The Sun.
London, England, 1863-12-08 00:00:00

Foreign Mail Packet List.

MAILS DUE.
iuetralia and Mauritius, via Southampton. Dec. 19.
. via Marseilles Dec. 13.
brazil and Cape Verds, by British packet Jan. 4.
Cape of Good Hope, Ascension, and St. Helena Dec. 29.
China, Penang, and Singapore, vviiaa Smoarutahetnepato..u:DDeece.. 193..

via Marseilles.... Dec. 13
Falkland Islands ..........••••• ....
Gibraltar, via Southampton ......... ...
Dec,
cci 1129.
India (Calcutta), and Ceylon. via Southampton..
............Jan. 4.
India (Bombay), via Southampton ............Dec. 12.
via Marseilles ........Dec. 6.
_
. . .....
Malta, Egypt, and Aden, via S • ha.mPton ...... Dec. 12.
Portugal.... ...........
via Marseil' ,
.(.4 ........ Dec, 6.
Newfoundland ........................ "Dec. 9.
Oporto and Vigo ..
.........
U. 6. and British N. America, by Brit. packet.... Dec. 9
by U.S. packet....
by Canadian packet. Dee. 12
vir.C. of Africa, Madeira, and Teneriffe Dec. 10.
I3ahamas, via New York pee. 17.
Mexico.. Dec.29 •
•

MADAME TUSSAUD'S. A full length model of Sir
John Lawrence, the newly-appointed Governor-General of
India, may be seen at Madame Tussaud's Historical Gal-
lery in Baker-street; and in the Chamber of Physiognomy
is a model of Hunt, who recently poisoned his wife and two
children in a cab, and who afterwards committed suicide by
poisoning himself.
Taiirs,—
PICTURE AUCTIoN-
On the morning of
the sale—or the attempted sale—about half-an-hour
before the official arrival of the a uctionaer—a little crowd was
always collected on Ludgate-hill turning over the fluttering
leaves of the catalogues that were nailed upon green-baize
boards at the doorway,. or looking at the great picture with
which the trap was baited on that particular occasion, and
which was displayed so as to catch the eye of passers-by at
window in front. The greatest part of this crowd
consisted
of a number of middle-aged men, who were made
up to play a part in such a manner, that they ought not to
have deceived a child. A ragged-edged yellow collar on a
starch-caked yello w shirt, a high black stock worn threadbare
at the sides, a well brushed thin black dress coat, and rather
shiny black trousers that would bear no violent exercise a
pair of mended Blucher boots, and a pair of ragged cotton
gloves, is not the costume usually worn by wealthy collectors
of art. Yet these were the highly polished men who were
supposed to be regardless of money when a Rubens or a
Corregio came in their way, and who, if not investing for
themselves, were the confidential agents of Lord Muni blepeg,
a. devoted buyer of pictures, who was prevented by paralysis
from attending personally at the hales. Poor wretches ;
they looked with their clean-shaven, melancholy faces, as if
the slightest whispered invitation to a substantial dinner at
a snug warm City tavern would have thrown them off their
balance, and have caused them to fly, like a cloud of swal-
lows, from the barren feast of paint. Inside the auction-
trap was a sprinkling of eager confederate dealers ; the four
or live porters, who were probably t 4 junior partners,' and
who looked like prizefighters ; and the usual numb,,r of
"picture agents." As soon as a promising stranger entered
the room, it was the business of one of these latter men to
fasten on him, and to explain the beauties and defects of
the collection under sale. It must always be delightful to
a man of refinement, to have such agreeable guides at his
elbow, and to overlook their flavour of onions, tobacc.i7otn and
stale clothes, in admiration of their intense appreciation
art. There can, of course, be nothing, to jar the mesa,sen,
uu
sen-
sitive nerves in bearing a thick hoarse BPunglng""
e
voice enlarging upon the minute rendering of t!hooped withhe crown o
thorns, or in seeing a grimed knobbyfinger ball
brassy rings, employed in pointing out thea hidden touches
of the agony in the
garden.--.Dtekens All the lea).
.Rototd," jot published.