were with great difficulty saved from drowning. The British brig "Wellington" struck during the storm on the eastern beach, off the Tunara, and a Greek brig coming up at the same time dashed into her; both vessels broke up, and the captain, with eight of the crew of the British vessel, was drowned, as well as seven out of the Greek ship.

27. ANOTHER IRONCLAD IN DANGER.-H.M.'s turret-ship "Monarch" put into Plymouth to-day in distress, having been damaged in a collision which took place about 4 a.m., fifteen miles from the Eddystone, with the Norwegian ship "Halden," bound from Pensacola to London. The "Halden" received very serious damage, her bow being completely smashed in, and but for her being timber laden she would have quickly foundered. The "Monarch" had some of her plates stove near the waterline, and her port quarter-boat was carried away. The "Halden " succeeded in signalling a pilot-boat, and sent her into Plymouth for a steam-tug, which went out and towed the "Halden" into the Sound. The "Monarch" after collision signalled to the flagship, the "Minotaur," and was ordered to bear up for Plymouth. In the official report made to the Admiralty, it was stated that the light of the "Halden was not seen on board the "Monarch until the vessels were within 200 yards of each other; the "Monarch" was then going at the rate of 8 knots, and immediate efforts were made to sheer away, but the " Halden" struck her before this could be effected.

THE VOLUNTEERS.-The annual distribution of prizes to the London Rifle Brigade took place in the centre transept of the Crystal Palace this day, the prizes being handed to the recipients by the Lady Mayoress. The Lord Mayor presided on the occasion, supported by Sir R. Carden, Mr. Sheriff Knight, and others. Lieut.-Col. Warde, the col.-commandant, made a short statement as to the condition of the corps, in which he said that they had not only sustained the number of efficients, but had increased them this year, being 607 against 604. During the year they had earned no less than 1,1107. capitation grant. The winners were then called up to the front of the platform in rotation, and received their prizes from the hands of the Lady Mayoress amid great applause. The first prize was given to Sergeant Mardell as the best shot in the brigade.

30. THE PRINCE OF WALES landed this day at Colombo. Two out of the few days His Royal Highness spent at Bombay were taken up by return visits paid to the Guicowar of Baroda and the numerous other native Princes who had come to Bombay to welcome him; after these he laid the foundation stone of the new wet docks. On the 12th the Prince went with a party of 400 ladies and gentlemen, invited by the Governor of Bombay, to visit the famous Caves of Elephanta. The Isle of Elephanta is five miles south-east of the island upon which Bombay stands, and four steam-boats conveyed the party, arriving about sunset. After

exploring the wonders of the caves, the party sat down to an ample feast spread on tables ranged in front of those sculptures, representing the Hindoo mythological Triad or Trinity, which are described above. The entertainment was very pleasant and successful; and when, after the usual loyal toasts, the caverns to their remotest recesses were illuminated with red, green, and blue fire, the weird beauty of the spectacle was extremely impressive. On the following day the Royal party, accompanied by the Governor, went to Poonah, where on Monday the 15th the Prince held a review of the Poonah military division. He returned next day to Bombay, where a splendid ball was given at Government House. The 17th and 18th were spent in visiting the neighbourhood of Bombay, and on the evening of the latter day the Prince started by railway for Baroda, which was reached the following morning. Here the Guicowar and Sir Madhava Rao were on the platform to receive him. On leaving the station the Prince and his two Indian friends mounted upon an elephant which was in readiness outside, all three occupying the same howdah. The elephant was richly caparisoned and gorgeously painted. The howdah was of silver, beautifully decorated with cloth of gold. The housings of the elephant were very grand in appearance and reached to the ground. The animal was in other respects adorned fantastically, and its painted head and trunk gave it a very singular look. Around the base of the howdah was a small platform, on which stood attendants armed with fly-flaps to ward off flies, and fans of feathers to stir the air. They also bore emblems of sovereignty indicative of the supremacy of the English crown. The procession was formed of fifteen elephants, all gorgeously caparisoned and gaily painted. It was preceded by a small escort of dragoons, and was followed also by an escort of cavalry. When it set out for the British Residency the route was kept by troops, and was profusely decorated. His Royal Highness remained at the Residency till two o'clock, when he paid a return visit to the Guicowar. He drove afterwards through the native city to the old palace, where he witnessed exciting scenes in the arena, consisting of wrestling, and elephant, rhinoceros, buffalo, and ram fights. There were enormous crowds in the city, but the streets were lined with troops, the populace was undemonstrative, and order was not disturbed. The city and cantonments were illuminated that night. An excursion was made next day for the purposes of hunting deer with a cheetah, or tame leopard. His Royal Highness dined on the 20th at the mess of the 22nd Native Infantry Regiment. On Monday the 22nd he was shooting quail at a place forty or fifty miles from Baroda, and on Tuesday he enjoyed the sport of boar-hunting, which in India is called "pig-sticking." He took leave of the Guicowar of Baroda that evening, and travelled back to Bombay by a night train, arriving at 9 a.m. on the 24th. On the 25th the Prince paid a farewell visit to the Governor of Bombay, and embarked

