County Observer and Monmouthshire Central Advertiser Abergavenny and Raglan Herald Usk and Pontypool Messenger and Chepstow Argus

A barrel with aca,pacity of 43,809 gallons has just been completed for a great wine firm at Schiltenheim, oh the Rhine. When it is unveiled a banquet will be given in its interior to twenty- four people. The guests will enter through the bung-hole, which is large enough to admit the passage of a moderately stout man.

THE WAR 41 RUSSIAN COMMANDER'S ACCOUNT OF THE NAVAL FIGHT. Admiral Matoussevitch, who has since died of his wounds, in his report of the fighting says that the Russian squadron of eighteen vessels left Port Arthur on the 10th. He continued:- "Our squadron manoeuvred so as to break through the line of the enemy's ships. At the same time the Japanese torpedo-boats cast float- ing mines in the path of our squadron, which impeded our manoeuvres. At 1 p.m., after a fight lasting forty minutes, our squadron suc- ceeded in passing the enemy's ships and took a course towards Shantoungou. "The enemy, who was following at full speed, caught up our ships slowly, and at five o'clock the fighting again began, and continued for some hours without either side obtaining any advantage. "In the battle the commander of our squadron was killed, and the captain of the battleship Cesarevitch was wounded, and lost consciousness. Almost at the same time the battleship's engines and steering gear were damaged, and she was obliged to stop for forty minutes. This forced the other ships to manoeuvre around her. "From nightfall, the Cesarevitch not being able to follow the squadron and losing sight of it, took a southerly course in order to attempt to reach Vladivostok under her own steam. She was attacked by torpedo boats in the night, and at dawn was in the vicinity of Shantung. "The officer commanding the squadron con- cluded that the battleship could not arrive at Vladivistok, and allowed her captain to proceed to Kiaou Tchiaou. Those killed in the fighting included Admiral "Witfjert and three officers. Those slightly wounded included myself and eight officers. A number of sailors were killed and wounded. I arrived at Kiaou Tchiaou and found there the cruiser Novik and the torpedo-boat destroyer Bezchumni." JAPANESE PRINCE WOUNDED. Commander His Imperial .Highness Prince Kwscho was (according to a Tokio message) slightly wounded on board the battleship Mikasa during the fighting on the 10th inst. In the fighting on the 10th the Japanese had twelve officers and fifty-two men killed, and twenty-two officers and 111 men wounded. BATTERED RUSSIAN SHIPS. I The Russian cruiser Askold, flying the Ad- miral's flag, with two stacks destroyed, a large hole near the water-line and another below, the upper works much battered, and the after ba.r- bette destroyed, arrived at Shanghai at three o'clock on Saturday afternoon and commenced repairs in the Cosmopolitan Docks. Fifteen men were killed on board during the engagement off Port Arthur, and fifty were wounded. The Russian destroyer Grosovoi is also at Shanghai. The Taotai has notified both vessels that they must leave the port on the expiration of twenty-four hours. The Askold, however, claims that she is un- eeaworthy, and has declared her intention to remain until her repairs are completed. A Japanese squadron is watching outside the river. From the German port of Tsingtau it is re- ported that the German cruisers Fuers Bismarck and Hausa have cleared for action and will not allow the Russian warships there to leave the port. From St. Petersburg it is reported that the cruiser Pallada and two other vessels have been Bunk. Two Russian destroyerSl are reported to have itranded twenty miles east of Wei-hai-Wei, at Which port 60 of the crews have arrived. The battleship Pobieda has lost two masts, and her heavy gun is disabled. The flagship Retvisan was hit several times, and was badly damaged. Two more Russian destroyers chased by the Japanese have reached Chifu. It is stated that the Russian cruiser Novik escaped from Tsing-tau at the expiration of the twenty-four hours' limit. KAMIMURA'S SUCCESS. RUSSIAN CRUISER SUNK AFTER FIVE HOURS' FIGHTING. The following telegram was received at the Japanese Legation in London from Tokio on Sunday afternoon Admiral Kamimura reports: Our squadron, after five hours' severe fighting with three ships of the Vladivostok