Star. — London, England, 1824-10-11 00:00:00

AFRICAN ANTS. (From Dopris' Abortive.) is The voracity with which they surprise their prey and assail him at all vulnerable points, exceeds that of 10-1 costs, when they alight in a field of corn; for when once the attack is commenced, no bodily effort of the victim will avail him. Flight is generally impotent, unless it should lead him to a pool,. when a natural in stinct, occasioned by the burning pain, induces him to pi.inge into the water. This kind of ant, say the Ashan• t•s!,, is not the only plague of all other animals, but ai-r of every class of their own species, and of the red ant in particular. If I may be indulged in a whimsical comparison, I will suggest a resemblance between these diminutive freebooters and the Arabs, who, alike mi gratory, rove over the surface of the country, and esta blish a temporary residence where it meets their views, often to the terror and in defiance of neighbouring towns. Thus the black ants in myriads will trace a particular course, and pursue that track in exact and thick embodied file, over in extent perhaps of miles, until they fix upon a spot to their liking, where they erect little conical habitations, which may be said figu ratively to bear a similitude to the Arabian tent, both in colour and form. The red ants, on the contrary, raise solid mounds of clay. which are cemented with a meci laginous substance that binds the parts together in an indissoluble incrustation, and bids defiance to any vio lence short of the pick-axe. The intrusion of the black ants is thus effectually prevented ; but whenever their entrenched prey venture abroad, or are observed in re pairing and augmenting their habitations, which they frequently du, a chase ensues, and thousands become the victims cf their opponents, who sometimes force an entrance even into the nest itself. I was present once when a hillock was perforated in order to obtain what is commonly termed the Queen, or mother ant, which is an unwieldy insect, two inches in length, and one in circumference, formed in head and shoulders like the common ant, with a white body like that of a maggot. This insect resides in a separate cell, at the very foun dation of the hillock, and is said to be gifted with such inexhaustible fecundity, as to bring forth its myriads in daily and unceasing repetition. The act of cutting through the surface was laborious; but that effected, the earth crumbled as it usually does. The cells resem bled those of the hornet, and were generally in diago nal rows, but without order or regularity. The labour was ultimately attended with success, in the discovery of the is queen mother." During the process, the red ants fled 'in all directions, and vainly endeavoured to recover their cells, while they were assaulted by a troop of black ants, who, in despite of a vigorous resistance, devoured their prey on the spot, or carried it off between their nippers. The black ant, it is said, will fearlessly attack any animal, not exempting mankind; but parti cularly infants, whom they frequently destroy and de vour. The panther is not too strong for them to cope with, the rat is not too subtile, nor is the squirrel too active ; vigilance and force are equally unavailing. They will even, as the Ashantees report, seek the abodes of serpents, and entering their holes, allow the reptile no chance of escaping. The hanging nests of small black ants were also very numerous in the trees, where, it would appear, they choose their abode as a security against attacks of the universal enemy." MR. DUPUIS' ENTRANCE INTO COOMASSY. (Font tee maw.) " My palanquin was on a sudden arrested in the main avenue, by a deputation of Caboceers, who paid a formal congratulation on behalf of the King. It was Sai's de sire, they added, that I should repair to the market place until the Court assembled. Here, therefore, I alighted under the shade of some high trees, reposing for a while front the scorching blaze of the sun, now about commencing his descent from the meridian. The at mosphere, too, was in a manner stifled by the pressure of the multitude. A pause of twenty minutes .ufficed for the approaching ceremony, and we again bent for. ward in orderly ranks to an angle that opened into the place of audience, from whence another salute was fired. A silence, however, like that of the forest, succeeded as the echoes died away; and as the smoke dispersed, the view was suddenly animated by assembled thousands in full costume, seated upon the ground in the form of an extensive semicircle, where the Chiefs were distinguished from the commonalty by large floating umbrellas or canopies, fabricated from cloth of various hues. These officers, only, were seated upon stools that elevated their heads just above those of