fftiscellantous.

Tuesday was Prince Albert's birthday, which was observed with the. usual demonstrations of respect: the guns of the principal fortresses fired and the church-bells rang throughout the kingdom; while those places or persons more immediately connected with the Court went to the festive lengths of dining and illuminating. The real celebration of the event would take place in Coburg.

The Duke of Cambridge came to town on Saturday from the Dutchess of Gloucester's residence in Richmond Park; and returned to Richmond on Tuesday.

The reports of the harvest from various parts of the country are so vague and contradictory that they neutralize each other, and show how little dependence can be placed on the particulars in any case. On the whole, however, the improvement in the general tone of the statements is nearly as decided as that in the weather; although loud complaint is still made that the dryness and heat are not unbroken and intense enough tot do what is wanted to the crops. In Scotland they still complain of wet. In Ireland they talk in a more melancholy style than they have yet done- about the injury inflicted on the growing ears by the past bad weather.. In the North of England they speak rather less despondingly, and in the South promise an average crop. The process of reaping goes on without interruption, and it is to be hoped that the season has done its worst to the grain.

The accounts of the harvest on the Continent continue to be unfavourable; but there has not yet been much time to hear of the effect from any recent. change in the weather. The distress in Poland is extreme. The poor people penetrate in crowds into our province (Insterburg), and fall on the fields of peas and potatoes; the peas are Immediately devoured raw; the stalks of the potatoes are cut down, and boiled and eaten in the field. A detachment of troops has been sent to protect our frontier.—Prussian Paper. The crop in Switzerland is said to be a failure. Asia Minor is at the present moment suffering all the horrors of a famine. For the last two years the crops have failed, and water is so scarce that the quantity required for the consumption of a small family costs an enormous sum. The exportation of corn has been prohibited after the 15th August, excepting in .h case of contracts previously entered into. The wheat-crop throughout the whole of Canada is by the last accounts de- clared to be unprecedentedly large : the reported ravages of the fly were found to be quite insignificant, and the harvest was pronounced safe.

The peaceable conduct of the numerous gangs of Irish harvestmen who have gassed through Stamford during the last month on their road to the Fens has been remarked with much satisfaction. Although it is computed that nearly 3,000 of these strangers have trudged through the town, (the majority remaining in the suburbs for at least one night, and many in a pennyless condition,) not a single case of serious disturbance had been complained of. We are informed that most of these Irish labourers are Teetotallers; some from necessity, but the greater portion are disciples of Father Mathew, of whom they speak with the utmost reverence.—Lincoln Mercury.

On Wednesday week, about one o'clock, the town of Framlingham was visited with a snow-storm, which lasted about ten minutes, with interval:I.—Ipswich Express.

' Graham's Town letters of 5th Jane mention that a heavy snow-storm had fallen in the neighbonrhoo3. and the hills on the morning after presented a white covering. The weather had been intensely cold for several days preceding the storm ; which is the second fall of snow at Graham's Town within the recollection of the

oldest settler.

The following notice has been issued by the Postmaster-General—" Hence forward, mails for New Granada will be made up and despatched from London on the morning of the 2d, as well as on the 7th of each month, to be forwarded from Southampton by the Royal Mail steam-packet; the Government of New Granada being engaged to provide a small vessel of war for their conveyance from Port Royal, Jamaica, and Santa Martha. Letters, however, addressed to the Isthmus of Panama, on the Western coast of the Pacific, will not be forwarded by the mail of the 2d of the month, unless directed rid Santa Martha."

The Blackburn Standard says it has heard from a good authority that Mr Richard Oastler has made 30,0001. upon the Leeds Stock Exchange by legitimate business as a share-broker. He has been the quintessence of honesty in his dealings. It is added that Mr. Oastler contemplates entering Parliament, " to represent the interests of humanity on the Short-time question.'

A correspondent informs us that the Reverend Dr. Joseph Wolff has taken up his residence at Mechlin, and has accepted the chaplaincy of the English Protestant Chapel there, where he will perform Divine service every Sunday.—Brussels Gazette.

