totally destroyed); an iron mortar captured from the French by Lord Howe in 1794; another of brass taken at Guadaloupe; guns of brass and iron, taken off La Hogue in 1692, between Martinique and Guadaloupe by Lord Rodney in 1782, off Saint Vincent by Sir J. Jarvis in 1797, by Nelson at the Nile in 1798 and at Trafalgar in 1805; with a variety of shells and shot of various sizes, and other minor implements of naval warfare. Most of the guns and mortars are still in good preservation.

The "Military Trophy," on the opposite side, was flanked by four large brass guns placed upright against the wall. One of these maintained its position to the last. It was one of two captured from the French at Cherbourg in 1758. They are both in very good preservation, their ornaments, and inscription, "Louis Charles de Bourbon, Comte D'Eu, Duc d'Aumale," being still sharp and clear. The other two guns, also well preserved, were taken by storming the walls of Cornelis in the island of Java in 1811. The other articles composing this trophy were a large mortar employed by William III. at the siege of Namur in 1695 (this likewise stood immoveable in the midst of the ruins); a triple gun, of brass, taken at Blenheim in 1704 (much damaged); brass guns captured by General Wolfe in 1759; others taken at Gibraltar in 1782; in Egypt in 1801; at Vittoria in 1813; and at Waterloo in 1815; mortars taken at Pondicherry in 1793 and at Mauritius in 1810; with a variety of minor articles, such as shells, shot, musquetoons, wallpieces, &c. all more or less injured by the fire.

The ancient guns were placed on the left hand of the entrance, in the following order :

1. A chambered-gun of the time of Henry VI. made of bars of iron welded together, with iron hoops over them.

2. An iron gun of about the time of Edward IV., hooped, like the first, and provided with rings in lieu of trunnions; the muzzle curiously ornamented with a fleur-de-lys. These iron guns are comparatively little damaged.

3. Large brass gun, of the reign of Henry VII. ornamented with the royal arms, and the king's badges, the portcullis and fleur-de-lys. This gun has suffered greatly from the fire, the breech being burnt away, and much damage done to other parts.

4. A large iron chamber gun of the time of Henry VIII. It was lost in the wreck of the Mary Rose, off Spithead, in 1545. Having lain at the bottom of the sea three hundred years, it was in 1841

recovered from the wreck and brought to the Tower, where it was soon to undergo another peril, and from which it has again escaped.

5. This was the largest piece of ordnance in the collection, and was popularly known by the name of "The Great Harry." It is of brass, and weighed upwards of five tons. The period is that of Hen, ry VIII. whose initials, with the date 1542, and the crowned rose, were among the ornaments upon its surface. Motto: "Arcanus de arcanis." The founder's name "Cesnen." This gun has suffered greatly from the fire.

6. A brass chamber gun, with three bores, cast by the "fee'd-man" of Henry VIII., Peter Baude, a Frenchman, men. tioned by Holinshed and Stowe: his name, "PETRVS BAVDE GALLVS," appearing among the ornaments on the barrel. It is embellished with the king's badge, of a rose crowned, and inscribed with the royal style and titles. Much damaged.

7. An octagonal gun, of brass; nearly destroyed. This is another cast by Peter Baude. It was adorned with the royal arms, the fleur-de-lys, and the king's initial, H. surmounted by a crown; with the date 1543, and the initial of the founder's name, B. over the touch-hole.

8. A small brass gun, with seven bores; of the early part of the reign of Henry VIII. the supporters of the royal arms being the Dragon and Greyhound. small fragment only of this gun has been preserved.

name,

A

9. Spanish gun, of brass, bearing the "CAROLUS V." with the imperial eagle, the Spanish arms supported by the pillars of Hercules, the motto "PLVS OVLTRE," and other devices. "Opus Remigy de Halut. Mechlinien." Fused considerably.

10. A small chamber gun, of brass; time of Elizabeth. Nearly destroyed.

11. This was a beautiful gun with twisted barrel, and of large size, inscribed "Edwardus Sextus," and ornamented with the king's badge, a rose surrounded by the garter. It is nearly destroyed.

