aster, the line from the vessel to the shore was soon burnt through. The situation of the miserable passengers was now desperate. The flames spread rapidly aft, and at every advance drove heaps of burnt and mutilated wretches into the sea, where they perished, and their charred and blackened corpses floated on the waves and fringed the shore in all directions. The powder magazine soon exploded, and destroyed many of the people. The number of persons who perished by these shocking deaths is not stated; but it is said that 30 corpses were found at one spot on the edge of the surf, and that of a party of 18 Jews, 16 perished. On the 11th of April, the Jenny Lind, running between Alviso and San Francisco, with 150 passengers on board, suddenly exploded, with consequences not less horrible than those which happened to the Independence. A large number of persons were about to sit down to dinner in the cabin when the explosion took place. Instantly the fragments of the boiler and a dense cloud of scalding steam was upon them. All who were in the cabin were stricken down as if blasted by lightning-not one escaped-some mutilated by the fragments of the machinery, all scalded by steam. Most were killed instantly, many were scalded to the loss of their skin, their hair, eyes, and nails. The sufferings of those who survived the first blast were frightfully increased by the cabin becoming flooded with the boiling water of the engines, which washed over the stricken mass at every roll of the vessel. The force and direction of the explosion were not confined to the cabin; the blast passed on to the forward part of the lower deck, killing and injur ing many in its course; and as the steam burst up the companion-way, it struck down upwards of 50 more, who lay writhing in agony on the deck, shrieking with pain. The disaster occurred on a desolate part of the coast where little relief could be procured. The American newspapers, which give these dreadful events in full detail, make no statement of the actual loss of life, which it is hoped may have been exaggerated; but of a frightful amount of suffering there can be no doubt. SALE OF ENGLISH PAINTINGS. -The sale of the collections of Mr. Lewis and Mr. Bernal shows that good paintings of the English school are highly valued, at least at home. A fine picture by Turner, "A Seashore, with a Fishing Boat pushing off;" a lugger making for the mouth of the harbour, and a gleam of sunshine breaking through the clouds above, sold for 1250 guineas. A small picture by the same artist, "The Lifeboat," 200 guineas. Three pictures by Collins:-"6 Doubtful Weather," 630 guineas; "The Cherry Seller," 450 guineas; The Dead Robin," 300 guineas. "A View on Hampstead Heath," by Calcott, 400 guineas; "Chips," by Linnell, 245 guineas; "The Lake and Town of Lugano," by Stanfield, 332 guineas; Cattle in a Sunny Landscape," by Cooper, 146 guineas; The Valentine," by Webster, 146 guineas; "The Crochet Worker," by Etty, 90 guineas. Of the water-colour drawings those by Hunt fetched high prices:-“ A Country house Kitchen," 427.; “ A Sailor Boy," 371. 16s.; "Sailor Boys," 351. 14s.; "An Old Man,” 327. 11s.; and a pair, "The Woodman's Hut" and "A Boy eating Bread," 891. 58. A small " Coast 66 66 Scene," by Stanfield, sold for 531. 11s., and "An old GameDraw keeper," by Lewis, 471. 5s. ings by Roberts:-"St. Wallfran The at Abbeville," 40l. 19s.; "The Lady Chapel, Dieppe," 34l. 13s.; "The Cross at Melrose," 321. 11s.; "St. Peter's at Caen," 571. 158. A painting by Turner, of much interest, has also been sold. It is the famous Venetian view, "The Dogana: Church of St. Giorgio." It was painted by Turner for his most intimate friend and distinguished artist Chantrey, and was exhibited in 1841. It was sold for 11507. Turner's companion pictures, "Venice: Evening-Going Venice to the Ball;" and Morning Returning from the Ball," have been sold for 5461. Three and 6417. respectively. others, by the same great artist, "The Dawn of Christianity," 7461.; "Glaucus and Scylla," 7351.; "Approach to Venice," 8001. 46 13. SEIZURE OF A WAR-ROCKET FACTORY. - Considerable surprise has been caused by the rumour that the Government had discovered and seized a secret manufactory of munitions of war, which had been carried on on a large scale at Rotherhithe. Rumour further connected these preparations with the revolutionary designs of the secret committees of the Italian and Hungarian exiles-in fact, with the political discontented of all nations and in particular pointed out M. Kossuth, the ex-Dictator of Hungary, as the director. It appeared, in fact, that such a seizure had been made under a search warrant, by the direction of the Secretary of the Treasury. The buildings in which the alleged manufacture was carried on were occupied by a Mr. Hales, who was the patentee of an invention for mak ing rockets of a very formidable was at work making rockets. The powder was in quan- Whether there did not appear sufficient evidence to connect these preparations with any revolutionary projects, or whether it was deemed more politic not to treat them as of serious moment, the Government directed proceedings to be taken under the ordinary Act, which subjects any person having more than 200 lbs. of gunpowder on