Miscellaneous.

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume XII, Issue 1286, 28 November 1857, Page 4

Miscellaneous.

Princk Albert’s Promotion.—Prince Albert has received tbe honour of promotion, but the public will be as much mystified as ourselves when it learns the rank to which the Prince has been raised. His (loyal Highness has been promoted to be “ Prince Consort.” lie is macle what he really is. This seems to convert his Royal Highness, bodily, into a kind of identical proposition ; and the conversion into himself raises in the mind a variety of puzzling questions as to the consequences. Nothing has been happier than the married life of rhe Prince hitherto; what is to happen after he is made officially “ Prince Consort ?” We observe that persons who are appointed to any office under the Crown kiss hands on the occasion ; but although the Order in Council was agreed to at the meeting of Council on Thursday, it is not reported in the Court Circular that Prince Albert kissed hands “on his appointment to be Prince Consort.” The leading journal accompanies the first announcement of this intelligence with an explanation that only increases the perplexity. “No one can object,” says the Times, “ to the distinction which is thus conferred on the husband of tiie Queen nftcr seventeen years of married life." But when we look to the capacities of the House of Commons for objection, the assumption tippears too strong. People might naturally object to the distinction, since it is a distinction without a difference—unless, indeed, there is to be a difference, and then every reasonable person might object. Another explanation is still more incomprehensible. “ Suffice it to say, that it makes Prince Albert legally, as he is already actually, a member of the British Royal Family.” This almost compels us to ask in what relation he stands to the royal children, if not legally ? Some question had already been raised as to the position of Prince Albert towards the heir-apparent, as the Prince of Wales advances in years and takes a more conspicuous place before the public. The position of Prince Albert in the order of precedence had already been settled, and yet there was something indeterminate in his relations on public occasions. Perhaps that is now rendered more definite, though the public understood it well enough before. It is also explained, however, that hitherto Prince Albert has had no recognised or recognisable title abroad, and that his being made “ Prince Consort of the United Kingdom,” whatever that may mean, places him in the “ Royal” rank on the Continent, whereas, hitherto, he has onlystood in the “ serene” rank. “ Her Majestv has then certainly transgressed no bound of moderation, when, after a reign of twenty years, she confers on her husband a title which, without giving him any authority at home, assures to him a high and definite position abroad. * His Royal Highness the Prince Consort of the United Kingdom will be to us pretty much the same as his Royal Highness the Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha. But, in spite of the poet, there is much in a name ; and, if there be increased homage rendered to this new title on the banks of the Spree or the Danube, the English people will be happy to sanction and adopt it.” The Queen has, indeed, crowned the proverbial devotion of English wives ; for what ordinary woman, even in this country, would thus actually equip her husband for going out on “ the spree ? ” — Spectator.

Tin-; Size ot' London.—When the stone in Panyer’s alley was placed on its site three centuries cince, the circumference was about five miles. At present, however, to make a pedestrian expedition around the metropolis would to most persons be an undertaking of some importance, as may- be seen by referring to the following particulars, which have been gathered from a recently-published map:— From Chiswick to Kentish town, 12 miles ; from Kentish town to Millwall, 17J miles; from Millwall to Chiswick, 28 miles —total, 57} miles, very nearly three day’s journey at tbe rate of 20 miles a day ; and it will be observed that in the line drawn, Battersea, Clapham, Canning-town, and many other places, which even at present can be scarcely said to be separated from London, have been left out. “ As the crow would 2y ’’ across streets and houses from the point whence we started at Chiswick to the farthest east, the distance is nearly eleven miles, and the greatest width from north to south upwards of seven miles. — The Builder.