12. A brass 6-pounder gun, date 1581, with the figure of a frog on the barrel, and the motto,

Ich sing und spring
I sing and spring
Mein feind durch dring.
My foe transfixing.

Burnt in half.

13. A most beautiful gun, made for Henry Prince of Wales, son of James the First. Date 1608. It was entirely covered with rich arabesques, which were lately represented on the title-page of Mr.

C. J. Richardson's work on Elizabethan Architecture. Its destruction has been complete. doidw

14. Brass 12-por. gun, embellished with the badges of Charles Prince of Wales, the initials" C. P." and a variety of or naments finely designed and executed. This, as well as the last, has been burnt in half and its ornaments defaced.

15. A 6-por. brass gun of the reign of Charles II. with the words "In Defence" over the royal arms.

16. A French gun with three bores, inscribed" Les Volcans;" of the time of Queen Anne. Bearing also a shield with three fleurs-de-lys, and the name of "Louis Auguste, Duc de Maine." was taken at the battle of Ramilies. Greatly damaged.

It

17. A 24-por. brass gun of the Duc de Maine, ornamented with a shield as before, and various military devices: its name "L'Emérillon." Date 1730. The breech burnt away and the gun otherwise much injured.

18. An 18-por. brass gun of the time of George II. Destroyed.

19. A 42-por. brass gun taken at Java in 1811. This stood close against the south wall of the Train, and by the falling of a large quantity of the ruins upon it, has been wonderfully preserved from the ravages of the fire. Its ornaments and the engraving on its surface are still sharp and clear. The length of the gun is fifteen feet, and an inscription in Persian tells us that it is "The work of the Sultan Ranafa Achmet Medijem ed Deen, of the country of Palambang the Sacred, on which be peace. 1183 of the Hegeira."

The following guns were placed on the east side of the entrance:

20. A large iron gun recovered from the wreck of the Royal George in 1834. Not greatly damaged by the fire.

21. A Danish gun, of brass, bearing the initials of Christian VII. From Copenhagen. Nearly destroyed.

22. Venetian gun, brass, ornamented with the arms of the republic.

23. Short 6-por. brass gun, of the time of Charles II.

24 and 25. Two 24-por. brass guns, taken at Vigo in 1702. They are embellished with the arms of Spain and the figure of" Sancta Barbara." The breech has the form of a lion couchant, and an inscription tells us that they were cast in the reign of Philip IV. Both these handsome guns are still in good state.

26 and 27. Two licornes, of Russian manufacture, captured from a Turkish frigate. One of them is burnt in half, the other in good preservation.

28. A brass 24-por. gun, recovered

from the wreck of the Royal George. It is still in tolerably good condition.

29 and 30. Two 24-por. brass embossed guns, cast at Woolwich in 1762 from some French guns taken at Cherbourg in 1758. Still in good state.

These guns occupied the centre of the Train. Ranged along the walls were Part of the mainmast of the Royal George, with three musquets and other smaller relics from the same vessel; presented by Col. Pasley, R. E. (all destroyed).--Two 13 in. brass mortars, French; with motto, "Non solis radios, sed Jovis fulmina mitto."-A 7 in. brass mortar, bored for nine shells. These are not much damaged. A 3-por. brass gun on its carriage. Lyonois or devil chevaux-de-frise, an engine for defending a breach (engraved in Grose).-A Cohorn engine for throwing shells. One of the guns described by Hentzner as being in the Tower in the time of Elizabeth, "made of wood, which the English had at the siege of Boulogne in France (temp. Hen. VIII.), and by this stratagem, without which they could not have succeeded, they struck a terror as at the appearance of artillery, and the town was surrendered upon articles.". The chariot of the "State Kettle Drummer."-A grate for heating shot.-Specimens of bar and link shot.-Brass mortars, shells, &c. Of these, the wooden gun, the drummer's chariot, the chevauxde-frise, and the Cohorn carriage are destroyed; the rest more or less damaged by the action of the ffre.

