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done what no man of any other nation has been known to do . If any of OUT readers are desirous of joining iu the testimonial , now being raised , to reward so grand a feat of skill , strength , and endurance , we shall have great pleasure in being the medium of forwarding their contributions to the Editor

of Land and Water , who has charge of the fund . Strangely enough , Webb's achievement was hardly known throughout the country , where the value of the art of swimming was most painfully illustrated . The pupils of a school at Rhyl Avere bathing in the sea , when a number of them got

out of their depth , and five , unfortunately , were drowneu , Avhilo the lives of several others were forcibly endangered . We hope these two facts , and the continued experience of well nigh every year , will bring home to us more closely

how imperative it is that all should learn swimming . Talk of compulsory rating , and voting and contracting and so on , compulsory swimming- should become the order of the clay ! We referred last week to the death of Bro . Andrew

Johnson , ex-President of the United States . We learn from the Keystone that the Masonic services at the funeral were conducted by Bro . Deputy Graud Master Monro , Tennessee . The Knights Templar , of which body our deceased Brother was a member , furnished a guard of honour , and the

Templar service was also recited , E . Sir Nat . Woodruff of Knoxville , officiating . The Craft had the post of honour , both in tho procession and at the grave ; the following tribute from Parson Brownlow to the memory of the deceased is worthy quoting , bearing directly , as it does , on

one of those traits in human nature which ought to be , but is not , unfortunately , regarded at its full worth , and especially among public men , too many of whom act up to the adage , "The end justifies the means . " "In one respect , at least , " says Parson Brownlow , " ex-President Johnson was a model statesman . He was honest .

Whatever men have said of him politically , no responsible man ever called his unflinching integrity in question . He was in public life almost half a century , yet no man can say that he ever betrayed the confidence of his friends by taking that which did not belong to him . His character

in this respect was so well understood that he was scarcely ever approached by a dishonest lobbyist with a corrupt proposition . He was very scrupulous in refusing to give any sort of aid to enterprise which he could not conscienciously approve . Just after his election to the United

States Senate , in January , lie gave an illustration of this . A prominent politician from Pennsylvania , representing a company interested in the Alta Veta Isles , wanted him to send a war vessel to the above mentioned islands just before his great impeachment trial commenced . He attempted , to make use of what he considered Mr . Johnson ' s

embarrassment at the time in accomplisbing his object . But tbe President spurned him , and gave him to understand that his official sanction to measures in which private parties are interested was not to be procured in that way . This trait in his character is worthy of emulation by all public men . "

The fifty-fifth annual meeting of the British . Association opened on Wednesday at Bristol . The General Committee met at one o ' clock on that clay , Dr . Carpenter , in the momentary absence of Professor Tyndall , occupying the chair . The Report of the Council was submitted and

unanimously adopted . Two ladies , Mrs . W . Grey and Miss Carpenter , were added to Sectional Committee E , Economic Science and Statistics , on the resolution of Mr . J . Hey wood , President of the section , seconded by Mr . Fellovves . The following are the sections into which the Society is divided

for the purpose of better fulfilling the objects for which it was established , together with the names of their respective presidents : —A — Mathematical and Physical Science , President—Professor Balfour Stewart . B — Chemical Science , President—A . G . Vernon Harcourt M . A . ; C—

Geology , President—Dr . T . Wright P . G . S . ; D—Biology , President—P . L . Sclater M . A . ; Department uf Zoology and Botany , P . L . Sclater will preside ; Department of Anatomy and Physiology , Professor Cleland will preside ; Department of Anthropology , Professor Rollestou will preside ;

E—Geography , President , Major-General Strachey R . E . ; E—Economic Science ancl Statistics , President James Hoywood F . R . S . ; G—Mechanical Science , President—William Eroude C . E . There will also be discourses bv Dr .

