The Sun.
London, England, 1865-08-07 00:00:00

rtiE SUN, LONDON, MONDAY,', EVENT

within the last decade the troubles of India have
changed from tliose of a semi-barbarous to those of
a civilised country.

Many literary celebrities have been called away
within a comparatively recent period, and society has
had to sustain several serious losses by their un-
timely removal from the circles they adorned and
the community they delighted and instructed.
Another has just been gathered to the Silent Land
who will long be missed. Professor AYTOUN died
on Friday morning last, at a small shooting-lodge
near Elgin. He had been in declining health for
some time, but it was not thought his state was a
dangerous one. Few aspirants to literary honours
have passed a more brilliant and successful career
than the late lamented professor, and he certainly
cannot be classed among those sons of genius
who pine for want of encouragement and
appreciation. His works have always been re-
ceived with a warm welcome, and his writings, in
their peculiar style, have long been considered un-
rivalled. Since the year 1845 he held the honoured
position of Professor of Rhetoric and Belles Lettres
in the University of Edinburgh—a post for which
he was particularly qualified. His connection with
Blackwood's Magazine dates from 1839, and his
contributions to that famous periodical have always
been distinguished for their brilliancy and vigour.
It was an interesting fact of the Professor's early
days that he attended the classes of his future
father-in-law, the renowned Professor WILSON, with
whom he was afterwards associated in connection with
Blackwood's Magazine, although he did not succeed
him in the editorship as some supposed. The work
on which the late Professor's fame chiefly rests
is the series of poesies entitled the " Lays of
the Scottish Cavaliers." These are most masterly
productions, and well caculated to hand down their
author's reputation to succeeding generations.
They are full of fire and energy, and also actuated
by the pathos and fine feeling that only a true poet
can impart. Professor AYTO UN was also celebrated
for some humorous productions. The spasmodic
tragedy of " Firmilian" was deservedly praised
at its publication, for it aptly depicted the
class it satirised„ and he also, in conjunc-
tion with Mr. THEODORE MARTIN, translated
the "Poems and 'Ballads of GOETHE," and brought
out the famous work of " Bon Gualtier," which is
replete with wit:and humour. WILLIAM EDMOND-
STONE AYTOUN has died in almost the prime of life,
for he was only fifty years of age, but it cannot be
said that he has departed too soon for his fame,
since it is not likely that he could achieve a greater
reputation than he has done. Among his contem-
poraries he will be greatly missed, for his genial
qualities made him a general favourite ; but his
friends may rejoice to think that in the literature
he so truly loved he was ranked as a shining orna-
ment, and that Scotland has lost a son whom she
duly honoured, and of whose memory she will long
be proud.

The

LATEST INTELLIGENCE.

(REUTER'S TELEGRAMS.)

FRANCE.
PARIS, AUG. 7.

Admiral Willaumez has been nominated Senator.

The report of the committee appointed under the
presidency of the Empress to inquire into the peni-
tentiary system adopted with young convicts in the
departments of the Seine has been published.
It decides against the course of treatment pur-
sued in La Roquette prison, and in favour of the
agricultural system.

THE BOMMIY MAIL.
SOUTHAMPTON, AUG. 7.

The Peninsular and Oriental Company's steamer
Delta, with the above mail, passed the Needles at
8.40 a.m. to-day.

THE CHINA MAILS.
MARSEILLES, AUG. 7.
The Messageries Imperiales steamer Moeris, with
China mails, arrived here at 7 a.m. yesterday.
She brings 5,000 bales of silk.

THE CHOLERA IN MALTA.

VALETTA, July 31.

While accounts received from Alexandria indicate
a constant decrease of cholera in that city and
throughout Egypt, the disease has somewhat in-

creased in Malta during the past week. This has
induced the Lieutenant-General Commanding to
remove some of the regiments from their close and
ill-ventilated barracks and place them under canvas
in airy situations, and they have already benefited
by the change. The 4th Regiment is now encamped
on the Floriana parade-ground, and the 100th on
Fort Manoel Island.

The following is a summarised statement of the
course of the malady within the last eight or nine
days :—On the 22d inst., after an oppressively hot
day and night, seventeen attacks were reported
throughout the island, in addition to the military,
of whom seven are said to have been interred
on the 23d. On that and on the following day there
were 14 new cases among the civil population, and
seven deaths, and nearly as many among the troops.
On the 25th and 26th some 26 fresh cases were re-

ported, of which about half terminated fatally. On
the 27th there were 22 attacks, seven of which oc-
curred in Valetta. Among the military there 'was
only one case. On the 28th the number of attacks
reported was 28, and the deaths 12 ; on the 29th, 31
attacks and 18 deaths ; and on the 30th, 23 attacks
and 12 deaths. Several of the distant villages have
returned a few cases each ; and two cases are re-
ported to have occurred in the neighbouring island
of Gozo.

