18. LAUNCH OF H.M.S. "VIXEN," AT DEPTFORD GREEN DOCKYARD. This afternoon there was launched, by Mr. Charles Lungley, from Deptford Green Dockyard an iron-cased gunboat, for Her Majesty's navy, and which is one of the last vessels built by Mr. Lungley on his own account. This vessel, which is named the "Vixen," is built on the combination principle, and her armour plates, which are 4 inches thick, are sheathed with wood, thereby giving the vessel an outward appearance of being timber built, while she really has the strength and safety of an iron ship, with the advantages which an iron ship does not possess, of being coppered, so that the vessel can be kept clean and maintain her speed in any water. The dimensions of the "Vixen" are:-Length 160 ft., breadth 32 ft., depth 13 7-12ths ft. The builders' measurement is 740 tons. She is propelled by twin screw engines of 160 nominal horse power, and the armament consists of two 300-pounder howitzer shunt guns, and two 24-pounder howitzers. The launch, which was highly successful, and attended by a large and influential company, took place at two o'clock, after which an adjournment was made to the Ship Hotel at Greenwich, where a sumptuous dinner was provided by Mr. Lungley for his guests.

22. EXTRAORDINARY GALES AND STORMS.-A gale of great violence raged over the metropolis, and extended to various parts of the coast of England, doing much damage. In London and the suburbs many chimney stacks were blown down, and various accidents caused by portions of buildings falling in the streets. Upwards of 300 square feet of the zinc roofing covering the labourshed attached to the Marylebone Workhouse was blown off in one sheet, and, after whirling round high in the air, fell with a heavy crash into the middle of the Marylebone-road. In its descent it struck the wheels of a waggon which was passing, and the driver from fright fell into a fit, and remained insensible for several minutes. A workman was blown from a scaffolding, in the district of Holborn, and falling some fifty feet, his skull was fractured. At the entrance of the station near Cannon-street, where the new City Hotel was being built by Messrs. Lucas, a labourer lost his life. The wind had loosened many of the boards which had been used for roofing the station, and at about a quarter to eleven one of these boards was blown off the roof by a fearful gust, and struck a labourer named Longnine, who was on the scaffolding on the Dowgate-hill side of the new hotel. He was killed instantly. In New Southwarkstreet a large building in the course of erection was blown down. In the docks, and generally below bridge, considerable damage was done by vessels breaking from their moorings and coming into collision with others. Off Blackwall a boat containing three men was swamped, but fortunately a steam-tug was near the spot, and rendered assistance. Above London-bridge several collisions occurred, but no serious results were recorded. Two barges came in collision between Vauxhall and Chelsea, and such was the force

of the concussion, that one of them had a hole knocked in its side, and immediately sank. The man in charge of it jumped on the other barge just in time to save his life.

Along the western and south-western coasts the tempest raged with great violence. At Plymouth, Bridport, Swansea, and other places several vessels were driven ashore, and in some instances there were wrecks attended with loss of life. The South Wales Railway below Swansea to Milford was torn away, and all traffic along that part of the line was stopped. The up and down lines were torn up and wrapped over one another, and the telegraph line was also washed away. At Bristol and its neighbourhood the violence of the gale was extraordinary. The passage-pier of the Bristol and South Wales Union Railway was seriously injured. About half-past 9 a.m., Mr. Adey, superintendent of the line, visited the passage, and found it impossible to take the passengers across as usual, as the sea was sweeping over the entire length of the pier, which extends into the channel for a distance of a quarter of a mile. Mr. Adey succeeded, not without imminent risk, in crossing the surf, and found that the centre of the pier was passable, but on reaching the end it was found that a portion had been carried away. The "skirting-board," a ponderous piece of the structure, having first yielded to the fury of the waves, taking with it a considerable portion of the ballast of the line, had thus displaced the rails, rendering it impossible for an engine to traverse them. As the tide receded it was further discovered that a portion of the stairway used at low water had been demolished, and this part of the pier, together with the skirting-boards, was found floating in the sea. Packers and other workmen were immediately brought to the spot, the ballast and skirting-board were replaced, and traffic was resumed in the course of the afternoon, the company running special trains to accommodate the passengers who had been delayed on the Portskillock side. After the receipt of the usual telegrams in advance of the London morning papers, all electric communication was suspended, the wires of the various companies having been blown down, or otherwise rendered useless. The steam-packets and other vessels leaving the port had hardly quitted the river before the fury of the gale warned them to proceed no further, and they returned and sought safety by anchoring in the Avon.

