Notes On Art, &C.

NOTES ON ART , & c .

The Bicentenary ot original German Opera is to be lebrated at Hamburg next January . According to the ; ileal Times , it vrin then be two hundred years since the r " t representation on any stage of an original German ratic work . The piece then performed was called ° l' ropriately enough " Adam und Eva , odcr der Erschaffe Gefallene , und Aufgerichtete Mensch " ( Adam and ,- " /• or Man Created , Fallen , and Raised Up ) . The text

¦ vrittcn by the laureate poet , Richter , the music by ' loliann Theile . A costly map is stated by Engineering to be in course f preparation by the Belgian Government , which has ° dered the construction of a new geographical map of The work will extend seventeen

n 0 rium . over years , ( 1 will cost £ 5 6 , 600 . The first instalment is proposed j * ije exhibited next year at the Paris Exhibition . \ somewhat novel editorial difficulty was announced * the Himalaya Chronicle a few weeks since , as follows : « We have to apologise to our readers for the paucity

f matter in to-day ' s issue , in consequence of some of ur staff having absconded after having drawn more pay ( h 3 n was due to them . " The number of our London Boulevards is . gradually •nc reasing , and the Gardener ' s Magazine tells us that the r mberwell Vestry have adopted the recommendation of the General Purposes Committee to plant 3 8 S trees in the

01 , 1 Kent-road , 24 in Camberwell-road , 86 in Camberwell New-road , and 60 in I'eckham-road . But how about the long-promised avenue up the Camden-road ? j \ Rain Tree is the latest novelty reported from across the Atlantic . The consul of the United States of Columbia writes from Yurimagus to President Prado , informing him that in the woods adjacent to the city of Moyobamba exists

a tree called by the natives rain tree , which possesses some remarkable qualities . It is a tree of about fifty feet high vvhen at maturity , and about thicc feet in diameter at the base , and has the property of absording an immense i quantity of humidity from the atmosphere , which it concentrates and subsequently pours forth from its leaves and branches in a shower , and in such abundance that in many

cases the ground of its neighbourhood is converted into a perfect bog . It possesses this curious property in its nrcatest degree in the summer , precisely when the rivers are at their lowest , and water most scarce ; and the writer proposes that it she uld be planted in the more arid regions of Peru for the benefit of agriculturists . A CANNON REVOLVER . — Is it known to our

War Office that the French Government has just adopted a very formidable gun called a cannon-revolver ? The peculiarity of this arm consists in its capability of throwing 80 shells per minuie of rather more than lib . each , which break up into 24 fragments . The cannonrevolver can he brought into action and the range determined with great rapidity , and when once sighted it can

be worked without the slightest recoil and traversed by pivot action . Its destructive effects can thus be brought to tear on troops cither in column or deployed . It commences lo he effective at the tremendous range of over 3000 yards . The first delivery of this formidable arm to the French Government is principally for the use of the navy . The guns are fired from and resting on the bulwarks , and are

intended for torpedo-boat searching ; in this form the weight of the piece is only about 700 II ) ., but as field pieces the additional gear required brings them upto about i 6 oolb . Two men only are required to move the gun itself . It is ronsidtred to be a most formidable weapon , and attention should at once be given to so important a subject by the

English War Office . Wc understand that the Turkish Government purchased five or six of these cannon-revolvers , hit , being unable to pay for them , the guns remain undelivered . Here is a good opportunity for a few Tureophiles to help the " unspeakable . "—IVhilehall Review TECHNICAL EDUCATION . —The Turners '

Company , according to custom , have offered their frcctom , with other rewards , to the exhibitors of the best 'pecimen of hand-turning in any of the subjects of completion , which this year include ivcry , pottery , stone and jet , and steel , brass , and gold for horological purposes . Pottery will comprise terra-cotta , stoneware , earthenware , and porcelain , and stone and jet will include any natural

substance of a mineral character except those which require baking or burning . lady Burdett-Coutts has effered a sum of , £ 2 ;; for money prizes to the competitors , and lhc Court of the Company has voted £ 50 f « r the same Purpose . Among the judges are Sir Gilbert Scott , Sir Joseph Whitworth , Dr . Pole , Bro . Mutton Gregory , Mr . Doultnn , and others . The articles will be on view some '" ne in October at the Mansion House , and the Lord Mayor will distribute the prizes to the winners .