squadron the morning of 14th in the north of Tsushima, sank Rurik. The other two ships apparently suffered heavily fled northward. Our damages slight. The Rurik carried a crew of 768 men, and was formidably armed with fifty guns. The two vessels which escaped are the cruisers Rossia and Gromoboi. PORT ARTHUR AGAIN UNDER ATTACK. & A telegram from Chifu states that a general land and naval attack on Port Arthur was begun on Monday morning. The Japanese are reported to have occupied the Liao-tie-shan and Sushiju Hills, which are between two and three miles north of the fortress. Admiral Alexeieff, in a telegram to the Czar of Saturday's date, reports a Japanese attack on certain of the defences of the fortress on August 9, which were carried, but a renewed attack on the whole front on the following night was repulsed at all points. A further report from Admiral Kamimura respect- ing his action with the Vladivostok cruisers on Sunday states that all three of the Russian cruisers caught fixe during the action, and appeared to suffer heavily. Eventually two of the Russian cruisers fled northward, leaving behind the Rurik, which shortly afterwards sank. The whole Japanese squadron hastened to rescue the drowning Russians, and picked up about 600 of them. According to telegrams which have been received in Berlin the flags of the Cesare- vitch and the other Russian warships which took refuge atTsing-tau were hauled down in the presence of the German Governor, and the crews will be interned by the German authorities till the end of the war. Further Japanese official statements regarding the seizure of the Russian destroyer Reshitelni at Chifu are issued. "The Times" special correspondent at Hong Kong says that Japan evidently considers that the Reshitelni, by taking refuge at Chifu, committed a breach of the agreement to confine the war to Manchuria. It is regarded as of the utmost importance that no Russian vessels should remain able to join any possible naval rein- forcements which may arrive during the con- tinuance of hostilities. The Japanese Consul at Shanghai has officially demanded that the p Russian warships at that port should leave forth- with or be disarmed. The Russian Consul alleges that the vessels will be unable to put to isea until repaired, and the Taotai is causing investigation to be made on this point. The incident illustrates the incapacity of the Chinese to enforce effectively the laws of neutrality. It is rumoured in Tokio that 87 Japanese fishermen have been massacred by Russian soldiers in Kamschatka. ANOTHER RUSSIAN SORTIE. Tplegrams from Chi-fu state that the Russian warphips at Port Arthur made a sortie early on Tuesday morning. Fearing a torpedo attack in the darkness, the Japanese Fleet was some dis- tance from the port. The Russian ships, re- turned to Port Arthur in the evening. A Tien- tsin correspondent of the" Standard" telegraphs that the final attack on Port Arthur began at dawn on Monday, and the news of its fall is iin- minently expected. The Chunchuses around Kao-pan-tze are stated to have been extremely troublesome of late. A party, led by Japanese in Chinese dress, on Sunday boarded a train and attempted to seize a Chinese passenger, who was formerly a Russian interpreter. The foreign railway officials, however, succeeded in effecting his rescue after a sharp scuffle. On the 8th the j same band secured and shot another interpreter. Admiral Togo is given to understand that I the Russian cruiser Pailada was torpedoed and j sunk on Wednesday night cf last week. Tele- graphing from Shanghai another correspondent j savs the Askold was docked on Monday. No ] visitors are allowed to go on board. The de- stroyer Grosovoi has joined the Mandjur. The flagship Czarevitch and the three destroyers at Tsing-tao have hauled down their flags and been dismantled. ■ THE SINKING OF NEUTRAL SHIPS. The British protest on the subject of the treat- ment of neutral ships by belligerents was de- livered to the Russian Government on Tuesday, According to a St. Petersburg telegram, the protest is drawn up in the sense of the recent statements in Parliament by Lord Lansdowne and the Prime Minister. Mr. Balfour, in a letter, states that his Majesty's Government have reason to believe that no more ships, to be used as cruisers, will issue from the Black Sea, and that no more neutral ships will be sunk.

