POINTS FROM LETTERS GOLD IN SOMERSET.

Delving into the Close Rolls (tempore Richard II)• I am astonished to find what I believe to be known only to a few people, namely, that there were gold and silver mines in the counties of Gloucestershire and Somersetshire. It states " that all the metal thereof arising shall be brought to the Tower of London and nowhere else to make money, and the seventh part belonging to the king shall be carried to the receipt of the exchequer provided that the king shall have for his seignorage the seventh part of all such metal and the lessee the residue of the profit." He is also promised, " for fear of thieves"—" a sure escort of archers "—" when a quantity of metal shall be ready to take to London." It is also enjoined " that the lessee shall have for him and his servants all liberties which the miners of Bere have." I assume this place must be Bere Regis.—J. P. BACON PHILLIPS, Burgess Hill, Sussex.

UNION OF GIRLS' SCHOOLS FOR SOCIAL SERVICE.

The new Settlement at Stafford Street, Peckham, which is to be opened by Her Majesty the Queen on Wednesday, March 18th, is to be the future headquarters of the Union of Girls' Schools for Social Service. This Union has been in existence for over thirty-three years, and from very small beginnings when it maintained one missioner only in South London its programme has become wide and varied. On the national side it aims at keeping in touch with the social work of girls' schools in all parts of the country, and at providing information and training for those wishing to take part in this work. Its practical undertakings include the maintenance of a Settlement in South London, Infant Welfare Centres, Children Care. Committee, Children's Country Holiday Fund, Invalid Children's Aid Association, Clubs, Play Centres, a playing field, assistance with social work in three overburdened parishes,- and many other enterprises. It is an undenominational organization to which are affiliated over 180 girls' schools. Half the cost of the new head- quarters has been raised during the past two years by the work of schoolgirls, Old Girls' Associations and their friends. The Union is now appealing for the first time it5 its history to the general public to help them to raise the £5,000 still needed to free it of debt. Once this has been accomplished the work will be as self-supporting in the future as it has been in the past.—THE SECRETARY, Stafford Street Settlement, Peckham, S.E. 15.

LEGLESS BIRDS.

There came for several years in succession to Kirkhill House, Wick, a gull which had lost- a leg. Someone had spliced a wooden pin with some sort of bandage to the stump. The artificial limb was seldom put to the ground, but if food was thrown out and any other bird tried to get it, the pin leg would be used to good effect. Perhaps traps account for many legless birds.—PETER SMILARS, Procurator Fiscal's Office, County Buildings, Wick.

IMPORTED FLOUR. •

In common with all patriotic housewives I am delighted to learn that our bakers who sell bread made from home- milled flour are putting up-in- their windows official seals to let us know where to :shop., But why shouldn't our drapers, grocers, chemists, ironmongers, fruiterers, outfitters, stationers and other shopkeepers each do the same thing for what they sell ? Then the housewife would be quite sure where she was ; and the effect upon unemployment would; be -magical. A good step in the right direction is the attractive ,ca.rd .saying We buy at the British Industries Fair," which is being shown in many shops at present.—CICELY G... ERSKINE, 7 Eccleston Square, S.W. 1.

PRESERVING ENGLAND.

You were so very kind as to insert our letter about the Exhibition held in Oxford, by the kind permisgion of Messrs. Elliston and Cavell, under the auspices of the Council for the Preservation of Rural England.. It might interest your readers to know that nearly two thousand people visited this exhibition, and showed themselves extremely. interested in the tiles and other inexpensiire building materials that we were showing.—SUSAN BUCHAN, Elsfield Manar, Oxford.

THE LEAGUE OF COLOURED PEOPLES.

You have probably observed- from the Times of the16th ins t. that an organization known as " The League of Coloured Peoples was formed in London last week. The object is to promote the interests of the coloured peoples and to improve relations between the races.—HAROLD A. N. Moony, Chairman, 164 Queen's Road, Peckham; S.E. 15.

AUTHOR WANTED.

I wrote recently to Messrs Blackwood (in whose magazine " The Canadian Boat Song," enquired -for-by your- correspon- dent Lady M. Meade first saw the light), asking if they could clear up the mystery of authorship. They kindly replied at considerable length. Briefly, what they said was this : that the song was published (1) in Maga, 1829, in a Nodes Ambrosianae, (2) in Tait's Magazine, 1849, attributed to the Earl of Eglinton (" for which authorship there is no proof "). " In its original form the poem is- said to have been sent by a friend in Upper Canada,' and the same number contains an article on Upper Canada by John Galt, who was certainly there in 1829. . . . Circumstantial evidence makes it probable . . . that Galt was the writer." They conclude : " We think it highly probable that Lockhart, then in charge of our Magazine, had something to do with the poem." I have not met with the song in any collection, but the same letter tells s. me that it is to be found in an Anthology of English Verse, by J. H. Lobban, 1902, of which Blackwoods are the publishers.— C. M. HUDSON, Nutcombe Height,. Hindhead.

[The evidence has always disposed us to the attribution to John Galt. Our original correspondent did not quote the song correctly. Without a printed version before us we believe that it should read as follows :—

" From the lone sheiling of the misty Island.

Mountains divide us and a waste of seas.

Yet still the blood is strong, the heart is highland, And we in dreams behold the Hebrides."

—En. Spectator.]

ANGLO-GERMAN CLUB.

We are informed that the arrangements for the formation of this club, which will be both a social and a business club, are nearing completion. The club premises will be in the West End of London, and there will be a special membershiP arrangement for ladies.