MRS. WILTON.  “The Isle of Wight has, from time immemorial, been eulogized for its beautiful scenery.  It is about twenty-three miles from east to west, and twelve from north to south.  You have all heard of the Needles, which obtained their name from a lofty pointed rock on the western coast, bearing a resemblance to that little implement; and which, with other pieces of rock, had been disjointed from the mainland by the force of the waves.  This rock was 120 feet high.  About seventy years ago, it fell, and totally disappeared in the sea.  The height of the cliffs now standing, is in some places 600 feet, and, when viewed from a distance, they are magnificent in the extreme.  In this island her majesty Queen Victoria has a delightful residence.

“Guernsey is the most westerly of the Channel Islands:  it is eight miles one way, and six miles the other, very fertile, with a mild and healthy climate.  A striking object presents itself on approaching Guernsey, called Castle Cornet, situated on a rock somewhat less than half a mile from the shore, entirely surrounded by water, supposed to have been built by the Romans, and formerly the residence of the governors.”

MR. BARRAUD.  “I have read a curious description of a most remarkable thunder storm, which visited this place in December, 1672.  It is as follows:—­

“On Sunday night, about 12 o’clock, the magazine of the castle was blown up with the powder in it by the lightning.  The night was very stormy and tempestuous, and the wind blew hard.  In an instant of time, not only the whole magazine containing the powder was blown up in the air, but also the houses and lodgings of the castle, particularly some fair and beautiful buildings, that had just before been erected at great expense, under the care and direction of Lord Viscount Hatton (then governor.) who was at the same time within the buildings of the castle, all which buildings were with many others, reduced to a confused heap of stones, and several persons buried in the ruins.  In the upper part of the castle, at a place called the New Buildings, was killed by the accident the dowager Lady Hatton, by the fall of the ceiling of her chamber, which fell in four pieces, one of them upon her breast, and killed her on the spot.  The Lady Hatton, wife to the governor, was likewise destroyed in the following manner:—­Her ladyship, being greatly terrified at the thunder and lightning, insisted (before the magazine blew up,) upon being removed from the chamber she was in to the nursery; where, having caused her woman to come also to be with her, in order to have joined in prayer, in a few minutes after, that noble lady and her woman fell a sacrifice, by one corner of the nursery-room falling in upon them, and were the next morning both found dead.  In the same room was also killed a nurse, who was found dead, having my lord’s second daughter fast in her arms, holding a small silver cup in her hands, which she usually played with, and which was all rimpled and bruised.  Yet the young lady did not receive the least hurt.  The nurse had likewise one of her hands fixed upon the cradle, in which lay my lord’s youngest daughter, and the cradle was almost filled with rubbish:  yet the child received no sort of prejudice.  A considerable number of other persons were all destroyed by the same accident."[5]