The Sun. — London, England, 1815-12-18 00:00:00

THE St.IN - ItEVIE.:',I7. (No cN.I.) “ Join-wit of a Craize made o the Pacific Ocean TT raptain DAvrr, PoitTEß.,its the United States Frigate ESFrX, ill the Years 1812, lul3, and 1811, containing Mescriptions of the rape de Vei - dis s .ands, Coasts of Brazil, P‘atagonia, Chili, and Peru, and of the Gallapagos Islands. Also, a full Ac count of thelVashington C;•oup of Islands; the. Manners, t:nstotns, Drees of the Inhabitants, &c. 4:c.” Illustrated with l+rFAJgravings._ In 2 vols. Bvo. 440. Ilia. IEIS. [Cootioned fr(nu our Paver of Saturtlay.l "We find nuthiug, remarkable in the crtlizer Yuen iten.cf to the northward, excepting that,'near the Islands. Lobus, `the sea was covered 'with licans, Mel otier apatie birds, feedine; on the, st•haais of 11 fish.' which were also purseed by I , olierefs' bartconters,' seals and rirp'oises; en d it is statedl 'for the thousandth thin:, though -. ; eevcr le:iore:, perhaps, in sue!! etei, , ,ant terms, that tei t er, jumped out Of the water were stein pet" up lay the innumerable swarms of birds that were '-hc;C-(.' , :iee over them. Captain Porter next sis;ts thie.G.-ii,pl-I:;)Slfilantis, where Aml-tortoists, we are r c to he obtained, as indeed we shquld cue Bede heaae . their name, ` the liiii!ids of Tortoises ,' bet we were not aware flea they - reached the weight of four hereired 'point its each ; or tioe , etter li-tiog yearwithout food or water, 'they could he ` found greietly int pPoved iii fatties;; and flavour.' 'They have grown, no deeibt, since hottest Dampitr's time, who thought he should loudly obtain credit in static; .‘ one of the largc - st "of thrseereatures to weigh one hundred or two' hoods:el pountls, andsome•of them to measure two feet ; or two feersix inches over the challaree or befiy." • Disagreeable and clumsy as: Captain Porter thoueet• them, we cannot resist .the temp tation of convevieg to oar turtle-loving friends of `Candlewick and Portsoken-wards, the glowing. desrription ,‘ ieh he has given of •these luscious monsters: " `Their motion resembles strongly that of the elephant ; their steps slow, regular, and heavy ; they carry their body about a foot from the ground. and their legs and feet bear no slight re sendrlance to the animal to whicleli . have ,tikened them ; their neck is from eighteen inches to two feet in length, and very slender ; their head is pro portioned to it, and strongly resembles that of a serpent ; • but hideous and disgusting as .is their appearance', no animal can posibly afford a more *holsesoine, luscious, and delicat e (odd than they do; the finest green. turtle is no more to be come pared to them in point .of excellence, than the eoarseSt beef *is to the finest veal ; and aft:: - once testing the Gallapagos tortoises, every other ani- Mal food fell greatly in our estimation.' " And have we then remained thus long its ut ter - ignorance of the GAll'arigos tortoises, and lavishing our praises, -and smacking our lips on the vulgar chaliapash end challapee Of the green turtle, when every whaler, for .the last thirty years, Might have supplied. us with such Amid - once of an ;wide so superior iu every resPect Bat Gtptnin Porter proceeds : • " animals are sip fat as to require nei- Veer butter. nor lard to- covk -t!iera, and this fat does net possess that cloying common to that of !nest other animals and when tried otit, it• furnishes an oil superior to that of the olive.— , Her at c • .. • lis o f • m t hi s animal t ie easiest oigestion; and a quantity of it, exeeedine that cif Anv other fOrid, can be eaten without exaerieticing the slightest •inconveniteece. But what seems the &nst extraordinary iu this autimill, is the 'length Of time that it can exist without food . ; for I have been well assured, that they have been piled awaii tuhiong the casks in the hold of a ship, where they have been kept eighteen mouths ; and, when Villerf at the expiration ,of that time, were tound to have suffered no diminution in fatness or ex-; • • "'there are Other circumstances no -less sin gOlar 41 the natural history oftilis alystetnious ani mal. " 'They carry with them a constant suply_of water, in a bag at the: toot of the neck, which contains about two gallons; anti on tasting that f ? un t l. in those