THE EVIL EYE . —The models employed for tbe picture which Mr . Holman Hunt has in hand at Jerusalem took it into their heads that they suffered from "fects of the " evil eye , " and , pending recovery , declined 10 sit again . A new set of models has been engaged , 'id so the work goes on without much delay . Mr . Hunt ™ s suffered from attacks of fever . These incidents have , ayed his [ return to England for a few weeks . — "" leiiojuin .

the World states that the funeral of the late viV ^ ^ Onslow , private chaplain to the Prir . ce of Wales , ch tcok place at Sandringham during the past week , f ( as a very largely attended ceremony . The death of the lerctid gentleman having occurred sa suddenly , and , "ng the absence of the Prince of Wales on the continent , e- „ « — - "uacuec ui ine 1 mice en vYaics on me coiuiiicnr ,

all , . ° - * Highness , who was on very familiar and even p . lonate tcrnis with the deceased , was unable to be "sent , except by Deputy . General Sir Dighton Probyn j -J P < - « all y despatched by the Prince to attend the last Hie ? e re P resentative of his Royal Highness * , whilst : tenantry and the whele of the Prince ' s Norfolk estab-•"hirtent were also present .

Masonic And General Tidings.

Masonic and General Tidings .

The annual meeting of the Provincial Grand Lodge of Cheshire ( Bro . Lord de Tabley , R . W . P . G . M . ) will be held on the 20 th inst ., at the Wallasey Concert Hall , Liskeard , near Birkenhead . The Prov . Grand Lodge of West Lancashire ( Bro . the Right Hon . Lord Skelmersdale , D . G . M ., R . W . P . G . M . ) will also hold its annual meeting at Southport on the 3 rd October .

THE PRINCE OF WALES ' SOUTH DOWNS . —Those who feared that the recent sale of South Downs and Shorthorns at Sandringham might bc taken as an indication that the Prince intended to relinquish agricultural pursuits may be reassured . During the past week Mr . E . Beck , the Prince ' s agent , has been to Sussex , and at several of the noted sales , including that of Mr .

Gornnge ' s , the Prince of Wales has been a purchaser . A Monster Concert Hall and Winter Garden is to be erected in New York . The buildings will be of iron and glass , will cover an entire square , and will be two storeys high . The first floor will be converted into arcades on the plan of the Palais Royal at Paris , and the Victor Emmanuel Gallery at Milan , and there are to be 120

shops , the arcades being intersected by four wide thoroughfares . A garden , concert room , and restaurant are to be arranged upstairs , reached by large double staircases from below , and the orchestra will be placed so that the music can be heard as well from the garden as from the hall . The cost is estimated at £ 100 , 000 . FAMINE J-N BRAZIL . —Three mercantile firms

engaged in the Brazilian trade have appealed to the Liverpool public for relief for the sufferers by famine in the province of Ceara . These firms have received a veiy urgent pctitio-i from the Ceara Town Council stating that owing to the want of rain the cereal and root crops have largely or entirely failed , and the population of the province is reduced to a state of great destitution and misery .

The inhabitants are labourers , but poor , and the long-continued drought has brought them face to face with starvation . The Brazilian Government has organised a relief system , but the succour is inadequate to so great a calamity . Consequently help is asked from tbe British

nation . The Highclere Park archers held their annual prize meeting on Thursday week on the excellent ground near Highclere Castle , which Lord Carnarvon placed at the disposal of the club . Since the last meeting a commodious pavilion has been erected .

