the face of the earth hordes of savages. It is to be hoped that a peremptory order from home will be issued, to the effect that no boats shall in future be permitted to reconnoitre any unknown country without being armed. Mistakes may sometimes occur, but it is far better to err on the right side. Englishmen are not in the habit of wantonly taking life, and success is more likely to attend a conference with savages if those who conduct it be provided with the little handy inventions of Colt or of Adams than if they be merely ornamented by dirks or swords. Seven were wounded altogether, including Sublieutenant Hawker, and two besides the Commodore have since died. The village was afterwards burnt by the 'Pearl's' boats.

The island of Santa Cruz, the scene of Commodore Goodenough's murder, has enjoyed an evil reputation ever since its first discovery at the close of the 16th century. In 1594 the Spanish navigator, Alvaro de Mendana, fitted out a squadron of four ships with a vague intention of colonizing the Solomon Islands, upon which he had alighted in his previous voyage. Having, however, laid down their position with glaring inaccuracy, he was unable to find them where he fancied he had left them. As some sort of compensation he came across the Marquesas, whence, sailing in a north-westerly direction, he arrived at a cluster of small islands, to the largest of which he gave the name of Santa Cruz. Here he attempted to carry out his scheme of colonization, and, landing his mariners, founded a city, which he hoped would become the capital of an empire. His first step was to convert the natives, but his success was limited to teaching them to make the sign of the cross, and to repeat a few words of Spanish. Discord soon arose between his followers and the savage islanders, and in the course of an altercation a native chief was killed. Mendana, indeed, put to death the authors of the crime, but at his death, a

few weeks later, the colony was broken up, and the Spaniards returned to their own country.

The Santa Cruz group lying out of the ordinary track of sailing vessels, these islands were seldom visited until quite a recent date. It was in 1856 that Bishop Selwyn, accompanied by Mr., afterwards Bishop, Patteson, made the first serious attempt to humanize these fierce islanders, but failed to effect much good. The neighbouring island of Nukupa has since acquired an infamous celebrity by the murder of Bishop Patteson. Close to hand, too, is the islet of Tubna, whence the missionary Bishop and his coadjutor beat a hasty retreat. Yet a little further Vanikoro rises out of the sea, the scene of La Pérouse's shipwreck, and of the massacre of at least sixty Europeans, whose skulls were discovered in 1826 piled up in a temple.Army and Navy Gazette.

THE NORTH POLAREXPEDITION. H.M.S. 'Valorous' left Portsmouth on the 29th of May last, in company with the Arctic ships Alert' and 'Discovery,' convey. ing a very large quantity of provisions and stores for them. She first parted company with them some little distance off Queenstown, when she put into that port to land despatches and complete with coal, remaining but a few hours, and joined the Arctic vessels off Bantry, keeping in company with them till the 5th of June, when she was ordered by Captain Nares, commanding the expedition, to make the best of her way to Lievely, Disco Island. During the passage, which occupied thirty-six days, she encountered numerous icebergs and large quantities of loose ice, and experienced nothing but contrary winds and exceedingly heavy weather. There were no less than four heavy gales; in fact, on the night of the 13th of June she was in great danger, owing to her being so heavily laden. She arrived, however, safely at Disco on the 4th of July. The Alert' and 'Discovery' arrived on the 6th, having also experienced

the same heavy weather, and having been for several days battened down. Each of them had a boat washed away from its davits, which were replaced by others from the 'Valorous.' No time was lost in provisioning and storing these ships, and a number of Esquimaux dogs for the sledging parties having been purchased, the three ships left Disco on the 15th July for Washing Bay, where they arrived on the 16th, when more dogs were taken on board the Arctic vessels.

