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Sir Stratford Canning, Ambassador Extraordinary and Minister Pleni- potentiary to the Ottoman Porte, has been raised to the Peerage, by the title of Viscount Stratford de Redcliffe, in the county of Somerset.

The first conference of the plenipotentiaries appointed to settle the Danish succession question was held on Wednesday at the Foreign Office. It was attended by the Ministers of all the Powers who signed the former protocol on the subject, with the addition of the Prussian Minister. The proceedings were of a purely preliminary nature; but it is understood that a second conference will shortly be held, at which the question will be fully entered into.—Titnes.

The terrace on the River front of the Parliament Palace is about to be covered with a variegated pavement, and the windows in the basement story are to be ornamented, and protected with zinc railings and grating. The public will shortly be admitted to the promenade.

A Liverpool letter of Saturday made this statement respecting the eccentric Member of Parliament for Nottingham- " Mr. Feargua O'Connor arrived here last night from London, and put up at the Queen's Hotel, where he was seen repeatedly during the night. This morning at an early hour, he left his hotel, and proceeded on board the royal mail steam-ship Europa, which sailed about one o'clock for the United States. The object of Mr. Feargus O'Connor's flight to America is said to be to avoid the commission of lunacy which has been issued against him."

The Oxford University Commission has sent in its report to the Home Office.

In consequence of the vote of the House of Commons last night, the Crystal Palace will be immediately sold to private parties, whose offer of 70,0001. had already been conditionally accepted ; the con- dition being that the bargain should not take effect if the building was retained on its present site. The work of removal will commence on the let of May, the opening-day of the Exhibition last year.—Times, April 30.

The Art Union Society have had their yearly meeting, and have gone through the lot-drawing for prizes. The prize of 2001. fell to the Reve- rend H. Sibthorpe, of Washingborough ; and the two prizes of 1501. to the Venerable Archdeacon Behrens, Shrivenham, and Mr. L. J. Douglas, of Maize Hill. Among the gainers of a 501. prize, was Mr. George Frederick Young M.P.

The labouring engineers have at last succumbed to the master engineers. On the 22d instant, the Executive Committee of the Amalgamated So- ciety passed resolutions which they have published, with an explanatory -comment.

"They frankly and unhesitatingly make the avowal, that in the contest between capital and labour the latter has been defeated. Whatever hopes were entertained that the worker might successfully assert his rights by an open and avowed resistance to a tyranny of the most despotic kind, they have faded before the immense power of wealth, and the determination of its possessors to be absolute and unconditional masters. . . . . Our future efforts must be constantly directed to prevent the possibility of such a catastrophe again occurring. How shall we set about the work of preparation for a coming time There is but one way—we must cooperate for production. The events of the last few months have directed the attention of working nien to cooperation, and inclined them to it more decidedly than years of prosperous industry could have done. Perhaps a greater good is to come out of present evil than could have been in any other way brought about. We have learned that it is not sufficient to accumulate funds, that it is necessary also to use them reproductively ; and if this lesson does not fail in its effects, a few years will see the land studded with workshops belonging to the workers —workshops where the profits shall cheer and not oppress labour, where tyranny cannot post an abominable declaration on the gates, where the oppor- tunity of working is secured without the sacrifice of all that makes work dignified and honourable."

