The Express.
London, England, 1867-12-31 00:00:00

ROME.

The following is an extract from a letter from
Rome of Dec. 17:—" You see we are having the terrors
of revolution at Rome, but up to the present time have had
no alarms excepting one morning, when there was a great
deal of firing in honour of anti' Barbara, the patron Saint
of Artillery. We, who are ignorantof herexistence, thought
the French had come back, and hail been too warmly re-
ceived. When I came to Rome I considered myself a
moderate liberal, now I sin a red republican, and bate and
abhor the Pope, priests, and papalini. I have been greatly
interested in going to see the poor wounded Garibaldians
in the hospital here. Few are there here to sympathise
with them, or to venture to show their sympathy. We
tried long in vain, and were sent from the Minister of War
to the commandant at Piazza, Ac., and everywhere met
with the eternal ' Non poesumua !' At last we succeeded
in opening the hospital doors. Fine, intelligent, well
educated fellows they are in general, and greatly pleased
to see those to whom they can give vent to their feeling'
regarding the priestly enemies, especially grateful for
books, the Life of St. Anthony being the most exciting thing
allowed. They are in a wretched place, extremely damp
sod unhealthy, and 60 have died in the hospital, more
than one-fourth of the number, I believe, taken there.
A great number are in a room on the ground
Hoer, which feels and smells like a cellar, and
I should think strong healthy men would soon
get fever by sleeping there. It was difficult to
provide at once for such an emergency ; but when that
enormous Palace of the Quirinal is standing empty I do
not see why they need have been put in a granary situated
io a notoriously unhealthy spot. Some of them told us
that what ruined them was that so niany had joined them who
had no intention whatever of fighting, but only came to plun-
der, and these brought discredit on them everywhere, and
dropped off just when they were wanted. I was amused
and disgusted by what a Genoese marquis told me :
' Florence,' said he, is a place where they talk a great
deed, and when we started I had many Florentines in my
company who were full of what they would du ; but when
the great day came at Neaten not one remained.' The
priests and monks in charge of the hospital look moat un-
favourably on all visitors. They tried to discourage me,
but in vain. Rome Is very empty, and it will of course be
a dull season."

MAILS VOR TUE BAIIAM.tS.—Tho contract with
Messrs. Cunard, Burns' and klaclver, une.er which the
mails for the Bahamas have hitherto been conveyed from
New York to Nassau, being about to expire, the govern-
ment of the Bahamas have made arrangements for the
mails being carried by the steam vessels of another com-
pany. The first packet to be despatched under the new
arrangement will leave New York on Thursdaythe 30th
January, 1568, and thenceforward a packet will leave on
every fourth Thursday throughout the year. The mails
for the Bahamas will be despatched from London on the
evening of every fourth A 1 eJnesday, commencing with
Wednesday the 15th January, and eupplementery mails
will always be forwarded on the evening of the following
Saturday, to take the chance of arriving in New York be-
fore the departure of the Bahamas packet. No mails for
Havana will for the present Le forwarded via New York
and Nassau.

••••• ••••••••••••••
RUNNING THE ISLOCKADE.-" It WM such a
lovely night, so calm and clear, that the cliffs of Northern
Kimmel seemed close behind, no matter how hard we
pulled. But Pontiko was growing more distinct with
every stroke, and we should soon be close to its sombre
shadows, for the boat was heading a trifle westward of her
course, to stem the current which sets towards Cape
Buso. ' What is it, Demetri Y" Pull on, lad, what ails
you" The rower, thus apostrophised, answers—'Hush,
brothers ! Down ! down ! Behold the Turkish steamer.'
We look where he points, And can faintly see the
outline of a vessel's hull in the brightest glittering of
the moonlight. She comes nearer, and is apparently
steaming towards us, her masts being in one with her
funnel. ' Down ! down !' cry the rowers in a whisper as
we crouch level with the thwarts, and no further remark
is made for several minutes. It is a crisis in our voyage,
which brings the blood tingling through the veins, even
more than would a whistling of rifle-bells overhead. We
lie so helplessly, rising and sinking on the smooth waves ;
the moonlight is so strong, the Turk so close at hand, that
escape seems impossible. Will they fire first, and ask who
we are afterwanls, or simply run us down, or will they
make us their prisoners! There is about equal probability
in favour of each of these results. Now we breathe more
freely, for the Turk has stopped his engine, and re-
mains eta little distance blowing off steam. It is certain
that we are not perceived: the oars are 'noiselessly dipped
in the water, and we steal away into the shadow of Pon-
! tiko. Thus far we are safe—safe at any rats until morn-
ing."—From J. E. Hilary Skinner's " Roughing it in
Crete."