The Valorous' sailed at daylight on the following morning for Ritenbank Kulbrud for the purpose of digging coal, and while anchored off this place the 'Alert' and 'Discovery' were observed making towards her, as though to communicate, but a thick fog coming on they changed their course, and stood on. This was the last that was seen of the Arctic ships. Leaving Ritenbank on the 22nd of July, having got on board about one hundred tons of coal, the Valorous' proceeded on her homeward voyage, taking soundings and dredging on the way, but being very light it was deemed advisable to take in ballast, in case she should have to make sail in a heavy breeze. For this purpose she stood in towards Holsteinborg, a Danish settlement in South Greenland, intending to go into the harbour. On the 27th of July, about nine a.m. of that day, a dense fog came on, and sail was shortened and furled, shortly after which the ship struck heavily on a reef (unknown), and for some hours was in great danger. One boat was despatched to the shore for a pilot, and the others got ready with water and provisions in preparation for abandoning the ship, when about noon she suddenly floated off, and the fog lifted. Two Esquimaux pilots, and also a Danish pilot of great experience, who had come out to render assistance, having been taken on board, the ship steamed slowly into the harbour. She sustained considerable damage to her false and main keels, &c., so much

so as to necessitate the constant working of the pumps; the artificers and divers were employed in making good defects as far as the means at hand would allow, and on the 8th of August, having completed the repairs and taken in a large quantity of ballast, the 'Valorous' left Holsteinborg to continue her home. ward voyage, and as the weather proved very favourable, with only light winds, and those fair, and little or no sea, she was enabled to obey her orders relating to deep-sea sounding and dredging, which it was feared she would have had to abandon on account of her disabled condition. In these dredgings many new and valuable specimens have been brought to the surface, and will doubtless be highly prized in the scientific world, and thus it will be found that the cruise of the " Valorous,' although attended with some hardships and not a little danger, has been successful throughout, and her return is not less welcome when it is to be remembered that she brings the latest intelligence of the gallant fellows composing the Arctic expedition, which sailed from Portsmouth four months since.

At the time of finally parting company with the Arctic ships the crews of both were in perfect health and excellent spirits, having the utmost confidence in their gallant chief and their ultimate success.

THE CHAMPION SWIMMER OF THE WORLD. The second attempt of Captain Webb to swim across the Channel has been crowned with success, after a display of indomitable courage and extraordinary powers of endurance.

At four minutes to 1 o'clock on Tuesday afternoon, August 24, Captain Webb dived from the steps at the head of the Admiralty Pier, Dover, and at 41 minutes past 10 o'clock on Wednesday morning he touched the sands on the French coast, about a couple of hundred yards to the west of the pier at Calais, having remained in the water, without even touching a boat on his way, no less

than 211 hours. During the early part of the journey Captain Webb was particularly favoured by the weather. The sea was quite calm, and not a breath of wind could be felt. Consequently, the lugger which accompanied him across the Channel had, for the greater part of the way, to be rowed. Captain Webb was also accompanied by two small rowing boats in immediate attendance upon himself, one containing his cousin, Mr. Ward, who supplied him occasionally with refreshments, and one of the referees who had been appointed at Captain Webb's own request to see fair play, and the other to take messages backwards and forwards to the lugger. Nothing occurred particularly worthy of comment until about 9 o'clock, when Captain Webb complained of being stung by a jelly fish, and asked for a little brandy. He had previously been supplied with some cod liver oil and hot coffee.

The weather was simply perfect, and Captain Webb was swimming with a long clean breast stroke, which drove him well through the water, and, owing to the phosphorescent state of the sea, occasionally surrounded him with a sort of halo. At 10.30 he was visited by a steam tug, which had put off from Dover for the purpose, and which, strange to say, left the man who had ploughed through the waves for over nine hours without even the encouragement of a parting cheer. At 11.45, however, a Dover boat, on its way to Calais, gave cheer after cheer to greet the man who had already done so much, and one of the boats burnt a red light, which cast a ruddy glow over the scene and lighted up the face of Captain Webb, so that he was distinctly seen by those on board the mail boat. At 2 o'clock Captain Webb was still swimming bravely on, and Cape Grisnez Light seemed close at hand. Unfortu nately, the tide now took him further and further away from the shore. Captain Webb at this period gave evident signs of fatigue, and young Baker, well

known as a diver, sat with a life-line round him by the side of the referee, in case of accident, as it was by many supposed that the long exposure to cold might cause Webb to become suddenly insensible and to sink without a moment's warning. This, however, was not the case. He struggled manfully on, and by 9 o'clock was within a mile of the shore, a little to the westward of Calais, and Baker, who is only 16 years of age, plunged in and kept Webb company and encouraged him to continue.