New editions have just been issued of two most useful little works—the " Royal Guide to the Londoi Charities , " edited by Herbert Fry , antl published by Hardwicke and Bogue ; and " Low ' s Handbook to the Charities of London , " edited by Charles Mackeson , and published by Sampson Low and Co . The sale at Balham Priory " realised , it is

announced , £ 3000 in all . The pictures and water-colour drawings brought more than was expected , and there is said to have been rather a keen competition for the wines , especially the Champagne and Burgundy . The Crystal Palace Saturday afternoon classical concerts will be resumed on the 29 th inst . TELEGRAMS . —The number of telegraphic

messages forwarded from postal telegraph stations in the United Kingdom increased from 11 , 760 , 518 in 18 71 ( the first year after the transfer of the telegraphs to the State ) to 21 , 575 , 207 in 18 7 6 . This last number comprises 17 , 671 , 518 messages sent from post-offices in Englanel ami Wales , 2 , 383 , 820 from Scotland , and 1 , 519 , 86 9 from Ireland . The Statistical Abstract , from which these figures are taken , states that they are exclusive of press , service , ami mws

messages . MADAME PATTI . —We are happy to be able to announce that Madame Adelina Patti , about whose retirement from the operatic stage many unfounded rumours have been circulated , will next season resume her position as prima donna assoluta at the Roval Italian Opera , Covent-garc'cn . The contract was signed on Friday . —

Observer . "What is the difference between civilisation and barbarism ? " recently asked a schoolboy of his papa . " Simply this , my boy , " was the reply . " Civilisation consists of knowing the art of killing your enemy at two miles distance with a cannon ball , while to kill him with a sabre at arm ' s length is barbarism . "

PREYING UPON GRIEF . — "J . H . A . writes : — " No sooner had my loss of a very dear daughter appeared in your obituary of August 30 , than a photographer sent me ( i ) a photograph of the entry of her death and of seven other entries , surmounted by a photograph of the heading of The Times , the books , the clock , & c , and of the date of the paper ; ( 2 ) a printed memorandum , which

comprises the following : — apologises for taking the liberty , ' & c . ' If the copy is retained , please send six stamps to the enclosed address . Further copies can be obtained , ' & c . I cannot understand any one wishing to retain such a thing . To me , for one , the receipt of it from that man gave such a sensation as is caused by a lancet being thrust into ? . bltet'ing wound .

"THE GREAT SEA-SERPENT . "—With a view of encouraging a closer observation than has hitherto been afforded of any sea-monster which may appear from time to time , the authorities at the Admiralty have permitted the publication in Land and Water of the official reports forwarded to them by the officers of Her

Majesty ' s yacht Osborne , in reference to the sea-monster seen off Cape Vito , in June last . Those repoits , together with the opinions of various scientific authorities ( Professor Owen , Mr . F . Buckland , Mr . A . D . Bartlett , Mr . H . Lee , and others ) , with explanatory illustrations , appeared in Land and Water of Saturday last .

Masonic And General Tidings.

Prince Leopold arrived at Birnam Hotel Dunkeld , on Wednesday , from Balmoral , and visited the Dowager Duchess of Athole . He left on Thursday for Aberfeldy , on his way to Taymouth Castle to visit the Earl and Countess of Breadalbane . ALBERT EDWARD LODGE , NO . 1714 . —The consecration of this lodge will take place at the Duke of

York , Yorktown , Farnborough , Surrey , on Tuesday , October 2 nd . The ceremonies will be commenced at halfpast two o ' clock p . m ., by Bro . Lieut .-Gen . J . S . Brownrigg , C . B ., R . W . P . G . M . Surrey . Bro . Henry Hacker , P . M . 723 , P . P . G . J . D . Hants and t . of W ., is the W . M . designate . Miss Helen Barry will produce at the Prince of Wales's Theatre , Liverpool , on the 21 st inst ., a new and

original domestic drama , entitled "Curyswold . " The drama has been expressly written for Miss Helen Barry , by Messrs . H . Herman and Joseph Mackay . A new calculating machine has been invented by a Michigan watchmaker . It contains 2100 speciallyformed pieces , and , including screws and rivets , over 3000 . It works with perfect accuracy , will use a

multiplier or divisor of twelve figures , divide one number by another , subtract or multiply , at one operation . The machine gave the answer to the following compound interest question in forty-five seconds : —What is the compound interest of 5 630 dollars 75 cents for twenty years at 7 per cent . ? Answer—16 , 158 dollars 47 cents . Mr . B . Whitworth , M . P ., speaking at a meeting

in London on the advantages of total abstinence , said that in the various industries in which he was engaged he employed 45 , 000 persons , and the greatest drawback in their prosperity was the drink traffic . The loss caused by that traffic on the capital invested in the employment

of these people was quite 4 per cent . At the sale of Mr . Cochrane ' s Canadian shorthorns one animal , the Fifth Duchess of Hillhurst , realised 4500 guineas , Lord Bective being the purchaser . The Third Duchess of Hillhurst sold for 4100 guineas . The sale resulted in a total of £ 17 , 150 .

