12 OCTOBER 1850, Page 7

atimatlautuna.

The amiable consort of ring Leopold:of Belgium, is dying of consump- thin,• in the Palace at Ostend Ifer mother,, the Countess de Neuilly, hardly recovered aim the griefs of her late bereavement, hastened over to Ostend.at the end orlast week, and is_ now joined there by most of the near relatives other beloved daughter. Birnetins haiieheen.issued daily, the tone of which is•a. uniform apprehension.of the worst The latest ac- count. of her state isgiven_to the Timm by a privato letter dated. Wednes- 417— 'Every hope of rnoeing_the Queen to Brussels iaforthe present abandoned.. Her Majesty, whose complaint is a' general phthisis,. grows- weaker and weaker, although at times she rallies and appears to suffer less pain. She is now. surrounded. by all the members of her family, the. Duke de Nemours having arrived. last night.. It isunderstoed that her Majesty made her will in the course of yesterday, and received. the last sacraments of her church. Her innate courage, heightened asitnow is by confidence of:aid. from above,. hasnever for an instant deserted her; nor amid acute and.continued. pain. Nanny change_ come over that sweetness of diapositionand.consideration fon others which have. endeared. her so much to the country,. and made her name a:household word of affection.andrespect among alleleases of society. The:King is muoh, alarmed, and. bears upon his, Laos markaaaf the deepest. anxiety."

The officers of Chatham Dockyard have reported that the piece of rope containing the strand:of yellow worsted, which. Captain Forsyth found. on Cape Riley, was- undoubtedly made at Chatham ; but they cannot fix. the year of its manufacture. Chatham stores wore sent to Woolwich ex- presaly for the fitting-out-of the Erebus and' Terror, an&there is no doubt that this piece of rope was left on Cape Riley by sonic of Sir 'Tulin F1anklin's men, The Daily News has the renewing remarks on the sub- ject— " A correspondent,- whose name, were we at liberty to mention it, would insure attention.te rare. opinion he expressed, draws more hopeful inferences. from the traces fbund at Point Riley than we did: in our remarks of last Sa- turday. He states that-there can now be no doubt that Sir John Franklin has passed up Wellington Inlet; that his ships are probably frozen in there ; and that the encampment at Point Riley was probably formed by a detach- ment sent to be on the outlook for vessels„ who returned to their ships when their provisions were exhausted, or when. the winter. set in. There is much plausibility in this view, and we welcome the hope that it suggests. If Sir John-Franklin's expedition have kept together, and stuck by their ships, the parties in search ofthem may still come in time. The whole tenour of recent Arctic discovery—both or the Northern extremity- of America. and off the coasts of Siberia—suggeste a strong conviction that a chain of islands, sepa- rated by numerous, narrow channels, extends to the North of America and AB* from Greenland to Neva Zembla. If thisopinionis correct, Sir John Franklin could not have proceeded far up Wellington Inlet' before he was- arrested by the ice. From Captain Forsyth's report it is obvious that all parties engaged'in the search were convinced that they were on the traces ofhir John Franklin ; and that the captains and crews, of all the vessels were pushing on in emulation, each anxious to be the first to reach Him. In this natural but rash eagerness consists the only danger. Before the searching-expeditions started, we urged the policy of the officers engaged keeping open a. retreat by stationing vessels at moderate distances, so that if the more advanced met with casualties or were caught in the ice, the crews might be able to fullback upon those in open, water. Hurrying on together, as from Captain Forsyth's report they were doing.; they may be all caught together. At the time Captain F,r, tb left Point Riley, the season dimme, which Wellington Inlet could be invig;:ted was' rapidly drawing:to a close. A short time, however, will prob ,blv ut an end to our doubts- and anxieties. We will not yet Landon the her that our gallanteountrymen may still be restored to us after their long imprisonment m the chilly re- gions of ice."

By a private letter received from Captain Collimate CB., dated' the 2Oth of Tune, at Oahu, Sandwich Islands, it appears that Captain Kel- lett, CB., (who had sailed in the Herald for Belnings Straits,) had'ap- pointed Cape Lisbunre as the rendezvous. Captain. Collinson was to sail in a.few days ; and though he had get 3800 miles before him, hoped to rook the edge of the-ice about the middle_ of Augpst. Inspiritedhy the knowledge of the efficient expedition under Captain Austin in Lancaster Sound, it was his intention to endeavour to meet him at Melville Island, The letter alluded to has come via California and Panama.—Standard.

