The National Register. — London, England, 1821-02-12 00:00:00

r Mr. Justice Bayley, passing jiii!,, , mient, said, " you have been convicted of a libel, and it is one, I in .y venture to say, of the most mischiet MN, wicked, and pernicious tendency that ever proceeiled front the pen of man. Takin g the circumsiances of the case under c.m sideration, the character of the libel, and the evil ten dency it has, the Court, in the duly it has to discharge for the benefit of the public, do order and adjudge that youi be imprisowil in the house of correction, Culdbath fields, fur twelve calendar months." The defendant asked whether it was to be in solitary confinement. Mr. Justice Bayley said the Court made no order on that subject. The thiial rule would be observed. TUE KING V EDMONDS Mr. Clarke stated ru the Court that he should call for judgment upon the defendant to-mortow. The defendant being ordered to attended from (Icy to day; was called by tile officer, but did 1114 appear. lr.Cl-trke then said, if the defendant did not ap pear to-morrow, lie should move to vstreat his recog -1113411CC. ALGO.4 BAY. The following letter from Mr. James Watts, an industrious man, who ay.:iled hims:lf of the oppor tunity offered by government in improve his fortune in Africa, affords the must encouraging and satis factory information as to the probable prosperity of the colony. Dear Sir, Graham's. Town, Oct. 31. 1820. Several months have elapsA since. we saw each other; but though out of sight, not out of mind, for your friendship 1 hold in the highest estimation. The cause of so much delay has been from want of time to write, and to carry my letter to the post office, being near eight miles from Graham's Town, 23 miles from Bathurst; and, added to this, I wanted to become better acquainted with the coun try before I could give any account whatever. The land in general is not so fertile as was expected by rainy, chiefly on account of its unlevel surtitee; but it is a prevailing opinion that it will be better after a year or two's cultivation: like all other fresh broken up ground, it wants working and mixing. We have a small river runs at the bottom of our land, which I believe is never dry, and is excellent water; but the lxittom of it is a vast depth from the surface of the ground, and there being but little water in it in the summer, it gives no nourishment to the land in general, except thrown on by pumps or engines ; but in many places strong springs of water issue out of the mountains, which are an invaluable acquisition to water gardens, where they are to be found ; but we are not so fortunate at present us to discover any. The potatoes brought from England grow very badly here ; and those that are reared in the country shrive very well. None of the seeds brought from England, thrive as well as those that arc natural to the colony. Cattle rose in price very much at our first coming to this place; the following is about the average price at present:—a bullock, broke in for work, 30 to 50 rix dollars; a cow in calf, oc with her calf by her side, 1G to 20 rix dollars; sheep, wether, 3 rix dollars and a half; ewe with a lamb by her side, the same price ; goat, with a lid four and a half rix dollars; without, three and a half, if not with kid. The rix dollars are two shillings currency, the shillings are threepence each, a stiver one halfpenny. There is very little English money in circulation here except penny pieces ; there are fimr shilling, two shilling, and one shilling notes, which are the smallest Dutch money passing. I have not seen a sliver yet. Meat is cheap at Graham's Town : you may have five pounds fir fonr shillings, and beef us cheap ; every other article fur domestic use is very dear, but we are likely to have things cheap, as Algoa Bay is made a free port, and the Cow river is proved to be navigable, a vessel laden with stores having been brought up it within eight wiles of Bathurst. %We are not in possession of much timber, though suflicient for what we want to build with; we have plenty for firewood, and shall have for years to come at no expellee, only the trou ble of fetching. The oxen in this colony in general are large, strong, and active, but rather unruly, owing to the wild manner in which the Hottentots drive theta, they being the principal waggoners of the colony, they arc driven ten or twelve in a team, called by the Dutch a span The cows are a fair size, comely and well shaped, but almost unmanageable ; it is not possible to milk a cow without her calf by her side, and then she gives but a small quantity at a time, scarcely exceeding two quarts, their dugs and hudders being particularly small. The mutton is well-flavoured, but small, a sheep seldom weighing .501bs. ; the average weight is but 3ulhs. They have tails of various sizes, from 4lbs. to 10 or 12161. Government has been very kind to us; we have not received the second and third parts of our de posit money, but we have bad provisions in lieu thereof: We are not troubled with wild and savage beasts, as it was predicted, though at first one of the party lost two goats, by what is commonly called here a tiger-cat ; but so,n that, or wine THE NATIONAL REGIsTER. other, got shot, and after that a small sort of pather shared the same fate by the same person. There have not been any visitors of that description since. We at first often heard jackadls howling round us, two or three at a time, in different directions, in