tion were those of great importance to the strength of nations, such as the ship-building yards, the great manufacturing establishments of Woolwich Arsenal, the Docks of London and Liverpool, the great hospitals, and the coal mines of the North. Amid all these wonders-some of them of a character terrifying to unaccustomed nerves -the Ambassadors maintained an Indian sobriety of deportment, and seem to have been rarely surprised into expressions of pleasure or wonder. It was evident, nevertheless, that this impassiveness was not the result of ignorance or conceit. The officers of the suite who excited most surprise were the indefatigable secretaries. These gentlemen were never at rest. But it seems that to a Japanese Secretary of Embassy drawing is of as much importance as caligraphy, for the Japanese secretaries combined the two arts with wonderful skill and rapidity. A few strokes of the brush sufficed to preserve an idea that pages of writing would have failed to describe. The pencils of these industrious individuals seemed never to repose.

The Embassy were present at the opening of the International Exhibition, which they visited many times; the Derby Day, reviews at Aldershott, the Houses of Parliament, the Zoological Gardens, which attracted their attention in an unusual degree; the Woolwich Arsenal, which produced a most marked impression, especially the manufactories of Enfield rifles and Armstrong guns; Greenwich Hospital, the Tower, the Thames Tunnel. The Embassy afterwards made a tour in the North of England, descended the North Seaton Colliery, 125 fathoms deep (an adventure from which Nicholas of

Russia shrank back aghast), visited Newcastle, Carlisle, and Liverpool. They also inspected Windsor Castle. Her Majesty was at this time living in deep retirement at Balmoral, but it is to be regretted that the Ambassadors were not admitted, during any part of their sojourn, to an interview with the Sovereign whose subjects have entered into the most extensive commerce with the Japanese, and whose arms and diplomacy have humbled the pride of the mighty Emperor of China. The Embassy left England on the 12th June, and went to Holland, and afterwards to Berlin.

VISIT OF THE PACHA OF EGYPT. Among the illustrious guests whom the fame of the International Exhibition has brought to our island, not the least remarkable or least respected is Said, the Pacha of Egypt. This Prince has many claims upon the attention of our nation. He is the fourth son of the great Mehemet Ali, the founder of the dynasty; was, during the life of his father and brother, and nephew Abbas Pacha, Grand Admiral of the Egyptian Fleet; and succeeded to the Pachalic on the death of Abbas in 1854. His government was, for an Oriental prince, eminently enlightened. His claims upon the consideration of the English are numerous and great. He has throughout given every facility to promote the overland communication with India by the Isthmus of Suez; has protected our commerce with zeal and fidelity; and when the Indian Mutiny broke out, gave us an eminent proof of his attachment to our interests by offering the free passage through his dominions of such troops as we might wish to despatch by that route. Of this

generous offer we had availed ourselves so far as to send overland corps of engineers, artillerymen, and officers, whose instant presence at the scene of the rebellion was indispensable. The last and very acceptable compliment His Highness had paid to our country was the hospitable reception he had given to the Prince of Wales, when he visited Egypt during his tour in the East. His Highness has been in England more than once before, and it is not therefore necessary to record the places he visited and the sights he saw. His principal object in coming to England was to visit the International Exhibition, of which he was an indefatigable inspector, and made very large purchases. In consequence of the retirement in which the Court was living, His Highness was not received by the Queen, but was presented to some of the Royal Family when they met in the Exhibition building. The Prince of Wales, also, on his return from his tour, hastened to make his acknowledgments to his late host. The Pacha, before his departure, gave a state banquet on board his yacht, the splendour of which equalled the best descriptions of Oriental magnificence.

3. EPSOM RACES.-The great meeting of this year was attended by a multitude of people exceeding that of ordinary years, vast as that concourse is. The International Exhibition had attracted to the metropolis its hundreds of thousands, no small proportion of whom took the opportunity of seeing the Derby run for." Accordingly on Wednesday the numbers who crowded the grand stand, the ropes, and the hill were countless. Our foreign visitors seemed to hold their presence on Epsom Downs

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on the Derby Day to be a sacred duty, and felt, or affected to feel, a boundless enthusiasm.