Mr. Robert Potter has forwarded to the 21Msa for publication a letter received from Mr. Smith O'Brien, querulously complaining of his treat- ment aa a political convict- " During a period of about two months," he says, "I suffered as much as the inhumanity of the Governor of this colony, Sir William Denison, aided by the Comptroller-General, Dr. Hampton, could inflict." But the relaxa- tion of the restrictions restored his health. "I shall abstain from distressing you with a detailed narrative of my experience- of the magnanimity of Bri- tish functionaries as illustrated by my treatment in this island. I shall rather imprreses you with a persuasion—happily well-founded—that I bear with wonderful cheerfulness all the privations to which I am subject." He might terminate the pains of separation from his family by allowing Mrs. O'Brien. to- come to N'an Diemen's-Land, but it would be the greatest injus- tice to his children to bring them to a country the present condition of which he will not trust himself to describe. "Considered as a prison," he con-

eludes, " Maiia Island is as little objectionable as any other spot that could be chosen. The scenery is very picturesque, and the local officers have been as kind:as they could venture to be under the inhuman regulations laid down for their guidance by the Comptroller-General. I am. therefore rather sorry to learn that this station will soon be broken up, Upon the abandonment of this station, I shall probably be removed to Port Arthur; a change which will, I fear, be productive of neither benefit nor satisfaction to me."

Mr. E. Harrison writes born, Gloucester Gardens, describing the poi.- tion of the political convicts in. Van Diem:la's Land, as he witnessed it. but a short time since-

" Martin, who is in Bothwell, visits all those he chooses, and with a young Scotchman constantly goes to the Great Lake, where he meets Meagher ;

and they spend the day in singing, &e. M'Manus, whom I saw while go- ing to New Norfolk by coach, pulled across the river Der went, to ascertain whether we had letters, &e. for him : ho lodges in a very comfortable house,

and, for a man suffering from 'ill-treatment, possesses a degree of rotundity rather perplexing. O'Donoghue or O'Deherty, I forget which, who is located' in Hobart Town, not having sufficient means, is allowed to write for the newspapers, omitting political remarks ; the other is restricted to the Oat- lands district, where he can do anything he pleases except leave it : he came into the hotel to read the papers while I was there ; he looked very well. Meagher, though restricted to Campbell Town, does not, as I have shown lead a very miserable existence. Smith O'Brien, having insanely expressed his determination to make his escape the first opportunity, has been most strictly watched: he states in a letter to Meagher that his health is impaired —by his own obstinacy."

Arrangements; which it is very generally stated have received the sanction of her Majesty's Government, have been made for introducing early next session a bill into Parliament providing for the erection of Southwark into a distinct episcopal see. To accomplish this object, it is intended to subdivide the present immense dioceses of London and Win- chester, in the latter of which Southwark is situate ; in other words, to divide amongst three Bishops the labour which is now performed by two. The new diocese of Southwark will comprise the whole of the county of Surrey, and all that portion of.the Archdemonry of Middlesex lying East- ward.of the city of London, as well as those portions of Kent which are now comprised within the boundaries of the Metro ' see. Under the new arrangement, the diocese of Winchester wilt consist of the entire county of Hampshire, tho Channel Islands, and the Isle of Wight. The diocese Of Lonchan will consist of the parishes within the city,. and of that portion of the Archdeaconry, of Middlesex Westward of the city. The new Bishop of Southwark will have under his jurisdiction. a large number of benefiees and arrangement& will bo made for conveying to him that, portion of:the patronage now held in the proposed new see by the Bishops of London and. Winchester on the avoidance of one or both. of. those dioceses. A provision will be made for a seat in the House of 'Lords for the new Prelate, in rotation with other Bishops, on towns similar tti thosei introduced into the bill for the erection of the new see of Manchester.— Globe, Oct. 11.

