AUGUST.

1. ROYAL VISIT TO IRELAND.-PHENIX PARK RIOTS.-The Prince of Wales, accompanied by Prince Arthur, Princess Louise, and the Marquis of Lorne, paid their long promised visit to Ireland, the first week of this month. They landed at Kingstown on Monday, the last day of July, and were received by Earl and Countess Spencer and other distinguished persons. The civic authorities of Dublin greeted them on their arrival at Westland Row Station with an address of welcome. During the ensuing week they visited the principal places of interest in the city and neighbourhood, and were received by the people with much enthusiasm. The Prince of Wales took the chair at the annual banquet of the Agricultural Society, which held its meeting this week in Dublin, on the Tuesday.

On Friday, August 4th, he was installed Patron of the Order of Freemasons in Ireland. The ceremonial was performed with full masonic honours, the Duke of Leinster occupying the chair as Grand Master of Ireland. The Prince's reply to the address of the Freemasons was received with much applause. There was afterwards a review of troops in the Phoenix Park. The royal party returned to England on the 7th.

Unhappily the peaceful rejoicings of the week were marred by a riot of a serious character, which took place on Sunday, the 7th, arising out of an attempt to hold a meeting in the Phoenix Park, to demand the release of the Fenian prisoners. The authorities having forbidden the assemblage in the park, the leaders of the movement, including Mr. Smyth, M.P., persisted in carrying it out; and the police, in executing their orders, were attacked by the mob. Reinforcements having arrived, an indiscriminate fight ensued throughout the park, and many persons on both sides received severe injuries, including several of the leaders. At last the police, with the aid of their mounted detachment, prevailed, and the mob, having been ejected from the park, proceeded along the quays, smashing many windows. Eventually the people were dispersed, and at a late hour the disturbances were quelled, although great excitement prevailed, and bodies of police patrolled the streets.

5. OPENING OF COOPER'S HILL COLLEGE. This Institution, founded by the Secretary of State and Council of India, for training Civil Engineers for the Indian Service, was formally opened by the Duke of Argyll. It is intended to accommodate 150 students ultimately at the college, but at present there are only fifty in residence. The Duke of Argyll, after the invited guests had been shown over the building, delivered an address, in the course of which he dwelt upon the necessity there was for such an institution, to provide properly educated engineers for India, and said he wished it to be clearly understood that there was to be in the college nothing in the shape

of monopoly. It was open to all. The noble duke exhorted the students to take the fullest possible advantage of the education which the College afforded, and dwelt particularly on the importance of cultivating the good opinion of the people of India when they came to mix among them. Colonel Chesney afterwards explained the objects and functions of the College, and said the objects of the managers would be, not to make the students mere book-worms, but to give them a practical knowledge of those subjects which would be most beneficial and useful to them through life.

7. BANK HOLIDAY.-This day was the first holiday under the "Bank Holidays Act of 1871," and was generally observed throughout the country. The Government offices in London remained open, but the warehouses and offices of public companies, the Royal Exchange, and Lloyd's, were all closed, and many of the shops in the city. In Liverpool the day was observed almost as strictly as if it were Good Friday or Christmas Day. The Bill secures to bank clerks four holidays in the year-Easter Monday, Monday in Whitsun week, the first Monday in August, and the day after Christmas Day.

NEW LIGHTHOUSE.-The foundation-stone of the new Longships Lighthouse, off the Land's End, was laid on the 7th. The stone, which is of granite, from Dinan, in France, and weighs two tons, forms the first or lowest course of the tower, and is fitted into the rock. The new lighthouse, when completed, will form a striking contrast to the present old-fashioned and ugly structure. It is one of the new rock lighthouses which are being constructed by the Trinity House, and of which the Bishop's Rock, the Smalls, and the Wolf Rock were the first examples. Most of these towers are so far out at sea as not to be clearly visible from the land, but the new Longships Lighthouse is only about a mile from the Land's End.

