The Express.
London, England, 1853-10-05 00:00:00

THE LATE M. FRANCOIS ARAGO.

France has just lost one of her greatest scientific
men. M. Francois Arago, perpetual secretary of the
Academy of Sciences, member of the Board of Longitude,
and grand officer of the Legion of Honour, died on Sunday
at Paris, of the disease from which he has so long been a
sufferer. M. Arago was born at Estagel, in the south of
France, on the 26th February, 1786. At an early age he
was placed by his father at a public school at Toulouse,
from which he removed to become a candidate for a scho-
larship at the Polytechnic School of Paris. Having passed
the required examination with honour—his answer to the
first question at once deciding the trial—he entered upon
his studies, and rapidly rose to distinction. He left the
Polytechnic to join the staff of the Observatory at Paris,
where he wee destined to acquire so much renown.
Shortly after this appointment he received the honourable
order to proceed with M. Blot to Spain, there to measure ,
an arc of the meridian.
While M. Arago was at Galax°. in Majorca, war broke
out between France and Spain ; and under pretence that
the fires which he made to aid his scientific measurements
were intended to enlighten the march of the French troops,
an attempt was made by the populace to seize Arago. He
escaped to the coast in dimities, but was refused succour b
the captain of the Mystique, to whose ship he had fled, and
who had hitherto Obeyed his lead orders. In this ex-
tremity he turned for safety to the prison, to place himself
under the protection of the authorities, end bad to run
through a furious crowd, one of whom stabbed him by the
way. By the connivance of the Spanish captain-general,
Arago, assisted by a faithful follower, escaped from prison
after a brief confinement, and reached a boat which was
waiting for him at the shore. In this he passed through the
English squadron, and entered the port of Algiers, where
he procured a vessel better fitted for the voyage to France.
Embarked afresh, he arrived within view of Marseilley, but
there the ship was attacked by a Spanish corsair, and Arago
was taken prisoner to Rosas. Here all the preparations for
a military execution were made before his eyes, with a view
to frighten Arago, who was unknown, into the confession
that he was an emigrant Spaniard, and so gain a pretence
for confiscating the coveted vessel. In the end he was
placed in the cellar of a prison, where he lived without
light, overrun with vermin, and was often left for two days
together without food. It happened that the Algerine ves-
sel by which Arago had sailed had carried two lions, in-
tended by the dey as a :present to the emperor. One of
these died on the passage, and Arago contrived to send a
letter to the dey, informing him that his lion had been
starved to death by the Spaniards ; which was, perhaps, a
good guess at the truth. The dey, enraged at the loss of
the beast, addressed an angry letter to the Spanish govern-
ment, demanded recompense for the arbitrary seizure of
the vessel, and threatened war if it were not immediately
restored. A permission to set sail for Marseilles soon after
reached Arago, just u he thought his affairs were at the
wont; but the incompetent :pilot conducted the ship at a
venture about the Mediterranean for several days, and at
last made a landing at Bougie. As the ship was no longer
seaworthy, Arago resolved to proceed to Algiers by land,
disguised as an Arab, and conducted by a Marabout; a
feat which long lacked creaence among the French officers.
The dey had just died; a revolution, of which Arago was
a witness, immediately destroyed his successor ; the new
ruler demanded of the French government payment of a
pretended debt; and as a categoric refusal arrived from
Paris, Arago, with every Frenchman in Algiers, was in-
scribed on the list of slaves, expecting every day to be con-
ducted to the galleys. At length, in 1809, after enduring
many hardships, Arago obtained permission to leave Africa
with a convoy of Algerian vessels and a corsair of the suno
nation ; but Just as they were in sight of Algiers, the con-
voy was stopped by two English frigates, anti brought to
Lord Collingwood. The corsair in which Arno sailed ma-
naged to escape, and after being chased once or twice, safely
landed him in France.

