The Northern Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1853-12-05 00:00:00

ROYAL AMPHITHEATRE.

Sole Lessee Mr. W. R. Copeland, 15, Great Charlotte-street.
PABLO FANQUE
Will open the above Amphitheatre THIS. EVENING, De-
cember sth, with one of the largest Companies of EQTES-
TRIANS now travelling—composed of all Nations—Europe,
Asia, Africa, and America! amonc, which will be found the
greatest 'wonder in the Equestrian Art, General Tom Thumb !
" the Rider of Lilliput !" pronounced by the London Press
to be the marvel of the age. Also the celebrated Scenic Act
Rider, Mr. J. Clarke, from Aetley's Royal Amphitheatre ;
and the renowned Henry Brown, the Eclipse of all Clowns.
Doors open at a quarter to seven o'clock, and the Per-
formance to commence at half-past seven.
Prices of Admission—Dress Circle, 35.; Side Boxes, 2s. 6d.;
Pit, Is. 6d. ; Stalls, ls. 6d. ; Gallery, 6d.
Second Price—Dress Circle, 2s. ; Side Boxes, ls. 6d. ;
Pit; ls. ; no second price to Gallery or Stalls.
Second Price taken at nine o'clock to the Dress Circle,
Side Boxes, and Pit only.

ROYAL ADELPHI THEATRE.
Christian Street, Islington.
First night of a new and beautiful drama, witten by Mr.
J. Courtney, and entitled " THE'OU I'CAST OF LAU-
SANNE." Limited engagement of MR. A. ABEL, and
his WONDERFUL DOGS. . MISS AUGUSTA CLIF-
TON.

THIS EVENING, and TO-MORROW (Tuesday), December
sth and 6th, will be played an original domestic drama, in
three acts, called " THE OUTCAST OF LAUSANNE ;
or the WANDERER OF THE MOUNTAINS." Jeane
Semone, Mr. Courtney. Claudine, of Switzerland, Miss
Augusta Clifton. To conclude with the grand military
drama of " THE FOREST OF BONDY."

Centre Boxes, 25.; Side Boxes, ls. ; Pit. 6d.; Gallery, 3d.

ROYAL PARK THEATRE.

Parliament Street, near St. James's Market.
GREAT SUCCESS OF MISS MARRIOT AND MR.

GEORGE WALTON

THIS EVENING, HAMLET. Hamlet, Mr. George Wal-
ton. Ophelia, Miss Marriot. To conclude with " LIFE
AS IT IS ; or the CONVICT'S CHILD." Martha, Miss
Marriot ; Franklin, Mr. Donald.

To-mOßnow (Tu'esday) the " IRON CHEST." Sir Ed-
ward Mortimer, Mr. George Walton ; and " LIFE AS IT
15.,,

In Rehearsal, and will be produced on a scale of magnifi-
cence hitherto unattempted, the new Grand Comic Panto-
mime, written by the author of Ye Fayre Mayde, cf Tox-
teth ;" called " ORMSHEAD:THE GREAT; or HARLE
QUIN and JENNY JONES, the FLOWER of NORTH
WALES and the FAIRY OF SNOWDON."

Doors open at half-past six, commence at seven. Admis-
sion, Private Boxes, 2s. ; Boxes, Is. ; Pit, 6d. ; Gallery, 3d.

ROYAL PriRK THEATRE,
Parliament Street.

On WEDNESDAY EVENING, Dec. 7th, for the BENEFIT
of Mr. APPLEBY, the TWO LOVERS of WALLASEY ;
or, THE MURDER OF BIDSTON COMMON. The new
Drama of LIFE IN AUSTRALIA. To conclude with
THE SLAVE HUNT. Topsy (with new song and dance)
Mrs Appleby ; Cassy, Miss Marriot ; Dinah, Mr. Appleby;
St. Clair, Mr. J. F. Donald.

HIGH WATER IN THE MERSEY.
Trim DAY—Morning, 2h. urn. Afternoon, 2h. 17 m.

MONDAY, DECEMBER 5, 1853.

THERE is always in the tale of human danger, suf-
fering, and heroism, an indescribable charm. We
recur to it again and again with undiminished zest,
and feel our natures ennobled by the feats and ex-
ploits of others. Who does not remember, in his
schoolboy days, the delight afforded by stories of
shipwreck, and the narratives of navigators ? how
accounts of the perils of the sea, and adventures
on the land, fired the young soul with enthusiasm,
and excited boyish curiosity? We can all, more
9r less, recall those times ; and even now,
when the world has done its evil work upon the
best part of our nature, and rendered us insensible
to many things which formerly were wont to im-
press us, our sympathies are still moved by these.
The well-known correspondent " L.," of the Morn-
ing Chronicle, has narrated a most thrilling, nervous,
a.nd highly elaborate story of the loss of the vessel
Meridian, a barque of 579 tons, which sailed from
London for Australia on the 4th of July, with 90
passengers, but which became a total wreck on
the evening of the 24th August.