GALT NORTHERN HOSPITAL, CALEDONIAN-ROAD,
N. Number of patients for the week ending Dec. 28,
887, of which 231 were new lases.

SUDDEN DEATH OF MR. MACKIE, M.P. FOR
KIRKCUDRRIGHToHIRE.—It is with regret that we an-
nounce the death of Mr. James Mackie, of Bargaly, M.P.
for the stewartry of Kirkcudbright. The sad event took
place with an awful suddenness at his residence, Eniespie
House, near Castle-Douglas, on Saturday morning. On
Friday Mr. Mackie was in his usual state of health, and
transacted some business in Castle-Douglas during the
day. At dinner in the evening be was taken suddenly
ill. Continuing to get worse, a messenger was sent
by the late train to Dumfries for Dr. M'Culloch, !
who immediately set off in a chaise and pair to
Ernespie, a distance of about 16 miles. Hie ser- ;
vices were unavailing, as Mr. Mackie expired at three
o'clock the following morning. Mr. Mackie was the only
surviving child of the late Mr. John Mackie, of 'largely,
who represented the stewartry in parliament for a number
of years. He was born in 1821, and was in his 47th year. '
In 18:13 be married Miss Jane Wilson, only daughter of .
Mr. Archibald Horne, of Invercroskie and Whitetield, by
whom he leaves nine children. At Oxford he took the
degree of M.A. in 11-17, and in the same year
he passed as an advocate at the Scottish bar, but .
he never practised. On the dissolution of parliament
in 1557 his father retired, and he came forward as a
candidate in the liberal interest. He was opposed
by the late Mr. George Maxwell, of Glenlee, whose libe.
rslisni wan more advanced. Mr. Maxwell was the popular
man, but Mr. Mackie having the support of the Kirl of
Galloway, the Earl of Selkirk, and Mr. Murray Stewart,
carried the election by a small majority. Since that time
he enjoyed the honour of the representation undisturbed.
Previous to last general election it was understood that he
was anxious to withdraw into private life, and that Colonel
Clark Kennedy. C. 8., whose unlooked-for death in Egypt
was announced last week, contemplated standing in his
stead ; but at the desire of some of his constituency he
again offered himself, and was again returned. Mr.
Mackie, though an adherent of the liberal party, was
somewhat conservative in his views, and gave considerable
dissatisfaction even to many of his friends by the way in
which he acted during the divisions on the Reform Bill of
the late Russell government, when he was one of the dia. ,
affected few who followed Lord Grosvenor into " the
cave." Mr. Mackie was of a frank and kindly disposition,
and as a gentleman was ueiversally esteemed. Himself
an enterprising agriculturist, among the agricultural
classes he was particularly popular.—Norl• Mail.
TH Y. MIDDLESEX 17 I. ANDTH C CORONER'S •
Cot. ET.—Last evening Dr. Lankester resumed an inquiry
at the Durham Castle, Seven Sisters-maiLllpper Holloway,
into the death of John Pratt, aged 53 years, who was
found, after being poisoned, suspended by the neck to a
teem in a ',table adjoining his residence at No. 27,Durhatn-
road. There could be no doubt from the evidence that the
deceased, who was en inveterate drunkard, had died by
his own hand, and that the poison used was atropia. No
post niorteui examination had, however, taken place, for
the reason given in the following letter from Professor
Rodgers to the Coroner, :—" 35 Sussex-street, Waiwick.
square, S.W., Dec. Is, 1867. Deer: Sir,—l went this after-
noon to 27, Durham-road for the purpose of performing a
required examination of the body of John Pratt. The
state of the body is, however, such as to render the pro-
ceedings so dangerous that regard to the value of my
life to my family corrpels me to decline making it. par-
ticularly as the Middlesex magistrates seem to regard per-
sonal risk as valueless as scientific investigation carried
out for the protection and the safety of the public.—l
B:c., J. E. D. Itorieea,, Professor of Jurisprudence in
the London Hospital Medical College." It seems that Pro-
fessor Rodgers was appoiuteel by the coroner on the liart
of the crown to test the atmosphere of the Metropolitan
Railway consequent on deaths that had occurred on that
line. The professor made many journeys, and gave evi-
dence on the inquest, and was Allowed 101. by the coroner,
which sum was reduced to 2/. by the Middlesex magis-
trates. The Coroner said it was not his intention to criti-
cise the acts of the Middlesex magistrates, but it appeared
to him that the sum of two guinea,' was not a sufficient
remuneration for such services. It seemed that justice
might go by default and the Middlesex magistrates would
take no notice. He believed, however, that the government
would pay the highest price fur the highest Went. The
jury sgreedwitb the remarks of the coroner, but expressed
a wish that a pont mortem examination in the case under
inquiry had been made. The Coroner said he could
indict a penalty of Si. both on Dr. Collett and Professor
Rodgers ; but after the act of the Middlesex magistrates
he did not think it would he just to do so. He would,
however, say that in the dangerous condition of that
body either gentleman would willingly have forfeited
the 5/. rather than have touched it. Dr. Collett replied
that he believed if 1001. were given he could not have
found the poison. It was of a vegetable character, and
absorbed. The following verdict was returned:—
'alleetettli from atropia and strangulation; but how the
deceased got the ,'tropes there is nos sufficient evidence to
show."
