The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1824-02-13 00:00:00

THE ARMY.

The depot of the 75th regiment of foot is ordered to pro-
ceed from Albany to Gosport barracks.
Detachments belonging to the 30th, 41st, and 4Gth re-
giments of foot, now at Chatham, will embark abou• the
40th inst. for India.

Detachments belonging to the .54th and 149th regiments
of infantry, and a detachment of the 13th litglit dragoons,
will embark, about the 20th inst. on boaru the
Fairlie, Indianan, for Madras.

A detachment 'belonging to the royal staff corps, under
the command of Ensign IVestmacott, will embark on
Saturday next, on board the Orpheus, for the Mauritius.

SINGULAR CIRCUMSTANCR

About seven or eight months since, two large cases were deli.
vered at the Custom.house, from on board a Dutch lugger, coo.
signed to the care of a mercantile house in the city, and addressed
to a gentleman well known in the literary world. On examination 1
those cases were found to contain a number of paintiags, some fos-
sil remains, a few volumes of rare books, printed at .Inisterdent
and other Dutch towns, almost immediately after the discover, of
the use of types, and were, perhaps, more venerable fortheir an-
tiquity than estimable for their literary importance. There were
also some coins, of Roman and Athenian origin, easefully secured
I in a small casket of porphyry. and many other articles of redo, all
plainly indicating the same refinement of taste which had assisted
lin the selection. The pictures. which exhibited every appearance
lof having been long neglected, were, notwithstanding, exc.:leat
preservation, the frames alone having suffered from the rust of time.
They were about forty in number, and were chiefly from the classic
pencils of Claude Lorraine. Poussin and Titian, with two or three
aßembrandt's happiest mhos. Some cabinet paintings, deposited
in a small pertfolio, were evidently the production of a female pen.
cil, and were remarkable rather for their elegant and imagitatire
character, than for studied preparation. But the puzzle was, to as.
certain from whom or whence they came, or what motive could
bare induced the original ipomentar to pert with an inestimable a
collection. No intimation whatever had accompanied them, that
might inform the present owner to whose generosity he amod
debted for so choice a gift, if such he might conceive it.
After carefully examining their contents, the cases were
again carefully closed, as the gentleman was rather !erupt.
leus in exhibiting as his oftn what might be reclaimed at
some future period by their mysterious owner. Month alter month
rolled away, without affording the least clue to this singular ad.
venture, and the gentleman at length concluded that it was a piece
of pleasantry put upon him by his son, who is a Manor.fleneral in
the British army, and then holding a situation in India; be sc.
cordingly wrote to him on the subject, but theGenaral, in reply,
expresses an equal degree of wonder at the information, and pledges
his honour, that he knows nothing whatever of the transaction, and *
concludes by saying, that if his father find. the gift of his unknown
friend as the slightest ineurnbrance, he shall feel particularly
happy in relieving him from the trouble of its acceptance, and take
all responsibility from his shoulders. General - further adds,
that he remembers, during the Walcbcren expedition, haring haat
an opportunity of rendering a trilling service to a wealthy Flan/sitmerchant, merchant, who was at the time highly grateful, and took his ad-
dress both in London and Somersetshire, where his father's estates
are principally situate; but he could never, for a moment, pre.
sume that the lhitchman's gratitude was so untading as to induce
this valuable proof of its existence after the lapse of so may yam
The General's father, who is an ardent admirer of the am, begins
to relax in his scruples, and thinks of new framing and regreildxg
such of the pictures as have suffered from lying by ; and it is es.
pected that the entire will be opened to the inspection of the cog.
nowenti and virtuoso, as soon as the work of resuscitation shall hare
been accomplished.