old scientific friend who surprised the good citizens of Sydney some eighteen years ago by anchoring his ships in the Cove one summer morning before they were up or knew anything about his visit. The San Jacinto brought the Trent to by firing a shotted gun across her bows, and a lieutenant with a company of armed marines boarded the mail steamer, and seized the commissioners and carried them away prisoners, under the protests of the English commander and the naval agent in charge of her Majesty's mails. The news was brought to Southampton by the steamer Plata, which vessel ought to have brought the commissioners, according to their arrangements at Havannah.
A meeting of the British Cabinet was held immediately, and it became known that the law officers of the Crown were in frequent communication with Ministers. On the third day from the receipt of the intelligence, a Privy Council, attended by the Queen, was held at Windsor, and on the evening of the same day a Queen's messenger left London with a despatch for Lord Lyons. This rapid succession of movements told sufficient to the nation. Tory members of Parliament, more loudly than Ministerialists, expressed their satis-
