The Sun.
London, England, 1866-10-08 00:00:00

evening,

The Royal party drove from Duukeld in the
morning to Loch Ordie, and rode across the hill to
Orndrogan from -whence the Queen drove by Kirk-
michael and the Spittle of Gleushee to Balmoral.
The Dowager Duchess of Athole and Miss
M'Gregor accompanied the Queen to Kindrogan.
Mr. Moir and his son walked across the hill with
the Royal party.

During the Queen's stay at Dunkeld, which was
of a strictly private nature, her Majesty and the
Royal family made various excursions in the neigh-
bourhood.

We understand that Lord Cowley has withdrawn
the resignation he had placed in the hands of her Majesty's
Ministers, and that tho noble lord will remain at his pre-
sent post until after the Exhibition of 1867.—Herald.

We are informed that Lord Stanley has applied
o the French authorities for a postponement of the trial of
_ _ _

M. Lamirande until an official statement of the proceed-
ings under which his extradition from Canada took place

has been received from the Goveraor-General. Until that

statement arrives it is plainly impossible for the Foreignoffice to take any further steps in the matter.—Herald.
IMITATION DAMASCUS SWORD BLADES.—Sword
blades resembling those of Damascus are made at Solingen
in Germany. A faggot is first formed of alternate fine

bars of iron and steel. It is drawn out, doubled and
twisted several times, and then formed into a ribbon. Two

such ribbons are welded together, enclosing between thorn
a thin blade of the best cutting English steel. After
polishing it is dipped in dilute sulphuric acid to give it a
pattern—The Engineer.

THE CUNARD STEAMER SCOTIA.—This vessel,
which sailed from the Mersey for New York on Satur-
day had on board the unprecedented number of 270
cabin passengers, the largest number of saloon passengers
over carried westward by any of the Cunard mail
steamers.

WINDSOR LITERARY AND SCIENTIFIC INSTITU-
TION.—The want of a larger and more commo-
diouri building for the Windsor Literary and scientific
Institution having been seriously felt for some time past, a
member, Mr. W. R. Harris, ex-mayor, announced at the
annual supper that Mr. R. Eykyn, M.P., had generously
offered to contribute a sum of 100 guineas towards a build-
ing fund. Mr. Harris will also give £5O, while Mr. Oliver,
a resident, has promiderd a piece of ground for the site,
valued at above 300 guineas.

MR. SWINBURNE AND HIS CRITICS.--Under the
title " A Parley with my Critics," Mr. Swinburne is
about, it is understood, to reply to some of the reviews of
his lately published poems. It was imagined that the reply
would be in a metrical form, on the "English Bards and
Scotch Reviewers" model, but this is incorrect. It appears
that Mr. Swinburne's "Parley" will be in prose, and will
form the preface to a second edition of the "Poems," now
in the press. We have not had any published replies to
criticism since Mr. Alfred Austin's "My Satire and its
Censors," which was in verse, or the same gentleman's
prose effusion, "A Note of Admiration—to the Editor of
the Saturday Review."
NEW COWS AND SILK GOWNS.—The statement
that the Lord Chancellor " exercising his privilege"
would confer the rank of silk and the coif upon several
members of the outer bar next term we believe, says the
Observer, is premature, as the Lord Chancellor, just pre-
vious to the last circuit, conferred the honour of silk upon
several " stuff gownsmon." It is understood, however,
that during Hilary Term several additions to the front row
will take take place. _

IRISH LAW APPOINTMENTS.—Mr. Justice Hayes
(Ireland) has resigned. Mr. George, M.P., is to
be the new judge. The Attorney-General is to be Irish
Master of the Rolls. Mr. Morris is to become Attorney-
General. Either Mr. Miller, M.P., or Mr. Chatterton,
Q.C., is to be Solicitor-General in the room of Mr. Morris.
There will consequently be new electiOns for Dublin
University, Wexford County, Galway, and, perhaps,
Armagh.—Observer.

EXCITING FISHING ADVENTURE.—On Thursday
afternoon last two young men, Charles Thornley and Thos.
Park, accompanied by Mr. J. Crook, of the Pleasure Boat
Inn, all of Preston, had an extraordinary fishing adven-
ture at Naze-point, near the estuary of the Ribble. They
were out in a boat spearing Hooks, when their attention
was arrested by a violent floundering in one of the shallows
on the sands, and they at once concluded that a largo sal-
mon had been left by the receding tide. To satisfy them-
selves as to the real character of the creature, armed with
their long Hook rakes, they cautiously approached. On
nearing it what was their astonishment to find a monster

