of peace was concluded in June 1858, which, however, did not last long. In 1859, the allied armies of English and French took Pekin, and the treaty. was afterwards renewed in October 1860. In December 1861, the Prince Consort died after a short illness, and was much regretted by the nation. After the Crimean war England took no part in any of the wars that agitated the Continent from time to time. The great civil war between the Northern and Southern States of America caused much distress and suffering for a time in the cottonmanufacturing districts of England, by entirely stopping the supply of cotton from the United States in 1861-65. The terrible emergency was met by most generous aid, and the troubles of Lancashire ended with the American War, 1865. Slavery, which had hitherto existed in the Southern States of America, was entirely abolished after their subjugation by the North. In 1862 the Greeks expelled their king, and chose Prince George of Denmark to be " King of the Hellenes." The Ionian Islands, which had been under British protection from the year 1815, were given up to Greece in 1864. The marriage of Albert Edward, Prince of Wales, to the Princess Alexandra of Denmark, took place in London on the 10th March 1863. Towards the end of the year 1867 a British force, under Sir Robert Napier, was sent to Abyssinia to release British and other European captives who were imprisoned by King Theodore. After having marched into the interior of the country, the British army defeated Theodore's forces, and stormed the hill fortress of Magdala, in which Theodore was found dead, having killed himself with his own pistol. The British force then retired, taking with them the released prisoners. Sir Robert Napier was created Lord Napier of Magdala. In 1870, the Emperor Louis Napoleon declared war against Prussia, but found the German Confederation more united and better prepared to resist his invasion than he had expected. His armies were defeated, and he and they were finally sent to Germany as prisoners of war. A republic was proclaimed in France. The Germans besieged Paris, which surrendered early in 1871, after the inhabitants had endured great suffering. Peace was then signed upon very hard conditions for France. Louis Napoleon, after having been released from captivity in Germany, took refuge in England, where he died on the 11th of January 1873. A long period of tranquillity at home followed the distressful years of the Irish famine and other disturbances. Everywhere trade was developed, and the railway system expanded marvellously. The electric telegraph, which in a sense unites the remotest nations of the world, was invented in this reign, which has also witnessed the first use of chloroform in surgery-an unspeakable benefit to countless sufferers and the development of the art of photography, which is now so familiar that it no longer seems such a marvel as it did at first. Early in this century Mr Brougham laboured hard to induce Parliament to make the education of the people a national concern; but it was not until 1839 that any public money was voted as a grant in aid of the schools. From that time aid was given year by year in increasing measure, but still dense masses of the population were unprovided for, and there was no power to enforce the attendance of children. Mr Gladstone's government introduced a measure to provide elementary education, which has produced great results. School-boards have been elected to provide all needful accommodation, and have been empowered to make the attendance of children compulsory. The reign of Victoria, like that of Elizabeth, is distinguished by the exploits and researches of adventurous travellers by land and by sea. Sir John Franklin followed in the track of his predecessors, Ross and Parry, the explorers of the Arctic regions. But his expedition, which set sail in 1845, never returned. Many expeditions were sent out in search of him; and long afterwards the relics of the ill-fated voyagers were discovered and brought home. Speke, Grant, Livingstone, Sir Samuel Baker, and others, have explored many parts of Africa previously unknown. In December 1871, exactly ten years after the death of his father, the Prince of Wales was attacked by a similar illness. His life was despaired of, but he recovered, and a national thanksgiving was observed in St Paul's Cathedral, February 1872. SUMMARY.-Two new wars broke out in the East with China and Persia, in 1856. On the 10th of May 1857, the native troops at Meerut killed their British officers, and this outrage was speedily followed by a mutiny of the Sepoys, and massacres at Cawnpore and other Indian towns. The mutiny was finally quelled by Lord Clyde. The Queen was proclaimed Empress of India in 1858. In 1857, Canton was taken by assault by the English and French troops. In 1859, the allies took Pekin. A treaty of peace was concluded, 1860. In December 1861, the Prince Consort died, much regretted by the nation. The American civil war began in 1861, and caused much distress in England from stopping the supply of cotton from the United States. The war ended in 1865. Several wars took place on the Continent, in which England took no part. The most terrible of these was the war between the Germans and the French, in which the Germans were successful. Louis Napoleon was taken prisoner, and when released at the end of the war he took refuge in England. A republic was proclaimed, and after the surrender of Paris peace was concluded in 1871. In 1870, an Act of Parliament was passed to provide education for all children in England. A similar act was passed for Scotland in 1872. QUESTIONS. Against which eastern nations was war declared by Britain in 1856; and for what reasons? When and where did the mutiny of the Sepoys first break out? Name some of the British generals distinguished in the war. When was the Queen proclaimed Empress of India? When was Canton taken by English and French troops? When was Pekin taken by the English and French? When was peace concluded between the allies and China? When did the Prince Consort die? When did war begin between the Northern and Southern States of America? How did the war produce distress in Britain ? When did the American War end? When was slavery abolished in the United States? When did Louis Napoleon declare war against Prussia? What was the result to himself? Where did he find refuge? When was Paris forced to surrender? When was peace made between Germany and France? What is the electric telegraph? The electric telegraph is an apparatus by which messages can be sent with immense rapidity, through the agency of electric currents along metallic wires. What is chloroform? A compound of chlorine and formic acid; a colourless volatile liquid, distilled from rectified spirit, water, and chloride of lime. It is much used to produce insensibility during the performance of any surgical operation. The use of chloroform was first discovered by Sir James Y. Simpson, Professor in the University of Edin burgh. The word chloroform is derived from Greek, chloros, and form, from formic acid. What is photography? The art of producing pictures by light, on chemically-prepared surfaces. The word photography is derived from Greek, phos photos. light, grapho, to draw or write. When were acts passed providing education for all the children in this country? When did the expedition under Sir John Franklin set sail to explore the Arctic regions? Name some of the travellers who have explored the interior of Africa. THE PIPES AT LUCKNOW. DERIVATION. MEANING. Mountaineers, Fr., montagnard, a moun- A dweller among moun Pibroch, Crooning, Moslem, Mosque, Cleaves, taineer; from montagne, a Gaelic, piobaireachd, pipe tains; a highlander. The martial music of the Alow, murmuring, continu- Arabic, moslem, a believer. One who believes in the false Fr., mosquée. Arabic, mas- prophet Mahomet; a Mahometan. A Mahometan, or Mohammedan, place of worship. Divides. John Greenleaf Whittier was born in 1808 at Haverhill, Massachusetts, where his ancestors had long been settled. In his early years he was employed in farming operations. He afterwards became a journalist. In 1836 he was appointed one of the secretaries of the Anti-Slavery Society. He has written many poems which are very popular in the United States. Pipes of the misty moorlands, The droning of the torrents, Not the braes of broom and heather, Have heard your sweetest strain! |