The Express.
London, England, 1867-09-02 00:00:00

ilic eaurit

BALKAAL. At!tkeerllo.
The Queen went out yesteraij morning; sewn-
panied by Princess Christian.
In the afternoon her Majesty drove to Alt-na-Caitba-
mach, accompanied by Princess Louise, and attended by
Lady Churchill.
Prince and Prince as Christian watt out driving.
AUGUST 31.
The Queen, accompanied by Princess Louise, and
attended by Lady Churchill drove out yesterday.
The Duke of Marlborough dined with the Queen and
royal family.

Despatches were received on Saturday at the Colonial-
office from the Governors of British Columbia, British
Honduras, and from the Governor-General of Canada.
Despatches were sent to the Governors of the West
India Islands, British Columbia, Bermuda, the Australian
Colonies, and the North American Provinces.

The Duke and Duchess of Northumberland are
staying at Albury Park, Surrey, and towards the close of
the week will pass through town for Alnwiek Castle,
Northumberland.

The Duke and Duchess of Roxburghe havo ar-
rived at the Clarendon Hotel from Floors Castle.

The Duke of Hamilton, since the commencement
of grouse shooting, has entertained a party of friends at
Brodick Castle, Isle of Arran. The duke and his friends
have had excellent shooting, the birds being plentiful, if
not abundant. On Tuesday lest the duke passed through
town on his way to Baden-Baden for the race meeting.
The Danish Minister, General de Bulow, and
the Danish Legation have removed to Cataldi's Hotel,
_ .

His Excellency Baron Bentinck, Minister of the
Netherlands, has left town for the Continent. Daring his
excellency's abeam* N. D. Everwyn, First Secretary of
Legation, will act am chargé d'affaixes.

The Marquis and Marchioness Towsushond have
left town for Balla Park, Hertford.

The Earl Amherst returned to Montreal Park,
near Sevenoaki, on Friday.
Count and Countess Beugnot have left the Cla-
rendon Hotel for Paria.

Viscount and Viscountess Powenconrt have left
Brown's Hotel.

Lord Kingsdown is, we understand, still in a very
indifferent Mate of health ; and, it u feared, from the
nature of his illness, not likely to recover.

Sir Henry and Lady Sophia dea Yuma !ant
week entertained a select party at Drakelow for the Derby
rases. Among their guests were the Duke and Duchess
of Beaufort, Maria Marchioness of Ailesbury, Admiral the
Hon. H. J. and Mn. lions, Hon. Colonel and Mrs. Curson,
Hon. F. Calthorpe,

The Right Hon. Sir David Dundas has left the
Alexandra Hotel, Hyde-park-corner, for Paris.

General Sir James Chatterton, Bart., K.C.8.,
K.H., and Lady Chatterton have left their residence In
Albemarle•street for the Queen's Hotel, Upper Norwood.
Colonel de Kodolich and Count Hompeech have
left the Clarendon Hotel for Vienna.

We havo to announce the death of the second
son of Major-General Lord George Paulet and the late Lady
George Paulet, in the 10th year of his age, on Saturday
last, after ► short illness.

The Royal Humane Society, at a recent meeting
of the committee, held at the rooms, in Trafalgar-square,
London, bad the case of the Rev. William Woodward laid
before them by the mayor of Stratford-on-Avon (Mr. C. T.
Loggin). The rev. gentleman behaved with great intrepi-
dity in endeavouring to rescue the late lamented Mr. W. H.
Baldwin, who was accidentally droirned,a few weeks mince,
in the river Avon, and for his conduct on that melancholy
*amnion the society have awarded him • bronze medal.
ELEPHANT RIDING IN NEPAUL.—The animals
were said to be about a mile off, but it was certainly at
least for three miles that we pursued our way through
grass sometimes as high as the backs of our hunters, and
sometimes through forest-trees tangled with creepers and
dense with young saplings of the salt-tree. Through these
impediments the elephant forces his way with ease. The
rider, however, most be careful that his feet do not get
washed between them and the sides of the elephant, or
that he I. not pulled off his seat by the overhanging
boughs. Indeed, besides the fall, which might be serious,
there are other dangers which may result from hieing
your seat We had not gone far in the forest, when the
Maharaja, who bad kindly warned me of all that
ought and ought not to be dons for the better
keeping of one's seat, either espying the rawness
of his -nest in elephant riding or for some other cause,
said, " I think you had better change your elephant and
get on this one, which which he called so a man to bring up from
am
ong those which were following us. "If you fell off
tli:atmiliiephant you were first seated on," said his excel-
lency after the exchange had been effected, " he might
vary likely kick at you, as he is somewhat • new one • the
old female elephant you are now on knows better thin to
do so; but losing your seat in the chase is an awful thing
anyhow, and whatever you do hold on tight ; and Heaven
help you if you do fall." It was evident that my host
thought • spill on my part not an impossibility, and this
was not encouraging to • novice; for granting the
fall were harmless, yet there was the risk of
being trodden under foot by one of the four or five
score of elephants following in the rear. However, I was
in for it now, and set to work to develop my adhesive
faculties to the utmost, and pawed the time during which
we were moving up to our prey in determining the number
of evolutions which I could perform on an area of three
feet square on the top
,of an elephant's back, going at a
fast shaking walk. This," said the Maharaja, "is
nothing to the pace we shall go as soon as the bugle
sounds. The only thing then is to go as feat as you can ;
push your elephant along, over, or through everything you
meet, like fox hunting in England ; and when you see •
bough ahead which you cannot avoid by bending or stoop-
ing, you must get down on to the crupper of the elephant,
like this." And suiting the action to the word, his Excel-
lency, nimbly slipping from his seat on the pad, squatted
like a frog on the hind quarters of the animal he rode,
holding on by the crupper.—Fraser's efeee:Oic for Sep-
tember.

