The Sun.
London, England, 1860-12-25 00:00:00

THE GRAN CHACO.

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Of all the tracts of wild territory existing in
South America, and known by the different appel-
lations of Pampas, Paramos, Campos Parexis, the
Puna, the Pajenal, Lianos, and Montanas, there is
none possessed of a greater interest than that of Ei
Gran Chaco--perhaps not one that equals it in this
respect. It is interesting, not only from having a
peculiar soil, climate, and productions, but quite
as much from the character and history of its
inhabitants—both of which present 119 with traits
and episodes truly romantic. The " Gran Chaco" is
200,000 square miles in extent, or twice the size of
the British isles. Its eastern boundary is well de-
fined, being the Paraguay river, and its continua-.
tion the Parana, down to the point where the latter
receives one of its great western tributaries—the
Salado ; and this last is usually regarded as the
southern and western boundary of the Chaco. North-
ward its limits are scarcely so definite, though the
highlands of Bolivia and the old missionary pro-
vinca of Chiquitos forming the water-shed between
the rivers of the La Plata and the Amazonian ba-
sins—may be geographically regarded as the termi -
nation of the Chaco in that direction. North and
South it extends through eleven degrees of lati-
tude; east and west is of unequal breadth—some-
times expanding, sometimes contracting, according
to the ability of the white settlers along its borders
to maintain their frontier. On its eastern side, ac
already stated, the frontier is definite, and termi-
nates on the banks of the Paraguay and Parana.
For a thousand miles up and down the two races,
Europeans and Americans, hold the opposite banks
of this great stream. They gaze across at each
other : the one from the portico of his well-built
mansion, or perhaps from the street of the town ;
the other, standing by his humble " toldo," or mat-
coloured tent—more probably upon the back of
his half-wild horse, reined up for a moment on
some projecting promontory that commands a
view of the river. And thus have these two
races gaped at each other for three centuries, with
little other intercourse passing between them
than that of a deadly hostility. The surface of the
Gran Chaco is throughout of a champaign charac-
ter. It may be described as a vast plain, It is
not, however, a continuation of the Pampas—since
the two are separated by a more broken tract of
country, in which lie the sierras of Cordova and
San Luis, with the Argentine settlements already
mentioned. Besides, these two great plains differ
essentially in their character, even to a greater ex-
tent than do the Pampas themselves from the desert
steppes of Patagonia. Only a few of the animal and
vegetable productions of the Gran Chaco are
identical with those of the Pampas, and its Indian
inhabitants are altogether unlike the sanguinary
savages of the more southern plain. The Chaco,
approaching many degrees nearer to the equa-
tor, is more tropical in its character ; in fact,
the northern portion of it is truly so—lying
as it does within the torrid zone, and presenting
the aspect of a tropical vegetation. Every inch of
the Chaco is within the palm region ; but in its
northern half these beautiful trees abound in num-
berless species, yet unknown to the botanist, and
forming the characteristic features of the landscape.
Some grow in forests of many miles in extent,
others only in " clumps," with open grass-covered
plains between, while still other species mingle
their graceful fronds with the leaves and branches
of dicotyledonous trees, or, clasped in the embrace
of luxuriant llianas and parisitical climbers, form
groves of most variegated verdure and fantastic
outlines. With such groves the whole surface
of the Chaco country is enamelled; the intervals
between occupied' by plains of rich waving
grass, now and then tracts of morass covered with
tall and elegant reeds, a few arid spots brist-
ling with singular forms of algarobia and cactus,
and, in some places, isolated rocky mounds, of dome
or conical shape, rising above the general level of
the plains, as it' intended to be used as wtetch towers
for their guardianship and safety. Such are the
landscapes which the Gran Chaco presents to the eye
—far different from the bald and uniform monotony
exhibited in the aspect of either Prairie or Pampa;
far grander and lovelier than either—in point of
scenic loveliness, perhaps, unequalled on earth.
No wonder, then, that the Indian of South
America esteems it as an earthly Elysium ; no
wonder that the Spaniard dreams of it as such
—though to the Spanish priest and the Spanish
soldier it has ever proved more of a purgatory
that a Paradise. Both have entered upon its
borders, but neither has been able to dwell
within its domain ; and the attempts at its
conquest, by sword and cross, have been alike ur,.
successful—equally and fatally repulsed, thre-„,gh.
out a period of more than 300 years. At tl-4.1s hour,
as at the time of the Peruvian conquer',—as on the
day when the ships of Mendoza sail
of the Parana—the Gran Chad, 'it up the waters
is an unconquered
country, owned by its abor,ginal inhabitants, and
by them alone. It is tr
Spaniard and Port,-lib that it is claimed both by
nation-
alities. B .eese • and by no less than four
separate claim
P:ats belonging to these two
'azil and Bolivia. Paraguay and the Ar-
gT4tlP:s Confederation, all assert their title to a
of this earthly paradise; and even quarrel as
to how their boundary lines should intersect-it!—
I Odd People, by ( aptain Mayne Reid.