killed on ,board, it proved perfectly• fresh an:l sweet. They are very restless when ex poscd• tothe light and heat of the sun, but will lie in the. dull trout one year's end to the other withont moving ; in the day-time, they appear re inarkably quick-sighted and timid, drawing their. head into their shell on the slightest - mation.of . any object; but they are entirely it: Ktitute of hearing; as the loudest noise, even the firing,of a gnu, does not seem to alarm them in the slightest degree ; and at night, or in the dark, they appear • pe:feetly • " Captain Porter was so well convinced of;the good qualities of these tortoises, whiclt his pen p;c: called_ Gallapagos mutton, that he laid in about fourteen tons weight of them; which was as much ashe could conveniently stow.. " 'They were pile& up on the quarter-deck for a few days, in order that they might bare time to discharge the contents of their S'matachs, which is cOnsiderable ; after which they were stowed away below, as you would stow any other:provisions, awl used as occasion required.' `No description of stock,' he adds, is So convenient for ships to take to sea with them as the tortoises of these hiands ; they require 'no provisions nor ''water for a year, nor is any further attention to them re= cessary than that their - shells should be preserved unbroken.' • We have &telt thus long on these•interesf ing • creatures, so like elephants,' for lack of better matter, iloongli the (4allapagos supplied otLer objects of which a skilful traveller would have m a iled hi.nt.sell for the instroction and amnse /nem of his readers : they • arc, for instance, ail I , ,leanic, and in a state of activity ; and these vt!leartos are apparently fed by a fonstant in-. th'ituy;bc of the sea towards the group-of islands; they ahotoul too with a . great variety of plants and . a:liorlt, and though their situation is directly un der the equator, the climate is so moderate as tsa reseuible that of the temperate rather than chat of he torrid zone : but matters of this kind are be neitit the observation of Mr. Porter. lie tell's us, lowever, that the temper a ture o f the air of the (;, ! lhipagos Lianas variya fival 72 des. to 75 deg..; anti Ire mullions an 61);.!:::, :Aid& lie cneolrlteii , :d latithog, that create both sitn'lriLe ' filtering the busies fo:ntd myri'►d of vu gttanas, of an enoroussi;Le, plid th e m o st hideous appeatance-imaginahle ; the welts forming the cove. vv ere also covered wall them, and, from their taking ,to the water very leadilyore.%%ere :induced to believe than a distinct species from those found among the keys of the West ,In some spots a halt acre of grouted, would be so completely covered with them, as to .appear.,as though it was .iturmst4l4e for another to get iti the space. "They were harmless,* the Cap adds, and as goal for eating as the tor- also disco%;ers that these . b.lands are newly created, which, by the way, may account for the increased size of the tortoises since Dampier's time; aTid the idea naturally Conducts hint into a strain of moralising .on' thi loss of his goats, which we are sure will be deemed worthy of ad miration-` they all strayed away,' says he, 'One young male and three females, one of which 'was . of the sWelsh breed, and was with young by 'l:Pe ruvian rain with five hot-list—their attendant could not help it ; the.blame was solely owing to nature. _r Perhaps .tore,' continues he, with all that trsiiquillity for which, on Ow oc casions, Shandy was so deservedly celebrat; ed e —' perhaps nature, whose -Nays are tnyite- Itas embraced this first opportunity of 044.. biting this island with a race of animals, who are, from their, e, almost as well enabled to with stand Abe:want of water as the tortoises wiih wltich it now abounds ; and, perhaps, she has so ordained it, that the breed which shall be pro (bleed between the Welsh goat and the Peruvian rem shah be better adapted to the climate than any other.' _ . The Captain is at a great loss, but it is no business of his, he says, to conjecture, how all the toitoit , es, guanas, anti other reptiles, first came upon these islands ; though at presc;4( they are only fit for tortoises, guanas, wakes, &c.. he doubts not that in time t „ '„ r - ci a li a . pagos will have a set of.. human