Theatre of the University of London, on the subject of the "Navigation of Smith's Sound as a route towards the Pole."

He opened his paper by mentioning the several expeditions which had set out from England and America, from 1852 to the present day, and the result of those explorations he described in detail, especially that of 1875, under his own command, remarking that sledge parties had made explorations over the whole of the shore as far as the expedition had reached, but they were unable to get any great distance across the ice away from the land. Whilst describing the route of the expedition from its entrance into Smith's Sound and the scarcity of life increasing as it proceeded to the high northern latitudes, he described the action of the currents upon the ice, a matter of the deepest interest to Arctic explorers.

TERRIBLE ACCIDENT TO THE "FLYING SCOTCHMAN."-Early this morning a fatal accident occurred on the North-Eastern Railway at Morpeth to the express train which left Edinburgh at half-past ten on the previous night for London. Between Edinburgh and Newcastle the train only stops at Berwick, which place it left twenty-seven minutes late, and passed Morpeth Station without having made up any lost time. About two hundred yards south of Morpeth Station a branch line diverges to Rothbury, and it was at the points connecting the main with the branch line that the accident, which has been attended with such disastrous results, occurred. The train consisted of engine and tender, one or two fish vans, a luggage van, and eight or nine passenger cars, mostly composite; there were also one sleeping car and two goods vans, one in the middle and one at the rear of the train. Just at the south end of the platform a very sharp curve begins; there the engine left the rails, and ploughed its way across the six-foot way, tearing up the rails and sleepers for the length of sixty yards. At the junction with the branch line the fish and luggage vans and two carriages swerved to the left. These having fallen over, the third and fourth carriages were impelled with fearful violence against the back of the tender, causing the engine to topple over across the line and driving the tender's wheels into the earth 3 feet deep. At the same time the two carriages that rushed against the tender were driven with such force that the front wheels were literally wedged through the metal back of the tender, and part of the woodwork forced into the breach thus made. The second of these two carriages mounted upon the first, and another carriage was pitched on to a coal waggon. The other carriages remained in position, but were all more or less damaged, except the guard's van at the end of the train.

Altogether, five passengers, including a guard off duty, were killed, and a large number injured.

31. ENLARGEMENT OF CHARING-CROSS HOSPITAL.-Those who well remember the old wards of Charing-Cross Hospital as they existed some fifteen or twenty years ago, with their nooks and

corners, the kitchens, and sleeping-rooms for matrons, abutting everywhere, and impeding the free circulation of air, limiting the cubic space, and deteriorating the hygienic condition, will most cordially recognise the labours of the members of the Building Committee, under whose superintendence, it appears, the whole of the improvements of the Hospital have been successfully accomplished.

The ceremony of re-opening the Hospital took place in the presence of the Prince and Princess of Wales and a numerous and distinguished company.-Their Royal Highnesses were conducted through the various wards, where the senior medical officers were in attendance. On entering the reception-room at the close of the inspection of the new and remodelled buildings, the National Anthem was sung by the choir of the Chapel Royal, under the direction of Mr. Frost, organist of the chapel.

The Prince of Wales, in replying to the Governors' address, expressed the great pleasure which he and the Princess had felt upon this occasion. His Royal Highness then declared the hospital opened, and the Bishop of London pronounced the benediction. Their Royal Highnesses retired, loudly cheered on leaving, as they had been on their arrival, by a large crowd assembled in the vicinity of the hospital. The greater number of the visitors remained to inspect the wards. It may be added that the cost of the contemplated extensions of the hospital, including the purchase of the reversions of the leaseholds, is estimated at about 50,000l., which sum, it is hoped, will be raised by contributions during the present and the four succeeding years. The president, Lord Overstone, has made a donation of 1,000l. towards the extension fund.

The two eldest sons of the Prince of Wales will shortly be sent on board the "Britannia" training ship, as naval cadets, for their education.

DISCOVERY OF AN ANTIQUE.-Dr. Schliemann, in a new tomb at Mycenæ, has discovered a ring containing an intaglio containing so beautiful a representation of a group of women near a palm tree by the sea, and the sun and a crescent moon rising over it, that the moment he saw it he exclaimed that Homer must certainly have seen such a ring before he described the wonders wrought by Hephaestus on the shield of Achilles.

