felt uneasy for awhile at this communication, the tendency of which is obvious, but His Majesty has now acquired the conviction that the Austro- Hungarian (iovernment never directly or indirectly made] the Russian Government any proposals of the kind mentioned. The policy of Austria-Hungary has not changed. Its object is simply to maintain the position secured for this Empire by the Treaty of Berlin, but the Austro-Hungarian Government dis- claims the ambition of seeking the extension of terri- torial or other influence. The Sultan being now fully assured of this, the -attempt to produce an estrange- ment between this country and Turkey must be re- garded as having quite failed, and the relations between Austria-Hungary and the Porte remainof the most friendly character.

PROFESSIONAL BEAUTIES. Continental magazine writers appear at present to be deeply interested in the evolution and development of the Professional Beauty, English and American. In one French review M. de Varigny is writing a series of articles on "the women of the United States," and M. Wentworth Sandys in the April number of another periodical writes on Professional Beauties. They originated, he says, in the new society of London, for which the Prince of Wales is responsible. To the Prince he traces the change. He goes on to say the question is who will have the Prince at her ball, or better-much better-who will induce the Princess to honour a drawing-room with her presence. This feat he asserts to be within the scope of anyone who is rich enough. In these times far less regard is paid to rank and lineage than used to be the case, and the pork merchant of Chicago, and the miners of California, with their wives and daughters, can, if they have been successful enough, forge their way into the highest society. And of London Society, he remarks, the most striking feature is the mad, restless, almost savage pursuit of amusement and notoriety. It is in such places and among such social conditions that the professional beauty has been revealed and developed. Sometimes it happens that the professional beauty has not a head strong enough to support her sudden elevation into fame, and falls back into the ways and manners of her earlier surroundings. The Prince of Wales is fond of a pleasantry, but would rather the subject of it were his friends than himself. A certain professional beauty, who one night at supper glided a piece of ice down the Royal back, learned from her immediate banishment that His Royal Highnesss strictly limits to others his taste far" such jests. Such accidents belong to the type of beauty which is at present the favourite, a type whose princi- pal charms are youth and high spirits. In analysing this feminine ideal it has to be noted that it was no sarcastic on-Iooker who invented the term professional beauty. History can prove-if history will descend to such trifles-that it was one of tbs leaders of the movement who applied to herself, quite deliberately, the epithet. It is said that, being asked to admire the good looks of a debutante, she replied disdain- fully, She isn't bad for an amateur beauty." After this M. Sandys begins to rage somewhat biliously against the ladies who allow their photographs to be taken and sold in the Burlington Arcade and else- where, often in toilets very docolletees.

COLIN CAMPBELL TCASE. MOTION FOR A NEW TRIAL. An application in the celebrated suit, Colin Campbell v. Colin Campbell," came before Mr. Registrar Hannen, at the Divorce Registry, on Monday morning. It appears from the statement of Messrs. Lewis and Lewis that notice of motion for a new trial had been served by Lord Colin Campbell; whereupon an order was made, on Lady Colin's ap- plication, that proceedings on such notice should be stayed until security should be given for her costs of such motion to the extent of .£150. On this order the matter had rested for some time, and the present application was by Lady Colin that the stay might be removed and the motion heard, even though Lord Colin should not give the security. Messrs. Humphrey and Son sub- mitted that the application should be adjourned. Lord Colin was in India, where he was practising at the Bar. He had gone there to eaic the money to lodge in Court as security, and the present applica- tion was only made because it had been ascertained that Lora Colin was out of the country. They wished for time to communicate with him. Mr. Registrar Hannen I think the stay must be resnoved. If the motion comes into the list for hearing soon you can apply to the Court to have it postponed; but that is a matter or the Court, not for me. Order accor- dingly.

