TO-DAY'S ANNIVERSARIES.

Press, Volume LXVII, Issue 14110, 1 August 1911, Page 7

TO-DAY'S ANNIVERSARIES.

AUGUST 1.

Battle cf the Kile .. .. .. ]708 falavery abolislud in the British Dominions; 770,280 slaves ect free IS3I iransp, nation ci convivts to Australia ceased by order of tho Queen in C.Mjr.cil ism i names wjtdnn.d eperc-d .. .. i^o7 Pare.'! pes; inaugurated in England .'. lfceJ

Parcel Post.—This was one of the schemes advised by that great, postal reformer, Rowland Hill. Ho brought tho question forward in 1812, but it was not till forty years later that hid proposals were embodied in legislation, tho post oilico bcim; empowered to carry only inland parcels. At the outset the maximum weight of a Parcel was fixed at 7!b; on Slay Ist. 1886, tho maximum weight was 'raised to Hlbs, and an alteration made in the' scale of postage, the charge for a parcel of lllba being fixed at Is 6d. Tho system was fin immense success from tho commencement, and proved a great boon to tho public

Battle of the Nilo (or AboukirV— This was a jjlorious victory. Tho French Fleet was untfcr Admiral De Brueys, and tin-. British under Lord (then Sir ilcratio) Nolsion. Tho French fleet was not merely defeated, but -ilmosfc annihilated. .Vine .of their lino-of-battlo ships wero taken, two wore burnt, and two escaped. The French fleet was not merely defeated, but almost annihilated. Nine of their line-of-battle ships wero taken, two wore burnt, and two escaped. Tho Frcncli fl-'igship, "L'Orient," with Brueys and 1000 men on bonrd, blow up, and only 70 or SO escaped.

Convicts in Australia.—Tho "Fir;t Fleet," with 696 of those unhappy beings, under tho command of tho first Governor of Australia. Arthur Phillin, R.N., anchored in Port Jackson fn 1788. Two years later freedom and a prnnt of Innd in Parramr.tta. Now South Wales, were given to the first convict settler Fleeted from i,ho bo'ly of prisoners. The Gordon, with the second fleet, hnving on board 1.695 jnn'ps and 68 female convicts, nrrivo3 in 179!. And so they continued coming, until at the end of the year 1836 it was estimated that thp number of convicts in New £iuth Wales, includ'ns; 1.247 on NorWk Tsknd, was 31,286. After much agitation, transportation ceased on tho above date.