• The Meridian was a fine, first-class, and fast-
sailing vessel ; but unfortunately possessed an
insufficient crew, and a commander experienced
and courteous, but overbold and wanting in judg.
ment. For fifteen years he had been in command
of various ships, and he often boasted that during
that long time he never " lost a single spar nor a
man overboard." In his last voyage he had over-
taken, in the middle of the Indian Ocean, a ship
which had left England a fortnight before his own;
and it was natural to suppose that, proud of his
vessel and his skill, he should become self-elated
and deSirous 'of realising even more signal success.
Poor HERNAMAN !he has paid the ad penalty of
his impulsive nature, indubitable rashness, and.
unpardonable foolhardiness. Having overtaken
and beaten every ship on the ocean, he suffered
the Meridian to run full before the wind—every
inch of canvass he could command having been
brought . into requisition—notwithstanding that
the sea was rough, a gale blowing, and expecting
to sight dangerous land in four .or five hours.
Although the ship's chronometers were out of order,
land he had lost his reckoning, nevertheless he
made full sail for the island of St. Paul, one of the
most perilous, rocky, and inaccessible spots to be
found on the globe, which stands in the centre
of the Indian Ocean—a place where desolation
reigns—where everything is sterile and dead—and
where the only vegetation consisted of a few cab-
bages, .which had been formerly planted by some
shipwrecked mariners of France, to which fortunate
circumstance the crew of the ill-fated Meridian ovki
their lives. Right into the centre of those crags
the vessel ran with full canvass set. The result can
better be imagined than described. The correspon-
dent before alluded to thus describes the occurrence:
=--" The tea•things in the cuddy had just been
" cleared away, and many of the children were
" being undressed, when a smart shock shook the
" vessel from stein to stern. At first I believed
" that we had run foul of another vessel, but in a
" minute or two afterwards, five or six more violent
" shocks, accompanied by a peculiar grating sound
" at the bottom of the vessel, left no room for
" doubt upon the nature of the misfortune which•
" had befallen us. Mr. Tulloch, the second-mate,
" who came shortly afterwards into the cuddy for
" an instant, told me in plain terms that the
" vessel was on shore, and for a time all was con-
" fusion, terror, and despair. The moment that
" the vessel struck, Captain HERNAMAN, who was
" standing in the passage leading to the cuddy,
" rushed up the poop stairs, exclaiming three
" times, `Where is Mr. LAMBURD ? (Mr. LAMBURD,
" as he himself told me afterwards, was going at
" the time towards the galley fire, on the main-
" deck, for the purpose of lighting his pipe.) As
" the captain gained the quarter-deck the awful
" truth burst upon him, and with another excla-
mation of ' My God ! it is the island ! ' he seized
" the wheel, and put the helm hard a-starboard.
" He then stripped off his coat, waistcoat, and
" trousers, shouting, ' Now every man for himself,'
" and bade one of the hands, named CHARLES SNOW,
" assist him in casting off oue of the hen-coops..
" While they were thus engaged a heavy sea burst
" over the poop, and swept him and, SNOW over-
" board, but SNOW caught a rope as he fell, and
" climbed up again into the mizen rigging on the
" port side, and thence over to the starboard side
" of the poop deck, from which he descended to
" the main deck, and sought a temporr,ry refuge
"in the main rigging. Mr. LA.Ninuan and some of
" the crew climbed into the main:top, others. held
" on to other parts of the rigging, exposed, of
" course, to the fury of the wares, which repeat-
" edly washed over them. " It must have been,
truly, an awful scene, when
" Terror's icy hand
Smote their distorted limbs and horrent hair ! "