9. THE SCOTT CENTENARY.-Although the 15th of August, 1871, was the 100th anniversary of Sir Walter Scott's birth, it was settled, in consequence of the number of distinguished men collected in Edinburgh for the meeting of the British Association, that a general holiday should be given on the 9th in that city, and a banquet was also held in the Corn Exchange. The Earl of Dalkeith presided in the absence of the Duke of Buccleuch. The toast of the evening was proposed by Sir William Stirling Maxwell, who spoke at great length on the place of Scott in literature, his literary activity, and, above all, eulogized his personal character. Scott, in his busiest years (Sir William remarked), was one of the most prominent figures in social life in Scotland, and one of the favourite lions of London. In these busy years enough was done to fill the lives of ten not inconsiderable mortals. One of the Homeric heroes seemed to have reappeared upon the earth, clothed in superhuman strength and the wig and gown of a Scotch advocate. Speaking of Scott as a poet, Sir William said,

"Other poets have soared higher into the empyrean of thought, or have dived deeper into the mystery of life; but none has ever

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told his tale with greater breadth of light and shade, or hurried his reader along with a more genial vivacity; none has ever lit up the banquet-hall or the battle-field with more of Homeric fire, or adorned his action with a more exquisite transcript of the scenery of nature. In this sphere, Scott is certainly the greatest of peaceful and beneficent conquerors in the world of letters. Bannockburn and Flodden are his; Melrose and Dunvegan, and many a fair domain and ancient pile between. It is curious to turn to his friend Moore's playful allusions to these poetical conquests at the time 'Rokeby' was announced in 1814. Had Scott written nothing but his lyrics, he would still hold a distinguished place in letters. 'Rosabelle,’ 'Lochinvar,'' Jock o' Hazeldean,' 'Norah's Vow,' and the 'Pibroch of Donuil Dhu' will be sung and loved as long as tenderness and melody, pith and vigour, archness, gaiety, and delicate humour shall please the ear, inspire the fancy, and touch the heart. These and other songs of Scott have made the tour of the world with the songs of Burns, and haunt the memory of most men who love poetry and speak English. They are the very songs to be sung in a strange land by exiles not much given to weeping and hanging their harps on willows, and who yet very steadily think of Scotland, perhaps not knowing how greatly the Scotland to which their hearts turn is the intellectual creation of Scott."

Commemorations were also held at the principal towns in Scotland. On the 15th a national Scottish fête was held at the Crystal Palace at Sydenham to celebrate the centenary. The day was beautiful, and the attendance to witness the Highland games very large. In the morning a collection of pictures, autographs, &c., was exhibited. In the afternoon a competition of pipers was held, as well as dancing contests. Prizes were distributed to the successful competitors, and the dramatic version by Terry of Guy Mannering was performed in the Opera Theatre. On the same evening, at the Cannon-street Hotel, about two hundred ladies and gentlemen sat down to a banquet under the presidency of Mr. Hepworth Dixon. 10. FATAL FALL FROM A CLIFF. A CLIFF. As Mr. Ralph Montague Bernard, the senior surgeon of the Bristol Royal Infirmary, was walking with his wife along the cliffs at Gwbert, in the Bay of Cardigan, the edge gave way, and he fell on to the beach seventy feet below. He sustained a severe fracture of the skull, and died in a few minutes.

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11. FATAL EXPLOSION OF GUN-COTTON AT STOWMARKET. terrible explosion, or series of explosions, took place at a large guncotton factory at Stowmarket. It was believed that the precautions taken at the manufactory ensured immunity from explosion. Experiments had been recently conducted by Government officials which, it was said, showed that gun-cotton cartridges, made and stowed away as they were, could not accidentally explode. The Messrs. Prentice, or rather the Limited Liability Company in whose behalf they manage the works, were executing a large order for Government, and had as much as fifteen tons of gun-cotton stored

up. The number of persons employed at the works was about 130, and most of these were upon the premises when the explosion occurred. A dense column of smoke rose several hundred yards into the air, and spread out gradually into a fan-like shape; then there came a deafening roar, the explosion being felt in every corner of the town. None of the Messrs. Prentice was at the works at the time, the manager, Mr. Eustace Prentice, being on the Continent. Soon after the first explosion, Mr. E. H. Prentice, one of the partners in some chemical works also conducted in the neighbourhood, and Mr. W. R. Prentice, second son of Mr. Manning Prentice, arrived, and collecting as many other persons as possible, they set to work to save such of the remaining buildings as were still standing, but which had taken fire. These sheds contained a number of boxes of cartridges, and, though some warning voices were raised, Mr. Edward Prentice replied that there was no danger, and continued to draw some of the boxes of cartridges towards him, while his nephew, Mr. W. R. Prentice, assisted in pushing them farther from the flames. The result was that one of the boxes caught fire, and a second explosion of great violence followed, which blew the two Messrs. Prentice to atoms, and completed the wreck of the premises. The number of killed and missing amounted to twenty-four, and of wounded seventy-two.