Spottiswoode on the " Colours of Polarised Light , " and by Mr . Bramwell on " Railway Safety Appliances , " a lee ! tire by Dr . Carpenter to tbe working classes on " APiecoof Limestone , " as well as a soiree and a concert by the Orpheus Gleo Club . The

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Treasurer having read the accounts , which showed a surplus of £ G 24 Is 2 d , aud were accepted , a vote of thanks brought the Committee to a close . In the evening , at the Colston Hall , the inaugural address was delivered by Sir John Hawkshaw , the new President . The outgoing

President , Professor Tyndall , took the chair at the opening of the meeting , and having offered a few appropriate remarks respecting his successor , resigned his seat to Sir John Hawkshaw , who at onco proceeded with his address , which was confined entirely to the subject of that profession in whicb he had attained such eminence . It is needless to add tho

theme was handled with a skill and perspicuity which were quite worthy of the speaker . On Friday , the several sections were opened , the President of each delivering the address , while sundry of the members read papers , all highly interesting and valuable contributions to science .

The annual Braemer gathering was held with more than the usual success on Thursday , in the presence of the Queen , the Prince and Princess of Wales , Prince Leopold , Princess Beatrice , and a large number of the nobility and gentry . The Highlanders , who were mostly retainers of

the Earl of Fife , Colonel Farquharson of Invercauld , and the Marquis of Huntly , arrived at the rendezvous , clad in Highland costume , and armed with the weapons of olden days . The races , especially the two mile race for

the Queen ' s Prize , were keenly contested , the chief honours falling to M'Combie Smith , Fleming , and Peter Cameron . Her Majesty took a great interest in the sports , remaining on the ground for more than an hour .

London , at this season of the year , without some sort of amusement for those who are obliged to remain , would be dull indeed , and accordingly we look to the Promenade Concerts to help us to some relaxation from the severer toils of business . Signor Arditi wields the baton , with

what effect our readers will understand well . The " classical " evenings are among the most popular , ancl on Wednesday a very numerous audience assembled , to hear a Beethoven selection , which included the Pianoforte Concert in E Plat

( No . 5 ) , and the Pastoral Symphony ( No . 5 ) , both of which were well received . Last night was to be devoted to Ballads , while a " Gounod Night " is announced for next Tuesday . May the series of Concerts prove a great success this year and always !

By the death of Commodore Goodenough , the Royal Navy loses a most valued officer . Captain Goodenough entered the service in 1844 , and had seen a considerable amount of active service on various stations . In 1870 ho

was appointed to the Pearl 1 / , as commodore of the second class and senior officer on the Australian station , and had received the thanks of the Colonial Office for his services prior to the cession of the Fiji Islands . Not many clays since , the Pearl anchored off Santa Cruz Island .

On the 12 th instant Captain Goodenough and party landed at Carlisle Bay , for the purpose of opening a friendly intercourse with the natives . They had been just an hour on shore , and the Captain was well satisfied with the progress made , when , just as they

were preparing to return , a native , only about four yards off , fired a poisoned arrow at the Commodore , ancl this struck him in the left side . The boats were shoved off , receiving , at the same time , several flights of arrows ; seven in all , including the Commodore and Sub-Lieutenant

Hawker , being wounded . Captain Goodenough and two of the crew have since died , and the rest , though doing well , have not yet been pronounced out of danger . Carlisle Bay Village was burned by the Pearl ' s boats , but this is a poor satisfaction to the Service for the loss of so ^ valuable an officer .

This being the season for regattas , especially on the South Coast , the dailies have been filled with accounts of the proceedings at the several meetings , held at Shanklin , Weymouth , Deal , Worthing ancl St . Leonards—both these last falling , unfortunately , on the same clay—ancl elsewhere .

We need not give details , but it is satisfactory to know the disappointments this year , in consequence of the weather , have been few and far between . Everywhere we read of success , and rejoice accordingly , for these regattas arc a great attraction to the shoals of visitors now scattered

along our coasts . Cricket , too , is still in vigorous activity , though , as wo recently remarked , the legitimate season will soon be at end . We note a somewhat rare event , namely ,

that Kent has scored a rather tall victory over Hampshire , whom she beat in a single innings , by 217 runs . Hants were all down in their first attempt for 34 , Holmes 11 being the only double figure . In their second innings they