HIDDEN HALF A CENTURY. A remarkable discovery has just been made at the Cathays-yatd of the Taff Vale Railway Company. A large elm tree, grown in Gloucestershire, was being cut up into timber when, right in the very heart, a cavity measuring 8ft. by 7in. in diameter was dis- covered almost completely filled with a comb of the honey bee, together with r. squirrel's skull. No means of access to the hollow was discoverable, neither was decay anywhere apparent, and around the cavity itself no less than fifty 11 rings," each ring denoting a year's growth, were counted, the outer bark being, too, without a flaw. The hollow was of uniform size throughout, and presented the appearance of having been bored with an auger, and, great though its dimensions were, it was practically filled with the comb, proving that the bees must have been in pos- session for several years. Empty combs of the queen bee also showed that they had swarmed. How the bees got there can only be guessed, but it is surmised that a squirrel once occupied a decayed hole in the tree, cleared away the decay, occupied the cavity as its home, and there died. Then the bees entered into possession and filled the whole with comb, when by some means the entrance, which must have been small, became stopped, the large quantity of grub and fly being taken as demonstrative that the nest was not voluntarily deserted. Then for fifty years the growth of the timber went on. The entrance being absohltely obliterated and the hole being hermetically seated the comb was preserved from decay for half a century, to be found at last in the way described. The 'find is of the greatest interest to naturalists.

HE NEVER BITES ME." An ancient story tells that a certain Anglo-Indian being remonstrated with for allowing his tame leopard to rove about unmuzzled, indignantly replied, '« Why should he be muzzled ? Jack never bites me." There appear to be not a few owners of ferocious dogs who take the same view of their obligations to 'humanity at large. So long as their Jacks never bite them, they see nothing to object to in the brutes biting around. A case was tlfe other day reported of a huge hound which, from its police record, seems to have conceived the idea of chewing up the human race. One day it would be a policeman the next a tinker; the next a little girl who was gnawed into insensibility. As for boys, the animal might have been a "voracious vestryman" among ducks and green peas, whenever he came into sight of his natural enpmies. Yet although these all-devouring propensities were duly made known to the owner, even to the extent of a magisterial warning, he could not see anything sufficiently reprehensible in his pet's conduct to justify either muzzling or chaining up. At last, how- ever, matters came to n climax: encouraged by long impunity, the do threw down the gauntlet to society, and not until after many heroic achieve- ments was its glorious career brought to a close. Yet, even this outbreak did not diminish the owner's belief in the innocuousness of his pet. Having paid Icosts amounting to over S2, he handed over another sovereign to the poor-box as a thank-offering to the bench for sparing the life of his canine friend. And we make no doubt that the savage cur will be again let loose to prey on humanity as soon as the present fermentation of popular feeling in the locality has died down.

CONFLICT WITH TIGERS. Mr. Gabbett, an Anglo-Indian District Engineer, at Abu Road, was lately told of a family of tigers in an adjoining jungle, and, accompanied by his trolly-men and an old gatekeeper, started at once for the scene of operations, and had not long to wait before three fine tigers broke cover. He dropped the foremost dead with a well-directed shot. He then fired at the next one, but though the brute was hard hit he managed to make off towards a river-bed in the vicinity. Mr. Gabbett then had a shot at the third, and succeeded in wounding him badly, but the animal beat a retreat into a cave bard by. In the mean- time the tiger which had gone towards the river bed fell in with a shepherd, whom he mauled rather badly. Mr. Gabbett opened fire. The tiger was hit and rolled over, but charged, and was hit twice again Mr. Gabbett was aiming another shot when his foot slipped and he fell, and the in- furiated beast dealt him a blow on the head, which rendered him insensible. The old gatekeeper very pluckily attacked the tiger with his sword, but only diverted the fury of the animal to himself. The brute felled him to the ground with a stroke of his paw and then returned to Mr. Gabbett. This diversion saved that gentleman's life, for the tiger only succeeded in clawing him slightly and then fell dead. A fourth tiger also appeared on the scene, but did not molest any one. Mr. Gabbett was brought into Abu Road; he is progressing favourably, and purposes going home shortly on leave. The shepherd is also in a fair way to recovery, but the poor old gatekeeper has succumbed.

