THE SUEZ MAIL.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 3380, 7 February 1879, Page 3

THE SUEZ MAIL.

We make the following' extracts from our Home files : —

The Vanguard. — The Admiralty have at last given up all hope of recovering the wreck of the Vanguard. Arrangements are being made to blast the iron masts of the vessel, wliieh at present obstruct navigation. Torpedoes may possibly be used The remains of the late Mr George Cruik* shank were removed on the 29th ult from Kensal-grecn Cemetery to St Paid's Cathodral. Tlio Dean gave his consent to the burial in the Cathedral immediately after the death of Mr Cruikshank, but owing to repairs which were in progress in the crypt, the reception of the remains was deferred.

The boiler of the engine of tlio up London mail train exploded in Penzance station on Saturday afternoon. The dome of the engine was hurled through tho roof of tho station, and in coining down crashed into a first-class carriage. No one was injured. Ttiere are rumours at Constantinople of the disovery of a plot to depose the Sultan, and the late Ministerial changes arc attributed to this circumstance. Somo of those who occu-

pied prominent posts in the late Ministry are said to be implicated in the conspiracy ; the heir presumptive to the throne, as well as the brother and cousin of the Sultan, are said to be strictly guarded, and strong patrols are moving about the streets of Stamboul. Khourchid Pasha, formerly Minister of Justice, has been appointed Governor of Angora.

An inquest was held on the sth inst. on the body of Mr Frederick Gyc, for many years manager of the Royal Italian Opera at Co vent Garden, at Dytchley House, tho seat of Viscount Dillon. The evidence was to the effect that as Mr Gye, on roturning from a shooting party, was in the act of assisting Sir Alfred Horsford over a sunken fence, the gun of the latter went off, and the contents lodged in Mr Gye's right side. A verdict of accidental death was returned.

A boy, aged fifteen years, was charged at Pent re on Monday with having attempted to hang his little sister, aged twelve years, at Llantrisant. The evidence showed that the prisoner, who is an incorrigible youth, and quite beyond the control ot his father, took the opportunity, when almost everybody was out of the house, of tying a rope to the coiling, and attempting to hang his sister in the most methodical fashion. Happily the rope broke. He was sentenced to a month's hard labour.

The witnesses in support of the charge against Lady Gooch and her nurse, Anne Walker, of having conspired together to palm ; off a, spurious child upon her husband, Sir ' Francis Gooch, with intent to cheat and deceive him, went before the Grand Jury at the Central Criminal Court on Dec. 10. [ After hearing ail the evidence that was laid before them, the Grand Jury came into Court and made the following presentment : — " No true bill against Annie Louisa Gooch and Anne Walker for misdemeanour.'" No remark was made, and tho Grand Jury were shortly afterwards discharged. A serious boiler explosion occurred iv the Dow mine of the A geei-oft collieries, Pondlebury, on Monday morning. The stoke» observed about eight o'clock that something was wrong with one of -the boilers, and summoned the engineers, who found that the water was low and the top of the boiler red-hot. They immediately endeavoured to put out the fire, and took steps to prevent an accident, bufc a violent explosion occurred. To escape, the men, six in number, had to pa 33 through the volume of steam, and iv doing so they were go fearfully scalded that the flesh came away from their arms and faces. No hopes aro [ entertained of their rceovcrv.

The council of Clifton College have elected Mr J. M. Wilson, of Rugby, as bead master, in succession to the Rev Dr Percival, whose appointment as President of Trinity College, Oxford, necessitates his surrender of the office at Easter next. Mr Wilson was a classical scholar of St John's College, Cambridge, Bell University .scholar* and Fellow of St John's

College, aud has for some years been a master afc Rugby.

Tho number of medical men in Prussia amounted in 1878 fco 8223, thafc of surgeons to 149, and fchafc of dentists to 251. The number of inliabitants was 25,724,404.

The litigation in connection wifch the failure of the Tipperary Bank was resumed lasfc week before fche Irish Lord Chancellor. Thiscase has been in litigation for 30 years, and ifc was stated that one witness was under examination for four and' a half years, and fchafc one counsel's speech hasted nine months. A conversation took place between fche Lord Chancellor and Mr Serjeant Sherlock, and fche case was again adjourned.

The stock of musical copyrights and plates of Messrs Duff and Stewart was sold by auction last week. J. L, Hatfcon's song, "A Bird- sang in a Hawthorn Tree," fetched £330 ; « Esmeralda," £546'; Jules Rocliard's "Amusing Sketches," £282' 12s. The total realised by the four days' sale amounted to £6785. '

The list of aristocratic composers is likely, the AEra says, to be shortly increased 1 by the name of the Earl of D'unmore, who has composed a four-act Italian opera, which he intends to submit; to Mr Maplcson. The Posfc Office authorities have issued the following table, showing the days on which fche mails for Australia and New' Zealand, via San Francisco, will be despatched from London during the ensuing year: — Thursday, Jan. 2 ; Thurday, Jan-. 30 ; Thursday, Feb. 27; Thursday, March 27; Thursday, April 21- ; Thursday, May 22 ;• Thursday, June 19 , Thursday, July 17; Thursday, August 1-1 j Thursday, Sept. 11; Thursday, Oct;. 9; Thursday, Nov. 7 ; and Thursday, Dec 4.

