On the 15th, the Queen and Prince Albert gave their
annual fête in honour of the Prince's birthday, to the
labourers and workpeople employed on the estate at
Osborne; also to 130 seamen, boys, and Royal Marines
of the Royal yachts, to the coastguard men, and to a
detachment of the 36th Regiment quartered at East
Cowes. A large tent nearly a hundred feet in length,
gaily decorated with laurel and flags, was erected on the
lawn near the house, opposite to which was pitched a
marquee for her Majesty and the Royal family, and
tents for the suite and the regimental bauds. An excellent
and substantial dinner, accompanied with abundance
of strong ale, having been placed on the tables, and the
party having taken their places, the Queen and Prince
Albert, accompanied by the whole of the Royal family,
and attended by the suite, proceeded to the tent, the
bands playing "God save the Queen," and passed down
between the tables. When the dinner was concluded,
the usual toasts having been drunk, Her Majesty, his
Royal Highness, and the Royal family took their places
in the marquee, and the rural sports commenced with a
country dance. Cricket, foot-ball, races for prizes, and
various amusements were then carried on with great
spirit until past seven o'clock, when her Majesty and
the Royal family retired.

Lord Colvill of Culross has been elected, at Holyrood,
a Representative Peer for Scotland, in room of the late
Viscount Strathallan.

Mr. Lewis Charles Tennyson D'Eyncourt, of the Inner
Temple, has been appointed a police magistrate of the
metropolis, in the room of Mr. Burrell, of the Westminster
court, who has resigned.

Professor Liebig, of Giessen, has been decorated with
the cross of Commander of the Order of Francis Joseph,
for the services he has rendered to the science of chemistry.

Sir David Brewster has been elected foreign corresponding
member of the Imperial Academy of Sciences of
Vienna.

The late Dr. Lingard has left his valuable library to
St. Cuthbert's College, Ushaw.

A Chinese family have arrived in London, attracted
by the Great Exhibition. It consists of a gentleman,
named Chung-Atai, his two wives, his sister-in-law, and
a female attendant. The three ladies possess the
exceedingly small feet, constituting the peculiar
characteristic of the females of the upper ranks in the Chinese
empire. They have visited the Queen at Osborne, by
her Majesty's special desire. The junior wife of Chung-
Atai had the honour of singing to the Queen, whose
well-known proficiency as a musician naturally rendered
her Majesty desirious of hearing the unique performance
of the Celestial lady. The elder consort of Chung-Atai
presented her Majesty with a beautifully executed
daguerreotype, by Beard, of the interesting Chinese
group; and the younger lady left with the Princess
Royal a pair of very handsome lady's shoes, embroidered
in gold by herself, and the exact size worn by her, viz.,
2¼ inches long by 1 inch broad, both of which offerings
were most graciously accepted. Prince Albert thinking
the family would be interested in the numerous plants
and flowers of Chinese origin abounding in the garden
adjoining the drawing-room, conducted his visitors
round the terrace and parterres, her Majesty and the
Royal children being much amused at the helpless mode
of walking of the ladies, the contortion of their feet
effectually preventing any pedestrian exercises beyond a
very short walk. After many kind attentions from their
royal hosts, the strangers departed, much gratified with
their reception.

The Paris papers contain interesting accounts of a
Female Military Knight whose name stands at the head
of a new list of Chevaliers of the Legion of Honour,
gazetted in the "Moniteur." The lady is widow Brulon,
at present an officer in the Invalides, where she has lived
for the last fifty-two years, enjoying the esteem and
veneration of her companions in arms. The Widow
Brulon was the daughter, sister, and wife of military
men, who died in active service in the army of Italy.
Her father served thirty-eight years without interruption,
from 1757 to 1795; her two brothers were killed
on the field of battle in Italy; and her husband died at
Ajaccio in 1791, after seven years' service. In 1792,
at the age of twenty-one, she entered the forty-second
regiment of Infantry, in which her husband died, and
where her father still served; and made herself so
remarkable by her honourable conduct, both as a woman
and a soldier, that she was permitted to continue in the
service notwithstanding her sex. She was attached to
that regiment for seven years, (from 1792 to 1799,) and
performed seven campaigns, under the nom de guerre of
'Liberte,' as private soldier, corporal, sergeant, and
sergeant-major. In 1794 she commanded a detachment
of her regiment, and repulsed an attack upon the
fort of Gesco; on which occasion she was wounded in
each arm. Afterwards at the siege of Calvi, she received
so severe a wound in the left leg, that she was disabled;
and on the 24th Frimaire 1799, she was admitted into
the hospital of the Invalides. She received from Louis
XVIII. an officer's commission, in these words—'This
day, October 2, 1822, the King being in Paris having
full confidence in the valour, good conduct, and fidelity
of Madame Angélique-Maria-Joseph Duchemin, Widow
Brulon, his Majesty has conferred upon her the honorary
title of Sub-Lieutenant of Invalides, to take rank from
this day. His Majesty desires that his general and
other officers to whom it may appertain will recognize
Madame Duchemin, Widow Brulon, in this capacity.
Lieutenant Widow Brulon, Chevalier of the Legion of
Honour, is now eighty years old.

Obituary of Notable Persons

Mr. D. E. Ross, Lieutenant-Governor of Tobago, lost his life
by an accident on the 27th of June. He had been present at a
ball in honour of the coronation of the Queen, and started for
his home at about two in the morning, in a gig, with his servant
sitting beside him. The night was very dark, and the way
precipitous. At about a quarter of a mile from Government House,
the road is narrow, with a high bank on one side and a steep
descent of some thirty feet deep on the other side. To avoid
the precipice, the gig was guided too near to the high bank on
the other side of the road, and was thus overturned and sent over
the precipice. Mr. Ross fell upon some rocks, and was killed
on the spot; but, by a great marvel, the servant, the horse, and
the gig, were wholly uninjured. Mr. Ross had held his office
about three months.

MRS HARRIETT LEE, the celebrated author of the "Canterbury
Tales" and other works of great literary merit, died at her
house at Clifton on the 1st inst., at the age of 95.

LADY LOUISE STUART, the youngest daughter of John, third
Earl of Bute, the favourite and First Minister of George III,
died at her residence in Gloucester place on the 4th inst., within
ten days of the completion of her 94th year.

MAJOR-GENERAL W.RIDDALL, .K.H., died at Southsea on the
28th ult, at the age of 76.

The EARL OF CLARE died on the 18th, at Brighton, in his 59th
year.

ADMIRAL SIR HARRY HEATHCOTE died at Jugonville, near
Havre, on the 16th, in his 74th year.

JOHN GIBBONS, Esq., well known in the world of art as a great
patron and encourager of modem British genius, died at his
residence in Hanover terrace, Regent's park, on the 18th inst.,
aged 73.

COLONIES AND DEPENDENCIES.

LORD DALHOUSIE'S determination to give immediate practical effect to a threat which has long been
suspended over the native prince of the Deccan, and, in part payment of the debt due from the Nizam
to the Company, to take possession of a tract of his territory equal in extent to about a third of the whole,
and in value considerably less than half the amount due, has a little disturbed the now ordinarily quiet current
of affairs in India. But it is more talked about in the papers than it would have been at a more busy season,