THE FIELD 
777 
THE FETE OF ST. GERMAIN— THE GAME OF TOURNIQUET. 
The fbat to be perlonned Is, to pass from one post to the other along the revolving bar which connects 
them ; and he who does so without losing his position wins the prise. The person making the attempt 
sits on the uppermost of the three iopts, and places hia foot on the two below. The best plan Is to lio 
along the uppermost rope ; but on the slightest deviation to the right or left, a fall is the result. 
Silistria, were uttered by her Majesty with 
much emphasis. The Speaker of the House 
of Commons (in summing up the deeds of 
that assembly), conscious, perhaps, that 
he had but a lame story to tell, told it 
lamely, and, as a contemporary observes 
“ several times appearing to lose the thread 
of his oration, aud not unfrequeutly hesi- 
tating over words, and trying two or 
three before he could please himself. Mr. 
Shaw Lefevre generally addresses the 
Sovereign with such perfect Belf-possession, 
fluency, and impressiveness that any 
alteration in his manner is the more 
remarkable.” Lord John Russell, Mr. 
Cardwell, and Mr. Wilson, were the minis- 
terial attendants of the right hon. gen- 
tleman. The distinguished figure of Lord 
Palmerston, who usually takes his place at 
the bar on such occasions, was looked for 
in vain. A sudden and most melancholy 
affliction which had befallen the family of 
the Home Secretary, aud which was not 
then generally known, explained his ab- 
sence — we allude, of course, to the death 
of Lord Jocelyn. The ceremonial of the 
day was not so well attended as usual, 
many of the leading nobility having already 
left town. There were not sixteen peers, 
spiritual and temporal, exclusive of those 
present by virtue of their offices of state. So terminates 
the session which found us at peace and left us at war. 
Recent news from Vienna confirms the statement that 
a grand attack was to be made upon the Crimea, aud ope- 
rations have in all probability commenced. Fresh reconnais- 
sances of Sebastopol have been made, aud various devices 
tried to induce the Russians to come out, but in vain. Iu 
the last of these attempts a quantity of shot and shell was 
fired into the place. The fire was returned with much 
precision, but without material injury to the assailants. 
Marshal St. Aruaud has been to Constantinople on a visit to 
the Sultan, aud Madame St. Arnaud has been indulged by 
Abdul Medjid with admission to his harem — as a visitor, of 
course. The Russians were rapidly retreating from the 
Principalities, aud the occupation by Austria was expected 
to take place from the 20th to the 24th of the present mouth. 
All else of reliable information in regard to the war in the 
East is, that the Russians appear to have obtained a some- 
what important success at Bajazid, and the disorganised and 
demoralised condition of the Turkish forces there, makes it 
singular that we do not hear of many more disasters. From 
the Baltic we hourly expect to hear that Bomarsund has 
been assaulted. Up to the 14th we do not hear that any- 
thing of consequence had occurred at the Aland Isles. So 
much, told “ in little," for the war. 
The French news is almost exclusively confined to details 
of the magnificent celebration of the fete of the Emperor. 
The description of the various displays in Paris iB quite be- 
wildering. His Majesty himself is at Bayonne, and in 
acknowledging a congratulatory speech by the bishop of that 
diocese, Louis Napoleon piously remarks that, “ in presence 
o! this general manifestation, and of the prayers which are 
addressed to heaven throughout the whole of France, it is 
the duty of the Sovereign, in his turn, to examine himself 
internally, to ascertain if he has done all that depended upon 
him to deserve these wishes and prayers. It is especially 
his duty to come to the foot of the altar to ask from heaven, 
through the intermediation of its holy ministers, blessings 
upon his efforts to enlighten his conscience, and to give him 
incessantly the strength of doing the good and avoiding the 
evil.” The bishop himself, or any bishop whoever said nolo 
epiecopai'i , could not have enunciated more proper sentiments. 
Eight millions of francs have been decreed for carrying out 
certain unfulfilled dispositions of the will of Napoleon the 
Great. 
