a steam-engine, and a number of men under Mr. Lilley, the engineer, were directly sent to the spot. All the horses in the stables were got out in safety, but with great difficulty. In about a quarter of an hour eight engines were at the place, and in all about seventy firemen, with Captain Shaw, the head of the Brigade. A private engine also rendered material assistance in extinguishing the fire. It was found very difficult to reach the burning building except through the passage in High-street, and the men had to lay down great lengths of hose to get at all near it. There was a good supply of water from the Southwark Company, and the engines were soon got to work, producing, however, but little effect upon the flames, which then had seized the whole of the five floors. The Salvage Corps attended, and as much property as possible was taken from the adjoining warehouses. The reflection of the fire lighted up a large portion of the metropolis, and the immense structure of the new Hop Exchange stood out very prominently in the light. Great numbers of people assembled in High-street and St. Thomas's-street. The flames did not diminish until long past midnight, having then caused great damage to the adjoining buildings, and total destruction to that of Messrs. Frid. The fire, indeed, was not extinguished until nearly six o'clock the following morning, and the firemen were working all day in cooling the ruins. Only part of the walls of the warehouse remained standing, and the whole of the floors fell. The damage done to the contents of that warehouse alone was estimated by Mr. White, an insurance assessor, to be 60002.

17. VISIT OF HER MAJESTY TO ALDERSHOTT.-Her Majesty paid a short visit to the camp at Aldershott, and reviewed the troops stationed there. The extremely unfavourable state of the weather in the morning led many to believe that all idea of the review would be abandoned. Eventually, however, towards midday, the clouds broke, and indications of a change for the better in the weather occurred, and at twelve o'clock the note of preparation-" the assembly"-sounded through camp and barracks for the troops to parade.

Her Majesty, who was accompanied by Princess Louise and Princess Beatrice, and attended by the Countess of Gainsborough and Lady Churchill, Lord Bridport, and Colonel Ponsonby, left Windsor at twenty minutes to twelve o'clock in two open carriages, each drawn by four grays. One troop of the Life Guards escorted Her Majesty as far as Bagshot, where a troop of the 5th (Princess Charlotte of Wales's) Dragoon Guards relieved them, and conducted the royal party to the camp. At Farnborough Her Majesty was met by Lieutenant-General the Hon. Sir James Yorke Scarlett, K.C.B., commanding the division; Colonel Newdigate, Assistant-AdjutantGeneral; Colonel Conolly, Assistant-Quartermaster-General; and other officers of the staff at Aldershott. Her Majesty drove at once to the Royal Pavilion, where she partook of luncheon, and, as the weather at this time was exceedingly threatening, rain falling heavily at short intervals, the signal was hoisted at head-quarters for the troops to "wait further orders." An hour afterwards, the weather

having cleared up for a time, orders were issued for the parade at the original rendezvous on the North Camp, and by three o'clock the division (about 8000 of all ranks) was formed up in a hollow square on the common between the North and South Camps, the huts of the former forming the centre of the square; the Royal Horse Artillery, the 7th and 5th Dragoon Guards, in line of columns on the north of the canal, their right resting on the iron bridge connecting the two camps, and the left on the "Half-mile Racecourse;" the 6th Inniskillen Dragoons and the 10th Hussars, facing south, between the Queen's Hotel and the "E" lines of huts on the camp; the infantry (ten regiments) between the canal and the Queen's Hotel, facing east, the 3rd brigade being on the right, the 2nd on the left, and the first in the centre. The field batteries of Royal Artillery were formed up on the right of the infantry, and the Royal Engineer Train and Military Train were in line on "E" parade ground, facing south. Disposed in this manner the division occupied a large area, the infantry line being nearly a mile in length. Shortly after three o'clock Her Majesty arrived on the review ground, passing through the South Camp en route, and commencing the inspection of the troops with the batteries of the Royal Horse Artillery, which occupied the post of honour, on the right of the first side of the quadrilateral. Each regiment, as the Queen passed, presented arms, the colours were drooped, and the bands played the National Anthem. The inspection occupied about three-quarters of an hour, and Her Majesty having arrived at a favourable piece of ground for the march-past, the royal carriages were halted and the troops defiled before the Queen. Her Majesty left the ground immediately on the conclusion of the defile.

