ENGLISH MAIL.

Auckland Star, Volume I, Issue 69, 29 March 1870, Page 2

ENGLISH MAIL.

We make the following extracts from the 1 Europe m Mail and Home Neivs of Jan 28:—. The Suez Canal.—Mr. John Pender Chairman of the British India Submarine £ Telegraph Company, has written as follows to a contemporary: —"Although the cost of I transit to India via the canal is considerably 1 more than that by sailing vessels round ths • Cape, yet, taking into consideration the advan< 1 tages likely to accrue to the merchant by g enabling him to transact at least double the 1 amount of business with the same investment of capital, the important difference in the i charges is to a considerable extent modified by the additional profit on the transactions ; say i —Taking a shipment to India of £20,000 per steamer via the canal, the return for which being made in produce, and realising, say, £24,000; cost, £20,000 ; freight to India, say, 200 tons, 1 80s. aud 10 per cent., £880; insurance, F.P, A., £24,000 at 30s. per cent. £362 ; freight 1 and insurance on produce from India, £1,300 j interest, 4£ months at 5 per cent., £398. Coat with all charges, £22,940; profit, £1,060. Say two voyages for one of sailing ship , £2,120. Sailing vessel via Cape, returns in produce realise, say, £24,000; cost, £20,000; freight to India, say 200 ions, 255. and 5 per cent., £263 ; insurance, F.P.A., £23,000 at 255,, £290 ; freight and insurance on produce from India, £570 ; interest, nine months at 5 per cent., £792. Cost, with all charges, £21,915; profit, £2,085. If a Bteamer could make three voyages to one of a sailing vessel, the advan> tage would be about 5 per cent. Taking a shipment to India of £20,000 per steamer, via the canal, and presuming that returns come home in bank bills for, say, £24,000; cost, £20,000 ; freight to India, say, 200 tons, 80s. and 10 per cent., £880 ; insurance F.P.A., on £24,000, 30s. per cent., £362 ; interest three months at 5 per cent", £265. Cost, with all charges, £21,507 ; profit, £2,493. Say threo voyages for two of a sailing ship, £7,479. Sailing vessel, via Cape, returns in bank bills for, say, £24,000; cost, £20,000; freight to India, say, 290 tons, 255. and 5 per cent., £263. ; insurance F.P.A. on £23,000 at 255, £290 ; interest 4£ months at 5 per cent., £355. Cost with all charges, £20,938 ; pro', fit, £3,062. Say two voyages for three of "steamer, £6,124. The rate of freight to Bombay, aia the canal, is now quoted at 70s per ton from Manchester." Several of the Liverpool shipowners are availing themselves of the new route. The Merchant's Trading Copipany were tho first to dispatch steamers via the canal, and they have had the satisfaction of hearing of two of their large steamers arriving safe at Bombay. Mr. Holt has already sent one steamer (the Cleator) through the canal, and, we believe, anticipates that his China line will shortly have to adopt this route. Messrs. Stoddart Brothers advertise a steamer (the Waverly) to leave in a few days for Madras and Calcutta, and Messrs. Thomas and John Harrison have sent one of their steamers (the Fire Queen) to Bombay, j and announce a line of steamers for Calcutta, calling at Colombo and Madras to land cargo at these ports en route. We hear that other 1 shipowners contemplate sending steamers to Eastern ports through the canal.

A New Kind of Robbery.—We hear feat a_young lady has had -hp~»&;?,k-_-_fciM? Grove, one of'the __b_-"crowded streets in London. The theft was so cleverly performed that she was quite unconscious of it until her return home, although her bonnetstring was cut through and her net divided into three pieces. It is said that the practice is becoming common, more especially in omnibuses.