APRIL.

3. TERRIBLE SCENE AT AN EXECUTION.-John Henry Johnson was executed this morning within the borough gaol, Leeds, for the murder of Amos Waite, at Bradford. He was visited by the chaplain at an early hour, and soon became more collected. Askern was the

1877.]

All-England Bicycle Contest at Wolverhampton.

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executioner. The prisoner walked with a firm step to the scaffold. A frightful scene occurred on the bolt being drawn. The rope, unable to bear the man's weight, broke, and Johnson fell flat on the ground. It was thought at the time he was dead, but on looking behind the screen he was seen standing upright, and endeavouring to walk. A second rope was then procured, and Johnson was again led on the scaffold. The rope, however, from some cause or other, did not run well, and the unfortunate man struggled hard for about four minutes. before death put an end to his sufferings. The black flag was then hoisted, and the crowd outside dispersed. The incident attracted much notice.

DESTRUCTION OF THE QUEEN'S THEATRE, EDINBURGH.-The Queen's Theatre, Edinburgh, has been completely destroyed by fire.

The flames were first observed at about five minutes before midnight this day, and in a few minutes afterwards the fire broke out at the windows in a manner which showed that the entire building would probably be destroyed. The firemen arrived at twenty minutes past twelve, and by this time the flames were coming through the roof at the east end. Shortly afterwards this portion of the roof fell in with a great crash. The efforts of the firemen were principally directed towards securing the safety of the adjoining premises, as it was plain that the theatre would be thoroughly consumed. In this they were assisted by the calmness of the night; for, had there been any wind, some houses in the neighbourhood could not have been saved. About one o'clock a great portion of the wall at the back of the theatre fell, previous to which, by the falling of the proscenium wing walls, a too curious bystander was knocked down, and, after being rescued, was carried home, having received a considerable amount of bodily injury. By half-past one the interior of the theatre had been burned out, and the vestibule wall between the pit and the wall facing the street fell, bringing with it a beam which struck two of the firemen, who, however, escaped with a broken arm and a bruised leg. This wall was only the thickness of one brick. A few minutes afterwards some of the balustrading in front fell outwards, but no harm was done. It is stated that three men have been arrested on a charge of fire raising. The Queen's Theatre was purchased about eight months ago for 6,000l., and a few days afterwards was transferred to a company for 6,250l. By them it was let to Messrs. Howard and Logan on a lease for ten years. The concern was insured for 8,000l.

THE OXFORD AND CAMBRIDGE BOAT RACE.-The Oxford University Boat Club have unanimously agreed to present their crew with medals as if they had been declared the winners of the recent boat-race. This step is generally approved by the Dark Blues.

4. ALL-ENGLAND BICYCLE CONTEST AT WOLVERHAMPTON.-The three days' running in this contest ended to-day, in the presence of

2,000 spectators. John Keen, London, and F. Cooper, Sheffield, contested for the Championship of the World and fifty guineas. Keen won by four yards, running the mile in 3 min. 2 sec. Much rain had made the ground heavy, and for that reason the contest was amongst the most splendid bicycle performances on record. At its close both men were carried on the shoulders of their admirers to the dressing-room amidst tremendous cheering.

