Barry Herald

"I It. liOSCIJE cannot obtain men for the Navy as readily ag money. He has been wanting 300 ship- wrights for the fleet for some time past, but recruiting is so slow that it looks as if the new men will barely fill the vacancies caused by death, ill-health, and super- annuation. In consequence of this a reduction has been made in the number of ah ipwrights allowed to each yeNel.

REMARKABLE STORY FROM A BEDFORDSHIRE VILLAGE. The pleasant little village of Keysoe, Bedfordshire, but for the fact of a remarkable occurrence there recently, might have for ever remained in rural seclusion. But a reporter from the Hui)t,< Coun.'y Xeics found the place out and elicited an interesting Miss Cunningham. story there. Miss Lou ig;i C u n n ington. described as a bright and ITl- telligent voting ladJ, of seven- teen, said to him I hin t, been a sufierer all my life. When a. child I was able to attend school only hQout' half the num- ber of times I ought to have done, and since leaving to learn dressmaking, often felt quite unequal to mv duties. In childhood I was the victim of frequent heart-failure, causing severe fainting fits. Mv diges- tion was bad. and I bad so little appetite tbat I could eat no more than was barely necessary to sus- ain life. At times my limbs would be quite drawn up, and I suffered terribly with my head. During the latter part of my illness I frequently had to give up entirely and go to bed. Three or four years ago my mother took me to the Infirmary for a period of six months, with little or no result." Mrs. Cunnington here took up the thread of the story, and said that last year she read two or three little books relating to a medicine which had effected many remarkable cures, in one case very similar to that of her daughter. This medicine was Dr. Williams' Pink Pills for Pale People. As a last resort she wrote for two boxes of the pills. Questioned as to the results, Mrs. Cunnington said, After taking the contents of the two boxes Louie rapidly improved in health. To the surprise of all her acquaintances, she was now able to eat well, and to perform all her duties. The fainting fits have entirely ceased, and she is no longer troubled with those distressing symptoms which so long had been the torment of her life." Official attention is being attracted to the numerous cures reported in: the newspapers from the use of Dr. Williams' Pink Pills for Pale People, which include considerably over six thousand cases of f anemia, general weakness, loss of appetite, palpita- tion, shortness of breath, early decay, all forms of female weakness, hysteria, paralysis, locomotor ataxy, rheumatism, sciatica, scrofula, rickets, chronio erysipelas, consumption of the bowels and lungs, These Pills are not a purgative, and contain nothing that could injure the most delicate. They aral genuine only with the full name, Dr. Williams' Pink Pills for Pale People, and are sold by Dr. Williams' Medicine Company, Holborn-viaduct, London, E.C., ht 2s. 9d. a box, or six boxes for 13s. 9d., post free. They invigorate the system after overwork, worrye tnd indiscretion of living.

A HOLIDAY PEST. Tulcr vrtltans is a personage of considerable im- portance in England during the summer months, especially at tbe seaside, but in tbe State of New York be becomes a very terrible creature indeed. In fact, the Yonkers Board of Health had to make an organised attack upon these agile but exasperating insects with the result that the tiea army marched j upon Vernon-park, a particularly aristocratic suburb .t New York, and took up its abode there. It is at least a curious coincidence that the moment the Yonkers Local Board began to apply remedies the pest appeared at Vernon park. Headquarters were established in the house of Mr. George B. Brown, a New York banker. It is one of the finest in Vernon-park. These are fleas of taste and discernment. Mr. Brown and his family leased tbe place on May 1, and lived there in peace until last Sunday week. On that day, early in the morning, Mrs. Brown arose and went mto one of the rooms upstairs. The fleas had moved in during the night. The room was black with them, and Mrs. Brown fled in haste. Other members of fhe family were met by the advancing hosts when they prose, and they stood on chairs and tables while they dre-sed. With one accord everybody made huste to get downstairs as soon as dressed, and one or two gnes's, it is said, received urgent telegrams during thf dftv calling them home, and hastened to obey. The fleas now have full possession of tbe second ard third floors, and roam at will there. They show no disposition to migrate downstairs, though a large dog and several cats would seem to offer inriuce- u.ei'fs. These fleas are athletic specimens. Very well developed as to hind legs, they can leap a long dis-tance with superior aim. Their appetites are marvellous. Poison they eat with a relish, swoon with pleasure in the fumes of ammonia and sulphur, and regard fly paper and insect powder as delicacies beyond compare. The sanitary inspector declares the house untenantable, and tbe Browns have moved out to the seaside where they hope to be able to conceal their address from the fleas.

MR. STOKES'S MURDER. A Blue Book has been issued containing numerous papers and despatches relating to the execution by Major Lothaire of Mr. Stokes, an English trader in the Congo Free State. Lord Salisbury, in one despatch to Sir F. Plunkett, British Minister at Brussels, says "Her Majesty's Government is forced to the conclusion that the charge made against Mr. Stokes of inciting to civil war was brought in as an afterthought to account for the neglect to accord him his right of appeal and for the indiction of the death penalty." His lordship comments adversely upon the trial of Major Lothaire at Bom a for Mr. Stokes's murder, and upon the later legal proceedings at Brussels, and says the British .n Government cannot conceal that their confidence in tbe conduct of justice within the jurisdiction of the Congo Free State has been rudely shaken, and they will watch with much anxiety the future administra- tion of the law and regulations of the State as affect- ing the persons and property of British subjects. The Congo Free State replies to this despatch, attempting to explain matters, but Lord Salisbury ciirtlv informs Mr. Adam, Secretary of the British Legation at Brussels, that her Majesty s Government do not admit the cegency of the contentions of the Congo Government, and that no practical result is likely to be obtained by continuing the correspon- dence.