On Tuesday, the chief stakes, the Craven and the Woodcote, were won by Mr. Saville's Buckenham and Mr. Hind's Lord Clifton. For the Derby, the chief favourites were the Marquis, 3 to 1 agst.; Buckstone, 7 to 1; Neptunus, 8 to 1; Argonaut, 11 to 1; Zetland, 12 to 1. Value of the stakes, 65257.; 233 subscribers; 34 started. After the start, and when the horses had taken their places, Marquis was seen slightly in front, and gradually increased his lead till he was a full-length in advance, the other favourites and Mr. Snewing's Caractacus, a horse held in such slight regard that the odds were 100 to 15 against him, being next in attendance. Gradually the other horses dropped off; the Marquis, Buckstone, Neptunus, and Caractacus were left to contest "the blue ribbon of the turf." Caractacus showed in front and won by a neck; the Marquis, Buckstone, and Neptunus being second, third, and fourth. The race, which was timed by Mr. Bennett's" chronograph dial clock," was run in 2 min. 45 secs. 5-10ths.: with two exceptions the shortest race recorded. Caractacus had run in several races without success, his solitary victory being the Somersetshire Stakes at Bath Races.

On Friday, the Oaks Stakes were won by Mr. Naylor's Feude-joie, a filly which stood as low in the betting as 20 to 1 agst. Net value of the stakes, 43251.; 154 subscribers; 19 started. Time, 2 min. 48 sec. 2-10ths.

Mr. Snewing is said to have settled on the jockey, Mr. J. Parsons, who rode Caractacus, 1007. a-year for life.

7. FATAL EXPLOSION OF A CHEMICAL WAREHOUSE.-A dreadful explosion, by which two persons lost their lives and much property was destroyed, occurred in Artillery-lane, Bishopsgate. The premises of Mr. Boor, a manufacturing and wholesale chemist, occupy ground of which the principal frontage is in Bishopsgatestreet-within; but the warehouses have a frontage in Artillery-lane. A large quantity of chemicals was stored in these buildings. About 8 o'clock in the morning, one of Mr. Boor's assistants, having occasion to seek for some article for a customer, struck a lucifer match for the purpose of lighting the gas. Unhappily he dropped the match, which fell, still burning, upon some phosphorus in the basement. This, of course, instantly took fire, and the flames spread to other packages around. The un

fortunate man, whose carelessness had caused all this mischief, rushed out into the street with his clothes on fire.

Immediately thereafter, a loud and fearful explosion was heard, and the front and side shops were blown into fragments. The fire appeared at the same time in four distant quarters of the warehouses, and the flames, driven by the force of the explosion, set fire to several neighbouring and opposite houses. A man and a lad escaped at the side door of Mr. Boor's premises. They had just got out when another explosion occurred, and a boy was struck by something which hurled him halfway across the road, the concussion breaking at the same time several of the windows on the opposite side and nearly overturning an omnibus, laden with passengers, passing at the time. The horses were so frightened

that they started off at full speed, but were stopped before they had done much mischief. The unfortunate residents within the house were now seen at the front windows, shrieking in a pitiable manner for aid. The fire was then rushing not only from the lower portions of the premises belonging to Mr. Boor, but had also entered the various rooms in which the other inmates were. Some workmen brought a ladder to their assistance; but before it could be raised the servant maid, a son of the proprietor, and four or five men were seen with their clothes blazing high over their heads. By the heroic exertions of the bystanders four men were rescued from a frightful death, but all were terribly burned. A man and a woman were rescued from the house of Mr. Finch, by the conductor of a fire-escape. It was, however, known that a female child and maid-servant of Mr. Boor were still within the burning buildings. The fireengines had now arrived and the utmost exertions were made to subdue the flames, which now rushed out from all the windows and made any attempt at rescue impossible. While the men were engaged in these efforts, the whole of Mr. Boor's front premises fell in one burning mass, and but for a moment's warning several persons must have perished. fire was not extinguished for several hours; and when at length the firemen were able to search the ruins the remains of the woman and child were found burnt to ashes. A poor boy, a shoeblack, who was at work near the house, was struck by the explosion, and was so much injured that he was taken to the hospital.

The