27. THE CONFEDERATE CRUISER "SHENANDOAH ".-In the Court of Queen's Bench, was tried the Queen v. Corbett, an indictment under the Foreign Enlistment Act, for engaging Her Majesty's subjects to serve in arms against a foreign power not at war with England. The Solicitor-General for the Crown said the facts were these:-On the 8th of October the ship "Sea King" (commanded by defendant) left London. She was a screw-steamer of great speed, and was registered as 790 tons. She had previously been owned by Mr. Wright, who, on the 7th of October, empowered the defendant to sell her for not less than 45,0007, at any

port out of the United Kingdom. She had ostensibly sailed for Bombay, and a great number of seamen had been engaged for the voyage. On reaching Madeira the "Laurel" steamer, from Liverpool, joined her, and guns, ammunition, &c., were transhipped into her from the "Laurel," and several Confederate officers, including Captain Waddell, came on board, took possession, and changed the name of the ship to the "Shenandoah." After the warlike stores were transhipped, the defendant informed the crew that he had sold the ship to these Confederate gentlemen, and that she would henceforth be a privateer in the Confederate service. He added that the men would do well to join her, as the wages would be high, and the bounty liberal; and he told Captain Waddell that he had engaged as many unmarried men as he could. A cask of sovereigns was placed near the cabin to induce the men to join. Some of the men entered the Confederate service, others refused, and the latter sailed with Captain Corbett in the "Laurel" to Teneriffe, where the British Consul, on hearing of the facts, had Captain Corbett taken into custody. This indictment contained fifty-five counts, in which the offence was variously charged.

Several witnesses were called to prove the above facts.

Mr. James, Q.C., for the defendants, asked the Solicitor-General to state on which of the fifty-five counts he intended to rely.

The Solicitor-General said he relied on three sets of counts. First, on those which charged Captain Corbett with having in this country incited certain persons to enter and serve on board a vessel intended for warlike purposes; secondly, he would rely on the counts charging a similar offence as having been committed upon the high seas; and, thirdly, on those which described the offence as having been committed in a certain place abroad, namely, on board a British vessel at a certain place.

The Chief Justice said the questions would be whether the case fell within the Act of Parliament, either generally or having reference to the place where the offence charged was committed. The question for the jury would be, whether, in fact, Captain Corbett did procure or attempt to procure any person to enlist in a foreign service.

The evidence for the prosecution, as given by John Elliot, John Allen, John Hawkins (seamen), James Webster (fireman), and other witnesses, who had sailed in the "Sea King," corroborated the statement of the Solicitor-General.

Mr. Edward James, Q.C., addressed the jury for the defence. Witnesses were then called.

The Court was about to rise, when the foreman of the jury asked what questions they would have to decide.

The Chief Justice.-The first question will be, whether you believe the statement of the witnesses for the Crown, that Captain Corbett, having informed his crew that he had sold the vessel, then advised them and urged them to join and serve on board her as a Confederate cruiser, telling them it would be a good thing

for them, and so on. There is a direct conflict of evidence as

to it.

The Foreman. My lord, we are all agreed as to that. If we find that he did not, is there any other point?

The Solicitor-General said it would be his duty to address the jury before they found their verdict.

The Chief Justice.-Assuming, gentlemen, that you find he did not so advise or urge the crew, or any of them-that is, if you do not believe the Crown witnesses-then there will be no further question for you. But if, on the other hand, you do not so find, then, in order to raise the questions of law which are involved in the case, I shall have to ask you whether, at the time, the ship was a British ship, or whether it had changed hands. If it were a British ship, it was part of the British dominions. As I said, however, that question will not come before you in the event of finding for the defendant on the first point.

your

Mr. Edward James, Q.C. having addressed the jury for the defence, the Lord Chief Justice commented on the conflicting evidence as to the question of whether the defendant had or had not endeavoured to induce some of the crew to enter into the Confederate service, and left the questions of fact to the jury.