In order to- avoid the necessity of two collections of the hop-duty, namely; on the 15th instant and the 15th of November, the Chancellor of the Exchequer has directed that the oolleotion of the moiety of. the duty of 1848 and of the moiety of the duty of 1849 shall take place on the 15thi November next ; and instructions have been issued accordingly to the proper officers of inland Revenue. Tuesday's Gazette contained a notification that the navigation or the Eyderluis been prohibited by the Danish Government Neutral =reheat- vessels- coming from. the Baltic would, however, be allowed to leave that sea to the 10th of October inclusive. The port of Tonningen not being closed, masters of vessels coming from the North Sea may discharge their cargoes there, should they not prefer pursuing their voyage by the Sound, I have authority for stating that the East India Company has, with the consent of the British Government,.given instructions to all the English post-offices in the East to put up all letters for Germany, Belgium, and Holland, marked " via Trieste,' in separate bags, which on their arrival` at Alexandria will be sent to the post-office of the Austrian Consul-Gene- ral there, in order to be forwarded by Lloyd's steamers to Trieste.— Fianna Correspondent of the Times.

The following description in the Times, of an auroral arch, seen by Mr. Temple Chevalier, on the 1st of October at Esh, six mike west of 'Dur- ham, is both interesting and valuable, from its minuteness and scientific. precision. "The aurora borealis had been visible soon after sunset; and at 8h. 45w. mean Greenwich time the sky near tho horizon from N.W. to N.B. was so bright as to cast a visible shadow. Beams of white light streamed upwards beyond the zenith, but not so as to form a corona. This appeanume faded. before 9h. "At about 9h. 10m. an auroral arch was suddenly formed. It had a uni- form breadth of about 3',. and extended distinctly and completely from the eastern to the western horizon. Its light was of a cheer pure white, tolerably uniform, but slightly varying ; pulses aRpearing_to traverse front west to east. like the waving of a. banner by the wind. The course of the arch could be accurately traced among the stars' which shone "At 9h. 12rn. the arch covered in the oast Aldebaran and the Pleuidee, passed about 6' northward of Alphevat, (a Andromodai,) across the line of stars in,Sagitta, and descended in the west through the middle of Ophiu- chus. Its highest point eastward of south had in the middle of its breadth an. elevation. of about 66'. At, that time, consequently, the arch formed

nearly a great circle, inclined to the horizon at about 66', and cutting it at two points, about 211' north of east and south of west. This is, as usual, nearly at right angles to the magnetic meridian. "At 9h. 22m. the lower eastern end had disappeared, and the arch was sen- sibly drifting towards the south. Its southern edge just reached y

and passed to the northward of the lozenge i

em formed by the stars in Delphi- nus. At 9h. 23m. the direction remained

the same, and the light extended just as far as a Andromedre. At 9h. 24m. it scarcely reached 9 Pegasi, passed through y Aquila; was still north of Delphinus, but so as to include the lozenge within the limits of the arch. At 9h. 25m. it extended to Aquila, but was rapidly fading ; and at 9h. 27m. 30s. it was only just visible as a faint beam of light in the south-west. The lower western extremity re- mained sensibly in the same position throughout. "The wind was blowing strong from the W.N.W.; external thermometer, 47° ; internal, 57' ; barometer, 28.95 inches, equivalent to 29.71 inches at the level of the sea, the height of the place of observation being 700 feet : lat., 54° 47' 26" • long., W., 6' 44"." At the call of Mr. Chevalier for descriptions by other observers, Mr. Thomas E. Gille, of Easingwold, has sent to the Timm his slightly varied impressions— "The lights had been glimmering in the northern hemisphere at an early period of the night and about eight o'clock they began to expand them- selves east and west in a pyramidical form, and extended from 20° to 25° to- wards the zenith. Their appearance was different from what I have gene- rally observed them to be. Frequently I have observed these pyramidical forms intermixed with streaks of variegated hues resembling in appearance the colours of the rainbow, and shooting forth in all directions. On Tuesday evening the columns assumed a pure white complexion without any inter- mixture of the rainbow shades. The columns varied in their dimensions, being sometimes very broad, and then condensing themselves like a moving column of smoke. The columns thus formed maintained their appearance, but kept shifting their position more southerly, till about 9h. 10m. it formed an arch extending in the west through the centre of Ophiuchus, crossing the line of stars in Sagitta, and stretching eastward as far as Aldebaran and the Pleiades, forming nearly a great circle or arch across the heavenly. expanse. The columns of which the arch was composed were remarkably uniform, and both distinct and transparent. The stars were shining bright at the time the arch appeared, but their brightness did not obscure its form. It ap- peared like a. thick gauze laid over them, through which they were observed to shine with diminished lustre. Its uniform breadth appeared from 21- to 3'. At 9h. 20m. the eastern end began to disappear, and at 9h. 30m. there were scarcely any traces of it left."

