The North Wales Express

in THE WEDDING RING- 'k (Translated f'-om the WkIsU of Ceii-io;) • my darling! O take it to- night. Li > ve, ifThy iinger betrays the deep throbs ot tJi^iK-'art; 1 ring I have bought thee, my suit you'll not ••li-jlit, Love, 0 But let all thy frettiiigs for ever depart: 1 pre taking our vows by the altar, O let me 'I uThus consecrate this with thy finger to-niglit: blessed love token, well knew I, dear Annie, 7 My love you could never with coldness requite. > a)<e it, my darling: No gems in rich cluster, ,0r carvings, adorn its plain circle of gold; ■* cuf. Virtue's bright p^arl shall shed on it a lustre, That angels will ever with gladness behold. pearl will be formed by our nmtual affection,- Twill sparkle and glisten through life s rugged length,- i.tioti,— 'Twill bring' us contentment, wealth, joy and prutec- 'Twill give us, my darling, true greatness and streugth. Take it, my darling'. And Providence, smiling. Loii,rqntlisivithiiiitil)leasanti-etreit; So puro and so hiippy our lifetime beguiling, Wliere we and oar offspring- our Far her can meet: Thf snheres in the sunshine, with beauty, are beaming, jEae'h planet and system is brimfull of bliss "Ut no habitation with features redeeming C'au rival the comfort and beauty of this. Take it, my darling I A covenant token,— Two rainbows of beauty, united, you see,— Orve telling my promise shall never be broken, The other that you my life-partner will be,— Unbroken and handsome, though gems do not make it, A token more perfect the world never gave; There's nought but the stroke of Death's sickle can break it, Nor rust its bright glow but the damp of the grave. Take it. O take it! In vain you essay, Love, To che.'k the deep fountains thy eyelids now till; -My bosom is heaving, then let me now lay, Love, My head on thy shoulder there, all isnow still: Thy tear and mine, Love, our features attorning. Are blending like dewdrops at Love's fond request But give me the ring: for our love, in the morning, The Bible, the Altar, and God shall attest. GERAINT, Board School, Llangollen. (Mr James Clarke.) ¡.At the Carnarvon National Eisteddvod, 1877, the above translation was adjudged the best and worthy of the prize offered].

DAMP SHEETS—Sheets of water. Is the Mewly-tears Song from the Baby's Opera? LIGHT READING FOIt THE The Sessarabian Nights." DEFINITION POK THE PORTE.-An imperial hatt: Something to send round. SECOND THOnaITs.-Priest: "Wiltthou have this woman to be thy wedded wife ?" Bridegroom Elect: Well, aw's warned aw'll hev to hev her. But aw wad rayther hev her sister." In high quarters it is thought probable that the hew title for our successful delegate will be "Duke of Ben Nevis," as combining delicate z, Elusions to the St. Petersburg river, to the ennobled prefix, and to that Scottish portion of her dominions which her Majesty so delights to honour. "Whiskey is your greatest enemy," said a Minister to Mr Jones. But," said Jones, "don't the Bible say, Mr Preacher, that we are to love our e&emies ?" Oh, yes, Jones but it don't say we are to swallow them." SUNDAY AT HOME.—Wife: "Good-bye: Dick; I'm going to Church. Now promise you won't Play that flute." Anti-Sabbatarian Husband: Pooh why not ?" Wife Well, Dick, the new cook has come, and she might be shocked, you know." One dentist can stop a woman's tooth, but 20 can't stop her jaw. A special correspondent (perhaps Irish) complains that the Congress is conducting its proceedings In silence. Nav, they are conducting them in French. Frankie (to Annie, who is eating a sponge- cake): Annie, let me be your baby, and you feed me." Annie: Oh, no Fraukie, you cannot be my baby: my baby must be in long clothes—one wot can't eat no sponge cake." A Prickly Pear.—A couple of needles. If the clove smells sweet, must not the clover smell sweeter ? A Spirit Wrapper—The paper around a bottle of whisky. Ground Rents which no Estate Agent could Col- lect—Earthquakes. o Mr Gladstone has been made a shepherd." This is as it should be, for, by hook or crook, he generally makes his opponents look sheepish.

