The Sun.
London, England, 1865-01-03 00:00:00

with the redoubtable Baby. No tidings are 0
heard of Erne's fate, but the reader iph allowed t°
suppose that he will never return. Lady Duff'
Gordon contributes an interesting o ,ecount of life to
Cairo, in which she chews the Aimb character in 3
very pleasant light. A Cantab 'gives a graphic ac'
count of the fires that he witnessed in his under-
graduate days, and suggeFits the formation of
volunteer fire brigade at thie university. The four'l
teenth part of " A Son, of the Soil" is rather heavY4
and the story grows somewhat tedious. "
Basque Pastorale" (exhibits a curious phase of re-1
mote literature. ,141 Charles Sturt, a chapter frog)
the history of Australian exploration," gives an
teresting nPArrative of a man that achieved much fort
his country. Charles Sturt has been called the
father -of Australian exploration, and the recital A.
his adventures and sufferings proves his right to tbf
pa' me. The writer of this article concludes 114
I story by observing that " The two great successfoil
river adventures of this century are undoubtcdlY
Sturt's discovery of the Murray and Speke's
covery of the source of the Nile. But Sturt's dis-
covery has, of course, led to commercial results fOs
greater than any which can come from that of Speke•
The Murray, draining a basin nearly equal to that
of the true Mississippi, is now covered with steauli
boats, and flows through three splendid republicsg
whose presidents are nominated by the Britisk
Crown." This is a wonderful result to have heel
attained since 1828, the year of Sturt's memorabli
expedition. The number contains several other
papers, and some verses are scattered among they
as a pleasant relief from the discussions of weigh
matters.

LONDON SOCIETY.—A very entertaining paper 0
" Old Fashioned Winters" opens this number, bu ,
in spite of the author's graphic reminiscences, wel'
apprehend they are pleasanter in retrospect than
actual existence. We have just had visible contra
diction of his assertion that we have no snow now-
adays, though certainly the thin flakes 'that grace'
fully whiten our housetops scarcely deserve the
name when compared to snow which stopped mail
coaches and imprisoned the visitors to a county ban
from Thursday to Sunday in Bury. This was ill
1808, when, on the North road, the snow in souls
places drifted to a depth of 40 feet. Six years later
a heavy fall of snow occurred in the West of Eng-
land, and lay 12 feet deep in the middle of the road
near Exeter. In 1816, too, the mail coaches w
delayed by the blocked-up roads. The writer gives, i
er
an animated account of the delights of being,/
" snowed up" and the fun of digging your way out;
but we suspect that it must have been practically
very inconvenient, and better adapted to the spirit-4,
and energies of hearty schoolboys than to
their more busy or more feeble elders'
His illustrations are very cleverly' done.c
Scenes in Court" is the title of a lively sketch of
the decorous life in Westminster Hall, which will
be read with amusement both by those who frequeu-
courts of law, and by those happier mortals to who'
such knowledge comes only by hearsay. " CCelebs
in Search of a Mulready-envelope," is a tragi'
comic tale of a Liverpool youth who decidedly de'
served ridicule, although his vain tormentor -cvaS
certainly not much of a lady. The " Mystery of
the Bloody Hand" is a story of another calibre ;
and although its name would seem to indicate some
romantic legend of ancient days, it is a modern
story of English domestic life, which sometimes, ill
spite of its matter-of-fact character has also it-
tragic element. " Custom as it affects Dinner'
time," is a lively paper, remonstrating with our
middle-class chatelaines for letting the head of the
household habitually dine alone in the city, instead
of deferring the family dinner until such time tl4
paterfamilias could comfortably share it. Tll°
popular, though scarcely venerable game of whist
is discussed in a paper awarding to it the full share
of praise which, as a game combining in a happY

degree the attractions of chance and of skill, it uo
doubtedly merits. " A Fast Run and a Doubli

Kill," is the title of a lively story of English
country life, in which the fair heroine achieves 3
triumph beyond her expectations: A humorous
paper on " Fireside Frolics" enforces dEsop's ar-

gument on the necessity of unbending the boW
The illustrations are, as usual, capital.
THE Brarisit AIIHY AND NAVY REVIEW.—This
number commences with the adventures of a Caro-

lina loyalist in the famous. but unfortunate revolt'

tionary war.

