The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1821-09-13 00:00:00

THR OLD STAG* OP JRBIGLAND.

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[From the Thus/ries Corr ier .]

........

In the spring and summer months. when the
great vivifying principle of vegetable life is pushed
through countless myriads of veins and arteries, un-
til it terminates in all the beautiful variety of leaves,
buds, and blossoms—when the rye, tired with the
tedious monotony of a northern winter, rests with
unspeakable delight on garlanded woods and daisied
meadows—when evert the muss or lichen-covered
rock

" Feels, i• ifs barrenness, some touch of spring,"

we know of few places in this pert of the country
that are better worth visiting than the point of
Arbigland, stretching us it does f.r into the clear
waters of the Solway, and rising almost like ■n
Oasis amidst the newly wastes of Curse, mill the
benty downs of Southerlies:. Independently of its
own fairy scenery, which in a manner divides it
from all the world beside, the mansion-house of
Arbigland commands a delightful and most exten-
sive prospect. On the right the bold and precipi-
tous shore of Culvend—the supposed *emir of Dirk
iledieraiek's exploits—stretches till it dips into the
dark and stollen Urr; on the left, the venerable
towers of Newalebey and Carlaverock Curtly,
the well-wooded heights of Maybie, the infant
harbours of the Quay mid Cam. with a num-
ber of other striking objects, ale seen reced-
ing in guy and pleasing perspective; in the rear,
the sailor's land-mark, and the farmer's weather-
gauge, the dark and lowering Criit'el
head, as if willing, like eastern sovereigns, to &lire
importance from his partial ; while in
the front, the far-famed Cumberland mountains
terminate the prospect, end lend a pleasing con-
trast to the whole intervening• distance of clear blue
water, thriving sea-ports, scattered viraget, fertile
plains, and fleecy uplands. Nothing, in fact, can
be finer on a clear summer morning than the view
which the inmates of Arbigland command of the
coast of Cumberland. The morning ilium and
evening bugle, that rouse to labour, or invite to
repose, the good people of Allonby or Mary-
port, are distincily audible on our own side of the
water, and the fee-de-joie which is tired in ho-
nour of any public event can he answered at a
minute's warning from the shores of Ca!edonia.
The nations so long rivals, and divided only
by a narrow frith, are rivals no more. At every
return of the tide, English, as well as Scot-
tish. coasting vessels are seen standing for the Nith
and the Annan, or peradventure. retulding sway
in company to double the Cape of St. Bees; and
in a word, in place of hostile clansmen and reavers,
the shores of Cumberland and Galloway are now
peopled with a race of men who intermingle with
each other on all occasions as brothers and friends,
and who, even while pursuing their own separate
interests, are doing all that in them heal() reci-
procate the blessings of extended and extending
civilization.