To yiew the rush and crush (,f despairing human
beingsmen, women, and ehldren, broUght into

such fearful and sudden proxnnity with death, and
struggling bravely for life, rugs a scene which no
artist's pencil could touch in colours sufficiently
graphic to convey anything iike a real impression
of an event so horribly sublime.
There is every reason to believe that, notwith-
standing the Captain's reckless audacity in risking
the ship's safety, danger might ;have been averted
if those employed on the watch only performed
their duty. But what is the fact. Why so consci-
ous were they of security, that instead of remain-
in; on. deck they went into the cabin to take repose.
Atd then when danger not only threatened but
became imminent, out of a nominal crew of twenty-
three men, ex3lusive of three mates, only ten were
mailable. This is a state of things that.demands
inprovement. , Indeed, scarcely a vessel reaches
Aistralia from our shores, but complaints of some
kind or another are made, so that the. authorities
there have signified their intention of inquiring
into the matter and taking some legal steps, for
providing against their recurrence. These facts
pore how necessary it is for those upon ,whom
responsibility devolves to exercise more vigilance
and caution in the equipment of their vessels. A
ship might be very fine—an excellent sailer—
and perfect in every department, but like the
unfortunate Meridian, if commanded by reck-
less or over-brave men, or have an ineffective
or , insufficient crew, it is of very little import-
ance. If danger be rashly courted is it any
wonder that it should become present? If those
intrusted with the care of life and property on the
pathless track of ocean, rush on as wildly and as
madly as if they were driving an express train; or
suffer sleep to close their eyelids although consci-
ously approaching shoals and crags—why if
inevitable destruction should follow where is the
cause for wonderment ? He who seeks danger
most likely will perish thereby. Reason and ex-
perience bear testimony to this law of nature.

After the unfortunate Mr. HERNAMNN had been
washed overboard, the crew became ungovernable.
However, the excellent. wisdom of " L.," the first
mate, and the majority of the passengers, tended
to counteract that calamity. After having been
cribb'd in the hulk, whose timbers were fast break-
ing up, for nearly the whole night, exposed to a
terrible sea, whose waters were momentarily
threatening to swallow up every soul on board,
by the extraordinary energy of " L.," Mr. Les.ar-
SURD, the first mate, and
.some of the passengers,
with great difficulty and danger, every one on
hoard, except three who happened to be washed
off the deck, with the captain, when the vessel
struck, had been safely secured on the island,
although drenched, cold, and hungry. Here they
remained for the long period of thirteen days,
exposed to the greatest privations, with little pro-
vision, and on a barren rock, upon whose surface
it was impossible to walk without having the feet
severely lacerated. And there can be little doubt
but that for the wisdom displayed by the corre-
spondent of the Morning Chronicle in taking charge
of the fragmentary stores, nearly all should have
perished of starvation, Strange ! that among the
whole group of sailors and passengers only one
could be found—and he a literate by profession,
and unacquainted with danger—to command and
direct in a season of alarming danger and respon-
sibility. At one time their hope became elevated
—the Monmouth hove in sight, but, owing to stress
of weather, had to put out to sea again. Howef•er,
when despair had nearly taken possession Of every
heart, the long-looked for deliverance arrived; and
the starving and exhausted and heroic sufferers
were conducted to the Monmouth by the mate of
that vessel, to whom much honor is due, who gal-
lantly landed on that bleak and barren island in
search for them.

The conduct of the unfortunate captain of the
ill-fated Meridian may serve to inculcate an excel-
lent moral. It teaches that successes are no less
dangerous than failures ; and that prosperity often
becomes the forerunner of adversity. When good
fortune is about to crown our exploits—when our
minds are inflated with self-sufficiency—and when
we are ready to cry Eureka ! disappointment comes
quick and terrible, like the crash of an avalanche,
blasting our sanguine expectations, and burying in
an untimely grave all the darling hopes we so long
and fondly cherished. It teaches, too, that pru-
dence is the best part of valour, and that the most
daring courage cannot atone for the absence of
ordinary caution. We hope the lesson this cala-
mity affords may not be fruitlessly thrown away.

LIZ importance of the Board of Trade returns
for the month 'ending the sth of November can
scarely be overrated, as they exhibit a state of
things very different to that which the public are
led to believe from reading the daily, weekly, and
monthly circulars of trade. These one and all
talk of depression, declines, downward tendency,
and gloomf *prospects, while the official returns
show increase upon increase in • every branch of
industry and trade. As compared with the returns
for the same period of .1852, they exhibit an in-
crease in the declared value of our exports of no less
than 1,812,3601. In this increase our great metal
and mineral staples which yield an unbroken circle
of profit- to this country, form a leading feature.
Next to these articles, haberdashery shows a marked
increase. And here it must be remembered that
the articles included under this head, give—owing
to the prodigious diversity of skill required in
their manipulation—employment to almost every
class of the industrial community. An increase
in this branch of our exports must therefore be a
source of great national advantage. The increase
under this head for the last month. was 137,2291.,
which is considerably more than the whole value
of the haberdashery exported in the same period
last year. . .