CARNARVON IMMORALITY. SIR,—I read in the North Wales Express, two Weeks back, a letter signed by Philanthropist," asking who have the power to prevent and to punish owners and occupiers of houses of ill-fame in our "good old town." I have seen no reply to the question. But^ really the moral, or, rather, the Humoral condition of Carnarvon is something awful. We have Churchmen and Dissenters or the benches of magistrates, in our town councils, at our school boards, and among our recently-formed corps of town missionaries. Why cannot they join in securing for Carnarvon, some degree of public decency There are numerous places where no lady dares venture to walk through, and where drunkenness, filth, vile language, free fights, and .j0111111 ati°ns are rampant—men, women, and children enjoying the rowdy'' sights night and day. If anybody doubts this statement, I give you, Mr Editor, full authority to divulge my name, on condition that the enquirer binds himself to go with me to the places I now refer to. I am no advocate of publicans nor public houses, but I know that several publicans in our town are grieved because of the contiguity of their places of business to houses that are nothing better than nurseries of. vileness and the public scenes of deeds that would not be tolerated in any other town in England or Wales. The last fortnight was a period of such exhibitions of public depravity as to cause even depraved persons to blush. Even boys and girls of the lowest type were prompted to hoot persons who were allowed by the authori- ties to insult common decency. It is true that one woman has been incarcerated, but not with sufficient promptitude nor with due severity. Others, quite as bad, are still allowed to pervert some of our streets into a kind of pathway to pan- demonium. I wish I had mastery over stronger language. My descriptive powers fail when I deli- berate on what daily occurs at the "Barracks," Merthyr," and the other places mentioned by your correspondent" Philanthropist." Is this state of affairs to last? Have we no officials with sufficient courage to give effect to the law of the land i Or is there no law to authorise officers to put a period to the doings of these people whom we are conipelled to ackHowledge as our neigh- bours P, This subject must, and shall be held up to official notice until reformation or conviction is attained. CYMRO.

ATTEMPTED MUKDER AND SUICIDE AT CHESTFR — On Monday afternoon about four o'clock, an engine-driver named 1 arker, m the employ of the London and North Western Railway Company, living at Bishopsfield, a suburb of Chester, shot his wife, and afterwards shot himself. It is alleged that the two lived together unhappily, the woman being a second wife, and behaving un- kindly to her stepchildren. She was, it is said, intemperate, and quarrels were of frequent occur- rence. The two were: soou together in the street a short time befoie the shots were heard. A quarrel soems to have arisen when they got into the house, and Parker seized a double-barrelled fowling pieqe loaded with baU, and discharged one barrel at his wife's side, and the other at nis left breast. The ball passed through his body, and Parker was taken to the Infirmary, where he lies in a dangerous condition. The woman declined to be removed, but is in a bad state.

THE LIVINGS TO LNLAN !> MISSION. LETTERS FROM THE MISSIONARIES. We have pleasure in furnishing our riders with some of Me earliest particulars of the operations of the above mission, as contained in letters from Messrs Strom and Craven, of Cardiff, the first missionaries, it is believed, to avail themselves of the guidance and invaluable assistance of Mr Stanley's letters from Loanda, in September last. Before doing this, however, let us briefly state the origin and progress of the undertaking, which, though at present in its infancy, may, and, with Divine support and countenance, probably will, take rank as a mission of the highest importance. The idea of starting this enterprise sprang from the Rev. Alfred Tilly, pastor of Tredegarville Baptist Chapel, Cardiff, and as the will and the way proverbially lie near together, it was not long ere he fixed his eye on a man who seemed, in many ways, cut out for such a work. This was a Dane, Jacob Christian Strom by name, then engaged amongst the sailors in this port of Cardiff. H e is gifted with moral and physical courage, with great facility in acquiring languages, with the ability and tact best embodied in the American word "faculty." lie can use his hands in various crafts, and last but not least, he is exceedingly fond of children. Moreover, he was ready and eager to go forth to this untried field, to lift on high the banner of a King unknown in that region of kings and princes—of one Jesus. A committee was formed and application was made to the di- rector of the East End Missionary Training Institute, London, for a fellow labourer who should accompany him, the above-mentioned Mr Craven. Men and means being provided, they sailed from Liverpool on January 12 of this year. The liver Livingstone, called by Stanley, the Amazon of Africa, as the Nile is the Mississippi, has its sources in a high plateau south of Lake Tanganika, the entire area which it drains is about 860,000 square miles, its length about 2,000 miles -from the sources to Njangwe 1,100; from Njangwc to the Atlantic nearly 1,800. It thus furnishes four thousand miles of waterwav inter- rupted only by three main breaks of rapids and cataracts—the first a few days north of Njangwe, the second close to the equator, where the river takes a north-westerly direction, and the falls of Yellala, comprising 62 cataracts and rapids, lying about 110 miles from the mouth. It is in the district above the falls of Yellala that it is proposed to established the main station of the mission. Stanley says of it—" We encoun- tered no difficulty with the people of this region, and when once the cataracts