The " Railway King " in France, the French Hudson, is an odd-looking but keen- otserving individual, of the name of M'Kenzie. He is a great favourite of Louis Philippe; at whose numerous and promiscuously attended soirees M'Kenzie cuts a droll and conspicuous figure. If not a native of Liverpool, he was at no distant date a " navie there, working—and no shame to him—in high-lows, ankle-deep at the docks in mud and clay. This gentleman, though entirely uneducated, and of brusque manners, is remarkable for his practical knowledge of engineering; and it is proved by the flattering fact that M'Kenzie is consulted by the Government authorities of France touching the practicability of the various railway lines either in progress or contemplated; and this in preference to the engineers of Paris, who have long been celebrated for their knowledge in the science or art, for it partakes of both. M'Kenzie has a partner, named Barry, once—he may be so still—a gen- tleman connected with the Manchester newspaper press. These facts are highly honourable to all parties. M'Kenzie's oddity of manner and appearance presents a curious contrast to that of the Parisians; malgre he carries all before him, whe- ther on les Champs Elysees, where the railway shareholders, jobbers, &c. "most do congregate," or in the gilded salons of the Tuileries.—Liverpool Chronicle. [The Mr. M'Kenzie named above was a considerable contractor for public works in this country for many years. He was the contractor for the Junction Dock at Hull, and other works there. Mr. J. D. Barry, who is stated to be his partner, was subsequently to his connexion with the Manchester press editor of the Chester Chronicle.—Manchester Guardian.]

It is currently rumoured at Malta, that a gallant officer of that distinguished corps the Forty-second Royal Highlanders is about retiring from the pomp and vanity of a military life, and seeking retirement and seclusion in the cloister, under the unassuming garb of a Theresian or barefooted Carmelite.—Jfaita Times.

A paragraph stating that " Sir Robert Peel has settled out of his own private purse 400/. a year on Mr. Bonham," was copied into the Globe from the Limerick Chronicle. We are assured by a personal friend of Mr. Bonham's that the state- ment is without foundation.—Globe.

It is now ascertained that the vast landed estates of the late munificent Mrs. Lawrence, of Studley Park, are bequeathed as follows. The Studley and Ripon property, including Fountain's Abbey and Hackfall, to Earl De Grey; the Hut- ton, Sharrow, and Kirby Malzeard estates, with the moors, to the Earl of Ripon; the Leicestershire estates to Sir Cornwallis Ricketts, Bart.; and the manor and estate of Kirkby Fleetham to H. E. Waller, Esq., who, in case the deceased lady had died intestate, would, it is said, have been heir-at-law to the landed property. Legacies to large amounts have been left to several useful public charities, and for religious purposes, as well as to many distant relatives and private friends.— Leeds Mercury.

At the late rent-audit of Ambrose Hussey, Esq., M.P., that gentleman allowed his tenants the amount paid by them as Income-tax, and signified his intention of doing so in future; and this lie did unsolicited, and from a conviction that it was but a just consideration towards his tenants, they having no power of appeal against the payment even though capable of proving a loss of income.—Salisbury Herald.

The Journal des Dibats contains a letter from Tehran, giving a rapid and highly favourable review of the reforms instituted by Feth-Ali-Shah, the present King of Persia. One pass• "e in the letter is especially interesting. " Now that complete harmony reigns between Persia and the neighbouring states, the King, seconded by Hadji-Mirza-Agassi, [his former tutor and present Minister,] con- tinues to ameliorate as much as possible the administration of all public offices. Following out the suggestions which have been made, lie has established in his palace a school for the French language, in order to train interpreters and translators. This instruction, which has been intrusted to the first Secretary- Interpreter of the King, will establish new ties of sympathy between Persia and civilized Europe; it will become in time a real normal school which will furnish a machinery for all scientific pursuits. Already several pupils of this school have been selected by the King to follow the courses of anatomy, medicine, and sur- gery professed by Mirza-Labal-Khan, a French doctor in the service of Persia, and his Majesty's first physician. The most distinguished pupils will be sent to France, at the expense of Government, to complete their studies, and to complete their knowledge of European civilization. Many of these young men, belonging to the first families in the court of the Shah, have already arrived at Paris ; where they will remain for four or five years."

In virtue of a convention with the Persian Government, French ships will henceforth be received into the ports of Persia upon the footing of the most fa- voured nation, and the produce of the industry of France will be admitted on a duty of five per cent. The Persian Government always puts this charge upon im- ported articles, in order to restrict the introduction of such as may tend to effe- minate or vitiate the people.

A reciprocal extradition treaty respecting criminals has just been concluded between France and Prussia. The principal crimes to which this convention extends are murder, parricide, rape, forgery, robbery, fraudulent bankruptcy, and counterfeiting coin. The ratifications will be executed at Berlin in the course of the present month.