But, to proceed with our story. Among the
many rural appendages of Arbiglaild, there hop.
pelieJ, a good many years ago, to he a fine old gan-
der, who had lived born youth to 54e in the same
delightful spot, and whose remarkable, though well
authenticated exploits, are well worthy if being
recorded in a country newspaper. From the great
age and superior sagacity of this bird, he had
become a great favourite with the former proprietor
of Arbigland, who used to take much pleasure in
seeing the sentinel geese strutting through the long
grass to rebuke the approach of every stranger,
or, at times, leading forth a long train of cackling
young, to dip their shooting pinions its the waters
of the Solway. One season, however, either the
demands for a Christmas goose, or the midnight
depredations of the fox and the foulmart, had been
so numerous, that the poor old gander was left
without a single helpmate—a misfortune which he
deplored day and uight by many a doleful ewe,
brought from the lowest bass of the cackling
gamut. These affectionate reptoings did nut escape
the observation of Mr. Craik's servants, sod orders
had just been issued for replacing the extirpated
breed of geese, when the widowed biped suddenly
disappeared, to the great regret of the whole fa-
mily. One blamed the fox, another the fool-
mart, and a third the gipsies ; hut the event
proved that they were all uiotakeir ; for, one morn-
ing, as Mr. Craike was entering the breakfast par-
lour, he heard a well known cackle, and immediately
exclaimed, " If the old stag had not been drowned
or worried, I could have sworn that that was his
cry." This call was immediately repeated, and on
going out to the lawn, or on looking out at the
window, Mr. C. beheld the identical old gander,
surrounded by a whole Hock of bonny lady geese,
whose approach he was thus proudly antiouriciug,
and whose wings were still dripping with the
brine of that element through which he had
taught them to pilot their way for • distance of at
least twelve or thirteen miles. This singular occur-
fence naturally excited a good deal of interest,
and after making every ',liquify, it 'appeared that
the gander had either been carried away by the
force of the tide, or had voluntarily swans tu the
opposite shore, where, landing on some Lnglish
f,rni, he bad immediately attached himself to one
of the owuer's geese. and sojourited with her till she
had hatched a pretty numerous brood. At length,
finding that he h'ad reared up another family to
people his favourite retreat, or what is still more
probable, being attracted by the woods of Arbig-
lard, while sporting iii the Solway on some
dear swirly tttor g, lie once more ventured to
trues the water, carrying with him his English
spouse, and her whole brood of Ang/o-Galoridiums.
Whether this action was as hottest as it was pro-
friotic, we will leave others to determine ; but what-
ever may be said as to the rights of the English
farmer, it is certain that this ce.lebrated bird evinced
far more gratitude than certain of our countrymen,
who, after being accustomed to the rich pastures
of England, seem willing to forget that there is
such a place as poor old Scotland. At any rate,
the proprietor of Arbigland did not think the worse
cf the old stag for the wonderful instinct he had
displayed ; and had it not been for a circunistrurce
which it may be proper to state, he would have un-
doubtedly dozed away life sery comfortably, arid at
last beets buried wilh his fat hers—the highest mark of
respect that can be bestowed ou an irrational biped.
But there is no providing against the chapter of

• A name still common for s gander iu many parts of
Scotland.

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accidents: and early one winter morning, stnpiti
servant carried awry the gander, by mistake, among
a lot of other poultry, which he had beets directed to
deliver iss Christmas presents, be distributing the
said presents, the Koestler fell to the lot of the
father of the present Thomas Goldie, Es 1. whose
servants killed and cooked the unfortunate
bird, without ever discovering that it had lived
more than half a century ; but, when carried
to the table, its extraordinary toughness was a
subject of much speculation, and fairly bafiled
the skill of more thatt one accomplished carver.
The late Duchess of Gordon. it is 'lid, once ral-
lied a gentleman fur his want of dextei ity in carving,
who replied, that her Grace would have been less
severe on him, had she known the hirtury of the fowl
placed before biro, and who, on bring asked to be
more explicit, replied, " That it was the mother of
the cock that crew to Peter !" We are nut aware
that any similar criticism was made on the occa-
sion to which we allude, but supposing there had,
we think the carver might have replied, with equal
trash, that the subject on which he had been ws
slowly ()venting, was the great relit grandson of
one of those classical birds whose well-timed cack-
ling was a lumina of soviog the Human capitol !

SANDWICH ISLANDS.

/From the Cooseetiesit Mirror.)

