The Sun.
London, England, 1859-02-10 00:00:00

FRANCE.

PARIS, TUESDAY.
The Tuileries' ball last night was, it is said,
rather dull. The Emperor was suffering from
gout or rheumatism, and did not appear. The
Princess Clotilde was fatigued, and kept her apart-
ment, and Prince Napoleon was equally invisible.
Admiral Hamelin is about to make a personal
inspection of the French ports.
The number of ships of war at present in com-
mission in the French ports is 200. A ship being in
commission, however, does not imply that she is
ready for sea, as has been erroneously stated by
some journals.

It is announced that the draught of a bill is
shortly to be submitted to the Council of State for
establishing a line of steamboats between Algeria,
Suez, the island of Reunion, and China.
BOURSE, Feb. 9.—The market has been more
steady, but the variations have not been very im-
portant. The Rente, after having been done at
68f. 50e., declined to 68f. 35c., and are now at 68f.
45c. Mobilier varied from 782 f. 50c. to 792 f.
50c.; Austrian, 560 f. to 557 f. 50c. ; Orleans, 1,325 f.
to 1,322 f., 50c. ; Lyons, 835 f. to 832 f. 50c. ;
Southern, 517 f. 50c. to 515 f. ; Northern, 922 f. 50c.
to 920 f. The market remained firm to the close,
when the following were the quotations:—

41 per Cents. • .... 97 —' Credit Foncier
Do. end month .. 96 80 Belgian 4i
3 per Cents
Do. end month 6B 45 Roman BB 50
Bank Shares. 2920 Austrian
Credit Mobilier .. 792 50 Spanish Threes
Do. Account ..... 791 25 Home Debt 39 25
RAILWAYS.

Cash. Account.
Orleans
Northern
925 .. 930
New ditto
802 50 801 25
Lyons and. Mediterranean 837 50 833 75
New ditto•
Geneva — • .
Midi
••
Southern.
520 520
Western
Eastern ... ..
680 .. 675
.
Grand Central
Sardinian ...... . .............. 405 ..
Austrian .................... 560 • • 558 75
" Exchange on London, at sight, paper, 25f. 121 c. ; money,
25f. 10c.; three months, paper, 25±.; money, 24f, 071 c.

CAPTURE OF AN ESCAPED CONVICT.—Gray,
whose escape from the Durham county prison was noticed
in our impression yesterday, was captured at half-past 11
on Saturday night, in a low beer-house, Hartlepool. Mr.
Hodgson, a warder in the prison, in company with some
policemen' found him treating some lewd women with
glasses of ruin. He made no resistance. He was safely
deposited in his old quarters on Sunday
nick. ut .-4romeastle Cltro-

LITERATURE.

Japan and her People. By A. Steinmetz, Esq.,

Barrister. Rutledge.
Japan and her people threaten to become as
wearisome as Constantinople and Hiudostan have
lately done. Books of all sorts—histories, travels,
descriptions, essays, magazine papers, quarterly
articles—seem likely to render the subject tedious,
without the public obtaining much real or solid
information. The little work before us will at
least be useful in conveying some idea of the cus-
toms and habits of the Japanese, and of the amount
of our knowledge about them. It is compiled from
all the existing works of value on the subject, that
is to say, it is in the author's own words, but he
has read and studied all authorities of whatever
country, and has founded his account upon the
most authentic. It is very comprehensive and well
arranged, and the numerous illustrations will assist
the reader in forming a clear idea of the natural or
artificial curiosities represented.

New York to Delhi. By R. B. Minturn, junior.
Longman.
A lively and clever narrative of the impressions
of an American traveller, who went from New
York to Delhi by way of Rio de Janeiro, Australia,
and China. He, therefore, gives us an account of
some very different localities, describing them all
with spirit and animation, and the reader, when
he differs from the opinions expressed or the prin-
ciples defended, is always entertained by the style.
The author is evidently a man of sense and observa-
tion, and as such his work, even though on a some-
what hacknied subject, affords infbrmation and
entertainment.

Painting Explained. By T. Gullick, painter, and
John Timbs, F.S.A. Kent and Co., Fleet-street.
This is another of those useful little works, pub-
lished under the auspices of Mr. Timbs, which
bring down the principles of arts and sciences to
ordinary, comprehension. The object of this little
volume is to supply a practical history of painting,
showing the various steps made by succeeding
generations, and the processes through which each
department has passed before attaining its highest
development. It is a work calculated to
be especially useful and interesting to artists,
but, as the preface justly says, "As all
men cannot be painters or watchmakers—cannot
all learn how to do it or even see it done—surely
the next best thing must be to get a trustworthy
description of how it is done. This will at all
events save them from making some awkward
mistakes." Painting in tempera, and encaustic,
mosaic painting, missal illuminations, fresco paint-
ing, oil painting, and painting in water colours are
all discussed in separate departments, with an
account of their earliest mention, their progress
and development, and the chief artists in the
respective styles who lighted the path for others.
It forms a very interesting record, which those
who appreciate the art will gladly avail themselves
of. It does not aim at being attractive to the general
reader—that would, indeed, be scarcely compatible
with the accuracy and minuteness of its details, but
it is calculated to be of much service to the young
student, and full of interest to the connoisseur and
collector. The labour and care manifest in its
composition, and the knowledge of Art and its
history which it displays, reflect the highest credit
on the writer and artist who are its joint authors.