The Sun.
London, England, 1866-03-01 00:00:00

State of Trade.

LEICESTER, Feb. 28.—The hosiery trade con-
tinues tolerably active. Regular goods are in re-
quest, and orders are coming well to hand. There
is a fair amount of business doing in cotton goods.
In the country districts there is more doing.
Worsted yarns meet a slow inquiry, and prices are
for the most part without change, spinners being
indifferently employed. Cotton yarns not materially
altered in prices. The wool-market remains rather
quiet.

NOTTINGHAM, 28th.--There is more activity in
the, lace trade, and a fair amount of business has
been doing in several departments during the past
few days. The spring demand is early this year,
on account of the extreme mildness of the season.
Silk mechlins continued in repuest. Black lace sells
tolerably well. There is very little improvement in
the narrow edging trade. Orders are in the market
for France and Germany, and the home demand is
becoming more active. The hosiery trade is
buoyant.

TOYS AND GAMES FOR THE SEASON. 10,000
Penny and other Toys to select from. The ss. 6d. parcels
contain 73 articles. N.B.—Choice articles collected and
sent, post free, to the country upon prepayment, and valu-
able information to persons commencing the above busi-
ness. ARTHUR GRANGER, 308, High Holborn, W.C.; and
German Fair, 95 and 96, High-street, Borough.
A GALLANT CAPTAIN OF ARTILLERY.—Fighting
continues on the West Coast of Borneo, says the Singapore
Times of January 21. An act of courage and groat pre-
sence of mind was displayed on board the Government
steamer Boni, during ono of the numerous expeditions
against the enemy. When attacking a fortified camp, a
smart firing was kept up on board the Boni to protect the
disembarkation of a landing division. A mortar being
fired, the burning grenade struck against the iron chain of
the awning and rebounded on dock. Immediate command
was given to all present on deck to lie down, but Captain
Kilian, of the artillery, without a moment's hesitation,
seized the burning grenade with both hands, and throw it
overboard, where it burst, having scarcely reached the
surface of the water, giving the vessel a severe shock.
THE JAPANESE.—AII the essentials of the Ja-
panese labourer's life were and are easily attained. The
earth yielded to him bountifully of her increase ; the ma-
terial for his garments grew by his door and was spun and
wove by his own household, the trees furnished both fuel
and light, and in all his hamlets the pauper and beggar was
not, except pauper and beggar by profession and not by
necessity. Yet with all the plainness and simplicity of his
rustic life, is not our Japanese peasant a bit of a Sybarite
in his way ? His daily appetite is satiated with such food
as might belong to the dwellers in tho new Utopia. Ho
eats remorselessly the tender bulbs of the golden lily
which spreads its sumptuous blossoms over his fields ; he
dines daintily on the lotus root ; he boils his kettle with
the wood of the camellia, which we coax with so much
tender care to bloom under our northern skies.—New York
Tribune.

LIFEBOAT SERVICES.—LLANDUDNO, Feb. 27.
This morning a vessel was observed in distress in
Llandudno Bay while the wind was blowing hard from the
NE, and a heavy sea was running (says John Williams,
Esq.). Before our lifeboat could be got out the vessel had
sunk, as well as the boat belonging to her, and the men had
to take to the rigging. The " Sisters Memorial" lifeboat
of the National Lifeboat Institution was, however, promptly
launched, but the sea was so rough that at first there was
great difficulty and danger in nearing the vessel, the life-
boat being submerged several times. At last, by anchor-
ing to windward, the lifeboat succeeded by means of
the
her
grappling irons, in effecting acommunication with
save the
vessel, and was then providentially enabled to
lives of the captain and crow of two ovemsseeT was found to be and afterwards
safely brought them to land. The
the schoonor Morning Star, of Carnarvon, bound from Port
Dinorwic to Liverpool with
were much exhausted whena cargo of slates. Her crew
cued by the lifeboat, as
they had been working hard at the pumps all night owing
to a leakage. The cost of this lifeboat was presented to
the institution by two sisters in memory of a deceased
sister.
PRINCE CHRISTIAN.—If M. Bismarck succeeds i n
finally settling the question of the Duchies to his own satis-
faction, ono result will be that the future husband of the
princess Helena, like Garibaldi, will be a man without a
country. This will be of less consequence to Prince Chris-
tian, probably, if he is to find a new " nursing mother" in
England. It is already understood that this alliance is
made very much in accordance with her Majesty's desire
to keep with her an affectionate daughter—that is to say,
that the Prince and Princess will have their fixed residence
in England, and near the Queen. But we believe that this
intention is to bo carried further than the mere arrange-
ment for a permanent residence in this country. It is pro-
posed to make of the prince a naturalised Englishman
forthwith, and to give him an English peerage, with the
title of Duke of Kendal. This project—so much of it as
relates to the peerage—has been mot with strong opposi-
tion, as might have been expected, but it is more than
probable that it will bo carried through.—Pall Mall Gazette

The quotation 01 gold at Paris is about / per male pm., and
the short exchange on Loudon is 25.25 per £1 sterling. On
comparing these rates with the English Mint price of £0
17s. 100. per ounce for ttandard gold, it appears that gol,l if
nearly 3-10th, per cent. dearer in London than in Pala.