A PAUPER POET. At the last meeting of the Edmonton Board of Guardians the master of the workhouse complained that certain deposits in a brickfield adjoining attracted swartns of flies to the neighbourhood. The inmates in the infirmaries we £ he said annoyed and disturbed by the insects. He produced several verses on the subject which had been written by an inmate. The following is the opening stanza: II Oh, the flies, the horrid flies! E.'ry moment, though one dies Tragically, and a hive Of them hourly caught alive, They still come. Ob they still come, Driving almost everyone

The gold yield of Tasmania for the put q««ter amounted to 12,300oz., a decre^e of oU.Jboz. A SENSITIVE thermometer, showin large motions on an index for small variations m temperature, is reported to have been inven on nf &n American. The expansion and contraction of mer. curv under heat and cold controls the working of th«"upparat-os, and the degree of sensitiveness attain- able is said to have theoretically ino limit, whilst in practice it sows all that is needed for the most deli- cate obf-ervationt;.undertisken in present-day scientific 'T^Tinvention has recently been patented, which consists in the attaching of a mirror on each side of a locomotive, so that the driver^may, without looking backward, keep a sharp wa e sides of the whole length of the train, and in the event of any person attempting to lea» J tram while in motion, or signalling '7 ,clr cumstances would be readily pereei J e driver or anyone in charge. The appliance is also applicable to other vehicles. PASTOR KNErrp, the water-cuxe priest of Woeris- hofeu, Bavaria, left all bis property to his lifelong friend, Pastor Stiickle, in Mindeiheim, cutting off ble relatives with nothing. The management of his famous institution at Woerishofen be entrusted to his lieutenant, who has hitherto represented him in its conduot, Prior Reste. WHATEVER may be tbe truth about the cycling slump" in England, there can be no question of its reality in America. Dealers in Now York and Chicago are advertising new machines for sale at under E3 10s. each, and second-hand machines for El and JE2 each. One New York firm offers to send bicycles to any who forward them a dollar, leaving the balance to be I)aid after the buyers have examined their purchases. The cycle-making trade has been enormously over <10M in America, and it yet remains to be seen 'if we will not have a similar state of things here in a few months.

DOCK IMG HORSES' TAILS AN ARTIST'S VIEWS. Mr. G. F. Watts, R.A., writing to the Committee of the Koval Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Ariiti)al;with reference to the practice of docking horses' tails, says Too much cannot be said in reprobation of the brutally senseless and mischievous practice of docking in addition to the value of the ;ai 1 as a beautiful appendage, it is not improbable that the counter-balancing weight and influence of the head and strong shoulders may be very service- able in the animal's motion and action. I feel an exceeding desire that the nation should stand high in the estimation of the future, and regret, for the sake of tue national character, that among the many who spend creat SUIllS on the turf and breed horses, no mtluential voice has been raised in condemnation of the brutal want of feeling which can cause such in- difterence to the Buffering and injury to the animal, for it cannot be doubted that mutilation of so impor- tant a structure as the spine must entail serious con- sequences. That such a degrading want of taste should pass unnoticed, argues a serious absence of some of the finer qualities which should distinguish an individual. And what stupidity that cannot fore- see in the changes of fashion that follow so quickly the diminution of value. In many ways we are not making a good record for the future to judge by."

THE CASE OF NEGLECTED CHILDREN. A hill giving boards of guardians extended powers of control over neglected children has been brought forward by Mr. Ernest Flower, M.P., at. the instiga- tion of the Children's Aid Association, 61, Old Broad- street., of which Lord Peel is the chairman. The bill treats with (1) the children of paupers of the perma- nent class, whose character of mental deticiency may reader them unfit to have the control of their off- spring (2) the children of habitual tramps and of the in and oitt" classes (3) orphan children chargeable to the rates. The bill also makes it a punishable offence for any relation to interfere or molest a child under the care of the guardians, but at the same time it allows for power to appeal to the magistrates by persons who, being reformed, are fit to resume I i parental duties. It is proposed that the age to which the guardians are to retain powers of supervision be raised to 18, and provision also is made for the fur- ther extension of protection to those who specially need it or who voluntarily claim it. Difficulties in dealing with these classes of children have been ex- perienced in all parts of the country; it is to be hoped that this measure, if adopted, will do some- thing to meet them. Mr. William Jones, Mr. Michael Davitt, and Mr. Harry Samuel have backed the hill, and the late Mr. Mundella had promised his Bupport.

THE HENDERSON MISSION. Some details of the disaster which befel Lieutenant Henderson's mission to Samorv are now to hand. The account derived from the narrative of a native, who, after being captured by Samory's men, was twice sold a a slave, being finally brought to the Gold Coast, where he was recognised as a British subject and released. The attack, it appears, was made at Wa, the commander of Samory's troops being one of his SOIlS. Wa is about 21 days' march from Accra. In the attack Mr. Ferguson, the coloured inter- preler, was shot in the thigh. He could not walk, and as he was sinking from loss of blood he told his carriers, some of whom stuck to him most gallantly, to save themselves and leave him, as he was as good as dead. He was captured by Samory's men. It appeared that he was the very man they were looking for. The leader asked another British prisoner who he was, and when told it wag Ferguson would not believe the man. The man persisted in his statement that it was Mr. Ferguson, the Government interpreter, and the leader, knowing that he had made many sketches of the country and treaties for the Government, told Mr. Fergu;on he must go with them to their chief Samory, at the same time telling him that it was he who brought the white man to take their country. Ferguson refused to rise, when the leader said he would shoot him, but would give him a few moments to decide what to do. By a great effort Mr. Fer- guson rose to his feet, and then told Samory's men that they could do what they liked he was not going with them. Almost instantly ho was shot oead, and as he fell one of the men cut off his bead with his sword. At that moment Lieutenant Henderson was a prisoner about 15 miles distant, and the head of poor Ferguson was taken and shown to him. Lieutenant Henderson was much shocked at the terrible end of his friend, but was told by Samory's men that their chief palaver was with Ferguson, and not with the white man. A number of men, both carriers and Hausa troops, had been killed, and others taken prisoners. The enemy, how- ever, did not ill-treat them. They had captured from the British two 7-pounder guns and a quantity of arms and ammunition, as well as £ 1500 in money. The captured party were taken to Almany Samory. Lieutenant Henderson saw Samory, and was honour- able treated by him, and on his return to the Gold Coast was provided with bullocks and an escort of Samory's troops.