On the Grand Staircase, which fronted the entrance, was a large trophy, composed of almost every variety of weapon of ancient or modern warfare. In front were two kettle drums captured by the Duke of Marlborough at Blenheim: which are preserved. Eight brass guns taken at Waterloo, which supported the trophy, have also been saved. Four of them maintained their position to the last. Of the ten small cannon, presented by the brassfounders of London to Charles II. when a boy, to assist him in his military studies, nine were carried away before the fire had reached this part of the building. The tenth has been since dug out of the ruins much damaged.

The Small-arms Armory was chiefly occupied by racks for musquets, carbines, &c. reaching from end to end of the room, and rising as high as the ceiling. On the walls were ranged a great number of arms of obsolete patterns, forming various fanciful devices-stars, crowns, triumphal arches, the rising and setting sun, Medusa's head, Jupiter in his chariot drawn by eagles, figure of a hydra, the rose and crown, and so forth. By the

last inventory (taken immediately before the fire) the numbers of these were as follows:-Pistols, 12,158; Double-barrel'd pistols with moveable buts, 75; Swords, 1378; Sword Blades, 271; Plug Bayonets, 2026; Spears, 192; Pikes, 85; Musquetoons with brass barrels, 210; Carbines, 909; Wallpieces, 3; Breast Plates, 279; Back Plates, 276; Helmets, 276; Drums, 52; with some other articles of a similar kind in smaller numbers. Almost the whole of these have been destroyed. Of the two thousand plug bayonets, the first form of that arm, not a single one remains in a perfect state. Of the pistols with move. able buts and the brass musquetoons, a few perfect specimens still remain, having been carried away or thrown out of the windows before the fire reached them.

Interspersed among the obsolete arms on the walls were a few objects of greater interest and antiquity. The principal of these were the State Swords, of Justice and Mercy, carried before the Pretender when proclaimed in Scotland in 1715 (the latter of these has been recovered from the ruins); with a number of musquets and other arms taken from the Scotch rebels in the same year; several of the ancient targets with pistols in the centre, spoken of by Hentzner, of which, however, there are many more preserved in the Elizabeth Armory; the arms taken from Sir William Perkins, Sir John Friend, Charnock, and others concerned in the intended assassination of William III. at Turnham Green; a spear musquet of the guard of Tippoo Saib, the barrel of which, much mutilated, has been dug out of the ruins; the first land musquet set up in the Tower, and the first approved; with a considerable number of Highland tacks (small iron pistols) and Ferrara swords mounted in basket hilts.

In the centre of the room was a Chinese trophy, composed of arms and other military objects taken at Chusan, only set up a day or two previously to the fire. The loss of this is much to be regretted, as the articles here exhibited formed a striking picture of the state of the arts and manufactures in China. The small-arms were in the primitive form of the handgun and match-lock, and those of the rudest construction. The glaives and bridle-cutters (weapons in use among our troops in the times of the Norman kings), as well as the swords, were merely of iron; the vileness of their material being only exceeded by the clumsiness of their manufacture. Some Chinese military dresses, presented at the same time (by John Gilman, esq. of Tower Street), were luckily placed in the Horse Armory, where they are yet to be seen. They are three in

number. The largest is a kind of armour, formed of padded work, the lining of which is cotton wool: it is studded with brass buttons, and on the breast and back are embroidered dragons of gold. Another, somewhat similar, is of cotton cloth, ornamented with brass studs and embroidered figures. The third is a jacket of the kind most commonly in use among the Chinese soldiery, of dark blue cotton faced with red, and bearing an inscription on the breast. They are accompanied by a pair of Chinese boots, also from Chusan.

Near the entrance of the Small-arms Armoury also stood the beautiful brass gun, formerly belonging to the Knights of Malta. This was carried out on the night of the fire before the flames had touched it. It was captured by the French in 1798, but on its passage from Malta to Paris, in the "Sensible frigate, was made prize of by Captain Foote of the "Sea-horse" frigate. The barrel is covered with figures in alto relievo, as beautiful in design as exquisite in workmanship. In one part is the portrait of the Grand Master of Malta, supported by two genii; and in another, that of the artist on a medallion, inscribed, "Philip Lattarellus delin. et sculp. 1773." The carved wooden carriage is also very curious; its trails are formed of the intertwined figures of two furies, holding torches and grasping a huge snake. The centre of the wheel represents the sun, the spokes forming its rays.