EXCAVATIONS AT ATHENS. A busy work—busy for a country which has known much of what the Turkish for business is-has been going on lately (remarks the Globe) on the Acropolis of Athens. H it in all such work there must be a balance of loss and gain. To one set of archaeo- logiats everything is sacred a Turkish guard-house is as important historically as the outline of a Cadmean construction. To another devotee every- thing is "delenda" which was not contemporaneous with the great Periclean period. We trust, however, that the reports which reach us from time to time of the satisfactory progress of work upon the Acropolis are not exaggerated in their general hopefulness. If a time must be selected in the work of restoration, it is surely desirable to restore one of the most famous sites in the world to its condition as it was in the most famous period of Greek history. All hope of doing this completely must be quite abandoned, but this is the ideal which antiquarians should have in view. It is only natural that those who remember the Acropolis as it was before modern excavators had been thought of should regret the present con- dition of the famous hill. The excavator leaves his traces in lines of up-turned mound and masonry, and a rude comparison with a new railway embankment is quite natural. But those who have only thought of the Acropolis as a picturesque foreground in a mass of moonlight are not really the people to be consulted in this matter. Athens requires to do her- self justice in the matter of the Acropolis as Rome has done with regard to her Forum. The one thing which we have to pray against is the modern instinct which will illuminate the Theseion and the Propykea with red light as if it were merely an antiquated Niagara, and would be quite willing to give a panto- mime in a theatre of Dionysus.

THE PASSION PLAY. Preparations are making, it appears, for the Ofoeram- merg.su Passion play, which is performed every tenth year, and is, therefore, next due in 1890. Certain alterations, especially in the direction of emphasising the character of Judas, have been entrusted to an honorary canon as stage manager and no doubt the usual histories of ecclesiastical drama are only wait- ing for the wand of the genius of advertisement to appear. The Oberaminergauers must be regretting that their decennial performance and the Paris Ex- hibition do not tall in the same year for there is reason for thinking that the simple mountaineers, though of course still actuated by the purest faith and reverence, are not altogether without apprecia- tion of those American dollars which will this year I nooa Europe more profusely than ever. Indeed, it would be as well to have assurance that next year's performance would be positively the very last. It is not difficult to sympathise with a survival from the ages of faith which. whatever its form, was celebrated quietly, with hereditary reverence, without a view to profit, and without the all-ruining self-conscious- ness which comes with prestige. An occasional visitor would find it interesting, not impossibly edify- ing. But to mix up a representation of the Passion with all the apparatus of dollars for places, personally conducted tourists believing aad unbelieving, but mostly unbelieving; with newspaper notices, adver- tisementa, society letters, and all the conditions of a new comic opera, is to spoil it all. Tourists may like to think that they have been assisting at a Passion play; they have, in reality, only assisted at helping to destroy a survival to which their absence was essential. The next thing we shall hear of will be a tour of the company round the world, like a circus or a base-ball team, with all the archaeological novelties, and lie*? Sir Arthur Sullivan,