H

on board the "Serapis " amid the firing of salutes. Goa was reached on the 27th, where he was received with royal honours by the Portuguese authorities. On the 29th the "Serapis " arrived at Beypore, whence it was decided to proceed at once, and the Prince accordingly only landed when he reached Colombo at 4 p.m. on the 30th. Here he was received by the Governor (the Right Honourable W. H. Gregory) and his staff, and there was an immense and enthusiastic crowd as His Royal Highness drove through the town.

DIVING FOR THE "VANGUARD."-Divers have been actively employed at the bottom of the sea to recover what is possible from the remains of this vessel. During the operations two of the divers narrowly escaped death. The first instance was that of a man named Rowe, who went down quickly to his work, knowing that he had not much time to stay below. In his rapid descent the pressure became suddenly increased to such an extent that he lost his senses. The signalman above twice gave the signal “ All right," and receiving no response, ordered his men to haul up. Rowe, however, was fast entangled in the spare rigging floating about, and it was only by the combined strength of seven or eight men that he was eventually brought to the surface, quite black in the face. A few minutes more under water and he would have been dead. The next case was that of Ingledon, who went down to the bridge of the "Vanguard," in crossing which he slipped, and fell on to the deck. Stunned by the sudden increase of pressure, he was unable to answer the signals, and was in consequence at once hauled up into the boat in an apparently lifeless condition. Restoratives were applied, but it was two hours before he revived, and he had to be placed in the hospital. The greatest danger the divers experience is from the ropes, sails, shrouds, &c., which are incessantly moving in the waters below. As the tide, which here exceeds the rate of four miles an hour, sets in one direction, all the various moving objects go with the stream, and the divers, who have to wait until the water is moderately still, go down clear of all embarrassment. As, however, the tide reverses its course, the moving mass returns upon them, and they often have to cut their way through to gain the surface. Notwithstanding all these difficulties, the divers-and especially two of them, White and M'Culloch-successfully reached the hull, which lies in deep darkness, and measured the hole in the side by means of notching a wooden lath carried down for the purpose, and placed against the aperture. The Denayrouze lamp, which had been materially useful in removing the rigging of the ship, was not taken down on this occasion, inasmuch as the divers required to use both hands in endeavouring to escape entanglement by some stray rope.

DECEMBER.

1. DEATH FROM CHLOROFORM.-An inquest was held this day at Lockerley Hall, Hants, on the body of the wife of the Right Honourable H. Childers, M.P., who had been found dead in her bed the previous day. From the evidence it appeared that the unfortunate lady had been in the habit, under medical advice, of sometimes procuring sleep when suffering from attacks of pain to which she was liable, by inhaling a small quantity of chloroform. Her usual habit was to use for this purpose only a small phial, containing eight or ten drops; but on the fatal night this phial was not at hand, and the supposition was that she got out of bed, took the four-ounce bottle and the "drop" glass back with her, intending to take a sniff, and that the heat of the bed forced the glass stopper from the bottle. Her night dress and pillow were saturated with the chloroform, and she must have died instantaneously. The medical man who was called on the inquest remarked on the danger of using a glass stoppered bottle with such dangerous contents. Had the stopper been of cork, he said, the accident could not have happened, but with a glass stopper the mere heat of the hand was quite sufficient to make the spirit expand, and force it out, as was no doubt the case in this instance, the bottle being found in Mrs. Childers' hand, and the stopper in the bed near it.