50 52
43 45
83 85

SPORTING INTELLIGENCE.

CITY BETTING—(YESTERDAY.)
TWO THOUSAND OtINEAS.
6to 1 agst Kettledrum (t,)
7to 1 agst Diophantus (off)
Bto 1 agst Russley (off)
9to 1 agst Klarikoff
9to 1 agst Matador
10 to 1 agst any other

THE DERBY.
sto 1 agst Dundee (t)
13 to 1 agst Big Ben (off)
15 to 1 agst Diophantus (t)
20 to 1 agst Kettledrum
20 to 1 agst Klarikoff
25 to 1 agst Matador (off)
50 to 1 agst Overton (t)
50 to 1 agst East Stanley (t)

SUICIDE BY A FEMALE SElNANT.—Yesterday
afternoon an inquest was held at the Barrack Tavern,
Woolwich, on the body of Mary Ann M'Gowen; aged 18,

a young woman in the service of Major-General Sir Richard
Dacres, K.C.8., who committed suicide by taking poison
on the previous Saturday night. It appeared from the
evidence that the deceased was the daughter of Joseph
M‘Gowen, a gunner of Royal Artillery, and had formed an
acquaintance with a young man belonging to the regi-
ment, which her parents did not approve. On the previous
Saturday night she was observed to become suddenly ill,
and staggered and fell. Dr. Evans, of the Royal Ordnance
Hospital, was promptly in attendance, but life was found
to be extinct ; and upon searching the deceased, a small
bottle was found in her pocket which had contained cyanide
of potassium—a poison used for renovating gold lace—and
to which the deceased had access. The jury returned a
verdict " That the deceased committed suicide by taking
poison whilst labouring under temporary insanity."
FROZEN TO DEATH AT AN OYSTER STALL.—
Last evening Dr. Challice, the deputy coroner for East
Middlesex, held an inquest at the Marquis of Cornwallis
public •house, Curtain-road, Shoreditch, relative to the death
of Agnes Edgell, aged 73 years, who died from exposure to
the weather, under the following circumstances :—lt ap-
peared from the evidence that the deceased had kept an
oyster stall at the corner of Charles-street, Pitfield-street,
and on Saturday night last she was seen sitting on a chair by
her stall. When her daughter and a lodger called upon her
and asked her if she wanted anything, she replied, " Yes, I
am very cold." The daughter went for some tea and bread
and butter, but about half-past 11 o'clock the deceased
suddenly became ill, and died in her chair before medical
assistance could be got. The deceased had been in charge
of the stall about 30 years, and was a decent woman, much
noticed by her neighbours for her cleanly and sober habits.
Mr. John G. Blackall, surgeon, of Pitfield-street, Hoxton,
stated that the deceased was dead when he was called.
Life had been extinct five minutes, and he found her dead
in a chair. He had mode a post mortem examination of
the body and found that the various organs were healthy
and free from disease. The heart and lungs were congested,
and the immediate cause of death was cold and exposure to
the severity of the weather. On the night in question the
deceased complained of the cold, and had once had some
warm rum and water, although she was an abstemious wo-
man. The jury returned a verdict that " the deceased died
from congestion of the heart and lungs brought on by ex-
posure to the cold and inclemency of the weather while
sitting at a public stall." Mr. E. Waller, the officer, said
the deceased was well known among the inhabitants for her
eccentric habits.

A TERROR TO EVIL-DOERS.—Our contempo-
rary, the Invergordon limes, makes a terrible assault this
week on one of the vices of the day. He says—"..We have
ourselves been considerably victimised by some advertising
Medical Swindlers in London, whom we shall have n• hesi-
tation in denouncing by name if they do not forthwith remit
us the amount of their respective bills. The villany prac-
tised by those impostors upon country journalists, at a dis-
tance from the scene of their nefarious practices, is beyond
conception."—lnverness Courier.
THE ABORIGINES OP NORTH AMERICA.—The
United States Commissioner for Indian Affairs, in his
report, states that during the year the Indians had enjoyed
uninterrupted health ; peace and plenteousness having led
to that result. During the calendar year 2,924,069 dols.
65c. had been paid to various tribes in money, goods, and
provisions. Since 1857 nearly 31,000,000 acres had been
obtained by treaty from the Indians at a cost of 3,726,880
dole., exclusive of 632,400 acres sold in trust for the respec-
tive Indians. Some of the tribes were improving in civili-
aation,•but others were insubordinate and dissatisfied•

THE SIMI, LONDON, TUESDAY EVENING., DECEMBER 25, 1860.

EXTRAORDINARY SCENE IN THE
BOROUGH COURT AT .BOLTO.Y.

On Saturday last a most extraordinary scene
took place at the Bolton Borough Court, on the
occasion of the examination of seven persons for
intimidating the work-people of Messrs. Hargreaves.
Mr. Richardson, solicitor, appeared for the pro-
secution ; Mr. W. P. Roloerts for the defence.
John Clayton, of Blackburn-road, Little Bolton,
was charged with assaulting Elijah Thwaites, one
of the newly-engaged w orkpeople, and the bench,
considering the case frilly proved, committed the
defendant to prison for one month. Mr. Roberts,
however, gave notice of appeal, and bail was 1
accepted for defendant's appearance at the March
sessions.

Samuel Entwistle, the secretary to the Weavers'
Association, with several others, were then charged
with intimidating Mary Thwaites, by burning an
effigy, and a mob of persons surrounding her house,
and breaking several panes of glass in the windows.
They were all bound over to appear at the sessions.
Samuel Entwistle was then charged with strik-
ing Esther Austerberry. The complainant deposed
to being struck on the head vidlently by Entwistle,
when she was leaving the mill on Thursday night.
She said she knew the defendant, and therefore
could not be mistaken. Mr. Roberts said the
statement of the witness eould not be true, as he
had in his possession a telegram from Blackburn,
requiring Entwistle's presence at Blackburn on
that day, and a witness swore that defendant left
Bolton at three in the afizernoon for Blackburn, and
did not leave the latter. place until after eight at
night, and the assault complained of was committed
at six o'clock. Under these circumstances the
magistrates dismissed the case, believing that the
complainant might be mistaken.
Mr. Richardson hating made some remarks to
the effect that the wit-nesses for the defence had
conspired together and committed perjury in the
first case, Mr. Roberts commented in most severe
terms on the bench's decision in that case, observ-
ing that he he.d learnt what very little amount of
evidence Wa'S necessary to convict a working man
where one of the wealthier classes was the prose-
cutor—and all the working classes must be guilty
of perjury whenever Mr Hargreaves prosecuted
them ; that they had dreadful work to contend
with in a manufacturing town, and it was a hard
measure when the working man was left to the
tender mercies of a bench of magistrates; that such
a decision es the bench had that day given was
enough to justify violence and make rebellion
lawful.

Alderman Heywood, one of the magistrates,
protested against the advocate's inflammatory lan-
guage, as calculated to engender bitter animosities
between the employer and employed, and it was
grossly insulting to the bench.
Mr. Roberts then uttered a loudly defiant " Yah !"
and turning reund to the people in court, addressed
some further Temarks to them, who gave him their
approval. He then commenced gesticulating vio-
lently, calling frequently upon the name of the
" great God."

'Alderman Heywood resented the remarks of Mr.
Roberts as unjust, but was interrupted before he
could conclude.

Mr. Heywood then said—Will you be silent, or
we will commit you ; to which observation
" Yoh I" succeeded, more violent than before.

The Mayor then remarked that it was wrong to
charge the bench with dishonesty:
Alderman Wolfenden also protested against the
conduct of Mr. Roberts.
Mr. Winder, magistrates' clerk, said—Mr.
Roberts, you cannot be allowed to go on in this
way ; and received the reply, " Hold your tongue,
sir; you are not a magistrate, and never likely
to be."

Mr. Harris, superintendent of police, then inter-
fered, and said such browbeating could not be
allowed ; 9.nd

Mr. Winder said the only way would be to re-
move the browbeater.
Mr. Roberts uttered an indescribable sound,
more like a screech or howl, and in a fierce manner
exclaimed to Mr. Winder, " Who the deuce cares
for what you say ?"
The bench then rose, threatening to break up
the sitting if tr.ore becoming conduct was not
observed, Mr . Heywood quitting the bench,
declaring In would not sit to be so insulted.
After barther remonstrance Mr. Roberts cooled
down, and the business proceeded, occasional sar-
castic allusions being made by him to what had
already transpired. Manchester Guardian.

TILE SCREW PROPELLER,—Her Majesty's screw
vessel Cygnet has just completed at Portsmouth a series of
highly interesting and important experimental trials with
the Griffiths propeller, testing some suggested improvements
in its form by the patentee. These trials which have ex-
tended over a period of several weekS, have been conducted
under the supervision of Mr. Lynn, of the Dockyard Steam
Factory, Mr. Eames, Engineer of the Victoria, 131, screw,
and the patentee, Mr. Griffiths. It has always been a
great object with engineers to obtain greater propelling
power from the screw, without, at the same time, increasing
its size, in order that screw ships with full power might be
constructed with a light draught of water, and at the same
time have the screw well immersed. The present trial in
the Cygnet is the nearest approach to this yet attained, and
a fair hope may be now entertained that, after having
puzzled scientific men during the past 20 years, the marine
screw propeller may for the future be more fullyunderstood.
It is now upwards of 10 years since Mr. Griffiths brought
forward his theory of the screw, namely, that the
centre part of the screw, equal to one-third its diameter,
should be filled up, and the screw blades should
be *wide at the root, and tapering towards their extre-
mities, in contradistinction to the generally-received rule
and the form of the Admiralty pattern. The

improvements suggested by Mr. Griffiths on the form of his
own screw, and which have now been tested in the Cygnet
with the greatest success, consist of an addition of an an-
gular surface at the after edges of the screw blades, spring-
ing from their widest part, and increasing the width of the
angulated portion as it proceeds outwards to the periphery
or circumference of the blade. These angular surfaces stand
at an inclination to the after face of the blades, and conse-
quently as they rotate the water, which has been acted on
and put in motion by the fore part of the blade, is again
struck by this after, or angulated portion, thus making the
blades double acting, whereby, it is stated by Mr. Griffiths,
smaller diameter of screw propeller may be used without
decreasing the power employed or given by the larger
diameter in the old form, the theory of this being that the
front of the blade travels at the rate of 3,000 ft. per minute,
while the root, or wider portion of the blade, only moves
at the rate of 1,500. The water, being struck with the
higher rate of velocity at the point of the blade, recedes
off, and the after, or angulated portion, catching the same
body of water, strikes it a second time. In the first trials
the Cygnet's screw was 9ft. diameter, with a 12ft. pitch,
the engines in this instance making 114 revolutions per
minute. With the same screw reduced to 7ft. Gin. diame-
ter, and 12ft. pitch, with the angulated addition made to
the blades, the revolutions of the engines were 108, while
the speed of the ship was the same on both trials, the 7ft.
Gin. screw thus doing an equal amount of work with the
9ft. screw, and with less revolutions. The screw was after-
wards reduced to a 7-ft. diameter, with the same pitch as
before. The result gave 111 revolutions, but the ship loot
a quarter knot in speed. The sternposts of the Cygnet are
12 inches in width, and as a matter of course produced a
greater deteriorating influence upon the small screw than
upon the larger one. The sphere in the smaller screw was
,also of the same size as in the larger one. Both these
causes, therefore, militated much more against the smaller
screw, notwithstanding its success, than is shown by the
figures. It is a singular fact that the recent trials of the
French authorities is their endeavours to obtain the same
results which have now been achieved by these trials were
conducted on the opposite principle, and have failed. It is
very probable that the Lords of the Admiralty may carry
out the experiments still further with a vessel of a larger
class and power than the Cygnet.
THE WINLATON AND URPETH MURDERERS.-