Anecdote of the D-jke of Wellington. —There is an old, and, we believe, a very true story about the great Duke of Wellington. It is said that in his old nge the great chief revisited the playing-fields cf Eton. Before his eyes ran the same stream into which as a boy he had plunged, and tried to swim further than his fellows. There was the spot on which he had won his first battle against a lad who in his manhood struggled as n man should with the world, and who in his declining years wna one of the brightest ornaments of London society. Half a century had passed away. The Duke gazed upon the well-remembered'scene, and for the time the old warrior was an Eton bov again. He had not, indeed, forgotten the brilliant onset of Assaye, that “ simple matter of common sense,” as he used himself to call it; nor the long-premeditated hcroistnof the lines of Torres Vedrns, nor the daring manoeuvre of Salamanca, nor the crowning glory of Mont St. Jean. We may well suppose—sucli was the simplicity of his character—that the thought may have crossed his mind, that it was strange that he, who had once been just like one of those eager schoolboys who were shouting and careering about before his eyes, could have acted that great biography which is called “ The Life of Arthur Wi-illi-bley.” Hewatched foratime in silence the sports in which he had formerly played his part —the glowing health, the generous emulation of the boys—and at last exclaimed, as voider the influence of a strong conviction, “Ay! it was at Eton that Waterloo was won.”— Times, The Emphiiou. and the Mason.—M. Mocquard, private secretary of the Emperor, is at present building a country house at the village of Montretout, near St. Cloud. A few evenings back, one of the workmen was employed in sawing a large block of stone. Ever; one knows tlie nature of such work—pushing backwards and forwards an enormous saw, which slowly cuts its way through the stone. Th

man had shut his eyes, and, fatigued with a long day’s work, was half asleep over his saw, when the instrument suddenly received a vigorous impulse from the other side, and the workman, raising his head, perceived a well-dressed gentleman pushing the saw. “ What are you doing there ?” said the workman, in a tone of ill humour. “ Can you not let a man do his work quietly ?” “Do not annov yourself, ray good friend,’’ replied the stranger, “ I only wanted to give you a helping hand.” “ Helping band,’’ said the workman, “ very fine 1 Do you suppose that a stone can be sawed in that way by the first person that comes up? Come,, get out of my way.” “ Just as you please,” said the gentleman, and he moved away, shaking the white dust from his gloves. That action called forth from the workman the exclamation of “ Gloves 1 He wants to saw stones with gloves on !” At the same time, he perceived the stranger join a group of gentlemen who were standing at a little distance. A moment after, one of them came up to the workman, and, putting a double napoleon into his hand, said, “ The Emperor sends you this.” ” The Emperor !” cried the workman. “What! it was ?” and hurrying towards the gentleman whom he had so badly received, he cried out, with great emotion, “Mon Empereur! Mon Empercur! I did not know you. Ah! you can saw the stone as long as ever you like I —pardon me, mon Empereur I” The Emperor, for it was he, replied, with a smile, “Very well! my good fellow; go back to your work, and another time be somewhat less rough in your manner to the pauvre monde who address you.”— l’arisPatrie.