are passed, I believe the explorer may push his way to Koruru or Mou- buttu, or to the southern ridge of the Great Basin. We have indeed the half of Africa before us with no interruption, one vast plain teeming with population. The river is and will be the grand highway of commerce to West Central Africa. The natives seem engrossed with trade; fairs and markets are established every- where, and the great difficulty is to restrain their inordinate love of barter." Amongst the products mentioned by Stanley are cotton, ivory, india-rubber, sesamum, corpal, palm oil, and ground nuts. A few miles above the upper falls a large river the Kwango, or river of Nkutu, flows into the Livingstone; it is somewhere near this spot that Messrs. Strom and Craven will endeavour to estab- lish themselves, should the obstacles to progress not prove insuperable. They will, at first, keep to the south side of the river, inasmuch as according to Stanley food is more plentiful, and the natives more friendly. Having, we hope, enabled our interested readers to follow our Mend's movements with some degree of correctness, we insert a few extracts from Messrs. Strom's and Craven's letters bearing da'-es which vary from February 12 to March 29. The imperfect English of Mr Strom will be accounted for by the fact that he is a native of Denmark. From Madeira, January 19, he writes:—"A remarkable fine passage, though our captain told me on starting that he was sure of bad weather, having missionaries on board. There are six African traders with us, who try to frighten us as to our undertaking, but I feel no fear. I must hereby let you know that we have neither received salt, bread, nor flour, with our equipment we will have to lay in at Sierra Leone. We are in- formed nothing can be had at Emboma. It is by all accounts a most miserable place, at any rate it seems the dread ef both passengers and crew. But, never mind the facts are, we have a large field of labour open to us, but an unknown language, or languages, an unhealthy climate, and a people partially savage. These are our difficulties, and— God is our strength. Funchal is a small town, built on the slope of three hills. There are six or seven convents in the immediate neighbourhood. I held service on board, with the permission of Captain Gabriel, a most kind and honourable gentleman. With a strong trade wind we at last arrived on the 27th at Sierra Leone. Here are ministers of the Established Church, Wesleyans, and some native Baptists. There is a fine harbour, and there has been a good sea wall, which is now on the verge of tumbliug down. '1 In all honour to the blacks, I must mention the market here, which far exceeds our Cardiff one, in space, light, and fresh air, though at a heat of 92 degrees in the shade. I should have liked our town <:I coAnissioners to take a negro pattern for once. I did not, among the general public, see a single drunk or/Aisorderly person, though I spent ten hours in the town, observing all I possibly could." They anchored on February 5th, off Cape Coast Castle, the largest town in the Gold Coast, with the exception of Accra, the capital. Here there has been a German mission for some seven and twenty years it has large trading establishments, and stores in the town; and Mr Strom saw cause to fear that the business element has gradually overgrown, if not overpowered, the religious. May God, in his mercy, avert so serious an evil and Himself reform any abuses or unwise compromises which have have been allowed. Mr Strom adds, I met the Wesleyan minister, Mr Russell, and was permitted to speak to his school children, my first time of speaking Christ on African soil. We arrived on the 8th at Lagos, a great merchant port, known for its handsome churches and schools and after touching at various little places, arrived at Bonny, the well-known homestead of Hugo Jumbo. Here is a. Church mission, with a well- trained colour teacher, Mr Bogle, and a n-itive staff of helpers: the schoolchildren, mostly boarders, looked intelligent and in good order. The church is at present undergoing a time of persecution, the natives are forbidden to attend the services, and the Juju priests have erected a large school and place for their idolatrous worship. I was told that 50 years ago we could not have walked through the place as we did without being swallowed up by the natives. Bishop Orowther resides here, and has a large church in course of building. 0 Leaving Bonny, we reached Old Calabar, where I exhibited our magic lantern to upwards of a hundred negroes and many Europeans, to the great astonishment of the former. We visited the Presbyterian Mission, -the Rev. Anderson at its head. He has been there since 1849, and has now an efficient staff of male and female workers. We also saw King Archibald, who is blind, but said by the missionary to be a wise and kind man. He sleeps in a silver bed, which we saw. The town of Old Calabar is better and healthier than Bonny, but its neighbourhood is infested with leopards one came into a gentleman's garden and eat a large Newfoundland dog, and a week later two watchmen met the same death. At Gaboon we made the acquaintance of Rev Bushnell, of the Presbyterian mission, an earnest warrior of Christ, full of life and vigour; he gave us many useful instructions, and we engaged a boy from his mis- sion who speaks a little English and two native

