The Express.
London, England, 1862-08-16 00:00:00

ROYAL ITALIAN OPERA.

The performance last night, fur the benefit of
Mdlle Adelina Patti, consisted of It Bartiere (ending with
the Lesson scene), the Shadow-song from Diaorah, and the
Divertissement from Le Propisete. Mademoiselle Patti
has now been for two seasons before a London audi-
ence. On her first appearance she was at once welcomed
as a young d,VAitante of the highest promise,
end each fresh impersonation has served to prove
that she possesses unusual gifts, both vocal and histrionic.
' There an be no question that Mdlle. Patti is firmly esta-
blishing herself as a singer of the highest clam in musical
oomedy. Her reception last night, by a house crowded in
every part, sufficiently evidenced the position she has at-
tained. Mdlle. Patti's Rosins has been one of her mart
popular performances, and her execution of Itossini's bril-
liant music wee as effective last night as ever. Her
" Una voce" was embellished with the most elaborate
ornamentation, executed with perfect force and finish.
In the Lesson scene she sang the " Echo Song," and,
for the first time, Bishop's " Home, sweet home." in Enr
Bah. Her singing of this simple plaintive ballad was cha-
racterised by the most touching pathos and purity of style,
and was rapturously encored.
The Sha dow.song was given with the same mixture of
simple grace and arch waywardness which we recorded an
the occasion of Millie. Patti's first appear►nceu Dinorah
As before mentioned, the performanos terminated with the
Divertissement, including the skating scene from 14
Prophet.

Jiasaniello is to be given to-night (Saturday), dod.gnu
of the most brilliant eciasoos ia the male of the Boyal
Italian Opera.

NATIONAL RIOTS ASSOCIATION.

The annual competitive trial of small bore rifles
will, by permialoo, take place at Woolwich in the moat►
of February next. Minimum bore, .451, maximum weight
9111 e., minimum pull of trigger, Gibe. Each gime:aka
will have to bring six rifles of the seam description arid
quality. The rifles will be fired from fixed mechanical
rests, and the description of rifle that *gives the best figure
of merit will, as heretofore, be selected ea the One with
which the Queen's Prize shall be competed fcr, subject to
the conditions of the manufacturer undertaking to supply
the number of rifles required by the council within a spa
tided time, and of their being in every respect equal to
the one chosen. The mean figure of merit of all the rides
at each set that may be tried shall decide the position to
be seeped to the particular de cription of rifle. In order
to teat to a certain extent the amount of recoil it may be
found desirable to try the shooting from the shoulder, bat
the shooting to determine the figure of merit will be made
from the fixed rest. Rests similar to those used at
the last competitive trial will be provided by the aasocatiou.
Guninakers on, however, if they should prefer it, bring
their own mechanical rests. Competitors desirous of avail-
ing themselves of the rests provided by the usociation may
at any time previous to the trial go to Woolwich Arsenal
for the purpose of seeing that their rifles are properly fitted
to the slides and rests.

The council request that mitnakers who intend to com-
pete will send their names to the secretary of the sago.
elation on or before the lit of January next, and that ea
early application for "slide ban' be made by those who ia•
tend to use the emaciation resta,and who have not already
had one supplied to them.

The Hong Kong Volunteers have through their
commanding officer, Captain Brine, R.E., subscribed U. to
the funds of the National Rifle Association ; and the council
have transmitted to them the silver medal to be competed
for at their neat prise meeting. This subscription is the
Ant which the National Rifle Association has received from
the colonial associations in connexion with it.

mode-

SUNDAY.
w. to N. and E.
rate to fresh.

YONIDAY.
N.E. to a Z. and 8 W.,
moderate, generally
tine.
N.N.W. to H., mode- IRELAND. S.E. to W., moderate
rate generally One. to fresh.
Al next above, mode- W. CENTRAL. Al next above.

rate to fresh.
Nit to S.& and to S.W.Elrounn. S.A.E. to W.S.W.,
S.W., fresh. fresh.
Al next above, gene- S.E. ENGLAMD. S.W. to S.W., mode-
rally fine. rate to fresh, gene-
rally tine.
.7C. W. to F., moderate to X. COAST. Similar to next above.
fresh, some showers.

" Our mountain neighbourhood," writes the
Munich correspondent of the AtAewrunt, "brings us regu-
lar storms every summer ; and this year Augsburg has been
visited by one of unusual severity. The damage done by it
is reckoned at 200,000 florins. Hailstones as large as
pigeons' eggs were picked up, some of two or three inches
diameter. All the fruit-gardens and core-fields were swept
of their contents, and the trees in the alleys torn up by the
roots, one falling so as to cover a carriage completely, for-
tunately without doing further harm. The glaziers cannot
supply the want of windows, and more have to be brought
from the neighbouring towns, eighteen being at work in the
Rambla= alone."

Professor Doflinger, of Munich, whose work on
the "Titaness' Power" excited so much interest, has in
the press s book on the " History of the Papacy in the
Middle Ages."