The melancholy fate of death by starvation has befallen a party of British missionaries to the natives of Patagonia, which left this country 111 the autumn of 1850, and landed at Picton Nand, Tierra del Fuego, on the fith December following. Rumours that they had perished by the hands of the natives reached this country many months since ' - and Cap- tain, Moorehead, of her Majesty's ship Dido, was instructed to ascertain their fate on his way to the Pacific station. The party consisted of Cori_ mender Gardiner of the Royal Navy, superintendent, Mr. William% sur- geon and catechist, Mr. Maidment, catechist, John Erwin, carpenter, John Badcock, John Bryant, and John Pearce, Cornish fishermen ; they. went out in the bark Ocean Queen, under the auspices of the Pam. goman Missionary Society. Captain Moorshead, of the Dido, arrived at Picton Island in search of them on the 19th January last. For some time no traces of the missionaries were found ; but just as the explorers were about to reembark, some writing was espied on a rock across a river, which proved to be the words " Go to Spaniard Harbour" ' - and other rock's were marked with similar words. Hastening to Spaniard Harbour, they saw on the beach a boat turned upside down t • and on coming near to it, they found two dead bodies, which were identifed by scattered books and papers near them, as those of Captain Gardiner and Mr. Maidment. On one of the papers was written legibly, but without date- " If you will walk along the beach for a mile and a half, you will find us in the other boat, hauled up in the mouth of a river at the head of the har- bour on the South aide. Delay not—we are starving." Hurrying to the point indicated, they found the wreck of a second boat, and the remains of two more bodies, which they suppose to have been those of Mr. Williams, surgeon, and John Pearce, Cornish fisherman, other members of the expedition. The papers showed that all the others had died of starvation before these survivors, and had been buried by them, near to where the survivors were found. The tale of their suf- ferings was told in the diary of Captain Gardiner, the superintendent, kept by him with tolerable regularity till nearly the hour of his death-- the last words of it being scarcely legible from the weakness of the hand which wrote them.. A few extracts show the nature of their trials, and the pure religious spirit with which they were encountered. Their pro- visions seem to have failed through being shortened by wreck or injury of their boats ; and from the first their boats were the only shelter to them from the severe climate, and the inhospitable natives whom they went out to convert. In their references to the natives, no stronger words are ever used than that they "became troublesome " ; but at last the mis- sionaries were obliged to fly altogether from contact with the savages : we suppose that their lives were not safe, and their Christian aims hal become wholly impossible of prosecution for the time. The place of re- fuge, Picton Island, seems to have been a desert spot, presenting the sole recommendation of rocky caverns which could be made available for shelter against the storms. The first extracts are compiled by Captain Moorshead from the papers found on the beach and in the caverns.

"April 23. They have provisions enough to last for two months, but some are very low; and, a fox pilfering from them, they kill him by putting a piece of pork opposite the muzzle of a gun attached by a string to the trigger; and, as they can only issue pork three times a week, they dine off this fox, and salt the remainder : altogether they appear to have been very frugal with their supplies. I find a notice of five large fish caught, and an account kept of the number of ducks shot, as, their powder having been left on board the ship, and a flask and a half being all they have, they keep it for emer- gencies. "July 4. Having been seven weeks on short allowance, and latterly even tins having been curtailed, the party are utterly helpless. Everything found in the shape of food is cooked and eaten—a penguin, a shag, a half- devoured fish washed upon the shore, and even the salted fox washed out of the cavern, is thrown up again on the beach, and used for food. Captain Gardiner writes—' We have now remaining half a duck, about one pound of salt pork, the same quantity of damaged tea, a very little rice (a pint), two cakes of chocolate, four pints of peas, to which I may add six mice. The mention of this last item in our list of provisions may startle some of our friends, should it ever reach their ears ; but, circumstanced as we are, we partake of them with a relish, and have already eaten several of them. They are very tender, and taste like rabbit.'

"July 22. They are reduced to living on mussels, and feel the want of food ; and sometimes the craving of hunger is distressing to them. Captain Gardiner writes—' After living on mussels for a fortnight, I was compelled to give them up, and my food is now mussel-broth and the soft part of lim- pets.' "July 28. Captain Gardiner writes of the party in the other boat—' They are all extremely weak and helpless ; even their garden-seeds, used for broth, are now all out.'

"August 14. Captain Gardiner takes to his bed ; but a rock-weed is dis- covered which they boil down to a jelly, and find nourishment from. "August 23. John Erwin dies. "August 26. J. Bryant dies ; and Mr. Maidment buries them both in one grave. "John Pearce, the remaining boatman, is cast down at the loss of his com- rades, and wandering in his mind : but Mr. Williams is somewhat better." The succeeding extracts are verbatim from Captain Gardiner's own notes.