be,;(ti.ts of their own'as well as the rest of thql,nild has created them . . (the hunter, .icings) elsewhere, and why could she nut; t f o i t as well at those . islands.?"' "` It is well they we;e—but such ax half-acre, we will yen. : ture to say, is to be found only in the Ciallapagos. To give nor untrave:.ked Readers, Who may not know, moth about foanas, - Awe idea of one of these animated plots, it may be .necc:Aary to tell them that, supposing each guana three feet :en4 and font' inches in diameter, which is an ctrurmous, size, there would be in,each half-acre 21,780 guanas I ( To be continued.) PROPEU,TY TAX. COPY OF A MINUTE OF THE LORDS or THE TItEA- SURY, DATED . HTH Nu 4 8D1136R, ISIS. The CHANCELLok of the EXCIIEWJER states to the Board that representations had be-en:made to him of the hardships arising mit of the Pro- Contaitied in the Act of the last Session!of pirliameut, cap. 53. which directs that the assess- 'bents to the duties under schedules A. and IL-of the .Pro;ierty Art, for the year ending the sth day of April, 1815, shall rentail in force for the year commencing front that date, and ending on the sth day of April, 1816, as in many cases the land lords have, in consequence of the great deprecia tion in the price of grain and other agricultural produce, been under the necessity of reduc ing :he rents at wl:ich_their lands were let;'prior to the sth day of April, 1814, upon which rents the assessments to the Property Duty. for, that year Ought to have.been made ; and that, unless a pro portiOnate abatement is allowed in the assessment, the occupiers of laud et ill not only be charged to the tenant's duty under schedule 1.. upon.a higher sum than the rents actually paid to their land lord's, will a l s o remain hurthened with the amount of the landlord's ditty charged itotr der sdhedale A. upon the difference between rents at which the lands were let at and previous to the sth of April, 1814, and the reduced rents now payable to their landlords. My Lords, on full consideration of this SOb ject, are of opinion that it may he adviseahle to grant relief il4 all cases of tenantry at raeli4ent, where it shall he proved to the satisfaction of the Commissioners fur the general purposes of the • Property Act, that the estate is duly and . t . tilly possessed of the actual rent or more which was payable in the year commencing on the sth day of April, I*ll4, and that the estate hath been bona fide let by a fresh lease or agreement, either to the same or another tenant, at a rent less than the amount charged in the assessment for the: said year, to continue at such a reduced rent 'during the current year, commencing on the sth day of April, 1815, in which cases the assessment for the year commencing on the 6th day of April, 1815 may be reduced! to - the actual rent payable In that year. My - Lords arc also of opinion, thatrelicishould by granted in .all eases where the occupier tieing also owner of the estate in question, shall prove to the satisfaction of the said Commissioners, that the estate, of which .he or she is owner or occupier, : is assessed for the year commencing 'the sth 'lay , of April, 1814, at the full rack rent ' at which it was Chen worth to be let to •a tenant ; in which last mentioned cases, the assessment for the year commencing on the. sth of April, 1815, may be reduced to the annual -value of • the said 'estate on that 'day, such annual value to be Corn pitted as the Act directs on.the amottut_at which the estate was then worth to. be let at rack, rent: But my Lords are of opinion, that the :relief should be confined' to cases of lands let 1 . 6 tenants at rack rent, and to owners and occupiers :duly and fully assessed, according to the directions. of the Acts in the Said first year, commencing, as aforesaid, and should not .he extended to other cases where the estate hath not been so duly, ss . sessed and proved to the satisfaction of the said Commissioners.