their attendants. An avenue not wider than the footway in the forest, was the space allotted for walking in the line of Chiefs, leading to the station where the King was seated. The etiquette was of a character cortesponding with other ceremonies. All the ostentatious trophies of negio splendour were emblazoned to view. Drums of every size, from five or six inches in length to the dimensions of as many feet, occasionally deco' ated with human relics, abounded in ad directions; and in some (although few instances,) the skull. of vanquished foemen, and strings of human teeth, were glaringly exposed on the persons of the youthful captains. Ivory horns, similarly ornamented, reed flutes, calabash rattles, and clanking bits of fiat iron, composed the various bands in front of the Ca bocce' s " At last I approached the avenue where the King was seated. The martial instruments surrounding the throne suddenly burst upon the hearing in heavy peals, and the household daves advanced, honrishing their scymi ters over my bead with menacing violence. This threat ening ceremony was directed with tenovating vigour as I advanced to take the King's hand, but having as it were won the contested honour in the late struggle, my opponents quietly suffered me to enjoy the prize, for the music ceased, the guards retired front the' presence ' and I was quietly permitted to pay my re spects. The King extended his hand with great corn. ;lucency, yet with a dignity that created admiration ani respect. for it was even more than national. The features of the Monarch were placid, yet serious, wi.h the exception of his eyes, which seemed rivetted in good natured admiration, although they were not permittei to convey this feeling to the muscles of his face. The salutation murmured by the Sovereign was re-echoed by an officer in . attendance, and reported to me as fol lows Sai thanks to the gods he sees you, and the other white men, and all your people. "The royal chair was a specimen td some ingenuity, yet the workmanship ve as rude. Its arms aad legs were carved from the solid into grotesque forms, and em bossed with little ornamental casts of gold. Several caboceets in waiting were decorated with mas s ive gold • • . 11311 g AV "MI P t 6. •••4C 4 A . . a • 4 4 , ert t • breast-plates, chains of the same metal, and solid lumps of roclogold, of the weight, perhaps, of a pound or' ike each. The royal messengers stood behind the Sove reign, shouldering by the blades large crooked sabres, the emblems of their offices, and displaying the reversed hilts, cased in thin g old sheathing. In another po sition, at the back of the King's chair, p select few stood erect, as guards, add were armed with common English muskets in gold casing, and habited in grotesque ap parel The author then describes at great length the dress of the guards and other attendants, and then that of the King. " He was modestly habited in a large cloth or hayk of figured cotton, cast off from both shoulders, and rest ing negligently in loose folds upon the loins and thighf.' From his naked shoulder was suspended a thick silk plait or cord, to which were attached a string of amu lets cased in gold, silver, and silk. A massive gold chain ercircled his waist, in the form of a zone, below the navel; and a variety of clumsy gold rings covered his fingers, thumbs, and toes. On the left knee he wore a band - age,kor fillet of silk, and plaited weed, interwoven with gold beads and amulets, terminating with a taste ful tassel, that hung at low as the calf of the leg." A one•pound Chertsey note, one of those stolen from the Buckingham coach, has been returned to' Messrs. Bartlett and Co. A person attempted to pass it at Croydon Fair, who, on being asked of whom he had received it, pretended to go, accompanied by an Officer, to tied the person ; but when in the midst of a crowd he contrived to make his escape, and was not again seen. INCREASE OF STEAM VESSELS.--Four steam-boats now ply from Rotterdam into the interior of Holland, and a fifth is to ply to Hamburg. A vessel built of iron and to move by steam, is building, to go between Rot terdam and Cologne; she is constructing on the plan of the English steam-boats which go between Rotterdam and London. An unfortunate accident occurred the week before last, at Radcliff-on•Trent, about five miles from Nottingham : a boat was proceeding to that town, on board of which, amongst other passengers, were a man and his son, a youth about seventeen years of age, going to the fair with goods from Yorkshire ; the young man sat on the side of the vessel, then under a press of sail, when the mast fell upon his head, and it is supposed instantly killed him, as he fell overboard into the river, and never arose to the surface ; neither had his body been found so late