THE ANDREE EXPEDITION. A short and most interesting lecture has been given at the Royal Societies' Club in London, by Mr. J. T. Studley, upon the Polar Expedition of Herr Andree, which was illustrated by a large number of lantern slides, photographs, and maps. Mr. Studley gave an informal narrative of his ex- perience with Andree Instead of making the ascent from Amsterdam Island, as originally intended, it was really made from the main land. Here the building was erected of wood, within which the balloon was inflated, and from which a year after- wards the ascent was made. Views were given of the scene at the spot, the top of the balloon appearing above the circular building, the mountain at the back, and in the foreground, across an open sea, the low range of mountains on Amsterdam Island which Andree feared at one time his balloon would not at the start have sufficient buoyancy to cross, instead of which it rose on being freed 15,000ft. in the air. One view shown, which evoked loud applause, represented Andree with Strondberg and Ekholm in conference. Ekholm did not ascend with Andree when he went up this year, and the one who took his place bore a name which the lecturer had forgotten. Ekholm withdrew from the attempt because he doubted the capacity of the balloon to carry gas enough for the voyage, the leakage when the balloon was ready being at the rate of 50 cubic metres in the 24 hours while the total capacity was not more than 4500 cubic metres. The measures taken for fitting and balancing the car of the balloon were explained, the building of pine in which the balloon was constructed, and the piping which conveyed the gas for inflation. The windows of the shed were made of gelatine. The drag-ropes, of which there were two sets, were, as to one set, laid out on the ground, so that at the rise there would be no entangling, while the other set was coiled below the balloon, and above the car. The gas was generated from sulphuric acid, which was poured on steel shavings, while salt water, instead of fresh water, was made use of. The balloon was 30 metres in height, 98ft. in circumference, and 28ft. in diameter. The netting was of Italian hemp, and there were three valves, one nearly on tbe top, one nearly in the middle, and the third, which was automatic, was in the neck of the balloon. The boom to which the sails were fastened was below tbe storage for food, and the place where a boat capable of carrying nine men was stored just above the car. All the food was fastened in linen bags above the car the water was carried in alumi- nium cases. While he was with the party the weather was never exceedingly cold, and he did not think the party would suffer from any extremity of cold, because they would be moving with the wind, and not against it. There were two leg-of-mutton sails and a square sail fastened to the boom. The car itself was suspended from a ring of hickory wood, and their instruments were fastened to this. The drag-ropes were made of cocoa-nut fibre, twisted so hard as almost to resemble iron. All three drag-ropes could be disconnected from the car by a swivel arrangement. By a ratchet arrangement on the edge of the car the drag- ropes could be shifted, so as to direct the balloon. The car itself was covered with canvas, and was 6ft. in diaaieter and 4ft. in depth. Below the car was a r basket, which was fitted up very ingeniously to carry necessary instruments; and there was accommodation for two beds. Mr. Studley paid the very highest compliments to tbe character of Herr Andree as a man of gi-eat resources, of infinite courage, and expreiisecibis undoubted belief that he would return all right, which was loudly applauded. Great, interest was excited by a description of a novel cooking stove, which was hur.g below the balloon, and lighted automatically by a fusee, a small looking-glass outside the apparatus showing when the oil stove was alight, and when put out. Andree took two cameras with him, containing 1000 tubes each, for photographing. The food was of every variety—tea, cocoa, butter, bread, chocolate, peas, figs sardines, anchovies, and fruits. He also curried 40 carrier pigeons, which were marked on the right wing Andree's Polar Expedition, 1897;" and on tbe left,, Aftonbladet, Stockholm." There were also a number of small cork buoys, in the tops of whicb. projecting from a small bar, was the Swedish dsg.

VISITOR: "Does mamma give you anything for being a good boy ?" Tommy:" o; she gives it to me when I ain't."