The interest of the Spanish drama flags a little, notwith- 
standing an incidental murder of a secretary, and the cla- 
morous outcries of the Queen, who is enraged at the sweeping 
away of the corrupt and debauched officials of the palace. 
But the fall of Queen Christina may be a terrible one. The 
nation has determined to put this evil old woman on her trial, 
and although we hardly anticipate that she will but know 
too well how to use her great and ill-gotten gains, to allow 
herself to incur personal suffering, there is no saying what 
may be done in the present excited condition of Spain. To 
Christina’s training of her child Spain attributes— not with- 
out cause — most of the vices of Isabella. Espartero has de- 
clared that the Queen-Mother shall not leave the capital, 
openly or secretly, until the Cortes, which is summoned, 
shall have assigned her a place of residence. 
Among the domestic occurrences of the week have been 
the elections for the boroughs whose writs have been so 
long suspended for bribery, but who, on the last day of the 
session, were restored to their constitutional rights (despite 
protracted resistance, in each case, by Mr. Thomas Dun- 
combe), with an awful warning that there was now a Bribery 
Bill which could work swift vengeance, and that, if this 
failed, there was a doom like that of Sudbury and St. Alban's 
in store for offending towns. The head of the new Bourd 
ot Health, Sir Benjamin Hall, has been re-elected for Mary- 
lebone, not without having been compelled to hear some 
disagreeable things about his allying himself with an “in- 
capable and expiring Ministry.” As regards its incapability, 
we are not called upon to pronounce sentence ; but, as regards its 
tenrn e of existence, we may interpolate our belief that changes 
are meditated ; that the Earl of Aberdeen will withdraw from 
the cabinet, aud the head of the coalition will be the present 
lender of the House of Commons. Probably Lord Pal- 
merston will be made President of the Council, iu the room 
of Lord John Russell. 
The cholera is ravaging the metropolis, and between GOO 
aud 700 deaths are returned for the last week. As usual, 
the disease is most terrible where filth invites its presence, 
and the hideous details of the condition in which our fellow- 
creatures are content, or compelled to live, are almost too 
sickening for reproduction ; yet they ought to be forced 
again and again upon every oue who has a particle of influence 
in urging sanatory reform. Yet, iu the face of such evi- 
dence, a fellow appears before Mr. A’Beckett, and growls at 
being fined, on the third warning, for keeping on hia pre- 
mises a pestilential heap of animal and vegetable foulness, 
“ He only kept them till a barge- load was ready." There is 
ample work cut out for the new Board of Health, and the 
magistrates will, we trust, assist it by showing no mercy 
whatever in any case where an attempt is made to evade 
obedience to the directions of the local authorities. 
A sad accident on the North London Railway, several 
disastrous fires, aud two cruel murders, the one of a 
child by its mother, in England ; the other of a fine 
young Tipperaiy peasant, by an organised gang of assassins, 
in Ireland, are included in the records of the week. The 
Perry inquiry is still pending ; but until the whole case is 
closed we shall reserve any remark on her Majesty's Forty- 
Sixth Bashi-Bazouks. 
THE CHOLERA— A SHADOW OF A THEORY. 
(From the Times.) 
Sir, — I am one of those who are Htill of opinion that there 
is much yet to be learnt of the real nature and origin of that 
awful epidemy, cholera. 
Let me invite those who are interested in the matter to 
the tollowiug simple experiment : — There are few largo towns 
in which some one or more persona have not microscopes of 
modern construction, with objective powers up to 500 linear. 
