The Sun.
London, England, 1864-03-16 00:00:00

The Prince and Princess of Wales.

Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Cambridge
entertained a distinguished circle at dinner yesterday
evening at her royal highness's residence at Sc. James's
Palace.
Her Royal Highness the Grand Duchess of
Mecklenburg.Strelicz, attended by Lady Caroline Cust, is
expected to leave St. James's Palace to•morrow for Wind-
sor Castle on a visit to the Queen.

fne Marquis and Marchioness of Ailesbury left
town yesterday for Savernake Park, near Marlborough, for
a few days. The noble marquis and marchioness will return
for the drawing room on Saturday next.
The Earl aad Countess of Carnarvon will pass
.the Easter holidays at Highclere Castle, near Newbery,
surrounded by a select circle.

The Earl and Countess of Wilton's mansion in
Grosvenor-square is undergoing a thorough external and
internal embellishment for the approaching season.
The Earl and Countess of Chesterfield intend to
pass the Easter holidays with the Earl and Countess of
Carnarvon at flighclere Castle,

The Earl and Countess de Grey will lease town
on Monday or Tuesday next for their country seat, where
they will pass the Easter recess.

We understand that the Earl of March, who has
just passed his examination for the army, is about to enter
the 92d Gordon Highlanders, His lordship will be the
third of his family in this distinguished national regiment,
which was raised and commanded by Alexander Duke of
Gordon, and in which the late Duke of Richmond held a
captain's commission as Earl of March.

Lae Earl of Radnor is surrounded by bis friends
at hie favourite seat, Coleshill House, Berkshire. His lord-
ship, though advanced in age, takes a lively interest is
politics and all county matters.

The Earl and Countess Russell, accompanied by
Viscount Amberley, Lady Georgiana Russell, and family,
purpose to leave town on Saturday next, for Pembroke
Lodge, Richmond Parke, for the Parliamentary recess.
General Le Comte and Madame Schensteine have
left the Brunswick Hotel, Jermyn-street, for Paris.
Lady Churchill has arrived at the St. George's
Hotel.

Sir Henry and Lady Sophia Des Vceax have
arrived at their residence in Berkeley-square, from Draft...
low Park, Derbyshire.

THE LEGAL MR. PICKWICK.—Mr. Bovill, the
famous Nisi Prius advocate, makes, it is said, by
Far the largest income cf any practitioner at the Commons
aw bar, according to some clearing £lB,OOO a year. He is
a stately, imposing-looking person, and has that presence
and physique which go a long way to make up the effective
advocate. When his face is at rest, you would take the
bald-headed, placid, benevolent-looking spe,uacled gentle-
man for a reproduction of Mr. Pickwick, minus his
gaiters. In speaking, however, the countenance of the
hon. member for Guildford becomes more combative, and
the brows are more frowning and knitted than we look for
in the beaming face of Tupman's, and Winkles, and every-
body's friend, except perhaps at those critical momeniz of
history when Mr. Pickwick hurled an inkstand at the re-
treating form of Alfred Jingle, Esq , or solemnly declared
to the unfortunate Winkle that he was a humbug, or coil-
fronted with equal fury at Rochester the infuriated Slain-
mer, of the 47th.—Court Journal.
ARTIFICIAL RAINBOW.—Mr. J. Daboseq has con-
trived for the French theatre a method of imitating
the rainbow, of which Cosmos speaks very highly. He em-
ploys an electric light, obtained with the aid of 100 Bunsen
elements. The first lenses of his optical apparatus render
rays from this source parallel, and transmit them through A
rainbow•shaped hole in a screen to a double convex lens
of very short focus, from which they pass to a prism, and
emerge with suffiient divergence to make an effective rain-
bow on a screen about six yards off. This rainbow is said
to be brilliant even when the whole scene is lit up.
INUNDATION OF A MINE AT CHESTERFIELD.
Yesterday afternoon the pump at the Spitlewell Ironstone
Pits, the property of Mr. Barrow, broke, and before the
men could be all extricated at least 14 were crowned. The
water has risen to a considerable height up the shaft. Other
persons are missing, and the loss of life is believed t o be
greater than here stated. There were 71 men and boys
employed in the pit, but it is believed many have escaped.
The water is supposed to have burst into the pit owing to
the late heavy rains.