The late Expedition up the Nile.—Our readers are aware that last year Mebemei Said, Viceroy of Egypt, organized an expedition of scientific men to explore die Nile, and, if possible, to ascertain the existence of an immense lake said to exist in tin interior, and which is supposed to be the real source of the great Egyptian river. The Presse has now published a succinct account of this expedition, borrowed from the private journal of Dr. Pouchet, one of its members. Through the insirumenialiry of M, de Lesseps, tbe expedition, patronized by the Academy of Sciences at Paris, and several other learned societies of France, England, and Germany, and favoured with special instructions ftoin M. A. de Humboldt, was ready for its departure about tbe beginning of October last. It consisted of MM. Aubaret, a lieutenant of the French navy; Meyer, a German mineralogist; D. Richard, a botanist; Geng and Boieslawski, officers of tbe Austrian corps of engineers ; Georges Pouchet, a zoologist; Twyford, an English captain; (Hague, a photographer; De Bar, a draughtsman ; and Tabouelle, secretary to the expedition, ail under the orders of M. Escayrac de Lauture, an African traveller of some note. An immense quantity of provisions and articles of every description necessary for tbe journey bad been prepared, including, among other things, a distilling apparatus, two field-guns, an apparatus for electric light, and even a sawing machine. The Viceroy placed 500 camels and a large military force at the disposal of tbe chief of tbe expedition, a circumstance which induced him to conceive a higher opinion of himself and tlie authority entrusted to him than was, perhaps, quite in accordance with tlie interests ul the expedition. I: appears, indeed, that at the very outlet b:s itupeiious conduct and lite military organization which he attempted to impose upon 'he members of the expedition led to disagreeable scenes and to unnecessary delay. Meanwhi'e the vanguard of lite scientific expedition, consisting of Captain Twyford, M. Pouchet, aadM. Clague, set out from the pert of Bouiac on the 20th of October, in order to proceed hy tlie Nile to K»rtoum, where they were to be met by the main body, which was to pass the desert. The description given of the passing of the first cataract is interesting. The word “cataract” appears, indeed, to be misapplied to the rapids which impede the navigation of the Nile, they being nothing in fact but a labyrinth of islands and rocks between which the water rushes with more or less violence. There are special pilots called reis, trained to that calling from father to son, who are entrusted with the guidance, or rather the rescue, of tlie frail barques that are to perform the dangerous feat. When the boat reaches a certain place, where the width of the water is not more than about 20 feet, about 200 Nubians, under the coratuand of the chief of the cataract, tow the vessel up the shallow stream, and at the most difficult point a dozen of tbe stoutest jump into the river, and actually lift tbe boat out of the stream over tbe bar which impedes the passage ; beyond it the water is deep, and the lateen sail may again be unfurled. The success of this operation is greeted by tlie applause of tbe numerous spectators assembled on tbe banks to witness it. A quarter of an hour after this dramatic scene the little flotilla of the expedition lay quietly at anchor in the port of El Mahatta, an important Nubian village. Thence Captain Twyford and bis companions proceeded to Dungoiha, and, unconscious of the squabble for authority still raging at Cairo between M. Escayrac and the other members of the expedition, arrived at Atnboukoul, having exhausted their money and provisions. Here they fortunately met tlie Viceroy and his suite returning from his journey through the provinces of Soudan ; and from him they learnt that, owing to tbe impossibility of establishing harmony between the chief and the members of the expedition, it had been dissolved. Nothing therefore remained to be done but to return to Dongoiah amid great hardships, owing to the illwill of the authorities, who thought they had fallen into disgrace; and these difficulties did not cease until they reached Rhoda, a place 20 leagues from Cairo, where they were received by a Government steamer. Tlie results of their journey in a scientific point of view are very meagre, consisting only of confirmations of facts already published by previous travellers.

A Missionary Marchioness. —The Marchioness of Londonderry recently made a purchase of bibles from the British and Foreign Society to tbo amount of £2OOO, and presented them to the workpeople ou her estates, first writing the name of the recipient iu each. Her ladyship, also, on the occasion of a fatal colliery explosion at Hougliton-le-Spring, in a pit not belonging to herself, purchased of the London Tract Society, and distributed 1000 copies eac). of the following tracts: “The Miner,” “John Brown,” and “ Tlie I’itboy and his Candle Box.” —Gateshead Observer.

The Post says it is generally understood that the Queen has accepted the invitation of the Emperor of the French to accompany the Duke ol Cambridge during the autumn, to the French camp at Chalons, An early visit to Cotnpiegne is even announced.

Revolt in Madagascar.—“ The news which we receive from Madagascar,” says tbe Cernden of tbe Mauritius, “ is most important. A revolt bad burst out in the province of Etninte, and upwards of 4000 insurgents bad made their appearance at Tatiattarivo before the Queen, claiming her protection against tbe acts ol bruta lity of her delegates in tbe provinces. But not only their complaints were unattended to, but 180 were arrested and thrown into confinement, to be put to death on tbe Ist of June, at the fete of ‘ The Bath,’ tbe greatest of tbe Hova people.” The accounts proceed to say —“ It appears, however, that Prince Rakoute, on learning the decision of the Queen, formally protested against so sanguinary an order, and affirmed that the execution should not lake place. He added that already 100 much blood had been shell by his mother’s government, and that it was his firm intention for tbe future to see that a more humane and more equitable system of administration should be acted on with respect to the Hova people. This declaration, made publicly, in presence of the queen, of her ministers, and of the whole court, had produced an immense sensation, and grave events were expected, in case the government ventured to proceed to the execution of the prisoners. M. Lambert (the French agent) bad quilled Tamatava on tbe 17tli May, to proceed to Emirne, followed by tbe precious objects which he was charged to convey to the Queen to Prince Rakoute. This latter bad sent five of his aides-de-camp to meet him, and the Queen had placed at his orders a numerous escort. It was supposed that be might reach Tananarivo in about a dozen days, in time to be present nt the great fetes of ‘ The Bath.’ ” Tiie presence in the tvslers of St. Louis of eight vessels of war of the French division of the Chinese seas bad produced at Tamatava a great sensation.