I TIBET MISSION. SNOW-CLAD HILLS. The situation at Lhasa, according to the latest report, is somewhat easier and supplies are coming in more freely. There are some in- dications that the Tibetans are inclined to consider the British terms favourably. They are in possession of a draft of a treaty and have considered the articles. Their formal reply is shortly expected. It is reported that the main i objection raised by the Tibetans is to the J amount of the indemnity demanded. Mean- while, Colonel Younghusband has succeeded in renting a large house with a garden, to the vicinity of which the force is moving. The Dalai Lama is reported to be watching events from a monastery, eight marches away, but is preparing to flee further in case we advance. Our force continues to suffer the greatest dis- comfort owing to the steady rain, which is turning the camps into swamps, and, what is worse, signs of the coming winter are already apparent. The evenings are now quite cold, and last night snow fell on the surrounding hills. I

COLLISION AT SEA. TWENTY LIVES LOST. A Qucenstown correspondent states that th& Glasgow four-masted barque Loch Carron, out- waru bound for San Francisco, has arrived there, and reports having be_en in collision on Satur- day off the Fastnet with the British ship Inver- k, n, which foundered. All on board the Inverkip are believed to have been drowned with the ex- ception of two hands, who scrambled on board the Loch Carron. The Inverkip was from Aus- tralia with wheat for Queenstown. Twenty lives are believed to have been lost. The Loch Car- ron sustained serious damage, her foretopgallant mast and all head gear being carried away. There is also a largfe hole in her hull. A later message from Queenstown states that the collision between the Loch Carron and the Inverkip occurred on Saturday night, when the vessels were eighty miles south-west of the Fast- net. The Inverkip quickly settled down and there was no time to lower boats to enabla the crew to escape. One of the survivors is the car- penter and the other a seaman. Captain Clarke, of the Loch Carron, is ill on board and unable to land, but the chief officer has come on shore. Three passengers were on board the Loch Car- ron—Messrs. Watson (of London), B. E. Martin (of London), and S. Roscoe (Manchester)—alt bound for Sydney. The Inverkip was a steel barque of 1,466 tons, built by Russell and Com- pany, Pert Glasgow, in 1893.

DEATH OF COUNT HOYOS. Count Hoyos died on Tuesday morning at; Beckett-park, the Berkshire residence of his father-in-law, Mr. Richard Whitehead. The de- ceased Count, who was 60 years of age, had been in ill-health for some time. Since the retirement of Mr. Whitehead he had acted as head of the well-known torpedo firm at Fiume and elsewhere. Count Hoyos married Mr. Whitehead's youngest daughter, and his second son is in the diplomatic service. One of his daughters is the wife of Prince Bismarck. Many telegrams of sympathy have been received from Austria and other countries. 1I.a.t.

"Keating's Powder is the best thing out, To put all Bugs and Fleas to the rout; For those Fleas cannot jump, and those Bugs cannot run, Early in the morning you'll catch em like fun. Tins, 3d., 6d.t Is. eaeh. Bellows ready for use 9d.

Persons bearing the same surname, although I they may not be related in any way, are forbidden to marry in China. Mme.- Cohn Speyer, the wealthy widow -who committed suicide by throwing herself from tbe t hotei in Basle, had no connection with the Frankfort banking firm of Speyor Eliisen, as has been stated. Frankfort banking firm of Speycr Ellisen, as has been stated. The .building operations of me new War Office I an Whitehall will absorb 26,0-00 tone of Portland f etone, 25,000,000 ordinary and 1,500,000 glazed j trricks, and nine miles of chimney-flues.

