The Sun.
London, England, 1864-06-15 00:00:00

FRAM.

BOURSE, Jane 15,..;t 'he 'he market still continues
heavy, but Rents has not suffered a further decline,
Threes beiDg unvaried at 66f. 85c. Mobilier has
slightly receded, and is now at 1,075 f. Railway
Market also heavy, and with a trifling fall on some
of th© lines. The market closed as follows :

ti periCents. ...... 93 40 j Italian Loan 7O 05
Do. end month.... 1 Do. end month 7O 10
3 per Cents ...... 66 70 Ditto Threes .. 42 50
Do. end mouth.... 66 9J NOW Mexican .... 57 50
Credit Mobilier....lo7B 75 Russian
Do. end m0nth....1081 25 Austrian .. B2
Bank Shares ...... 3380 -- Spuii,h Threes 5O 50
Credit F oncier ....1240 Home Debt
Roman .......... 74 75 Deferred -
El IL WATS.

Cash. Account.
0r1ean5......~...:
Northern .. 990 .. 990
Lyons and Mediterranean 857 50 .. 862 50
New ditto — -- --
Southern 646 24 .. 646 25
Western
Eastern
..... ~„ ~ 465 .. 465
Sardinian 366 25 365
Austrian
L.on,bard
pain
Saragossa....
Ditto to 'tireelona

ITALY,

A Turin letter of the 11th contains the follow

"M. Mordini, in a recent sitting of the Chamber
of Deputies, expr'essed his surprise that the fetes of
the Statuto should have passed without the Micisrer
of War taking advantage of the occasion to obtain
from the King the pardon of the soldiers under sen-
tence for the affair of Aspromonte. The Minister of
War, remaining inflexible, observed that it would
❑et be to base the policy of the Government o❑
sentilientalism. Notwithstanding the little hope
:eft by the language of General Della Rovere, peti-
tions are is course of signature praying the King to
pardon those soldiers, who, though undoubtedly
guilty of desertion, acted under the impulse of a
mistaken patriotism. I was assured yesterday that
the project of selling the State railways to the Lom-
bard company is meeting with fresh difficulties,
and the sale is now considered unlikely before next
Session. I am unable to say whether this report
is well founded or not; I only know that it is

generally accredited. While awaiting the financial
discussion, the chamber is occupied with the subject
of the office for deciding disputed administrative
affairs. The question was discussed yesterday by
M. (lova and M. Mamiami, both eloquent men.
The first was opposed to the suppression of the office,
while the second is a warm partisan of that reform.
Those two deputies examined the question tho-
roughly, and said every thing that could be said on
such a subject. This fact will not, however, prevent
about twenty other speakers from repeating in an
imperfect manner all that has been thus said, and
from envenoming the debate for a week at least.
The length of the discussions and the number of dill
speeches are a great obstacle to the regular working
of tha representative form of government in this
country. Good sense, political spirit, moderation,
and propriety are not wanting, but the deputies are
too fond of speaking, and of speaking at great
length. The principal inconvenience of these eternal
discussions is that useful and almost indispensable
bills are postponed almost indefinitively. Thus the
one for an amalgamation between the Tuscan and
National Banks, and for crating a Bank of Daly,
with a capital of 100,000,000 fr., will not be dis-
cussed this year."