—lo all eases winch shall I. e duly ,proved to come within the desefiption of this ante for relief, my Lords are of an opinion, an abatement should he made for the assessment or the current year, both in respect of the -ditties charged under schedule A. and B. but Mat no al ' teration can now take place with respect to the nssesiments fur the hot year ) ending the sth April, 1815: (CIRCULAR.) O t ifice of Taxes, Nov. 23, 1815. GENT AMEN,--I transmit to you the copy of a minute of the Lords of the Treasury, dated the 14th instant, which-the Board have been directed to communicate to the Commissioners of the Pro perty Act, for the purpose of relief being granted -in the cases therein stated, of assessments under schedules A. and B: of the said Act for the present year, ending sth April, 1816, in consideration of reduction of rents which have actually taken place in -the rents in anneal value of lands. In the proceedings necessary for giving effect to, the miume, the hoard beg to request your at tention to the .following points, with a view that the relief authorised by it.ntay he limited to cases coming within the meaning thereof ; for which purpose, 1 ant to observe, that with respect tri te nants, ,it is confined strictly to cases of tettantey at rack-rent, in which satisfactory !woo( should be, given that the estates were charged to.t the full rack-rent hr the assessments of the yer.r 18'14, and the :zonate requires „that the esvates shall bave been bona fide let by fresh lease Or agreeny:Ut to the „i,ue or another tenant, uat a runt 1t7.4s than the amount charged in the assessment for,the said year, to continue at such reoucefl rent '!curia„ the %slink of the year ending the sth Ar,?ii; 1816, consequently the mere abatement or ,fliving up of titly part of the rent for the year yI4, and for a part only of the ',ear 1815, will ,rot. warrant a re duction of the assessment tut , : f e r t h e i r , Lordship's mmute. _ In eases'of owners u-;enpving their own estates, it appears "ce"sarY,, / in order to comply with the terms of the Illihate, to ascertain that the lands were charged r the year 181-1, at the full annual value at I v l ,,tcli the same were worth to let at rack-. rent 2 7.itic..ii may perhaps be known, by compar i,:g the assessments on the estates occupied by the 'owners, with the assessments made upon lands duly charged at the rack-rent, in the same parish or. district : and that such annnal value computed as tbeAct directs tar the year 1814, exceeds them'. nnal value at which the estate was worth to be let at rack-rent at the commencement of the present. year's assessment. The reduction of rents, which shall be duly prOved , to have actually taken place in cases of tenantcy at rack rent, in the same parish or neighbourhood, will, the Board beg to suggest, probably assist the .Commissioners in forming their judgment on this point ; and. the Board desire me to add, that no alteration in the assessment of last year, ending the sth of April, 1815, can be made in consequence of, or under the sanction- of the said minute. I - have the honour to be, Oentieuten,, your must obedient servant, - - Al Arm ETV WINItR; Secretary ft:i• the AfrAits of Taxes. To the Commissioners for tflr Orlieral • Purposes of the Property Tax. ANOTHER HURRICANE AT JAMAICA. KINGSTON, 0cr4.18, 1615.-,,0n Thursday morn ing the weather put on A very threatening aspect, and the whole dayit Continued drizzling, with' oc casionally smart . shOwers of rain.. About one L.Welock on ,Wednesday morning the wind began to Wok% with great strength from the north,. but changed in about an ho+tr to the S. E. from which , iparter it continued to blow during the remainder of that day with great violence, accompanied by heavy rain, which continued, Nvithout intermis sion, the whole of Wednesday night,: .and until Thursday at noon, when it somewhat abated, the wind having; again shifted to the north on ‘Ved ne..nlav night, where it continued steady until the end of the storm early yesterday morning. In strength and continuation this was one of the se verest storms we ever witnessed; and, we are sorry to say, has done very considerable mischief to the and other buildings in this town. — The roads and pastures in, the vicinity are covered with branches of trees, which have been torn up by 'the roots... Fortunately the fields of Guinea corn were not in so forward a state as •to receive much injury, and is already reviving and recover 'ing its upright posture. We fear, however, that in s elancliotv accounts will he . received from the country . of' - the destruction of the plantain-wailer, cane-pieces, &c.. • EFFECTS