Results of the Registrar-General's return of mortality in the Metropolis for the week ending on Saturday last: the first column of figures gives the aggregate number of deaths in the corresponding weeks of the ten previous years.

Ten Weeks of 1839-49.

Week. of 1850.

Zymotic Diseases 2,744 .... 195 Dropsy, Cancer, and other diseases of uncertain or variable seat

Tubercular Diseases 1,683

Diseases of the Brain, Spinal Marrow, Nerves, and Senses 1,085 .... 122 Diseases of the /lean and Blood-vessels 262

Diseases of the Lungs, and of the other Organs of Respiration 982

Diseases of the Stomach, Liver, and other Organs of Digestion 692

Diseases of the Kidneys, ge 73

Childbirth, diseases of the Uterus, 42c 95

Rheumatism, diseases of the Bones, Joints, Bic 62

Diseases of the Skin, Cellular Tissue, Ac.. 11 .... 1 Malformations 23

Premature Birth 235

Atrophy 168

Age 482 .... 33 Sadden 136 .... 17 ViOlence,Privatien, Cold, andIntemperance 373 .... - 48

— — Total (including unspecified Causes) 9.704 893

The deaths were 165 below the calculated average. The mortality from epidemic diseases was lower than in any week since 1846. Cholera proved fatal in seven cases ; diarrhoea proved fatal in the still decreased number of 47 cases. Of thirteen deaths which occurred in the single workhouse of Whitechapel, between the 27th September and the 4th October, seven were due to diarrhoea.

The births were 680 males and 722 females.

Mean atmospheric pressure at Greenwich, 29.537 inches ; mean tem- perature, 52°.

The Washington correspondent of the Morning Chronicle says there is "no doubt but Kossuth and his brave compatriots now in Turkey will soon arrive in England, and thence seek a home in the United States." "I un- derstand," says this authority, "that M. Lukacs, a distinguished Hungarian, who has just arrived in this country, has made an application to the State department to know if a vessel could be placed at then disposal, to convey them from England here, at the public expense, as the English Government has offered to convey them from Turkey to England. I cannot say what answer has been given ; but it is probable there are no funds at the disposal of the Government to allow of the application being acceded to. If this is the case, I trust the matter will be brought to the attention of Congress, and the necessary means voted."

It was last week reported that Lord Gifford had met with a serious accident while hunting: the Hereford Times explains that the real nature of the mishap was serio-comic. " On Tuesday morning last, the Herefordshire hounds (Lord Gifford's) met at Trebandy, at half-past six o'clock, for the purpose of cub-hunting. Directly they were thrown into cover, a leash of foxes were on foot. After twenty minutes run they settled to one fox, and raced him a pretty burst over a country to ground in an earth-pit overhang- ing a brook, Lord Gifford and his first whip being the only two up at the time. When his Lordship jumped off his horse to look at the earth and cheer his hounds, in a moment he was assailed by some hundreds of hornets, which the hounds had disturbed from their nests in an old ash pollard, at- tracted by his red coat. He was quickly obliged to rush up the opposite bank. Upon throwing down his cap it was immediately covered with hun- dreds of hornets. His Lordship in the mean time had called off his hounds, and had desired the first whipper-in to gallop away with the horses for fear of their being stung ; but not before he had got several bad stings on the back of his head, also his hands and back of his neck. After mounting his horse again, the pain became so intense that it caused him to faint away ; but after the stings were extracted, and by the kindness of the gentlemen and farmers who were out, he soon recovered, and was enabled to find another fox at Trebandy, and, after an hour's running, to kill him."

