CONTINENTAL.

Otago Witness, Issue 2056, 20 July 1893, Page 14

CONTINENTAL.

All Paris is laughing at the fact that women are making apparent fools of themselves over Alkivi, the Dahomeyan chief who is now browsing in the Champs. Elyse'es. Letters upon letters are written him accompanied by flowers, boxes of sweetmeats, and even patties and like delicacies. The writers clamour for all sorts of appointments. Meanwhile Alkivi's blaokwife is furious.

James Gordon Bennett, proprietor of the New York Herald, was dangerously injured on June 7 by falling from a coach in Paris. He contiued to grow worse on the Bth, when a surgical operation became necessary. Since the operation he has somewhat improved. The operation was tho opening of the abdomen to see if there was any internal injury, which the severity of the exterior contusion led the physicians to believe. Bennett made his will previous to going under the knife. The operation took about an hour and a half, and a clot which had collected after profuse internal bleeding was removed. President Carnot, who has been very ill, is reported on the way to recovery. He suffered from the same complaint that assailed M. Clemenceau (gall stones), and is now kept closely on milk diet and Vichy water. He expressed a desire to resign the Presidency and retire into private life. Despatches of the 15th and 17th say the President's condition is far more serious than stated in the official reports.

At a meeting in diplomatic circles at Berlin on June 5 the Emperor remarked that under no circumstances would he countenance proposals to limit the suffrage for the purpose of strengthening the Government in the Reichstag. The drought in Freibourg and Breisgan continues, and the outlook is serious. There is a scarcity of food and much suffering. In their desperation the people of Allmanstneor village raided the Kispenheun preserves to capture whatever game was possible for food. They were met by the keeporß and a stubborn fight ensued, in which many were wounded on both sides.

While Archbishop Angeror was delivering benediction in St. Stephen's Cathedral, Vienna, on June 10, a bookmaker named Mutzbiche, who was sitting neat the middle of the building, shot himself in the head with a revolver. Baroness Hielene, Reden, widow of the millionaire and mother of the Imperial Privy Councillor (Baron Reden) of Vienna, was arrested as a vagabond in that' city on June 10. She said she was penniless and homeless, and neither her son nor her daughter would support I her. After ascertaining the truth of her statements, the authorities sent her to the poorhouse. Ignitz Abeles, a Jewish recruit, 28 years of age, committed suicide on account of the illtreatment to which he was subjected by petty officers. The authorities have ordered an inquiry into the affair. The Czechs have concluded to withdraw from the Austrian Diet on account of hostility to Germans, due to Czechr newspapers being suspended on account of their seditious tone. An epidemic of suicide has broken out in Buda Pesth and other Hungarian towns. According to a despatch on June 22, seven cases were reported on the 21st at, Buda Pesth. Cases of insanity are increasing, and madhouses are full. This state of things is attributed to poisonous concoctions substituted for wine, which has become scarce owing to the ravages of phylloxera. An official investigation into the bomb explosion at the residence of Senor Don Canovas de Castillo, Madrid, on Tuesday, June 20, has led to the discovery of a plot embracing Anarchists in several European countries. Twenty-three arrests have already been made, and others are expected. Letters show the I conspiracy to be international. The conspirator killed by his own petard was named Ruiz. A correspondent in Rome telegraphed on June 14 that the Pontiff had given a long audience to Dr M. Glynn (of New York), the recalcitrant priest. It was cordial. I>r Glynn was enchanted with his reception, and announces a complete reconciliation with the Pope. He left Rome for America after a sojourn of a few days.

PRINCESS MAY'S TROUSSEAU, i From some of the manufacturers (acording to; a London despatch of June 10) there has been secured an account of part of the trousseau of Princess May, placed with nearly all the larger houses in various parts of the country so as to please as wide a section as possible. From the silkworks at Spitalfields comes a dinner dress, the colour grounds of which is Jleur de peche damask.^ It is composed of rosebuds, jasamine, and maiden hair, each bouquet connected with a silver metal die. From Spitalfields comes also the material for an evening costume of pale blue arid gold. The work of Winchester makers commends admiration for a simple home dinner dress. The colour selected is pale green ornamented with spots, stripes, and daisies. A charming morning robe composed of thin summer silk, bears testimony to the standard of Leeds' printed silks. The ground of this dress is myrtle green, white violets partly adorn the design, which is of perfect workmansbip._ The going-away dress is to be of Irish poplin of a particularly pretty shade of ivory white, with a relief of gold. Over and above the gifts from members of the Royal family Princess May will receive several hundred valuable presents from people she has never seen. Scores of men and women of second-rate social standing have formed committees to collect money for buying presents with the scarcely concealed object of attracting the attention of Royalty to themselves ;' and'notoriety hunters of all ranks and descriptions are similarly endeavouring to utilise the princely nuptials to further their personal advantage. Even school teachers have been pressed into the service, and children's pence have been solicited and accepted without scruples. A committee, said to be composed of citizens of the United States, was formed at the Exchange Room, Charing Cross, and Americans at various hotels in the neighbourhood are being badgered for subscriptions towards an American wedding present for the

Princess. Probably, suggests a correspondent writing on June 11, the idea is merely part of an advertising dodge of someone like that of a big dry goods merchant in the West End, who announced that " with the gracious permission of their highnesses it is my intention to mark this auspicious occasion by introducing a cbina mug as a Royal wedding memento, following closely upon lines of that designed by me and so universally in demand at the time of her Most Gracious Majesty's golden jubilee."