The Portland daily press., 1865-12-19
FOREIGN MISCELLANY,


Two African expeditions have come to
grief Baron van Der Decken, who had under
taken to explore the interior of Africa, pro-
ceeding from the east coast of Zanzibar and
who had taken out two steamers with him to
ascend the rivers, has lost both, and has near
ly lost his own life in addition. The other mis-
fortune is the failure of NJ. Du Chaillu, of go
rilla-hunting notoriety. He first of all lost his
instruments by the upsetting of canoe. Then
after having obtained others-his party pro-
ceeded for a considerable distance into the in
terror of Africa, when the smallpox breaking
out among the natives, they declared that the
travellers had brought it, and Du Chaillu and
his companions were compelled to beat a re-
treat, fighting their way to the coast At least,
such is the story which M. Du Chaillu appears
to have told to Sir Roderick Murchison.
"A complete change of system will be short
ly introduced in the madhouses of France.
Strait waistcoats, and all the other instruments
hitherto used, are to be abolished, and the pa
tients are to live together and be constantly
employed at some kind of useful work. The
experiment has been tried at Blois with great
success. swan -..zr
The death is reported of MI. Lowell Au-
gustus Reeve, the naturalist as the age of fifty
one, having been born in 1914. From 1857 to
1853, or thereabouts, Mr.. Reeve was editor of
the Literary Gazette. His chief study, how
ever, was conchology. ,r
The Memorial of Lille speaks of the dis
covery in the Church of Notre Dame, at Cas-
sci, of fine picture by Rubens,-"the Appari-
a. - 4, 70 Franaoic Il, AcSi
considerable agitation prevails in Sweden.
The Minister of Justice has received depu
tation of delegates from all parts of Sweden,
advocating the necessity of constitutional re-
form. The Minister, in his reply, expressed
hope that the still prevailing resistance to a re-
form of the constitution would cease after the
subject had been sufficiently investigated. The
Government is opposed to any modification of
the proposed reform. .
The ''ill wind" that roared across Ireland
last week seems to have blown 'good" to Pat
rick Murphy of Slatery, Queens County. 1t
removed the thatch from his cottage, but re-
vealed to him horn filled with 400 guineas and
several Spanish dollars.-[Liverpool Post
English sayans state that a mineral oil,
similar to petroleum, can be distilled from the
shale which in vast quantities overlies the iron
stone beds of North Yorkshire. 10
The Pontifcal gendarmes have captured
several brigand chiefs. 4.tsH-
"A steamer, built after the plan of Wynan's
cigar ship, has been launched at Havre. Its
length is 70 feet, and breadth 9; it is provided
with screws, of which are entirely submerg-
ed; these are worked by engines of % horse
power. lE3 ID
"A dispatch from Toulon, France an
nounces the arrival there of the ship-of-war
Perdrix. from Limisso, in the island of Cyprus,
where the crew succeeded with great difficulty
in taking on board the celebrated vase ofAma-
thonte, one of the finest ornaments of the
temple of Venus, built by the Phenicians.
Limisso, the ancient Amathonte, was one of
the cities of former times most remarkable both
for the luxurious habits of its people and the
splender of its monuments 1t was lately a
mass of ruins, possessing nothing but the enor-
nous vase brought to Toulon by the Perdrix.
This work of art weighs eighteen tons, and its
removal was hitherto considered impossible.
The 1ri6uae's Paris correspondent states
that Madame Iturbide, the mother of the young
fellow lately reported to have been adopted by
Macmillan as his heir, is now in Paris, and she
has come about the business of the adoption.
She keeps mysteriously quiet, and does not
wish it to be known that she is here.
John Mitchell has arrived in Paris from
Fortress Monroe, and it is said he intends ore
side there in the character of correspondent of
New York journal.
The police of Schleswig have issued notice
ordering the portraitof the Prince of Angus
tenburg to be removed from all the restaurants,
cafes, and places Of public resort in that town.
Francis Joseph has given general amnes-
ty to the Gallicians. 1t is expected that the
Italians will get it at the beginning of the next
year, the Hungarians at the coronation, proba-
bly, in the month of May. .a51aA ID
Greece is disturbed by brigandage and by a
chronic ministerial cricis. King George is as
unpopular as King Ohio was. Monarchy re-
mains an exotic plant on the peninsula, and
German Princes don't do for Greeks. 1t is not
thought that George will remain long at the
royal place of Athens.