A REMARKABLE BIBLE. In October next New Bedford, Massachusetts, will eelebrate its incorporation as a cit. and one feature of the proceedings will be 1\ reproduction, with as large a measure of historical accuracy as is p^ssiMe. of the British invasion of 1778. On the 5th day of September, says the Morning Men-urn, a hostile English fleet landed, destroyed be shipping, and burned tbe town. The British acted in the matter, there is no doubt, from motives of retaliation and punishment, ratber than for purposes of plunder. The same expedition afterwards proceeded to Marthas Vineyard and carried off large numbers of cattle, witn considerable money, but there is no nccount that any money was taken from Bedford. as the village was then called. New Bedford's tiarbour had from the beginning of hostilities been noted as a rendezvous for privateers, and the damage inflicted upon English commerce by the whalemen had excited the deepest resentment. As early as May, 1775, but a few weeks after the Battle of Lexington, the British cruiser Falcon had captured in the bay three vessels belonging to Sand- wich. A vessel was fitted out from Bedford under command of Captain Egery which recaptured two of these ve"sels with 15 British officers and sailors. The privateer Providence, whose name was associated with many brilliant naval achievements, had her ren- dezvous in New Bedford. She was a sloop of about 90 tons, and at one time, it is said, was under the command of Captain Paul Jones. Her most famous exploit was with his Majesty's brig Deligence, of 18 guns, which she captured and brought into the New Bedford Harbour after a most determined and bloody engagement. Major-General Grey, under orders from Sir Henry Clinton, at New York, arrived in the bay and anchored off Clarks Point, a jutting headland which makes out into the bay, about noon of Saturday, September, 5, 1778, with two frigates, a brig-of-war, and some 36 transports, with about 5000 men. The main body of the troops was landed on Clarks Point that afternoon, and marched in the course of the night past the head of the river, a small settlement at the extreme north end of the town, and passing on a road east of the village of Fairhaven, which is on the opposite side of the Acusbnet river from New Bedford, direct to Sconticut neck, a head- land somewhat similar in contour to Clarks Point, and about three miles distant, re-embarked, and were all on board the fleet by Sunday noon, the 6th. On the march a detachment turned from the country road, now County-street, in these days a famous residential centre, down to the wharves, burning the stores and vessels at their moorings. A good many of the ships destroyed were prizes and large amounts of prize goods were burned. Another party pro- ceeded further up the river and destroyed the ship- ping there. A fort which stood on the Fairhaven side of the river on a huge natural boulder com- manding the approach to the inner harbour was blown up by the invaders, after its guns bad been spiked. Major-General Grey in his official report stated to the commander-in-chief of the British forces that the expedition destroyed eight sail of large vessels, from 200 to 300 tons, most of them prizes; six armed vessels, carrying from 10 to 16 guns a number of sloops and schooners of inferior size, amounting in all to 70, besides whaleboats and others—among the prizes were three taken by Count D'Estaing's fleet; 26 storehouses at Bedford, these filled with very great quantities of rum, sugar, molasses, coffee, tobacco, cotton, tea medicines, gun- powder, sail cloth, cordage, &c.; two rope walks, with their contents." WASHINGTON'S OATH AS A FREEMASON. Among the several dwelling-houses destroyed, of none of which the British commander makes men- tion, was the habitation of old Bartholomew West and his two sons, whose domestic affairs were managed by Hannah Sogg. Among the many articles carried away from the old man's home by the in- vaders was a Bible which was destined to have a history. It is to this day in the possession of the 46th Regiment, now knewn as the Duke of Corn- wall's Regiment, light mfantry, through whose chap- lain. Rev. R. Stewart Patterson, its history was finally traced. The family traditions regarding this famous Bible have been well preserved, for down through the successive generations the story has been told that the old man Bartholomew held the book in great veneration, and to his death spoke of its loss with great regret. He supposed that it was burned with the other household goods and so during the long century intervening, the family of Wests had no knowledge of the sacred volume's existence. Upon this Bible, as Chaplain Patterson has discovered during his long search for facts in regard to it. Washington took one of the degrees of Masonry. The 46th Regiment was originally num- bered the 57th, and was raised in 1741. Six vears later, by the disbandment of 11 regiments, it became the 46th Foot, by which name it was known until 1888. In 1752, when quartered in Ireland, < Masonic charter was obtained from the grand lodge of that country. The regiment lodge was numbered 227, and was also known as the Lodge of Social and Mili- tary Virtue, its motto being Libens Solvit Merito Votum." Both name and motto, it is to be remarked, have the same initials, L.S.V.M." A REGIMENTAL TREASURE. The regiment formed a part of General Grey's ex- pedition to New Bedford, and it was soldiers belong- ing to its ranks who carried away the West family Bible. It is stated that the volume was once re- taken by the Americans, but they, not Knowing its value, as a keepsake, of their own Commander-in- Chief, returned it to the 46th before that corps sailed for England in 1782. After having been quartered in Ireland for several years, the 46th proceeded to Gibraltar in 1792. thence to the West Indies in 1794, and back to England in 1796, where it remained until 1804, when it pro- ceeded to garrison the Island of Dominica, which was shortly after attacked by an overwhelming French force. The English commander was forced to evacuate and the Bible bad to be abandoned, but was afterwards restored to the regiment under a flag of truce, as is set forth on a silver plate attached t to the walnut case, with glass lid, in which it is kept in the ante-room of the officers' mess, the inscription on which reads as follows: On this sacred volume Washington received a degree of Masonry. It was twice taken by the enemy, and both times returned to the regiment with all the honours of war." This Bible followed the fortunes of the corps afterwards to England, Jersev, the Isle of Wight, New South Wales, and India. Here the Masonic ledge which appears all along to have been the custodian of the book, ceased working in the year 1827. The Bible and jewels were taken to England by the regiment in 1833, when the lodge was revived. Some 16 or 17 years ago, when the regiment was quartered in Ber- muda, the case was opened to display the book to some guests, when the page which contained the signature of Gen. Washington mysteriously disappeared. The Bible is about lOin. by 12in., is handsomely bound in Morocco, and iB richly stamped in gold with Masonic emblems.

TWICKENHAM PARISH CHURCH. The Builder recalls the fact that most of Twicken ham Parish Church fell to the ground in the night of April 9, 1713; the body of the church was re- built of brick, and completed in 1715, after the designs of John James, architect also of the adjacent Orleans House (1710), to which Gibbs added tbe Octagon Room. Within the church, on the east wall, are the memorial to his parents, et silli, set up by Pope (who was buried beneath the middle aisle), and, on the north wall, the monument to the poet erected, 1761, by Warburton, Bishop of Gloucester. On the outer walla are tablets to Mary Beach, Pope's nurse, ob. 1725, and Kitty Clive, the actress, who died at Little Strawberry-hill, or w Cliveden," in 1785. Here, too, were buried Edward Seymour, portrait painter (1757), the Royalist John Berkeley, Lord of Stratton, Admiral Byron, and, teste the Register, Kneller The advowsons of Twickenham, Isleworth, and Heston, formerly belonged to the monks of St. Valery, and were then granted to Winchester College. After the Surrender Henry VIII. gave the first, two to Baroness Howe of Langar, pulled down Pope's Villa—to which Sir William Stanhope bad added two wings—see the plates in E. Ironside's book on the ?arish^ (1797), and the Beauties of England and Pales"—having bought it after Pope's decease on May 30, 1744.

A QUEER INDUSTRY. Catching horned toads for the Honolulu market is one of the growing industries of Old San Diego," better known as Mexican Town." Mexicans and Indiana go out upon the desert and catch these little horned reptiles, and sell them to tbe sailors and shipping-houses for ehipment to Honolulu to be ntiiised in eating country i« overrun with the pests, and as the toads live upon flies and eat them for mere amusement they are in great de- mand. They are shipped in boxes partly filled with sand, and fed on flies during the voyage. The toads are sold at about 25 cents each. Mexicans do a good business also in seiling horned toads to tourists. They are great pets with ladies, especially the ehBpi- eettes, who belong to the smart set al.d affect the latest fds. They are charged from 50 cents up for each toad. The chapisettes amuse themselves bj parading the toads on the hotel piazzas during tbt lazy afternoons and watch them swallow Hies. Small bets are made on the ability of their favourite tOfld to swallow the greatest number of fiist, in a given time. The swallowing contest is watched with much interest by the attendant chappies, who take sides- and pay the bets, or rather forfeits, as it is politoh called. Toads are also boxed up and taken East n curiosities. Catching horned toads is one of the leading industries of Old Town."