The Adelaide Times reports a police case in which Miss Emily Sandford, the unfortunate woman connected with Rush the murderer, is forced to take a part that engages sympathy. " Mr. R. W. Bennett, a resident in Ade- laide, was charged at the Police Court with threatening the life of Miss Sand- ford. The case, at the request of the Bishop of Adelaide (Dr. Short), who has acted as guardian to the unfortunate lady since her arrival in the colony, wasgone into privately, the local reporter being excluded. The nature of the ensile implied numerous threats held out by the defendant, declaring if she did not pay him money he had advanced her brother, he would blow her brains out ; and his conduct was so violent that she apprehended he would carry out his threat. Her brother, who accompanied her to the co-

lony, lost his life at Port Phillip a few days after their arrival. During his stay, the defendant, ascertaining he was in want of money to discharge some debts that he had contracted, advanced him the amount ; the defendant as- serting that be did so on her security. This Miss Sandford denied. She knew nothing of the affair until Mr. Bennett made the demand upon her. The defendant, in answer to the charge, persisted that he advanced the

money to her brother on her security. lie had waited on her several, times, but the only reply he could get from her was, ' Well, sir, is that all ? He

was so exasperated at her conduct, that he certainly made use of harsh words and threatened to shoot her. The Magistrates bound the defendant over in heavy securities to keep the peace towards Miss Sandford for six months"

Another instance of the caprice of the blind goddess, who in the revolutions of her wheel often pours her bounties into unexpeeting bands, has just oc- curred in the city of Chester. A gentleman, we understand, while canvass- ing at the late election for the Honourable Edward Stanley, was called in by an eccentric individual, who wished him to purchase the interest he had in some freehold property, by allowing him an annuity for his life. The gen- tleman entered into his views, and agreed to allow him the sum of one guinea per week as long as he lived. Before the expiration of the second week, the gentleman was again sent for to make the will of the annuitant, wherein he made him sole devisee and executor. The next day the old man died. But now comes the most marvellous part of the story. A foreign let- ter had been received by the annuitant, a day or two previous to his death.. This subsequently proved to be the will of the old man's brother, who died abroad, written in Spanish, leaving all his property to his brother, the an- nuitant. The executor, therefore, by this dispensation finds himself unex- pectedly put in possession of property amounting to thousands of pounds, in addition to an extensive collection of books and paintings of great value.— Chester Courant.

An aged couple in Liverpool named Splatt had two sons settled in Aus- tralia, who., after repeated invitations, prevailed upon them, though it was- late in their day of life, to transfer themselves and their four daughters to a home in the Antipodes. But their four daughters were in business, which must be relinquished, and their little property converted into cash, or mer- chantable commodities for export, before the important change could be made. This was done, and about eight hundred pounds in cash, and rather a large amount of suitable goods, were prepared for the voyage. Affairs be- ing arranged, the whole party of six took leave of their friends in Liverpool; where, on the last Saturday evening of their sojourn, mingled feelings of re- gret and affection were indulged in by a circle of social and attached friends. They were to embark for Australia on board a vessel in the Clyde ; to reach which they proceeded on the Monday in the Orion. In a few hours five of the six met with an unexpected death, and the whole of their valuables were. lost; leaving the aged gentleman (about seventy-one years of age) stripped_ of his wife, daughters, and property, "all at one fell swoop."

The American papers communicate the death of Signor Sarti, the eminent anatomical modellist. The Times notes interesting particulars of what was Signor Sarti's laudable ambition in life, and states the cause of his death ; adding, on the authority of the Boston Post, that Signor Sarti has left a young widow, an English lady. "The long-cherished design of the Signor- was to induce Government to found in London a national museum of patho- logical and anatomical wax specimens for the instruction of the people on the principles of health, similar to the famous ones founded in his native city,. Florence. With this view, he visited the Continent, and made a collection of some of the finest specimens of Italian plastic art, in human comparative, and vegetable anatomy. 'He also secured, by purchase of ihe plates, the copyright of Mascagni s colossal engravings. After immense toil, anxiety, and effort, he succeeded in gathering a most admirable and extensive collection of models. To his great grief, however, and that of a number of philan- thropic friends who had entered warmly into the project, he failed to meet with that countenance and support from Governmenthe and they had fondly anticipated. He had now no alternative but himself to present his collection to the public as an exhibition. It was, however, too extensive to travel with ; he therefore divided it, and committed one portion to the care of his sister, (that now in Liverpool,) and the other after having been exhibited in Lon- don he himself took to the United States. After a prolonged stay at New York, he proceeded to Boston, where he was at the time of his death- A post-mortem examination of the body took place ; and his medical attend- ants, including some of the most eminent of the Boston faculty, were sur- prised to find, that what he and they had supposed to be disease of the heart was cancer of the right lung, heart, and diaphragm. This was supposed to. have been growing since infancy; and there is no doubt dissolution would have taken place many years sooner, but for his regular mode of life, quiet amiable disposition, and abstemious habits."

