The Queen and Prince gave their annual fête on
the 23rd in honour of his Royal Highness's birthday,
which happened on the 26th instant. Dinner was
provided at three o'clock, on the lawn near the house,
under marquees, for upwards of 450 persons, and the
whole of the labourers employed on the Osborne estate,
the seamen and marines of the royal yachts, the detachment
of infantry, the Trinity-house and coast- guardmen
doing duty at East Cowes, sat down. Her Majesty and
Prince Albert, accompanied by the royal children and
the Maharajah Duleep Singh, walked through the
different marquees, and gave orders for dinner to
commence. At half-past four dancing and rustic games
were begun, and were carried on with great spirit till
near dark, in the presence of the Queen and royal party,
including the Duchess of Kent. The band of the Royal
Marines was on the ground, and played a variety of airs
during the afternoon.

Obituary of Notable Persons

VISCOUNT JOCELYN, M.P. for King's Lynn, and Lieutenant-
Colonel commanding the Essex Militia, died from cholera on
the 12th inst., at the residence of Lord Palmerston in Carlton
gardens, in his 38th year.

GENERAL SIR H. KING, C.B., K.C.H., colonel of the 3rd Buffs,
died on the 21th ult., in his 77th year. He had been sixty
years a soldier, having entered the army in 1794.

The DUCHESS DOWAGER OF BEAUFORT died on the 12th inst,
at Westbrook Hall, near Berkhampstead, in her 81th year.

Mr. T. CROFTOM CROKER, F.S.A., died on the 8th inst.,
aged 57.

LORD BEAUMONT died on the 17th inst., at his residence,
Bruton street, in his 49th year.

LIEUTENANT-COLONEL THE HON. LAUDERDALE MAULE, M.P.
for Forfarshire, and Surveyor-General of the Ordnance, died of
cholera, in Turkey, on the 1st inst., in his 48th year.

MADAME ST. AULAIRE, mother of the French Marquis of that
name, lately died on the very day she attained her hundredth
year.

MADAME LEDRU-ROLLIN, the mother of the well-known Red
Republican, died recently in Paris.

THE PRINCESS ZENAIDE CHARLOTTE JULIE BONAPARTE died
at Naples, on the 8th. She was the eldest daughter of Joseph
Bonaparte, King of Spain, and was born in Paris, on July 8th,
1802. She married her cousin, Prince Charles, the eldest son
of Lucien Bonaparte, and leaves by him eight children. Her
usual residence was Rome, where three of her married daughters
and her eldest son, Prince Musignano, are living.

COLONIES AND DEPENDENCIES.

The intelligence from Canada is to the 9th inst. A
proclamation had been published on that day in the
Quebec Gazette, convoking parliament for the despatch
of business on the 5th of September. Public atttntion
was chiefly occupied with the elections. The following
is given us an estimate of the general result:—
Ministerialists, 47; anti-Ministerialists, 81 ; majority against
ministers, 34.

The West India papers contain little or no intelligence,
excepting what relates to the cholera. In Jamaica and
Barbadoes it was decreasing,after having committed great
havoc. It still lingered in the rural districts of both
islands. One of the Barbadian papers states that the
metropolitan parish has been "sextimated;" and
estimates the entire loss throughout the island at no fewer
than 16,817. The epidemic has broken out in Grenada,
where 1500 had died, and in St. Lucia.

NARRATIVE OF FOREIGN EVENTS.

The advices from the Baltic bring the important
intelligence of the capture, by the combined English and
French forces, of the strong fortress of Bomarsund in
one of the Aland Islands off the coast of Finland. On
the 18th of July the English screw squadron and the
French and English sailing line-of-battle ships left
Baro Sound, and proceeded to Ledsund, where they
formed a junction with the paddle-wheel steamers under
Admiral Plumrielge. Next morning, Admiral Chads
took the Edinburgh, the Hogue, the Blenheim, the
Ajax, the Amphion, the Leopard, the Odin, and the
Valorous, and steamed for Bomarsund. As they
approached, the enemy opened fire from a recently-
formed mud-battery; but all the shots fell short.
Admiral Chads anchored out of range, but in a position
that would leave the ten-inch guns available. Bomarsund
is defended by three separate works, two towers
and a long line of batteries. The towers, one round,
and the other octagonal, are erected on the summits of
the two rocks, and unconnected by any works. Each is
surrounded by a broad ditch. At the foot of the rock on
which the octagonal tower stands, extends, on the sea
side, a long circular front, half occupied on the left by
barracks, and on the right by casemated batteries.
This is the strongest work; it contains seventy-two
embrasures. The Russians had begun to construct a
second line of batteries in front of the round tower, but
have left it unfinished. A single earthen battery of five
pieces of artillery was seen under the trees, about a
mile in advance. General Baraguay D'Hilliers joined
the fleet before Bomarsund on the 1st of August; and
on the 3rd the troops had all arrived. The landing of
the troops took place on the 8th, and was effected
without loss of life while it was proceeding; a French and
an English vessel, the Phlegethon and Amphion,
steamed through an intricate passage, and moored
themselves to the the west of the earthwork battery, where
no guns could be brought to bear upon them. They
then opened a terrific fire with shot and shell, which fell
with great precision, the trees which partly masked the
battery cracking and falling in all directions. In half
an hour they ceased firing, and sent three boats in to
spike the guns. The men landed, and waving the French
and English flags, gave three cheers. It was seen,
however, that the enemy had deserted his battery upon
finding their guns useless in the unforeseen position
which the ships had taken up. Sir Charles Napier,
who, in the Bulldog, had run round the western shore
to reconnoitre, made the signal "Well done, Amphion."
The first round tower and the long fort now commenced
throwing shells at the Amphion and Phlegethon; they
dropped extremely close, and caused the Phlegethon to
move her berth, but the Amphion remained with much
pertinacity, and became for an hour or two a floating
target for the enemy. In the meantime the Admiral
had come up in the Bulldog, and, together with the
Stromboli, returned the fire of the round tower to divert
it from the landing operation, which was now rapidly
proceeding. The battalion of Royal Marines had been
conveyed, together with the French marines, on board
her Majesty's ship Driver, to the north shore of the
island at the back of the forts. By 8 o'clock the work
of disembarkation had finished, and in the space of three
hours and a half upwards of 11,000 troops were safely
landed. As each regiment landed, they formed into
order on the rocky shore, and marched through the thick
pine forest and over the heights. The centre wing of
the army encamped for the night in and around a large
village at a distance of less than two miles from the
tower which they were destined to attack. The tower,
from its highly elevated position, commands a great
portion of the surrounding country, and here General Baraguay
d'Hilliers had determined to make the first assault,
as in the capture of this the key to the long fort was
secured. The small steamships were employed all
day in carrying provisions, ammunition, &c, to the