I NEWS NOTES. S so- Russia has been busy between rejoicing over the man-child oomiato the world to be the heir to the throne of the Romanoffs and griev- ing about continued defeats to the Muscovite naval prestige in the Far East. The Czarina, who is the daughter of our lamented Princess Alice, the King's sister that was, is no doubt delighted that after four bonnie daughters. she has been blessed with a boy, destined, should he live, to be the Autocrat of All the Russias, and the Imperial pair are receiving many con- gratulations. They have given the Crown Prince the name of Alexis, because it was that of the only previous Czarevitch born to a. reigning Czar-viz., Peter the Great. The Alexis in question never reached the throne; he was tortured and then executed by order of his father. Whatever else should befall the latest hope of Russia, we may safely foretell that it will not die its namesake's dreadful death, for the present Czar is one of the most humane of men, and would not torture a fly. j The ill-fated Russian warship Rurik was an armoured cruiser of 11,000 tons, carrying a crew of 768 men, and was launched in 1894. The "Naval Annual" of 1896 said: "The Rurik has excited very great interest in this country, and it is to the apprehensions entertained of her power that we owe the monster cruisers Terrible and Powerful. The Rurik possessed a tremendous armament for a cruiser; her side simply bristled with guns. Four 8-in. guns and six 4.7in. quickfirers were mounted on the upper deck, protected by shields. Twelve of the sixteen 6-in. quick- firing guns were mounted in the main deck battery, which was absolutely open and free from encumbrances from side to side and fore and aft. Two 8-in. and four 6-in. guns were available for bow and stern." But Kammimura has had the gratification of notifying Tokio that his ships have sent this much-thought-of cruiser to the bottom of the Straits of Korea. All the sea luck of the war is with Japan. The actual as compared with the ideal capital of Tibet is proving disappointing. The Forbidden City, the great Unapproachable, the Mecca of Buddhism, turns out to be remarkable chiefly for its rags and dirt, and the squalid inhabitants do not appear to take very much interest in it themselves. Holy places, like great men, look best at a distance. The Temple at Pekin turned out a tawdry affair when Tommy Atkins was marched into it. A holy of holies in Farther India was described by a traveller who explored it as "a gigantic conjuring-box." The skies have not fallen, as some expected, at the profanation of Lhasa. The Mission has robbed us of a long- standing illusion; but the letting in of light to Lhasa will do no harm. The German Crown Prince, who is to start on a voyage round the world shortly, will, it is expected, enter the bonds of matrimony almost immediately after his return. The youngest daughter of the Duke of Cumberland would be the bride most favoured by the Kaiser and his Ministers, but it is uncertain whether the Duke of Cumberland would give his consent to the marriage. The Duke wishes his daughters to choose for themselves. He would not urge any marriage, however brilliant, should the bridegroom-elect not meet with the approval of the Princess. The j marriages of the two elder daughters of the Duke were love matches, especially that of Princess Alexandra with the Grand Duke of < Mecklenburg-Schwerin; but Cupid does. not ] always have his own way when he ventures to Court. Another little item concerning prognostications of espousals for the Crown j Prince is that the Kaiser's first-born is in the habit of doing very much as he pleases in most things. In some senses he is "a chip of the old block." Though the Parliamentary Session which closed on Monday was not of abnormal length, the House of Commons, nevertheless, have held 124 sittings, or nine more than in 1903, fifty-seven less than 1902 (when there was an Autumn Session), and six more than in 1901. The total number of divisions challenged from I the beginning of the Session was 341, com- pared with 263 last year, 648 in 1902, 842 in I 1901, and 298 in 1900. The highest aggregate in any Session since 1885 was that of 1902, and 11 next comes 1887 with 485 divisions. Things í have altered a good deal since Mr. Speaker Abbot could describe the Session of 1808, which I lasted 111 days, and involved eighty-seven divisions, as the most laborious ever known I within living memory. A leading light of the detective world has been telling a correspondent how girls play an important part in the operations of expert ¡ criminal gangs from abroad. I have known cases," he said, "where young officers have fallen victims to the fascinations of the female criminal. Dressed very quietly, and assuming a demure manner, she obtains acquaintance with the detective, and sometimes poses as j a young lady of means residing in England to become better acquainted with the language ¡ and customs of the country. She spends I money freely, and if her friend of the law I is not sceptical enough to inquire into her I antecedents, there is a rough time in store for him. When I was a young man I was keeping j watch on a gang of German burglars in the jj East-end of London. A quiet, well-behaved j girl took apartments in the same house, and at every possible opportunity she made love to ) me. But it was done in such a modest, unos- j tentatious manner that I did not imagine her i to be the decoy of the very gang on whom J I was keeping observation. The gang were tried, but owing to a flaw in the indictment they went free, and then my ardent wooer dis- appeared. When I saw her again she was in the dock charged with one of the most I ingenious cheque frauds I have known."