When we turn to those manufactures which
affect our agricultural interests, we find the
same gratifying results. The value of the
beer, ale, butter, and cheese exported for the
month amounts to 114,7701., being an increase
over the corresponding period of 1852 of 43,2701.
If we look to the manufactures composed of foreign
raw materials—cotton goods and yarn—we find the
aggregate value exported within the month was
2,161,5251., being an increase over the same period
last year of no less than 231,963/. The value of
our silk manufactures exported was 139,2401.;
which gives an increase for the month of 42;119/.
The woollen goods and yarns exported are valued
at 420,4951., being an increase of 137,2411. In ma-
chinery and hardwares, two branches of employ-
ment which yield the highest return for labour, the
value exported for the month was 391,7481., being
an-increase of 134,5881.

Hence, it will be seen, by the foregoing review,
the returns which relate to our leading manufac-
turing interests, are most satisfactory, and show
the increased demand that existed fOr both capital
and labour, while in the imports of breadstuffs for
the month, we find not only a decrease of 176,815
quarters, but also a decrease in the quantity taken
for home consumption of .128'805 quarters, which
shows that in the absence of any wild speculative
demand, the decreased supply was equal to our re-
quirements, and that there was even a surplus of
grain imported, amounting to 102,000 quarters.

This- is a fortunate circumstance' for' the country
which alarmists ought not to lose sight of, as it

shows very clearly that there must have been a
better supply of home production brought to mar-
ket, and• taken for home consumption.'
Encouraging as we find the returns of the month
when taken in detail, the value of our exports, taken
in the aggregate, for the first ten months of the
year, are equally SQ; During ',that period they
amounted to 73;155,755/. against 59,247,1041., for the
same period' f 1852, being an increase al 3,008;651/,
or 23i per cent.; and when compared. with the re-
turns for 1851, they show an increase of 15,029,699/.
To show the steadiness of trade during the periods
to which - these returns relate, we subjoin a sum-
mary of the increase in each month :
Month ending Increase.
February 5 ••• ... £1;410,060
March 5 ••• 919,097
• April 5 ... 1,486,818
May 5 ... 2,309,995
June 5 ... 1,187,558
July 5 ••• ... 1,003,637
August 5 1,405,918
Sept. 5 ... 1,426,500
October 10 ••• ... 1,446,703
Nov. 5 ••• ... 1,312,360

In looking to the exports of Foreign and Colo-
nial produce, to pay for which absorbs so much
bullion, in addition to large exports of manufac-
tures, we find a very material increase in corn
cotton, wino, spirits, sugar, and tobacco, while there
is a small falling off in the exports of teas for the
present, as compared with last year. In all the
other articles we have named„the increased exports.
have been sufficiently great to justify the increased
importations of those articles; and as they will, in
the great majority of cases, . realise large profits in
bullion, we see no reason to be apprehensive as to
the future. On the contrary, we believe there will
be less demand for money for hypothecation, than
we have experienced hitherto. The increased dif-
fusion of wealth among nearly all the countries
With 'which we trade, will render the demand for
advances against produce very limited. In
India there is an excess of about 7,000,0001. over
the actual wants of the country, and in Australia
the demand has almost entirely ceased; the effect
of this must be to render money more abundant
and cheaper in England.
That portion of the Navigation Returns which
relates to vessels employed in our trade with the
British dependencies, foreign countries, and Ire-
land, are no less satisfactory than those we have
already noticed. The number of vessels entered
inwards, from our Colonies and Foreign ports,
for the ten months ending the Gth of November,
were 29,866, with an aggregate tonnage of 6,546,320..
against 24,983 ships, with an aggregate ton_
nage of 5,531,162, in . 1852, being an increase of
4,883 ships., and 1,010,858 tons. The vessels cleared
outwards for the same period, were 29,699, with an
aggregate tonnage of 6,462,035, against 27,770
vessels, and 5,879,313 tons, in the same period last
year, being an increase of 1,929 ships, and 582,722
tons.

In the vessels employed in the intercourse be-
tween Great . Britain and Ireland, we notice a
proportionable increase in tonnage, while there
appears to be a slight decrease lathe number of
vessels. The tonnage for the present year is
11,350,010, against 11,187;557 for the same time in
1852, being an increase of 162,453 tons ; while the
number of vessels employed in 1853, are only
123,599, against 126,342 in 1852, being a decrease
of 2,743 ships. The continuous decrease noticea-
ble in this important branch of our coasting trade
may be ascribed entirely to the employment of
vessels of a larger and superior class. Improve-
ments in the general management- of steam vessels
by which a fewer number of boats are made to
perform a greater amount of work, may also be
assigned as a reason which accounts for the de-
crease alluded to ; but as • long as the tonnage
Continues increasing we may rest assured that
both the traffic and the character of the
,vessels,
employed in it, are improving. Finally, we can
only repeat that the publication of the returns be-
fore us, at a moment when the mind of the public
is filled with the most singular apprehensions as
to the real condition of the trading and commercial
interests of the country is an event of the very
utmost importance ; and if the facts which they
bring-to light are only appreciated to the extent
they ought to be, we may hope to see a speedy
return of confidence, which will lead to still
greater and more favourable results.