A STORY OF THE SEA. E. G. Festing, writing in the United Service Magazine, says: "Most of us are familiar with the yearly Itribute paid to the restless, wayward ocean in the way of shipwrecks and such like disasters and no nation contributes more heavily to that all-devouring element than Great Britain, but it seldom happens that a vessel is wrecked on a well- known and frequented spot, in the track of regular traders, and no trace to be found of anyone of her crew or passengers, nor information to be obtained how it occurred. Yet such was the case of the Commonwealth, North British steamer, of about 2000 tons. She was from Odessa, making for the Douro Channel, between the islands of Euboa and Andros off the coast of Greece, one dark December night some years ago, in a violent snowstorm mistaking the lights of the entrance she ran on a bluff on Andros, and it was supposed her boiler burst, and that she went down suddenly and without much warning. The news was brought to the English Consulate the next day by a Greek fish- ing-boat, and the vice-consul at once proceeded to the place. We were laying at the Pincus in a gunboat, and the consul having requested us, we left one even- ing and arrived the next day and anchored off the spot. The vice-consul came on board, and I accom- panied him on shore with a party of officers and about 20 men to discover what we could. FRUITLESS SEARCH. The wreckage lay scattered about on a sandy beach, and some distance inland, just inside the headland off which she had foundered. For some two miles along the stretch of beach, and over a mile inshore, lay the dibris. Wre set to work and overhauled every- thing in search of any bodies that might happen to be there. All our efforts were at first unavailing, ex- cept that we soon discovered a dead retriever, buried close to the water's edgefr Some planking and other material, however, lay about which excited suspicion by the orderly way in which it was disposed. On re- moving it we found what appeared to be blood-stains ■ on the sand. Then on digging down we found several pieces of torn underclothing, chiefly women's, satu- rated with blood, but ne traces of a body. Several articles lay about, little children's shoes, handker- chiefs, panelling, cabin fittings, oilcloth, but nothing of value, and from the woodwork all metal fittings had been torn. The natives had evidently been before us. Most probably they had murdered the survivors and, after taking everything of value, had made away with the bodies. Now and then we smelt an odour of corruption. Then we dug down deep, but never discovered anythmg. Some mile or so inland, across a small stream, we found a lower yard and a topmast in halves. From both the metal work had been stripped. From the marks on the ground, they had evidently been dragged there. Close to the spot where we found these, I picked up a chronometer box. The chronometer was gone, but the box, the glass lid, and all the fittings were intact. This tended to prove that it had been carried there. Among the many things we found was a neeále-c!1se with a bck of hair tied with a piece of ribbon, part of freemason's book, and a cabinet photo of three men and a retriever. Apparently the men in the photograph were some of the officers, and the dog was the one whose body we had seen. No boat or anything belonging to one was found, nor any stores or sails. Inside the chrono- meter-box was a card with the name of the captain of the ship, James Smith, and the address of the maker, the date it was hired, and when and where ated. A PIRATICAL PEOPLE. Many other things of various kinds were found, all of which were taken on board and carefully put away till our return to the Pirreus. After we had done all we could on shore, we went to the spor where she had sunk. This was right under the bluff on which the lighthouse is stationed we examined the bottom with a "wreck glass," a cylinder of metd about oft. long and a foot wide, with thick glass at one end and handles to hold it by on the other. The water was perfectly clear. There she lay on a rocky bottom, split open lengthways. Anchors, cables, masts, and a vast quantity of gear could be seen, as well as what, were evidently fragments of the boilers and plates. All were together in a confused mass, but no traces of a body some things lay hidden in the deep and gloomy recesses in the cliff. The consul meanwhile had been to the interior of the inland nnd a village, but the people gave scarcely any information, only said that a vessel struck on the bluff one night in a snowstorm and went down and that was all the information we could get, and they showed no concern or interest one way or the other. Having done all we could we returned to the Pirams, where, as good luck would have it, was a vessel just arrived named the Royal Standard, belonging to the same company. I sent on board of her to find out if there was anyone there who knew anything of the unfortunate vessel the boatswain returned, having not long before served in her; he recog- nised the captain in the photo and the dog as his, and said his, the captain's, name was James Smith, and that he generally took his wife with him, and often other ladies and passengers, besides. There was a stewardess on board. He agreed with HS that., from our description of the affair, the islanders had most probably made away with everyone and been at their fell work before we had heard anything, so that no one could be certain of the exact day it occurred we bad only the fisherman's story. Nothing further was, I believe, ever found out as to who her any tescaped or not, but I tbink none could have done so It was a very sad and unsatisfactory affair, And savoured more of the Middle Ages and the old pirati- cal days than the latter half of the enlightened lUth century.

THE EPPING FOREST GIPSIES. From time immemorial the forests of Erring and Hainault have been the resort of wanderers and out- casts, and at the present time certain parts of the forest are infested by tent and van-dwellery, who voluntarily keep without the pale of civilised society, and are generally a nuisance to the inhabitants around. Many attempts (says the Lancet) have been made to clear them from the forest, but hitherto without result; they have removed from one part, only to become a nuisance in another. In 1804 the Essex County Council made a series of by-laws to prevent tent-dwellers, squatters, gipsies, or other persons from using as a dwelling-place so as to cause annoyance, injury, or disturbance to resi- dents in the neighbourhood any tent or van or similar structure placed on any land within 200 yards of any highway or street or of any dwelling- place. These by-laws were to apply to" the whole county, but the Secretary of State refused to sanction them save for that portion of the county which is situated within the metropolitan police district. The result has been that the southern part of the forest, which is within the police district, has been practi- cally cleared of gipsies, while the numbers in other parts have increased. At Lambourne End, a portion of the old forest of Hainault, there are about 200 squatters, who are causing great anxiety to the authorities. The County Council appears to be powerless, and all the efforts made by the Ongar Rural District Council to dislodge tbem have been of no avail. When legal notices of any kmd are served upon them they simply pack up their tents and remove to another portion of the forest. At the last meeting of the District Council the Lam- bourne parishioners drew the attention of the mem- I bers to the large increase in the number of gipsies and to the great nuisance caused by them. After a considerable amount of discussion, durmg which the action of the Secretary of State was adversely criti- cised, it was decided that th« surveyor should obtain the "names of the gipsies and serve them with notices to provide sanitary appliances and a proper water- supply." The clerk urged that it would be better to worry the Secretary of State, as when the notices were served on the gipsies they would remove to another district for a time and then come back. This is, no doubt, what will occur, and we cannot but think that if reasonable by-laws were framed and the whole facts of the case laid before the Secretarv of State, his formal approval would be obtained. Until this is done, there is little hope of remedying the present disgraceful condition of Hainault For-sst, 1