It is Mr Stanley's special request that the rivet ) hitherto known as the Congo shall, in honour of the great missionary explorer, be called the Livingstone. languages, and signed an agreement to return him to his home, all being well, in two years. Paid a dash of ci in goods to his guardians, and mast pay £ 1 10s for his passage. "It is not easy to get men or boys, especially the latter, as the king gets from seven to ten boxes rodu a piece for them, or from .£1-1 to £20, They are in a state of slavery all over this part of the country, although not exactly exported here. We hear of other missionaries intending to go up to the Congo, and Romanists, both French and Portuguese, are moving in the same direction. We have one priest on board with us, who seemed nueh astonished when he heard of our destination." ♦ By February 25th, they are at Hanna Creek, just six weeks, minus a day, from the time of embarka- tion. Through the kindness of Mr Irvvine, of Liverpool, Mr Strom was furnished with a letter of intn^Iuctiou to the firm of Messrs Yalle and Oswaldero, at Porto da Lenha, thirty-three miles up the Congo, which fact Mr S. emphasises very characteristically with a hearty "Praise God!' which we, his friends at homo, cordially re-eelioed on receiving the tidings. The gentlemen just named, gave every possible assistance to the travellers, sending a craft to take us and. our luggage to Porto da Lenha," storing the goods not immediately wanted, and encouraging them in every way with their friendship and support. We hear," says our correspondent, that there is a great rebellion six or seven miles past Boma, but we shall know in a day or two. We must go very carefully to work here, it is a strange mission, every one seems to put an obstacle in the way. Send us rice as soon as possible, as I understand that the natives will not be willing to give us a single bit to cat for some 60 or 80 miles. A hint also about equipping the next men who follow us here. One suit of Tweed or serge is enough, and a few pairs of wool socks, but plenty of gauze singlets, light Crimean and cotton print or linen shirts, cotton socks, linen pants and jackets, straw hats broad-brimmed, belts, pocket- handkerchiefs, good watch, knifes, spools, and forks, good boots strong and light ones, slippers, mosquito curtains and sheets; these are the most essential things if any one would give a donation of such things, it would be very accept- able. The most of our heavy clothes are of no use to us we shall be able to supply the next who come out with some. We have got all our cargo to this place already, which means a great deal. The great problem we puzzled over at home is solved it is now (February) the hottest and rainy season fruit all ripening, and ready in a month." Thursday, 28th of February, he writes from Porto da Lenha At 4 a.m., we put guns and men in order to start for Boma in a large canoe. The English and Dutch are casting cold water on ns at every stage. Had 33 miles to paddle against a very heavy tide. We got alongside a large herd of hippopotami, sent ball after ball into them in vain," landed on an island, took refreshment, got on the way again, saw more hippopotami, and, after a most successful voyage, arrived at Emboma at 7 p.m. I should have liked some half dozen of our friends to have beeft with us; it was really a time Contrary to information received, they found Boma a healthy place, on high land; trading stations command the country round. You must understand that-Boma is the largest trading station on the Livingstone; it contains 12 or 14 large factories, Portugese, French, Dutch, and one English, with a staff of about 50 Europeans. The language spoken chiefly is Portugese, and those who follow us should start to learn it at once; it is most essential, as Europeans and negroes for 400 miles round speak it. Mr S-, of the Dutch House here, is doing all he possibly can for us. We cannot, as Christian missionaries, leave this place any longer to itself; we are the first English missionaries who have been at Boma, and if on earth there is a place in need of a station, it is this. The Gospel is never heard, and, with a few exceptions, the inhabitants are living ungodly lives. The poor children of white parents receive no religious or moral instruction whatever, but run about, doing whatever they choose. Mrs S- has taken charge of six, whose fathers have left the place. But what about all the rest P Here are some hundreds of children wanting instruction. Now, when once a station is commenced, all the agents would be willing to send these children to school, and board in the mission, as at other stations along the coast; and as we do require a depot station in or about Boma, we could not get I a more suitable place than an island [a sketch of which Mr Strom encloses] just here, which in a year's time would produce almost everything we want. It is in a very healthy spot. Therefore, through Mr S- I have made a palaver with the King of the island, and have yesterday planted the English ensign on the top of the hill. Now it only remains for friends at home to get the funds, and send us out a house according to drawings [also enclosed]. There are no ways of building houses here, and every factory house has been sent out. "The scenery round Emboma is imposing and strikingly beautiful. It is shut in on three sides by mountains, which though frequently barren, in the rays of the sun show blood red between these hills flows the majestic calm river Livingstone, at the rate of about six or seven miles the hour; on the right bank of the river stands the traders' houses, long, low, and sparkling in the sunlight like mirrors. Malaria is almost unknown, though coast-fever is very common. The heat from November to April is nearly unbearable May to October cool, May even cold, and the best month for arriving. The large rains commence in December and last till February-the smaller from February to May. The people are not savage, but great rogues and cowards, and extremely lazy, of the real negro type, ladies with rings to such an extent it is wonderful they can walk, some of the ankle rings weighing ten and twelve pounds each. Their huts are unspeakably vile and crowded. They worship wooden gods, formed like men, adorned in a gaudy style with rings and looking-glass! The natives live chiefly on palm oil, chopped maize, cassava, ground nuts and beans. They also use a great quantity of pepper; they drink rum, gin, palm wine, and very little water. The women and children are treated more like dogs than human beings. Their weapons consist entirely of flint- lock guns, their only agricultural implement a large hoe, with a very short handle, made by them- selves from iron procured from the traders. The women do the cultivating, as it is considered de grading for the men to work in the plantation. The soil is fruitful, requiring but little labour. They cut the grass, hoe the soil into butts, sow their seed, and leave it to come to maturity. Sheep and goats, with occasional deer, are the only cattle, though traders have brought oxen from Loanda. The meaning of Boma, is a snake, and of the reptile tribe there is a great abundance. Fish is abundant, and excellent, provided you can catch it Most of the European vegetables will grow here, but the cassava and sweet potato arc the only ones cultivated by the natives." March 28.