We cannot here enumerate the brilliant achievement' by
which Arago subsequently built up his world-wide reputa-
tion. His determination of the diameters of the planets,
afterwards adopted by Laplace, the discovery of coloured po-
larisation, and that of magnitude by rotation, which gained
him the Copley modal of the Royal Society, are only speci-
mens. His contributions to scientific literature were volu-
minous. As a politician often occupying a conspicuous
position. Arno was earnest, simple-minded, and consis-
tent, and when a youth he avowed his republican principle
by refusing to subscribe to the constitution of the empire,
sad when grey headed he chose to renounce his hardly
earned position at the Observatory rather than take the
new oath to Louis Bonaparte after the events of December,
186 A To the credit of the government it consented to
forego the melon. During the brief administration of
the Provisional Government in 1848, Arago enjoyed an op-
portunity of assisting to apply the principles for which he
had contended during a life. As Minister of Marine he suc-
ceeded in obtaining the adhesion of the whole of that
important service to the republic. At his death M.
Arago was Perpetual Secretary of the Academy of Science,
a member of the Bureau des Longitude, and a grand officer
of the Legion of Honour.

SPORTING.
LATEST BETTINV•ii MANCHESTER.
Te millaY.
The greater part of the members having gone to Chester,
specu:ation on the two great handicaps WAS very limited.
For the Cheater Handicap (rua tomorrow) the lis.rses
named below were backed fur small amounts at the prices
quoted. There was some betting on the li,rby yesterday,
400 to 100 being taken about the two favourites. king Tom
and Autocrat, and Marley Hill was supported at IMO to 33.
CHESTER HANDICAP.
2 to 1 agst Hungerford (,)
5 to 1 Annie Suther:ausl
5 to 1 Nancy (I)
7 to 1 Candlewick (c)
to 1 Romeo (t)
CESAREWITCH.
7 to 1 eget king Pepiu (t)
14 to 1 Indian Warrior (t)
14 to 1 Nabcb (t)
10) to 6 Joe Miller (t)
25 to I Nancy (t)
to 1 Weathergage (t)
2.5 to 1 Nutpecki r (t)
CLEARWELL SLAKES.
10) to 20 agt Hesse Cassel
CAMBEIDGEHIRE.
,12 to 1 agst Oreste (t)
25 to 1 (t)
25 to 1 Dli••t (
25 to 1 Bit of 1.1:u, '(t)
DEE II V.
401.1 to 10) agst King Tem and Autccrat (t)
I,uUd to v 3 Matiey lull (t)

CIIESTEIt AUTUNIN MEETING.
Tuysi.Ay.
it.tmne.ir SWEEPSTAKT.S of ~ort. cne!, \::!/1 added:
for 2-yr-olds ; winvera 3lbs cz'r.t. The winner to he sold
for 100/. in the usual way. S,eoi.d to save his stake.
These-quarters of a mile. (LI subs.)
Mr. Copeland's Silt, r to ?data of Di..lauvre, by
Faugh•a•Ballturh, bt 101 b (Well,) 1
Mr. T. Parr's M.ry, ist (('harlton) 2
Mr. G. Taylor's C:: ,rina, 7st 41b (Ashman) 3
Mr. Copeland's Field Marshal, ist 101 b (W. :Saari)) 4
Betting : 5 to 4 wit Mary, d to 2 agst Czarina, 3 to ingot
Sister to Maid of Delamere.

A gcod race with the first three. Won by half a length.
Same distance between second and third.

SHOUT'S 11ANIJICAP of 10 lOW each, h ft, with 50 added.
Winners 511:is extra. Flew n furlongs. (31 subs )
Lord Caledon'a Kitetlyer, by Simoom, 4 yrs, 7st 21b
(Wells) 1
Mr. E. A. Clark's Punch MI, 2 yrs. 4.t 121 b
(H. Bandy) 2
Mr. Shepherdion's Pastrycook, 3 yrs, Gst 41b
(Ashman) 3
Mr. J..osborne's Miss Agnes, 3 yrs, Gd Glb
(J. Waddington) 4
The following also ran : Osbaldeston, The surveyor, The
General, LliZ4.
Bet: :3to 1 apt the General, Ito 1 each apt Punch
Box, Kiteg*cr, and Elixs. Won easily by a length; three
lengths between the second and third, and a neck between
third and fourth.