ISLAND ANNEXED BY GREAT j BRITAIN. j A telegram from New York states that H.M. cruiser Tribune has annexed Aves Island, and has hoisted the British flag there. Aves Island is a small barren islet in the east of the Caribbean Sea, 140 miles west of Dominica. A telegram from St. Vincent states that a party of men from H.M. cruiser Tribune, under the command of Lieutenant Threlfell, hauled guns through the surf to Aves Island on the 11th inst., and the British flag was hoisted. A Royal salute was fired by the guns. The Tribune has gone to Venezuela to protect British interests at Caracas. I

An example has just been set at the Cardiff Pulice-court which might well be followed in every law court. A local magistrate has presented the court with a set of ivory-covered Bibles for the swearing of witnesses, the idea being j that with covers of this kind the Bibles can be constantly cleansed and a serious objection to "kissing the Book" removed. At first celluloid covers were tried, but these, it was found, did J not answer the purpose. { A recently-admitted inmjite of one of Vie Lon- j don workhouses was observed to bear, tattoed ( upon his back, the sign of the Cross. Being questioned, the man, who had been a soldier, stated that he had been thu3 marked to prevent himself being flogged. On inquiry it was learnt ,b that, even in the present day, soldiers of the more uneducated class believe that no officers would order, and no soldier carry out, a flogging sentence on a man whose back bore the sacred eign of Christianity.

ATHLETE « RUN-DOWN." I SPLENDID TONIC EFFECT OF DR. WILLIAMS' PINK PILLS FOR PALE PEOPLE. "Ron-down," worn cut, short of breath, fagged by the h3t weather, with no appetite, tired Back and aching Head, is the stats cf thoss who need a Tonic. Dr. Williams' Pink Pills are the finest Tonic eve: discovered, t-ecat.e they Make New DIced. They !mpro?e .toe Appetito at cnco. I NEVER knew illness until I was thirty-seven,' said Mr. Temple Jones, onco famous as Champion Jumper, and that's two years ago. Ti-iett I had a very bad experience, and it nearly killed me. The Doctor said I had Pleurisy, with Inflammation of the Lungs. He was a clever man and did me good, but the complaint left me ) UTTERLY RUN DOWN. I I could not take food, and was so weak that I could hardly crawl. I had read of Dr. Williams' Pink Pills for Pale People; and tried them. The result was simply marvellous. The pills (which are tonic, not purgative) began to take effect almost at once. I had only taken a very fow doses when the desire for food returned. My appetite daily improved, my strength returned, and I had still part of my first box left when I was completely built up again and able to follow my business as usual. Now I feel as well as ever I did. No speedier nor more striking cure than mine could possibly be desired." Mr. Jones, now living at the Recreation Tavern, Hobson-street, Bolton, gave these facts to the representative of the Bolton Chronicle. His case is like that of thousands, who, without being actually ill, have not strength enough for full health. It is new blood that gives strength, and Dr. Williams' Pink Pills for Pale People that make new blood, new appetite, new vigour. Dr. Williams' Medicine Co. have permission to refer to persons in all parts who recommend Dr. Williams' Pink Pills, not only as a Tonic, but also for the cure of Paralysis, Locomotor Ataxy, Rheu- matism, Sciatica, and Kidney Disease; diseases arising from Impoverishment of the blood, Scrofula, Rickets, Chronic Erysipelas, Consump- tion of the Bowels and Lungs, Ansemia, Pale and Sallow complexion, General Weakness, Loss of Appetite, Palpitations, Pains in the Back, Nervous Headache, Neuralgia, Early Decay, Ladies' Weak- nesses, and Hysteria. These pills are genuine only with the full name, Dr. Williams' Pink fills for Pale People, and are sold by chemists, and by Dr. Williams' MedeineCo., at 2s.9d.per box, or six boxes for 13s. 9d. Sufferers are invited to write to Dr. Williams' Correspondence Dept., 56 Holborn- Tiadust, London, with description of symptoms. Particulars of cures and local testimony can always be supplied.

