The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1863-10-13 00:00:00

untroubled, indeed, except by the greatest mita-
tion of which nature is capable. The Times, in
ex earthquakes. This country lies, so •
an article in reference to the earthquake, says
"The wen of science all tell 114 that we have every
right to expect
correspondent observes on a great volcanic belt. We
are only a few link+ in the chain that binds Heck to
Vesuvius, -Etna, And the ori,tinal volcano in the Lipari
Glands. There are chronic]. rs who cenot up, we it",
Mid etrthquakes. of which VW were in Scotland. and tlo
rest in Yorkshire, H..eheshire, \Yaks, anti the South
of this based. There was • violent one in
e'Vu're in 1839. Sonic twenty years earlier. on •
--„°"*7 morning, the euncregatiens in our Midland
Counties were shaken in their pews and saw the plaitter
fall. On February 8, 17r.0, London was seriously
tented; it felt • worse shock on the Sib of the following
month, and became so nervous that when a fanatic fore-
told its destruction on the 11th of April, the Inhabitant'
took to the fields till the suppo ed day of vengeance
was over."
The shock on Tuesday morning was probably
less severe and of shorter duration than some of
these enumerated, and though it should cause us
to pause and think of our littleness, compared
with the gigantic forces of nature, it should also
lead tin to a strain of thankfulness to the Almighty
Architect of the Universe that he controlled and
held within bounds the great destroyer, almost
instantaneously, of towns and cities.
Looking upon the map, says the Daily Nears, we
should be disposed to call this a circular' earth-
quake, were it not that physical geographeis con-
sider circular' earthquakes to be the most
dangerous and the most rare. If the move-
ment was really in cross directions, it must have
been considerably slighter than thelocal witnesses
report, or their houses must have suffered more.
We must wait for further and more exact
evidence, consoling our readers meanwhile with
the reflection that, according to the highest
authorities, the surface of the earth is always
shaking somewhere.

DORCHESTER. PITCHED CORN MARKET
Saturday, October 10.—Tolerable supplies, and a
good attendance at to-day's market. Wheat trade ,
ruled dull at late rates. Malting barley and oats Is,
per quarter cheaper.
PRVENTATION.—The Rev. R. C. Watson, M.A.,
having been appointed head master of the recently
established County School, the pupils of the
Haletead Grammar School, of which ho wen tPI mealy
master, in order to show their respect and affection
for him, on his depart.;re presented him with a
very handsime timeepieee, of the value of eleven
guineas. The gift bean the following inscription:
—" Presented to the Rev. It. O. Watson, M.A.,
Head Master of the Ormolu School, Halstead, by
his pupils, in testimony of their esteem and affection."
SINGULAR FREAK OV NATURE. —A very curious
circumstance connected with a hedgehog has just
come under our observation. On Sunday fortnight
a medical gentleman of the town went into his
surgery with one of his sasisLuits. The gas had not
not been lighted very long before the assistant die'
covered something on the floor, having the appear-
ance of a piece of dark-coloured rag. He stooped to
pick it up, when to his dismay, instead of feeling a
soft, cotton substanne, as he supposed, he found it
was hard and prickly, which on examination proved
to be a hedgehog. The animal was taken care of
and put inside • cupboard containing a quantity of
bottles, the door being • sliding one, which was
securely drawn hack. The animal was then left to
take care of itself, but it seems it did not like its
quarters, and singular to relate opened the cup-
board and made its exit. On the following morning
the assistant heard a curious noise in the surgery,
and on looking into the cupboard where the hedgehog
had been incarcerated, he found that it was sues rot,
but pursuing his discovery by the noise made by the
animal he opened another cupboard at the opposite
end of the surgery where Lehi, amazement, he found
her comfortably at rut there. In this cupboard wee
kept a quantity of herbs in paper packets used for
fomentation, which the animal had broken open and
made herself a most comfortable-looking and snug
neat, and in which by this time was a young one.
The animal being in this " interesting" condition,
was not then removed from her novel abode, and in
the course of a few days she became the mother of
five hedgehogs, some of whom the devoured. After
a little time only one was left, and this,togother with
the parent, were put in the gentleman's garden, he
thinking that they would he of more benefit there
than amongst the physic. This removal, however,
appear. not to have been according to the tastes of
the mother, for, very strange to relate, she left the
garden, and accompanied by her offspring,again took
up their quarters in the herb cupboard.

THE WIATHIII.—The reading of the thermometer at
Dorchester for the past week is as follows :