Unfortunately, a breeze had sprung up about 7 in the morning. The sea, which hitherto had been like a sheet of glass, was now tossing him about in the midst of crested waves. He was evidently fearfully exhausted. The tide was running strongly away from shore, which was at 9.45 only half a mile distant. Fortunately a boat belonging to the Steam Mail Packet Company put off from Calais and acted as a sort of breakwater to the now utterly exhausted swimmer. The sea ran so high that it even broke over the little boats which had accompanied him throughout his voyage. He persevered, however, and at last touched ground too weak to stand. A couple of men instantly went to his assistance, and he was able to walk slowly ashore; and on the departure of the mid-day mail boat from Calais was left comfortably asleep, a medical man watching by his side and reporting him as doing well.

One practical point may be regarded as settled by Captain Webb's success, and that is the possibility of a man's remaining many hours in the water without any artificial provision for protecting the body from cold. The greatest danger of exposure at sea has long been known to be, not exhaustion from fatigue, but collapse from penetrating cold. A low temperature will pierce a swimmer to the marrow even while he keeps on steadily moving, much more when he ceases to exert himself and rests by floating. The vital powers are all lowered, and it is believed that the heart

soon gives way But Captain Webb's adventure shows that a strong man, în the vigorous prime of life, accustomed to swimming and in highly-trained con dition, may remain in the water for nearly twenty-four hours during a sultry day in August without suffering any serious inconvenience. This is all that the experiment proves. It does not show that any ordinary swimmer could hope to save his life by swimming if he were lost at sea twenty-five miles from the shore, nor even that he could remain twenty-two hours in the water; it only exhibits endurance of an exceptional character under exceptional conditions.

A subscription on behalf of Captain Webb has been opened, and is receiving liberal support. Captain Webb in his younger days learnt navigation on board the 'Conway' training ship, and served his apprenticeship to the sea in Liverpool vessels.

The papers state that Captain Webb, who is 26 years of age, learnt to swim at seven years of age. He first signalized himself in the Suez Canal, by diving under his ship and clearing away a hawser which had fouled her. On one occasion, when returning from the United States in the Cunard steamer

‘Russia,' he jumped overboard in a heavy sea, while the vessel was going at full speed, to save á man who had fallen overboard. The Russia' was running before the wind under steam and canvas, and, as she was going at the rate of 15 knots an hour, Webb was far out of sight before the vessel could be brought to. A lifeboat was sent out in search of him, and Webb was picked up after having been for half an hour in a sea such as no one had ever before been known to encounter successfully. For this gallant attempt to save the life of a fellow-creature he was presented by the passengers with a purse of £100. Captain Webb also holds the first gold Stanhope medal of the Royal Humane Society and the silver medal of the same society, both of which were presented to him at the Freemasons' Tavern, in the

presence of a distinguished company, by the Duke of Edinburgh. Captain Webb also holds the medal of the Liverpool Humane Society.

TRAINING SHIPS.-An official return published last year, shows that there are now two training ships in existence for officers of the merchant service of the United Kingdom-viz. the 'Conway,' at Liverpool, which was established in 1859, and is supported by cadet fees and voluntary subscriptions, and the 'Worcester,' moored in the Thames off Greenhithe, established in 1862. The, annual inclusive fees paid for each cadet amount in the former case to £50, and, in the latter to £52 10s. per annum, and the average period of training extends, over from two to three years. A total of fifteen vessels is maintained as school ships for forecastle hands-the 'Gibraltar,' at Belfast; Formidable,' at. Bristol; 'Havannah,' at Cardiff ; Mars,' at Dundee ; Cumberland,' at Glasgow; Southampton,' at Hull; 'Akbar,' 'Clarence,' and 'Indefatigable,' at Liverpool; the Chichester,' 'Arethusa,' 'Cornwall,' 'Goliath,' and 'Warspite,' in the Thames; and 'Wellesley,' at Shields. The Marine Society, represented by the Warspite,' was established in 1756; three of these ships are appropriated to the reception of reformatory boys, one to pauper boys. from Unions, and the rest to homeless and destitute lads. The average period, of training varies from two to four years and all at leaving are provided with an outfit. Some of these schools are supported by Government grants, under the Industrial Schools Act of 1866, and others by voluntary contributions. We are glad to see that Plymouth and other ports are alive to the necessity of establishing similar ships.

VESTIGES OF THE OLD MAN-OF-WAR "VICTORY.' While rummaging lately an out-of-the-way loft in the dockyard at Chatham, there have been found cer