It is annotated by Captain Chesne,

who explains many of the points now the very scene,
of operations between the Yankees and the gallarA
Southerners. The details are full of stirring inte-
rest, and show with what ardour men will combat.,
for home and independence, as did the undisciplined
but sturdy volunteers of North America in that
sanguinary but successful struggle. " French
Courts-Martial," is a very sensible account of the
procedure of our great military friends, and the
Horse Guards, or whoever is going to amend our
system, will do well to take a hint from a practical
method now in operation among people who knog,
their business. " The Apparatus of War" is the
title of a paper which enters critically into the va-
rious plans now proposed for improving our de"
fences, and discusses the experiments in new guns;
ships, and all the other improvements suggested by
various scientific men. It compares the old with
the new systems, and leaves the question open hog
far any system now in vogue will stand the test O.

ever-changing opinion. In fact, experience alone
must be the safest guide, for the future breech'
loaders are recommended as a decided improvement-
over the " Brown Bess" of other days—while the
rifle is fast treading on the destructive power of
artillery. " Scenes in Franco-Arab Life," an'l

" Celebrated Trials," are both full of anecdote

while " The Scots Fusilier Guards and. the Defence

of Hougoumont at the Battle of Waterloo," gives
a very animated account of the doings of that
justly proud and chivalrous regiment. There is a
singular note in reference to many gallant melt

whose deeds were overlooked or omitted in tho

celebrated despatch announcing the glories of thit
memorable day, when Sir John Byng remarked to
the Duke that he had, no doubt by mistake,

awarded the praise of great merit to one officer ill
place of another ; on which Wellington expressed

much regret, but added that he " never altered '
despatch." This may have been characteristic of

his " iron" disposition ; but was it just ? There
are several other articles, which will be read with

profit.

CASSELL'S PUBLICATIONS. -

" Don Quixote,"'

(library edition) " Gulliver's Travel's," " Gold
smith," ," Bunyan," " Shakspere," " Natural

History," " Educator for the Young," &c., &c.,
abound with illustrations, all executed in the highest;
style of art. Each of the above on completion wilt
form a very beautiful volume, either for presenta-
tionor the library.

FORTUNATE ESCAPE.—From an official report is
the Victoria (V. I.) Chronicle, we learn that in the
expedition against the hostile Indians at Clayoquet Sound/.
Admiral Denman, of her Majesty's ship Sutlej, had 3
narrow escape with his life. He was fired at point blank
by a native, but the ball providentially missed him. Tho
expedition was undertaken to obtain satisfaction for the
loss of the Kingfisher, which had been burnt by Indians,
who also murdered the crew in the Clayoquet Sound. The
whole Abousett tribe seems to have been implicated in the
piracy. Admiral Denman demanded that Cap-than, tlo
chief of the tribe, and six murderers should be given up*
If this was done within one month from the date of writing
(October 11) he would proceed no further in the matter—
otherwise, forcible measures would be resumed.

AN ODD DYING BEQUEST—made by an old Scotch.
judge, Lord Forglen, who died in 1727, the account
here given being taken from a volume privately printed by
Lord Houghton :—" Dr. Clerk, who attended Lord For,
glen, told James Boswell's father, Lord Auchinleck, that,
calling on his patient the day his lordship died, he was let in
by his clerk, David Reid. How does my lord do ?'
quired Dr. Clerk. 'I hope he's weel !' answered David
with a solemnity that told what he meant. He then con-.
ducted the doctor into a room, and showed him two dozen
of wine under a table. Other doctors presently came in/
and David, making them all sit down, proceeded to tell
them his master's last words, at the same time pushing the',
bottle about briskly. After the company had taken a glass;
or two they rose to depart, but David detained them. 'Na,
na, gentlemen, not so. It was the expressed will of the)
deceased that I should fill ye a' fou, and I mann fulfil the
will o' the dead.' All the time the tears were streaming,
down his cheeks. And, indeed,' said the doctor after--1
wards in telling the story, he did fulfil the will o' the
dead, for before the end o't there was na ane of us able to
bite hit sin thoomb.' "