Jamss Stephens, the Fenian.—Subscriptions have been collected in America for the relief of the once famous Fenian leader, James Stephens, who is said to be sick and in great poverty in Paris. Bonnets are worn in 'the theatres, with the exception of the French and Italian Opera j but these, it is true, are now scarcely more than coiffures. Those of white lace are most fashionab c, and are merely, as it^we.e, a long fulling of lace, in the midst of which nestles a flower or a bow of ribbon. A very pretty one lately attracted our notice, The fulling was of old English point lace. In the centre of this was placed a knot of blue gros grain, and at the back two blue feathers fell over the hair; the barbe, also of old point, was tied in the centre with a blue bow. Jewels are much worn on these lace bonnets. In the heart of a rose, for instanca, a small diamond, may be placed, or a lightly formed bee or fly in precious stones; square buckles of diamonds or turquoises take the place, on these evening bonnets, of those in gilt or jet worn in- the morning. A black bonnet may be made very dressy by twisting round the tiny crown of it a gros grain ribbon, whiph may be either blue, mauve, or pink ; it should be tied or knotted at the back, and with long ends falling over the hair. The brides must be of the same colour as the ribbon.

Proposed Atlantic Yacht Race.—The long-pending match between Mr. Ashbury's yacht, the Cambria, and Mr. J. &. Bennett's yacht, the Dauntless, is at last really to come off. At the instance of Mr. Bennett- the starling point has been altered to the Old Head of Kinsale, and the race is now fixed to commence on July 14 next. Mr. Ashbury states that on his arrival in New York he will endeavour to regain the Cowcs cup, which was carried off by the America in 1851, and from the excellence of his famous craft, his success is by 110 means improbable.

Yachting Challenge. —Mr. Douglas, the owner of the yacht Sappho, has challenged any schoouer yacht in Great Britain or Ireland to Bail against the Sappho from Cape Clear to Sandy Hook, to start, if possible, on July 14, the day on which Mr. Ashbury and Mr. Bennett are to sail; the race to be for a cup of the value of 50 to 250 guineas. Mr. Douglas is also willing to sail any schooner yacht in Great Britain or Ireland from the Nab Light to Cherbourg Breakwater and back, any day during the first week in June, for a enpjffi the value of 50 guineas ; this contest to be Voided either by one or three races over the-iaamO course. 4 \| The Maequis op Bute asd the 3?f)iri3H CuTTEon.—The statement that the Marquis of Bute has left the Church of i.ome turns out to have no foundation whatever. A student, writing from Borne on Christmas Eve, says: — " To-night we have midnight mass in the college! church. It is not usual for us, as the students are accustomed to go to another church on this festival ; but this year Lord Bute asked to be allowed to receive communion to-night in our church, and in this way keeps the anniversary of his reception. Bishop

Strain officiates." It will be thus seen that his lordship, up till Christmas, had no intention of leaving the Church of his adoption. _ Duel betwhen two Journalists. —It Ist reported that M. Pascal Grousset has fough with two occasional contributors to Figaro— M. Virey and Dr. Blasins—and killed both of them. M. Pascal Grousset is a fellowlabourer with M. Rochefort. The report at first ran that M. Rochefort and M. Cassaignac had been out. Large Sale op Diamonds.—Some scandal has been caused within the last few days in the little Spanish Solony at Paris, by the sale of two immense diamonds, said to be worth half a million francs, for £180,000. These diamonds are supposed to have formed part ot the crown of Spain.and to have been abstracted by some means at the time of the revolution. New JOURNALS.-No less than 109 new journals were started in Paris during the year just closed. Three halfpenny productions, which founded their hope of existence upon out-Rappelling the Rappel, were suppressed for having meddled with political matters without having paid the stamp and received the necessary authorisation. 28 died for lack of readers ; the rest are still published. The total num ber of new journals started in France last yea was 199. In 1869 it was 137, and in 1867 only 74. _, Sale op Imperial Old Clothes. —lhe dresses worn by the Empress Eugen ie during her Oriental tour have been sold for the benefit of her Majesty's orphan school. The exhibition was held in the ironing room of the Sous Sol of the Tuileries, and the dresses, 250 in number, realised very small sums. '1 he rosecolored satin presentation dress, divested of its trimmings, realised the highest sum, only 112 francs. A muslin robe, trimmed with Valenciennes, only 40 francs, and so on with many more, some of them never worn at all, few worn more than once. The hats and bonnets were sold in lots, and of, course went for trifling sums. Employment por Women. —It is rumoured that a new weekly paper is in contemplation of which an advocate of giving Parliamentary suffrage to women is to be the editor. Women are to be employed as compositors, and are to use the American type-setting machine, by which it is estimated that the work will be done at about one-third present prices. In view of this new enterprise, a number of young women have been in training for some time- ~ . The Rey. Charles Kingsley.—- Good Words for 1870 promises a series of papers by this gentleman, to be called " Letters from the Tropics." Mr. and Miss Kingsley were among the passengers for Trinidad by the Shannon, which left Southampton December 2, and he will no doubt extend his tour through the other islands, in search of materials for his Letters, which will be looked for with the utmost interest.