REMINISCENCES OF 'ME OEERA. By Benjamin
Lumley, 20 years' director of Iler Majesty's Theatre. 1 Vol.
—" Behind the scenes! What a magical attraction there is
in the words 1 As a revelation from this unknown world
the Reminiscences of a Twenty Years' Management of the
Opera could not fail to command attention, even if they
comprised a period less interesting in itself and in its in •
thence on the position of musical art in the country than
that which is covered by Mr Lumley's narrative. Our
space does not allow us to folio w Mr Lumley in his many
anecdotes of artist life, or in his criticisms en the celebrated
artists who have from time to time peopled his stage. His
judgments strike us as not only discriminating, but emi-
nently fair and candid,"—Saturday Rceiew,
THE NEW NOVEL, MATTIE : A Stray." By the
author of "No Church," " Owen : a Wait," Eiso.—" The
story of Matti() Gray (says the John Bull) is one fully
worthy of the author's high reputation. The interest is
well sustained throughout the tale, and the descriptive pas-
sages are given with unusual power. As we aro unwilling
to reveal the plot of what bide fair to be one of the most
popular novels of the season, we advise our readers to pro-
cure for themselves these interesting volumes; and while
they are amused, as they cannot fail to be by the tale, they
may possibly reflect whether other strays, now despised in
the lower stratum of society, might not turn out as esti-
mable characters as Hattie Gray."
ANTIQUITY OF MAN.L—The question of the anti-
quity of our race still engages the attention of
geologists, and new facts are daily brought to light tending
to show that man was coeval with the large ruminants that
once peopled the centre of Europe,
and sre now only to be
found in tropical climates or in the extreme north. In a
recent paper addressed to the Academy of Sciences, MM.
Garrigon and Martin describe the excavations effected
under their superintendence
in the cavern of Espa-
lungue, also called the Grotto of Izeste, situated at
about a kilometre's distance from the village pf
Arudy, in the Lower Pyrenees. It is sunk in the
grey fossiliferous limestone which seems to belong to
the lower cretaceous beds. The mouth of the cavern,
situated at an altitude of 30 metres above the bottom of the
valley, is lofty and spacious, and is turned towards the
N.N.E.; the cavern is a sort of passage, 200 metres in
length. Although the ground at the entrance of the cavern
appears to have been disturbed, this is not the case with the
floor of the innermost recess, which ferms a sort of hall,
Here the explorers found the fossil bones of the rein-
deer, of a large kindlof horse, and another much! smaller
ono of the Bos Primigenius, and another of a smaller breed,
Ur sus Arclos, of a large and smaller bird, &c. A single
human bone, the fifth left metotarsian (or of the foot) was
found, covered with the same crust as the others, and
marked with three deep furrows like those observed
on the other bones. Besides these, a vast quantity of
flint impliments were discovered in the same bed to-
gether with bones carved into different shapes, but
presenting a curious pecularity. The bones found else-
where bear witness to the existence of a certain degree
of civilisation, since they are fashioned into barbed spear-
heads, needles with eyes, &c., and are moreover polished.
But those found at Espalungue seem to pertain to a much
remoter and less civilised period. In a mass of 2CO kilo-
grammes of bones brought to light, only one polished
implement was found ; the others offering traces of work
by human hands are carved, but not polished. hence the
Espalungue period must be considered much anterior to
that of Bruniquel and the Dordogne.

A ROMAN CATHOLIC FLOATING BEFOR3IATORY
IN THE MERSEY.—Yesterday the old man of war ship
Clarence, of 3,000 tons burthen, was t wired into the Mersey,
from tlyineuth, which place she left on Friday evening,
The Clarence will be set apart for the reception of juvenile
delinquents of the Roman Catholic faith. There are now
two floating reformatories in the Mersey, the Clarence and
the Akbar, both of which are old war shipa,

LITERATURE.

Beauties of Tropical Scenery. By R. N. Dunbar.
Second Edition. One Vol. Pp. 147. Hard wicke.
So many eulogistic opinions of the press—frag-
mentarily given from several among our contem-
poraries—are quoted by the author or the pub-
lisher in regard to the contents of this little volume
of versification, that, having examined the book
for ourselves, we hardly know what to think of it !
Not of the book itself, but of the discrepancy
there is—the extraordinary discrepancy, as it
appears to us—between the contents of the
book and these sententious panegyrics.
Reading the latter, one is led to expect
that the descriptive passages will prove
to be worthy of a Tropical Thomson—that the
erotic passages are not unworthy of Anacreon
Moore. So prepared to listen to the warblings of
the singer, we turn to these warblings themselves
with breathless eagerness, determined to note the
effect produced by them upon ourselves atten-
tively. Unhappily we have done so quite as
vainly as ever did Sir Charles Coldstream in
the earlier part of his nonchalant doiogs—when,
feeling his pulse (watch in hand) he shakes his
head despairingly—"No result !" Not quickened
by a single pulsation ! Eyes undimmed, cheek
unflushed—we turn the pages liatlesely. Even
the contagion of the choral praise we have before
referred to, as already the book's, or rather the
author's—fails to affee. .
as in the least, even to the
feeblest echo -0; it. The publisher and his
printer
even the bookbinder, having done every.
..aing they could for the volume ! Superficially
viewed, it is the prettiest of literary ornaments for
a boudoir table. Beautiful paper, capital type,
graceful tooling on the cover ! To say nothing of
the lovely, fanciful frontispiece, representing the
Ideal Goddess of the Tropics, a sort of a West Indian
Britannia, having beside her, instead of a shield
and a lion couchant, a prodigal cornucopia, running
over with flowers and fruit such as the torrid zone
alone could let loose upon the lap of Nature. An-
other embellishment, too, there is in this book
greatly enhancing its value—viz,, an exquisite en-
graving of one of the comeliest portraits of that good
and great man Christopher Columbus, that we have
ever had the satisfaction of looking upon. But—
the book itself, the verses of R. N. Dunbar—well,
really, honestly be it said, there is not the faintest
seeming of a reflected flush from the gorgeous pages
of James Thomson—this in regard to the descrip-
tive passages ! Neither is there anywhere that we
can discern the faintest echo of one turtle-dove tone,
caught from the amorous lays of Tom Moore—this
in regard to the erotic passages ! The following is
about the very best specimen of our author's quality
that we have been able to select for quotation. And
as a specimen of the writer in the happiest mood,
and at the happiest moment, we give it a place, here,
willingly :