as Tuesday last. On travelling in Iceland, an Englishman would almost be tempted is believe that all the Clergymen are Baro nets, as the names Sira John, Sins Thomas, Sirs Mar cus, &c. are constantly ringing in his ears ; but in an cient Scottish writings we not only find " Sir," or Schir," prefixed to the names of persons of different ranks, but it appears to have been given as a title to ordinary Priests, till after the period of the Reforma tion. We find the same addition given to Clergymen in England in Sbakspeare's time. French notes, explanatory of the text of an English author, are sometimes highly diverting. In this we have an instance of a note upon a work in which the words " purlieus of St.Giles's" occur, which the French translator explains, by saying that they signify " Cer taiga terres dessembries de fords royaks, d stir ksguelks k proprietaire a droit de chasse."—(" Certain lands dis membered from the royal forests, and on which the proprietor has right of chase." The translator has found the word purlieus so explained in some old dictionary. The word was originally confined to the sense which the Frenchman ascribed to it. A Collar.—ln the month of July, a Comet was dis covered by M. POWs, at Manly, which there is strong reason to believe is the same that he ob served in 1802. Signor CATOCCl s second astronomer at the Royal Obser vatory, and Signor Dir. Re, a Student at the same Observatory, have made the following observations on this Comet in September: CAPOCCL Passage to the Perihelion 29 deg. at Ima Perihelion distance 1051 The San's distance pan Du. Rs. 50 deg. at 10.eas, 1'036 the Earth being Unity ; Longitude of the bound big Node - • 279 deg. 19 min. 279 deg. 42 min. Inclination of the Orbit 54 41 53 42 Place of the Perihelion in the Orbit - 4 24 5 45 Further observations continue to be made, with a view to ascertain the identity of this Comet with that of 1802, registered in the third vol. of DelantLre's Astro momy. Several circumstances concur to render it pro bable that they are the same; particularly the small degree of light which they both possess, the indistinct ness of nucleus, and the nebulosity so very thin, as to chew through it stars of the 9th or 10th magnitude, with little, if any, diminution of their lustre. EAITHQUAUL—At San Pidro in Bagno, in the Grand Duchy of Tuscany, several earthquakes of minor importance have been lately felt. Between the morning of the 12th and that of the 13th of August, not less than 20 shocks were distinctly perceived. Three, to lerably strong, occurred about seven o'clock, which made the Church bells ring. At Selvapiana, which was the spot most affected, a wall was thrown down, but happily without injuring any person. During the following day and night, the earthquakes continued, but with trifling effect. A haziness of the atmosphere and a particular kind of obscurity about the Sun were the phenomena remarked immediately previous to these convulsions of Nature. King James came in progress to the house of Sir William Pope, Knight, where his Lady had lately been delivered of a daughter. The babe was presented to the King, with a paper of verses in her hand, of which the following is a copy, with which his Majesty was greatly pleased. " See, this little mistress here Did never sit in Peter's chair, Or a triple crown did wear, And yet she is a Pope ! No benefice sbe ever sold, Nor did dispense with sins for gold, She hardly is a se'nnight old, And yet she is a Pope! No King her feet did ever kiss, Or had irons her worse look than this, Nor did she ever hope To saint one with a rope, And yet she is a Popel— A female Pope, you'll say—a second Joan; No, sure—she is fte hissocentror none !" Mr. Martin, of Galway, upon the eve of a former general election, was asked. 4 , Who were the candidates likely to be returned?' .4 Why," said Mr. Martin, ig there are three of us. Daly, I think, is safe. The other two are Kirwan and myself." ss And which of you will be the other succes4ul candidate?" said the qucrist. "Why, the survivor, to be sure!" replied Mr. • FAN PIEMEN'S LAND, APRIL, 1824. • ' I was well received by the Governor, who, after a short acquaintance, I found disposed to serve me; my grange made of the first class, 2,000 acres, and allowed me to fix on the Government reserve. lam nominated a Magistrate of the District, a situation of some im portance here, which entitles me to provisions for my self and family, together with four servants perma nently, added to some patronage and mucje influence in the country; in civil cases at law I am assessor of damages as a Magistrate, and my rank - is the navy makes me Foreman of the Jury in criminal ones, hold ing the oldest commission, I understand, in the island. We remained as short a time as possible in Hobart