The Express.
London, England, 1853-06-16 00:00:00

NEW ZEALAND.

PORTSNIOCTIT, JUNEI.S.Lihe Fancy, barque, W.
H. Henderson master, passed this port to-dsy, from Auck-
land, New Zealand, and sent in by a pilot boat a large mail
and one passenger. S:te left Auckland Feb. 5. The paa•
aenger who 'laded from the Fancy has some gold in his pos-
session, which was found in New Zealand. The gold is
widely scattered over the country, the principal deposits
being about 40 miles from Auckland. There had not been
mach search made for it, the natives disliking the labour
rtquired to procure it, whilst they evinced a strong repug-
nance to their lands being occupied by the colonists. The
colonial authorities with much difficulty had succeeded in
induc ng the natives to concede a tract of land, with the
view of raising a reveLue by the letting of it off to those in-
clined to prosecute the search for the precious rattail ; but
the general prosperity of the colony, together with the ap-
prehension of hoetilitits on the part of the natives, and the
doubtful chances of success, bad prevented anything Nice a
mania arising in the colony.
The Fancy reports having passed the following :—April
18. the Dutch barque, Netherlands, Konig, in latitude
28.30 S., lon. 20.30 W., being 50days tram Liverpool bound
to Port AdeLide, sill well on board; May 27, the ship Sis-
son, of Bordeaux, in lat. 33.27 N., lon. 3121 W., from
Bourbon Island, bound to Bordeaux with sugar; and, off
St. Katherine's, Isle of Wight, this morning, the Mary,
from Sierra Leone to Sunderland, 61 days on the voyage.

TILE CHANNEL FLEET.
(BY siscram TILIORAPH.)

FALMOUTH, Tan Afoaxixo.
The Caroline arrived off here to-day from Tarsus
for orders. The Limerick saw her Majesty's channel
fleet on' the 7th instant in latitude 40 16 North,
longitude 16 9 West.

'Etc elisurt.
STATE BALL AT TIIE PALACE.

The Queen gave last evening, at Buckingham
Palace, a state ball, which was very numerously anu bril-
liantly attended, the invitations amounting to about nine-
teen hundred, and comprising the royal family and royal
visitors, the whole of the diplomatic corps and foreigners of
distinction staying in this country, the cabinet ministers,
the chief judges of the courts of common law and equity,
the Queen's aides-de-camp, the officers and ladies of the
royal household, and a very large party of the nobility and

gentry.
This was the first state entertainment since the re-decora-
lion of the Grand Hall. The ceiling has been painted in
oil, and panelled with a great variety of geometrical forme,
and adorned with shields of arms, heraldic badges, the in-
signia of the national orders of chivalry of the three king-
dome, the badge of the Prince of Wales, and the monogram
of the Queen and Prince, with wreaths of flowers,
and the various mottoes interspersed, all contributintr to
the general very beautiful effect. A large oval occupies
the centre of the ceiling, in which are the shields
of her Majesty *ma Prince Albert, surrounded by a wreath
of flowers. On the one side is the golden harp of Ireland,
in a circle of deep blue, and on the other the lion of Scot-
land. The stars of the Orders of the Garter and St. An-
drew, with the rose, shamrock, and thistle on squares of
vermilion, are arranged so as to form the points of the
geometrical forms into which the ceiling is pannelled by
colour. The architectural °ragmen's of the architrave,
frieze, and cornice are also picked out with vermilion and
white, blue, gold, and white, and green and white.
The Green Drawing-roam, Picture Gallery,
Yellow Drawing-room, Grand Saloon, Ball-room, Dinner-
room, and Garter-room, were opened, and were brilliantly
illuminated with magnificent chandeliers and lustres, the
recesses in each being tastefully decorated with choice and
fragrant shrubs and plants ; the Grand Staircase, leading
from the Marble Hall, was also profusely decorated with
flowers.
_ _ . _

The Ball-room and Throne-room were appropriated for
dancing, and in both apartments the temporary /mut pas
had been erected on which were placed seats for the Queen
and the royal guests, with rich draperies at the back of
white silk embroidered with coloured dowers and trimmed
with silver fringe.
In the Yellow Drawing-room the Queen and Prince
Albert received the members of the Royal Family. The
Green Drawing-room wu used as • refreshment room
during the evening, and a state supper was served in the
dinner rums._

royal body guard were on duty in the Grand Hall,
under the command of Captain Sir John Kincaid, the Eaon
in Waiting.
A guard of honour of the foot guards, with their band,
was on duty in front of the palace, within the large quad-
rangle.
The Duchess of Cambridge and the Princess Mary arrived
at half-past 9 o'clock, attended by Lady SnMeld and Sir
William Davison.
The Duchess of Kent was aceompanivd by the Prince's
Adelaide of Hohenlohit, and attended by Lady Anna Maria
Dawson, Sir George Couper, and Lord James Murray.
The Duke of Cambridge, K. 0., was attended by Lord
William Pada.