"'Sept. 3. Wishing if possible to spare him (Mr. Maidment) the trouble

of attending on me, and for the mutual comfort of all, I purposed, if prac- ticable, to go to the river and take up my quarters in the boat. This was attempted on Saturday last. Feeling that without crutches I could not pos- sibly effect it, Mr. Maidment most kindly cut me a pair (two forked sticks); but it was with no slight exertion and fatigue, in his weak state. We set out together, but soon found that I had not strength to proceed, and was ob- liged to return before reaching the brook on our own beach. Mr. Maidment was so exhausted yesterday that he did not rise from his bed until noon, and I have not seen him since ; consequently I tasted nothing yesterday. I can-

not leave the place where I am, and know not whether he IS in the body, or enjoying the presence of the gracious God whom he has served so faithfully. Thursday, Sept. 4. There is now no room to doubt that my dear fel- low-labourer has ceased from his earthly toils, and joined the company of the redeemed in the presence of the Lord, whom he served so faithfully. Under these circumstances, it was a merciful Providence that he left the boat, as I could not have removed the body.

"'Friday, Sept. 5. Great and marvellous are the loving kindnesses of my gracious God unto me. He has preserved me hitherto, and for four days, although without bodily food, without any feelings of hunger or thirst.'"

These were the last entries of the nature of a diary—they were weakly and indistinctly written. But a note was found, dated the 6th, from Cap- tain Gardiner to Mr. Williams, the surgeon; whose body was discoverol with that of John Pearce at the other place. "My dear Mr. Williams—The Lord has seen fit to call home another of our little company. Our dear departed brother left the boat on Tuesday

afternoon, and has not since returned. Doubtless he is in the presence of his Redeemer, whom he served faithfully. Yet a little while, and thousfi

. . the Almighty to sing the praises . . . . throne. I neither hunger nor thirst, though . . . . days without food . . . . Maidment's kindness ts heaven.

"Your affectionate brother in. . . . ALLEN F GARDINER. "September 6, 1851." Captain Moorshead is of opinion that Mr. Williams and John Pearce did not survive Captain Gardiner and that none of the missionaries were alive after the 6th September. Ills report to Rear-Admiral Moresby, the Commander of the Pacific station, from whom the Admiralty has re- ceived the whole news, concludes with these remarks—

"I will offer no opinion on the missionary labour of Captain Gardiner and the party, beyond it being marked by an earnestness and devotion to the cause; but, as a brother officer, I beg to record my admiration of his conduct in the moment of peril and danger, and his energy and resources entitle him to high professional credit. At one time I find him surrounded by hostile natives and dreading an attack, yet forbearing to fire, and the savages, awed and subdued by the solemnity of his party, kneeling down in prayer. At another, having failed to heave off his boat when on the rocks, he digs a channel under her, and diverts a fresh-water stream into it ; and I find him leaking an anchor by filling an old bread-cask with stones, heading it up and securing wooden crosses over the heads with chain.

"There could not be a doubt as to the ultimate success of a mission here, if liberally supported ; but I venture to express a hope that no society will hazard another without intrusting their supplies to practical men acquainted with commercial affairs, who would have seen at a glance the hopeless hn- probability of any ship net chartered for the occasion sailing out of her way, breaking her articles, and forfeiting her insurance, for the freightage of a few stores from the Falkland Islands. Painful and unsatisfactory as my re- port of the fate of the party is, I trust it may be considered conclusive by their Lordships, and setting at rest any further anxiety on the part of their sorrowing friends."

Result of the Registrar-General's return of mortality in the Metropolis for the week ending on Saturday last.

Ten Weeks Week of 1841-50. of 1851.

