The Express.
London, England, 1866-01-06 00:00:00

raolusui
SUNDAY. ON Norma MONDAY.
&S.W. to W.N.W. and CoAMIL S.W. to B.K. varying,
Men, fmh to etrong, fresh to strong tut-
with some rain or setUed.

snow.
S.W. to N.W. and Wlllgilta Chiefly from N.W. and
back, moderate to S W., varying, mode-
strong, some rain. rate to strung, un-
settled.
Northerly to W., mode- SOOSIIZMIL As next above.

rate taiesh.
t N N.W. and rAM2III. Similar to above.
back, moderate to

---
Northern=Bcotland. western=lretrad. Walla, and ad*
reticles. Bouthern=Engllsh Channel and Bay of Biscay.
tratern,--Baatward England and North Sea.

MUSICAL AND DRAMATIC GOMlP.—Maiiame
Parepa is expected in England towards the end of the
month. Madame Lemmens-Sberrington is said to be In
treaty with the management of the Italian Opera at Madrid.
Madlle. Nilsson, from the Tbeitre longue, will possibly
visit England shortly. Ic is true, we are now told, that
the Lanky of Herr Brach is to be performed at Her
Majesty's Theatre daring the coming season ; the finale of
that opera, completed by Mendelsohn, will be substituted
for the one which the necessities of his position comoelled
Herr Bruch to compose at a heavy disadvantage. Signor
Verdi is writing a new opera for the Grand Opera. oa the
subject of Sohiller's Don Carlos. Nicolsi's Il Ten.
pain is in preparation at the Italian Opera in Paris. I
Madame Calderon has been tried there, in Maria di Robes,
without sawn ; but the part is, as they say in the theatres, ,
"an up-hill run." Madame Caillag is said to have coa-
tracted a brilliant eopgement at the Madrid Opera. M.
Lena Daprez, son of the redoubtable tenor, is about to
make his first appearance in Paris as a baritone. The new
prokstaut music for the obsequies of the late Rion of
the Belgians—siso that for the inauguration of his Homan
catholic successor—was composed by M. Fedi. Signor
Pinaniti, to the regret of all who have voices to be trained,
appears to have excheoged the career of a professor for
that of a composer. He is wintering at Florence, and busy,
we are told, over an o'er*, the subject of which is taken
from Shskepere. A translation of Beethoven's c•llected
letters, including three recently denatured by Dr. van
Knchel. by Lady Wallace, is announced. Signor Rovers,
the buffo, who appeared at Covent-garden Theatre, but who
may be best remembered by Lablache's description of him
as "comique comma un termini," died the other day at •
New York. —dthencrum.
PALESTINE EXPLORATION FUND.—A report has
been received from Captain Wilson, chief of the first
expedition of this emaciation, dated Damascus, December
20, of which the following is the sal-ignore :—The party
arrived at Beyrout at the end of November, and lett
it for Damascus on the 10th of Deeember.—Astro-
monied observations have bee° obtained fixing the
position of Beyrout, Mejdel•Aujar, Baalbek. Sur-
; 'hays. Bak Wady Brads. Damascus, Tell Balhiyeb,
and Harrau el-Awamid. The lakes east of Damascus
were in course of explorative. Plans with de-
-1 tailed drawings and photographs have been made of
the old Temple at Deb el Keith (near Beyond), the temple
at Majdel-Anjar, the old city of Chalets, a small Greek
church at Masi, the basilica of Tbendosins at Baalbek
(in the great quadrangle abuttiog on the western end of
the great Temple, the hack of the apsis resting on the
steps), the Temple at Ain Fijeh, gad the Boman
gate at Damascus —Bab /Murky. The exploration
of the Assyriao Mound at Tell Salhiyeh, near Damascus.
bad been commenced. A plan of the great mosque at
Damascus, with photographs of details, was in course of
execution. In addition to those above mentioned, areal
photographs of a large size had bees taken of various
objects of interest along the road between Berme and De-
lusions ; some of these for the first time. At Tell Bel-
Web and Henan el-Awamid bgseriptioas bad been feud
eminently not hitherto known.
THE RAILWAY Commissiow—lt will be satiate.-
tory to the Irish public to know that the name el the Earl
of Belmore leas been added to the railway OCOMEINSWEI.
With Lord Bellmore and Colonel Monsell on tbe eaciandealse.
Ireland, North and South, will be well repteseated.—Dablin
Strang Nail.