colonel kindly shared his loaf with us. A :itt7e
incident worthy to be mentioned of the man bas
just been brought under my notice. A little time
before starting for Calvi he bloke a bioed vessel,
which caused great weakness, but finding one o
our company a cripple, having run a spike nail into
his foot, and limping much, he insisted upon his
mounting his horse, and for a distance of .( .ght
miles he marched on foot with us. I merely men-
tion this to show of what material the man is made in
comparison with the colonel of the English Legion.
On Sunday morning, the 21st, at daybreak, we
marched back to St. Angelo with the main body. We
were just in front of the geheral and his staff, which
sfflrded him a good opportunity of judging the 40
British boys of the English artillery. On arriving
at the bridge over the Volturno we found it had
again given way on the side just repaired by
the Piedmontese artillery. This occasioned a
halt of some hours, and enabled us to get a swim
in the i iver, but prevented our getting any rations
until the next morning ; therefore, turn in, was
the word, on straw and an empty stomach. Our
battery at Situ Angelo, rising some hundred feet
above the vest plain in front covered r ith beautiful
vineyards and dotted with farm-hoases, encircled
by the Apennines, and commanding a splendidview of the city of Capua, and of the position occu-
pied by our besieging troops, at once impresses the
,aind with the contrast between the beauties of
nature and the desolations of war. For several days
we witnessed the dashing exploits of the Garibala
dians on the plain before Capua, as they repulsed
thevigorous and oft-repeated sorties of the royalists.
Jur general, quickly tiring of this waste of time,
resolved upon bringing the siege to.an issue,, and,
much against his inclination, as he was loth to in-
jure the property and endanger the lives
.of the
peaceful inhabitants, gave them 24 hours to capitu-
late, or the option of 1,200 shells being thrown into
the town ; but from the repeated firing of one of
their largest guns, which we had Christened " Tom
Sayers," we could easily imagine that they had-no
inclination to adopt the more merciful proposal of
our general, or, in other words, " Tom Sayers"
backers would not throw up the sponge without

another round or two. At 4 p.m. on the fst of Nov.,
the 24 hours having expired, the signal to eom-
mence the bombardment was given by the hoisting
of a red flag on the heights above us: Then fol-
lowed a scene novel to me, and of which the impres-
sion will be indelible. From all sides our guns
opened with a roar upon the city famed for having
for months defied the efforts of two of thelworld's
most renowned generals. As the evening closed the
scene improved in grandeur. The passage of the
shells through the air was plainly discernible as
they converged from the different points of attack
upon Capua. The result of each shell was made
perceptible by the explosion throwing its towers in
strong relief against the darkened sky. A garden
battery to our right received some severe hitting and
frequent visits from the shells of " Sayers." A mor-
tar battery to our left nearly silenced by the well-
directed.: shells of another gun of heavy calibre,
which we christened " Jack Heenan." Away to
the S.W. the Sardinian gunners played upon the
town with good effect. At half-past twelve a blue
light appeared to the S.W. point of the city, which
we were unable to interpret, but which was intended
by the enemy tail ndicate a cessation of hostilities
and confirmed at day-break by a white flag floating
from one of the principal towers. This day the
terms of capitulation were agreed to. On the fol-
lowing morning we were among the first t. t the
gates, and witnessed the marching out and piling
arms of 9,000 Neapolitan prisoners, as well as the
entrance of our troops. Immediately after I strolled
through the city and viewed the destruction com-
mitted by our shells, one of which passed through
the roof of the principal chapel, elaborately painted
and decorated with gilded images. The town has
nothing to recommend itself save its chapels and
hospitals, the latter being ill-ventilated and filthy ;
but as to the fortifications I cannot speak in too high
terms, and if manned by British troops would hold
out against. united Italy. On our return we took a
stroll over the ground, viewed the farm house of
the memorable 19th October; its front was one
mass of ruins, and all around the ground lay strewn
with bullets, round shot, and large pieces of 12 and
18 inch shell, and at, short distances graves where
our cnnrades had been buried in a hurried manner
during the engagement. Bearing away to our right
other farm houses presented to our sight the de-
struction committed by the enemy's fire. Now let
us draw a veil over the past and speak of the sunny
side of the picture. Directly after the cessation of
hostilities it was pleasing to behold the return of
the peaceful inhabitants to their cottages, so recently
occupied by rude soldiers, who had left traces of
their destructive propensities on the walls, furni-
ture, and roofs, find everything comeatable in the

