A waggish chronicler, Longtoft, records that "A wander wit of Wiltshire, rambling to Rome to gaze at antiquities and there skrewing himsslf into the company of antiquarians, they entreated him to illustrate unto them that famous monument in his country called Stonage. His answer was that he had never seen, soaroe ever heard of it; whereupon they kicked him out of doors and bade him goe home and see Stonage." We shall see reason to believe that Stonehenge is the most ancient considerable work of man's hands in these islands.

Recently the famous monoliths and trilithons were the scene of ceremonial and convi viality, very unlike, it may be, the rites and ceremonies of ages ago, and yet recalling some of the pomp and ritual of those far-off times. The ancient order of Druids assembled in their hundreds, if not in their thousands, to accomplish "a souvenir and an excursion to Stonehenge," and to initiate, amid the surroundings of these moss-grown, age-weathered monuments, new members of their order. Convenient trains left Waterloo early, conveying not merely the members of metropolitan and provincial Grand Lodges, but also what is of equal moment in your modern "convivial, fraternal, and philanthropio societies," those properties which are the paraphernalia of their mystery. Arrived at Amesbury, which is the nearest town to Stonehenge, the brethren were conveyed by brakes to the famous spot on Salisbury Plain; and then, luncheon over, came the event of the day, the ceremony of initiation, by which Sir Edmund Antrobus, Bart, and some thirty others were introduced into the secrets and rights of the Order.

In the very olden days there was a real processional way in connection with most of these sacred circles of stones. They can still be discerned. But the modern Draid was content to make the way lined by the brethren, And to push the "profanum valgus," the rreverent crowd, aside. Nobody seemed greatly intent to learn what the mysteries were, except some few newspapers men, who, for the joke of the thing, joined the initiates. The procession from the refreshment tent to an improvised altar, near, if not within the puter circle of the prehistoric stones, was curious, if not imposing. There were bards in white robes and hoods, Druids bearing long rods, with scythe-shaped crooks at the end to but the sacred oak or the mistletoe, and Grand Draids in many-coloured robes of purple, green, blue, and other hues, and ancients with long, nowy boards, that really would have looked Druids had it not been for those weird blocks hard by that seemed to cry out, "Not the real hing. Buried is the irrevocable past, and you Dannot bring it to life again."

All the mysteries of initiation were in the Open. What happened, what terrible vows were xacted, what promises made, what veils coverng the arcana of Druidism were lifted may not be said. But everything was grand; the Most Noble Grand Arch G. A. Larnder, the Vice Grand Arch, the Grand Secretary, and all the other grand officials did their best to dignify the occasion; and so far as could be earned everything went grandly. In truth, this ceremonial picnic at Stonehenge is much to be ncouraged. Those mighty stones are a marvellous piece of our island story. There are two circles, an inner and outer. The outer was once of huge upright stones, with others resting on them, the whole forming a circuit of 300ft. The inner is of smaller blocksmany of them now fallen-obviously loss wrought, if, indeed, ever worked at all, with one or two exceptions. There are no such tones in the neighbourhood now. Salisbury Plain covers a chalk formation. Whence, then, id those hoary builders get their huge blocks, and how carry them to where they are ? It is probable that geology answers the question. One lot of stones may be "sarsen" stones, the bris of the Woolwich and Reading beds; here are vast numbers of such stones in some of the Wiltshire valleys. Farther, there are blue stones," so called, that have probably Deen carried here with the drift of the glacial period, as suggested by Professor Judd. The upposed transport of great blocks over long istances did not take place. More likely is it hat those early Britons found the stones on he Salisbury table-land, and they suggested he building of the temple.

Was it a temple 1 Yes, and thereby hangs a pretty story of science. Sir Norman Lockyer aving examined the san and star temples of Egypt, and Mr. Penrose having investigated he temples of Greece, and both having proved From astronomical data the probability that the wery age of these structures could be learnt From the stars, set to work to test the antiquiy of Stonehenge by the same methods. They rrived at the conclusion that Stonehenge was solar temple, that its old priests (Draids or re-Draid) were early astronomers, and that a ine drawn from the altar straight through the vente marked by the stones of the circle and he famous one outside, the Friar's Heel, pointd to the spot where the sun rose on Midsumher Day about 1,700 B.C. There had been two mples, and this conclusion referred to the atter. Curiously enough, Lord Avebary, who is n authority in pre-historic archeology, assigned he period to the Bronze Age, and Professor Howland to the Neolithic Age, which, accordmg to Sir John Evans, would be from 1,400 o 2,000 B.C. The astronomers and those who were guided by the flint implements found at Stonehenge thus closely agreed.

