The Sun.
London, England, 1870-12-24 00:00:00

Dr. -Hureau de Villeneuve, secretary to the French
Aeronautical Society, and editor to the Aeronaut, a paper
devoted specially to aeronautics, has established at his re-
sidence an ambulance for aeronauts. He had to attend
to a few cases from accidents of different de-
scriptions in the management of captive balloons,
and fewer of soldiers who had drawn the ropes
for their aerial observations. M. de Villeneuve is to
open a regular course of lectures on aaoriaties at the•
Petite Sorbonne. It is the third time that a regular
course of lectures has been delivered in Paris on this sub-
ject : the first time by Dupuis Delcourt, at.the Atlkin4e,
about forty-five years ago, when Comte was delivering his,
lectures on Positive Philosophy ; the second time by M.
W. de Fonvielle, at the Lecture Hall of the Boulevard
de Capucines, three years ago.
Little Folks is to be the title of a new magazine for
children, to be issued next month by Messrs. Cassell,
Petter, and Galpin.
The Alliance News is about to change its form. On
Saturday, January 7th, it will be printed on toned paper,
and of the same size as the Pall Mall Gazette.

THE COUNTERFEIT SOVEREIGN
With regard to the letter from a firm in Broadway, New
York, addressed to persons in this country, offering to
supply an unlimited quantity of counterfeit sovereigns
made from a mineral dug in the Alleghany Mountains, on
receipt of an order purporting to be for tobacco, Captain
I'alin, the chief of Police at Manchester, has since com-
municated with the authorities at New York on the sub-
ject, and received the subjoined reply :
" Office of the Superintendent of Police of the City
"of New York, 300, Mulberry-street, New
" York, December 9, 1870.
" Dear Sir,—Your kind favour of 25th received. In
relation to circular it is a swindle, and gotten up by an
unscrupulous get of villains to swindle the ignorant and
unwary, or some of their own kind, which latter class
deserve no sympathy. We have made a number of arrests,
hnt we have been unable to inflict much punishment.
They do not deal in counterfeit money or anything else.
Their only object is to get money from the poor dupes.
" Very respectfully pairs,
"JAMES J. KELSO, Supt."

NAVAL AND MILITARY INTELLIGENCE.
In consequence of the 97th Regiment, stationed at
Dover, having been ordered to proceed to Ireland, the
depot of the 76th Regiment, which was attached to the
97th, on Thursday arrived at Chathai Garrison from
Dover, to be attached for the present to the General
Depot Battalion. The depot recently provided a draught
of 200 men, who left last week for Burmah to join the
service companies there, and consequently the depot on
its arrival at Chatham was very weak. There was but
one officer and about 40 non-commissioned officers and

men.
A draught from the depot of the 83rd Regiment,
attached to the General Depot Battalion at Chatham, is
ordered to embark at Portsmouth on the 31st inst. to join
the service companies in Bombay.
The 30-ton gun has been finished in the Royal Gun Fac-
tories, Royal Arsenal, Woolwich, and is now being con-
veyed to the proof butts in the Government marshes,
Plumstead. for the purpose of undergoing a preliminary
trial, previous to being shipped to Shoeburyness for a more
extended and searching ordeal.
• Mr. Childers, Admiral Sir Sydney Dacres. and Captain
Chandos Stanhope returned to the Admiralty on Thurs-
day night from an official visit to Plymouth.

A Prebendal stall in Lincoln Cathedral has been
conferred upon the Rev. George Quilter, M.A., of St.
Peter's College, Cambridge, vicar of Cannock, near Lin-
coln. Mr. Quitter took his B.A. degree in 1815, and is
nearly 80 years of age.

✓A
PRACTICAL 'h. DGE.—At Norwich, where the
eclipse was only partially seen, on Thursday, Mr. Justice
Lush adjourned the sitting of the assize court at noon, in'
order to witness the phenomenon.

The Chief Secretary for Ireland received a depu-
tation from the Association for closing public-houses on
Sunday. After hearing the arguments advanced, Mr.
Fortescue promised that a Licensing Bill should be
introduced next session ; but reminding the deputation
that their views were those of only a section of the com-
munity, and that public convenience and the affording of
opportunities for innocent enjoyment were also matters to
be considered, he added that he could not pledge the
Government to the introduction of a bill for the entire
closing of public-houses on Sunday.
M de Fonvielle delivered a lecture on the Franco-
Prussian war, on Wednesday evening, at Southampton,
and in the course of his address gave a description of the
mode by which the Parisians converted horses, cats, dogs,
and rats into food, and raised vegetables, such as cabbages,
lettuces, and radishes, in a very short time on the waste
places about Paris. He exhibited a rat pie, which had
been prepared by a cook at a London hotel. It was a
raised, ornamental pie, resembling the pork pies sold by
English pastrycooks. It was cut in two ; the interior
looked savoury and inviting, and the lecturer declared it
delicious eating, and very nutritious. It was about the
size of a 2s. pork pie, and it contained the flesh of five
rats.

AMERICAN LITERARY MEN.—Bryant is reputed
worth $500,000, made chiefly by journaliem. Longfellow
is estimated at $200,000, the gift of his father-in-law,
besides the very considerable profit of his poems.' Holmes
is rated at $lOO,OOO, hereditary property, increased in
lecturing and literature. Whittier, who lives frugally
is worth $30,000, inherited and earned by his popular pen.
Saxe is reputed worth $70,000, inherited, and earned by
lecturing, and literature. Lowell is said to be worth
$30,000 or $40,000, hereditary and acquired in his chair as
professor of Harvard College. Boker is rich by in-
heritance, and worth probably $lOO,OOO. Bayard Taylor
is a man of independent property, the profits of his
literature and lecturing, and dividends from his Tribune
.stock. Verily, a prosperous set of fellows.—American
Paper.

•
THE POET MOORE.—His stern independence
might have yielded to temptations such as few receive
and very few resist; he preserved it to the last, under
circumstances such as any of his many great and wealthy
friends would have called "poverty." Of luxuries, from
the commencenvint of his career to its close, he had lite-
rally. none ; his necessities were at times severe, but they
were never published to the world nay, were never
obtruded even on those who could, and certainly would,
have made them less. in all the relations of life he was
faithful, affectionate, and considerate ; "at home " he
was ever loving and beloved ; there he was happiest by
rendering his limited circle happy. Let it be inscribed on
his tomb, that ever, amid privations and temptations, the
allurements of grandeur and the suggestions of poverty,
he preserved his self-respect, bequeathing no property,
but leaving no debts ; having had no " testimonial" of
acknowledgment or reward ; seeking none, nay, avoiding
any ; making millions his debtors for intense delight, and
acknowledging himself paid by " the poet's mewl, the
tribute of a smile ;" never truckling to power ; labouring
ardently and honestly for his political faith, but never
lending to party that which was meant for mankind ;
proud, and rightly proud, of his self-obtained position,
but neither scorning nor slighting the humble root from
which he sprung.—S. Hall's 3leniories front Personal
Acquaintance: