The Sun.
London, England, 1860-12-20 00:00:00

Yesterday (Wednesday) her Majesty and the
Prince Consort, accompanied by Princess Alice, Princess
Helena, and the Prince Louis of Hesse-Darmstadt, and
attended by the Hon. General Grey, General Seymour,
Colonel Biddulph, Major Du Plat, Baron von Wes ter-
weller, and the ladies in attendance on her Majesty, left
Windsor at 10.10 a.m., by the South-Western Railway, for
the Aldershot Camp, arriving at the North Camp station,
near Blackwater, at 11.15 a.m. Her Majesty and the
Prince, with the members of the Royal family who ac com-
panied them and suite, will sleep at the camp and return to
Windsor this evening (Thursday).
His Excellency the Brazilian Minister has left
town for Brighton.
The Duke and Duchess of Athole have arrived
at the St. George's Hotel.
We are glad to learn, upon inquiry, that the
Marchioness (Frances Anne) of Londonderry—who has
returned to Seab.am—is greatly improved in health since
her late severe indisposition,
The Marquis of Exeter, who arrived in London
on Tuesday from Windsor Castle, will leave town in a few
days for Burleigh House.
The Earl and Countess Spencer have returned
to Althorp Park, Northamptonshire, where they intend to.
receive company during the Christmas. holidays.
The Countess of Clarendon and the Ladies
Villiers have returned to the Grove, Watford, from visit-
ing the Countess Cowper at Wrest Park,
Lord Cranworth, formerly Lord Chancellor in
England, is at present in Paris. His lordship, it is said,
is collecting information respecting the judicial organisa-
tion of France.
Lord Seymour, who has been some months in
Sicily and the Neapolitan States with the English Volun-
teers and Colonel Peard (Garibaldi's Englishman), to whom
his Lordship acted as military secretary, arrived in town
yesterday from Italy. Earl Granville left town yesterday
for Paris, with the intention of passing a few weeks in the
French capital. Lord and Lady John Russell, who have
been staying with the Duke of Bedford at Woburn Abbey,
Beds, will return to Pembroke-lodge, Richmond, to-mor-
row.

On Tuesday evening Mr. Charles Dickens gave
a reading at the Mechanics' Institution, Chatham, of which
he is the president, in behalf of its funds. The pieces read
were the " Poor Traveller," " Boots at the Holly-treellnn,"
and " Sairey Garai)." The large room of the institute was
crowded with naval and military officers, the heads of de-
partments, and the elite of the neighbourhood. Mr.
Dickens met with a complete ovation at the close of his
reading.
We have been informed that an official order
was issued yesterday that the whole of the Government
offices shall be closed on Monday as well as Tuesday next.
The Emperor Napoleon's long-announced work
—" The Life of Casar"—is already in the press, and is
expected to be out by the middle of January.
We regret to hear of the serious illness of the
Duke of Bedford. Lord John Russell and other members
of the family are with his grace at Woburn.
THE LATE EARL OF ABERDEEN.—The mortal
remains of the Earl of Aberdeen are to be removed from
Argyll-house to-morrow forenoon for interment in the
family vault at Stanmore Church, Middlesex. The funeral,
in accordance with the late Earl's expressed wish, will be
conducted as privately as poosible.
At the annual meeting of the Royal Exchange
Assurance Corporation, held yesterday, the dividend usual
at this period of 4 per cent. for the half-year was declared,
free of income tax.
The Great Southern of India Railway Company
have this day made a further payment or £60,000 to the
Treasury of the India-office, making the total paid on
account of this company to the present date £431,000.
The London and North-Western Railway traffic
return shows this week an increase of £4,357 ; the Great
Western an increase of £2,431; the Great Northern a
decrease of £3,067; and the London and South-Western
an increase of £2,549.
THE DUKE OF NORFOLK'S LEGACIES.—The late
Duke has, it is said, left a legacy of £lO,OOO to the Pope.
The income of the deceased nobleman was about £BO,OOO
a-year, of which it is said he gave away £30,000, princi-
pally towards the support of religious institutions con-
nected with the Roman Catholic Church.
CAPSIZING OF A VESSEL AT THE MOUTH OF THE
MnßsEY.—The schooner Granville et Bordeaux, Captain
Coillet, which left Liverpool on the 18th of December for
Granville, capsized yesterday morning on Taylor's Bank.
Four men, the crew of a speculation boat, brought ashore
the bodies of the captain, pilot, and two of the crew of the
schooner at half-past one p.m. The remainder of the crow

are missing, -
Loss OF A NORWEGIAN SHIP WITH ALL HANDS.
—A communication was received at Lloyd's a fey: days
since, eontaining a torn sheet of paper, evidently hastily
taken from a ship's log book, on which there was some
writing in the Nowegian language, and which the writer
of the letter (John Bridge, South Ronaldshay, by Kirk-
wall, in the Orkney Islands, dated Dec. 7) stated he had
found in a bottle picked up floating past Barth Head, in
Pentland Firth; and as there was no one in that district
could translate the writing, he sent the same to Lloyd's
for that purpose. The paper was found to relate to the
Norwegian schooner Albion, a missing ship, and from the
contents of the writing it is inferred that the unfortunate
ship must have foundered, and that all on board met with
a watery grave.

METROPOLITAN FREE HOSPITAL.—A bazaar for
the sale of ladies' useful and ornamental workwas held yes-
terday in Crosby-hall in aid of the funds of this hospital,
the object of which is the gratuitous relief of the sick and
poor of every nation and class, without the delay of a letter
of recommendation. The institution is situated in Devon-
shire-square, Bishopsgate-street, close to the most destitute
and populous districts of the metropolis, and during the last
year the daily attendances of patients at it amounted to an
aggregate of 54,098, while from the Ist January this year
up to the present time they have risen to upwards of 70,000.
The increasing requirements of the hospital have rendered
an augmentation of its funds necessary, and a fancy fair
was thought to be a good mode of raising enough to prevent
the further admission of in-patients being suspended—a
step which has been reluctantly contemplated by the com-
mittee. Judging from the abundant and varied display of
articles for sale yesterday, tho crowded state of the hall
during the whole day and until a late hour at night, and
the rapidity with which the fair occupants of the stalls con-
verted their wares into money, that anticipation is likely to
be verified, The ancient structure was gaily decorated with
flags, banners, and mottos, and a military band occupied
the gallery, and at intervals played spirited and popular
airs. Tho Lady Mayoress, and the wives and daughters
of several eminent bankers and merchants, kept stalls, and
succeeded, without difficulty, in attracting as many cus-
tomers as they could well serve. The bazaar is to be con-
tinued over to-day, and it is confidently expected that a
sufficient sum to meet the more pressing wants of the
hospital will have been received when it closes.

THE WEATHER—Yesterday morning the northern
counties from coast to coast appeared in a covering of snow.
At Liverpool, Manchester, and at Bradford, in the West
Riding, there was a uniform depth of five or six inches, and
locomotion was very unexpectedly and inconveniently im-
peded. From Liverpool to Manchester there was very little
variation in the depth of the snow, which had fallen very
evenly without drifting. The company at the grand
Volunteer ball in the Free-trade-hall, Manchester, quitted
their carriages when the street and the houses were already
whitened by frost; but it is said that those who remained
latest were taken by surprise by the change of aspect which
had been effected while they wore participating in the
pleasures of the ball, Between Manchester and Sheffield
the depth of snow on the ground gradually diminished, and
in some places south of Sheffield the ground was barely
covered. Towards the Midland district, however, there
had been a heavier fall, approaching to that which had
taken place in Lancashire and Yorkshire. A keen frost
prevailed, and there seemed every probability that the
ground would, retain its mantle of snow at least until
Christmas. Along the route named no snow fell during
the day. On Tuesday night there was a heavy fall of snow
in Leeds. The weather was very cold yesterday, with a
northerly wind, and occasional showers during the day.
The ground in the neighbourhood was covered with snow
several [inches thick, so that all nature presents a very
winterly, but seasonable aspect.

MR. PARKES, THE LATE PRISONER AT PEKIN.—
It is not generally known that Mr. Parkes, who has lately
been released from captivity in China, is a native of this
' district, and that his parents some years ago resided in
Lichfield. street, in this town. Mr. Parkes' father formerly
held for some years a confidential position in Messrs. Bate
and Robin's Stourbridge Old Bank, but afterwards be-
came proprietor, in conjunction with Mr. Otway, of a
small iron work at Capponfield, near Bilston, which has
since that period been greatly enlarged, and now belongs
to the Chillington Company. Messrs. Parkes and Otway
also, we believe, had an iron foundry at Goscote, near
Rushall. Mr. Parkes, senior, was afterwards unfortunately
thrown out of his gig going down a steep hill in some part
of this district, and he was killed. He left five or more chil-
dren, and one of them, Harry, the present consul in China,
and who has lately undergone a painful imprisonment in that
country, was sent to Birmingham Blue Coat School for two
years through the medium of his uncle Parkas, who had a
veterinary forgo in High-street,Birmingham, and who was a
lieutenant in the navy. Mr. Harry Parkes was subsequently
sent out to India through the kindness of the lateCapt.Eaton,
who died at West Bromwich a few years ago. He remained in
India many years, and afterwards went to China, where
having evinced an aptness in acquiring a knowledge of the
Chinese language he was appointed interpreter and subse-
quently consul. The career of Mr. Parkes affords another
striking instance of what may be achieved by indomitable
perseverance, industry, and great natural ability. Mr.
Parkes was a pupil of the celebrated linguist and Chinese
traveller, Dr. Gr tzlaff, and is himself now the best Chinese
interpreter of the day. He is well known in the city of
Worcester and neighbourhood, having about four years ago
visited his sister, Miss Parkes, then residing with her aunt
Mrs. Boraston, at Lark-bill, near that city,— litotverhamp-
ton Chronicle.