19. LAMENTABLE ACCIDENT ΤΟ MR. DRUCE, Q.C.-Mr. W. Carter, the Surrey coroner, held an inquiry respecting the death of Mr. George Druce, Q.C., one of the ablest and most distinguished members of the Chancery Bar, who was killed while riding. The inquest was held at the residence of the deceased gentleman, Denmark-hill, Camberwell. Mr. Charles Blabey Wilkins, of the Clayton Arms, Kennington-oval, said that on the morning of the 14th, at twenty minutes past nine o'clock, he saw the deceased gentleman riding on a brown horse round the Oval. The horse was galloping at a great pace, as fast as ever witness saw a horse going on a racecourse. The deceased was trying to restrain the animal by pulling him in. For a moment witness lost sight of the horse and rider, but both re-appeared again in that time. The animal went round the Oval four times. The fourth time, while the horse was opposite witness, the gentleman took his right foot out of the stirrup-iron, and then threw his right leg over the horse's head. The deceased then fell backwards on to the ground, and the back of his head struck the roadway. The deceased had previously lost his hat, and the horse was going at full speed. No person spoke to the deceased or advised him to throw himself off. The deceased had a small stick in his hand when the horse ran away. Witness

could not tell what caused the horse to run away. The horse stopped when the deceased fell. Further evidence showed that Mr. Druce was in the habit of riding to town every morning. Mr. William Bean, surgeon, said that the deceased died from "concussion of the brain." The coroner having summed up, the jury returned a verdict of "Accidental death."

20. EXECUTION OF SHEWARD. HORRIBLE CONFESSION.-William Sheward, convicted at the recent Norwich Assizes of the murder of his first wife, Martha Sheward, was hanged in Norwich Castle. The case excited extraordinary interest, the crime having been committed in June, 1851, while it was not discovered until a confession of his guilt was made by the convict at the Walworth police station, in December last. A few days before his execution, Sheward made the following horrible confession :

"The Voluntary Confession of William Sheward, under Sentence of Death in Norwich Prison.

City Gaol, Norwich, April 13, 1869, 2.45 p.m. "In the year 1849, November, I placed a box of money, having 4007. in it, in Mr. Christie's possession, for him to take care of for me. "In the year 1850 and to June, 1851, I drew from that box 1507., during which time my wife wanted me to bring the box home. Mr. Christie asked me if he might make use of the money. My wife seemed determined to fetch the box herself. I knew he could not give it to me.

"On the 14th of June, 1851, Mr. Christie asked me to go to Yarmouth to pay 1000l. to a captain of a vessel laden with salt, to enable him to unload on the Monday morning. On Sunday morning, the 15th, I was going to Yarmouth on the above errand. (my wife) said, 'You shall not go. I will go to Mr. Christie and get the box of money myself, and bring it home.'

She

"With that a slight altercation occurred. Then I ran the razor into her throat. She never spoke after. I then covered an apron over her head and went to Yarmouth. I came home at night, and slept on the sofa down-stairs.

"On the Monday I went to work; I left off at four o'clock and went home. The house began to smell very faint; with that I made a fire in the bedroom and commenced to mutilate the body. Kept on until half-past nine p.m. I then took some portions of the body and threw it away, arriving home at half-past ten. That night slept on the sofa again. Went to work again the next day; went home in the afternoon about four o'clock, and did the same. The same night, again.

"On Wednesday went to work as usual; left off early, and went home. Carried some more portions in a pail-basket to another part of the city.

Thursday. Work same, and returned early. The head had been previously put in a saucepan and put on the fire, to keep the stench away. I then broke it up and distributed it about Thorpe ;

came home and emptied the pail in the 'cockey' in Bishopgate-street, with the entrails, &c. I then put the hands and feet into the same saucepan, in hopes they might boil to pieces.

"On Friday I went to work, and went home early and disposed of all the remains of the body, hands and feet included, that night, because I knew I should not be able to be home on Saturday until late.

"On Sunday morning I burnt all the sheets, nightgown, pillowcases, and bedtick, and all that had any blood about them. The blankets, where there was any blood, I cut in small pieces and distributed them about the city, and made off with any thing that had any appearance of blood about it.

"The long hair, on my return from Thorpe, I cut with a pair of scissors into small pieces, and they blew away as I walked along. "I also state I never saw or knew my present wife until June 21, 1852, twelve months after the occurrence.