An important trial, in which the Bank of Australasia were the plaintiffs, and the Bank of Australia the defendants, commenced at Sydney, in New South Wales, on the 27th March last, and continued for ten days. The report given in the Supplement to the Sydney Herald occupies seventy columns, and the case ap- pears to have excited great interest in the colony. The facts, however, may be briefly stated. The Bank of Australia, after a career of great prosperity, became shaken in 1840, when the circumstances of the colony changed, and the value of property was greatly deteriorated. The state of affairs became worse and worse, till, in 1843, the Bank of Australia experienced serious losses by the failure of Messrs. Hughes and Hoskins who were in their debt and for whom they were responsible to the amount of 200,0001. The Bank was at the time farther liable on account of its circulation to the extent of 113,000/. Under these difficulties, the Chairman and Directors resolved to apply for assistance to the Bank of Aus- tralasia; a loan of 150,0001. was negotiated on the security of bills si'ned by the Cashier of the Bank of Australia, and an express authority was given to the Chairman at a meeting of the proprietors to give bills or other securities on be- half of the Bank. The amount of the loan was soon absorbed. The Directors and Chairman having been changed, they, after a lapse of eighteen niontlm, re pndiated the debt; averring that the loan had been contracted without the proper sanction of the proprietors, and in an irregular manner, and that the proprietors were consequently not liable. L'nder these circumstances, the Bank of Austral- asia brought the action to establish their claim against the existing Chairman and Directors of the Bank of Australia. The declaration contained seven counts; but the most important one was based upon a promissory note for 154,0004 dated 30th October 1843, and payable on demand with interest from that date. The principal point to be determined was, whether the Director of the Bank of Aus- tralia who drew the note was properly authorized to do so, and whether the whole body of proprietors were responsible for his act. Mr. Justice Dickinson, who presided, summed up strongly in favour of the plaintiffs. The Jury not being able to agree, after being locked up twelve hours, which is the time pre- scribed by the Jury Act of the colony, were discharged. It is requisite, by the colonial law, that nine out of the twelve jurymen should agree in their verdict; but in this case they were equally divided.

Mr. John Rees Thompson, Naval Storekeeper at Simon's Town, Cape of Good Hope, was convicted at Cape Town, on the 3d May, of having enilc zzled 10,9201., a sum made up of monies which be had fraudulently drawn from the Commis-

sariat. He had kept hack five quarters' accounts, to postpone detection. Mr. Collings, the Chief Clerk in the linprest Office, at Somerset House, was sent out

from England to investigate his conduct: he arrived in February, and at once arrested the delinquent. The prisoner was sentenced to be transported to Van Diemen's Land for fourteen years. He is about forty-three years of age, is mar- ried, and has a family ; but has been notorious for his extravagant and dissipated habits. He had a salary of 700/. a year, a house rent-free, and other perquisites; and his agreeable manners had made him I (qmlar in the colony.

The Standard recounts a very gallant affair in which a large slave-ship was captured, on the '26th of May, about two miles off Lagos, on the Western coast of Africa. The l'antaloon ten-gun sloop had succeeded, after a chase of two days, in making up to the slaver, while becalmed; and Commander Edmund Wilson sent the cutter and two whale-boats, under the command of the First Lieu- tenant, Mr. Lewis De T. Prevost, with the Master, Mr. J. T. Croat, and the Boatswain, Mr. Pasco, some marines and seamen, amounting to about thirty altogether, to make a more intimate acquaintance with the stranger. " The pirate gave the boats an indication of what they were to expect, as they neared, by opening on them a heavy tire of round-shot, grape, and canister, in such a spirited style, that, after returning the compliment by a volley of mus- ketry, the boats prepared for hard work. Animated by the show of resistance, each boat now emulated the other in reaching the enemy; the pirate continuing a sharp fire as they steadily advanced; the marines as briskly using their mus- kets. In half an hour from the discharge of the first gun from the pirate, the boats of the Pantaloon were alongside, Lieutenant Prevost and Mr. Pasco on the starboard, and Mr. Croat in the cutter, on the port side. The pirate crew, shelter- ing themselves as much as possible, nevertheless continued to tire the guns, load- ing them with all sorts of missiles—bullets, nails, lead, &c.; and amidst a shower of these our brave sailors and marines dashed on board. Lieutenant Prevost and his party in the two boats were soon on the deck of the prize. The Master boarded on the port bow; and, despite the formidable resistance and danger, fol- lowed by one of his boat's crew, actually attempted to enter the port as they were firing the gun from it. lie succeeded in getting through; but his seconder was knocked overboard by the discharge. The gallant fellow, however, nothing daunted, was in an instant up the side again, taking part with the Master, who was en- gaged in a single encounter with one or two of the rascals. Having gained the deck after a most determined resistance, they now encountered the pirates hand to hand; when the cutlass and bayonet did the remainder of the work. Lieutenant Prevost finally succeeded in capturing the vessel: but the pirates fought despe- rately, and it was not until seven of their number lay dead on the deck, and seven or eight more were severely wounded, that they ran below and yielded." In the encounter, two British seamen were killed; the Master and Boatswain and five others were severely wounded.