A PEREGRINATING PUSSY. I Though cats are not supposed to be so intel- ligent as dogs, they often display very remarkable instinct. A few months ago a surveyor of Bed- lington (Northumberland) removed to Chelms- ford, and took his cat with him. Recently puss was found sitting on the- doorstep of her former home. She was very emaciated, but when the door was opened entered and searched each room. Some of the older residents identified her, and puss returned the compliment by rubbing herself against her old friends. How she got there no one knows, but it is thought that. poor puss must have walked the whole distance to Bedlington, about 300 miles.

A JOKER'S END. A resident of St. Maur named Kait, who, not- withstanding his local netoriety as a practical joker, suffered occasionally from melancholia, has just committed suicide. He was apparently determined to maintain his reputation to the last. A passer-by perceived just inside a field a walking-stick stuck in the ground surmounted by a hat on which a piece of paper, bearing the following words, was pinned "If the person who reads this note would like a fortune he has only to follow this indication: Cross this field into the adjoining property, then count the trees, and stop at the fourteenth, at the foot of which has been buried a purse containing 5,000fr. in gold." The pedestrian thought there would be no harm in following the direction given, and carefully counted the trees. On arriving at the fourteenth he was horrified to find dangling from the branches the dead bodv of Kait.

ARMS AND THE MAN. I The Ameer of Afghanistan, says an Indian paper, contemplates an electric installation in Kabul, which will give both power and light. This is as much a matter of econoqiy as of any- thing else, for the fuel bill for his factories is enormous. Last year it was said to have been eight lakhs of Kabuli rupees, or upwards of four lakhs calculated in Indian currency. The manufacture of arms and ammunition is evidently a very extensive business, for to the above amount has to be added the cost of materials, labour, supervision, and the wear and tear of machinery. It would be interesting to know what each rifle and each round of ammunition really represents in hard cash. They coeld certainly be imported from Europe much more cheaply than they are made in Kabul, but then there are difficulties in the way which need not be specified.

IMPORTANCE OF PROPER FOOD. I The rising, and not a few of the risen genera- tion have much to be thankful for in the prac- tical attention which has been given to the rear- ing of Infants, and particularly to their nourish- ment, during the last third of a century. It is iust thirty-six years since Mellin, of Infant Food celebrity started his life-saving industry, and it is not too much to say that through its agency the rearing of infants has been simplified, their mortality lessened, and their development in physical and intellectual vigour improved to » marked extent during f-lis period. This "Food," from more than one centre of manu- facture, has- spread itself throughout the civi- lised world, and imitations of it more or less crude, and under different names, have lent their testimony to its valoa and its fame- Mel- lin's Food is the standard adjunct, unimprov- able, and without a rival, which renders tiia milk of domesticated animals suitable for nourishing human offspring- It is an interesting and instructive study 10 examine the va.st collection of baby and other portraits, and the descriptive matter which ac- companies them, now in possession of the Company in London. Babies, children, and adolescents of both sexes seem to cover everv variety of civilised humanity, and the burden of their song is Mellin's Food; the foundling de- posited on a door-step a few hours after birth; the skin and skeleton starveling of a slum; the mite of premature birth, too feeble to draw the maternal sustenance the little one who draws in vain from the enfeebled mother the inheritor of disease in a word, the child of every con- dition and every degree, to whom nature has denied her promised- aliment: all transformsd into ruddy, robust, muscular lumps of laughing humanity. Then there are the young people of another order, who, having graduated, so to speak, at the maternal breast, have by "qualify- ing" on Mellin's Food, steered safely through all the periods of childhood, and are entering their period of adolescence, menq sana in corpore ano. Of such as thesa should a nation be made. There is another class of cases which cannot be represented by portraiture. They are not those of children, but of grown and aged people J who, stricken in heahh have well ntgh suc- cumbed in the battle of life. From their doors; the Dark Angel has been warned off by Mellin's Food, and the milk of babes has proved better than a banquet. I