town, and proceeded up the country—or, as it is termed here, got into the bush as soon as we could ; we bought wir bullocks and carts, hired others, and departed, pitching our tents by the road side at night ; we had not to encounter the inconvenience of living in a tent after our arrival, as the Governor lent us the Go ' vernment-house, close to our grant. We soon broke up twelve or fourteen acres of land, and got in some wheat; barley, oats, peas, and potatoes. H— and C— working hard at a garden, which soon repaid their labours. Almost all our seeds succeeded. Build ing our house, and fencing land is now our occupation ; while this is going on, our sheep increase, our cows furnish calves, and we shall now make butter and cheese; with mutton, therefore, and beef, potatoes, peas, turnips, kangaroo soup; tea at 2s. 6d. per pound; sugar, from the Isle of France, at2irl.—we cannot are ill. The convicts I find much better servants than I expected; the climate is healthy, the advantages equal to what I anticipated, and last, though not least, H.'s health, I think, even by a few months' residence, per fectly restored. I need hardly observe, there are those who are dissatisfied everywhere, and under any circum stances; we lave, therefore, our grumblers. I, how ever, feel all the luxury of my situation, and feel every day the absence of rent, rates, and taxes ; my horse costs me nothing for his keep—my land is my own— the light of Heaven is admitted to our dwelling gratis— I can ride twelve miles round my own land, and no body accuses me of trespass. lam satisfied, and enjoy more happiness than I have done for years ; let not any reports of distress in this country render you uneasy on our account, we shall do well—and my only regret is, that I did not get out here some years sooner. I can imagine nothing more independent than our situation; I have everything about me that I want, with the ex ception of tea, sugar, wine, dm which may be had in exchange for our fleeces. The advantages of breeding sheep are certainly great —land for nothing ; 100 ewes will give you in twelve or fifteen months 200 lambs, which at twelve months old produce lambs themselves; judge then in what a rapid manner your capital increases by the increase of your stock, independent of the wool; your 100 ewes would give you 400 lbs. of wool at Is per lb. in one year, this you perceive is 20 per cent. per annum, merely by the fleece, on the capital embarked (100/4 It occurs to me that I have given you a flattering account of the commercial prosperity of this place, and at the same time tell you remittances cannot be made; the reason is this, there is a Bank establishing, and the cir culating medium here is almost entirely withdrawn ; hitherto every shopkeeper and tradesman issued notes, and there has been scarcely anything else received; the prospect of a Bank has induced people to refuse this kind of payment. The notes are for one or more, dollars on demand; these are now presenting for pay ment, and as many have issued without having dollars, much distress is occasioned, and houses, stock and pro petty, of all kinds, are selling to take up the notes, and a general distrust prevails, this will subside when the bank is established, and we learn by the new Commis sary, that the premium on Treasury Bills will be re moved. We are all well, and I repeat, that I rejoice that I came to this country. MANUFACTURZIL.--.A merchant of Gottenburg has invented a machine which can manufacture 10,000 nails in a minute. A patent has been granted to this mr chanic, whose name is Umgewitx. The river Yokulsa, in Iceland, is crossed in the follow ing terrific manner. Two ropes are suspended from the edge of the precipice on either side, on which a basket or wooden box is hung sufficiently large to con tain a man and an ordinary horse-butthen. Into this box the traveller must descend, and pull himself by means of a rope, over the yawning abyss • while, owing to the looseness of the main ropes, the box sinks with rapidity till it reaches the middle, and threatens, by the sudden stop it there makes, to dislodge its contents into the flood. The principal danger, however, attends the passage of the horses. They are driven into the river a little higher up ; and, if they do not swim to a cer tain point formed by the projection of a sock, they are precipitated over a dreadful cataract, and lost. One night, during SINCLAIR'S performance in Edin burgh, a curious incident occurred. After the crowd of coaches at the box-door had diminished, and left the portal clear, an old woman from the causeway-side, dressed in a clean mutch, a.red cloak, and white apron, after the fashion of poor Scottish women on gala occa sions, moved slowly and decently up to the box-keeper, whom it appears she took