In order not to add to the prevailing alarm, the.
Lieut.-General has dispensed with the band at mili-
tary funerals, and a somewhat corresponding order
has been given by the Roman Catholic bishop, di-

recting that no bell shall accompany any viaticum
issuing after the second Ave Maria, while during
the daytime the large and noisy bell shall be super-
seded by a small one. A very important sanitary
.step has also been taken by the ecclesiastical autho-
rities—namely, prohibiting interments within the
churches of Valetta and the Three Cities of any
cholera subject.
Alexandria has now turned the tables upon us by
placing all arrivals from this island in quarantine.
In consequence of this the outward Indian mails
have been debarred from all communication with
Malta (except under quarantine restrictions, for the
purpose of replenishing fuel), so as to avoid being
put to any inconvenience on arrival in Egypt. Many
of the fugitives who took refuge at Malta on the
outbreak of the cholera in Alexandria are now re-
turning, but they are obliged to look for othermeans
of conveyance than the mail steamers, for the rea-
sons above given.
Letters from Sicily state that, notwithstanding
the assuredly vigorous enactments of the Sicilian

Boaris of Health, some cases of cholera have mani-
fested themselves in Catania as well as in Palermo.
Trapani, which received vessels from Malta under a
quarantine of seven days, now rejects them entirely.
The following is the extract of the letter from
Naples above alluded to :—•
" I find myself unexpectedly in Naples, in conse-
quence of the dreadful fear of Cholera in Sicily,
where they first warned us off at Syracuse, not
allowing us to enter the port, although with a clean
bill of health. As a great favour they allowed us
to take in fresh provisions, and the captain was de-
sired to hoist the yellow flag and proceed forthwith
to Palermo without touching at Messina, where the
populace, we were told, were ready to pull us to
pieces, and perhaps burn us bodily, had we attempted
to land, even in the Lazaretto. When the Marsala
was seen with her yellow flag at Palermo on the
morning of the 6th she was met by a boat from the
Office of Sanita, and ofdered to anchor in the offing.
Here again a great excitement ; so much so, that it
was said that Signor Florio's ships and stores, which
are very extensive, were threatened with fire and
destruction if the Marsala was not sent immediately

away. At length we arrived on the morning of the
7th at Naples, where we were more mercifully
treated by being ordered to the island of Nisida, to
perform five days' quarantine. The Lazaretto had
not been used for 11 years, and consequently was
not in a state to receive us, and we rode out our
time on board the Marsala. We were 25 passengers
in the saloon—not too many to be quite comfort-
able, and what is not often met with in such a con-
tretemps, not a grumbler among us ; so that the time
passed merrily enough, surrounded by the most
beautiful scenery and fed on the fat of this favoured
land, brought daily from the shore. The Corriere
Italiano arrived yesterday morning (the 13th) from
Malta, and was sent to Nisida to perform quaran-
tine, I suppose, for five days, following the example
of the Marsala."
A second and also fatal case of cholera was re-
ported to have manifested itself on the 29th inst.
on board the Chanticleer, in the person of a sea-
man of remarkably steady habits. On inquiry on
board I found the report to be untrue, though gene-
rally believed in Valetta, and I merely allude to
it to remove any alarm its circulation uncontra-
dieted might occasion. The Chanticleer will take
the next mail to the squadron.
A meeting has been convened at the Exchange
to raise money to supply the indigent with bread
during the present cholera visitation. It is under-
stood that Government will accord a grant of £3OO
or £4OO for the same purpose.

AUGUST 1.

The mortality from cholera showed a slight de-
crease on Sunday last, but on Monday the number
of attacks rose to 25 and the deaths to 17. On
Tuesday (to-day) a still further increase is reported.
the attacks being 33 and the deaths 18. It must be
borne in mind that we are now at the height of the
hot weather, and that these casualties are distributed
over a population of 130,000. In other respects the
island enjoys excellent health, and hitherto the
chief sufferers have been the troops and the poorest
class of the people.

SPECIMEN' OF DR. COLENSO'S LOGIC.—" In refe-
rence to the text, They sewed fig-leaves together and
made themselves aprons,' will it be believed that the
bishop asks, not in joke, but seriously, Where did they
get needles and thread ?' lle quotes and endorses the lan-
guage of Dr. Thomas Burnet (Part IV. p. 151)—' The text
says, They sawed fig-leaves together and made to them-
selves girdles.' Hera we have the first step in the art of
sewing. But whence bad they a needle—'whence thread ?'
Ay, and a thimble ? Now, let us suppose that Eve's work-
box really had a supply of these useful implements. . .
Does the bishop imagine that Eve would have been such a
goose as to have used them for the purpose of stitching
her fig-leaves together ? Why, if, in her perfect igno-
rance, she had been so inconsiderate, she would have
found her fragile workmanship soon give way,
. and after
only a very short experience would have discovered that
her object was but half accomplished."—Young's Modern
Scepticism.
LAW LATIN DESCRIPTION OF A KITCHEN.—
" Camera necesearia pro usu cookare, cum saucepanuis,
stewpannis;
scullero, . dresser°, coalholo, stovis, smoke-
jacko, ad roastandum, boilandum, fryandum, et idum-
pudding-mizandum, pro turtlesoupis et calfi-headhashi-
bus, CUBA calipet, et calipashibus."