Frank Sanborn was the youngest member of the notorious "Secret Six" that had funded and encouraged John Brown's activities.  The Senate Committee investigating the Harpers Ferry Raid called him to testify and then issued a warrant for his arrest when he did not appear.  Soon after the warrant was issued, Sanborn fled to Canada.  He was arrested in April on his return but released on a writ of habeas corpus the next day.  (By John Osborne)

The North Wind, was an American-built clipper ship, owned and operated by a British company with a largely American crew.  She had left London under its Captain H.Z. Morton in November and arrived in New South Wales in January, having officially completed the voyage in 67 days, the fastest yet recorded between the two ports.  (By John Osborne)

The International Hotel was the first American owned hotel to open in Japan and catered exclusively to foreigners.  Hakodadi was one of the ports opened to British and American business in the recently signed trade agreements.  It sits on the southern end of Hokkaido, the most northern island of the Japanese chain, then called Yezo.  (By John Osborne)

The Univers was a Catholic newspaper under the editorship of Louis Veuillot.  As Napoleon III and the Papacy had come into increasing conflict over affairs in Italy, the Univers had supported the Pope.  When the paper published an encyclical letter from Rome without permission, the French Government closed it down by Imperial decree.  (By John Osborne)