hat displayed two formidable rows of teeth, and a tail

that bristled all over with spines. Seeing its visitors, this
very strange fish showed fight at once, and seemed rather
anxious to begin. The three set upon it simultaneously
with their spiked rakes, and stabbed it repeatedly. After
an exciting struggle, they at length exhausted the creature
and transfixed it with their prongs. With great difficulty
they at last got it into the boat. Some fishermen who had
seen the "fight" from a distance now came up, and one of
them informed the victors that they had captured a "sharp-
nosed" skate, one of the three varieties of that fish. This
is the first skate ever known to have been caught in the
Ribble. Its length is sft., breadth 3ft. 9in., and weight
about 601 b. It was brought to Mr. Crook's, Preston.
THE RUSSO-AMERICAN TELEGRAPH. —The Rus-
sian papers published a detailed account of the proceedings
of the Russian engineer-in-chief, M. Abaza, and three
American engineers, Captain Meyhood, Lieut. Busch, and
Lieut. Kennan, who were instructed to survey the line of
country through which the Russo-American telegraph is
to be constructed. The party started from Petropaulovsk
on the Bth of August last year, and succeeded after maul
difficulties in tracing the exact course of the future tele-
graph. At last, says a letter in the Post du Nord, " the
surveys have been completed from Anadyrsk to the
Amour, a distance of six thousand versts, and the di-
rection of the line has been determined. This immense
task has been executed by the chief of the expedition and
three engineers in the coin so of a dreadful winter, dur-
ing which they have had to contend against incre-
dible difficulties, traversing day by day vast deserts, some-
times mounted on reindeer, sometimes drawn by doge,
but more frequently travelling on foot with the aid of snow(
shoes, and always accompanied by fierce hurricanes and
dreadful frosts. As soon as the Sea of Ohkhotsk shall be
free, vessels belonging to the Telegraph Company are es:"
pected to arrive at Gulgiga from America with the neces-
sary materials for commencing the works immediately.
These ships will also bring a number of Yakoute labourers,
who are already hired for the works, which will be ac-
tively pushed on from the Amour to Behring's Straits.
Already between Ohkhotsk and Anadyrsk the works have
been commenced with the assistance of the inhabitants of
the country, who aro engaged in constructing houses and
trimming trees to serve as telegraph poles. Considering
the persevering and indefatigable activity of the chiefs of
the expedition, there is reason to expect that within three
years from the present time the works will be finished,
and this difficult but noble undertaking will be entirely and
successfully completed."
CAITHNESS SHOOTING.—The grouse shooting in this " the
most northern county in Scotland" is now about closed for
the season of 1866, and at no period do we remember such.
excellent sport —with the single exception of one or two of
the lower moors next the sea, which did very little indeed ;
on the other, and particularly the higher moors, the spec!
exceeded the " sportsman's most sanguine expectations.
On Braemore-moors, Rowland Hunt, Esq., and party killed
upwards of 1,000 brace, of grouse, leaving an ample stoclC
to brood from ; on the Glutt-moors, James C. Brown, Escil
and party killed upwards of 700 brace of grouse, besiclo°
other game ; on Dallavulin the sport has been quite extra-
dinary, Richard Stackpole, Esq., and Charles Hayno,
killed to their two guns alone, in six weeks' shooting, 9(!
brace of grouse, exclusive of other game; Mr. Stackpole
best day 621 brace, and his worst day 22 brace ; he is a first
rate shot—an eye-witness who accompanied him saw
kill 42 birds without missing one shot ; on the Dunheatir
moors we hear the sport was very good; on the Browl Castle"
moors, which are not large, S. C. Leister and his brotholl
killed 572 grouse in 18 days' shooting, exclusive of otlio
gamo, and a number of salmon. The sportsmen on Dewar
have also had fair sport. On all the moors in the count?'
we hear the sportsmen are well satisfied, with the singlc;)
exception of the moors of Bruan, Lybsten, Swenie, 31!..
Murgerie, which have 14een poor beyond precedent, and re'
quire a jubilee.—Land and Water.
ROYAL GALLERY OF ILLUSTR&TION.—Our readers fir.
be glad to learn that Mr. and Mrs. German Reed, with
John Parry, will re-open the Royal Gallery of Illustrattoont
on Monday evening, the 15th instant, with the exnelle
entertainment that has already had a run of many moutli!O
and which from its literary merit, and the rare artist 1..
ability of the performers, is likely to enjoy a further caroe
l:
of success, until replaced by novelty, which we hear is
1,0
preparation. The Entrepreneur and hid companions ln.vis
not entered upon a professional tour during the recess,
t
return, refreshed by a country trip, to do full justice to m
"Yachting Cruise" and "The Wedding Breakfast''