The Express.
London, England, 1868-10-30 00:00:00

PROPOFED NEW GERMAN ARCTIC NAPE-

DITION.

BUEMKN, Our. 27.
Dr. A. Petermann, of Gotha, having 'accepted
the invitation to a public banquet in this city,
given in honour of the safe return of the Ger-
mania from her late exploring expedition in the
Arctic Sea, about a hundred and-fifty gentlemen
sat down to dinner lest evening in the large hall
of the club called " Soefahrt," the only other
guests invited being Captain Holdewey and the
two officers that served under him in the cruise.
For a couple of hours before dinner a meeting of
gentlemen interested in Polar exploration was
held, and the subject of sending out another
expedition in a well-found steamer next spring
discussed. This meeting was convened by Herr
H. H. Meier, the chairman of the North German
Lloyd Steam Company, and attended by Dr.
Brewing, the head of the School for Navi-
gation in this city, Herr Rosenthal, a large ship-
owner of Bremeuhaven, matey of whose vessels are
employed in the whale fishery, and others. The
result of their deliberations has not been made
I public, but I am enabled to state that tho gentle-
men present resolved themselves into the nucleus
of a provisional committee for the furtherance of
the object in view, and that it was unanimously
agreed to send out a fresh expedition in the
spring; whilst it was not considered advisable to
give it a local character. but rather to make it a
national undertaking, and solicit subscriptions and
tag .port in all parts f (Jerre/any.
The hall was decorated with flags sled wreaths of
evergreens, end on the wells were paraded the• nom ss
of the greatest diesseerene. from Columbus clown
to the present time. On the coiling, imme-
diately over the heed of Dr. Petermann. was
fixed a large star with the letter N, in allusion
to its te:ug his bbaulfast endeavour to bring
the pole-star to the zenith, and in the prinsipsl
niche was a portrait of the astronomer Oilers,
native of Bremen. whilst over the sidebeard was
exhibited an illustrated ornamental scroll
coutuening in es/loured letters thu motto of
the club--Neeigars nerfisse elf, ri,Pro,
rd merssr. Thu chair was taken by the
Senator Buff, on whose right and left were
seated the guests of the evening, and more than
half the members of the senate were present.
After dinner Burgermeister Duckwit: proposed
the health of Dr. Petermann, expatiating at con-
siderable length eel the benefits he had e.nsviy
conferred on geography and exploration, which
were fully recognised by the Royal Geographical
Society of London, who had this year awarded
him their gold modal. Dr. Petermann, in rising
to reply, expressed his thanks for the good
advice end practical support he had ever
experienced from the inhabitants of Bremen,
who enjoyed the credit of being always the
first whenever a new field was opened for cora-
niereinl enterprise. He described the lately re-
turned expedition as, what it has always been con-
sidered to lee here, a preliminary attempt, a nau-
tical pioneering cruime, and a rensweeissetere to lay
down a basis of operations for a future expedition
on a more extensive scale. It was not expected
that the Gcrneunia, being a mere sailing vessel of
040 tune, would make any rear discoveries, or be
able to reach a very high latitude; but one im-
portant result arising from her voyage was a
knowledge of the fact that the road to the North
Pole most free from ice was the one. she had taken.
and the conviction that between East Greenland
and Nova Zambia there was always, somewhere or
other, an opening through which a steam vessel
could pass the barrier of ice to the opee n era beyond.
ILe then referred to the survevs nude Iry the expedi-
Gun laud was proud to know dust German names had
now to he inscribed on maps, for the first time in
the history of geographical researvh. He felt
grateful that so great an interest had been
awakened in the minds of the Genuens, and that
they had so liberally responded to his appeal for
pecuniary support as to subscribe 20,0ue dollars
for the purpose, whereas one-half of that sum
was sufficient to Cover the expenses of the expe-
'linen. 1)r. 1N termann's speech was received with
the warmest manifestations of approval, and made
a favourable impression. Senator Gildemeister
proposed the health of all German navigators and
seamen. and referred with exultation to the pro-
gress that was making in the German navy, which
Le Loped in a few years would take as honourable
a position among the navies of the world as its
armies held in the estimation of Europe. Other
toasts were given and responded to, and the com-
pany did nut separate till nearly miduighe

