The Sun.
London, England, 1868-01-10 00:00:00

ROYAL MARRIAGE IN PERSIA.

A letter from Tauris, of the 12th Nov., in the
.3loniteur, gives some details of the marriage of his
Highness Moeaffer Eddin Mirza, heir to the throne
of Persia :

" The prince is only 16 years old and the prin-
cess of the same age. She is his cousin, being a
daughter of the sister of the King and of Mirza
Raghi Khan, better known as the Emir Nizam, for-
merly First Minister at Teheran, and who, while in
office, enjoyed considerable influence. During the
short time he was at the head of the Government
the Emir Nizam energetically applied himself to the
work of reform. He had already corrected many
abuses, restored security on the public roads, and
given confidence to business ; abolished the right of
asylum by which bankrupts and criminals escaped
from the consequences of their acts by taking
refuge in the mosques ; restricted the power of the
clergy, paid the troops regularly, and restored
order in the finances. This policy, which he carried
out with perhaps too much rigour, excited against
him many enemies, and led to his downfall. The
Shah was then too young, being only 19 years of
age, to know the value of the services which his
First Minister had rendered him. By a happy in-
spiration of his maturer age Nasreddin resolved to
marry the heir to the throne to the Emir Nizam's
daughter. The ceremony took place with great
pomp. The princess, who left Teheran on the Ist
July, occupied 33 days in her journey to Tauris,
into which city she made her entry on the 3d of
August. The cortege was preceded by about 100
beasts of burthen, horses, mules, or camels, carry-
ing servants, carpets, tents, and the outfit of
the bride ; then followed a number of led horses
covered with magnificent housings, and next the
carriage containing the princess, who was in-
visible to all eyes behind the mahogany blinds.
The carriage is one given by the Emperor Napo-
leon to the Shah a dozen years ago ; it has been re-
painted of a sky-blue colour and decorated with
arabesques. It was drawn by six horses, which did
not appear to have suffered much by the journey of
300 miles across country, and which fact proves that
there would be no difficulty in making a good road be-
tween Taurisaud Teheran. The procession was accom-
panied by violins, trumpets, and tambourines ming-
gliug their sounds with the military band sent from
Teheran.Then came mules,carrying palanquins closed
with curtains, and containing the women of the
princess's suite. The procession was closed by a
large number of officers and dignitaries on horses
richly caparisoned. The princess was lodged pro-
visionally in a summer palace, decorated with mural
paintings, and among them a full-length portrait of
Napoleon I. The public rejoicings commenced on
the 6th October, the eve of the day fixed for the
ceremony. The city was illuminated. One of the
courtyards of the palace was covered with an awn-
ing and lighted with thousands of lamps. This
formed the reception-hall, in the midst of which was
a platform for the music and the dancers. A ban-
quet in the European style was given to the repre-
sentatives of foreign countries, and toasts were
drunk to the sovereigns of France, Great Britain,
Turkey, and Russia. The evening terminated by
a display of fireworks. The following day, three
hours after sunset, the princess was conducted in a
litter and with torches to the palace, where the
marriage ceremony took place."

THE WARWICKSHIRE HUNT BALL.—This grand
fashionable reunion of the elite of the county of Warwick
took place in the Shirehall, Warwick, on Wednesday
evening. The attendance, which was equal to any in
former years, comprised the most influential representa-
tives of the county. The Shire-hall,
.in which the ball
was held, was most elegantly fitted up and furnished for
the occasion by Mr. Clarke, of Warwick. The decorations
were most effective, and whon the dancing was at its
height the general appearance of the room was of a bril-
liant character. The barristers' robing room was used as
the ladies' room. The commodious room for witnesses
was converted into a coffee-room, and admirably an-
swered all the requirements of the occasion. The lofty
and well-appointed rooms in the judges' lodgings
were also laid under contribution. A supper, comprising
over 400 dishes, and including all the delicacies in season,
was served up in the large dining-room in the judges'
lodgings, by Mr. Wheal, confectioner, of the Lower-parade
Leamington. The decoration of the table was of an im-
posing style, tho epergnes having been decorated in good
taste with foxes' heads and brushes judiciously arranged.
There were nearly 600 ladies and gentlemen in the hall,
and the sight at this time was a very brilliant one. The
principal visitors were—Lady Leigh, the Hon. Gilbert
Leigh, the Hon. Margaret Leigh, the lion. and Rev. J.
Wentworth Leigh, the Earl of Campordown, Lord Ran-
dolph Spencer Churchill, Lord Conyers, Lady Conyers,
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Lady Wilmot, Miss Eardley Wilmot, Sir Chas. Mordaunt;
Bart., M.P., Lady Mordaunt, Miss Mordaunt, Sir Theo-
philus Biddulph, Bart., Sir Robert North Coll; Hamilton'
Bart., K.C.13., the Right Hon. C. B. Adderley, M.P., Mrs.
Adderley, Miss Adderley, Miss C. Adderley, the Hon. Mr.
and Mrs. North, the Hon. R. Butler, Hon. Miss Butler,
Miss Ryland, Colonel Wise, Colonel E. Bolton King, Mrs.
King, Major-General Sir S. Wholer, Bart., Major-General
Richmond Jones, Colonel Hayes, Admiral Douglas Curry,
Colonel Prahyns, Mr. C. N. Newdegate, M.P., Mr. Brom-
ley Devonport, M.P. The ball, which was opened shortly
after ten o'clock, was kept up with great spirit until nearly
four o'clock in the morning. Coots and Tinney's excellent
string band occupied the orchestra.
THE ROYAL ZOOLOGICAL GARDENS, DUBLIN.—
The eldest of the lionesses in these gardens has given birth
to six healthy cubs. Within the past ten years upwards
of 50 lion-cubs have been born and roared in these gardens.
Young lions have not the tawny colour of their parents ;
at first they are brindled with dark stripes on the back,
and round spots ; the male does not acquire his mane be-
fore the third year. Even in captivity the lion may be
called a long-lived animal. In 1760 a lion died in the
Tower of London after having been in confinement there
for 70 years. The annual cost of maintenance at the pre-
sent day of a lion or a lioness is nearly £6O, being about
3s. 7d. a day. From the various orders during the reigns
of Edwards 1., 11., and 111., it appears that the allowance
for each lion in the Tower was 6d. a day, and the wages of
their keepers, W.—Dublin Evening Mail.
POACHING IN WINDSOR GREAT PARK. —On Thurs-
day, at the Windsor Petty Sessions, held at the Town-ball,
before the Mayor, Mr. J. W. Wellman, and Mcssre. Cope-
land, Deveroux, and Bedborough, borough magistrates,
William Wells was charged with poaching. On the morn-
ing of the Bth inst. ho was mot by a constable with 24
rabbits and 15 nets in his possession, coming from the
direction of the park. John Cole, the head keeper of
Windsor Great Park, informed the bench that gangs of
men were in the habit of constantly poaching in the park,
Several men would go together, one carrying the nets.
another the ferrets, and so on. When observed by a
keeper the gang would separate, and as the man followed
by the keeper would have nothing with him, the gangs
wore able to carry on their poaching and escape detection.
Defendant said he had bought the rabbits from another
man for a sovereign, and the nets be had just received
from the person ho had lent them to. As ho had once
before been before the Bench, and told nearly the same
story, he was fined £5, or two mouths' imprisonment.
WOLVES IN SPAIN.—The cold is so severe in Spain
that it has driven the wolves from the Sierra Morena, and
hey have ventured even to the very gates of Cordova. A
gardener was attacked by one on the public road, and after
a desperate fight escaped, but severely wounded.