FRANCE.

One of the most stupendous commercial undertakings the world has ever heard of is just organized in France; it 1, indeed, rather an European than a French concern, as there are French, English, German, Dutch, and Russian, among the founders. The object of the Society is to embrace every opportunity of employing capital to advantage, whether for agriculture, canals, bridges, manufactures, or commerce, in all its branches. The Society is to receive projects of all kinds. Now in France, it seems, there are nearly as many projec tors as noses, and it will be difficult for a Committee of half a dozen persons, sitting six hours a day, to read, only read, the whole of the projects and prospectuses which will be presented to 'them.

SPAIN.

A letter from Algesiras, dated the 1st of July, says: "The Colombian corsairs are continually multiplying on the coasts of Andalusia; they burn all the vessels which fall into their hands. They have even burnt vessels in front of Gibraltar, because these pirates could not find any one to buy them. Six sailors, who formed part of the crew of one of these privateers, have been taken prisoners on a point of land, where they had dared to debark. Gen. O'Donnell would have shot them upon the spot, but be bas referred the matter to Government."!

Madrid, July 7. Some troubles, serious in their consequences, have taken place at Seville. In the bull-fights there are three sorts of actors: the first, those that combat with the animal on horseback; the second, succeeding them, stick darts, surmounted with little banners, in his back; and the last kill him, by driving a sword down between his shoulders. Of the latter there are but two persons; and, on the present occasion, one of them was a liberal and the other a royalist. The liberal took his turn first, and, as he was very expert, be killed his bull with the first blow; the royalist, less successful, dealt five blows against his poor victim, with out succeeding in depriving it of life; on the contrary, the furious creature caught him after his last attempt, and tossed him high in air. He fell, however, without receiving any injury, and returned to the charge again. Now the bull happened to be of a black colour,

1 July!

and, when his assailant was renewing his attack, one of the spectators cried with a Stentorian voice, "Take good care, Sombrero," (this was a nick-name of the bull-nighter,) "for there is some difficulty in killing the Negros,” (a name given to the Constitutionaliss)," and people can't do it as they wish." There was nothing more wanting to excite disorder among all present at the exhibition, which terminated only after several stabs had been given by both parties present.

ITALY.

All Naples, and its environs, have been for some time in an entraordinary state of agitation, on account of sundry pietures of Madonnas opening their eyes, or weeping, or shedding blood, or, from black and time-worn as they were, becoming bright and fresh as if they had just been painted. This influenza arose from the miraculous tales related of the Caserta Madonna, which had caused such a sensation in every part of Naples as to call for the interference of Government to suppress the disturbances, and apprehend the supposed promoters of the plot.-On the 14th of July, a few weeks after the first starting of the Caserta Madonna, all the low orders of the city of Naples were put in motion by a report that a Madonna, painted at the corner of a dirty lane, just above the principal street of Toledo, had been seen to open her eyes, and to smile pityingly. Towards noon the rush of mad fanatics was really alarming; and the police found itself obliged to apply to the Austrian Governor for troops to place about the spot. In the evening of the same day another miraculous Madonna was discovered at the street of Penuino (a Saint Giles's like part of Naples); and on the following day two or three other awkward creations of some miserable wall-dauber were said to have given signs of life and commiseration; and a respectable old priest was nearly murdered by a mob, before the altar, because he would not give an attestation in writing that he had seen a wooden crucifix sweat blood.

The reign of Leo the Twelfth over the Papal States is already marked with bigotry and ultraism. He has instituted an asylum for assassins in Ostia and three other unhealthy towns. The Papal Edict states, that it is for the purpose of re-peopling these places. Every

assassin

mah will not move, though the enemy's foot should be within an inch of his person; and it must be allowed that there are few who, at such a moment, would be equally still and collected. We think this a species of information hy which our troops may eventually benefit, as, by small detachments in particular, too much caution cannot be used, however quiet, and apparently free from enemies, the part in which they operate may be. One ruse was practised with success at Doodpatlie, as appears by the detail which a correspondent enabled us lately to give of that affair: and, where a war is likely to be protracted, and similar stratagems employed in the course of it, we are not sure that a slight check of the nature alluded to, at the commencement, may not prove in the end more advantageous than otherwise, by the necessity which it inculcates, of mingling discretion in a due proportion with chivalrous intrepidity. The bow and arrow, and a short sword called dah, having a blade of about a foot and a half in length, are weapons with the use of which the Burmese are said to be

In

very perfectly acquainted; and they possess abundant courage to use them either in close or distant combat. Their war-boats are generally from 60 to 120 feet in length, but very narrow, and rowed, or rather paddled, by men who sit two abreast the whole length. They are quick and dextrous in the manage ment of them, and to any other than British enemies must be exceedingly formidable, either on land or water. deed, we believe it is owing to their for mer successes in war that they at present have so high, and, in our eyes, so ridiculous a notion of their own bellipotence, as was evinced by their reply to our late Proclamation; but we conjecture that their ideas on that subject will be exceedingly qualified before the approaching campaign shall be brought to a conclusion.

An Ourang-Outang, or man-like ape, of the unprecedented height of seven feet, and of proportionate bulk, has lately been described by Dr. Abel, to the Asiatic Society of Calcutta. It was, after many attempts, killed under a tree, from which it had fallen in consequence of several bullet-wounds, at Ramboon, on the Western coast of Sumatra; having, as is supposed, wandered from the large and almost impenetrable forest situated about two days' journey inland, The skin of this extraordinary creature is preserved in the Museum of the Society: it is of a dark leaden colour, covered, unequally, with brownish red, shaggy, and glossy hair, which is long

[July,

on the flanks and shoulders. The head was well proportioned to the body, the nose prominent, the eyes large, and the mouth rather larger in proportion than that of man; the chin was fringed with a curling beard, reaching from ear to ear, and the visage by no means disgusting. His chest was wide and expanding, and waist rather slender; his legs rather short, as compared with his arms; the feet and bands had very nearly the human form, except that the thumbs were smaller, and situated higher towards the wrists, than in man. His walk was erect, but waddling and not quick, unless when his hands were used to assist, or a branch of a tree, to push himself along his chief agility being shown in climbing trees, and springing from branch to branch, when pursued. The perfect state of his teeth shewed that he was young, and in full vigour. He was without any vestiges of a tail. ASIA.