SOUTH KENSINGTON MUSEUM.—Visitors during
the week ending Dec. 2s, 1867:—0n Monday Tuesday,
and Saturday (free), from 10 a.m. till 10 p.m., 7,847 ; on
Thursday, and Friday (free), from 10 a.m. till 10 p.m.,
11,543; total, 17.490; average of corresponding week in
former years, 19,403 ; total from the opening of the
museum, 7,124,754.

THE PRINCE OF WALLS 4ND FoXIIITNTING IN
Noireot.x.—Tfiere are no more enthusiastic supporters of
the national sport of fothenting Mlle foetid in England
' than the royal wiser of Saindnighsyl and his popular 0611-
! sort, and foxes tujd pheasants urn to exist together
, on, the royal domain. When the rince of Wales first
purchased Smidrhigharc, foxes. wilth unknown in the ex-
cellent ,preserves ;.. but the inswing
become a sub-
scriber to the West Norfolk Has o s, which were then
Pnnot4
under the mteislilrf of Mr. Hen illebois, at tame gave
orders for feklultodhe PramirTud,Nitt several meets have
milasitquently taken place at gham, with but in-
differeht results ea far as actual. nting war concerned,
Se:ln
but the immense fields of aqua a, carriage
and pedestrians which have, tended, have suffi-
ciently sho4ru
ogvirstplivert4l. &tuck avi
mar . 'high-
ness gave a public luncheon to the gentlemen of
the hunt, there were more " swells " in pink and green,
i1tur...146.
and on horseback, than ever before were seen in the annals
of the West Norfolk Nimrod.. This was, possibly, par-
tially due to the love of the sport, but probably still more
l to the desire to be brought somewhat into close communion
1 with the4lignity, itc., which is supposed to " hedge about
a prince. It cannot be said of Sandringham, sad the
country thereabouts, that it is one of the best fox-hunting
districts in England, as it is not sufficiently open for that,
hauks t
Lead
the
keeper, faith faithfulness
tin lnesa of .
but still in the nature of the ground there is nothing to
preventoo some good runs
, his royal highness's
bag out the wishes of the Prince with reference to the pre-
servation of " the varmint," the woods at Sandringham
this year are as full of foxes as possible. During the pre.
sent shooting season the Prince and his brother sportsmen
have seen (oxen in every wood.—Land and Water. Dec. :N.
COLLISION ON THE SOUTH DEVON RAILWAY.—
An accident occurred on the South Devon Railway on
Saturday morning near Ivybridge. The up goods train
which left Plymouth at six o'clock had to drop some
trucks and take on three others at the Ivybridge goods-
siding, which is about three-quarters of a mile above
the Ivybridge station. For this purpose the di :err of
the engine (the Hero) left the main body of the
train at the Ivybridge station, and proceeded to the
riding, by permission of the statiou-mater at Ivy.
bridge, to do his work. The passenger train leaving Exet.r
at 7.10 cut., consisting of six carriage., drawn by the
Aurora engine, usually crosses the up goods train
at Kingsbridge-road, the line being • single one in that
neighbourhood ; but iu consequence of the delay of the
goods train the passenger train driver received *Mien
orders at Kingsbridge-road to proceed to Ivybridge snd
cross the goods train there. It is understood that pre-
viously the porter at the railway station at Ivybridge hail
telegraphed to Kingsbridge-road " line clear," forgetting
that a part of the goods train had passed up, or else
imagining that it would have returned in time to get
out of the way of the passenger train. Be that as it
may, the result was that on the driver of
the Aurora nearing the Ivybritlge siding he observed
the goods engiue and trucks in front of him on the
same line, and at once made every effort to stop his train.