BRITISH BATTLE SHIPS. Mr. W. H. White, F.R.S. (Assistant Controller of the Navy and Director of Naval Construction), read in London last week before the Institution of Naval Architects, an important paper on The Designs for the New Battle Ships." The principal object of the paper was to describe the main features of the ap- proved designs for these ships, and to contrast their protection, armament, speed, and coal endurance with the corresponding features in other battle ships designed during the last twenty years. He need not reproduce the particulars of the procedure followed by the Board of Admiralty with regard to the prepara- tion of designs for the new battle ships. Before coming to a decision the First Lord convened a meeting, at- tended not merely by the members of the board, but by a number of distinguished and experienced naval officers. At this meeting were discussed seriatim the several features that should be embodied in the de- sign of a first-class battle ship-speed, disposition and nature of armament, distribution of armour, pro- tection of heavy guns, freeboard, &c. Two designs had been prepared and approved by the board. In both designs were embodied identical qualities so far as related to the disposition (in plan) of the armament the number and calibre of the heavy guns the nature, disposition, and protection of the auxiliary armament the distribution and thick- ness of the hull armour the propelling machinery, speed and coal supply, the complement and equipment; magazines and transport of ammu- nition and arrangements for hold storage. In principal dimensions and displacement the two types were identical. The essential differences were that while one design was for a turret ship with moderate freeboard at the extremities, and with guns about 17 feet above water, the other was for a barbette ship, with the guns carried about six feet higher, and with high freeboard at the bow and stern. Under modern conditions, with quick-firing guns and high explosives with rapid development, it was essential to provide every battle-ship with a numerous, power- ful, and well-placed auxiliary armament, in addition to her heavy guns. The disposition of the armament must be such that, while giving greater command to the heavy guns, their fire should not interfere with or be dangerous to the lighter guns and their crews. Provision must be made in fact for the safe and simultaneous working of all the guns under excite- ment of action. Reviewing all the disposition that had been adopted or proposed, it was seen that the disposition in the Admiral and Trafalgar was superior to all others in the fulfilment of these essential con- ditions. With regard to the number and calibre of heavy guns, it has been decided that each ship should carry four 13-inch 67-ton guns as the principal armament, with hydraulic apparatus for training, elevating, and loading the guns. In the I number and power of their heavy guns the new ships would therefore stand on the same footing as the Nile and Trafalgar, or the four vessels of the Admiral class-Rodney, Howe, Anson, and Camper- down. While the heavy gun armament was practi- cally identical with that of preceding ships, the auxiliary armament was of unprecedented weight and power. Sir Edward Reed had said in a letter to the Times that, comparing the new designs with the Trafalgar, there was a small increase in the minor armaments." But the fact was the total weight of the auxiliary armament in the new ship was about 500 tons, of considerably over three times the weight onginally assigned to the corresponding armament in the Trafalgar, and two and two-third times as great as the weight of auxiliary armament to be actually carried by that ship. After describing the armour protection of the new turret ship design and the barbette design, Mr. White said the new ships were to be 380ft. in length, as compared with 345ft. for the Trafalgar. There would be 14,150 tons dis- placement as compared with 12,000 tons for the Trafalgar as designed, and 12,500 tons for that ship as completed. The Trafalgar's powers ought to give her speeds at about 15 and 16 knots for natural 2 2 and forced draughts respectively. The greater length of the new designs rendered them suitable for speeds up to and beyond I 7 knots. The new ships, in 2 consequence of auxiliary armament, increased com- plement, &c., would carry an excess in load over the Trafalgar ot 1030 tons, which necessarily required a longer and larger ship, and therefore a heavier hull. Furthermore, in the new ships machinery of greater power than in the Trafalgar was to be provided, not for the purpose of driving the larger ships faster than the Trafalgar, but to obtain an absolutely higher speed, the difference in speed being at least half a knot, and possibly more, in favour of the new ships.

ANOTHER WOMAN IN TROUSERS. A curious case of a woman donning male attire has been brought to the notice of the Jersey police. On the arrival of a passenger steamer from St. Brieuc, the commander informed the police that a woman, attired as a man, was on board. She had, it appeared, taken passage for St. Brieuc, but the captain, having during the voyage noticed certain peculiarities about the passenger, on reaching that port a medical man was summoned, and he declared that the pseudo man was really a woman. He further certified that she was suffering from slight concussion of the brain, and the French authorities, in view of her mysterious conduct, refused to allow her to land. On the steamer entering the harbour of St. Helier the woman took a cab and proceeded to a boarding-house, where she had previously lodged for some time under the name of Louis Hermann. She had every appear- ance of manhood, and from her easy deportment it is evident that male attire was no novelty to her. She wore a fur waistcoat, a long overcoat, a hat, and a turned-down collar. She smokes a long pipe, or a cigar, with the air of one accustomed to the habit. The woman appears to have led a most romantic life. Left an orphan at the age of thirteen, she then resolved to adopt male attire. She has now reached the age of fifty-five, so that for forty-two years she has been travelling the world and has been known as a man. Her calling has been that of a courier, and in that capacity she has travelled widely. She has a knowledge of several Continental languages, and is otherwise well informed. The name by which she was generally known was Louis Hermann Tobusb, but in some cases she has dropped the last na me, and was simply called Louis Hermann. During the last year she had a balance of upwards of Y,150 to her credit in a banking firm, but it is not known whether this has been drawn upon. When arrested by the Jersey police at the boarding house she had only Is. 6d. in her possession, and she is indebted to the host to the extent of JE3 10s. Before her removal to the General Hospital pending further inquiries on the part of the police, she signed a paper authorising the boarding- house keeper to retain her property in the event of anything happening to her, and to keep whatever money might arrive in payment of her account, but the property is almost valueless. She first arrived at the boarding house last August, and during her stay conducted herself In a strange manner. She scarcely ever left the house, was continually expressing the wish that she was dead, and took large quantities of opiates, as she was unable to sleep. While on board the steamer she was very ill, and fell prostrate in a state of insensibility. It was then found that she had a lot of stones about her person, and the inference is that she contemplated suicide by jumping overboard. She is now in a bad state of health, and eats scarcely anything, A number of papers found at her lodgings have been taken possession of by the poiice.