A LEADING PROPERTY OP MODERN FICTION.
Hair, indeed, in general, has become one of the leading
properties in fiction. The facility with which it flows over
the shoulders and bosoms in its owner's vicinity Is quite
extraordinary. In every emergency it is ready for use.
Its quantity and colour, and the reflections in it, and even
the "fuss," which is its modern peculiarity take the
plain of all those pretty qualities with which heroines
used to be endowed. What need has a woman for a soul
when she has upon her head a mass of wavy gold? When
• poor creature has to he represented, her hair is said to
be scanty, and of no particular oolour. Power, strength,
• rich nature, a noble mind, are all to be found embodied
in this great attribute. Samson, being a Jew, had pro-
trebly black locks, which would be against him ; but
otherwise Simeon would have made a great figure in
these days, if, indeed, Delilah had not outdone him with
amber floods of equal potency. Amber is the tint patro-
nised in the works of Ouida. It is the only idea that we
have been able to evolve out of her gorgeous pages, if
indeed it can be called an idea. With other and more
orthodox writers the hue le gold or red. When the con-
ception demands • milder shade of colouring, auburn, and
even chestnut (with gold reflections), are permissible;
but when a very high effect is intended, red is the hue
par exerlfrnee. Red and gold, in all its shade., are com-
patible with virtue; amber means rich luxurious vice—
whereas the pale and scanty locks are the embodiment of
meanness and poverty of character. As for black and
brown, which were once favourites in fiction before it
took to violent colouring, they are " nowhere." They may
be permitted now and then in • strictly subordinate posi-
tion, but they have nothing to do with the symbolism of
modern art.—Blackieood's Maga:ine for September.
Tux Moons. —lt is curious how many men
shoot grouse because it is the fashion. They feel them-
selves bound to do it. They lose caste if they are not on
the moors on 12th August, and so they toil on after a
brace of doge till they are ready to die, and make believe
that they enjoy it, and are all the better of the eschew.-
tion, which they do not recover for days afterwards. What
would become of the Highlands, or rather of the Scottish
chiefs. only for this fashionable diversion? Red deer
would not produce the same results on the rental, nor
would salmon. There are limits to forests and salmon
rivers, and to the means and tastes of those who prefer
stalking and fishing, but the grouse mountain is always
profitable, for sheep and grouse thrive together ; at least
they are not antagonistic, and it might be a question which
of the two should give way, in case they were found in-
compatible with each other. The Liverpool cotton broker,
the Manchester warehouseman, the Bolton " chap,"
the London merchant, must base his moor; ninny of the
class have forests and rivers as well. They jostle the
Highland chief out of his fastnesses. and he swears and
pockets the money, and lays on the rent, unbar' he be
such • great landed proprietor as the Duke of Sutherland,
and one or two more. But even a duke will let his an.
cestral halls and his widespread acres of moor and moun-
tain toe sporting stock.jobber, and many • poor proud
family is fain to surender the rights of the chase to the
Saxon lawyer or the Sonthron, who has well-filled money-
bags, and who seeks in the Highland' the sport and the
society which he cannot get elsewhere. It was doubtless
the Queen who set the fashion and made the Highlands so
popular. The Prince Consort, as we learn, breathed more
freely when he cams to Balmoral; and although it costs
her Majesty some 2,0001. whenever she moves from the
south to the north, it is, perhaps, the only part of bar do-
minions where she really feels at rest.—Corithill Magenta
for September.