A Survey of the Persian Gulf, under the direction of Capt. Maude, is in progress, on which two vessels, the Discoready, about 1,000 miles of a very invery and the Psyche, are employed. AlRas-Moosendem, at the entrance of the dented coast have been surveyed, from Gulf, to the island of Bahrein. The greater part of the rocks here are described as basaltic, and thence are inferred to be of volcanic origin. In the high and rugged cape, which the Ancients denominated the Black Mountains, there are two deep estuaries, which have been Cove. Several of the smaller valleys on named Elphinston's Inlet and Colville's this coast are in a high state of cultivation, by a mixed race of Bedouins and Muscat Arabs.-The survey is expected to be extended to the mouth of the Euphrates, during the present year.

PACIFIC OCEAN.

Capt. Hunter, of the Donna Carmelita, has discovered an island in the Southern Ocean, situated lat. 15° 31'S. and lon. 176° 11' E. from Greenwich, named Onacuse, or Hunter's Isle. The complexion of the inhabitants nearly resembles the Malayan, but their expression of countenance approaches more to European. Both men and women bave the little finger of the left-hand cut down to the first joint. Most of them are tattooed with red, and wear armlets. The women have their faces cut, and daubed with blood. They are excellent swimmers. In their traffic they shew great probity, and a politeness very uncommon. The island is, for the most part, composed of lava, which, in some places, resembles metal.

DOMESTIC

1895.]

7

IRELAND.

An aggregate meeting of Catholics was recently held in Dublin, when it was agreed to form a new Catholic Association. Lord Gormanston was in the chair, and the meeting was very numerous. The new Association is to be formed under the advice of a Committee composed of some of the leading members of the Catbolic body. The Catholics disclaim the intention of doing any thing which can be supposed an infringement of the Law, and they therefore propose that the new Association shall confine itself to objects which are specially or virtually legalized in the late Act, viz. the construction of chapels, the diffusion of education, and the promotion of Irish agriculture; the encouragement of the consumption of Irish manufactures, and the extension of Irish commerce; the refutation of charges made against the Catholics, and the promotion of mutual toleration and kindness, through the press. It is also agreed that the Association shall ascertain the population of the several religions in Ireland, and particularly the numbers of youth of each persuasion in a course of education. It was also agreed to petition for a repeal of the late Statute against the Catholic Association; and a subscription was immediately entered into, to carry into effect the purposes of the meeting.

INTELLIGENCE FROM VARIOUS

PARTS OF THE COUNTRY.

As some workmen were lately employed in making a drain near Fossbridge, in York, they discovered three distinct pavements, at various distances below the surface of the street, the lower one, at the depth of about twelve feet, having the appearance of being formed upon a swampy ground, which in all probability had formerly been the bed of the river; a conjecture which is farther strengthened by the fact that some planks, evidently the sides of a ship or other vessel, were found amongst the rabbish. Several clippings of leather were also found, and amongst them some shoe-soles, which prove to be formed of untanned hides, and what is most singular they are made rights and lefts, an invention which we believe bas been considered by "the craft" as appertaining to the present century.

In the woollen manufactories in the

West of England, the following is the average rate of earnings:-Pickers 38. 6d. a week; spinners from 6s. to 8s. a week; weavers from 8s. to 16s. a week: shearmen from 10s. 6d. to 1. 1s. a week; burlers 10d. a day; billyboys from 2s. to 3s. a week; feeders from 3s. 6d. to 4s. a week; sloobers from 10s. 6d. to 15s. a week; millmen and gigmen, who have much night-work, earn about a guinea a week. In some branches of this trade extraordinary good workmen may get considerably more than is here stated; but a respectable manufacturer says that, upon the whole, the preceding statement is rather above than below the average. There was lately established' at Shepton Mallet a lace manufactory, but the earnings of the persons engaged in it are not more than one-third of those paid in Nottingham about last March. The lace-machines have lately experienced a great depression in price; they have fallen more than one half. The crape-weavers at Shepton Mallet bave lately struck. According to their masters' statements, they earned about 10s. a week, but the men say not more than from 6s. to 8s. Two hundred hands are now wanted in this trade in the vicinity of Shepton Mallet alone.

There are still many disciples of Johanna Southcott at Ashton-under-Lyne, and one of them, John Wroe, has assumed the character of a prophet, and in a published rhapsody calls upon his fellows to assume the name of "True Israelites," to abandon such of their garments as contain a mixture of linen and wool, and to put away all pictorial representations. Five respectable gentlemen have actually signed their names to a paper recommending this rhapsody to the obedient attention of mankind.

The Church built by the National Commissioners at Tildesley, Lancashire, (see vol. XCII. i. p. 461,) has been recently completed, and during the last month has been enriched with three painted windows, executed by Willement, and presented by Mr. Ormerod, the proprietor of the surrounding estate. In the central window is a copy of the altar-piece at Magdalen College, Oxford, (with some slight variations introduced, in order to adapt it to the general style. of architecture,) and the others are composed of tracery in imitation of antient painted glass in Lincoln Cathedral, on which are ranged shields and scrolls with brief inscriptions, forming a series

of