Ant Irish reporter lately described some heavy drops of rain as varying in size from a shilling to eighteen- pence."

LORD LONSDALE'S ADVEN- TURES. IN SEARCH OF THE POLE. About two years ago, under circumstances which (observes the Standard) it would be unprofitable to recall, Lord Lonsdale, who, in his brief career, had essayed many parts, though none of them of a very heroic character, announced his intention of abandoning civilisation for a more congenial sphere than either dramatic speculation or attendance in the House of Peers. At the time, it was vaguely hinted that he had gone" in search of the North Pole," though that geographical position is about the best fixed point on the face of the globe. Whether Lord Lonsdale had ever any such intention we cannot say. His prepara- tions were, at all events, not quite those of an ex- plorer bound on so forlorn a hope. He has been reported twice as making his way north from Mani- toba, and the wide North-Western stretch which used to be known as the Hudson's Bay Territory, while the hunters who fell in with him expressed more than once the opinion that he would go so far that he would be unable to return before winter set in. Yet, even in the Barren Lands" and Tundras of the North, a man may go pretty far afield nowadays without finding himself in serious jeopardy. Indians have ceased to be irrecon- cileable, for traders go wherever a pelt is to be bought, missionaries dot the river banks at most un- expected places, and the Eskimo have learned to dis- cover that it pays better to help a white man than to treat him despitefully. They have even acquired some acquaintance with the value of a golden eagle, and when once this knowledge sinks into the mind of a savage, the wanderer whose credit is good at a trading post may pass with comparative im- punity across the broad stretch of North America which borders the Polar Sea. This Lord Lons- dale seems to have done. Whether he kept along the coast until he reached the mouth of the Mac- kenzie, and then ascended that noble river, it is not stated. But it is clear that he managed to reach the Eskimo territory, and that he then descended the Kus- kovim, most probably from the Yukin, over an un- traversed stretch of country, until one of the mission stations near the mouth of this river, the second largest in the territory, was reached. Here he was in the Eskimo region, for though the Tinneh Indians border the coast along the shore of Cook's Inlet, they are compelled to keep in the interior further north, while the Aleuts are confined to the northern portion and Western Isles of the Aliaska Peninsula. What had been his object hitherto it is hard to say. Lord Lonsdale is not a geographer or a man of science, so that it is unlikely he could have been tempted to take so long and so arduous a journey from any other motives than mere 11 as the Spaniards say, Zafarse de su memoria." Lord Lonsdale did not stay long at the Kuskovim Mission. The reason was obvious. In summer nearly all of the region south of this river —which, it may be mentioned, does not flow into Bristol Bay, but into the Kuskovim inlet—is simply morass, or tundra, swarming with mosquitoes, which render life barely endurable, and impossible to be traversed, since the Eskimo in these parts do not possess reindeer-only dogs. Accordingly, winter, in spite of the cold, is the only time when travel is prac- ticable. For then the dog sledge or the snow shoe can be used to perfection. In February, therofore, the party started, and their hardships, unhappily, were severe. A blizzard overtook them. The tem- perature fell, it is said, to 100 below the freezing point, while Lord Lonsdale, dropping into a crevasse of one of the many glaciers which seam the valleys in that district, was so severely injured that be had to be dragged on a hand sledge. The dogs even succumbed, and wood was so scarce that the sledge > had to be broken up to warm the frozen party. Then two of the guides died, and were buried in the snow, and had not Eadiak Island been reached, there is little doubt that all of the party would have perished of hunger and fatigue. Here, however, they are safe, and prefer to remain either until they are sufficiently strong for another journey, or until the head of the expedition has made up his mind to abandon these aimless adventures. Lord Lonsdale has thus seen a great deal of country not vouchsafed to the peerage generally. He has also, welmay take it, learned, in the course of his weary tramps-half-devoured by mosquitoes and sandflies, pinched by hunger, frozen by cold, and tortured by pain- some lessons not altogether without value. Superfluous energy can, however, be expended in many better ways than descending Alaskan rivers and sledging across Alaskan peninsulas. It is even possible to lay out money and risk life in a manner more likely to profit the world and bring honour to the adventurer than trying to walk to the North Pole. Greenland has still to be doubled. Its East Coast is still very little known, and, in spite of Mr. Nansen's journey over its Southern extremity, the broad stretch further North, where any really valuable information regarding the nature of the Inland Ice is to be ob- tained, has never been traversed more than a few miles from the coast. The South Pole has lands around it which might yield some curious revelations to Science. South America has still rivers only partially known; and the interior of New Guinea offers to the explorer not afraid of fever a tempting field for the display of the mettle of which men are made. Lord Lonsdale's energy has not been directed into the most desirable channel.