SELLING STAK Es of 5 ',vs. each, with 30 added ; win-
ners extra. Once round and a distance. (5 subs.)
Mr. O ,d,lard's Priam the Third, by You' g Priam,
4 yrs pi), ist 61b ( %Veils) 1
Mr. G. 'faylor's Lady in Waiting, 4 yrs (3R),
7st 31b (kshumll) 2
Mr. Reynolds's True Girl, S yrs (301.), Bst
(Charlton) 3
Mr. J. Parker's No Chance, 5 yrs (301.), 7st 13Ils
(J. Goddard)
Mr. Dawson's Dig Tray, 3 yrs (201.), 6st 41b
(G. Waddington) 5
Betting: sto 4 agst Priam the Third, 3to 1 eget True
Girl. Won easily by a !mob. Two lengths between
second and third. Bad fourth. 'the winner was sold by
auction to Mr. Yenning for 63 guineas. Ile goes, we be-
lieve, into Godding's stable.
INNLEEPEns' PLATE (handicap) of 70 says. Penalties
for winners. Grosvenor Course. (43 subs.)
Mr. Leach's Muter Slender, by Picaruou, 4 yrs,
fist Gib (r. Cliffe) I
Mr. Cowell's Effie Deans, 3 yrs, Oat (Bundy) 2
Mr. Choyee's Mayday, aged, 6st 61b (Wells) 3
Mr. R. Walker's Game Tommy, 3 yrs, sst 61b
(carried Sat Illb) (Asbmall) 4
Mr. Dawson's Lerrywheut, 4 yrs, 7st 121 b..

. •
(Ali!croft) 5
Mr. Saxon's Madeline, 4 yrs, Gst 21b (carried 6st 41b)
(Clement) 6
Betting: 2 to 1 ngst Mayday, 4 to 1 each Muter blender
and Game Tommy, 5 to 1 apt Lerrywheut (offered).—Won
cleverly by a length; two lengths between second and
third ; about the same distauc.2 separated each of the
others.

MOISTEN STAKES of 10 sore. each, h ft, with 40 added;
for 2 and 3-yr-olds; penalties and allowances. Three-
quarters of a mile. (16 subs.)
Mr. Mciklam's Stiletto, by Touchstone, 2 yrs, Gst
13tb. .(Altleroft;

soft) 1
Mr. French's Vaultress, 3 )n, gat 11b (G. Sharp) 2
Mr. Coates's Eta, 2 yrs, 7st (Charlton) 3
Mr. E. R. Clark's Brother to Little Swift, 2 yrs,
Est 131 b (F. Matson) 4
Mr. J. Osborne's Langley, 2 yrs, 7st 5
Betting: 5 to 4 ou Vaultress, 3 to 1 agst Stiletto, 4 to 1
agst Eta.
Won by a length. Three lcrgths between 2nd and 3rd.
BETTING ON THE COURSE.
CHESTER HANDICAP.
7 to 2 agst Nancy (t)
4 to 1 Hungerford (t)
6to 1 Lady Evelyn (t)
7to 1 Annie Sutherland (t)
Cold, showery weather, and only a scanty supply of
sport. There was, however, a numerous muster of metro-
politan and provincial speculators. The attendance of
pleasure folk was very limited.

CLERICAL.

PREFERMENTS.

The Rev. James Edward Cooper, M.A., has been
instituted to the Rectory of Forncett Saint Mary, in Nor-
ftik, on the presentation of the Right Hon. Henry Earl of
Effingham.

