should proceed to London in charge of an Admiralty officer. His request was submitted by telegraph to the proper authorities in London. Unfortunately for the ends of justice the "Murillo" is not now commanded by the same captain, nor manned by the same crew, who on that dark mid-winter night are accused of having been the destroyers of so many helpless men, women, and children. All hands, from captain to cabin-boy, have been replaced, and all that remains to us now to do, if the charge can be proved against her, is through the medium of our courts of law to enforce repayment in money of the amount of property sacrificed. Vast numbers of persons appear surprised that the "Murillo" should have had the temerity to visit English shores again; but such surprise will not be so great when it is made known that this in all probability was, after many months' experience, deemed the easiest and least troublesome method of getting rid of her. For months she has lain, as it were, perdu in Spanish waters, and during these months it is stated that she was offered for sale to firms of many nations at any sacrifice. No buyers could be found, however, as her owners could not morally show a clean bill of health, and a stigma attached to the vessel which no amount of whitewashing could obliterate. Then the owners made the astounding proposal to wipe off the stain of the vessel's apparent guilt by offering to pay in money all losses which were sustained in the matter by the owners of the ill-fated "Northfleet." This offer was indignantly rejected, and the owners of the "Murillo " seem to have come to the conclusion that the best thing they could do was to send the vessel into English waters to be seized by the English Government. Of course the owners of the lost "Northfleet" were kept constantly posted up as to the movements of the "Murillo," and so were the authorities at the Board of Trade. The Government department received information last week from their consular agent at Cadiz that the vessel had sailed, it was believed, for. England, but that it was probable on her way such changes would be made in her appearance as to almost destroy her identity. It was thought she was to be repainted, and have one of her funnels removed. As it has turned out, however, such transformation was not attempted. The vessel steamed up to Dover precisely in the plight in which she quitted Cadiz, and this fact strengthens the belief that it was the object of her owners to have her at once identified and seized by the English Government. far the owners have succeeded.

So

SAFETY OF THE MISSING CREW OF THE "POLARIS.""Just as the Americans have despatched another Arctic Expedition in search of the missing members of the crew of the "Polaris," the ill-fated seamen arrive at Dundee :

The "Arctic" whaler brought safely to port the following members of the American expedition :-Capt. Buddington, sailing and ice master; Dr. Emil Bessels; H. C. Chester, first mate; W. Martin, second mate; Emil Schumann, chief engineer; A. Odell, second engineer; W. F. Campbell, fireman; N. J. Coffin, car

G

penter; H. Semmens, Henry Hobby, and Noah Hayes, sea

men.

In the summer of 1871 the expedition sailed under Captain Hall in the "Polaris," a small gunboat which had been voted for the purpose, with 50,000 dols., by Congress. The captain died in the first winter; and in the following August, Capt. Buddington, who had succeeded to the command, resolved to return. In October it was thought necessary to abandon the ship, and whilst engaged in getting out her stores, the ice opened, and the vessel was separated from about half the crew. Those left behind drifted about all through the winter, and were at last, on April 29, picked up in good health by the "Tigris," some forty miles off Labrador.

On October 15 last the accident which divided the crew was repeated. Arrangements were again in progress for abandoning the ship. The boats were all on the ice, and a great quantity of provisions were taken out. Suddenly the hawsers, by which the ship was made fast to the ice-floes, gave way, and one of them snapped asunder, and the other pulled the anchor, which was lodged in the ice, from its place. It was now about midnight. By the starting of the anchor a large piece of the floe was removed from its position. On it were three men, and as the "Polaris was driven past them they cried in their agony, "Oh, what are we to do?" The captain replied that he could do nothing for them, that they had boats and provisions, and they must do the best they could. In a few minutes those on the ship saw the boat launched and manned by the three men, who made for the place where their comrades were stationed. Soon every object was lost to view, and one-half of the crew were left to live or die among the deserts of snow. The ship drifted away, and ultimately reached Lifeboat Cove. Here the captain succeeded in beaching her, and with the help of the friendly Esquimaux, who provided them with malodorous but most acceptable supplies of clothing made of skins, the party succeeded in passing the winter tolerably well. Towards its end Mr. Chester, their first mate, suggested that as the fuel and provisions were coming to an end it would be desirable to build two boats. In the cold spring months, when the thermometer was twenty-three degrees below zero, frequently in the midst of blinding drift, the construction of the boats proceeded. The situation was one exceeding trying, and well calculated to daunt the strongest hearts. Still, life depended upon the effort, and it could not be relaxed. Day after day a decided advance was made, and at the close of the month of June the party were ready to depart and make a determined attempt to push southward. The boats were launched, and though they leaked a good deal they proved a great success, for they sailed remarkably well, and were easy to pull. The first day Sontag Bay was reached. After remaining there a short time to regain strength, the party made for Hackluyt Island.