Where cholera has broken out in any locality 1 suggest this 
test : — Get a few sheets of glass six inches square, thin, but 
as level as can be obtained ; let a glazier run his diamond in 
parallel lines one inch apart from top to bottom of these 
pieces of glass, so as to make it easy to break oil', when wanted, 
Blidea of six inches long by one inch. Place these sheets of 
glass so ruled, some in rooms where there are cholera 
patients, others iu the cleft of sticks, projectinginto the air out- 
side the windows of houses in infected localities. Take a broad 
camel-hair pencil and lightly wash over these glasses with a 
solution of glycerine aud distilled water, oue part of the 
former to three of the latter ; leave them for twelve hours ; 
now remove them, break the said glasses up where ruled with 
the diamond, and submit the slides to the best microscopic 
investigation ; let it be seen whether in any given number 
there is, amid the dust, insects, &c., easily to be recognised, 
anything of peculiar character — anything, however minute, 
of a fungoid appearauce. If so, let some of the ejecta and 
disjecta from choleraic patients bo submitted to the same 
ocular test, and ascertain whether anything of the like character 
can be found iu these. Ifthis be the case, I say youhavegained 
! a step, and a step on which I would have men of real science 
take their first stand iu the endeavour to trace out the actual 
something productive of choleraic symptoms. Letany onetake 
a piece of glass or two prepared as above, aud, by means of 
cleft sticks, put them up in gardens and in fields, only for a 
few hours, even on a still day, and I think the result will 
surprise him, for it reveals secrets iu the air few suspect. 
I have on a very small scale discovered the fungi of several 
well-known blights, some of which I know must have come 
from some distance. There will be for ever also found in 
certain conditions of the atmosphere and locality many of 
those ciliated bodies, some of which are known, small as 
they are, to have actually puzzled one of the first astrono- 
mers of the age by their appearance in the field of a cele- 
brated telescope. 
It requires no great practical knowledge to bo able to 
discern between the fungi of the potato, bean, grape, and 
other at this time known blighted vegetation. Each has a very 
distinctive character. I cannot but think in a cholera-tainted 
neighbourhood, though these may be found in the air, some 
new fungus may be found with them; or it may be that, 
while one of these is found in the air and in the secretions 
of the patient, none of the others will be. To make the 
experiment satisfactorily the glass must bo very clean, the 
water aud glycerine also well examined 
previous to use ; the instrument used to 
test the slides of a high order. I have of 
late known the air reveal such objects of 
wonder that, though I am not sauguine, I 
have some hope that this or some analo- 
gous course of experiment may yet tend 
to tell us something more than we know 
about those opprobria to modern science, 
epidemics. I would have the experiment 
made by night as well as by day ; we have 
yet much to learn of the effect of night 
air in the propagation of corrupting influ- 
ences. I think the moon has Imd much 
hud to its charge which with justice it 
should have shared with smaller lights, at 
least with the time both most reign. 
Investigator. 
THE ALAND ISLES. 
( From the Daily Keus.) 
To seek aud destroy the Russian fleet is 
the problem proposed to the united Baltic 
fleets, and there is no reason why it should 
not bo done, for there is uo excuse about 
where it is ; the ocean has not to be 
searched to find it ; a boy from the mast- 
head can count it. The question of loss is 
relative; for it is whether England, a great 
uaval power, shall risk a few ships, or 
Russia, a second-rate uaval power, ahull 
preserve intact, her navy. England could 
replace the loss of a fleet. Russia would 
succumb as a uaval power with the 
destruction of a squadron. Wlmt is the use 
of the expedition to Bomarsund / Can any oue define the value 
of its consequent, if successful, or count on the ridicule it 
will involve, if it fails. The group of the Aland Isles forms a 
scries of intricate channels — a kind of marine labyrinth, 
iu whoso passage Haugo aud Bomarsund are built. As 
commanding the entrance to the spacious Lumpur Bay, they 
are important, if the Russian fleet were there, but it has flown, 
aud the Aland Isles are a barren conquest, which a few 
steamers could effect, and do not require a fleet to attempt. 
It will also be remembered that Sweden lost these isles during 
a severe winter ; that Russia crossed the ico and took them, 
a feat which could be renewed, if necessary. Yet Sweden 
had her armies and her magazines geographically placed so 
as to retain them. If Sweden was unable, how can England 
and France do so in the depth of a Baltic winter / The idea 
that Sweden will, if they arc taken, declare herself an ally, is 
a chimera, because Sweden has pledged herself to neutrality. 