THE TEMPLE OF APOLLO. The principal facade of the temple was never com- pletely finished (says the Builder), Both the steps near the pylons bear mason's marks, which would have disappeared in the final process of finishing. The facade consisted of 10 columns, not one of which is standing. Of the bases of these columns two were taken to the Louvre by Rayet and Thomas in 1873 the remaining eight have now come to light. Like the steps and pvlons, none of the bases are completely finished off. The bases are richly ornamented and pure in style, but un- questionably the most interesting point is the pecu- liar and so far unique character of the capitals. These are decorated with two heads of divinities, each taking the place of a volute; between the two heads in the middle of the capital is the head of a bull. This last feature has, of course, appeared before in Greek capitals, but no example hitherto has been known of the bead of a god as decoration to a capital. The two goda represented in the Didymaean capitals are Apollo and Zeus one head of a bull has also been found. All three heads are fine specimens of decorative sculpture—large and impressive in style, and recalling in some respects the Pergament school. The frieze also was adorned with sculptures of similar character, including a series of heads of Medusa—one placed above each capital. A number of inscriptions complete the architectural interest of the excavations, among them a record of the expenses incurred in the erection of the Temple

ART AND LITERATURE. HAVP, ho\'s tnstes in fiction (asks the Westminster Ga:ett6) changed during recent years? Mr. Max Pemberton, who has written books for boys and edited a boys' paper for three years, thinks rot. I can say with no hesitation at all that boys' tastes now are what they were 20 or 30 years ago. Your boy," he told a Great Thoughts interviewer, will not have anything new-fangled or idiotic. He has onlY one word of criticism for that-rot. The same bullies, the same fags, the same islands, the same manli- ness, the same courage as his father loved, he loves. He likes a Jules Verne book, but the old puppets must be there. For style he cares nothing; lie reads Stevenson for the story. He must, have inci- dent, excitement — a hero. Perhaps be is jusS a grade above Jack Harkaway,' but 1 hazard the opinion doubtingly. The main thing is that he loves an honest man, adores courage, despises a liar and a coward, and compels the author to some sort of a moral." TIIE publication of the report of the committee appointed to consider the question of housing the Wallace Collection, and the announcement that a supplementary vote of £80,000 has been asked for by the Government for the purchase and rebuilding of Hertford House, leave no doubt (the Globe re- marks) as to the course that is to be pursued with regard to this important addition to the national art possessions. The decision of the committee can, however, only be regarded as an unfortunate one, made with a very narrow appreciation of the exigencies of the position and it is in the protest of Sir Edward Poynter, who at least takes a wide and judicious view of the question, that the proper solu- tion of the difficulty that has arisen is to be found. The committee seems to have been influenced by motives of false economy, and by an idea that the district of London north of Oxford-street, is in need of a lounge where idlers may collect. Sir Edward, on the other hand, regards the Wallace Collection as educationally of the utmost, value, and therefore asks that it should be placed where it will be most useful to students—in close proximity to the National Gallery itself. What must be most annoying to everyone who views the ques- tion of bousing the national pictures with the fore- sight that is characteristic of Sir Edward Poynter is the fact that by this makeshift arrangement with regard to Hertford House a great opportunity has been lost. Nothing more is likely to be done for some time to bring about a reasonable classification and grouping of our scattered collections, and tbe present unsatisfactory condition of the National Gallery must continue for an indefinite period. The only ray of hope which is given ua is that by a plea- sant, coincidence Mr. Balfour has announced that the St. George's Barracks are to be removed as soon as tne new barrack buildings at Millbank are com- pleted. How long it will be before this desirable im- provement is effected it is, of course, impossible to say, but at least there is consolation in this definite promise. A VERY useful holiday handbook is Home's "Guide to Whitby," a handsomely got-up volume of which a fifth edition—with over 50 illustrations, many of them full-page views of the picturesque scenery sur- rounding the delightful Yorkshire coast resort—has just been issued. The letterpress is accurate, well- arranged, and pleasantly put together. ONE who was rummaging at a second-hand book- stall the other week picked up in the threepenny box "a handsome volume, entirely in manuscript, bound in green morocco gilt. The title-page reads, "Almanach du Prince Albert indiquant les fetes anniversaires des Princes et Princesses membres des families Souveraines de l'Europe--Gotba-le:!6 AoÙt, 1845." The names of the members of the late Prince Consort's own family are written in red, but her Majesty's and bis own together, with the names of their children born before 1845, are in gold—all others are in black ink. It would seem that the book was originally prepared for the use of the Prince Consort. But how did it get into the threepenny box ? FORSTBR'S Life of Swift" was never completed, but some of the materials which he had collected are accessible, and Dr. Birkbeck Hill is the possessor of the copies of Swift's letters to Knightley Chetwode, with some of Forster's corrections." The first in- stalment, which Dr. Hill publishes in the Atlantic Monthhj, contains little that is of much importance, either biographical or historical, but the letters are characteristic and the original spelling is preserved. DI. Hill has embedded Swift's epistles in a mass of more or less apposite, but generally very readable small talk about the dean and his contemporaries, the quotations, in fact, bearing about the same relation to" the commentary that the prawns bear to the aspic jelly in a favourite item of cold "collations." As an example of Swift's correspondence with Chet- wode, the following, under the date" Jany, 3d. 1715-14 may be culled: I believe you may be out of the Peace, because, I hear almost all our Friends ars 80. I am sorry Toryes are out of the King's Peace he may live to want them in it again. My Visitation is to be this day Sennight, after which I soon intend for the county of Meath I design great Things at my Visitation, and I believe my Chapter will joyn with me: I bear they think me a smart Dean and that 1 am for doing good my notion is, that if a man cannot mend the Publick be should mend old shoes if be can do no better; and therefore I endeavor in the little Sphere I am placed to do ail the good it is capable of." THF, Scottish Faculty of Actuaries has undertaken to fill one of the niches in the exterior of the Scottish National Portrait Gallery, at Edinburgh, with a statue of John Napier, the inventor of logarithms. MR. W. H. BARBER, of Henley-on-Thames, has offered to present to the city of Birmingham a statue of the Queen, by Mr. Thomas Brock. The offer has been accepted by the City Council, and a site for the statue is to be selected by the Public Works Com- mittee. AL t. MEREDITH'S volume of selected poems is almost, ready for publication, and will m all likelihood be issued about the middle of the month. As a repre- sentative work, tbe volume will contain more than one notable poem written in recent years, and Mr. Meredith's sonnet on the death of Robert Browning, as well as the fine "Trafalgar Day" poem in exalta- tion of Nelson—"For he is Britain's Admiral Till setting of her sun "—will each find a place. AN analysis of the awards made m this year's National Competition for Schools of Art is interest- ing as a means of judging how the art education of the country is managed. On tbe whole, the prizes given are distributed impartially all ofssr the country, and few of the more important schools fail to secure some award. What is, however, a little curious is the manner in which the higher prizes are assigned. Of the 16 gold medals, for instance, which have been given to country schools, seven have been gained by designs of various kinds, five by examples of modelling, three by architectural drawings, and one only by drawing from the nude. The three gold medals which are reserved for the training school itself have been given for a chalk drawing from the antique, a set of studies of historic styles of orna- ment, and a set of sketches from the nude. This means that none of the highest class of the awards have fallen to painting, and only two to drawings from life. The preponderance of successes in design is a wholesome sign; but it would have been more encouraging to find that the students as a body bad reached a higher standard in those branches of work which are, after all, indispensable for the proper building up of sound art knowledge. TIIH gradual building up of a representative collec- tion of British art in the Louvre goes on steadily. One of the latest additions has been a portrait by Romney of Sir John Stanley, a fairly good example of the artist. The money available for purchases for the Louvre is so limited inamourtt that important pictures can only be occasionally acquired, and the desire of the French art, authorities to secure a com- prehensive gathering of the works of British masters cannot easily be gratified. Still, in spite of the many difficulties in the way, a fair number of pictures worthy of attention have been brought together, and canvases by Lawrence, Gainsborough, Bonington, Raeburn, Constable, and now Romney, represent agreeably enough the art of this country. TffK craze for issuing illustrated editions of English classics seems on the increase. Already well-known artists have provided pictures to accompany the text of many of our standard works of fiction, and even decorated editions of Ruth and the Book of Job have been published; but hitherto no uniform edition of illustrated poets has been given to the public, though from time to time—for example, the Kelmscott Press books, Gustave Dorc's Paradise Lost," Aubrey Beardsley's "The Rape of the Lock"—isolated experiments have been made in this direction. But this autumn one of our publishers means to lead the way with a series of art books of this kind. The first volume will give the poerr.8 of Keats. Professor Rayleigh will supply an introduction, and Mr. Anning Bell the pictures. Later we shall get Browning, for which Mr. Byam Shaw will furnish the illustrations and Dr. Garnett the necessary preface.

