The Express.
London, England, 1853-10-06 00:00:00

WONDERFUL PRESERVATION.

We have this week to record one of the most
wondrous escapes from death it has ever been our lot to read
or record. It is that of a boy named David Waters, aged
about 16 years, son of a widow in Louisburgh. The parti-
culars are these:—On Tuesday, about one o'clock, he left
his mother's house for Nose Head, to catch sudden, and
continued at a place called the Hole of the Head till the
afternoon, when he ascended the rock and prepared to re-
turn home. Observing a Staxigo boat, he stood for a short
time on the brink of the precipice speaking to the crew,
awl failing to remember that he stud on a narrow neck,
he gradually walked backwards till he slipped over, being
caught on a ledge of the precipice about half way down.
The crew of the boat, who were rowing away, beard
some cries, and returned to the Hole of the Head,
which was at some distance from the spot where
the body had fallen, and u they consequently
saw nothing, they proceeded homewards. The poor
little fellow then attempted to climb the rock,
but found it beyond his power, and, after waiting for
some time, he threw off a portion of his clothes and jumped
into the sea, a distance of many feet. Here he succeeded in
reaching a safe point, just u darkness was coming on, and
here he had to remain, wet, cold, hungry, partially naked,
and parched with thirst, during a loog, dark, and dreary
night, with a stormy ma helots him, a howling wind around
him, and listening to these and the screeching of the wild
fowl in the inaccessible crags above him. As night came on
his non-appearance at the usual hour excited first the sur-
prise, then the anxiety, and ultimately the alarm of his
friends, whose inquiries at Stasis°, Nose Head, and
other places regarding him were fruitless. By daylight
yesterday morning • number of individuals, includin
his mother aid aunt, proceeded to Nose Head, fear-
ing that the only train of him would be his mangled
body, and continaed the search for a considerable time,
until they reached opposite the spot where he fell over,
when his mother observed his fishing rod end beg with fish
lying on the spot from which he first fell. On observing
these his mother and aunt, as might be expected, were
greatly excited, and cried out. The cries were beard by the
poor fellow below, who recognised the voice of his aunt,
and exclaimed with all the feeble strength which his ex-
hausted energies would permit of, " Oh, aunt, I'm here
yet I " The joy of those on the spot may be well ima-
gined. A number of them ran to Staxigo, sad dad a boat
manned ; in the meanwhile the keepers of Noss Head
Lighthouse bad some bread and a coat attached to a rope,
and sent down to him. He, however, partook of very
little, being much exhausted, and especially suffering
from thirst. The boat soon after reached opposite the
spot, but before he could be got on board two boys had
to strip and swim to him, and, by means of a rope
tied round his body, he was dragged on board, and soon
after landed below the Field of Staxigo. It is truly sur-
prising that, notwithstanding his sufferings, having been
after a serious fall, thus exposed for eighteen hours, he was
able to walk to Staxige, and still more so, that the only
external injury he sustained was a scratch on one of has
legs. Alter being put to bed he slept for several hours, and
was brought into town in the afternoon wonderfully well,
considering the ordeal through which he had had to pass.
When landed about ten o'clock he imagined that it was
about two in the afternoon. From the description given
us by the boy, it would seem that he had acted throughout
with the greatest intrepidity.. Thrice after dark did he
attempt to scale the rock, and when parched with thirst he
collected the droppings of rain water falling from a fissure
in the rock with his hands. In the utering he saw a
schooner passing, and his cries attracted *Poetics of the
crew, who hailed in return, but not obeerving him, they
used on, after putting the vessel about several times.—
:Vorthern Ensign.

Ina POTATO DIOZASE.—We are truly delighted
to say that the disease in the potato had ceased its influences
entirely during the put weak. Indeed in no case have we
heard a single complaint to the contrary. This is really
good news, as the potato crop had been the principal sup-
port of the poor previous to the first appearance of the
general rot, and they were beginning to depend on it again
this year ; therefore, if there was an entire destruction, it
would entail great misery. Even now we trust there will be
a sufficiency. 3ne good symptom that presents itself is the
fact of our market being comparatively thinly supplied with
the potato, which plainly indmatcs that they are not very
bad, as the farmers would in that case, as in other places,
brine them into town for sale. We may mention, as bearing
on:the subject, that in the county Mayo, where they are very
bad, potatoes are selling in the public markets at 2id. per
stone.—Boyle Gazette.