There is now living on the bland of Waohoo in
the Pacific Ocelots a black man, named Anthony
Allen. from Schenectady in the State of New York.
We have thought the following account of
which we copy from the mafioso ipt journal of Mrs.
Binghsm, would be interesting to those whose atten-
tion is turned to the subject of the Mission to the
Sandwich Islands. It shows that the inhabitant,
of those islands, possessing • productive toil and
one of the finest climates on the globes only need
the benefits of civilization and the consolations of
religion, to snake them independent and happy.
" Yesterday we made our visit at Mr. Allen's.
He has a native wife and two pretty children, the
eldest of whom lie has taught its letters. He has
been very kind in sending us potatoes, squashes, &c.
every morning two bottles of goat's milk, and as
often as once in two weeks • goat or kid, neatly
dressed, besides many other articles of food. He
lives so far from us that we cannot benefit his family
as we wish. The distance is about two miles. To
avoid walking in the bat, we made ourselves ready
by ten, locked up our houses, and set off. A 131111..
tirade had assembled by the time we were at the
gate to attend us. Our little hand cart which we
brought from Ruston, the only wheels on the island,
served as • cartiage for those to whom the walk
might prove too great. It was an easy matter to
get it drawn by the uativer, shafting stage as often
as we pleased.
" Whet, we arrived at Mr. Allen's territories
(which were a large enclosure surrounded by •
high fence of poles put into the ground after the
native style) we found him at his gate waitiog to
give us a polite slid cordial reception. Within the
enclosure were his dwelling. eating, and cookiug
houses, besides others for his numerous train 0r
attendants. There was also a well, • garden of
squashes, and an one pail • fold, containing a cow,
several sheep. and three hundred goats. After
setting upon his table al, caoterr, glasses, and. wine
and brandy for our refreshment, he begged to be
excused whole he could go and prepare dinner.
Rig Wife, • pleasant-looking olative, kept her place
in • little room adjoining, upon her mats with her
little ones. We could talk with her but little, but
instracted her iss sewing and made her • gown.
Site temained upon her mats while we. went to die.
ner. The table was set in the American style : the
first course was w hat we call pot or sea pie, well
prepared ; that removed,, boiled pork and fowls,
cold nest tarrow•cakes ; then baked pig, after-
wards pudding, ending with wine and melons.
This was not missionary fare. All was neatly
cooked mod in order. We endeavoured to mike
the afternoon as profitable as we could. He ca-
pes ted to have had his children beptized. but
Mr. B. had sent loins a letter upon the subjeet
the night before, and now by conversing with him
alone. satisfied his mind that something more
was necessary hrfore his children could be thus
given up to God. At the close of the afternoon
we had served up to us in chins cups. good cof-
fee and fried cakes. We then, with a present
of poi k in our little cart, set utF for home. Our
walk home was pleasant. The company out-travel led
us. and left Mr. B. and myself quite behind and
alone. While on the photo, back of the village, a
large conspisoy of natives approached us. At the
first moment, womanish fear said, there is • hea-
then band approaching us, and we are solitary sod
alone. Whets the train reached us, we found it
was headed breept. Joe, a native, who commands
one of the King's schooners. He came up with
eagerness to Mr. B. whom he seems to love, and
shaking hands very heartily, says, " How eio you do.
Sic? fOM very happy to see you, Sir-such
good moon I was going to talk a wnlk, Sir."—Then
bidding us good night, and telling us lie should
come sod see us in the morning, lie left us. He is
a pleasaot youth, very active, speaks English very
well, and has a most kilod disposition, and 1 fondly
hope his name may yet come into missionary com-
munications, as a shiner in the blessings sent him
and his nation."

PRICE OF %-rocliS YESTERDAY.
3 per Crlot. Con.. 7.5 w I
Ex. Kilts. 3 1a•.
5 per Ct. N. Atiu..lo9! t UM", 5001 4 pr.
108! lug I Lottery loci tr 194 iss.
Imp. 3. per Ct. Ann. 73 I Copular Ace
India 80adr..63 64 pr.

MA ACE.
Tuesday. the llih teatime,. at St. John's, Hackney, Mr.
Themes Kingsbury, of 1.-eollinkall-street, to Martha, daugh-
ter of tb.• late Joseph Look, Eq. of Clapham.
DEATH.
Oa the llth iestaat, at hi. boast, Camberwell-grove, aged
67, Edward Gratin, many years Secretary to the Still
Fore-utrite.

HIGH WATER THIS DAY AT LONDON NUDGE.
Muruing 59 After :2. I E►mine IT eke 3.
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Printed and Published at THE BRITISH rim and TINE
GLOBE Office, No 127, Stilted, IT C, CORNWELL,
of the Strand.

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