—Masnoka.—From this place Mr Strom writes: — We are 32 miles nearer the Falls, and hope to start on Monday for Nokii, 27 miles nearer. I have had a six-day fever, very heavy. Our.progress is but slow, as all must now be done by canoe, and across mountains. I have had the representative of the King of Nokii here, who will, for payment, help us up about 100 miles, and as I and others have tried now eleven or twelve kings and queens, and none can get us any further, we must accept this offer. We started for an excursion lately on foot, with only one boy, to test the roads. I may tell you it is sometimes fearful; imagine yourself going up Pcnylan, outside Cardiff, without any road cut, but squeezing yourself through wild bushes of briar and cactus, with thorns more than an inch long, the grass from seven to ten feet high, and as thick as my little nnger and as soon as you have ■ reached the top, go, in similar fashion, down the j other side, a little steeper! As soon as you are down, start again up one double as high, and so on, and so ou, as we did seven times. We found some natives not very friendly, and returns I by moonlight, having done about 22 miles in 23 hours. It was very hot—116 in the sun, 96 in the shade. As for road-making across these hills, it is out of the question it would take thousands of pounds." In a communication a day or two later, he adds in a postcript, "Have just engaged thirty carriers to take us 100 miles further up the rwer. I tried to persuade them to go as far as the Falls of Nt.'imo, but in vain." In closing his letter, Mr Strom impresses on the friends under whose auspices he acts the need of speed in fulfilling his wishes, as to more men following and taking a house with them. The station at Emboma seems an important and fitting opening, both as a religious work among the Eu- rasian children, and as an auxiliary to the special undertaking they have in view. it is hoped that sufficient public interest will shortly be elicited in this novel and much-needed mission to enable the committee to respond satisfactorily in the way of funds, and that as the feasibility of the project is now ascertained, a series of earnest men, suitably endowed, will seek by devoting themselves promptly and unreservedly to the religious interests of Central Africa, to make up, in some measure, to those long neglected beings, for England's almost unaccountable and wholly culpable delay in reach- ing that region. We may add that two more missionaries are, if not actually gone, on thf verge of sailing from Liverpool to join Messrs. Strom and Craven, both from the East End Training Institute, London their names Telford and Johnson the latter is a Swede, the other a north-countryman. A desig- nation meeting was held at Tredegarville Chapel on the 14th ultimo, to commend them to the God of missionaries and of missions. Dr. Thomas, of Pontypoo., opened the service, the Rev. Nathaniel Thomas put certain questions as to their call and views respecting the work they were entering on. The Rev, D. W. Kennedy gave a very striking address, and the meeting closed with the designa- tion prayer from the Rev. J. P. Williams, of Canton. The mission may thus be said to be fairly on its feet. Two men are on the field, two more are en route for it. and others are offering them- selves. With all our hearts we wish them God speed and abundant success. The committee, we understand, consists of Mr John Cory, treasurer; Mr R. Cory, jun., Cardiff; Mr Wm. Berger: the Rev. H. G. Guinness, Lon- don Mr James Irvine, Liverpool: and the Rev. A. Tilly, lion, secretary.

HORSE WHIPPING AN EDITOR. The city of Muncie, in Indiana, was, according to the Cmcinnatti Inquirer, recently thrown into a state of intense excitement by the public horse- whipping of Mr Ethall, editor of the Music News, by Mrs Palk, wife of Mr Robert Pa Ik. The horse- whipping was on account of an article published in the Mmic Netos which, it was alleged, "reflected" on Mrs Palk. Whether there was any ground for this allegation it is difficult to say, but certain it is that Mis Palk's vengeance for her wrongs, real or imaginary, was sharp and decisive. Mr and Mrs Palk entered a shoe store in the street in which the Musk News office is situated, and the lady sent a message to Mr Ethall, requesting him to come to the store and favour her with a few minutes' con- versation. When the unfortunate editor arrived at the ftore, in answer to the invitation, Mrs Palk calmly handed him a copy of the paper containing the article complained of, and desired him to read it. She then threw a quantity of red pepper in his face and attacked him with a horsewhip, raining her blows "fast and furious" on his head. He, blindei by pepper, could make no defence, but started off at a run. She followed him up, still continuing the castigation, until he rushed into a jeweller's store, whither she pursued him, but was pulled off by the proprietor of the establishment. Mrs ?alk then rejoined her husband, and the editor was led to his office blinded, and evidently suffering acute physical discomfort.