Zymotic Diseases 1,765 .... Sot Dropsy, Cancer, and other diseases of uncertain or variable seat, 478 .... 44 Tubercular Diseases 1,836 .... 199 Diseases of the Brain, Spinal Marrow, Nerves, and Senses 1, 128 Diseases of the Heart and Blood-vessels 326 .... 33 Diseases of the Lungs, and of the other Organs of Respiration 1,402 .... 172

Diseases of the Stomach, Liver, and other Organs of Digestion 577 . . . . 64

Diseases of the Kidneys, &c 96 .... 17

osildbfrta , diseases of the Uterus, Ste 105 .... 8

Rheumatism, diseases of the Bones, Jointa,Ac 78 .... 16 Diseases of the Skin, Cellular Tissue, Ac 11 4 Malformations 16 .... 4 Preraature Birth 177 .... 28 Atrophy 155 ....

Age 608 ....

Sudden 121 6

lli rioleace, Privation, Cold, and Intemperance 721 •••• 70

— — Total (including unspecified causes) 9.201 1,021

The laying down of the electric telegraph between England and Belgium is to be commenced without delay : the wire is ready. The line will go from Dover to Nieuport, and not Ostend, as at first stated.

Accounts from the Western provinces of Prussia state that unseasonable and severe frosts had done infinite mischief to the rape-plants and fruit- trees already in bloom. The thermometer at Berlin had been down as low as 41 under (); but vegetation, not being advanced, had not suffered.

The long drought has played sad havoc with the fish in the Lake district. Many little streams have dried up, and their occupants have perished ; and in other cases ground on which the fish last year spawned has been dry for two months, to the destruction of the ova. In a little poed of what used to be the bed of a stream, two gentlemen captured forty-three trout, which they transferred to an adjacent river.

The Manchester Guardian notes that not three-tenths of an inch of rain have fallen in sixty-two days of February, March, and April.

A curious natural phtenomenon has occurred near Scanlan, in the upper part of the Braes of Glenlivat, in Banffshire. A letter from the district men- tions that an eruption of the earth had taken place' and that a large quan- tity of stones, estimated by the writer at forty loads, had been thrown to dis- tances varying from twenty and fifty to one hundred yards. Some of the stones were very large, weighing perhaps about four hundredweight. One bank of earth, about twelve feet long and four broad, had been raised entire, and thrown to a distance of about one hundred yards. It is mentioned fur- ther, that a good number of stones were found higher up than the spot at which the eruption took place, and that the ground where the stones had fallen was cut, and the heather torn, showing that they had fallen with great force, having been driven probably to a considerable height. No per- sen was a witness to the eruption ; but the extraordinary appearances have excited great curiosity, and considerable numbers of people have visited the remote locality.—Edinburgh Witness.

Ten miners have been killed and six desperately burnt by an explosion of fire-damp in Morley Hall colliery, at Pemberton, near Wigan. The mine was considered to be worked with care ; all the men having been provided with safety-lamps, and forbidden to unlock them.

A man and two boys have been killed, and another man has lost a leg, by the explosion of a boiler at Helton colliery, near Houghton-le-Spring. The boiler was old, and was about to be replaced by a new one—too late.

A man has been killed at the Middleton station by attempting, with other Passengers, to get into a train before it had completely stopped. He was pushed down between the carriages and the platform, and was crushed to death.

As nine persona were coming to shore from a ship lying off Beullach in North Wales, the boat upset, and all were drowned but one boy.

A coal-ship having run ashore at Dungarvan, nine men put off from the harbour in a whale-boat to render aid ; as they returned, the boat was upset by the surf, and eight of the men were drowned.

The gale of Saturday morning caused much damage to shipping on the Kentish coast ; and an Antwerp emigrant-ship was wrecked on the Pan shoal, near Whitstable. The Charles was bound for Quebec, with a general cargo and between forty and fifty German emigrants. Shortly after two o clock she struck, and a heavy sea swept over her. The boats were stove in, and crew and passengers had to take refuge in the rigging. After several hours of agonizing suspense, they were rescued by a 'Whitstable lugger, transferred to another vessel, and landed at the port. The Charles was ex- pected to prove a complete wreck. I News has arrived of the burning of two British ships. The David Luckie was destroyed on her voyage from Demerara to London : crew saved. The Marl', of Liverpool, was burnt on the Gold Coast; there were 700 barrels of Pawder OR board, and consequently the vessel was blown to atoms : crew Bared.

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