Mr. Alders junior, of Amsterdam, the owner of the John Hendrik Indiaman, which was wrecked on St. Paul's Island, has recently sent to London a silver cup to be presented to Captain Roxby, of the ship Chance, who so humanely and courageously rescued a part of the crew of the Indiaman, and attempted to save the others, though prevented by boisterous weather.

The following is an extract of a letter from an officer of the Erebus, one of the ships belonging to the Arctic Expedition: it was begun on the 1st July, lat. 68° N., and finished at Whale Fish Islands, 10th July 1845.

" The fair wind which blew us from our friends the steamers did not last long; and we had one continued succession of Westerly and North-westerly winds (re- lieved now and then by a fair wind) till the 21st June, when we found ourselves 134 miles due East of Cape Farewell. Here we had a calm, with a most tremen- dously heavy swell, in which we did roll.

" During our journey thus far, we went within sixty or seventy miles of Ice- land; but it was too cloudy to sec Mount Heels. We did not go within seventy miles of Cape Farewell, but rounded it with a gale right aft, which followed us in our course with a heavy sea. We kept close-reefed topsails aril reefed foresail, and made the old craft go eight knots throughout. he only difficulty we had was, to get our gallant chief, Sir John Franklin, to shorten sail when it was wanted. He is full of life and energy, and of all men the most fitted fur the com- mand of an enterprise requiring sound sense and great perseverance; and Ile is full of benevolence and kindness withal.

" On the 22d, we were North of Farewell. The thermometer had scarcely ever varied three degrees for three weeks, being about 43°.

" On the 25th, we saw our first iceberg in-shore; and the beautiful, sharp, craggy, snowy coast of Greenland in sight, an immense distance off. Since then we have had delightful smooth seas; sometimes a calm, sometimes a foul wind, light and much fair wind. For the last few days we have been nearer the land; and yesterday we were catching cod near the most glorious assemblage of ice, rock, snow, and clouds, being about thirty miles from the coast about Lichtenfiels. Today we have had a splendid breeze right aft, with a strong current in our fa- vour. A most splendid semicircle of icebergs appear ahead and under the land— we count 65 from the crow's nest; I have just been on deck looking at 011e above 200 feet high, which came down with a crash, and raised a mist like an ava- lanche. It is now twelve o'clock, though the sun is up: so I shall go to bed and finish this tomorrow, though it is a pity to sleep on such a Sire, clear, sun-shining night Disco, July 2.—The scenery of Disco is grand in the extreme; and the beautiful icebergs in bold relief against the dark, almost black-looking coast, present a curious appearance. We have the most heavenly weather here—clear, calm, with a hot sun, and icebergs glistening in all directions. I counted two hundred and eighty icebergs from the top of a hill the other night; big musgaitoe biting our party all the time.

"July 10.—We shall sail for the Lancaster Sound on the 12th, with three years' provisions. You have no conception how happy and comfortable we are; in fact, there is incessant mirth from morning to night. We hear that this is supposed to be a remarkably clear season, but we have no authentic information." The North Star steam-ship arrived at the Brunswick Wharf, Blackwell, a few days since, with a cargo and passengers from the port of Leghorn. This was un- derstood to be an experimental trip, being the first voyage ever made by a steam- vessel to or from that place and the port of London.—Tunes.

There is no longer any doubt that the declining health of the gallant and much- respected Admiral, Sir Charles Rowley, Bart., will occasion his retirement from the command in chief at Portsmouth; and it is very probable that Admiral of the Blue, Sir Charles Ogle, Bart., will be appointed to succeed Sir Charles Rowley in the course of next month. It is generally believed that Captain Sir Richard Grant will be the Flag-Captain ;and the present respected Secretary, Richard Haigh, Esq., will continue in that office on the appointment of the new Port-Admiral.— ..Morning Herald.

The proposed railway from Callao to Lima, in Pera, will neither require the agency of steam nor the aid of fire. The ground has a gradual and unbroken rise the whole way. Above Lima flows the river Rimac, which passes through a part of the city in its way to the city near Callao. This river, though not navi- gable, affords at all seasons of the year a hundred times the water-power necessary to work any traffic that can possibly come upon the rail. The saving of the usual expense of fuel is thus effected; and the cost of the steam-engines, and, what is no small item in railway expenditure, the charges for their after management, are entirely avoided.—Globe.