The Rev. Edward Manners Dillman Pyne, 8.A., hos
been instituted to the Rectory of Bawdsey, otherwise
Bawsey, in Norfolk, on the presentation of Anthony
'Lomond, of Westacre High House, in the said county, Esq.

NAVAL.

ADMIRALTY, OCT. 4.—ATTOINTHESTS.—Lientes.
nano: Hon. W. L. H. Anson, to Excellent; and G. F.
Phillippe, to Espiegk. Surgeons: J. P. Buck, tn./mourn;
IV. Browne, to Buzzard; and R. Hastings, to Ferret.
Paymasters: C. E. Coleman, to Madagascar; 11. J. Col-
lins, to Furious; and C. Lynne, to Tigcr. Clerk: C. Bar-
row, to London. Clerk in Charge: G. H. Whillier, to
Scorpion. Naval Cadou: H. F. Bunbury and E. L. Green,
to Queen; K. Kerr and G. H. Blake, to Regent; E. Pil-
kington, Sl. Jean d 'Acre ; A. L. Nugent, to President;
F. D. Tapp, to Hogue; and H. J. Clifford, to Blenheim.

ROYAL DISPENSARY FOR DISEASES OF TILE EAR
DEAN-sruzzr, 80110-BQUAILE.—The half-yearly meeting
of this institution was held at the Dispensary on Mon-
day. Dr. Tilt was called to the chair ; he was sup-
ported by the Rev. W. C. Williams, T. Cooper, Esq.,
and other friends of the charity. The secretary
read an excellent report of the half-year's proceed-
ings, and made a very favourable statement of its
resources, although still inadequate to the influx of patients,
the addition to the funds being from a sermon preached by
the Bishop of St. Asaph, and subscr;ptions from Lady Fitz-
roy, Colonel Hardinge, General Douglas, and others. Mr.
Harvey, the surgeon, also informed the meeting that his
duties had been greatly augmented by the larke increase of
patients, the numbers for the half-year being t 6-5, of which
387 were cured and 243 relieved. Many of the cases of
deafness arose from rheumatism and affections of the throat
which have been more than usually prevalent. Great praise
was given for the facilities offered for obtaining admission
to the institution. The thanks of the meeting were passed to
Mr. Harvey, the surgeon, for his labours, and to the chair-
man, and the meeting separated.
THE EARL OF SHAFTESBCRY AND 1119 WORK-
MRN.—The workmen employed by Messrs. Holland, buil-
ders, to the number of about 70, on the extensive ad-
ditions being made to his lordship's mansion, St. Giles.
Dorset, were, by the liberality of his lordship, treated on
Monday, Oct. 3, to a holiday, their wages being paid.
Cricket and other games were played in the park, and they
were afterwards regaled with a substoutial dinner ; this is
the second kind entertainment given by his lordship to
the workmen, the first being
.given at the solicitation of
Lall_y Caroline Neald.
FATAL SIIIPWRECIL-13LASCOW, SATrEDAT.—In.
telligence has been received here of the lass of the schooner
John Laverock, of Goole, Box, master, which left Glasgow
on the 19th of September, on her voyage to Stettin, with a
cargo of pig-iron. On the afternoon of the .:nthwhnn
off the coast of Islay, she encountered a terrific equinoctial
wrooestksoorou,tnnoifnrislryt T
from
fury of the hurricane rendered all attempts to save the
crew, consisting of five men, impracticable, and up to our
last accounts the weather continued so wild that it was kW.
ivenor
tghael gale,
ea
v and d
Island, wasdr
on n otube a reef
northwest
possible to reach the scene of the wreck. The beach, how-
ever, is strewed with fragment., consisting of pieces of the
deck, bulwarks, cabin fittings, spars, &c., and one of the
boats has been secured, little injured. The crew must have
perished immediately after the vessel struck, for it would
be vain to entertain the hope that they could escape by a
boat during the prevalence of such a storm. The hull of
the vessel was seen among the breakers the following morn-
ing, and, as she apparently floated, it is probable that the
bottom and cargo are out of her.
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