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LADY HILDA M'NEILL DROWNED. A sad bathing accident occurred on Monday morning at Fremington, near Barnstaple, resulting in the death of Lady Hilda Maud M'Neill and of the son of Mr. Pritchard, of Donnington Manor, Stow-on-the-Wold. It appears that Lady M'Neill and her husband, Mr. Charles Fitzroy Ponsonby M'Neill, the Master of the North Cotswold Foxhounds, had taken Fremington House for the season, and had several guests staying with them. The members of the house party were in the. habit of bathing either at In-stow or in the River Taw, at-Freming- ton. On Monday morning Lady M'Neill, with Master Glen Pritchard, twelve, and his sister, Miss May Pritchard, went to their bathing tent on the banks of the Taw. When Lady M'Neill and the boy entered the river the tide was on the ebb, and the child, venturing too far, got out of his depth and was swept away by the current. She tried to rescue him, but was also swept away, and both were drowned before assistance could be obtained. The child May Pritchard was the only witness of the accident. She immediately raised the alarm, and Mr. M'Neill rushed into the water and succeeded in bringing the boy's body to shore. Artificial respiration was tried by the members of the house party, but without success. Meanwhile, a search was being made for Lady M'Neill, and about two hours afterwards her body was discovered about a mile below the scene of the accident. Both bodies were removed to Fremington House, where an inquest was held on Tuesday afternoon. Lady M'Neill, who wa.s only thirty-three years of age. was a daughter of the second Earl of Strad- broke and sister of the present Earl. She resided at Kilsaut House, Broadway, Worcestershire. Another account states that there was a dis- I turbing tide in the river, and the wind was I boisterous, but Lady M'Neill decided to bathe. She went into the river, while her own little son Ronald and Master Pritchard's sister May watched them from the shore. At the time of the occurrence Mr. M'Neill was practising in the polo field. THE INQUEST. An inquest was held on Tuesday on the bodies of Lady Hilda Maud McNeill and Master Glyn Pritchard, who were drowned on Monday in the River Taw, at Fremington, near Barnstaplo. The only witness of the accident was Miss May Pritchard, who was commended for her bravery in having waded into the water and en- deavoured to rescue her brother and I.ady Hilda by means of a towel tied .to a stick. Lady Hilda McNeill had evidently been trying to save young Pritchard, who had entered the water to bathe before her, but both were carried I away by the strong ebb tide. Only recently Mr. Pritchard lost his wife, and the jury, returning ¡ a verdict in accordance with the evidence ex- I pressed deep sympathy with the bereaved fami- I lies, the Coroner remarking that the case was the most distressing which had come under his I notice in twenty years.

I SOAP WORKS ON FIRE. A fire of a most destructive character occurred at Aberdeen on Saturday afternoon at the extensive soap works of Messrs. Ogston and Tennant. Be- fore the lire brigade could get to work the whole building was well alight, in it were stored tong of paraffin and other combustible materials used in the manufacture of soap. Fanned by a stiff wind, the Haines spread with rapidity, and it was seen that the efforts of the brigade would have to be directed towards protecting the surrounding pro- perty. In spite, however, of the work of the tire- men, the iiames soon commenced to lick the neighbouring houses, and shortly afterwards the building on both sides of Gallowgate, a densely populated thoroughfare, were burning. Men from the barracks and Naval Brigade turned out to the assistance of the firemen, who stili were unable to cope with the flames. The soap works were in the end a complete wreck, and many of the neighbour- ing houses were also burned out. The inmates of the dwelling-houses escaped only with difficulty, after vain efforts to save their effects. A mission hall and two large public- houses were also destroyed, the total damage amounting to about £ 100,000. Floating tallow and oil, blazing furiously, were running in the streets, and for a time panic prevailed in the dis- trict.

Mr. William Temple, the eldest son of the late Archbishop—who has just won at Oxford the distinction achieved by his father nearly seventy years ago—when he was a very small boy-held a divided affection for abstruse pro- blems of metaphysics and the novels of Charles Dickew3. Archbishop Temple used to relate that he was once starting to visit a remote country parish, and as soon as he got into the carriage his little twelve-year-old son ex- claimed uNow, father, we are going for a Ion-, drive, and you will have time to explain to me the philosophy of Kant." "That was rather a large order," said the old Primate, "but I made the attempt." Apparently with considerable success.