for an elder " herd in the penny," and thus addressed him—" Oh, Sir, is there ane John Sinclair sings here?" " Ay, ay," quoth Cer berus. " A weel, aweel, I'm glad I've fund him at last, after sic a lang tramp. But. Sir, where's your brode? I dinna see't here, and troth I maun put in a bawbee or a penny, for auld acquaintance sake wi John, for ye see, Sir, I kend John langsyse, when he was just a bit cal Rant, rinnin skirlin about the doors amens our ain bairns ! Deed, Sir, I was at John's kirsinnang I" Se saying, she rummaged the " gulf profound" of a pouch hung by her side, which resembled in shape and size Mr. Hunter's violoncello, and was about to affront the ben - keeper with the offer of a douceur, when that worthy '1 gruffly told her to be gone about her business, and cll-, rected a police-officer to turn her out of doors. The' poor woman of course exclaimed loudly against this treatment, and said something about seeing "John him sel ;" but the harsh order was rigorou'ly enfoi ced.— However, a Gentleman, who was then entering the' 'theatre, and heard the whole proceeding, interested him self in her cause, and though he could not in etiquette introduce her to the boxes, generously made her happy by a ticket to the lower gallery: STREET CHARITY.—" Thousands," says Mandeville, " give money to beggars, from the same motive as they pay their corn-cutter—to walk easy ; and many a half penny is given to impudent and designedly persecuting rascals, whom, if it could be done handsomely, a man would cane with much greater satisfaction. Yet all this, by the courtesy of the country, is called charity." POLICE INTELLIGENCE. MANSTON-HOOSS Zees, the beadle of Coopers b Hall, was re-examined on the charge of brutally assaulting his wife, an aged woman, wham he had re . cently married, for the sake of the property she had saved, after many years persevering industry% The poor woman was condu cte d to the office in a helpless condition, fturn the effects of the cian. gerous wound she had received on the head; and relattki the bar. barons conduct of her husband since he had deprived her of her little property, and she had refused to leave his house without som e provision being made for her future maintenance. A cap, a n d some articles of dress which she wore on the evening in question, were produced, nearly saturated with coagulated blood. On the cap were the evident marks of a knife the prisoner had used when 1 1 he iniiceed the wound. The Lora Maros' said, it was a great question, in his mind, whether be ought not to commit the prisoner to Newgate, fur au■ liciously stabbing, with the intent to murder his wife. it was err tainly one of the must atrocious assaults that had ever come before him • and although he, in listening to the arguments of his (the prisoner's) Solicitor, had determined on relinquishing the canitai charge, he should take care that excellent bail was taken fur his ar pearance at the Sessions. The defendant was then taken back to prison, as no one would come forward to bail him. BOW-STREET. W. Thatcher was brought up on suspicion of haring stolen & horse from a field at Bayswater. T. Page deposed, that on Ft Way he saw the prisoner, in company with another man, on a bay colt. He offered to sell it to his companion for £lB, but afterwards agreed to take £l6los. Witness knowing the colt to be worth double the money, suspected all was pot right, and detained the prisoner. Mr. Butler (Mr. llarmer's clerk), attended for the pi. aoner, who declined saying anything in his defence. He was ; v . mended, and the calk ardered to be advertised. UNION-HA LL. Jo h* Ikekinglsm, a methodist, who has been preaching among the poor people in the neighbourhood of Stamford-bill, was charged With deserting his wife and family of small children, by which they bad become burthensome to the parish. This fellow, by trade a, shut porker, before he deserted his family, was in the regular habit of re. ceiving half a vines a week from the parish funds, and after he had left them in the west deplorable condition, the family was allowed 14s. per week. About a year before his detection, the Parish Officers were called on by a woman in deep mourning, who said, Mr. Beck_ Ingham was her brother, and that he had lately died, and had been buried in St. Luke's, and, therefore, the Elvish might save itself the trouble of making further inquiries about him. From that time tilt last week, he was presumed to be dead, but then a female intormed Snow that be had been preaching about Stamford-hill, and by re. presenting himself as a single man, bad prevailed upon her to pro. muse hint marriage. She, however, found out that his tale *as false, and threatened to expose him, upon which he left his lodgings it debt, and went to live a few miles off, and induced