"I hereby give authority to place the above facts before the Home Secretary and Baron Pigott; but I request that this may not be published at present.

"Taken in the presence of the undersigned, this 13th day of April, 1869.

"WILLIAM SHEWARD.

"J. GODWIN JOHNSON, Visiting Magistrate.

ROBERT WADE, Chaplain of the Norwich City Gaol.
JOHN HOWARTH, Governor of the said Gaol."

21. FEARFUL CATASTROPHE IN CORNWALL.-A terrible accident occurred at the Delabole Slate Quarries, near Camelford, by which fifteen persons were killed, and several severely wounded. Without hardly a moment's warning, the most formidable of the poppet-heads in the works gave way with a tremendous crash, shortly after five o'clock p.m., carrying away with it all those who happened to be on the head, and also burying many poor creatures at work beneath. The crash was heard for miles around, and a large concourse of people soon congregated and rendered all possible assistance. Four surgeons were on the spot. Ten persons were dug out dead, and there were about a dozen more or less seriously injured. Five more bodies were afterwards recovered. The character of the disaster may be rendered more intelligible by a description of the scene. This is one of three enormous pits, which, excavated by the uninterrupted labour of centuries, are encompassed by dark blue hills of rubbish, continually on the increase, and slowly encroaching upon the domain of the farmer. The quarry nearest Pengelley is, perhaps, the most interesting of the three. This is about 260 feet in depth, and divided by a ridge not broader than a cart-way from the middle pit, which is now considered the most valuable, as it has not yet been excavated to any considerable depth, and the slate is of a prime quality. The third or upper pit is the largest. It had been worked for a long period, and was nearly exhausted, and the machinery being old

and the side of the quarry loose and unstable, this pit was often the scene of melancholy accidents. Upon the edge of each quarry is a poppet-head-a projecting platform, from which a number of guidechains are stretched, like the shrouds of a ship, to the base of the pit. The slate is first loosened by small charges of gunpowder, and then torn up by wedges and crowbars and placed in trucks, which, being attached to a wheel which traverses a guide-chain, are drawn up by the steam-engine some feet above the poppet-head. Movable stages, called hatches or tables, are then run out under the trucks, which, being lowered upon a framework on wheels, are drawn away by horses to the different workshops, where the slate is split into various sizes, according to the purpose it is intended to serve. The water is pumped from the quarries by waterwheels into an adit, and the slate is shipped at the little harbours of Port Gavorne and Boscastle, the former being the principal port in the summer, the latter in the winter, as affording the best shelter to vessels.

26. PORTSMOUTH VOLUNTEER REVIEW.-A review of the volunteers of the southern and western counties, with the troops in garrison, was held at Portsmouth, under Lieutenant-General Sir G. Buller, K.C.B., the officer commanding the south-west military district. The whole force was inspected on Southsea-common, at three o'clock, by Lieutenant-General Sir G. Buller, and the marchpast immediately followed. The volunteer cavalry led, under Colonel Bowers; two field batteries of Royal Artillery followed; with the Marine Artillery, the second battalion 13th regiment, 101st, and 67th, making up the first division, under BrigadierGeneral Carey. The second division was led by the field battery of six guns of the 3rd Hants Volunteer Artillery, followed by the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Hants Volunteer Garrison Artillery. All the volunteer infantry marched very steadily, with arms at the trail. The march-past occupied exactly half an hour. The sham-fight then commenced.

The force was divided into two bodies, one as the attacking force, under the command of Major-General Lysons, C.B., marching out to the eastward of Southsea Castle, and taking up a position there preparatory to advancing to the attack; and the defending force, under the command of Major-General Carey, retiring within the walls of Portsmouth for the defence of the place. Out seaward, between Spithead and the Horse Shoal, lay the "Scorpion" turretsloop, with bulwarks down and steam up, ready to engage Southsea Castle when signalled; while further off, half hid in the haze which covered the water, lay the six screw gun-boats which were ready to aid her in the attack. Captain Courtney, Flag-captain to ViceAdmiral Sir James Hope, commanded the flotilla. The gun-boats soon began to give signs of their intention to enter into the fray, and, in reply to a signal from Admiral Hope's steam-yacht the "Fire Queen," began to creep in slowly towards the castle.

A gun fired from the King's Bastion of the town fortifications gave the alarm, which was immediately followed by Southsea