Two more vessels have been lost through collision off the .coasts. During a fog early on Saturday morning fche Redewater, of Newcastle, aud the Sprey, of Aberdeen, two screw steamers, came into collision off Flamborough Head, and the latter vessel sank. The crew of the Sprey were landed afc Shields yesterday by the Redewater, wliieh had her bows stove iv. Early on Sunday morning the steamer Ben Ledi of North Shields, ran into and sank the schooner Leader, of Swansea, off St Ives. The captain,, mate, and fcwo men of fche Leader got on board the steamer, and were landed afc Falmouth lasfc night, bufc a boy named Peters was losfe.

Mr Henry Thomas Richardson, of Brynhyfryd, Pwllheli, who died last; week, and was, in conjunction wifch his father, fche inventor of the tubular life-boat, has by his will bequeathed £10,000 at fche death of his widow for fche purchase aud maintenance of lifeboats afc Pwllheli and Deal. He also gives £3000 towards Rhosygwalian Church, Bala.

The Prince of Wales has presented to the Sevres Museum- fche curious tomb iv faience which was exhibited by him in the Indian section of the Universal Exhibition.

Two persons contemplate making a trip from San Francisco to Australia, in the coming spring, in a dory — the same kind of a boat in which the voyage was made from New York fco Europe.

The Harvard Boat Club propose to challenge the crack oarsmen of English Universities for an eight-oared. race next summer.

William Grifis, wifch alias " Lord Ashburton," has been arrested in San Francisco for extensive forgeries on the Union Bank of London, in the shape of circular letters. His intended victim, E. J; Baldwin, millionnairc hotelkeeper, narrowly escaped.

It is stated that fche employment of fche English officers of the gendarmerie iv the Tchataldja lines has excited fche -jealousy of the Turkish officers, and that the former will resign should Baker Pasha not succeed in obtaining some redress for insults to which fchey have been subjected.

Hannah Peace, who is alleged to be tho wife of the man Ward, alias Peace, who was recently sentenced fco penal servitude for life for burglary and shooting afc a policeman afc Blackheath, was committed for trial at Bow street on Wednesday on fche charge of having iv her possession stolen property. Mr Poland, who conducted fche prosecution for the Treasury, said every effort had been made fco discover whether the prisoner was married to Peace or not, bufc no trace of the marriage had been found. If she could prove that she was the. wife of Peace, she could not be held to be guilty of a criminal offence in having taken away fche stolen goods in order fco screen her husband. The prisoner said she was married fco Peace, and fchat what she did was done under compulsion, and she had ho guilty knowledge. Ifc was stated that the proceeds of upwards of twenty burglaries had been recovered and identified.

A farmer named Reynolds, living at Borin, Tallyhaw, County Cavan, was visited on the night of the 4th inst. by about twenty men, armed with sticks, who broke into hi 9 houso about half-past eleven, and beat and abused him violently. They afterwards carried him out of the house on a door, again ill-treated hini, and left him in a very exhausted condition. They took away his guv, and beforedeparting warned him to take care or they would give him the death of Lord Lcitrim. He s;iys lie does not know any of his assailants.

Several of the foreign, consuls in Cyprus having appealed to the Capitulations in support of consular jurisdiction in behalf of their compatriots, negotiations have beon entered into between the British Government and the Port for defining the jurisdiction over foreigners. The British Government (a despatch from Constantinople says) recognises the absolute sovereignty of the Sultan, but denies that the application of the Capitulations continues to obtain in Cyprus,

Strange rumours (says the Times of India) are going about Bombay and Poona to the eil'ect that Sir Bartle Frero has been a9ked to take charge of affairs in India, and that lie has consented to come, though not without somo little delay. It were idle to put faith on anything" so vague, and indeed so unlikely ; but the Home Government by bringing out of their pigeon-holes everything Sir Bartlo Frere has ever written upon Afghanistan, and by issuing them all as State documents of the first importance, are unconsciously assisting the gossip. The semi-ofllcial Press at Home are, in addition, taking the present Government of India pretty warmly to task for their Bhave in the Afghan embroglio. Surgeon-Major Wallieh has produced an instrument by moans of which the heartsounds are quite distinct. By applying tho microphono over the stomach, the Lancet says, we could hear the noiso of water dropping into that organ from the <vsophagus, and there is every reason lo hope that Dr Wallich's improved instrument may be made available for the purposes of clinical demonstration. Dp Wallieh intends shortly to test the value of his instrument in cases of heart and lung disease.