FOLLy-to think that you can make pork out of pig-iron, or that you can become a shoe-maker by just | drinking sherry cobblers.

EASTER EGGS. For ladies who can paint, an egg is an excellent surface for showing off their skill. The prettiest subjects to paint are small pictures of robins, bull- finches, chaffinches, etc., surrounded by foliage, and the eggs, when so decorated, are laid in little wicker baskets, and surrounded with natural flowers, or dried moss and tree-twigs are formed into nests, and the eggs placed inside the nest. To paint eggs, take three or four bantam's, hen's, or duck's eggs, and boil them in water, in which a lump of alum has been placed, for twenty minutes. Wipe the egg quite dry, and then sketch the required design upon it, or trace it from tracing paper with the help of blue carbonised- paper, and a fine knitting-needle. Paint with illuminating colours, Chinese white and green, or mix ordinary water-colours with Chinese white before applying them. Aim at effect when r ainting, not at minute detail; so put the colours on strong, and do not overpaint or work them up much. When the colouring is finished, it can be fixed by passing a little water colour size over the whole surface and then a layer of gum-water. Should the colour refuse to take on the egg on account of the greasiness of the surface, a wash of size will obviate all difficulty. The transfer pictures sold for decorating silk materials and china are useful for decorating eggs. All those transfers require fixing to the surface and the film upon which the colours were printed removed leaving the pig- ments transferred to the egg, but directions for per- forming these operations are always supplied by the Arms of whom the transfers are procured therefore it would be wasting valuable space to recapitulate the details. Upon eggs not previously coloured any of the above are usable, but a variety is obtained by first boiling the egg in cochineal, logwood, indigo, saflron, or blue, and thus colouring it, and then transferring white-surfaced transfers to the egg, so that the picture is shown up by its coloured grounding. To colour an egg one whole tint, it is only necessary to obtain a powdered dye, or to drop into water some liquid dye, and to add a lump of alum, and boil the eggs in this with enough water to cover them, and the water occasionally stirred, for 20 minutes to an hour. To colour the egg in shades of one tint, or in several graduated tints, is effected in several ways. One is to wrap skeins of coloured silks round them tightly and boil until the colouring is transferred to the surface; another is to dip a rag into various solutions of dyes, tie this rag firmly round the egg, and boil; and a third is to rub the colouring matter directly on to the egg, tie that in a small bag, and boil. Mottled eggs are amongst the most effective, these are managed as follows: Rub logwood, turmeric, cochineal, and saffron on separate small rags, and in various depths of tint. Affix these patches to the eggs by wetting them, and when all are secured, wrap darning-cotton round the egg to keep the patches in position. Boil the eggs, and then remove the wrappings. Another plan is: take pieces of printed flannels of contrasted colours, cut these pieces up into small shreds, fix them to the eggs, and secure them by binding darning-cotton over them, or sewing them up in brown paper, and then boiling them for twenty minutes. By mixing gum with logwood or indigo water, and then boiling the egg in it, a mottled surface of one shade only is obtainable. A mottled- yellow coloured egg is made by taking the outer skin of an onion, and thoroughly covering the surface with the skin. After boiling for twenty minutes a very brilliant hue is transferred from the skin to the egg. To write upon an egg so that the letters show white upon a coloured ground use before dyeing a tallow candle; but if a sketch is desired after the egg has been coloured, take a penknife and scratch away the colouring, and with the scratches form the foliage of trees, numerous figures, and other designs. Eggs that are dyed of light tones will take oil-painted flower or figure designs, and can be made very artistic and effective. They should be varnished if painted over with oil-colour, but if simply dyed it is suffi- cient to wash them over with gum-water to make them look shiny. No proportion of dye or powder can be given to use with exactness, and the longer the egg is boiling the darker the tone. It is better to add more dye if the egg looks poor than to boil too long, as then there is danger of the shell cracking.