On June 21 they reached Cape York, where they were completely surrounded by ice, but two days later the "Ravenscraig," Captain

Allen, came in sight and rescued them. Subsequently some of the crew were transferred to the " Intrepid" and some to the "Arctic." The whole party is thus accounted for, except the three unfortunates who were left on the ice.

On September 22 the crew left Dundee for Liverpool. Great surprise is expressed at the appearance of the castaways. It was natural to expect that they would look worn out and "used up," but their healthy, strong appearance quite belie a long residence in the Polar regions. Loud and prolonged cheers were given as the train left, and the crew of the "Polaris" acknowledged the compliment in a very hearty way.

28. RAILWAY ACCIDENTS.-This was unhappily another grand field-day" with the railway companies. At Wetheral station, on the North-Eastern Railway, an accident" of an appalling character" took place. It was, indeed, no less than a collision between a goods train and a mineral train on a viaduct a hundred feet above the Eden river. The latter "dashed round the sharp curve at the west of the station," and plunged into the goods train. The effect seems to have been magnificent. Trucks were dashed against the southern parapet, "huge coping stones were hurled from a height of about eighty feet on to the sloping side of the railway below," a goods waggon "made a breach of eighteen yards in the solid masonry," and fell over the viaduct on to a flight of steps below, some of its fragments "being projected a distance of fifty yards." After the smash was over it was discovered that two cattle salesmen were much shaken, and one of them severely injured. At Arthington— same line and same day-a "rather heavy" passenger train, laden with "merchants and professional men" from Harrogate, ran into "No. 2" goods train," happily at slackened speed," but not so much slackened, apparently, but that "some eight or ten persons were more or less shaken and injured," one of them having his leg fractured. The accident seems to have been due to the trifling oversight of omitting to remove a signal which was "out of use. use." At the New-street station at Birmingham the guard's van at the tail of the Midland "special" dashed itself to pieces in a partially successful attempt to knock down a signal-box; but the guard, who appears to be used to such occurrences, sprang out of the ruins of his van," ran after the train, jumped up the steps of the last carriage, and proceeded on his journey."

OCTOBER.

4. UNSEAWORTHY SHIPS.-The Royal Commission appointed "to inquire into the alleged unseaworthiness of British ships" has issued a preliminary report. Substantially it is an admission that whilst many of the evils pointed out by Mr. Plimsoll are clearly proved, there are serious if not insuperable difficulties in the way of their removal. The report is signed by all the Commissioners, amongst whom are the Duke of Somerset, the Duke of Edinburgh, Mr. Liddell, M.P., Mr. Milner Gibson, Admiral Sir James Hope, G.C.B., and Mr. Brassey, M.P. The Commissioners, owing to the extent and number of the subjects included in their inquiry, are not yet prepared to make a final report, but they believe that what they have done will show the difficulties by which the inquiry is surrounded, and will prepare the way for the legislation which may be

necessary.

6. BALLOON VOYAGES.-Two attempts to reach Europe from America by balloon have been made. The London agent of the Daily Graphic received a cable despatch from New York, announcing that the balloon had started at 9.19 that morning, with Donaldson, Ford, and Lunt, and was seen going east. The agent adds that the balloon is the one constructed for the first trial, which exploded on September 16th. The Mr. Donaldson mentioned is the balloonist who was to accompany Professor Wise according to the original arrangements; Mr. Ford is a correspondent and artist in the employment of the Daily Graphic; Mr. Lunt is an English sailor, whose services are to be called into request in the event of the voyagers being compelled to abandon the balloon and take to their lifeboat. Unfortunately, however, this second attempt also failed, for by a telegram from New York we learn that the balloon was caught in a storm while over Connecticut, and the three travellers barely saved their lives by dropping from the car when at a height of thirty feet from the ground.

