PERSONAL NARRATIVE.

ON New Year's Day, by the Queen's order and in her
Majesty's presence, there was a liberal distribution of
food and fuel to upwards of five hundred poor people of
good character.

Prince Albert has intimated to the Government
School of Mines the intention of the Prince of Wales to
grant two annual exhibitions, (to be named the "Duke
of Cornwall's Exhibitions,") the amount of each being
sufficient to defray the expenses of the course of
instruction at that institution.

Lady Augusta Gordon Lennox, daughter of the
Duke of Richmond, and married to Prince William of
Saxe-Weimar, has been created Countess of Dornburg,
by the Grand Duke of Saxe-Weimar.

Major-General the Hon. George Cathcart is appointed
Governor of the Cape of Good Hope, in the room of
Sir Harry Smith.

The Hon. Richard Bingham, now Secretary of
Legation at Turin, has been appointed to that post at
Lisbon, and the Hon. E. M. Erskine, now Paid Attaché
to the Legation at Brussels, has been appointed Secretary
of Legation at Turin.

Lord Normanby, the British Ambassador to France,
has arrived in London.

M. Thiers arrived in London on the 12th inst. His
mother has just died at the Batignolles in Paris, where
she has long resided on a pension from her son.

Madame Schroeder-Devrient, now Baroness von
Bock, the celebrated prima donna of the Dresden
opera, who was charged with being implicated in the
last insurrection in that city, has been pardoned by the
King of Saxony, on condition of her paying the costs of
the proceedings commenced against her.

M. Eugéne Sue has left Paris for the Lake of Geneva,
where he will continue his literary labours. MM.
Victor Hugo and Alexander Dumas have written to
their friends to say that should they be expelled from
Belgium they will reside at Homburg.

A few days ago, the Duke of Wellington being on a visit
to the Queen at Windsor Castle, took a stroll through
the streets of Windsor, intending to visit the Sheet-
street barracks, where the 2nd battalion of Grenadier
Guards are quartered, his grace being colonel of that
regiment. Mr. Cantrell, an old English farmer, who
had recently come to reside in the town, having
retired in comfortable circumstances, was also taking a
stroll, and seeing the Duke making inquiries as a
stranger, went up to him and politely gave "the old
gentleman" his arm, offering to conduct him whither
he wished to go, and the duke and the old English
farmer walked through the streets arm in arm together
to the barracks engaged in cheerful conversation.

The King of Prussia has conferred the order of
Merit upon Professor Richard Owen, of the Royal
College of Surgeons, London, in consideration of the
eminent services rendered by that gentleman to natural
science.

Obituary of Notable Persons.

ADMIRAL GEORGE BAKER, on the reserved list, died on the 25th
ult., at Spring Vale, Isle of Wight, in the 92nd year of his age.

BARON KEMENY, who was appointed by Kossuth as Chief to
the Hungarian Committee in this country, died suddenly on
the 5th inst., at his residence in Foley Place, while the secretary
to the committee was reading to him a letter in a daily
paper, concerning the Hungarian refugees. He was 63 years
of age, and was one of the most celebrated officers during the
Hungarian war of independence.

CHIEF-JUSTICE CHIPMAN, of New Brunswick, died lately,
having ably filled the highest post in the judiciary of his
province for many years. He was possessed of immense wealth,
and left by his will £4000 to St. John's Church, £10,000 to the
Diocesan Church Society, and £4000 to the Madras School.

THE HON. JOEL R. POINSETT, formerly Secretary of War in
the United States, under the Presidency of Mr. Van Buren, and
at an earlier period Minister Plenipotentiary to Mexico during
the administration of Mr. John Quincy Adams, died in Statesburgh,
South Carolina, on the 12th ult., at the age of 73.

GENERAL SIR FREDERICK PHILIPSE ROBINSON, G.C.B., Colonel
of the 39th regiment, died at Brighton on the 1st inst., in his
88th year. He was the oldest soldier in the British army,
having been within a month of seventy-five years in the service.

SIR DAVID BAIRD, of Newbyth, in Berwickshire, died on the
9th inst., in consequence of an accident while hunting. He was
in his 57th year.

MR. T. HUDSON TURNER, one of the ablest of British archaeologists,
died of consumption on the 14th inst., at the age of 37.

ADMIRAL GEORGE M'KINLEY died very suddenly on the 18th
inst., at his residence, Anglesea, Gosport, aged 85. He was the
oldest officer in the navy excepting one, having entered the
service in 1773.

MR. SERGEANT HEATH died at his residence in Montague
Place, Russell Square, on the 21st inst., in the 74th year of his
age.

MR. G. H. RODWELL, the composer, died on the 22nd inst.,
after suffering acutely for some months from rheumatic gout.
Mr. Rodwell, who was well known in the musical world for his
many song and ballad compositions, was also a dramatic and
literary writer.

INNELL WILLIAM CLEMENT, ESQ., proprietor of the Observer
and Bell's Life in London, Newspapers, died suddenly on the 24th
instant, aged 72.

COLONIES AND DEPENDENCIES.

THE news from India is of a warlike aspect. An
expedition set out from Calcutta on the 19th of Nov.,
to enforce reparation from the Burmese of some
grievances which have not been clearly explained. The
force consisted of her Majesty's ships Fox (42),
Serpent (12), and the Company's war-steamers Tenasserim
and Proserpine, all under the command of Commodore
Lambert, of the Queen's service. The first efforts to
obtain reparation (it is stated) will probably be made at
Rangoon; and should our demands not be instantly
complied with, that place will be held in pledge till
they are satisfied.

At Bombay, there had been a renewed outbreak of
the religious feud between the Mahometans and the
Parsees. There were serious riots on the 22nd and
23rd November, and the military were again called into
action. A Parsee was killed in the riots. Since the
commotion, 100 soldiers had been quartered in Sir
Jamsetjee Jejeeboy's meeting-house, to protect it. Sir
Erskine Perry, Mr. Lumsden, and other European
gentlemen, had mediated between the principal men of
the Parsees and Mahometans, and peace was at length
restored.

It is now stated that "the Nizam has not after all
paid the remainder of his debt to our Government."
Part of what he handed over to us was jewels, which
he estimated at £250,000; but on the jewels being
put up for sale, the highest bid made for them did not
exceed half that sum; so the jewels were returned.

Some undescribed cause of military movements has
occurred in Upper Scinde. It is said that our former
ally, Meer Ali Moorad, has been detected forging
documents of title to some of the land he claims to hold.
Troops are in movement, perhaps to depose him
altogether.

On the 7th of September, a small vessel, the Dolphin
of Singapore, while on a trading voyage to the north-
east coast of Borneo, was Captured by Pirates. Mr.
Robertson, the master, Mr. Burns, the super-cargo,
and several of the Malay crew, were murdered with
spears and krisses, and a native woman on board was
nearly cut in two and thrown into the sea. The
vessel was carried into the Benguin River, but was
afterwards given up by the native chief to Mr. Hodge
of the Pluto.

Advices from Jamaica have been received to the 2d
inst. They announce the increased prevalence of the
cholera in different parts of the island. At Savannah-la-
Mar it was raging to a fearful extent. In the parish of
Hanover it was committing serious ravages. The
Christmas holidays in Trelawny were made gloomy by
the fear of a renewed attack of the pestilence.

The intelligence from the Cape of Good Hope is still
of a painful kind. A body of Caffres and Hottentots
having occupied some fastnesses in the Waterkloof,
General Somerset, on the 6th ult., moved his division