She has no ostensible cause of war against Russia, and she 
must still feel aught but tranquil, while she is told that 
Cronstadt is impregnable in the summer, and that her very 
capital is only a few days’ march across the ice of the Gulf of 
Finland during the winter. The people muBt demand a nobler 
enterprise of Sir Charles Napier than that, for nevor went a 
fleet to sea under higher auspices — a Queen led it into the 
deep — on assembled senate bade it farewell — a nation 
prayed for its success — veteran valour, skilful sea- 
manship, unerring gunnery manned it -and shall it cease to 
strike terror to its foes, or extort admiration from its 
frieuds ? Those long days have damped the enthusiasm of 
the crews, enabled the enemy to recover from his amaze- 
ment, relaxed the vigilance of its watch, aroused suspicion 
amidst the smaller neutral states, wasted the summer, 
allowed the whiter to steal ou. The respect for England will 
be changed to ridicule if it is found that she is impotent iu the 
Baltic, and that high-sounding orders for nctioDs have ended 
iu inexplicable signals for retreat. The same services that 
pronounce Cronstadt impregnable dcclurcd Silistria was 
untenable! Are we to conclude that the Turk is more 
valiant, enduring, and intelligent, than the Briton ; that his 
eye sees victory where ours can only recognise defeat f 
Cronstadt must fall. If ships and Hcanum decline tlio 
task, reduce the fleet and send more men, artillery, 
and ammunition to the Baltic ; change the scheme 
of operations ; adapt the means to the end, for it 
is no longer a question between Turkey and Russia — 
that is settled in favour of Turkey ; it is a strife for existence 
between Russia and England, and we must succeed or fall. 
As yet we have not succeeded. Cronstadt and Sebastopol 
are the whole of Russia, as far as England is concerned. 
They are the teeth and claws of the bear — draw them, and he 
will dance to your pipe. If Cronstadt is taken the Aland 
Isles give up through sheer terror ; Helsingfors and Sweaborg 
will bo hors de combat. But if potty enterprise — the old war 
of shreds and patches is carried on, it is no wonder that, as 
a mark of contempt, the small King of Denmark suppresses 
the constitution in the rear of our fleets, as he is probably 
prepared to stop the Sound if you are unsuccessful. Cron- 
Btadt must fall ; it is the menace to Portsmouth if it does not 
succumb. 
Tmnjlim. 
THE COURT. 
Immediately after the prorogation of the Houses of Par- 
liament on Saturday, her Majesty and her illustrious Court 
returned to Osborne-house, where they arrived about eight 
o'clock iu the evening. 
The Queen und Prince, the Prince of Wales, and the 
Princess Royal, rode on horseback on Tuesday afternoon. 
The party at dinner iu the oveniug included the Duchess 
of Kent, Lady Anna Maria Dawson, Sir George and Ludy 
Couper, the Rev. George Prothero, aud Mr- Gibbs. 
Mr. L. Glamor had the honour of submitting to liis Royal 
Highness Prince Albert on Saturday, his design for the 
decoration of the new ball-room at Buekingham-pulace. 
The Queen aud Prince, with the Princess Royal and 
Princess Alice, attended by the ladies and gentlemen in 
waiting, cruised iu the F airy, ou Tuesday afternoon. 
FASHIONABLE WORLD. 
The Earl of Roden has arrived iu town from Dublin, 
whence his lordship was summoned by the melancholy death 
of his son, Viscount Jocelyn. The countess happened to be 
in town at the time of the dissolution of her sou. The noble 
earl aud countess are staying at the Earl of Gainsborough's, 
iu Cavendish-square. 
Captain Leylaud und Mrs. Leylmid have left the Clarendon 
for C'orudanon Lodge, Ballater, N.B. 
Lord Stanley, of Alder ley, left town ou Monday for Alder- 
ley-park, Cougletou. 