A Chinese funeral in New York is described by a local paper. "The Chinaman died at the Chinese Restaurant of Macon and Woosung. The funeral was large ; there being over one hundred and fifty Chinamen in the procession, each wearing a piece of white crape. A large number of persons visited the burying-ground to witness the ceremonies ; which were as follow. They lowered the coffin as we do ; they then threw the white bandage worn on their arms into the grave ; then matches and the wax candles, and a bot- tle of wine. Before covering the coffin, each person bowed his head to the earth and uttered some few words not by us understood. Then each threw a handful of dirt on the coffin, and passed round liquors, wine, and cigars, &c. ; of which they invited each American to partake ; and the grave was then filled up."

It is stated in late papers from Van Diemen's Land, that the convict Char- tilt John Frost, formerly of Newport, has been lecturing in Hobart Town on the evidences of Christianity.

The stompers at Somerset House have been engaged for the last three weeks from 9 a. in. till 9 p. tn. (Sundays excepted) in preparing for the new act which comes into operation this day, reducing the stamp-duties on mort- gages, leases, coinpv2ances, agreements, &c. The quantity of parchment

be stem has been so great that the sent in to y have been obliged to have

a special locality or the purpose, divided into departments for London and the county districts. During the present week no less than 250,000. to 300,000 stamps under the new act have already been delivered to the naives, so as to enable them to have a portion to commence with it. It will be at least a month or six weeks before the present demands can be completed.. The employes at the Stamp-office receive extra pay for the over-time they are engaged in stamping.—Times, October 11.

There is a provision in the extended County Courts Act not generally- known, under which actions can be tried in the County Courts for more than 501. It is enacted by the 17th section, that if the parties shall agree, by a memorandum signed by them or their attornies, the County Court may try actions beyond the amount limited, or any action in which the title to land, whether of freehold, copyhold, leasehold, or other tenure, or to any tithe, toll, market, fair, or other franchise, shall be in question. The parties must state in their memorandum of agreement that they know such cause of ac- tion to be above the amount limited by this act, or that they know the title to the land, &e. will come in question. The memorandum is to be filed with. the clerk'of the court at the time of filing the demand. All local actions to be tried before any County Court with the consent of the parties shall be brought and tried in that jurisdiction only in which the lands, tenements, or hereditaments, or some part thereof, are situate.

For some time back the amount of business transacted in the Sheriffs Court, and the Bankruptcy, Insolvency, and Secondaries Courts, has been compara- tively trifling. Thursday was the first sitting of the Sheriffs Court (Bed Lion Square) for three weeks and yet, as appears by the law-notices, there was bat one cause for trial. It was stated that the barristers and lawyers of the Court of Bankruptcy alike complain of a considerable decrease both in the number and importance of the.cases. In this court last week there were no cases in the list for two consecutive days ; a fact almost unprecedented in its annals. The Insolvent Court also shows an evident decrease in the amount of business. , has not sat during the present week. The Secondaries Court, which nominally holds two sittings in the seven days, has not sat for nearly three weeks.—Morning Post.

A college for the medical education of women has just been founded by the Legislature of Pennsylvania ; the act by which it is founded, conferring upon it all the privileges enjoyed by any other medical school in the State. We perceive that a Miss Elizabeth Blackwell, who received the degree of Doctor of Medicine at the Geneva College, and has since pursued her medi- sal studies at Paris, is a candidate for the professorship of surgery, and other ladies offer themselves to fill the other chairs. —Eliza Cook's Journal.

The new planet Victoria, discovered by Mr. Hind, has had its proposed -name and laurel symbol accepted by the astronomers of England, Prussia, and Denmark. Its period of revolution, Mr. Hind states, will probably be nearly the same as that of Iris, perhaps a little longer.—Literary Gazette.

Arrangements are in progress for a great chess-match, to be played by "amateurs of all nations," during the Exhibition of 1851. The idea origi- nated with Mr. Staunton ; and the first to respond to it was a player at Cal- cutta, who has forwarded a handsome subscription. It is proposed to have a number of " chess tournaments," the entries to be 51. each, and the first prize 5001. Another suggestion is, that the English chess-clubs shall each send a champion player, with a moderate sum as entrance-money ; and the winner of the match to receive the prize in the form of a handsome trophy, in silver.

