The Sun.
London, England, 1850-02-21 00:00:00

COURT CIRCULAR.

Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Kent visited the
Queen and Prince Albert yesterday morning at Buck-
ingham Palace, previous to her departure for Frogmore.
The Roy al Duchess left town at half-past one o'clock,
attended by Lady Fanny Howard and Sir George
Couper, for her residence at Frogmore.
Her Majesty had a dinner party yesterday evening at
Buckingham Palace. The company included his Excel-
lency Mons. Drouyn de Lhuys, their Excellencies the
Baron and Baroness de Brunnow, the Marchioness of
Normayby, the Marquis and Marchioness of Kildare,
the Earl and Countess of Hardwicke, the Earl and Coun-
tess Granville, the Right Hon. William S. and the Lady
Caroline Lascelles, Lord George Lennox, the Right Hon.
Sir James and Lady Graham, Colonel the Hon. C. B.
Phipps. and Colonel Wylde.
The Queen's private band attended in Buckingham
Polace on Tuesday evening, and performed the following
pieces:—

Overture, " Faust"
Selection from " Faust"

Ballet music, " Guillaume Tell" Rossini
The Royal Children took pony and walking exercise
yesterday in the garden of Buckingham Palace.

- Sir William C. Ross, R.A., had the honour of taking
the first citting yesterday, for a miniature of ber Royal
Highness the Princess Louisa, to be painted by command
of her Majesty.
A deputation from the Quebec and Melbourne Rail-
way Cowpony, consisting of Mr. W. J. C. Benson, Mr.
George Pemberton, Mr. Edward Burstall, Mr. Edward
Ryan, Mr. George Buswick, and Mr. Edmond Mackie,
of Quebec; and Mr. William Chapman, and Mr. Robert
Carter, of London, bad an interview with Earl Gray
yesterday at the Colonia,l.-office.
A deputation with reference to the bonding in Man-
chester, consisting of Sir Elkanah Armitage, Mr. Alder-
man Watkins, Mr. Alderman Bancroft, Mr. Councillor
Gibbs, and the Town Clerk of Manchester; and also
Mr. Atherton (on behalf of the Manchester Commercial
Association), accompanied by the Right Hon. T. Milner
Gibson, M.P., and Mr. Bright, M.P., and also by Mr.
W. Tatton Egerton, M.P., Mr. Brotherton, M.P., and
Mr. Kershaw, M.P., had an interview with the Right
Hon. H. Labouchere yesterday, at the office of the Board
of Trade.
The Cabinet Ministers dined with the Right Hon. H.
Labouchere yesterday evening, at his residence in Bel-
grave -square.
The Judicial Committee of the Privy Council sat yes-
terday, and resumed and concluded the bearing of an
appeal from Bengal, " Grant v. the Chief Justice of
Bengal" (part heard).

LOCOMOTIVE SLEDGE.
(FROM ACORRESPONDENT.)

In order to forward the searches of the Arctic Expe-
dition, a novel mode is suggested for travelling on ice,
which appears sufficiently feasible to warrant a trial.
The vehicle proposed for that purpose is a light loco-
motive sledge, capable of containing one person, pro-
pelled by the rotatory action of a single wheel, placed
in front, and prepared with small cogs. The moving
power is composed of the combined agency of double
springs, one fixed on each side, and a mechanism some-
what similar in principle to that used in the common
spring jack, but perfected with superior ingenuity. As
the success of the whole contrivance depends entirely on
the efficiency of the springs, the utmost care, skill, and
judgment must be employed in the manufacture of these
indispensable articles. Vast improvements have lately
been introduced in this branch of business, both with
regard to the form and application of springs, as well as
the quality of the steel, which is of a promising character,
and leaves little room to doubt the attainment of the
object desired. The surface of ice being in general
smooth, level, and slippery, presents less friction than
any other substance with which we aro acquainted, and
the necessary force and traction will, in consequence, be
proportionably diminished. With a moderate weight,
and few encumbrances, a sledge set in motion, will
rapidly glide along, traversing in a abort period an ex-
tensive range over a wide field of frost, and can be easily
guided, regulated, or stopped. The process of winding
up the works can be performed with facility by means
of a key and lever, whenever occasion demands the ope-
ration. It may be requisite to have the aid of two or
more men, which can always be supplied, as prudence
would direct that no journey should be undertaken for a
distant length except in parties. A portable engine of
the kind described is simple in its construction, can be
executed at a trifling cost, seeds no replenishing. and
requires only to be kept in order. Its nature and design
are exactly adapted to the peculiar circumstances aad
exigence g
safetyeii ci e,s cs
pf
et he c aasnedi neqounevsetni
ioenn,cuen, iwtihn the advantages
of ei t arezgeenyteasas
want and supplies a deficiency, long experienced in
exploring the frozen regions. The scheme, however,
'
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le.
es
ne r
sv
he so
uniodt notice, with
prove t h
ma
evrieel
yw
calculated
etuelsat
ti
en
dg
to
s practicability,afford oeo u
p a
tion and pleasure to the gallant ships crews, when relieved'
from duty.
e Islosuurictee
do f
to
Such a cheerful and animating pursuit, will
constitute a
The exercise
the health, and to exhilirate the spirits of individuals
nowof a n a excursionnd refreshingi
w
suffering unaccustomed privations, and subjected to a
monotonous course of life in an isolated position, during a
prolonged engagement in a glorious, but solitary enter-
Under these impressions the project is respectfully
submitted for examination, accompanied with the indul-
gence of an anxious hope, that no untoward or unfore-
seen obstacle may arise, or defect appear, that shari
clef, at its purpose, and mar the prospect of a fortunate
and happy result. K.

ROYAL LYCEUM THEATRE..—We understand her
Majesty and his Royal Highness Prince Albert have sig-
nified their intention of honouring the theatre with their
presence this evening, to witness The Island of Jewels,
and lie would be an Actor.
RAMSGATE.—A seaman named 'John Hunter was
landed at this port last week, by a fishing smack, having
been picked up in the North sea, floating on a small
piece of wreck, and from his statement it appears that
he belonged to the brig Anne Maria, of and from South
Shields, for London, with coals, and that his vessel was
run foul of by the,barque Ben Nevis, off Yarmouth, during
a gale of wind in the night. The brig having received
much damage, the crew with difficulty could only succeed
in keeping her afloat until the middle of the next day, when
she foundered, and the whole of her crew (excepting
himself), together with two of the crew of the barque who
had got on board during the c°1118i0D) were wafortu-
' PstelY drOned.-111aid4too ca;ettc,