The Express.
London, England, 1849-07-28 00:00:00

ARCH&OLOGICAL INSTITUTE.

SALISBURY, FHID \lf .

At the sectional meeting last evening, the Dealt of
HEREFORD took the chair, and stated that the bulling to
come Ward them would be confined to early and mediseval
antiquities.
Liam, Ywre.o, Eq., delivered a lecture on the instruments
called " mils," whicn are found in such abundance, those
discovered in the earlier barrows being formed of stone, and
the later spetimens of bronze andilron. Mr. Yates' theory
was that these instruments were identical with the " dolt-
brte," and be cited passages from Lies, Gelatin Curtin, and
Tonkin, to show that from the time of Alexander the Great
they hal been used in war as chisels, mounted
on the end of long staves, to pick down the walls
of fortified places. Mr. Yates, however, admitted
that some descriptions of Celt were used for various domestic
wee, as a spud, or small 'pack, &e. In support of his
opinion, he exhibited two drawings from the Assyrian
marbles lately discovered by Dr. Layard, in which soldier*
were represented using a similar weapon in destroying the
walls of a besieged city. Ho also stated that similes uses
were made of the cell to this day in some pests of Iceland.
Dr. Jogs' and Mr. J. M. Kamm.* strongly combated the
opinion of the lecturer, en the ground that the size of the
oslt wholly unfitted it for such a purpose. The latter gentle-
man also relined to his researches in Scandinavia, which
confirmed him in his opinion teat although some use might
be occasiocally mad. of the cell in war, it was applied to •
variety of domestic uses, as a chisel, a gardening tool, &e.,
lying apparently almost the only implement in use among
the early Celtic tribe s. Used as a small axe, the cell mighs
be a formidable weapon; but the small depth to which it
could be stilt d to a stick rendered it too weak for picking
dawn stone walls or even mounds of earth.

The Deem of HERBFORD also defraud from Mr. Yates, and
contended that the three ages shown by the contents of the
barrows on the downs—the first containing weapons of stone,
the second of brats, and the third of iron— proved that the
Britons did nut know how to work the iron in their soil
until the Romans came amongst them and taught them to
do so. no thought the dolabro: of the ancients were pro-
babiy a sort of adcr, or more probably the pick-are.
Mr. YATES, in reply, undertook to show that the adze was
a very different implement, and bore a distinct name among
the ancients.

This mousing the sectional meetings were resumed at the
council chamber, the lectures being of the histo: ical class.
EDWIN Gutsy, Esq., delivered a I..cture an the early
British settlements in South Britain, in which he entered at
great length into the progressive extermination of the native
British by their Saxon invader", and veriti,d many impor-
tant state meats of the Saxon chrou;ciss. He also identified
the town of Ames';usy, near this c:ty, as one of the three
great Christian chcirs to Britain, under Aurelia' Ambrosi .us,
awl showed that the reference made to that locality, in the
most ancient Weish records, was nut to the heathen motm-

meat of Stou.henge, but to the great Christian monastery at
Amesbury. lie abo showed, by collateral evidence, that
the Britons maintained their ground at Old Sarum fur 2) or
30 years, after all the neighbouring country was conquared
by the Saxons.
At the conclusion of the lecture, Mr. J. M. KammAgaVe
a very long,:and interesting lecture on the origin of the con-
stitutions ut Clarendon and the lite of Thomas a Becket. The
connexion of this great event with the proceedings on the
continent, when the Pope endeavoured to reduce the Gape-.
ror of Germany to :be position of his vassal, was crawly
traced.

At the conclusion cf this lecture, the members proc ,eds‘d
to Wilton House, to inspect the valuable Pembroke collec-
tion of ancient worts of art, not 1:r the critical guidance of
C. Newton, E•ci., of the British Museum.
A splendid dveunet was provided at that princely man-
sion, by the Right HA. Sidney Herbert, for their entertain-
ment.

LEHRATUM.—Io Wednesday's report, for " Salisbury-bill,
ma/ "Siibtrry-iala.-

THE LATE THUNDER STORM.-CASUALTIES

AND LOSS OF LIFE.

'taring the heavy shoe]: on Thursday a man
named Catty, residing at Leytor.:done, Essex, weut to an
outhouse to Wed a calf, when bath he and the animal were
struck by the !tool and were ins:gently killed. The Hash
by which he was struck, judging by the time, was a portion
of the same disalmene wide' killed the poor mad Johnson
in West-street, itechapel. At the same time anotlur
man was struck dead in Tyson-street, &tisel-green. He
seemed at first only dazzled with the flash, ai.d stag-
gered on a few paces, when he foil head-
long, and was picked up a corpse. In John-
street, Commercial-road-east, the fluid struck a stack of
chimneys, rending them asunder, and passed into the
kitchen, where two infants were at play. They fortunately
sustained no injury. A very scandat..us sort of traffic is
being carried on in the case of the man Johnson, in West-
street, whiwc person is exposed at a penny per heal to the
lovers of the hideous and the horrible. It is said that the
father, who is the exhibitor en the °cession, has already
realized upwares of 71. by this wretched and hea.tess ex-
hibition.

The house' No. :2, Poland street, Oiford•strect, in the
occupation of Mr. Channon, was struck by the electric fluid,
entirely destroying the back pert of the premises. The chief
of the massive brickwork, severul ton weight, fill into the
composing-room of Mr. Sohu'ze, pr:nter, No. 13, adjoining,
where ten compositors were at work, who fortunately es-
caped uninjured. One man was so terribly alarmed tin: he
leaped out of the second.fl aor window. A projloting out-
house broke his fail, or he must bare {Hell allelic: to p:eces ;
as it was he only sustained a few bruisimi.
About half past 2, immediately following a hi avy clap of
thunder, a barge, in which were two men, was seen to
founder oft Nine Eima. Boats put off, but befo:e assistance
could reach them the poor fellows sunk and were drowned.
lhree el a Mock of sheep gri zing in a field at Green-lane,
West-end, belonging to Mr. L imbutt, were found dead,
having been struck by the lightning.
So great was the devastation among the fealered tribe,
that in the vicinity of Kennington and Caml erwell dead
sparrows were to be seen lying at almost every step. A man
named Skinner, living in Princer-road, picked up 130.
St. Paul's Church, Covent-garden, was struck by the
electric fluid in several parts, and the rain made its way
through, owing to some dislodgment of the outer covering.
The ceiling, which is considered to be one of the finest us
London, km reesivel immense injury. The authorities
medicely made every nem:Feely arrangement for its protec-
tion, and yesterday a number of workmen were ordered to
repair the i • njury done to the sacred edifice.