Commodore Yelverton, C. 8., the Controller of
the Coastguard, left London (says the Army and Navy
Gazette), on Thursday for Scotland, on his annual vidt of
inspection of the CoastgususL The Argue has been ordered
to Grants° to be in attendance on the commodore while in
discharge of his official duties.
JUILISDILTION OYER rug BAR.—Before !parlia-
ment rose Sir G. Bowyer laid before it his new bill, in
which he now pro that the beechen of the 'event
Inns of Court shall elect from among themselves a joint
routed of discipline, which shall Lave the power to hear all
complaint. against barristers, and to suspend or disbar, and
also to hear and decide appeals where the beechen refuse to
admit a student or call him to the tar. An appeal is to lie
to the judges, or the person to whom misconduct is imputed
may, in the find instance, elect to be !nerd by the judges.
All hearings are to be in open court unless all parties agree
to a pnvate hearieg and judgments are to state the reasons
on which they are etunded.
THE LAKE POETS.—Mrs. Lovell, the last link but
one of a generation of which Southey, Coleridge, Cottle,
and others of literary eminence formed part, died at the ad-
nixed age of 91 years on Sunday last at Lairthwaite Cot-
tage, Keswick, the residence of Miss Kate Southey, the
daughter of the Iste poet-laureate. Robert Lovell Southey,
anti Coleridge warned three sisters named Fucker, of
whom the deceased lady was the eldest. In 1794 a small
volume of poems, the joint production of Lovell and
Southey, was issued. Mrs. Lovell was one of the
parties to be included in the American emigration
scheme of the philosophic bards, which they
by the name of " Pardisocracy. Southewritinghtind
i e
abovenamed year to his brother, a naval subaltern, says :
"In March we depart for America—Lovell,his wile,brother,
and two of his sisters, all the Friction ; my mother, Mks
Few, and brothers ; Heath, apothecary, ice.; G. Burnett,
S. T. Coleridge, Robert Allen, nod Robert Southey." The
enthusiasm of the poet. gave way before practical difficul-
ties, their ideas of emigration, fortunately for themselves,
being incapable of realisation. Lovell died in 1796, his
venerable widow surviving him for the loag period of =V-
nix veers, boding • horns in the household of the kind-
hearted Soothe during his lifetime, and subsequently paw-
ing the er of her days in the society of his daughter.
On Thursday she was buried in Cresthwaite churchyard,
her grave being dug next to that of the poet and her sister.
The Revs. Cuthbert Southey and Derwent Coleridge (pre-
bend of St. Paul's), both natives of Keswick, and the only
surviving sons of the two distinguished lake poste, attended
the funeral of their aged relative.
UNsUIvIEAsPEL ATTEMrTs TO SCALE THE MAT-
TERHORN. —The Alpine climbers who went forth, early in
June, to scale the Matterhorn—and add the last triumph of
skill and daring to be woo in the Swim mountains—have
been again defeated. The peak defies all attempt.. Mr.
Whimper, one of the Alpine Club, reached a higher point
than bad hitherto been reached; but an accidental fall,
which may be truly described as one of the most miraculous
escapes from instant death on record, caused him to aban-
don, for the prenatal, sail perhaps for ever, all further as-
mutts on the virgin summit. In ascending the mem of ice
and snow, Mr. Whimper, who was aloes, was compelled in one
place to cut • series of steps in the ice, Knowing there
was no further difficulty of that kind to be feared, he left
his hatchet behind him, and on returning from his baled
attempt to mount, Le found to his horror that his steps
were gone. The sun had melted them away. As his
hatchet could not be recovered, he leaned over the preci-
pice anal began to prod at the ice with his alpenstock.
Some snow gave way, and he rolled over theledge, brazing
his face sad body on the rocks sod ridges, crash, crash, down
the sides of aches= eight hundred feet deep. By happy
chance, he was caught iu a rough bed of rock on the crest of a
precipice scarcely equalled in the Alpe, and there remained
for so instant stunned and bleeding, though not seriously
hurt. He is slowly recovering from the shock and from his
wounds. A few days later, Prof. Tyodal reappeared on the
scene of his last year's adventures. Mr. Whimper's tools
and experience were placed at his disposal, and the con-
queror of the Riffel set off full of confidence and courage.
But his courage and his endurance were taxed in vain.
Apin sod again he risked his life. Higher than anyone has
ever been up the peak be crept and clomb ; higher than
Mr. Whimper: but the steepness of the highest peak re-
pulsed him, and the undaunted Lot unsuccessful moun-
taineer left the Matterhorn unsealed.—Athearnim.
AsCENT OP SALISBURY CATHEDRAL Brian.—On
Tburelity afternoon laid James Matthews, a workman in
the employ of Mr. Frederick Richard Fisher, of the High-
street, builder, performed his annual feat of outmoding from
the 'midi weather door up the iron handles to the summit
of the spire of Salisbury Cathedral, for the purpose of oiling
the vane. Before descending, he got astride the iron cross-
bar above the vane, which is at an altitude of more than
4GI feet from terra firma.
THE MANCHESTER Corrox COMPANY.—The first
annual meeting of this company was held at Manchester
Yesterday ; Mr. John Platt, of Oldham, in the chair. The
directors' report was read, but it was stated that Mr. Hey-
wood, their commissioner to India, had not yet prepared a
report of his proceedings. When written, it would be printed
and sent to the shareholders. Mr. Heywood addressed the
meeting, but the proceeding' had not concluded when our
report left.
The new self-acting reaping machines, says the
Gardeners' Chroaide, bare acquitted themselves exceed-
ingly well in sash trials as they have already received this
barred.