the night, and sometimes the wolf, bat lately they have left us, and have neither been seeunor heard. The monkeys are the only things that stop by us, and they are rather numerous ; they have been counted, and prove to be 120 in a drove, within 300 yards of our cottages. NVe sec nothing of the crocodile, which was represented to us in such frightful terms. There is a great variety of snakes, and the bite of some of them is said to be mortal. Very tiny fish except crabs. There is a great variety of birds, and some extremely handsome. There is a small sort of guinea fowl in tolerable quantities. We have no great quantity of game ; the spring buck lying on each side of us, about 60 or WO miles, going about in herds or 500 in each, as is conjectured. There is no beast to he feared but the elephant ; and they also lie on each side of us, but fir remote from us. We' have not us yet been the least troubled with the Cares, though the Dutch preach up what dis turbances may be expected from them. I hope sou and Mrs, Portsmouth are both well, and also Win. Shackle; please to tell him, if he means to come to Africa, to be sure and bring his wife w►th him. If I had known before I left what I do non, I would have brought mine ; far a married life here cannot be attended with so much disadvantage and una voidable difficulty as it is in England. IVe have no rent to pay, nor taxes, nor tiring ; and in a few years time we shall be able to subsist on our own produce, in a better state of health than I ever en joyed in England. I feel myself comfortable in a land bereft of ex cisemen. Beer I have not seen since we left Eng land, though there is some at Cape Town. I wish you all well in Cowley—all my friends and acquaintances; and may we all increase daily i❑ that better part which shall not he taken limn us, i, the curliest prayer of Your bumble aud affectionate friend and servant, J AMES Wart's. Direct J. Watts, Graham's Toxn, Southern Dis trict of Albany, Southern Africa. To be left at the post-Jflice till called for. 10I'S COLLIERIES. We are sorry to stale that. disturb:wes, which have beets followed by fatal results, have broken out in the mining districts in tie neigmbourhodel of V.',lltogton, Shropshire, owing to a former reductiou of wages by the iron-masters. Out Friday the 9d inst. it was fottn.l necessary to call out the two toto i ts of Yeomanry, smiler the command of Lieut.-Colonel (Amide, the numerous special constables who had been sworn in having found it quite unequal to their duty of revolting the rioters front stopping the various winks. Toe cavalry, accompanied by all the magistrates there, Mond the ritnersassenthled in a tutuultoosis manner between Daiv ley and Maims Lee, to the number of nearly 3,000, and after they had been urged in vain to disperse, the Riot Act was read to thesis, and they were again entreated to return iwaceably to their honors. Unfortunately they refused so to do, and at the expiration of an hour the yeomanry 'staved forward to assist the constables, when they were enabled to secure several of the colliers, who appeared to act as ringleaders. The cavalry, headed by the otagistiates, were proceeding to escod. the prisoners to Wellington, when they were assailed in their passage bet wren some csitcler lulls. In the confusion which ensued, some of the prisoners escaped, and to prevent the rescue of the remainder, it, became necessary (in con sequence of the ground on which the rioters posted thentse:ves being inaccessMle) for the cavalry to make 'lse of their fire-arms. Six id the prisoners were, at length, conveyed to Weltimtton, and have since beets committed to the county gaol for trial at the next V. regret to slate, that one of the colliers was killed on ;he spot by the fire of the yeomanry, and that two were damleronsly (one of which is since dead) and several others set erely wounded. Two troops of the Shrewsbury yeomanry, under Cap tains Junk ms and Lloyd, an I the Ftidi of the Shropshire militia, under Capt. Mortimer. all of whom assembled at the shortest notice, joined Lietn.-Colonel Ciudde tot Saturday, and his Mrce was still further Merel-ad on Sunday, by the arrival of a troop of the pith Guards. 011 Nlotiday the whole mirched torougo the various works, with a view of protecting such of the colliers as had Olen resumed their Idbollfs they did not, however, meet with the least opposition, and we trme that the turbulent part of the population have been de terred, by their Mrtni.lable appearance, limn the prost cohint of their lawless attempts upon the property tit their employers. Too much praise cannot be bestowed on the Welling ton cavalry for the coolness and modera which they displied its the execution of the ar,Mons and moldy... sant duty they were called to perform. Several of mem were severely wounded, but we hope not damtermi , ly, by the stones and furnace cinders thrown at them beMre they fired opon or charged the rioters, which dui not take place tail after the rescue of two of Ilse prisoners. \l'e regret to state, that one of the cavalry, Mr. David Spencer, of Trench-lane, near Wellington, was danger ously, though accidentally wounded, in consequence of his pistol going off in the bolster, which lodged the cmitents iu its I Piece., We cannot conclude without additig a di .crvita t t encomium on the troops of the Sinewsbory yeomanry cavalry, who aucatblca at so 47 short a notice, nor would it bt proper to omit stating, that the remaining troops of the same corps prepared themselves, and assembled with the greatest readiness to obey mime call lOr their more active services if necessary. Inquests sat on the bodies of W. Bird, of the Coal Pit Bmk, collier, aged 18; and T. Gittins, otherwise bogie, collier—the two men wit.. lost their lives in the riots. The Jury immediately returned a verdit, Josiifiahle Ho inicide.