The crew of a French lugger have been con- victed at Thurso of smuggling, and were each sentenced to pay Y-100 or stiffer imprisonment during the Queen's pleasure. The court, however, reconTmended the customs authorities to mitigate this sentence. THREE MEX DROWNED IX A CoLMERV.—On Saturday afternoon a deplorable mining accident occurred at the Drumlemble Colliery, belonging to the Argyll Coal and Canal Company (Limited), situated on the estate of Dilkevin, in the parish of Campbeltown. The water broke into the mine in some unexplained way from an old unused working. There were a number of men in different parts of the pit at the time, but, on water being discovered, they all rushed for the bottom of the shaft, and succeeded in getting safely to the top with the ex- ception of three men, named John Todd, Daniel M'Phail, and Neil Smith, who were unable to get out of the pit in time. and were drowned. Todd and M'Phail were both married, but Smith was unmarried. The bodies have not been recovered. The pit is flooded to within about 100 feet of the surface. The pit is being pumped as fast as pos- sible, but it will take some time before it is cleared. One ef the miners named Munro, who was among the last to leave the pit, was standing with Todd, one of the drowned men, waiting for the cage to descend, so as to take them to the surface, and states that he (Munro) jumped and caught tll) rope as soon as the cage came down, expecting Todd to follow, but that he heard the latter calling out, "Jamie, I'm done: I can't get on," and thinks he must have been caught by some obstacle and prevented from climbing into the cage. Todd was about 60 years of age, but the others were young men.—Glasgow Herald.

THE ALLEGED MANSLAUGHTER BY A DETECTIVE. Mr John Humphreys OR Monday held an inquest at the Drill Hall, Tottenham High-cross, Loudon, on the body of James Ferdinand Friend, aged 30, who is alleged to have been violently assaulted and killed by Detective Skeats, of the N division. Mr G. Richard Friend, of Muswell-hill, identified the body of that of his son, a mechanic. Deceased was struck on the head four years ago by a hammer, and was ill some time, and then enlisted into the army, and was injured by falling from a gun he was discharged as being unfit for further service, since which time he had been at work at Colney Hatch.—Arthur F. Friend, son of the last wit- ness, said that the deceased was in his usual health when he started from home.—John Friend, a hawker, said that he met the deceased on the day of the alleged assault, and was walking along the 11 cl Wood- green-road with him. when Skeats charged witness with stealing a basket of winkles he was carrying. Witness replied it was false, when the detective struck liim, and then charged deceased with stealing a pail he was carrying, and upon de- ceased saying it was false, Skeats struck him with a stick, and he fell down insensible, and was then kicked, and Skeats then took witness into custody. —James Harris gave confirmatory evidence.— Theodore Cassan, house surgeon at the Tottenham Training Hospital, deposed that the deceased was brought to the hospital at seven o'clock on Sunday morning, the 16th ult. He was quite insenible, and died a few hours afterwards. He had made a post-mortem examination, and externally found a contusion over the right temple, abrasions on the right side of the face and the left car. Internally he found an old fracture on the left side of the skull, evidently the result of an injury of long standing; the adjacent parts were quite healthy"; on the right side there was a fracture of the temporal bone of very recent date, and a consider- able extravasation of blood on the brain, which was the immediate cause of death. His opinion of the fracture was the result- of a blow. After receiving the injury it would be quite possible for a man to walk half a mile. and he would then be- come gradually insensible.—Caleb Skeats, of the Southgate Station, a plain clothes detective, said that on the night in question he apprehended John Friend, when the deceased attempted a rescue, and seized witness by the throat. Being nearly throttled he was compelled to strike deceased, and struck him with his fist and knocked him down. He used no more violence than was absolutely necessary to enable him to secure his prisoner. Deceased was sent on in charge of Jeffreys, and witness subsequently overtook them, and saw the deceased lying on the ground as if drunk. He believed that he was shamming, and hit him on the buttock with a stick to make him move. He was not at all insensible, and spoke several times up to the time he reached the station. He had been a police-constable for ten years and no com- plaint hab been made against him.—W. Jeffreys gave confirmatory evidence, and admitted that he had slapped the deceased's face and told him to move, believing him to be shamming, but the blow "would not have hurt a child.—The coroner hav- ing summed up, pointed out the salient features of the case, and explained the law regarding man- slaughter. The court was cleared for ten minutes, when the jury returned the following verdict: — We find that deceased died from fracture of the skull, received at the hands of Caleb Skeats, whilst in the proper discharge of his duty. We think that no more force was used than necessary, and that there is no blame to be attached to the police force."