MORNING—A FRAGMENT.
Let Art's elate enthusiast laud
Thy miracles, immortal Claude !
• Nature's great Rival, that cGuld'et grace
With added charms Creation's face I
But not thy pencil, dipt in heaven,
•
To canvass could have fully given
The loveliness of Morning's smiles
Reflected by the Indian Isles :
When, wringing their green tresses, bright
With the clear unction of the night,
Upon the breezy shore they pay
Their matins to the God of day;
And render to their Solar king
Their fresh breath's grateful offering.--
While he, with furnace-crowned head,
Comes flaming from his saffron bed :
Casts, like a haughty conqueror,
Brief glance on mountain, sea, and shore;
Then rushee, on red axle driven,
Sheer up the central steep of heaven.
Bright as that early beam of light,
The Bee-bird darts his flashing flight
Through almond walks, and citron bowers,
Rifling the nectar of the flowers,
While yet the dew in every bell
Is pure as when from heaven it fell ;
For nought but beverage of the skies
Could nurture those ethereal dyes.—
The red Flam►ngo lifts his head,
And wades the marsh with stately tread.
And the lone feather'd Fisher flies
From cliff• built eyry, to surprise
On distant banks her naly food,
And bear them to her callow brood.
Graceful versification—nothing more. A good deal
of interesting information is, all through the volume,
given in the form of notes. There is a long rig-
marole of a preface. And there you have the work
accurately defined ! Saving only that the author
—thanks, probably, to the favourable opinions of
reviewers more readily pleased than we can affect
to be in the matter of versification—saving only, we
say, that the author has had the satisfaction of be-
holding that timbre of success " Second Edition''
honourably placed upon the title-page to this
volume of "Love Songs and Lyrical Sketches."

SPORTING INTELLIGENCE,

BETTING AT MANCHESTER-TUESDAY.

There was a fair attendance of members here to-day.
For the Surrey and Middlesex Stakes Early Purl was in
most request, 3 to 1 being accepted about him at the close.
For the Northwberland Plate Tottenham and Sir Roger
were in demand at 7 and 8 to 1 respectively, and 4 to 1 was
taken several times about the pair coupled. There was very
little done on the St. Leger or next year's Derby. Closing
prices :

THE SURREY AND ISIDDLESEX STAIRS,
3to 1 agst Early Purl (taken)
sto 1 agst Su3picion (taken)
7to 1 rgst Douche (offareds
to 1 agst Alabama (taken)
NORTHUMBERLAND PLAIE.
7 to 1 agst Tottenham (taken)
Bto 1 agst Sir Roger (taken freely)
Bto 1 agst Caller Ou (offered)
100 to 8 agst Donnybrook (offered)
4to 1 agst Tottenham and Sir Roger, coupled
(taker)
ST. LEGER.
7to 2 apt Blair Athol (taken and offered)

THE DERBY OF 1865.
8 to 1 apt Liddington (offered)
30 to 1 aget A 1 (taken)

WEIGHTS FOR UI
(Calculated
Age tit lb
Lord Clifden ...4 9 7
Stradella
Limosina
Blithfivld
Do!la,.
The Ranger 4 9 0
East Lancashire
63a King
La Touccines 4 8 10
Queen Bertha
Scottish Chief

E GOOWOOD
to Juno 14.)

1 Ago at lb
Claremont .. 3 7 7
Bel Demonio 4 7 0
Bacchus 3 7 7
Glendusk
The Little Stag 3 7 7
Myrtle
Lord Zetland
Hollyfox
The Major ... 3 7 3
Molly Carew...... 3 7 3
Esperance ........ 3 7 3

SHIPPING INTELLIGENCE—This Day.

LONDON, June 16.—Wind this day at noon—South-
West; moderate breeze and cloudy weather, with showers
at times.

CLYDE, June 14,—Wind S.W.—Arrived—Arabia, from
Trinidal,

CARDIFF, June 13.—Wind S.W.—Sailed—John Henry,
For Bermuda.

OFF FALMOUTH, Juno 14.—Arrived—Mary Edwards,
from Rouen.

PLUOUTR, June 14.—Wind N.W,—Arrived—Sirocco,
from London for Sydney.
NEWPORT, June 14.—Wind S.W.—Arrived—Young
Mechanic, from Havre for New York—S. W. Hansom,
from London for Shanghai,