7. THE CESAREWITCH STAKES for three-year-olds and upwards. Cesarewitch course, 2 m. 2 fur. 28 yds. Seventy-nine subs. Lord Lonsdale's King Lud, 4 yrs., 7st. 5lb. (Bruckshaw) . 1 Mr. W. S. Crawfurd's Royal George, 3 yrs., 5st. 13lb. (incl. 3lb. extra) (Glover)

Mr. W. P. M. Innes's Pirate, 3 yrs., 6st. 71b. (incl. 71b. extra) (C. Wood)

2

3

Betting: 4 to 1 agst. Corisande, 8 to 1 agst. Pirate, 9 to 1 agst. Uhlan, 100 to 8 each agst. Shannon and Louise Victoria, 100 to 7 agst. Marie Stuart, 100 to 6 agst. Little Tom, 20 to 1 agst. King Lud, 25 to 1 agst. Oxford Mixture, 30 to 1 agst. Mestizo, 33 to 1 each agst. Moorlands, Moissonneur, and Suleiman, 40 to 1 each agst. Napolitain, Royal George, and Xanthus, 50 to 1 agst. Winslow,

66 to 1 each agst. Flurry, Fève, and Thunderer, 100 to 1 each agst. Indian Ocean, Falkland, Prosper, Restless, Rattlecap, Tambour, Thistledown, and Reflection, and 1000 to 5 agst. Silvia colt, Burford, Merodach, and Cathedral Chimes.

9. SIR SAMUEL BAKER AND LADY BAKER arrived in London. By the last accounts the whole territory which has been the scene of his expedition was quiet and prosperous, and the slave-trade extinct. Strictly speaking, says Sir Samuel, there was little slave-trade in the country, it was nearly all slave stealing. Slave holding was almost universal. Grown men were not stolen, for they ran away. The kidnapping consisted of women and children, especially young boys, as these in growing up became attached to their owners and did not escape. The captivity could scarcely have been very arduous. The hardship consisted in breaking up of homes and family ties, and the sufferings endured when driven to the homes of new owners. The current price of a girl was ten cows, so that if one man succeeded in stealing another man's daughter, he was virtually richer by ten cows. The demoralization of the custom extended far and wide. As to the geographical question, Sir Samuel Baker simply testifies to the information given him on all hands that the Albert Nyanza and Tanganyika are, to quote Livingstone, one water. If this is not true, and no communication exists, Sir Samuel is clear that the Tanganyika has no part in the Nile system. The Nile has no western affluent; the Paha Gazal is a currentless marsh.

11. FUNERAL OF SIR EDWIN LANDSEER.-Amid every sign of respect, the remains of Sir Edwin Landseer were deposited in St. Paul's Cathedral. At St. John's Wood-road an immense crowd of people had assembled near the house of the deceased, and by the time the hearse and four coaches arrived the road was almost impassable. The procession slowly wended its way along the St. John's Wood-road, past many a well-known studio, and thence, by Portland-place and Regent-street, to Trafalgar-square, where it was joined by ten more mourning coaches, containing the President and Council of the Royal Academy. Among those present were Sir Francis Grant, and Messrs. Webster, Frith, Lee, Marshall, Ward, Elmore, Millais, Richmond, Frost, Wells, Sant, Robson, Armitage, Stocks, Petitt, Stephens, Lejeune, Dobson, Leslie, Orchardson, Cole, Walker, Barlow, Woolner, &c. The President of the Royal Scottish Academy was also present. The Strand, Fleet-street, and Ludgate-hill were lined with spectators, through whose ranks the route was cleared by a body of mounted police.

The cathedral was well filled before noon, the time at which the procession was expected to arrive. At a quarter to twelve o'clock one of the bells began to toll. The west doors were by this time open, but it was past twelve o'clock before the carriages forming the procession drew up in the yard. On the top of the pall lay a large cross of camellias, surmounted by an immortelle. At the foot of the coffin was a handsome wreath of camellias, roses, and violets,