- THE WHITECHAPEL MURDER.-Sentence was pronounced to-day upon Henry Wainwright, who after nine days' trial before the Lord Chief Justice, was found guilty of the murder of Harriet Lane. He was condemned to death in the usual form, and his brother Thomas Wainwright was sentenced to penal servitude for seven years as accessory to the concealment of the crime.

-A STATUE OF CROMWELL, presented to the citizens of Manchester by Mrs. Abel Heywood, was unveiled on December 1. It is a colossal bronze figure by Mr. Noble, and is placed upon an enormous pedestal of unhewn granite on a site in Victoria Street, in front of the Cathedral and facing the Exchange. The Council met at 12 o'clock and accepted the memorial from Mrs. Heywood, and a number of congratulatory speeches were made. Mr. T. B. Potter, M.P., in moving a vote of thanks to the Mayor for presiding, said the tardy act of justice to Cromwell was most appropriate to the city. He was proud to say that in Rochdale a proper recognition of Cromwell had been made in the new Town-hall, for Cromwell's figure had been placed between the two Charles's.

4. FUNERAL OF MDLLE. DÉJAZET.-The funeral took place this day in Paris of this well-known actress. It was attended by some 2,000 persons, including a large number of actors and actresses. Mdlle. Déjazet was, probably, the oldest actress in

the world, having been seventy-two years in the profession. She was born in 1798, and made her first appearance at the Théâtre des Capucines at the age of five years, from which time till the war of 1870 she acted, chiefly at the Parisian theatres, occasionally in the provinces and in London, to which city she retired during the war. In the autumn of 1874 she had a benefit at the Théâtre Française, all the leading actors and actresses of Paris performing for and with her. A little later she played at the Vaudeville, taking the part of a young man, the rôle in which she was most successful.

— MR. CARLYLE.-This being the eightieth birthday of the well-known philosopher, an address was forwarded to him, signed by upwards of a hundred men and women of eminence in art, science, and literature, including Professor Darwin, Mr. John Forster, Mr. W. E. Forster, M.P., Dr. Hooker, Professor Huxley, Sir John Lubbock, Lord Lyttelton, Mr. and Mrs. Theodore Martin (Helen Faucit), Mrs. Oliphant, Sir W. Stirling Maxwell, Professor Max Müller, Dean Stanley, Alfred Tennyson, Miss Thackeray, and Anthony Trollope, tendering the expression of their good wishes. With the address there was sent for Mr. Carlyle's acceptance a gold medal engraved by Mr. George Morgan, and bearing on one of its faces a medallion of Mr. Carlyle by Mr. Boehm, and on the obverse the words, "In commemoration: Dec. 4, 1875." The following telegram was addressed to him from Berlin:-"To the valiant champion of Germanic freedom of thought and morality; to the true friend of our Fatherland, who by the labour of a long, rich life has successfully advanced the hearty understanding between the English and German peoples; to the historian of Oliver Cromwell and Frederick the Great, send on his eightieth birthday grateful greeting and warm congratulation." The names of Leopold von Ranke and several other literary men of Germany were appended to the message.

AN EXTRAORDINARY DARKNESS overspread London for about an hour this afternoon. The weather was thick, but the fog was of no great density, when in the city about noonday, and an hour or two later in the West End, a darkness as of night came on quite suddenly, disappearing again with equal suddenness after lasting from half-an-hour to an hour. Snow was falling all the day, and the weather was extremely cold.

6. THE SMITHFIELD CATTLE SHOW.-The seventy-eighth annual cattle show of the Smithfield Club was opened at the Agricultural Hall this day. There were 395 entries, and the prizes amounted in value to about 3,000l. The live stock exhibited included several animals belonging to the Queen, and others the property of the Prince of Wales. The attendance was large, in spite of the severity of the weather, and the extremely slippery state of the streets after a heavy fall of snow, and subsequent alternate thaw and frost. The 1007. champion plate for the best