And that is a wondrous bit of our island fory-that there were men in Wilts at least 3,600 years ago, capable of erecting these pillars and circles of stone, and noting with xactitude the solstitial year-which means, of course, that long before the Christian era some real civilisation was existent in Britain. Der says of the Draids, "They taught many hings about the stars and their motions, of the size of the earth, the nature of things, and the power and majesty of the immortal goda." Possibly; bat Caesar was writing, it may be, secondhand information, and we need not attach too much weight to his account. Not Cesar, nor Imperial Rome, had been heard of when Stonehenge was put up, and those remains are more eloquent than any words of his can be. What would be the amazement of those buried ancients could they learn that the chipped flints they left behind them and the stars in the skies had told us what they were doing between three and four thousand years ago 1

According to latest reports, the cotton trade in the County Palatine is again prosperous, and, b.yond minor dispates which are coutinually cropping up in various districts, is unclouded, close upon 200,000 spinners, cardroom workers, weavers, winders, warpers and loom overlookers being employed on fall time. The close of last month aw the finish of the Wakes holidays, when the number of operatives in harness was further augmented, particularly in the Oldham area. The gloomy reports regarding a short cotton crop, airculated for their special behoof by interested parties, are being rapidly dissipated, the general opinion being that there will be an abun dant supply. Meanwhile, the support accorded to the British Cotton-Growing Association is accumulating slowly but surely, large number of workpeople, especially spinners, taking up shares.

That speculators have confidence in the future of the industry is evident by their readi ness to provide capital for the flotation of new milla, upwards of two million pounds worth of new mill property at the present tine being in course of erection in the Oldham, Rochdale, Ecoles, Pendlebury, Farnworth, Atherton and Bolton neighbourhoods. In Bolton area alone there are between 40 and 50 mills, containing, roughly, four millions of spindles. Amongst the largest hareholdera in some concerns are textile machinists, who, of course, are looking for orders for equipment. The average cost of modern mills is £1 per spindle, so that a faotory containing 90,000 spindles oosts £90,000. It is questioned whether in some quarters, in face of he growing competition abroad, this wholen'e building of new mills in warranted. Many experts are afraid that older concerns will have to go under if the building mania continues.

Disgusted with their treatment, disappointed with their rates of pay, and allured by the prospects of better trade at home, many Lancashire cotton operatives who have gone out to the United States and Canada are returning to the old country. In some Lancashire manufactaring localities there is now actually a dearth of capable weavers, and the ranks of the workers in the spinning branch, with the opening of so many new mills, are not overcrowded. Though the cotton season is supposed to have finished, consignments continue to reach the docks both from Amerion and Egypt. Daring the past week the "Ascuncion de Larringa" and the "Manchester Commerce" arrived, the first carrying 8,559 bales from Galveston, and the second 526 bales from Philadelphia. Those advanced the season's shipment to 548,475 bales, a number far away in excess of that recorded at this time in any previous year. The shipment at the corre sponding date last year was 364,542 bales, in 1903 478,136 bales, and in 1902 420,186 bales. It will thus be seen that the record has been exceeded by over 70,000 bales. There is also a very happy state of affairs in conneetion with the Egyptian shipment. Previous records have been broken, and the canal company are justly proud of the achievement, especially seeing that the total imports of cotton to England have fallen off this season as compared with last. Altogether Manchester received from Alexandria 183,552 bales, as against 148,143 at the corresponding date last year and 145,140 in 1903. Last September the canal company made strenuous efforts to induce shippers to use the canal and to make this the best season on record. It must be very gratifying to all concerned to find that their endeavours have met with so much success.

The week's traffic was rather heavier than usual. Many big boats arrived and sailed from the dooks, which were always a scene of much activity. Several consignments of timber reached the crowded storage grounds, one of the heaviest being brought from Chatham, N.B., by the "Therese." As usual, oil, grain, general merchandise and cattle arrived in large quantities, while plenty of cargo of a miscellaneous order was taken from Manches ter by the outgoing vessels.

From 7th to 21st May next, the second exposition of automobiles and motor boats will be held at Budapest, under the auspices of the "Hungarian Automobile Club," with the 00-operation of the leading members of the Hungarian aristocracy. Mr. Louis Pelberman, Knight of the Imperial Order of Francis Joseph, and Mr. Joseph Offord, M.8.B.A., have, been appointed delegates for Great Britain and the Colonies.

The lake in the city park of Budapest will be specially reserved for motor boat competitions, and the vast waterways of Hungary are most suitable for this form of propulsion. All articles of motor sport and garments and coessories will be included in the display, and any intending exhibitors of this class of manu facture are likely to obtain a new and expand ing market for such goods.