OF THEIUTURRICANE Schooners Esperanza and Patty, and sloop Lon don, stranded at the Point, but since got off ; sloop John, bilged; and open boats Providence and Bristol, the'tormer ashore at the Viesualliog :Office, an() the latter sunk. A Spanish schooner, and another, name not ascertained, parted from their anchors and .were totally lost in the South channel, and it is feared that all hands perished. A shameful report was-pat into general circu lation in this city on Sunday, fabricated by an iti nerant vagabond, to extort money from the Maso nic Lodges, that the ship TWo Fritilds, from Lon don, was lost off the White Horses, and eleven of her crew perished. " - He passed himself as-the car penter of the ship, • and actually received several donations. The schooner Wave, Martin, whith sailed on the 17th inst. for '.Ferry Firma ) returned into port on Sunday, basing carried away her main-mast on the 19th. 'The AMerican schooner Phantotn, of New Lon don, from St. Jago de Cuba bound to Santa Mar .tha, also put into Port Royal on Sunday, in dis tress, having lost her rudder on the 19th inst. 'The schooner Fan-Fan towed into port ,-on : Monday the sloop ljanua and Emma, Christie, cvhirh sailed from Itence on the 13th instant for Santa Martha, and which she fell in wish on Sa turday, off the Naviissa., completely disinasted.— Four days previous to her arrival, the Fan-Fan eiperieneed a heavy gale, which split her sails and carried away her jib-boom. The sloop Elilabeth, of Naslau,•N. P. with a :earko of salt, horses, and lumber, unfortunately 'got ashore on Saturday 0 night, off Plumb-Point. 'Boars -were dispatched from the men of war in Tort Royal, on the-following morning to her ila le y s .. Oa as sistance, and she has been since extricated, but. with much damages and carried into Port -Royal on Wedne s the 17th instant she was compelled, to th ro w her deck-load overboard, in the e Tie s heavy gales. William sailed from Mite, in the . Bay of Honduras, on the 13th of August last, wit a cargo of Mahogany ',lnd log Wood, bottnd to 1 h,i< delphia, and enconntered a tremendous hurri cane on the Ist, 2d, and ad ultimo, by which sine Was nearly driven ashore on one of the Florida reefs; mid after clearing. the same with difficulty, she struck on 4 bank S. E. of the Grand Bahama,' and continued . striking for five hours; until the morning of the 4th, when she drove . over the rocks, :iinto shoal water. Being a remarkably strong vesse4 - she did not go to pieces, bUt knock eti off all her false and part of her main keel, mid shipped.a.rid injured her rudder, host several sails. and her best bower anchor; 'and . sustained other damage. It being fine weather after the gale, the passengers and crew got out her provisions Oft, one of the islands adjacent, where they rentained• eight days, when they were relieved bythe scheentt' .toseph's Favourite, Johnson, of Nassau, N. Pk and arrived safe there on the 15th ult. the sIoOP Making 31 feet water per hour. She underwent a thorough repair. there, and left it on the Bth. inA stant. On her passage she experienced a heal: gale - on the 19th, 2Qth, and 21st. We learn, by the William, that vessels.which hat' arrived at Nassau, stated that there had been dread -4; ful weather on the Coast of America, and 25 'sail had been driven out of rue Hawk's Nest Llarboar;. Turk's island, of which only one had beet! heard of, a brig that had been cast aWay and her' crew saved. . • A large schooner, from New Orleans, went ashore "on the I9ch instant, off the Upper Whitt Horses, when ten of her crew were drowned. The Sloop Dart, 'James, from this poll to St. Jag Ode Cuba, was compelled to put into Moranc:, B:iy, and we are sorry to add, she was driven on - shore near the river's mouth on the 15th inst.; the crew and cargo saved. The brigantine Decouvtrte, Campbell, front St. Jago de Cuba,. arrived at Port Morava on the. 26th inst. By her we learn, that the late gale. was severely felt at St. Jago, along- the coast of. Cuba, .hot no material damage was sustained . by the shipping. The shil : Rapid, from Cadiz to the Ilavannalt,' with a valiable cargo, was wrecked on the 1911 L inst. off the east ern). Twenty-two of het crew took to the boats, and were picked -up by the schooner Phantom, arrived