THERE has just been turned out, at Crewe Works, the Iron Duke, described as the most powerful engine in the world. It ran the Scotch limited mail, run- ning experimentally. It has one boiler, four cylinders, a lit. driving-wheel, and works at high pressure. It is fund it will take practically any load over any line at 11 speed of 80 riiles an hour. THK Sultan has instituted a naval commission to sit at Yildiz under his presidency, with the object of a revival and development of Turkish naval power. IN Portugal the seizure of newspapers and the searching of private houses continue, and great un- easiness prevails. The Parliamentary debates are becoming very heated.

7UNTON LINE forrte SOUTH AFRICAN" GOLD FIELDS. Sailings from Southampton every Saturday. Calls made at M-vleiraand Tenerife. Applytothe UNIOS STEAM SHIP CO., Ltd., Cnnute Rd., Southampton, and South African House, 9-t to 96,Bishopsgate St. Within,Londoa^ lliiiii BUILDINGS AND ROOFING. 9 Churches, Chftpolfl. Mi».iiou and School Room^ 1 Lawn Tenuis. Golf, and CricXet ¥s*riiica», CoW 1 tages. Stables, Farm Buildings. Booting trtry Iron I 'f South BERM0ND8ET STATION W. HAHROWS' WOHKS, LONPOK, S.S.