The driver of the other engine, on bearing the paseenger
train coming, had sent a man to try and stop her, and
meanwhile had put on steam to back his engine out of the
way. The line having a sharp curve at this point, how-
ever,
it was impossible to avoid a collision, although by
the prompt efforts of the drivers its violence was very
much lessened. The Hero had three trucks in front and
three behind, and into the front ones the Aurora dashed.
The cattle-truck that was the tirss truck reared up on end
against, and damaged the chimney of, the engine, and
falling over, carried away the telegraph- erre.. The
next, an open zinc truck, was doubled up under the
engine, and crushed to an unahvely mass of splin-
tees ; the third truck was knocked off the line • 1
the Hero engine, which came next, was uninjured.
The passengers iu the other train were thrown from
their seats with more or less violence, according to their l'
pueition in the train. Those who suffered most
were the occupants of the third class carriage in
front, but no one sustained any injury beyond a severe
shaking and a bruise or two. Mr. Parr, of the traffic de-
partment, happened to be in the train and at once ran
to the Ivybridge Railway Station and telegraphed to ,
Plymouth for assistance, and very promptly a train was
sent on with Mr. Fowler, Insp,ctor Tucker, sad a
number of gangers, to clear away the wreck, sad to
bring in the passengers. Theline wasthoroughly blocked,
semi remained so fur 110M111 hours ; meanwhile passengers
had to walk past the wreck. The leas to the South
Devon Railway Company will be inconsiderable; pro-
bsibly the only coompenaation claim entertained will be for
a lady's bonnet which was blown from her heart when
walking across Ivybridge viaduct, the wind being high at
the time. Thu blame at present seems to rest cutirely
with the porter at leybridge station, into whose conduct
doubtless • strict investigation will at once be made.—
Wear re Morning Nara. - .

•
A THEATRICAL INCIDENT.—Rather an unusual
incident occurred in thrThestre Royal, Clasgow,on Thurs-
day night, while l'srfictios was in performance, prior to
the commencement of the lauitoinime. Macs Lectern!, as
the Lady of Munster, has occasion to say something of her
Carkagian origin in the closing scene. No sooner had
she uttered the words than a silly yokel in the gallery
shouted, +.She's a Fenian :" The hated term aroused at
once the anger of the house, and • tempest of groans and
yells suiged up, which would not be appeased short of the
expulsion of the offender—an opesatiou which was sum-
marily perfornied ri re firma& Rising o n mum., the audi-
ence gave vent to their loyalty and satisfaction in • ringing
shout, and resumed their seats, quietly permitting the per-
formance to proceed.—Clinsocw Arising Citizen.
[Advertisement. ]— HOLLOWAY'R OINTMENT AND
these winter months the human health is sorely tried
by the extreme changes of temperature which weaken the dins-
, tive organs, lower the bodily tont, and lay the system open to
numb:tic's complaints. The vast maturity of rusbolins affecting
the throat, lungs, end circulation, rosy he checked in their Mtn-
mous COMIC by nabbing this curative unguent briskly take •
day upon the skin covering theses% of the ailment, said by taking
at the aline time appmpa fate doses of Holloway's purifying, cur
rective and °pendia at pills. Thu simple treatment knows no
failures, Is devoid of danger, restores strength to hunted debili-
tated by disease. anal imparts vigour to them:netts taming, how-
' ever much shaken by repeated Hammes,

risk throughout the year. It may not be known to many
bf our readers that Norfolk Island—formerly is penal set-
tlement for the worst class of convicts front Australia—is
pow inhabited by the Pitcairn /slanders, baring IN:l11 Mae
over to them by the government when transpdrta-
tion to Eastern Australia ceased, their numbers
having become ton great for Pitcairn Island. It
would be difficult to overestimate the
its t Patteson for this work.
, diversity of dialects to be encountered would be
an insuperable obstacle ; but the bishop is possessed of a
rare talent for languges, by which he is enabled to master
them with wonderful rapidity—not merely in a superficial
way for the purposes of conversation, but as a philologist
of the very highest order. Nearly every summer the
grammar and vocabulary of a new dialect are composed by
him, whilst he teaches every day in three or four different
languages. A printing press is kept in constant use in this
institution also, and is worked by the natives. The prac-
tical difficulty of teaching some sixty students speaking
upward, of a dozen different languages ia got over by adopt-
ing one of thew, best suited for the purpose, as a standard,
and making them all learn it. This also enables them to
communicate amongst each other, which would he otherwise
impracticable. The bishop has a peculiarly winning man-
ner, and he does not assume, as many do, a tons of
superiority towards his native scholars, but treats them is
every way as equals, sitting down to meals with them' and
in point of fact raising them up, as it were, to a level with
himself. The consequeuce is that his influence over them
is unbounded and they regard him with the strongest
feelings of affection and respect.—Bfaciwsw•l's .11u!toyine
for January.