his premises, within three miles of the city of London, to the forfeiture of the gunpowder, and a penalty of 28. for every pound in excess; a second summons was also taken out for the violation of the Act 9 & 10 Will. III., which prohibits manufacture of rockets, squibs, or other fireworks, under a penalty of 51. for each offence. the On these charges Mr. Hales and his son were placed at the bar of the Bow Street Police Court. In the course of the proceedings it appeared clearly that the son was but a servant to his father, and he was discharged. The facts of the case were not denied; but it was alleged that the material seized was not "gunpowder," but "rocket composition;" that it lacked several of the requisites to constitute gunpowder: it was neither granulated nor glazed; that if it were ignited it would not go off so rapidly as gunpowder, but would fizz like a "devil" it was not gunpowder, not having gone through all the processes. Mr. Curtis, of the firm of Curtis and Harvey, the celebrated manufacturers of gunpowder, who had supplied the "composition" to Mr. Hales, and Dr. Ure, the eminent chemist, supported this view, and declared it to be "all nonsense" to call this composition "gunpowder." On the other hand, the officers of the Laboratory at Woolwich declared the composition to be gunpowder; its ingredients were the same as those used in gunpowder; and as to the granulating and glazing, they were merely processes for modifying the exploding process, and they preserved the gunpowder in some degree from the action of the atmosphere. Officers also proved that they had used the composition in pistols, when its ignition produced precisely the same effects as on gunpowder; namely, explosion and propulsion of bullets -a bullet had been sent through a deal-board. The magistrate, Mr. Henry, took time to consider, and then decided the composition to be gunpowder, and inflicted the penalties. In regard to the charge for illegally manufacturing rockets, the case was clearly proved. The magistrate refused to decide summarily, but sent the case to the sessions. In the latter case, some foreigners who were employed by Mr. Hales were witnesses. They were Hungarian refugees, who had been recommended by M. Kossuth, who seemed to take much interest in the manufacture. The prosecution of Mr. Hales for illegally manufacturing the rockets was withdrawn, that gentleman having declared his entire ignorance of the law in that respect, and his determination not to violate it. This seizure and the consequent inquiry gave rise to much angry discussion, in which the innocence or complicity of M. Kossuth was much handled. 26. FATAL SHIPWRECKS.-During a gale, which raged for three days with great fury, some fatal shipwrecks occurred. Two vessels were wrecked on the dreaded Goodwins. While the gale was at its height, about 1 o'clock P.M. of the 26th, rockets were fired, as if from a vessel which had got on those fatal shoals, and at daybreak the remains of a large vessel were discovered on the sands. Nothing could be learned of the crew; and from the tempestuous character of the night and the chances of escaping from a wreck on that formidable shoal, with the sea breaking over her, they no doubt perished. Another fatal catastrophe took place on the Goodwin, early the following morning. Between 1 and 2 o'clock, the brig Harriet, of Hartlepool, was carried on to the sand, and every soul belonging to her perished, the vessel. fast settling down and disappearing. On the adjacent Long Sand a third fatal shipwreck happened during the continuance of the gale. A Swedish barque, the Carl Johann, bound to the Thames, from Dantzic and Gothenburgh, took the shoal in the afternoon of the 27th. Four of the crew were drowned, the others were saved by a passing ship. The vessel went to pieces. Numerous wrecks of smaller vessels occurred between Orfordness and the Yarmouth Roads, but happily without loss of life. Many large homeward-bound merchantmen lost anchors, cables, and spars, and encountered great dangers. THE WAGES MOVEMENT.-The extraordinary impulse given to our manufactures and commerce, chiefly due to the astonishing demands of our Australian colonies and the large emigration, began about this time to produce a movement among the labouring classes, which continued throughout the year in augmented power. The people employed in those manufactures which formed the chief articles of export, though earning very large wages by the unusual abundance of employment, became dissatisfied with their share of the "profits" of trade; while skilled artisans, whose calling was in greatest request, and whose numbers had been materially reduced by the large emigration to the gold-fields, which their liberal earnings had placed within their power, thought the time was come when their demands for increased pay must needs be acceded to. Under the influence of these feelings, and under the guidance of men of some generalship, a "strike" of the working classes became general. The artisans engaged in the woollen manufacture were among the first who put forward their demands; carpenters, railway porters, shipwrights, wag gon-wrights, followed in a short time; almost every class of operatives adopted the same course. In the first