—lt may he proper to observe ' that Bird's father wientled the implies', and stated, that his son joined the rioters on Friday, and untartunately lost his life by a pistol shot from the cavalry. We are itany to be able to add to the ahove account, Hutt every thing was (inlet on Tuesday, and it is burped the ruen lIJVC 5l1:11 the necessity of complying with the reductions proposed to them by their employers. - _ A desperate affray took place on Saturday last, irs Stowe woods, between a gamekeeper of the Marquis of litickingodm and a poacher, whom the former cognised • in the act of soaring. The gamekeeper being a con. stable, produced his authority to apprehend him, and a pi,lol n 1 intimidate hint into compliance. The poacher res,lutely defied the keeper, swearing he would out be taken alive Toe latter not feeling justified in using the risml, threw it away am! closed with the other.— Knit heang men of strong muscular powers the struggle bar supremacy, was, for some hose, fearfully Contested ; when the yodeler, throwing his adversary, seized f• by the tlinidt, and very nearly terminated the encounter by strangling him. The latter, tort mutely rescued him. self troth his perilous situations, by seizing the thumb of the other between his teeth, and obliged him to relin- • goish his hold. Almost breathless front the coil, they now sprung 'wool Ilion feet for the purpose of defending themselves with the first instrument of destruction that presented itself, here the gamekeeper had the advantage, for graspb,g his paddle, and striking the other over the head, he bimight him once more to the ground. The latter now surrendered himself, but was obliged to be takes; to Stowe-house, to have his wounds dressed, which were so considerable, that apprehensions at fins were entertained for his safety; indeed it is difficult ..tts • al which of them was most injured. The man halt After been c 1111 l mined for re-examination. On Friday lust a fine boy, three years old, whilst - playing near some buildings in the neighbourlitioa of Cheltenham, fell upon a heap of quick lime, which lay like sunny upon the ground ; and before the accident was discovered, the poor infant was literally burnt to death. The wretched and uncon scious father was the first to remove the body, and on clearing the features from the lime, discovering to his astorishment and dismay that it was his own-. child, sunk insensible to the ground. Tuesday forenoon, as Mr. John Rop, who kept tit public-house at Billingsgate, was goingalong Lower Thames-street, a cart, which had been deliveriog,;.:. goods at a warehouse, and in which the driver sat - without reins to his horse, was driving along, Mr. Roy in attempting to cross the street, was struck by one of the shafts of the cart and thrown down, one of the wheels passed over his legs and broke them in three places, besides the horse trampling on him. He was carried to St. Thomas's hospital, where he died, leaving a wit's and two children to lament his loss. Ou Tuesday last was rang, at the elegant new ,Church of St. Dunstan's in the East, Tower-street, by eight of the junior society of Cumberland youths, a complete • peal of bob major, containing 5,264 changes in three hours and thirty minutes, being the greatest extent of changes ever rang on those bells. PEDESTMANI6II.—A gentleman, of the name of Billinghurst, matched himselt on the last day of January, for 100 guineas, to walk 17 miles in three hours, and he started on Friday morning on the Bexley road. He walked his first three miles in 28 minutes and 10 seconds, and he was one minute and a half under the hour doing the six miles. He kept well on his speed, and was 'racked six to four to win after having done ten miles io one hour and 39 minutes. But he lust making good his ground after. One of his uncles began to swell at the Eith mite, which so much increased, that he resigned the task after doin i ; 14 miles in two hours and 2 minutes. A man was offered to be backed oa the ground to run two miles in ten minutes. The race was made for ten guineas, and he woa it by nine seconds. His name did lint come out, but he is of Siatlindshire, and was called flurry. He was only known to his backer. Recorder's Report —On Thursday the Recorder made a Report to his Majesty in Council of the prisoners under sentence of k icath in Newgate, whet: Thomas Elliott, Joseph NVootten, William Bullock, and Michael Iltrlcy, fur highway robberies; and Abraham Hemmingwayg, fur sacrilege, were ordered for execution on Tuesday next. The City Solicitor has receivel instructions to defend Mr. Browoc, the Leper of Newgate, on the question spec,:y to be whether he has the right to refuse the City Grand Jury to view the gaol or not ? At present the question is doubt:id, and the case will he so framed .is to obtain the final decision of the Judges, and to set the matter ut rest. The Grand Jury, who, a few sessions ago, claimed the right of visiting Ncwgate, will of course assist, as it is a subject of considerable importance, not only to that body, but the public at large. I