NEW INSOLVENTS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 5276, 18 January 1879, Page 3

NEW INSOLVENTS

The following declaration-! of inaolvencies have been made during the week: —

Benjamin Jeffa, of Pine Hill, woodcutter, 13th January, 1579. John Gillies, of Dunedin, doctor of medicine, 13 th January, 1579.

William Baisdell, of Port Chalmers, hairdresaer, 13th January, 1879. Debta, L 247 12a 3d ; assets, L2l.

OBITUARY.

Intelligence of tbe death of three prominen literary men was received by the San Francisco mail, and published in our telegrams yesterday. Of theae gentlemen—George Lewes, the editor of the Fortnightly Review; George Whyte-Melville, the novelist; and Bayard Taylor, one of the editors of the New York Tribune —the following particulars appear in " Men of tbe Time " :—

The late George Henry Lewea was boru on tbe 18th of April, 1817, in Loudon ; waa educated partly abroad, and partly by the late Dr Burney at Greenwich. On leaving school he became a clerk in the establishment of a Russian merchant, but quitted business, and, pursuing anatomy and physiology only as branches of philosophic Btudy, finally adopted literature as a profession. With this end in view be went through a course of training in Germany in 1838-9, when be returned to Loudon, and has since contributed largely to literature.

George Whyte-Melville, who met with a fata! accident while hunting, was eldest son of Major Whyte-Melville, of Mount Melville, near St. Andrew's, Fifeshire, born in 1821, entered the army in 1839, became captain in tho Coldstream Guards in 1846, and retired in 1849 ; joined the cavalry of the Turkish contingent in 1855, and reaigned at the close of the Crimean war, in 185 G. He ia known aa a popular writer of fiction, and, amongst other works, has written, "Captain Digby Grand," &c, &c. He has published a translation of the Odes of Horace, which was well received by the critics; and bas contributed to Fraser'a and Blackwood's Magazines and other periodicals.

Bayard Taylor, who, at tbe time of his death, was connected with the editorial staff of the New York Tribune, was born near Kennett square, Pennsylvania, January llth, 1525. He became an apprentice in a printingoffice in 1842. He travelled in Europe, mostly on foot, for two years (1844-1810), at an expense of only 500 clol. (£100), and on hia return published "Views Afoot; or, Europe seen with Knapsack and Staff." He had previously published " Ximena, and other Poems." On bis return from Europe be became a journalist, and in 18-19 a member of the editorial staff of the New York Tribune. He also visited California, and returned in 1850 by way of Mexico. In August, 1851, he loft tbe United States on a third tour, from which he returned iv December, 1553, having travelled more than PO.OOO milea in Asia, Africa, and Europe. Iv July, 185G, he sot out on a fourth tour, through Northern and Eastern Europe, returning in October, 1858. In 18G2 tie acceptecUhe nost cf Secretary of Legation to the American Embassy at St. Petersburg, and in 1803 became Charge d'Affaires there. After hia return from Russia, in 18G4, he devoted himself to writing and lecturing. He revisited California, and made a somewhat protracted stay in Colorado and the region once known ns the Great American Desert, in 186G-ISO7. In 1871 be traversed the route of the Northern Pacific Railway, and made an excursion into the British province of Manitoba. In 1874 be visited Iceland, on the occasion of its centennial anniversary.