instance, most of these demands were acceded to. Owing to the extraordinary employment of shipping, seamen, especially those employed in the coal-trade, demanded and obtained enormous wages. The movement spread from one end of the country to the other; and as the demand for labour was great, the supply restricted, and provisions greatly increased in price, the labouring classes generally succeeded in obtaining higher remuneration, as a matter of right and justice. Later in the year, however, when it seemed that the wonderful export trade had come to its maximum, this movement took a more serious turn. The men employed in the factory districts proceeded to enforce demands, perhaps not justified by the state of things-certainly not by the rules of political economy-and by means contrary to the well-being of society. Under the guidance of skilful leaders, the labourers of one or two towns made a general local turn-out or strike, and the mills were closed, the turnouts being supported by contributions systematically levied on the towns and factories which remained in work. In other cases, the works of individual firms in certain towns were closed, their men being supported from a common fund. In this manner it was expected that the individual interests, or firms, seeing themselves about to be plucked one by one, would severally give way. The design, however, was sufficiently extensive and well supported to rouse the mastermanufacturers, who entered into combination for self-defence, and wherever a partial or local strike occurred, the unassailed instantly closed their works, trusting that as the non-employment of capital does not involve total destruction, and as the cessation of labour to the working men is a cessation of food, their deeply-laid scheme would prove abortive. In this, however, the masters were in a great degree mistaken, for the great abundance of employment and the universality of the combination enabled the managers of the movement to levy such large sums for the support of the turn-outs, that the struggle "between capital and labour" continued with unabated obstinacy throughout the year. Generally speaking, this state of excitement was unaccompanied by acts of violence-except, perhaps, among the uneducated miners-but a heated controversy was carried on between the contending parties, which served at least to prove the great advance of intelligence and power among the working classes. The most prominent towns in this contest were Preston and Burnley. It is worthy of remark, that the wages movement" was almost entirely confined to those classes who live by the labour of their hands; that the large body of clerks, and those who live by the exercise of their mind, though frequently obtaining less pay than mere workmen, and necessarily living at greater expense, took no part in the movement. MAY. EXHIBITION OF THE ROYAL ACADEMY.-The absence of many celebrated artists was held to render this year's Exhibition of less than the usual interest Neither Maclise, Mulready, Leslie, nor Frith sent any work to uphold the reputation of the English school. Dyce and Herbert were indeed there, but their names were affixed to works so slight, that they also might be considered absent. On the other hand, some painters of distinguished fame exhibited pictures of exceeding merit, and the "PreRaphaelites" came out with a truth and strength which placed them high in public estimation. Unquestionably, in point of attraction, Mr. Millais' Order of Release, 1745," held the first place. For mastery over the expression of complicated emotions this picture fully equalled the "Huguenot" and "Ophelia" of last year, while for truthfulness and completeness of detail, with the absence of that over-truthfulness which has been objected to his school, it greatly surpassed them. The same artist exhibited The Prescribed Royalist, 1651," in which beauty of colour, and accurate delineation of the fairest features of nature, have seldom been surpassed. been surpassed. Next in power and interest were two pictures of Sir Edwin Landseer, "Night" and "Morning;" the first a deadly combat of two stags, on a mistshrouded height; the companion picture, the rivals lying dead, with their horns interlaced, the mist cleared away, and a fair scene of lake and mountain lying around, while a fox steals cautiously towards the slain. Sir Edwin exhibited also a fine picture of deer, entitled "Children of the Mist;" and a beautiful painting of a Scotch ewe and her lambs, with a couple of Newfoundland dogs; this winning picture is entitled "Twins." Mr. Hunt's Hunt's Our English Coasts, 1852," a flock of sheep enjoying themselves unrestrained, is a remarkable picture, for the sentiment it develops, though without a single human figure; for the studious fidelity of the design and general aspect of the landscape, and the brilliant glow of the colour of the grasses and wild-flowers of the foreground. Nevertheless, the artist has managed to avoid that hardness of truth which is so offensive 66 to the eye. Equal to this in beauty, is Mr. Anthony's "Monarch Oak," an immense space given to a single tree, but instinct with nature: not less admirable is his "Ivy-mantled Tower-Maxstoke Priory." The celebrated German painter, Overbeck, has |