MARRIAGE OF A BISHOP'S DAUGHTER. There was a large assembly on Tuesday after- no-on at the Cathedral of Chichester to witness the marriage of Mr. Edward C. Lee, son of Mr. Arthur Leo, of Fowley, Liphook, Hampshire, and Miss Katharine Sybil Wilberforce, second daughter of the Bishop of Chichester, Dr. Ernest Roland Wilberforce. The service was fully choral. The ceremony was conducted by the Bishop of Chichester, assisted by the Archdea- con of Westminster (uncle of the bride) and the Sub-Dean of Westminster (the Rev. Robinson Duckworth, D.D.). The bride was married in a robe of white satin, embroidered in silver and trimmed with Brussels lace, and her old Brussels lace veil, lent by her mother, covered a wreath of orange blossoms. There were five brides- maids, Miss G. Wilberforce (sister), Miss Bar- bara Wilberforce (cousin of the bride), Miss Rhoda Knox-Little, Miss Ismay, and Miss Har- riet Middleton, who were gowned in pink crepe da Chine with Valenciennes lace insertion, and wore lace hats ornamented with pink roses, the bridegroom presenting each with crystal and diamond locket, and each carried a nosegay of pink exotics in foliage. The reception, held by Mrs. Wilberforce at the Palace, Chichester, was largely attended, and early in the afternoon Mr. and Mrs. Edward C. Lee left for Cornwaty, where thev will spend their honeymoon, the going away gown being of white crepe de Chine and large biscuit straw hat trimmed with roses.

COLLOTYPE OF YOUR OWN SUBJECTS. WILSON, PQSTOMIS Aberdeen:1**1 HAR DESTROYER JAMES' DEPILATORY instantly removes ol Superfluous Hairs from the Face, Neck or Anns, with* out injury to the sic in. Of most Chemtsts or frae from ob- servation, post free. on receipt of Postal Order for rs. 3d. and 25. 9d.—-Mrs. C. P. JAMES, a68, CaledoniAu Hoad. London N.

MARTYRED SONG-BIRDS. Scores of unfortunate song-birds were to be seen in the Eniield Police-court on Tuesday -80me of thom dead as the result of the ill- treatment they had been subjected to. They were the "lures" of professional bird- catchers, and the mute evidence they supplied resulted in a number of the catchers being now fined 15s. and costs for netting and for cruelty to birds. The lures," it was explained, were pinioned to the ground near the nets. Attached to their bodies were pieces of string, which were pulled by men hidden some twenty yards away, in order to make the captured birds flutter their wings and thus attract others. It is common among those men," stated a policeman,11 to destroy the eyesight of birds with hot needles, which is supposed to make the victim# good singers." During the hearing of the cases the public in the gallery, who were mostly bird- catchers, continually interrupted the proceedings.

THE REVENUE. The receipts on account of Revenue from April 1, 1904, when there was a balance of £ -i.263.842, to August 13,1904, were 942,756,720, against 170,5.1)7 in the corresponding period of tHe preceding financial year, which began with a balance of £ 6,637,127. The net expenditure was £ 52.388,503, against £ 55,110,243 to the same date in the previous year. The °" August 13, 190*, amounted to, and at the""same date in 1W3 to £ a,74J, io.

DEATH OF ELIZABETH DUCHESS OF WELLINGTON. Elizabeth, Duchess of Wellington, widow of the second Duke of Wellington, and daughter-in-law of the Gren.t Duke, died on Saturday at Bearhin Park, Walton-on-Thames, in her eighty-fourth year. Lady Elizabeth Hay, daughter of the eighth Marquis of Tweeddale, married the second Duke of Wellington on the 18th of April, 1839. She was for some time a Lady of the Bedchamber and twice Mistress of the Robes to Queen Victoria, who conferred upon her the Order of Victoria and Albert, She had no children, the third and present Dukes being nephews of her husband.