10. EXTRAORDINARY CHARGE OF CONSPIRACY.-At the Central Criminal Court, Charlotte Ramsden, 42, Marie Vandervoort, 62, Rachael Flatow, 36, and Caroline Fremberg, 48, were charged with unlawfully conspiring together to make a false charge of felony against Julia Moses. Fremberg and Flatow pleaded guilty. Mr. Serjeant Ballantine, in opening the case, said that the charge against the prisoners was that of conspiring together to charge a lady named Moses, who had the charge of a Jewish establishment at Norwood, and who was a lady of great respectability, with stealing a 1,000 fr. note; and the most extraordinary part of the prosecution was that the charge appeared to have been made. without the slightest motive whatever. The learned serjeant then detailed the circumstances of the case. Evidence was given as to the proceedings at the sessions, that all the defendants were examined, that Ramsden made the charge as above stated, and the prosecutrix, Mrs. Moses, swore in the most clear and positive manner that there was not the slightest foundation for the charge. At the request of the prisoner Ramsden, the deposition originally made by the prosecutrix was read, but it did not differ in any essential particular from the evidence she had now given. In cross-examination by the prisoner, Mrs. Moses denied that she had ever received any presents from her, or had ever told her fortune by cards. Prisoner: Did not your daughter Rose say, "Come, mamma, give Mrs. Ramsden acut' with the cards"? (A laugh.) Mrs. Moses replied, Certainly not; nothing of the sort ever took place. The witness, in answer to further questions, denied that she had admitted to the prisoner that the 1,000 fr. note had ever been in her possession. Miss Rose Essinger was then examined, and she denied positively that there was any truth in the statements of the prisoners Flatow and Vandervoort, that she had endeavoured to change a 1,000 fr. note at the shop of the prisoner in Whitechapel, or that she had offered Vandervoort il. if she would get change for a 1,000 fr. note for her. She declared that there was not a word of truth in the statements made by the prisoners at the trial, and the whole story told by them was a fabrication from beginning to end. The prisoner Ramsden suggested to the witness a variety of things as having been done by her, but she declared that nothing of what was suggested ever took place. The prisoners Flatow and Fremberg (having pleaded guilty) were then examined, and they admitted that the evidence given by them at the trial against Mrs. Moses and her daughter was entirely false. Mrs. Levi deposed that she was summoned as

a witness at the trial, and swore she was in Fremberg's shop when Miss Essinger purchased some dresses, and offered to pay for them with a 1,000 fr. note. There was no truth in what she said, and she was led into it by Mrs. Fremberg, who told her that a young girl had come to her shop and wanted to pay her some French money. She was promised to have everything she required by Mrs. Ramsden if she would say that she saw the young woman in the shop. Mr. Serjeant Ballantine (to the witness): And you went to the Surrey Sessions and deliberately committed perjury? Witness: Yes; and I hope the Lord Mayor and the jury will forgive me for doing so. In her defence, the prisoner Ramsden made a long statement to the effect that the charge she had made was true; and Mr. Ribton, on behalf of Vandervoort, argued that there was nothing to show that his client had conspired with the other prisoners, and that she might have believed she was speaking the truth when she gave the evidence at the sessions. The Common Serjeant having summed up, the jury found the prisoners guilty. They were then all called up for judgment, and the learned judge, after commenting upon the aggravated character of the offence, sentenced Ramsden to five years' penal servitude, Vandervoort to eighteen months', and Fremberg and Flatow to twelve months' hard labour.

ZAZEL.-An important addition has been made to the almost endless succession of amusements which may be witnessed under the same roof in one day at the Royal Aquarium. This consists in the startling performances of a young lady acrobat, styling herself "Zazel." After a number of clever and graceful feats of the usual and approved kind, including trapeze-swinging, wire-walking, and plunging from a great height into a net stretched beneath, this young lady introduces a novelty in the shape of the famous "cannon trick," which, though we believe unknown in England, is familiar to the Parisians through the performances of a gymnast known as "L'Homme Obus." In the centre of the building is seen a large black object in the form of a cannon, and into this the performer enters, whereupon, at a given signal, a light is applied in the rear, and the human missile is projected to a distance apparently of about twenty feet, falling upon the network. The illusion-for we need hardly say that there is an illusion in the case-is well managed, and the performance causes considerable curiosity and excitement, while, we believe, the smallest possible risk attaches to it.

- A MINER OF LANNER, near Redruth, named Hosking, who emigrated to the Diamond Fields of South Africa, has recently been fortunate enough to find a nugget of gold weighing 123 ounces. This nugget he sent home to his wife by a comrade returning in ill-health, and she has deposited it for safety at a local bank. At 31. 15s. an ounce the value is about 4601.

11. WELSH COLLIERY ROMANCE.-The Tynewydd Pit belongs to the Troedyrhiw Colliery, in the Rhonddha Valley, near Ponty

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