Here were also two small brass guns, highly ornamented, presented by the Earl of Leicester to the young Duke of Gloucester, son of the Princess (afterwards Queen) Anne. One of these was got away before the fire. The other has since been dug out of the ruins, much defaced.

Opposite the Chinese Trophy were the sword and belt worn by the late Duke of York. These were both carried away before the fire reached them.

At the eastern end of the room were groups of modern arms, recently interchanged with our government, by the various states of Europe, for complete sets of our own. This collection comprised specimens of every kind of weapon used in the various corps of France, Russia, Austria, Prussia, Belgium, and Bavaria; and it is to be hoped that measures will speedily be taken to restore this very interesting feature of the Tower Armories.

At each end of the apartment were two suits of white and gold armour, of no great value or antiquity. And four Maltese flags, taken at the same time as the gun of which we have spoken, one of which has been preserved from the flames.

FRANCE.

The Court of Peers has concluded the trial of Quenisset, who fired at the Princes on the 13th Sept. and, when first arrested, was called Pappart (see Oct. p. 415), and he was found guilty, as were several fellow conspirators. The following is the judgment pronounced by the court-Sentenced to death,-Que nisset, Colombier, Bazier. To transpor. tation for life,-Dufour, Petit, dit Auguste, Jarras. To fifteen years' imprisonment,-Boggio, Malet. To ten years' imprisonment,-Launois, dit Chasseur. To five years' imprisonment,-Basin, Bucheron, Dupoty. The last named was editor of the Journal du Peuple. It is said that the most horrible disclosures, with respect to the Secret Societies of France, have been made by the witnesses against Dufour and Dupoty, and that in consequence of these discoveries, the Government have determined to prosecute every journal which has contributed to the promotion of sedition.

By the recommendation of Marshal Soult, Louis Philippe, by a royal ordonnance, has directed that the French army be reduced to the extent of one company per battalion, together with 15,000 horses. The number of men thus to be reduced is 89,000, or rather more than one-fifth of the present force of the army. The saving to be effected by the measure is 30,000,000 francs (1,200,0007, sterling).

SPAIN AND PORTUGAL.

The accounts from this country are satisfactory; tranquillity everywhere prevails, with the exception of some banditti on the roads near Madrid. The National Guard of Madrid have presented Espartero with a Cross, commemorative of the events of the night of the 7th of October. All the officers of the insurgent battalions have been dismissed, and some condemned to death. A strong force has been posted on the northern frontiers, as a protection in case of a French invasion. The Duke del Infantado is dead, and his immense estates will be inherited by the Duke of Ossuna. The palace of the Duke of Liria has been nearly destroyed by fire, together with much property and numerous works of

art.

The British Government have signified to Spain, that no invasion of the Portu

guese territory will be permitted, and the Regent of Spain has also been informed, that Great Britain would not only not allow an armed intervention in that country, but would not even permit any considerable military force to be concentrated along the Pyrennean frontier. 2. That she would not oppose any arrangement for the marriage of Queen Isabella, provided her intended husband should not be a French prince. 3. That Great Britain would take no part in any European congress having for its object an interference in the affairs of Spain; and that, should such an assembly be convoked without her co-operation, she will oppose the enforcement of all coercive measures, as well as of resolutions which may tend, directly or indirectly, to interfere with the rights and dignity of Spain as an independent nation.

SYRIA.

This unfortunate country has again become the theatre of violence. In October, the Druses assailed with the utmost ferocity the unsuspecting Christian population, and put old men, women, and children to the sword. The Christians seized their arms, and a civil war was kindled throughout the country. Many convents and villages were sacked, and Beyrout was crowded with families who had fled from the fury of the combatants. Colonel Rose, Selim Pasha, and Emir Beshir, vainly interfered to allay the insurrection. The latter was despoiled of every thing, and arrived almost naked at Beyrout.