TRVilkt: Alonstint. —To begin with, the giver of
the feast may be in fault. He may be young end inexpe-
rienoel, lie may be mistrustful of his cook, and sitting
speechless at the font of him table, may exchange timid
glances with his consort—glances which speak a. plainly
as words—expressing very eloquently his fear that " the
whole thing is going badly." A host adlicted with mis-
givings of this sort will act as a wet blanket upon the com-
pany over which lie presides, and will be nut only silent
himself but the cause of silence in others. A man should
examine himself before he undertakes that arduous part of
boat, as to whether he is capable of filling it imperly. t'an
be maintain a calm exterior, he should ask himself, if the
soup should turn out to be burnt, or retain his presence of
ruled when the turbot comes to table insufficiently boiled?
It is not easy to do au. Unless& wan Ins a very consider.
able amount of moral strength he will break down utterly
under the pressure of a misfortune of this sort, and will
become incapable not only of talking but of listening also ;
staring vacantly into the face of anyone aho asidnaaes
him, but in reality seeing nothing except a vision of eider-
' done fish, red, and clinging to the bones. The example of
the master of the feast, when it happens that, owing to
the causes given above, or any other, be is rendered tem-
' porasily speechless, will most surely affect his company.
The individuals of whom that company is composed will
insensibly take their tone from their president, sal themere
look of him, under such circumstances, will Ise enough to
quench their oonversatiogial ardour.—Corishill Jlatiethse
,for January.
Tee OltiallNAL JIlt•T-BOOK.—It is singular to
find how soon stories became old, even in early times.
Even the exclamation of "Joe Miller I" to indicate a siert-
sable joke, is as old in sense, if not in sound, soi the days
of the father of Alexander the Great. When Philip we%
the Macedonian king, there was a club of a its iu Athens
which met once a week,not in the tavern,but the temple of
Hercules. They had such a favourable opinion of their
own powera, that they chronicled all their own jokes, and
kings sent to borrow the book—" The Book of the Sixty "
it was called, from the number of the members—when
they were depressed by the turn of pulities,or by their own
humours. and stood is need of a laugh and its refreshing
VCI7 many " good things " must have been
entered in this ),row-jest hook, though we ,lo not know
what they were. For a time they served the purpose of
" diners out,' and of men who carried no wit about with
them save what was contained in their memory of the. wit
lof others. The volume, however, became so fandlier
through its contents being circulated abroad, sad
that the heamrs at last gut weary of it, and lb Nisever a
dull fellow -ought to derive some brilliancy by repeating
one of the oft-told stories, he was met by a general cry of
" tome, that's an old hixty.”—Aroose for January.
TM: WAITER OF Stvr.—ln person be is 1.-an and
haggard; his gait is shuffling, anal his face is expressive of
puzzled melancholy tempered by longstanding esig nation.
I lie is prematurely wrinkled, though hardly iiiisidn-aged
the slow circuitousness of his motions thus I.e a,n to be
believed. HIP favourite measure of time is am,, ! t AP" et,
the value of which was found to range betas cis tweuty
minutes and three-quarters of an ).our, aisan:ing to
circumstances. lu conversation lie keeps up a cheerful
air, anal inalulees in many small jokes on hie toils :and
troubles, %Web he bears with a odninsia worthy of •
grander occasion. He is good-natured and
to do Lin last for customers it. everytiong except
speed ; on that point he is immovable. In vain slid
we often exhaust all possible signs of iirpatieroe
in vain would the members of the party ask in tura at inter-
vals of five minutes if breakfast was ready ; the waiter's
mystery remained impenetrable, and the enigma of hie
petit seole. art wss solved only by the actual appearance of
the coffee-pot. His delays are clearly too t•yrt,outic to
be the result of mere sloth and helplessness tie tqurists
who wrote hint down " an amiable crags" in the visitor's
book, took a very superficial view. The waiter has made
up his mind, and correctly, that be cannot hr any efforts
perform the service of the house, single-blinded as he is,
fast enough to satisfy all parties, and that consequently
the only way of avoiding invidious distinctiens is to culti.
rate slowness as an art, anal exercise it on all comers alike
with strict impartiality. Such then is his policy. and he
caries it out with a skill, subtlety, anal tenacity worthy of
the Chancellor of the Exchequer.—Jf:teteitue's Maga:ins
for January.