a labourer to grant him the use of his house, where he held meeting;, at which be ful• minated his cant and hypocrisy under tie pretence of promulgating the precepts of religion. He there again ingratiated himself into the affections of one of his female followers, and had promised bet mar riage, but was prevented by Snow, who had him taken into custody. The Magistrate (IA B. Ausx, Esq.) deprecated the scandalous conduct of the defendant, and sentenced him to three months en. joyment of the Mill at &ixton. Wednesday night, a man named Giltinane, and his two children, were burnt to death by a fire, which broke out in his house at Donogrogue, county Chile. Between the hours of two and four o'clock yesterday morning, a daring burglary was committed on the pre mises of Serle's coffee•house, Carey-street, Chancery. lane. The thieves effected an entrance through the area grating, and packing up a considerable quantity of plate, got clear off with that, and a gilt metal watch, with a chased gold key, seal, and ring It is supposed that the robbery most have been committed by some person acquainted with the premises. A singular equipage has been seen for the last six months in the streets of Munich. It is a calash drawn by two enormous wolves, which M. W. K. formerly a merchant at St. Petersburgb, found very young in a wood near Wilna, and has so well tamed that they have all the docility of horses. These animals are harnessed exactly like our carriage horses, and have entirely lost their ferocious instinct. The police have only required that they should be muzzled. M. W. K. parades the city in this equipage several times a day, and always attracts an immense crowd. An Irishman, some years ago, attending the Univer sity of Edinburgh, waited upon one of the most cele brated teachers of the German Bute, desiring to know on what terms he would give him a few lessons? The fiuteaplayer informed him that he generally charged two guineas for the first month, and one guinea for the second. " Then, - by my fait," replied the Hibernian, " I'll come the second month." TArra.—There is now in the possession of a Gentle• man at Crediton, part of the skin of the late JOl3ll Thurtell, tanaed.—Eseler Flyikg Post. BIRTHS. Thursday, the Lady of Mr. Alderman Garrett, the Lord Mayor Elect, of a son. Friday senniglit, the Lady of Mr. Serjeant Were, Master if Downing College, Cambridge, of a daughter, at Downing Lodge. MARRIED. The lst instant, at Walthamstow, the Rev. John Bridges Cider, IL A. and Fellow of Oriel College, to Caroline, youngest daughter of the late Benjamin Travers, Raq. Monday, at his house, at Brecknock, the Rev. David Williams, LLB. one of his Majesty's Justices for that county, aged 82 thirty seven years Rector of Salaam Tony, Norfolk, and late Fellow of New College. The Living isin the gift of the Walden and Fellows of that Society. The sth hist. at Dedham, Margaret, second daughter of the late Major General Borthwick, of the Royal Artillery, to George Round, Dag. of Leiden, near Colchester. At Upper Deal, Lieutenant Humbree, Royal Marines, to Miss Jane Winter, of Deal. Tuesday, at Rugby, the Rev. George Winstanley, Rector Of Glentleld, Leicestershire, to Mary Prances, only cblld of the Rev. William Birch. • At Semer, Suffolk, Alexander Maclean, M.D. of Colchester, to Jane, daughter of the Rev. C. Cook. Sept. 50, at Thorn Falcon, near Taunton, Somerset, the Rev. John Browne, Hawkins, M.A. late of Bittesvell,near Lotterworth, Leicestershire, to Miss Whitmore, of Perry Hill,Sydenham, in Kent, third daughter of Mr. Whitmore, of Westerharn. At Battersea, the Rev. John Bunter, of Finchinfield. Essex, to Miss Wright, eldest daughter of the late Benjamin Wright, Fug of Clapham Common. DIED. Sept. le, at Colchester, agetiW,lady Catherine, relict of Sir C. Marsh, of Reading. Friday se'nnight. at Ramsgate, the Rev. John Whitehouse, M. A. Rector of Orlingbary, Northamptonshire, and formerly of the town of Bedford. Sept. 30, at Eastbourne, Sussex, Henrietta Loci's, infant daugh ter of the Rev. John Austen, of Chevening, in Kent. Tuesday, at Thornton Hall, Bucks, the Rev. George Turner, a Prebendary in the Cathedral Church of Lincoln, and Vicar of Wrathy, in the same County. At 'Maine, aged 80, the Rev. James Martin, upward of 50 years Reader at the Cathedral of that Diocese. MA I ....d.. 2 0 2 0 Its DAT. Dublin Waterford Goerusey sad Jersey 1 0 Usk* It 0 Ereflood 1 0 Jamaica 0 0 •1L Do& Fran. 1 • Hamburg 1 0 Flanders 1 1 Brasile 0 • Gmienburgb I • America 0 • HIGH- W ATER at LONDON-BRIDGE TO-MORROW. Yoram% - 15 =mums lifter S Attentaue • • - 3$ mass attar S Louoos : Ptitited and Published iyrJ. F. Ksat.v, at the flate. Orrin, No. 1, Ptebat-Place, Duple-Bus. ~~ ■ to * pod -f4 rf!' • .... N 4•110 nig ?a, , Vi me sr to tb 11,1 vl r J ,~: is i ',