The Hereditary Grand Duke and Grand Duchess of
Mecklenburgh Strelit:, and the Duchess Caroline of Meek-
lenburgh Streik:, arrived at a quarter before 10 o'clock,
attended by Lady Caroline Cast, Baroness Wenehstein, and
Baron Labe-
The Duke and Duchess of Saxe Cobourg Gotha, attended
by Baroness do Wangeaheim, Baron Seebach, and Captain
Baron Treskow, joined her Majesty and her augustcircls in
the Yellow Drawing-room.
The Queen wore a dress of pink silk, covered with pink
tulle, ornamented with pink satin ribbons, and bunches of
i ink roses and diamonds.
Her Majesty's head dress was formed of a wreath of pink
roses and diamonds.
The Dachas of Rent wore a dress of sky-blue, brocaded
with silver, and trimmed with point lace. Her Royal
Highness's head dress was formed of ohms velvet, point
late, feathers and diamonds.
The Duchess of Cambridge's dress MIS black net over
Diet silk, trimmed with black Wens. the sesoncher
aimed with pearls and diamonds. gm Royal roll suss
wee. a splendid tiara of large pearls aM &Pommel.
Tea Primus Mary wore a dress of Moo Idla, em-
- igil *
lieoilam" bed s wills 2eirmili of flowers roun her l
lOW &mud whim tat a pull Nickles,.
Ibi vary Grand Dubow of MoklemburghEtrelitz
MN m of pink satin sewed with Idle, and trimmed
web. the atemasher adorned with pearls and
alieslode. 'The hamedress was composed of flowers,
petili. am,
- TM Mass stew Coborg Gotha's dress war of gold
wain loWqm% WillieNd with gold lace, and having the
saimailbar of diamonds. The headdress was formed of
'at
ruteariers..l6ll:f"lllaneedtilen. bum: StreUts wore a
does of pi& mien covered with tulle, having two deep
flosses of white lams; the front was ornamented with white
roses and green leaves, diamonds being inserted in the
middle of the roses. The stomacher was adorned with
diamonds, sad the headdress composed of white roses and
diamonds.
The Princess Adelaide of Hohenlohe wore a white dreu,
trimmed with blush romps and silver ribbons. The I'rin-
t:lllPß WO7O round her bead a wreath of blush roses.
The general company began to arrive soon after nine
o'clock, those having the entree alighting at the Garden
Entraace, and the other visitors alighting at the Principal
Entrant* in front of the Palace. All the guests were
ushered up the Grand Staircase, through the Green Draw-
ing-room, into the Picture Gallery.
At ten o'clock Her Majesty and Prince Albert quitted the
Yellow Drawing room, and passed through the Grand
Saloon, preceded by the Marquis of Breadalbane, K.T.,
Lord Chamberlain; tho Duke of Norfolk, K.G., Lord
Steward ; Lord Ernest Bruce, Vice-Chamberlain ; the Earl
of Mulgrave, Treasurer of the Household; and Lord
Drumlanng, Comptroller of the Household. The Queen
and the Priam were accompanied by the Duchess of Kent,
the Duchess of Cambridge, the Princess Mary the Duke of
Cambridge, the Duke and Duchess of Saxe Cc:boars Gotha,
the Hereditary Grand Duke and Grand Duchess and the
Duchess Caroline of Mecklenburg Strellta, and the Princess
Adelaide of Hohenlohe.
The Duchess of Sutherland, Mistress of the Robes ; the
Countess of Desert, Lady in Waiting; the Hon. Caroline
Cavendish and the Hon. Flora Macdonald, Maids of Ho-
nour in Waiting, followed in attendance to her Majesty.
The Queen and Prince Albert, with their illustrious cir-
cle, were conducted by the Lord Chamberlain and the other
officers of state into the ball•room, where Mr. Booee's quad-
, rine band was stationed in an elevated orchestra.
Her Majesty opened the ball with the Hereditary Grand
Duke of Mecklenburg &relit' is a quadrille, " Rigoletto,"
(Timmy),
The other quadrilles, waltses, and polka, danced in this
. saloon were

Frederick William
Fete de Um
Mario
Soirees de Ferris/ail
Welts'
_ _ _

_ _
1,11 Notts.
Herfort.
Bourootte.

Ideal as Levu Cane.
Peerboff
Brook.

Leelay
Gelttemenringen Loser.
Immoriellen Gunel.
Venus Reirn (Anil
Polkas.
Klipberg
.....

Cora Cove Guernery.

niampasner Lumpy,.
The Throne Room was also appropriated for dancing, a
second quadrille band being stationed in an orchestra
erected fur the purpose. The dances succeeded each other
without int( rmissiou till half-put 12 o'clock, at which time
her Majesty and Prince Albert, with their royal visitors
and guests, were conducted to supper, preceled by the