SWIMMING HORSES.—The preparations which
we made for crossing the river, and which ought
never to be neglected, were to take our feet out of the stir-
rups, *which should then be crossed over the saddle. Thera
are two reasons for this precaution—first, it is not impro-
bable that the horse we are riding may be a bad swimmer,
or may become timid. In either case the animal almost in-
variably, upon finding itself in deep water, allows its hind
legs to sink, in order to try and touch the ground. In
doing so it usually " turns turtle," and for a few seam&
struggles and plunges on its back or sides. During this per-
formance, it is not improbable that one's feet, or a foot, MAY
become entangled in the stirrup-iron, and when the animal

_ .
turns over, we of course must quit the saddle, but being held
by the foot, are dragged along under water in any thing but st
pleasant position. This is one very good reason for crossing
the stirrups over the saddle. Another reason for this pro-
ceeding is, that many horses in swimming raise the hind-
legs very high in order to strike out, and thus incur a risk of
putting their hoofs in the stirrup-iron, when the horse might
either be drowned, cr the stirrup-leather broken. To ride a
swimming horse well is not a very easy thing: in the first
place, we must lean well forward, so that our bodyrests nearly
on the animal's crest; we must not attempt to use the curb,

in case we have one, or to meddle with his mouth in anY_

way ; we can steer him by Le aid of a switch, which will
enable us to turn his head slightly in any direction. If it
is necessary to use the reins at all, we ehould do so with
the hands very low, and employ only the slightest pull.
Horses are like men in their relative swimming powore•

some swimming strongly and high out of the water, othe:l3
with difficulty and low down, One of my horses, whose,'
skill in the water I often tried, allowed himself to sink deepli
until only his head was visiole ; with his neck stretched of

like a dog, ho would coolly swim away, carrying me on hit'
back, and never showing the least excitement during the
wholo business. Another steed invariably plunged alla
snorted upon entering deep water, and was as likely as 13(4

o turn over, and oblige us to take care of ourselves•—''

Chanther s Journal, Now and Improved Series.

A HoRsE Snuw, on a grand scale, will take place
in the Agricultural Hall, Islington, during the Bret %reel' ill
July.

The Prince and Princess of Wales, accompmlied
by Prince John of Giucksburg, and attended by
their suite, drove in two open carriages and four to
Woolwich at noon yesterday, and embarked on
board the Sultan's new yacht, being received by
the Turkish Ambassador and Madame Musurns.

Their royal highnesses and suite partook of
luncheon on board the yacht, and, after steaming
down the river to below Gravesend, returned to
Woolwich soon after four p.m.
Their royal highnesses reached Marlborough
House shortly before six p.m.

Departure of the Archduke Maximilian and
Archduchess Charlotte.
Their Imperial Highnesses the Archduke Maxi-
milian and the Archduchess Charlotte and suite left
London yesterday morning by the London, Chatham,
and Dover Railway for Ostend.
Their imperial highnesses were received at the
Victoria Station by Mr. Forbes, the general manager
of the company, and were conducted to a special train
which was in readiness. The train started at nine
o'clock, and the journey to Dover was performed in
one hour and 50 minutes.
On their arrival at Dover the Archduke and
Archduchess proceeded to the Royal Ship Hotel,
where they partook of luncheon. The imperial
party afterwards went in carriages to the Admi-
ralty Pier, and embarked at 11.40 on board the
London, Chatham, and Dover Company's mail
steamer Breeze for Ostend on their way to Brussels..
The wind was westerly, and the weather promised
an unfavourable passage.
After passing two days with the Belgian royal
family, the Archduke and Archduchess will return
to Vienna on Thursday, and thence to Miramar,
where they will remain until the end of the month,
the period fixed for their embarkation on board the
Novara at Trieste. That vessel, as already men-
tioned, will touch at Civita Vecchia on its way, in
order that their highnesses may pay a visit to the
Pope.