One member of the government has at length
expressed an opinion upon the report of the Irish Church
Commissioners. Mr. Beggsll3y, the new Solicitor-
timers!, in athlresi.ing his constituents at Heretwd,
referred to what he termed the principles on which the
recommendations were formed and to those principles he
gave his cordial support. The learned gentleman denied
that Mr. Oladtoue's IriA Church resolutions of March
last were; brought forward as counter-propositions to the
policy shadowed forth by Lord Mayo. and maintainol that
in every respect the motion was rather an original than a
counter proi
The Oxford Undrvyroduate's Journal says :
"That the athletic season 1 as again come round is evident
to one who rays a vi.it any afternoon to the running
ground on the Marston-road. Tlie,A, freshmen are busily
engaged for the coming si ors on the 13th and 14th ui
November, while, tho non-ssnior men and those of last
year's celebrity, look on and entices:, the merits of their
juniors. litany men are up this term, and reports of fast
runners and guru juruyers, as well as strong men to hurl
the hammer and ' put ' the stone, have reached our uni-
versity, with their public school reputations. It is to be
hoped that the ranks of throe who lust year helped to score
the majority of atLlet:e events against Cambridge, and
who will du 1.4.1 no more neat spring, will be reinforced be
some of these fi &lamer' who have just come up."

It is stated that an opera in one act is shortly to
be producid at Prague, written by Gluck, and very little
known, called "The Magical Troe." It was composed for
a gala representation, which was given on the occasion of
the marriage of Ms Dauphin with Marie Antoinette.

A litter front St. Petersburg of the 24th nty-4 :
—"The military ccuterences en the subjeet of esid,..sivo
shells are about to commence. England his sent here a
special military agent, Major-General St. licorge. Italy,
Austria, and PrueKitt hare done the mete. l'veple are
surprised that France, the military power per .le-raster,
has not yet nominated a representative."

We (- Goliyuani) regret to say that the state of
Rossini has again become more alarming within the lad
four and twenty hours. A consultation of medi..al mem
among whom were Professor Nelaton and Dr. lidrthe.
was held yesterday morning at Pas y. The patient
declared to be free from inflammation, but so envedingly
weak as to cause great anxiety.
COUNT DI:CRATE:I:a CLAkE'rs.-1110 nonietina
joutualspublish details of the great mle of wine at Chi-
teamlaffitte. When the estate belonging to the late
Count Dueltfitcl was recently sold, the heir. reserved to
themselves the right of selling the wine in the cellar and
the furniture of the house. The former has now been die-
pored of without any preliminary tasting, the purchaser
paying five per cent. additional as auction duty. 'rho
attendance was exceedingly large. and comprised the
principal wine merchants, gourmets of France, proprie-
tors of the great Cana restaurants, agents from many
members of the aristocrac and finance of France
and abroad. anti several foreign dealers. The
dates of the wince flanged from 1;97 to ISO, and the
01.11.1ptti(1141 was nattirrlly great, such a collection never
having before been offered for tale. Tho 'mum price
wan 7fr. the bottle for the growths of l 821; and Peri, and
the highest 1211 r., for that of INII, the year of the comet.
The timid offer for the latter was 20fr., followed by an
advent* to heft. at a single bid, and then by lefr. to
12Ufr., aid finally to 121 fr.. at which rate it was knocked
down to Id. Un mailiy of the lintel des Primes et do la
Paix at Bordeaux. The wines of the years Ittlirl and Ififi7
still rentain unsold, and will probably be 'Alertly brought
to the hammer also.—aillsomei.