THE ANGLO-TURKISH CONVENTION. A LIBERAL PROTEST. The executive committee of the National Federa- tion of Liberal, Associations issued the following circular on Tuesday night: "86, New-street, Birmingham, July 9, 1878. Dear Sir,-The action of the Government in concluding an alliance with Turkey for a protec- torate of her Asiatic possessions renders it impera- tive that no time should be lost in eliciting the opinion of the country, both as regards the policy itself and the secrecy with which it has been adopted and enforced. That an intimate alliance should have been formed with Turkey under any circumstances for the express purpose of maintain- ing and strengthening the Ottoman Power, is necessarily repugnant to the feelings of the majority of the British people, hostile to the policy affirmed by the country, and contrary to the repeated declarations of ministers themselves. That such an alliance, involving this country in responsibilities incalculable to their extent and in their possible results, should have been formally concluded between the Government of the Queen and that of the Sultan, at the request of the former, and without the knowledge of Parliament, is inimical to the interests of the nation, and dan- gerous to the liberties of the people. It is abso- lutely necessary that a protest should be at once raised throughout the country against the secrecy of a transaction of such momentous importance, against the policy of the engagements into which, without its knowledge or consent, the Ministers of the Crown have entered on behalf of the nation, and against the acquisition of new territory by the practical annexation of the island of Cyprus, not- withstanding the professions of the Government that England desired no advantage for herself, but that she entered the congress solely in order to maintain the faith of treaties, and to protect the general interests of Europe. We respectfully invite your attention to these points, and request you to take such measures as may seem advisable to elicit an expression of opinion upon them in your locality.—Yours faithfully, WM. HAHRIS, Chairman of Committee. J. S. WRIGHT, Treasurer. "JEssE COLLINGS, Hon. Secretary. F. SciirADHORST, Secretary."

APPROPRIATE Soxo FOR THE LATE TREACHEROUS WEATHER—" Hail. Smiling Morn A LEOPARD AT LARGE.—While the servants in a wild beast show were cleaning a leopard's cage, in ,^toekwel 1 street, Glasgow, on Wednesday, the auimal forced its way out and bounded into the stieet, causing the greatest alarm to the people in the neighbourhood. It seized a dog belonging to a carrier and killed it. The leopard was ultimately run into a corner, where its keeper lassoed it round the neck with a stout rope, and took it back to its cagc. Several English Liberals voted in the minority on Tuesday night in favour of Mr Errington's motion for inquiry into the Irish Land Act, includ- ing Messrs J. L. Bell, J. Blake, Lord G. Cavendish, Chamberlain, Sir C. Dilke, Dillwyn, Fawcctt, Sir H. Jackson, Sir W. Lawson, John Roberts, P. Taylor, C. R. Talbot, Isaac Wilson, and John Whitwell. On Tuesday night a boat belonging to her Majesty's ship Toy, with five of the crew, left Portland for the ship. When a short distance from the shore a squall suddenly caught the boat, which was under sail, and capsized it. The accident being witnessed from her Majesty's ship Glutton, a boat from that vessel rescued the men in a very exhausted condition. One of them, an officer's servant, has since died. ALLEGED MAXSLATGHTEK AT A Lux AT TC ASYLUM. At an inquest held on Monday on the body of a patient named Webb, a gamekeeper, who died in the OJlUlty asylum at Gloucester, three attendants, at the asylum, named David Rodway, Henry Collins, and Lewis, were committed by the coroner for trial at the assizes for the manslaughter of the deceased. It was shown that deceased had four ribs broken on his right side and five on his left, and his breast bone was fractured. A patient named Cock deposed to deceased being jumped upon, and praying Almighty God to take him out of his misery. Other patients, named Powell and I Evans gave evidence: The three warders denied ill-using the deceased.

¡ THE NEW WELSH PRESBYTERIAN I CHAPEL AT SEACOMBE. OPENING CEREMONY. A new Welsh Presbyterian Chapel, the founda- tion stone o.1' which was laid in June, 1876, by Mr David Davies, M.P., was opened for divine worship on Friday at Seacombe. The congregation for whom the chapel has been built have hitherto met in a small unpretentious building at the corner of Victoria-street and Birmingham-street, but the extension of the cause in the district during the past five or six >ears lias neccssit .ted the t of a more commodious edifice, and one more iu harmony with modern tastes and ideas. The ut- most credid is due to the T'romoters of the scheme for the successful way in which their wishes have been realised, and the Welsh Presbyterians can now boast of the place of Worship which not oniy fives abundant evidence of the healthy vitality of their distinctive principles, but is also architectur- ally an ornament to the parish of Wallasey. The chapel occupies a spienaiu she in Liseard-road, near its junction with Victoria-road. The building is cruciform in plan, consisting of nave and tran- septs, with vestry and necessary lavatories and cloak-rooms, &c., at back, the principal entrance porches being to Liscard road. The roof is what is styled waggonhead, and follows the curve of the ptincipals, the feet of which rests on detached columns of Anglesey marble, with foliated caps and mounted bases and corbels. The pulpit, which is a beautiful specimen of pitch pine work, stands partially within a recess which may be termed a chancel, over which is a noble arch rest- ing on triple marble columns, and behind is a. handsome threedight iraceried window, which is filled with stained glass, the gift of Mr R. Evans, of Much Woolton. The transepts, in which for the present it is intended to hold the Sunday schools, are divided from the nave by screens of pitch pine, the