LONDON GOSSIP.

Taranaki Herald, Volume XXXIX, Issue 8828, 11 July 1890, Page 3

LONDON GOSSIP.

The Queen must feel, as the years gather round her, how cold the world is becoming — so many vacant places once filled by those she called her friends. The death of the Marquis of Normanby mußt have revived many sad memories. His father was Lord Lieutenant of Ireland early in the present reign, and his mother was Mistress of the Robes for some years. She was a woman of light and leading, a wit, and a splendid mimic. It was said she encouraged strange specimens of primitive Irish gentry to the Viceregal Court, studied their peculiarities, and reproduced them in drawing-room tableaux for the benefit of her mirth-loving royal mistress. Lever drew some of his vivid pictures of social Irish life from scenes at that now effete institution, the Irish court. The marquis was born in 1819, and succeeded to the title and estates on the death of his father. His estates lay in Yorkshire, near Whitby, where also was his residence, Mulgrave Castle. He was a consistent Liberal — served as Governor of Nova Scotia, then of Queensland, afterwards of New Zealand, and lastly of Victoria. His administration had been able, and on his return home he received an ovation. He is succeeded by his eldest son (unmarried), the Rev. the Earl of Mulgrave, Vicar of Worsley, near Manchester. Mr Stanley and his lieutenants were present informally at the dinner o- the Savage Club, and, of course, were toasted; but one of the number who had faced the African savages was so much afraid of their namesakes in London that he fie I precipitately rather than make a speech. Mr Bonny was also there, and spoke of Stanley in high terms as a bora leader of men, who in the easiest manner possible relieved him of difficulties which he bad no hope of surmounting. Mr Stanley amused the Savage Club with the follow ing story. He said the expedition started with an allowance of two bottles of brandy per map, these were exhausted in the first two months, and for two years the explorers went without any_ liquor. They got on very well without it, but, ' thank goodness said one of them, 'we carried the empty bottles with üb. For when we got to Starvation Camp we sold the bottles to the niggers, and got more food for them than got for his his whole kit, which cost him £25. So that in Africa, at anyrate, an empty bottle may sometimes be more valuable than a full one.