here, but. we regret to add, that the retuaitider sixteen in numberi, perished. The ship Abraham Newland, Miller, which ark rived at Port Antonio on the 17th inst. from Lou- - don . and Madeira, went on shore there,, and it is feared will not be got off. She lost her maim ~ _ Her cargo, consisting of 100 pipes of wine, . is discharging.' The shipFoyle, Watson, of Londonderry, from% New Yo pc,' bound to this port, with 1100 barrels of flour, Staves, and shingles, was driven ashore at 12 o'clock at night at Blue-Hole, about five mile,: ctoargi(is ot. windward I,tii Portai lat Att r on s i o o n, , and went to pieces ,s. Mr. Osborne, sum percargo, and 11 seamen, were drowned ; Adams, the mate, and two seamen', 'were saved ' 1 the exertions of Mr. Passley and his negroes. „•' The ship Fox, Thompson, nearly - loaded r.; London, also went ashore at Port Antonio, f'" is discharging part of her cargo ; her loTr.ei - tie r - sugars supposed to be washed out. . The Spanish brig Solo, Dick, w- r ‘ aqveu...haro with a cargo of pitchpinc lumber, Sec. about three miles to leeward of Port Antonio ; the captain and seven men were drowned ; only one man save 4 whd stated her to be front Trinidada de Cubes • bound to this island. The schooner Two Friends, was driven ashor‘ at Crab Hole, near Port Antonio; and the slool' Concord, belonging to. Mr. Redman, of that place, was lost there ; one mart belongini , to rite .latter drowned. The schooner Mary, Brakenridge, from this poit bound,to Buff-Bay, was completely wreche t * at Orange-Bay. The ships William, Elliott; Earl of Lonsdale i Fotheringham ; Boyly,'Selkrig; Alert, 8 `" Janet, Arnold, and' brig Barrsborough, Forsyta r : stud sloops Sally and Middlesex, were dr' e ashore at Annotto Bay. The I'arrshorough 'l ing high and dry. • The sloop Enterprise, Sergeant, was. also t°: tally lost at Annotto Bay, and we are. sow/ t" say that her mate was drowned, and n othing laved from her. The ship Pomona, rsr,Naught, sailed early 134 :week front Annotto BEIV for Glasgow. 1 .0 The ship Fife, Ford, went ashore at Port-413 ,ria, and : hilged. The ship Lady Banks, also - I ?f .e ." tug there, struck, and lust her rudder, but exertions of Capt. Banks was kept afloat. sloops Aurora, Nancy, and ‘Villianr, were . 11 1 ' . ' wise driven ashore, and are perfect wrecks. tdi The ship Hercules, Duncan, from this : pert. a or " o theNortbSide !Sound to Savanna, was driven aldi . , near Frankfort wharf, Port Maria, on the iSt instant, and it is reared several lives were Psc' ea The schooner Eliza Ann, Smith, was dr i co ff ashore at Orcubessa, but expected to he g° with little daniage 5 cargo saved. • The brigantioe Georgians, •Cracklow, sailed front Port Royal, on the 12th inst. for ni l month, was unfortunately driven ashore at- Harbour on the 19th. Lately, at Pit's-bill,'Sus.iex, the Lady of Charles Mitfurj, Esq. of a still-horn On Thozsday night, at Bath, the Lady of the Rev. Jan Havilaittl, of a dam;hter. . , MAR 10 El). On ThursdAy last, at Southwold, the Rev. Eardley N°r t° " Vicar of Aroc:i;fe, in the County of York, to Frances Mail. the eldest daughter; and William Palmer, Esq• in the County of Warwick, to Clara, the econd daughter of of Sir Charles Blois, Bart. cf CoLdifteld-Hall, in the County Suffolk. On Saturday, at Chelsea, Lieutenant-Gene ra l Sir Hudsott Lowe, Governor of St. Helena, to Mrs. Johnson, widow the late Colonel Johnson, and niece.,of the LadY of the itiP" Hon. Sir David Dundas. At Hales Owen, Mr. Joseph Waterhouse, of Sonth to ,Charlotte, secon4.l daughter of Joseph Wright, - Escl• ° Ladhroket Olodbury-House, Shropshire. DIED. On the sth inst. at Parif.lohn.Sarnion, E 54.11. A. C. G. il l the 200 year of his age. .On•tthe <l4th inst. at Doncaster, on his wAy from Caro; bridge,.A.r , q;ibald William Cathcart, ESq. only son of ?L.A. and her. A. H. Cathcart, Vicar of Kippax. • The same day, at t tF. Esq•a.ecl s 7 * •z t)11)„, • en . • W.NI SO N Primed Iry .1. CA MS. No. 7, Crare ir , ' Imildings; key W. A. SCILIPPS, of ririx too it the Sex-Op- I : 1( .11. N o . 4.1,,„„ ( 1, A4 i rc rtise A l'UCUt4t Order„ tiotiters , bce. titbit be addrefistv, .' ~b c: r it;ir . ! att . 11,, ntr -4414, tv,„ t 3 ~~. \f~~lc 4t hi felr t i ,y ILttu 16, •Mth : Jill "~ C. ~ c_i tav , oil it {) (10 ct, u , Lt,„,