framing being so arranged that when necessary they can be opened and used by the congregation. The pews are all Opítll and are worked in pitch pine, the accommodation being at present for 270 in the nave, to which may be added 120 who can sit in the transepts. Externally thw main gable, which fronts Liscard-road immediately opposite Brougham-road, contains a seven-light window with traceried head, having polished columns, with moulded caps and bases. This gable is flanked on the left by a tower and spire rising in five stages to a height of about 110 feet to YO) of vane,air1,b<ing a conspicuous object,is visible trom every direction. At the springing of the spire arc four spirelets or turrets: in the lower stage of tower is a doorway leading to one of the porches. The main gable is flanked on the right by a small turret and also a roomy porch. Immediately over the intersection of the nave with transepts is a fliche. rising above the roof about twenty feet. The windows of the nave and transepts are all in keeping with the other work, some being two lights and others three lights, the heads being all filled in with tracery there are also two rose windows in transepts. The whole of the external masonry con- sists of limestone, that for the dressed portion being obtained from the Fenmon Quarries, near Beaumaris, Anglesey, and the shoddies or ashlars- from Mrs Foulkes' Quarries, at Craig, Denbigh. The chapel is heated with hot water, by apparatus supplied by Messrs Bennett Brothers. Liverpool, who also provided the lightning conductor and finials, &c. This firm also laid and fixed all the gas piping, &c.; the gas pendants and non, hinges, &c., being supplied by Messrs Jones and Willis, of Birmingham, from special designs sup- plied by the architect. The latches and general internal work were supplied by Mr Dodson. of Manchester. Messrs Hart, Son, Peard, and Co., of London, supplied the entrance gate-i and rail- ings. The whole of the pewing, which is pitch pine, was entrusted to Messrs Roberts, Williams, and Co., Boundary-street, Liverpool. Mr Jipping was the plasteier the carved work being executed by Mr J. Griffiths and Signor M. Giflowski. The porches are laid with Maw's tiles. Messrs Forrest and Son, of Lime-street, Liverpool, supplied the glazing, which is rolled cathedral, fixed in lead lights. The varnishing is the work of Messrs Andrews and Meers, of Egremont; and Mr S. Williams, of Birkenkead, supplied the furniture of communion seats, &c. The clerk of works was Mr J. Jones, of Egremont; and the whole of the work was carrid out under the immediate superin- tendence of the architect, Mr R. G. Thomas, of Menai Bridge, who is to be complimented upon the artistic design which he has produced, and also upon the very superior way in which it, has been carried out by all the tradesmen engaged. In the forenoon divine service was conducted in the chapel, afid there was a numerous congrega- tion. The Rev Dr Lewis Edwards, principal of Bala College, preached an excellent sermon from Phillippians ii. 8. The prayers were offered up by the Rev R. Thomas, of Garston and the Rev R. Lumley, minister of the congrega- tion, gave out the psalms and hymns. At the close a collection was made in aid of the building1 fund. We understand that £ 2400 has been already subscribed by the congregation but a considerable sum is still required to pay all expenses in con- nection with the new edifice. The evening service was very well attended, every part of the chapel being full.

SHOCKING ACCIDENT AT LIVERPOOL An accident of a remarkable and very shocking- character, involving the death of a Liverpool gen- tleman, took place at the Cornwallis- street Corpo- ration Baths on Saturday morning. At half-past eight Mr Walter Wright, aged seventeen years, son of Mr James Wright, who resides in Hope- street, and is a member of the firm of Messrs J. and T. Wright, corn merchants and millers, 2, Seel-street, went with two companions into the plunge bath. After swimming f.-r some time, Mr Wright appeared to be about to leave the bath, but as he- was near one of the slips at the south end, and swimming slighly on his side, a ponder- ous piece oi plate glass, about three-quarters of an inch in thickness and about three feet in length, fell from the roof, a height of about thirty feet, and struck Mr Wright on the breast, inflicting a deep and jagaed wound, which bled profusely. His companions were fortunately at the other end of the bath at the time. Robert Shaw, the assistant at the bath, succeeded in getting the poor young man out ot the water, but even then life seemed to be ebbing away last, with the fearful flow of blood which continued to pour forth, and in about ten minutes the youth, died. Medical aid was sought with all promptness, and Dr Lindsay and Dr LcwifJ were soon in attendance, but life was extinct before their arrival. The remains were subsequently conveyed to the residence of the deceased. A report has been made to the coroner, and an inquest will be held in the usual course. The bath was closed to the public after the occurrence. The roof is of corrugated iron at the side, and in the centre is an iron framework, with plate-glass panes of large size. It is conjectured that the excessive heat experienced during the week before last, and the alternations of tem- perature which have prevailed of late, have expanded and contracted both the iron and the glass so as to produce the fractures in the portion which fell. The pane was cracked into four triangular pieces. Two of these triangles, forming the centre of the pane, fell, and two at- either side remained attached to the framework. It is said that some p rtion of the roofing fell on a previous occasion, happilv when there was no one in the bath. But, doubiloss, the whole condiAn of the roof will be fully ascertained at the inc^py which so melancholy an^occurenee has rcncp^d necessary.

The additional collections received on Saturday at the Mansion House, in aid of the London Hos- pital Sunday Fund, have increased the amount tw about £16,000.