The Sun.
London, England, 1868-12-24 00:00:00

NEW ZEALAND.

Advices from New Zealand state that a con-
siderable portion of territory has been abandoned
by the sellers. The local forces are still disorga-
nised. Colonel Whitmore, who is commanding
a large force of friendly natives, is advancing to
attack the rebels.

Foreign klaii Yacht Lis

MAILS DUE.

&Wrath. and New Zealand, via douthampton.....Jan. 2
Ditto, via !' Areeilles -o
Ditto, via Pt._ ama De 29.
i3raa=t.lsuenos Ayres, and Monte Video Jan. 4.
Ditto, by French packet • ••• Dec. 22.
Cape Verde, by Brazil packet
Cape of Good tips. Ascension. and St. Helena.... Dec. 28.
China, Penang, and Singapore, via Southampton.. Jan. 2.
,iribraltar. via Southampton
india,via Southampton ..... . De 26

Ditto, Via Marseil.es
nalta, r:gypt, Ste. ....... Deo.
Ditto, Marseilles Dee.
Mauritius, Cape of Good Hope, and Natal, via

Seuthauts ton
Ditto, Marseilten Dec. B.
Newfoundland..,,,, ....... Dec 33

t'ortugal
United States, Canada, California, &to., by British
packet
Ditto, by Canadian packet Dec 25
Ditto, by l Lited tatcs packet

ANCIENT MANUSCRIPTS OF THE BIBLE.—The Rev
Dr. T. S. Conant has recently delivered two lectures on
this most interesting subject before the Long Island His-
torical Society at the Packer Institute. The first lecture
was devoted to the general nature of those ancient manu-
scripts, their authenticity, and the best means of preserv-
ing them for the good of mankind ; and the second gave a
more detailed account of several of the oldest and most
valued documents. The first, not in point of time, but as
that first generally known, is called the Alexandria manu-
script. About the commencement of the 17th century,
Cyril, Primate of Alexandria, afterwards Patriarch of
Constantinople, discovered in the Alexandrian Library a
manuscript written in the Greek characters of the fourth.
century, containing the entire Scriptures of the Old and
New Testaments, with several other semi-sacred writings.
About the year 1623, being influenced by the services
which had been rendered to him by the then English.
Ambassador, he proposed to send this manuscript, which
he valued very highly, as a present to King James First
of England, but the execution of this design was delayed.
by the intestine troubles which disturbed Cyril's autho-
rity, until the year 1628, when it reached England as tt,
present to then reigning monarch, Charles I. Being at first
placed in the King's private library, it once narrowly
escaped destruction by fire, and in the year 1753 it was de-,
posited in the Library of the British Museum, where it now
remains. It is believed, both from notes and traditions
regarding the origin of the manuscript, and from internal
evidence of which itself b3ars, to have been the work of tt
pious Greek woman residing in Alexandria named Theckla
and it is believed to have been executed about the
middle of the Fifth Century. It is written upon vel-
lum of a quality very fine and soft, and the formation
of the characters is remarkably delicate and beautiful.
The manuscript ;has suffered by the action of time and.
previous want of care in its preservation. Several of its
leaves are gone, and others are mutilated. The ink with
which it was written has faded until in many places it is
scarcely legible, and the vellum itself is decomposing,
so that it is difficult to handle it without injury.
The library of the Vatican at Rome contains a manu-
script of the Old and New Testaments, which has been
there from the foundation of the library, and it is not
known from whence it came or by whom it was exe•
cuted. It is written on very fine vellum in the Greek
character, and the original writing, where it is still
visible, is exceedingly fine and graceful, but the writ-
ing has been retouched since it was first placed in the
library, and the original penmanship is only visible in
a few instances. It is now regarded as the oldest
and most authentic version of the original Scriptures in
existence. Formerly scholars and others were allowed.
access to it, but latterly it has been guarded with jealous
care, and but few persons can obtain even a sight of
it. The Sinaitic manuscript was discovered by Pro-
essor Tischendorf, at a monastery on Mount Carmel,
while engaged in searching for ancient manuscripts. Ho
first chlncod to come upon so.ne fragments of it in 1848,
but could not then d;seaver the remainder. In 1852 he
returned to the search, but still was unsuccessful, and.
not until 1859 did ha succeed in obtaining the remain-.
der. It is similar in character to the two previously de-
scribed, but has suffered considerable mutilation. By
Professor Tichendorf's persuasion the monks in whose
possession it was wore induced to present the manuscript
to the Czar Nicholas of Russia, and it is now preserved
with great care in the royal library at St. Petersburg. Dr.
Conant spoke of the incalculable value of these different
manuscripts in enabling us to obtain a correct understand-
ing of the. Holy Scriptures, and urged that means should
be taken to secure, ff possible, their preservation frorg
urtha decay and dotructim.