The Athenaeum now appeal- (since January 1) in larger type, and in larger form—that in which it originally appeared more than forty years ago. The size, however, of the journal in 1870 at the price of threepence, is to be exactly double its size in 1829 at the price of Wm'i is about to "'&e it c. l tl}VV liew PaC I vvSh T>; _■_~. t u_. ii. j_d by Mr. W. Hepwortn J^rS fc? a^"-a—teen thousand copies ot tliePoot To.,■..__<>.■__'„ „ i subscribed f_ at l_S^e^% Baß_3^^_*tra-Ce sale. Retail publishers are said to have filed orders for thirty thousand copies. In the Court of Chancery, lately, a question w.s raised in the case of " Gilliatt v. Gilliato" of considerable interest to auctioncehs ani others having to do with sales jf land bj auction. An estate in Sussex wa-s offered for slae by auction, subject to a reserved bidding, and this was stated in the conditions of sale. Mr. .Bridges, to whom the estate was knocked down for £29,000, having found out that a "puffer" was employed, although no right of bidding on behalf of the owner was reserved, took out the summons to set aside the purchase. It was proved that a "puffer" had been employed, who had bid on himself and made in all four bids, though he did not go beyond the reserved price. His lordship said that the Act was clear to the effect that sales should ha void in equity as well as in the law whe___a "puffer " was employed, although no right of bidding on behalf of the owner was reserved. The sale must be set aside and the deposit returned.

Provincial Hospital.—Return of sick treated during the week ending Saturday, March 21, 1870 : —Remained last return, 70; admitted since, 11 ; discharged, 7; died, 1; remaining, 73: males, 63, females, 10. Arrangement: Fever, 1; syphilis, 5, rheumatism, 4; cancer, 1; phthisis, 9 ; delirium tremens, 1; epilepsy, 3 ; choria, 1; paralysis, 10; bronchitis, 3 ; pneumonia, 1; heart disease, 1; dyspepsia, 1; diarrhoea, 1; htemorhoids, 1; stricture, 1; cataract, 1; paronychia, 1; cutaneous, 1 ; abscess and ulcer, 7 ; uterine, 2 ; wounds and contusions, 5 ; fractures, 6 ; debility, 7. A man died on 23rd inst. of aneurism of the aorta, complicated with pulmonary consumption. Donations of home papers and magazines by Lady JBowen are acknowledged with thanks. A Reckless Boy.—Yesterday morning a boy was sitting on the back of the dray Eassing along the Karangahape Road, and aving ridden far enough to please his fancy, suddenly jumped off, and attempting to run across the street, stumbled and fell right in the track of a baker's cart, passing at a trot at the time. The man driving did all he could to rein in his horse, but did not succeed until the off wheel had passed over the boy's leg. He could not have been much hurt, however, as he got on his legs and yelled tremendously. Had he teen seriously injured he could blame none but himself. THk'sjy weather which has prevailed for suohfa length of time is fast becoming a source'%f serious inconvenience, both in town arid country. Water tanks are, in many instances, dry, and even wells are so low as to cause some apprehension in the minds of many wiio thence derive their water supplies. i_ain will be heartily "Velcorued on all hands, and by no class more than our farmers and gardeners, whose crops are suffering considerably, especially on light soil. A Norfolk (Va.) paper says there is a man in that city so ugly that with six frowns he can kill a bulldog.