The jury retired to consider their verdict, and in about five minutes returned a verdict of "Not Guilty," which was received with a slight attempt at applause.

DECEMBER.

2. PRESENTATION OF PRIZES TO THE LONDON VOLUNTEER RIFLE BRIGADE.-The interesting ceremony of the presentation of prizes to the successful competitors in rifle shooting attached to the London Rifle Brigade, took place in the Central Transept of the Crystal Palace, in the presence of a large number of the civic dignitaries of the city of London, and some five or six thousand spectators.

Lady Harriet Warde, the wife of Lieutenant-Colonel Warde, the commandant of the brigade, undertook the ceremony of distribution, and was supported by Colonel Erskine, Inspector-General of Volunteers, Viscount Ranelagh, Major Chartres, Adjutant, Queen's (Westminsters); Serjeant Harris, 1st Devon Horse Volunteers, and Aide-de-Camp to Lord Ranelagh, with a great number of officers of various metropolitan volunteer regiments.

The regiment, which had previously paraded on the Upper Terrace, marched at five o'clock to the Central Transept, to the number of some 300 or 400, and formed three sides of a square in front of the Great Handel Orchestra, where the dais was constructed. On either side of the chairs of state, to the centre of which Lady Harriet Warde was conducted, were ranged tables,

on which were displayed the magnificent array of plate and other valuables, articles awarded as prizes, reaching in money value to an aggregate of over 10007.; and the Central Transept was otherwise handsomely decorated with the standard and other flags of the brigade, the whole of these arrangements (which were carried out in a most effective manner) being entrusted to Lieutenant Clearson, the Secretary and Quartermaster of the regiment. The brigade having been called to "Attention," Lieutenant-Colonel Warde addressed them in an animated speech, in which he congratulated them on the fact that the brigade, by maintaining its high character in the volunteer service, and by downright hard work and efficiency in drill, had gained the good opinion of the citizens of London. This was exhibited by the fact that the wards of the city of London were not only now coming forward to give prizes, but adopting the companies of the regiment as the companies of the respective wards, and conferring on such companies their ward titles. This was a step in the right direction, and he hoped the time would speedily come when every company in the London Rifle Brigade would represent and show the designation of each of the wards of the city of London. One ward (the ward of Cripplegate) had presented them with a very valuable trophy to be shot for annually-ay, to be shot for every year for ever, for he believed the brigade would last as long. That trophy was on the table now before them, and represented in silver a model of the old gate that stood at Cripplegate many hundreds of years ago. In reference to the numerical strength of the regiment, the gallant Colonel observed that they were in numbers 100 members better than they were last year; but, still, it was the duty of a commanding officer never to be satisfied. He desired still to have more men. Although there could be little to complain of with regard to their general efficiency, for in that respect they continued to maintain their proverbial high character in the volunteer service, still, he could have wished that their shooting had kept pace with their drill, as, in that respect, there was a slight falling off as compared with previous years. Their meeting, on the whole, was one of the highest gratification.

Lady Harriet Warde, with the assistance of her gallant husband, Lieutenant Clearson, and other officers, then proceeded to distribute the prizes, amongst the principal of which were the following:The Gold Medal, for the best shot in the brigade, with first prize for aggregate score; Diamond Ring, value 157. 15s., and the Company Medal; Major Rous's second prize, value 51. 5s.; prize of 57., presented by Lieutenant-General Sir George Bowles, K.Ĉ.B.; and prize of 57., in memory of the late Ensign Banister, presented by his father, won by Colour-Serjeant Churchill, A Company, who was received, on presenting himself, by the band playing the "Conquering Hero," and with great applause.

Prize Trophy, presented by the Ward of Cripplegate, consisting of a silver model of "Cripplegate," value 100 guineas, to be com