EGYPT.

Mehmet has left Cairo for Upper Egypt, to organise that province. In the meantime all the Delta, except thirtyeight villages which belong to Sheiks, is declared to be the private property of the Pasha. The peasants are to be his slaves. The importation of slaves from the banks of the Niger is carried on as formerly, and they are sold publicly in the bazaars. The same difficulties are opposed to the freedom of trade, and every stratagem is used to evade the treaty of August 16, 1838.

CHINA.

The settlement of Hong Kong, taken possession of by the English, promises

to be healthy and convenient. A very considerable number of Chinese labourers have been employed by the British in the erection of necessary works. Sir Henry Pottinger has ordered Canton river to be strictly blockaded. The Sapphire, Apollo, and Belleisle are now on their voyage from England to China, carrying an effective force of 2000 men, under the command of Lord Saltoun.

EAST INDIES.

A war with the "golden-footed" monarch of Burmah, Tharawaddie, is regarded as imminent. On the 6th of September the King of Burmah left his capi.. tal, for Rangoon, at the head of a wellappointed army, variously estimated at from 100,000 to 200,000 men. Lord Auckland was preparing for the worst with his usual promptitude. Two ships of war, two war schooners, and eight finely-appointed steamers, were in readiness to destroy the naval force of the Burmese in the Irrawaddy. There is no doubt that the Burmese monarch is acting under instructions received from the celestial court of Pekin.

As a remarkable fact connected with the natives, a young Hindoo widow was about to be married at Calcutta to one of her own caste. The marriage of widows is a new step in Indian civilization.

NORTH AMERICA.

A tremendous conflagration took place at St. John's, New Brunswick, on the

15th Nov. which destroyed seventy-five buildings, and burnt forty vessels.-Another great fire occurred at Vicksburg on the 9th Nov. destroying two entire

squares.

CENTRAL AMERICA.

The city of Cartago, containing a population of 10,000 persons, was destroyed by an earthquake early in the morning of Sept. 2. As nearly all the buildings are very low and composed of wood, and as the inhabitants had previously risen, but few (not more than 40 or 50 persons) were killed or wounded. The earthquake occurred without previous warning, and was connected with an eruption of the well-known volcano about three leagues distant. A smart shock of the same earthquake was felt in the town of San José, not far distant, at which place the earth trembled for several days subsequently, but not much damage was done.

SOUTH AMERICA.

Accounts from Mexico inform us that the civil war, which has for some time been raging in that country between Santa Anna and Buatamente, has been terminated by the triumph of the former, who, it was thought, would be declared Su preme Dictator.

A war between Peru and Ecuador was deemed inevitable, in which it was thought Bolivia would take an active part.

THE PRESERVATION OF PUBLIC BUILDINGS.

In consequence of the recent fires in public buildings, several persons have published their projects for fireproof buildings, &c. However, Mr. Robert Hannay, of Blackheath-park, in a very sensible letter addressed to the Times newspaper, shows how the temperature in large public buildings may be maintained without fires. The following are extracts :

"I would willingly draw the public attention to a method of warming the air of buildings, and preserving in it an even temperature independent of artificial heat. This method was well known to the ancient architects, and applied by them to several classes of edifices, though now overlooked, perhaps unknown, certainly not practised. It was accomplished by simple means. The building was so constructed that the heat accumulated during summer could not be lowered by the win

ter's cold under a certain temperature, according to the climate.

Buildings constructed on this design have their walls commonly of from 4 to 6 feet thick. The windows are few and narrow, and they always face the southeast, south, or south-west. The northern aspects present blank walls, chimneys are excluded, and but one door allowed to one chamber, and the more spacious it is, the more equal will be the heat with. in. Thus in St. Peter's, at Rome (the largest covered temple in Europe) though not built upon this plan, the air has never been known to vary beyond 4 deg. namely, from 60 to 64 Fahrenheit. This is in the climate of Rome. In our own, the temperature in chambers constructed as above may range from 45 to 55 deg.; that is, nearly a mean between the average heat of April and of May.

"In England there are still some ancient buildings upon this plan, and in