Spoiling an Eagle’s Nest.—Two foresters of Innspruck, assisted by some sportsmen, lately gained possession of ait Eagle’s Nest, and in it a young eaglet, about six weeks old, which they carried alive to Innspruck. The nest was found at some little distance from tbe river Sulzenbacb, in a small cavern situate in a side of a rock, and 105 feet below the summit, One of the foresters, named Tschau, had himself let dawn by means of a rope, with a piece of wood placed os a seat. The young eaglet not having given its visitor a friendly reception, but on the contrary, inflicting several severe wounds on his hand and arm, Tschau was compelled in his defence to strike it with part of a sheep which he found in the nest. The eaglet was at last mastered, and placed in a basket, and Tschau was again hoisted up, glad to escape from tbe dreadful stench which arose from the remnants of dead animals in the cavern. While this was going on the female eagle was seen hovering above, but at very considerable height. She was not fired at, »s the guns were reserved in rase of an attack from the male. An eagle has for tbe last 40 years built her nest sometimes on the rock of Solsteiu and at others on those of Hechenberg. The damage caused by these birds to tbe game and smaller cattle in the neighbourhood has been very considerable. Military Butcheries in Spain.—Letters from Seville tell of the extreme dismsy Caused in that city by tbe recent unsparing executlo-.s. On the 11th, on which day Caro and 21 others were shot, all the shops were shut and the streets deserted at an early hoar of the day. Most of the victims were artisans, natives of Seville, where they had numerous relatives. The execution took place at half-past six p.m. As already mentioned, the criminals were drawn up together and fired upon by a company. This was the plan pursued by Cabtera during the civil was in his wholesale massacres of Christine prisoners. At Seville, according to one letter, the work was done but slovenly. Tbe sodiers must have fired too high, for at the first discharge Caro was the only one killed, although stray balls killed two bystanders and wounded a third. At night there were numerous panics in the streets, people running iu groundless terror ; it was reported that all tlie members of the corporation had sent in their resignations ; on the 12th, news having been circulated that on tbe 13th 28 or 30 more were to be shot, deputations waited on the military authorities, imploring a reprieve until the deputies of the province should have communicated with the Madrid Government. After much solicitation the delay was granted. At Ulrera, on the 12lh, seven were shot, and four were sent on tbe same night to Arabal, where they were to be shot on the 14tb, with eight others and two women. A Joker Outwitted.—An Irishman went the other day into a barber’s shop in (Vest Hartlepool to get shaved, when the barber jocosely observed that it was scarcely worth his while, seeing tbe comet was coming, and it would be all the same whether be was shaved or not. Pat gave a grunt of appreciation and sat down. The operation performed, lie got up, put on his hat, ami was quietly walking off when tbe barber shouted alter him for payment. Laughing all over, Put retoiteil, “ Shute, the comet’s coming —and it’ll be all the same whether you get the money or no!” Manchester Exhibition.—An amusing chapter might be written on the criticism of certain classes of visitors whom we need not more minutely particularise. By their remarks they will be suffit ienily known. One of a group who had strolled listlessly through that glorious collection of the old masters, at length stopped before the large picture of the Caracci family as butchers, in a shop full of meat, and exclaimed with great gusto—“ Well, to my mind, that’s tlie best i'th’ place?” Another of a class not quite so high socially as the Sir Charles Coldstream of Mr. Mathews, but apparently as blase as that hero of tbe modern theatre, after going and “ doing” the Exhibition, much as Sir Charles did Rome, found there was “ nothing in it.” His dictum was thus couched :— “ Well, I’ve been through and round it all, ami what is it ? It’s nowt but a parcel of pictures.” Only the other day, we overheard two —ladies, we suppose we must call them, —one of whom transformed Lucius Cary, Viscount Falkland, who bears his name on his portrait (173 on the south wall of tlie ball), into “ Lord Franklatn), him as went th’ North Pole, and was never heerd on.’’ Tbe other did not think it was that Frankland, but she did not venture to pronounce upon the individual, It is clear that there is still a large class as to whom it may be said, in other sense titan the original, that “ the schoolmaster is übtuad/’

A woman aged 100 yours and four months gave evidence in the Leith police court, a few days ago, against a person for stealing various articles of clothing from her house.