The balance-sheet , showing the cost of the restoration at present effected of Rochester Cathedral , has been issued by Dean Scott . The total amount received in subscriptions was £ 11 , 396 , and £ 11 , 264 has been expended . Further subscriptions are asked to enable the Dean and Chapter to complete the restoration of the cathedral .

PARAGRAMMAKXEI-TISTS " is the title by which literary " borrowers " are in future to be termed by the San Francisco Newsletter . Another coined word , invented by a Kansas editor , is " Czarsparilla , " which forms the heading to the war news in his paper . MR . GLADSTONE ON THE ANGLO-ISRAEL THEORY . —Mr . J . C . M'Clellan , of York , author of "

Anglo-Israelism : Its Pernicious Nature fully exposed , " has recently received the following communication from the ex-Premier : — " Sir , —I thank you sincerely for youi pamphlet . Your interpretation seems to me rational , historical , and orthodox . I hope and think the disciples of the theory you confute are hardly aware of the strange consequences it involves . —Your faithful and obedient

servant , W . E . Gladstone . " The Exchequer receipts from April 1 to September 1 were £ 30 , 6 52 , 703 . For the corresponding period of last year they were £ 29 , 927 , 341 . The expenditure this year was £ 33 , 821 , 8 44 , and hi the corresponding period of last year £ 33 , 569 , 572 . WINDSOR CASTLE . —Until the return of the

Court from Scotland in November the State apartments will be open to the public on Mondays , Tuesdays , Thursdays , and Fridays , between the hours of eleven and four . Free tickets of admission are issued at the office of the Royal Windsor Guide , Castle Hill . The Albert Memorial Chapel is open every Wedncsilay , Thursday , and Friday from twelve to three . Tickets are not required .

PROSPECTIVE IMPROVEMENTS IN LIVERPOOL . —A very extensive scheme of street improvements , involving an estimated expenditure of £ 1 , 073 , 845 , was laid before the Liverpool Council on Friday week , and after some discussion referred to the improvement committee for consideration . Mr . Hubbuck , who supported the resolution , said that in former times corporations had made

great mistakes in not sufficiently anticipating the wants of towns . In order to show the enormous increase which had taken place in Liverpool , both in population and shipping , he mentioned that in 18 35 the population was 250 , 000 and the tonnage 1 , 947 , 613 tons ; in 1855 the population was 400 , 000 and the tonnage 4 , 096 , 160 ; acd in 1 S 77 the population was 550 , 000 and the tonnage 7 , 726 , 000 tons .

The parishioners of Pebworth , not wishing to part with their vicar , Bro . the Rev . J . D . Coll ' 13 , D . D ., have consented to cancel the appointment of the Rev . H . C . Lory as Triest-in-Charge of St . James the Great , Stralford-on-Avon , and he will remain at Pebworth . A young man named Martin , valet to Lord

Folkestone , was recently drowned whilst bathing halfway between Folkestone and Sandgate . Mr . W . C Smith took his seat at the St . Alban ' s Petty Sessions as the first Mayor of the city on Wednesday , and expressed the pride which he felt at the honour attaching to the first occupancy of the office .

HOLLOWAY ' S PILLS . —Comfort for Everyone . —It is essential for health that every organ of the l ) cdy be fully competent and duly prepared for the natural execution of ils appropriate function , which cannot he the case under great ttansitions of temperature , unless some corrective medicine be taken occassionally ,. When the chilly winds of spring arc succeeded by simmer heat , " and this again gives place to autumnal chills , the liver and skin can only be maintained ill efficient action by some such altarnative medjcjme as Holloway ' s noted Pills , which regulate the circulation , cool the system , and fortify the nerves . In our variable climate , anel in marshy districts occasional does of these purify-intf , cooling , arid aperient Pills will prove most efficient preservers of health . —Aev-lrl