shape of wood, and as far as the eye could reach they
might be seen tilling their small farms and trimming
their vines, working early and late. We likewise
turned our attent ion to peaceful avocations diggingby
the little garden in front of our villa, 2nd laying in a
stock of fire wood for the winter. Having heath that
a beautiful view was to be obtained from the top of a
mountain directly above San Angelo, I, accompanied
by three coairades, started at an early hour and
accomplished the ascent alter three hours' arduous
exertion, and was• repaid tenfold on arriving at
the summit by the view obtained. Several thousand
feet below us lay Capua, amidst vineyards and
gardens lovely to behold. Extending our view
the sea met the eye covered with sails, and encir-
cling the islanduol Ischia and Capri. Turning to
the right might be seen the Apennines covered
with snow and sparkling in the midday sun, and
the Yolturno meandering through the vast plain
lying at their base. In the back ground might be
Santa Maria, Cassinova, and Caserta, 'with its
beautiful palace and gardens. To complete the
picture, Vesuvius in the far distance emitted its
never-ending volumes of smoke, and at its feet lay
Naples and its lovely bay; and now descending on
the other side of the mountain through intricate
passes and thick underwood, I arrived at our villa
as the rays of the setting sun gilded the distant
peaks of the mountains before Gaeta, the last
stronghold of the tyrannical Bomba. Enclosed is a
rose plucked by my hand from the garden where
poor Tucker is buried. We visited his grave just
now, and were pleased to find that due respect is
paid to it. I got leave to go to the front for a little
sport a few days before the lit November. 'Whilst
firing alongside one of my friends, a Bersaglieri, I
was struck in the thigh by a spent bullet, and a
likeness which I carried in my pocket was smashed
which prevented its doing injury. We had sharp
work on that day, and lost over 300 killed and
wounded. We lose more men than has ever been
known. Upon second thoughts I would not send
this letter, because, if not approved of, it is a ques-
tion if the editor would return it, and as I have
kept no diary, I should like a copy of the incidents
at some future day, and should therefore suggest,
if you are going to London, for you to take this
letter with you and leave it with them to extract,
or, better than all, if not too much trouble, to make
a copy from where 1 mark.

EXTRAORD.IN.4.RY lIIEDDLIAG 0.
ROMAN CATHOLIC PRIEST.

The guardians of the, Cardiff Poor law Union
devoted a considerable part of their Saturday's
meeting to the investigation of a singular charge
of meddling with paupers brought against a Roman
Catholic priest named Perrin. The inquiry origi_
nated in the complaint of a woman named Mar-
garet Collins, who stated that the priest had
struck her with a cane for not going to the rosary,
been no
one of the services of his church. She admitted,
however, that it was a mere touch, and a letter
appearance f
had been received from the Rev. Dr. Gastaldi, the
principal priest, stating that' there had
Lake eareloor guardany
intention to inflict chastisement, expressing
regret
Pitter. The most
othoroatptihaienrte, sahoodusladyibnegehveenwaonni
would
against any repetition of the
remarkable statement was that of a girl named
nary Jane Leger, who is an inmate of the Refuge.
She said she was ill in bed, .
‘,
and reading a book she
had picked up, when he asked her
her that book to read,
had given it, 1
jtonhe,eierT, but she had who betdngoivoln
up herself.
upon which he said,hhoaoskbeweansordered to Do‘b‘eburnttold him.tthua
taken
know that the book
you
.....„
had so ordered it, andom Cabin.''sail
to be burnt. He further by the rope • The
bring any Ha said the Pope
such rubbish ought
that aid that it was enough to
Obewenene,
of hypocrisyA woman named Louisa
one to damnation, as it contained a lot
and lias.
is now employed as a sort of
ownvheortheads,
and
drmerly led a loose life, but has
amongst females of abandoned
female missionary
was a Baptist. She
Tar suits; was called before the board, and. in
answer to
efuge, and heard the priest say that
was in the
,4 Uncle Tom's Cabin" ought to be burnt, and so
questions
said ship
ought the person who belonged to it. He maid i
her (Owen) that he hoped she was not damn-
to
ing herselfby interfering with the Catholics.
In the discussion which ensued the guardians
wierallyiexpressed surprise that such an intoler mit
g
condemnation of a work so moral and even r eli-
gious in its teachings should be possible in tihis
nineteenth century. A resolution was also adopt ed
directing the priests to be admitted to the
union when their presence was required by an3f of
the inmates.

SKATING AND THE PARKS.—The severity of the
weather has given increased stability to the ice in the pe .rks
—but at all parts it is not equally strong. Yesterda, y a
man imprudently passed beyond the limit marked as a afe,
and lost hia life by his temerity. His name was not
known. Immersions occurred in every ornamental w Ater
in London, but they were not attended with loss of 'fife.