The inquest upon the twenty-two bodies, which were all that were found, lasted nearly a month, a close inquiry being instituted as to the manner in which the gun-cotton was dried and stored, with a view to preventing a recurrence of so terrible a disaster. On September 6th, the jury returned the following verdict :—

"That the explosion causing the deaths of persons on whom this inquest was held was produced by some person or persons unknown adding sulphuric acid to the gun-cotton subsequent to its passing the tests required by Government. At the same time we consider, from the evidence adduced, that there is no danger in the manufacture of gun-cotton in the wet process, but that the drying and storing of gun-cotton should not be allowed near a town. Also, we consider that gun-cotton works should be subject to constant Government inspection."

14. NATIONAL ARTILLERY ASSOCIATION.-The competition by the Artillery Volunteers for the prizes offered by the National Artillery Association took place this week at Shoeburyness. The firing by the Royal Artillery at 1200 and 1600 yards, which took place on the 18th, resulted in the victory of the 12th Brigade. Each brigade fired five rounds. The brigades which contended fired in the following order :-7th, 13th Depôt Brigade, 12th, 21st, 17th, and the School of Gunnery. The 13th, the Depôt, and the School of Gunnery made one direct hit each, and the 12th and 17th made each two direct hits; but the former, having fired all its rounds in 30 sec. less time than the latter, was declared the winner of the prize given by the National Artillery Association. Every brigade fired its rounds within time. The longest time occupied was

8 min. 47 sec.; the shortest 5 min. 54 sec. The winners took 6 min. The time allowed was 10 min. The shot used was the 300-lb. Palliser projectile, and the gun the 9-in. 12-ton muzzleloader.

On the 19th Sir R. Airey presented the prizes to the men of the winning detachments.

15. FATAL GUNPOWDER EXPLOSION IN THE NEW FOREST. A terrible gunpowder explosion took place at the mills of the Schultze Gun and Powder Company (Limited), situated in the heart of the New Forest. While a man named James Mills was engaged alone in the drying house he was blown forty yards by the explosion of 740 lb. of powder. His head was buried in the earth, his clothing was found burning and full of splinters. The drying-house was blown to atoms, and bricks were found fully half a mile from the spot. A large boiler was hurled some distance, several workmen's houses were shattered, and the laboratory destroyed, but fortunately the magazine, which contained several cwt. of powder, escaped.

BIRTHDAY OF THE EX-EMPEROR OF THE FRENCH.-The 15th of August was quietly but cordially celebrated at Chiselhurst. Some relatives of the Emperor, several friends, and some persons formerly attached to the Court had arrived from France to convey to the Sovereign, who but a year ago still reigned, the expression of their regrets, their homage, and their devotion. At eleven o'clock High Mass was celebrated in the church of Chiselhurst. At two o'clock a lunch after the English fashion was offered to all who had come to Camden House to offer their congratulations upon the fête day of Napoleon. The Emperor received from France upon this occasion a great number of letters and flowers. A bouquet of gigantic dimensions was the result of a subscription opened at Paris among the merchants, traders, and workmen. It was accompanied by a magnificent album, which contained a very sympathetic address, with several hundred signatures. Another bouquet was offered by the officers of the Imperial Guard.

16. FRENCH DEPUTATION IN IRELAND.- Great excitement was created in Ireland by the arrival of a deputation, sent by the French Aid Committee to express the thanks of the nation for the assistance afforded by the Irish Ambulance during the late war.

The visitors comprised the following persons:-Count Flavigny, the Duc de Feltre, Countess de Petray, Viscount Epanouse Coehin, Thomas Flalon, Surgeon Maguire, J. Scanlon, Count O'Neil, the Duc de Tyron, Henry O'Neill, Dr. Kniffe, M. de Lavison, M. and Madame Lesseps, M. and Madame Gallichon, Count Contcason, M. Duquet, and suite. They passed through Booterstown Square, and received the warm greetings of the populace of Ball's Bridge. They were met by a dense concourse of people. A procession was then formed, and they went through Baggot-street, Fitzwilliam-street, Nassau-street, Graftonstreet, and Stephen's Green North, to the Shelborne Hotel, where some of the deputation appeared at the windows and thanked the people of Dublin for their warm reception. It was dark when they