We learn that a new description of food—the Dan —is being introduced into this country. It is a gram or pulse, something between the lentil and Indian corn ; and is described as excellently adapted for mixing with the lower descriptions of meal and flour, which it improves both in taste and " colour. In Ireland it has already been imported.—Liverpool Standard. General Castellon has caused a sham siege of the fort of Vitrollerie, near _Lyon, to be made by the troops under his command. The journals of that city publish every morning a detailed bulletin of the operations executed for its attack or defence, the opening of trenches, the raising batteries, &c. Galleries are erected near the scene of operations, in which the ladies of Lyons may witness them ; the seats in which are sought after with much avidity.

There was a violent storm on Sunday and Xonday. The wind, from the 13outh and West-south-west, drove the water out of the Thames to such an extent, that at low tide on Monday the river was almost unnavigable. In the Pool, tiers of vessels were aground ; and even the small steamers could not ply above bridge.

At Nottingham, much damage was done to buildings. A tall and inse- curely-built stack of chimnies, with portions of the roof, fell into a street at a place where a number of persons had assembled round Wombwell's show : a boy was killed on the spot, and a woman was so maimed that her life is in . danger,, and a good many other persons were seriously hurt.

Disasters to ahippingare reported from the coasts at all points, but in most cases without loss of life. The Juffrow Jantje, a Dutch galliot, was wrecked in the East Bay of Dungeness, and only one man of the crew was saved.

The storm was very violent at Dover. The sea rose to a great height, flooding the quays and promenades. "The works which were being carried on for the construction of the harbour of refuge were completely destroyed. Enormous piles, eighteen inches square, were snapped asunder, and every- thing upon them overthrown. Three lilrge diving-bells, which were used in the construction of the works, were carried away into the sea. At daybreak on Monday, the harbour was strewn with the fragments of the machinery, timber, &c.; and the whole place appeared a perfect wreck. The works Lave been entirely suspended, and since the catastrophe the exertions of the men have been devoted to the recovery of the materials. Up to Tuesday night, however, they had only succeeded in finding one of the diving-bells. It is estimated ihat the damage done amounts to many thousand pounds ; as, besides the materials, the air-pumps, traversers, cranes, and other machinery, have all been destroyed or lost."

At Liverpool, great damage was done to the shipping, even in the docks. A fine ship, the Providence, which left the port on Sunday for the coast of Africa, struck on the Burbo bank, at the mouth of the Mersey. As soon as the accident was known, the Magazine life-boat was taken by a steam-tug to the locality, and managed to rescue thirteen persons ; but the first and -second mate and twenty-one of the crew perished. The Arcturus, from ibrail, struck on Crosby Point, and became a total wreck : the pilot and first mate were drowned. The Aurora, from Cardiff, was also lost, near Holy- head ; but her people escaped.

Two vessels were lost on the sands off Yarmouth, within sight of a fishing- tugger, which could render no assistance. One ship was dashed to pieces ; the other struck the sands, got off again, and then foundered : every soul -perished. From the size of the vessels, it is calculated that twenty men must have been drowned. While the Dove was on her way from Shields to the Thames, a tremendous sea off the Spurn swept the mate and a seaman into the boiling surge. Many wrecks and minor casualties are reported from Wales, but without loss of life.

Eleven persons left Bristol on Sunday for a sail down the Channel. They found the weather very rough, and put about at the Holmes. Presently, a heavy sea nearly swamped the vessel ; the persons on board were dismayed by discovering that the _pumps would not work. They bore up for the mouth of the river; but at the Swash the boat heeled over, capsized, and went down stern-foremost. A sloop and a Customhouse-boat rescued seven of the party, but the other four were drowned.

News has arrived from India of the loss of three valuable East Indiamen- the Manchester, the Ariadne, and the Nereid. The Ariadne was lost on Palmyras Point ; news of the wreck was brought to Calcutta, and a Govern- ment steamer was sent to the place. A mate was found floating on a spar ; lie was still alive, though he had been exposed almost entirely without sus- tenance for many days : he stated that some forty persons had left the vessel on a raft ; there had been rough weather, and probably these people perished, but it is possible that they were picked up by some vessel. The Manchester was wrecked on Sanger Islands ; the Nereid foundered at sea from a leak : in both eases the people took to the boats, and were received by passing ships.