An American writer, whose letter appears in the Memorial de Rouen, describes a miracle of mechanical science, of the "wonderful if true" class. " William Evans has resolved a problem, which must overturn our present system of railway and steam-boat propulsion. By means of enormous compression, he has suc- ceeded in liquifying atmospheric air; and then a few drops only of some chemical composition, poured into it, suffice to make it resume its original volume with an elastic force quite prodigious. An experiment on a large scale has just been made. A train of twenty leaden waggons was transmitted a distance of sixty miles in less than an hour and a quarter—the whole motive power being the liquid air en- closed in a vessel of two gallons and a half measure; into which fell drop by drop, and from minute to minute, the chemical composition in question. Already sub- scriptions are abundant, and a society is in course of formation. The inventor declares, that an ordinary packet-boat may make the passage from Philadelphia to Havre in eight days, carrying a ton of his liquid air. A steam-engine of six- horse-power will produce that quantity in eight hours."

The Mobile Daily Advertiser of May 23d announces the discovery by Dr. Koch of another prodigious fossil animal in the yellow limestone formation of the county of Washington and state of Alabama. In consequence of the trick he played to increase the stature of the /tlis.sourium, (now so greatly reduced in size in the British Museum, whither it was taken, with its fraudulent additions, from the Egyptian Hall a few years ago,) we are not inclined to pin our faith to this new discovery; to which the finder has given the euphonious name of Zeulodon Sillimann. He describes the skeleton as that of the king of reptiles, in length 104 feet ; the solid parts of the vertebra; from fourteen to eighteen inches long and eight to twelve in diameter; its jaws very long, and armed with forty fore-teeth (incisors), ten dog-teeth or tusks, and eight grinders, fitting into each other when the jaws are closed, and proving the animal to be carnivorous. The eyes large and prominent, limbs like oars or fins, but small in proportion to the size of the body. The doctor is putting the parts together, and no doubt it will be a formidable monster.—Literary Gazette.

The amstitutionnel mentions the discovery of a remarkable cavern near Guelma, in Africa. This cavern is formed in an immense calcareous rock, and has but one entrance, which is to the Northward. It descends to a depth of 400 metres (the metre is about a yard) below the surface of the earth, by an inclined plane, the extreme length 1,200 metres. It is furnished with stalactites of a thousand different forms, and the passage is impeded by huge blocks of stone which have detached themselves from the vault. But that which contributes most to the interest of this immense cavern, is the Latin inscriptions which are carved near the entrance, and which belong to the early ages of Christianity. Most of them are illegible; however, among them may be very distinctly deci- phered the name " Donatus." No doubt, the first Christians of Africa took re- fuge in this place during the periods of persecution. The Arabs relate the most absurd legends about it; and none of them ever venture in, dreading to be seized by the guardian genius who is supposed to dwell there. However, the French, who explored it, succeeded in persuading the Sheikh Deradji-Ben-Kerad to ac- company them; previously to which, not a soul is supposed to have disturbed the silence of it for many centuries.

" In one of Mr. Hosken's granite quarries, near Penryn, the other day," says the Falmouth Packet, " a fine mass of granite, which admeasures about 14,000 cubic feet, its weight above 1,000 tons, was detached from the surrounding rock by means of a charge of twenty-five pounds of gunpowder. In the explosion, the entire mass was distinctly seen to leap from its natural bed."

A very tempting offer has been made to the medical profession. A "nervous invalid" is advertising for a " medicalgentleman " of "good education" and "cheerful manners," to eat and ride with him, to walk and talk with him, and to shave and dress him ! Terms, fifty pounds a year.

A batch of one-pound notes, amounting to 6321., was paid into the Bank on Friday week, by the trustees to the will of James Satcherley, an old man (a beggar) who died in a cellar at Shadwell some weeks back. After his decease, the notes and other monies were found concealed, together with a species of will, in a cupboard. The notes must have been hoarded many years.

Mr. Sergeant Davy, eminent in the last century, was once upbraided with lowering " the dignity of the profession" by accepting silver as fees from a client.

" I took. silver," lie said, " because I could not get gold; but I took every rap the fellow bad; and if you call that lowering the dignity of the profession, I don't know what the dignity is."—Morning Post.

Last week, at Gaines, in the Pas-de-Calais, two young children, who were amusing themselves with running between the sails of a windmill, were caught by one of them, and thrown to a considerable distance. They were both killed.