On Saturday night, about half-past seven o'clock, the
"Sailor" flat, laden with coal, was run down, nearly opposite
the landing-stage, by one of the Seacombe ferry-boats. No
lives; fortunately, were lost. The " Sailor" was the
property of Mr. Simcox, of Norwich.

THE LATE • EXTENSIVE FORGERY IN LIVERPOOL.—Mr.
M'Curtin is still at large, although the most active measures
have been taken for his apprehension. We learn that on
Saturday evening Mr. Riley, Mr. M'Curtin's partner and
father-in-law, and Mr. Riley, jun., were apprehended by
two officers of the detective force. The precise nature of
the charge upon which they have been apprehended has not
transpired, but they are to come before the magistrates to-
day, when the whole affair must transpire.
SAILINGS FOR AUSTRALIA..—The splendid clipper-ship
" Matilda Wattenbach " sailed yesterday from the Mersey,
with the Australian mails, and a large number of passengers.
There is no doubt this fine ship will make a rapid run.
The American-steam-ship " Golden Age," notwithstanding
the injury she sustained, is again ready for sea, and will
sail, we believe, during the course of to-day. The British
and North American royal mail steam-ship Asia sailed on
Saturday from the Mersey, with the usual mails, a fair
cargo, and 105 passengers.
ACCIDENT YESTERDAY AT MANCHESTER. Yesterday
(Sunday) morning, about half-past ten o'clock, an accident
took place in Union-str, t, Salford, by which four children
have been severely iarned. ' It appears that for some
purpose connected with their works, Messrs. Mather and
Platt, of the Salford Iron Works, were raising, about the
time above-mentioned, in their yard, a large " three-legs,"
or hoist, and in order to make it steady during the operation
of raising,. ropes were attached from the top of two chimneys
in the neighbourhood. The pressure upon one of the
chimneys was so great, that it gave way and fell. The
consequence was, that the bricks and rubbish fell from the
roof into one of the rooms occupied by Mr. George M'Guire,.
Union-street. At the time of the accident, four of Mr.
M'Guire's children were seated in front of the fire, and they
have been severely burned by the heated materials thrown
out from the fire-place. Two medical gentlemen were
speedily on the spot, and rendered what aid was requisite
under the circumstances. On inquiry late last evening,
we were informed that the children were going on
favourably.
ConorrEn's INQUESTS. —On Saturday, the following
inquests were held before Edward Harford, Esq., coroner
for the city of Manchester :—Touching the death of Ann
Whiteridge, aged forty.:eight years, the wife of a printer,
who was found drowned in the Rochdale Canal, on the 3rd
instant-- verdict, that the deceased drowned herself while in
a state of temporary insanity.—On the body of Elizabeth
Eckersley, of Whittle-street, aged thirty years, who died
suddenly on the 2nd instant. It was supposed that the
deceased came to her death in consequence of the effects of
injuries inflicted upon her by her husband. This, however,
turned out to be incorrect, for after a careful investigation
the jury found a verdict, that the deceased died from natural
causes, accelerated by drinking.— On the body of Ann
Filtham, of 92, Blossom-street, aged twenty-seven years,
who got burned, through her clothes catching fire while she
was in a state of intoxication—verdict, accidentally burned.
ATTEMPTED • HOUSE ROBBERY.—On Saturday morning.
at the Salford town-hall, three persons named Josiah Mains,
John Doron and Martin Mulney, were placed before the
magistrates, on a charge of having broken into a house with
intent to steal therefrom. It appears that on Friday after-
noon, Miss Cantrell a dress-maker, left her house, No. 7,
Southern's-place, Cross-lane, when all was safe. At about
six o'clock, a sister of the prosecntrix, who lives in the neigh-
bourhood, saw two men in the house, one having a candle in
his hand, and the other looking into a cupboard.. She im-
mrdiately gave an alarm, upon which the two men in the
house jumped out 'of it through a window. One of them
was speedily apprehended, and the others were subsequently
taken into custody. The robbers did not succeed in taking
any thing away, although they had collected a quantity of
wearing apparel, which they had tied up for removal, when
the alarm took place. Remanded to Monday.