SHEFFIELD (BRIGIITSIDE) ELECTION. The polling took place at Sheffield (Brightside) on Friday of last week, to elect a member for the division In place of the late Mr. Mundella, and the result was nnounced as follows Mr. F. Maddison (L.) 4289 Mr. J. F. Hope (C.) 4106 Majority 183 The figures were received with cheers from the- Liberals and counter-cheers from the Conservatives. Mr. Maddison, in returning thanks, said the great victory had been won under peculiarly drying circumstances. Mr. Hope also said a word or two, and the parties then adjourned to the committee rooms. Mr. Maddison, who was loudly cheered, briefly thanked the electors, par- ticularly his workers. He said they had witnessed the peculiar spectacle of reactionary Toryism and the Independent Labour party joining hands against the party of progress. But despite this they had won. Mr. Hope, addressing his supporters, said he was thoroughly well satisfied with the result. It was no small thing to have rubbed off 1100 votes previously given to the Radical party. They had a much lighter task in the future, and the splendid work done formed the foundation for futme victory. Previous elections in the division have resulted as follows: 1885. 1886. Mr. Mundella (L.) 4610 Mr. MuHdella (L.) 428G Lord E. Talbot (C.) 3382 Lord E. Talbot (C.) 3404 Majority 1228 Majority 876 1892. Mr. Mundella (L.) 4938 Mr. H. B. Deane (C.) 3661 Majority 1277 At the general election of 1895 Mr. Mundella wae returned unopposed. Mr. Fred Maddison, who is returned for the Brightside Division of Sheffield, has twice stood as a Gladstonian and Labour candidate for Central Hull —namely, in 1892 and 1895, being defeated both times by Sir H. S. Kin£' He is a native of Hull, a compositor by trade, and has been prominent foi some years as a trade union organiser. He has lived lately in London, and has conducted a journal devoted to the railway service and trade union, interests. He his held the position of President of "he Trade Union Congress.

A PRECOCIOUS PICANINNY. Nashville is rapidly gaining reputation as a pro- ducer of sensations. The country has scarcely ceased to discuss Professor Barnard's successful trip in the airship when another phenomenon, equally as curious though differing vastly, remarks a local jo^pl, is sprung. Scarcely anyone believed that navigc^ffg the air was possible, and fewer still will believe it possible for a three months old child to talk. However, such is the case and anyone can verify the truthfulness of this statement with very little trouble. The parents of the child are Richard and Frankie Cleve- land, coloured, living at No. 17, Shore-street, and the child has been talking since it was one week old. Hundreds have visited the little wonder and have left the house completely mystified at what they huve seen and heard. The child is a girl, and differs only from other babies in that it can talk as plainly and be understood as distinctly as a grown person. The voice, of course, is naturally weak, but has none of the baby prattle about it. In addition to the child's talking propensities, it seems to be possessed of superior intelligence and gives voice to utterances most astounding, coming as they do from one so young. The Rev. G. W. Martin, a coloured preacher, who has a church in the vicinity, and a majority of his flock called at the house to convince themselves of the truth of the rumours which have been circu- lated concerning the child. The little one seemed to enjoy the presence of the crowd for a while, but, soon tiring, remarked to its mother, in a voice audible to all present, I wish all these folks would go home, as I am tired." The callers took tho hint, and soon departed. Many others who have seen the child all tell remarkable stories of the loquacious youngster.

PARTER'S LITTLE W LIVER PILLS. BEAUTIFUL TEETH nn.« foffcU who daily on tne taotfc '■ x-ri r « brash » ff>w Jrop* of S0Z0D0NT Forty In a the plauact«»t denUfric* is UM Tiftl- World. Purely Vegetable Cleanses tlw teeth and spaces •. T- between them as nothing els* Teei'h Sr°oURn1 HEVUCHEG PROMPTLY: and .teeU''rOKy hps, and fragrant. cm e ihviu to astoftAy c&red. oifciii&n CUemidta, la. VA iAskfL)rSC)ZUDONT. 2s. 6d

COTTAGE GARDENING IN COUNTRY SCHOOLS. The Committee of the Privy Council on Education, in their annual report, point out the value of cottage gardening as an instrument in education. They say: Encouraging reports reach us of the interest which is being taken in school horticulture and of the pride of the children in their trim well-kept gardens. Gardening is so widespread an interest in English life, and is in so many ways a useful recreation for men and women of all classes, that we have drawn the special attention of your Majesty's Inspectors to the conditions on which we desire its encouragement in connection with the schools. We have pointed out that the main object of a school garden is not the putting boys as apprentices to the gardener's craft. We fully recog- nise the improvement which a thorough knowledge of cottage gardening may eltect in the condition of the working classes in agricultural districts, but, as a school subject, its teaching also serves a general educational purpose. In order to effect this pur- pose, we have recommended that the lessons in elementary science, which are given in the school- room, should be illustrated by practical work in the garden, in order that the science nlay escape being mere book-learning, and the gardening may become eomething more than mere technical training. We are glad to think that cottage gardening will prove a specially useful and interesting subject in the cur- riculum of the country schools. The country school and the town school have alwavs t ad their charac- teristic excellences, and there'is every reason whv pains should be taken to prevent the first from be- coming a dull copy of the second. The rural teacher needs special skill in organisation, but has also special opportunities of interesting hi3 scholars by illustrations from the common objects of the country. It is desirable that in the training colleges care should be taken to show students that much which will give life and interest to their teaching, is ready to their band in a country district. It is some- times forgotten that one of the most natural and fruitful methods of education is to train the powers of observation, and to build up intellectual and scientific interests round the natural objects of daily experience. Children are naturally interested in flowers, trees, and animal life, and in country schools an observant teacher, who is fond of such subjects and has properly prepared himself by study- ingthem, can find in the object lesson a far more powerful instrument of early education than can be drawn from the more lifeless substitutes on which the town teacher is sometimes bound to rely. Much depends on the improvement of the education in the village school and on a turn being given to its teach- ing which will open the eyes of the children to the signi ficance and beauty of surrounding nature. The country child has many great advantages of which the town-bred child is unhappily deprived, but these advantages will not be used or appreciated unless the teacher himself realises and seizes them. We are glad, therefore, to note the terms of praise in which some of your Majesty's Inspec- tors speak of the skill and intelligence of many of the country teachers. One of them specially protests against the too prevalent and mischievous notion that all the virtue and intelligence of the nation are concentrated in the large towns, and that country schools, as a rule, are not far removed from inefficiency." Speaking from long experience of both town and country, be states that the number of bad schools has gradually decreased, and that many rural schools would bear comparison with reaViy good town schools, not only in the quality of their work, but in the reality and permanence of thtjir in- fluence."

THE occasion of a presentation of a picture by tf.be Queen to Mr. Robert Green, the veteran Dean's Verger" at St. Paul's has been taken by the high dignitaries of the Church to congratulate him upon the length of his mrrioe,