The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1826-08-14 00:00:00

THE ARMY.

Detachments of recruits arrived in town on Sati:e.ay, (ran
tol, on route to join their respective corps and dewy,
A detachment belonging to the Ist (Royal) Regiment cf Foot,
has received orders to embark on board a vessel in the Itinr. f,,
Scotland.
A detachment belonging to the 36th Regiment of Infantry
bhrked on board a canal boat, at Paddington, for 31anchemer, wi 1
Saturday.
A detachment belonging to the 80th Regiment of Foot embarked
on board a canal boat, at Paddington, for Liverpool, on Saturday.
A detachment of the 53,1 Regiment of Infantry embarked tr,
board a canal boat, at Paddington, for Stockport.

The Officers of the fifth (Royal County Down) Regiment of
Foot, gave, on the let inst. at Buttevant, a farewell dinner to their
late worthy Commanding Officer, Lieutenant-Colonel Johnson.
The enthusiastic manner in which his health was drunk, and in
which the party received every allusion to his unremitting endea.
yours to advance the discipline, and promote the comfort of the
coops during the whole period of his command, must have been pe.
cubed), gratifying to his feelings, and could not fail to assure hint
that all his brother officers regret unfeignedly that family circum-
stances should have compelled him to retire, and that his memory
will be long and fondly cherished by all who have served under
him.
The next day the Lieutenant-Colonel took leave of the regiment
on parade ; and, at the close of an animated and soldier.like ad.
dress, was cheered by the battalion through the town to his car-
riage, as the last propf they had in their power to give him of their
attachment sod regard.
The repeated cheers of the men and officers on this occasion mutt
have gone home to his heart, and administered some consolation
for the grief with which he was evidently so deeply impressed at
taking his departure from them. lie will enjoy the prowl satistic.
tion of carrying with him, wherever lie may go, the ardent wisher
of every individual of the corps for his happiness and prosperity.
illajor-General Sir Henry Torrens, Adjutant-6mm' to the
Forces, accompanied by Major-General Sir James Lyon, Inspected
the Fourth, or the King's Own Regiment, at Winchester, on the
Bth inst., when, after it had performed a variety of evolutions, the
3lajor-General expressed himself highly pleased with the penal
appearance, cleanliness, and discipline of the regiment. lie et.
pressed himself particularly gratified at the very correct and able
manner in which the different manceuvres were performed.

AWFUL CO2VFLAGRATIOX-DESTRUCTION OF
SIX FARMS.

[From the Huntingdon and Canibrfdir Gazette.]
Thursday evening, about nine o'clock, a most dreadful fire broke
out at the village of Over, in this county, which, for rapidity and
extent of damage, has not been equalled in the neigl-bourhood due.
log the memory of the oldest inhabitant. It was first seen by a
young man and woman, issuing from a crevice between a cart hovel
and a barn, belonging to Mr. Bicheno, situate In Unwyn's!lane,
and is feared to have been the work of an incend'ary ; as, from the
confined situation of the place, it is impossible a light could have
been accidentally there. At ie moment of discovery, the body cf
tire appeared not larger than a man's hat, but in an instant, and
before they could give an alarm, the barn was one entire blaze; and
being filled with newly-housed grain, it raged with dreadful fury,
communicating unt only to the buildings right and left, but to the
rick-yard of Mr. Few, on the opposite side of the lane. In a fee
minutes the entire range of buildings and ricks on both sides of the
lane were on tire; the Hants, praying on dried corn, rove mountain
high, threatening distinction to the whole town, nod spreading
terror throughout the nei;,•hbouring country. Not an engine was at •
hand ; at length one arrived from the adjoinisg parish, bet instead
of its being employed to prevent the fire communicating to oche;
buildings, it was run into the very centre of Unwyn's.lane, and
there being water at 114!1(1, it was promptly brought to play up n a
barn filled with cuts ; but the effort was as unavailing as fraught
with danger. The roof gave way, and the burning dice!: sliding
outwards, enveloped the engine, and with difficulty the per oat work.
ing it extricated themselves from their perilous situation ; but the en.
gine was consumed. As soon as the fire was observed at Cambridge,
Mr. Elliot Smith, who is agent for the Norwich Union, despatched
the engine belonging to that Company in the direction of the lire,
winch was quickly followed by that belonging to the Cambridge and
Hertford Insurance Company. The Norwich engine immediately
proceeded to Mr. Few's farm, and although all hope was at an
end as to saving the dwelling-house, yet, by prompt exertions,
succeeded tunkr the direction of Mr. Smith and the engineet, in
preventing the tire from reaching a large barn filled with barley;
and pteserving a small rick-yard, containing a wheat rick and two
hay stacks. We have stated that the fire hsd estended eight and
left, and that it had communicated with some tenements its front
of the town and street, belonging to Mr. Bicheno. These wetz
quickly. reduced to ashes; but while they were consuming, it
spread its devouring ravages to the house and fann.yard of Mr.
hos. Gifford, which terminated the line of street iu that direction;
of these scarcely a vestige, saving the blackened foundation walk,
remains ; furniture, fanning implement's, corn, hay, all—all was de-
stroyed. We should be happy it we could here close the melan-
choly recital, but a more lengthened catalogue remains to be told.
The width of the street proved sit insufficient barrier for the pro.
tection of property on the other side of the way, and the farm-
yard and premises of Messrs. Silk, Goode, and Inglis, together
with the intermediate tenements, were successively and almost
simultaneously in a blaze. At this moment else icons was most
awful. The closely compacted buildings and ricks, orcuP}ingg an
area of about ten acres, and containing the produce of aboot
two thousand acres of fertile land, formed one mighty column
of fire, ascending almost to the heavens, and scattering brilliant
showers of sparks In every detection. The utmost confusion now
prevailed; each man seemed intent on saving his property; and
while the houses already on fire were left to their late, almost
every tenement in that part of the town was emptied of
furniture; is
the goods were conveyed to the fields, as the onlY
Place of security, for even the orchards, in many placeo, were on

lire.
It is some consolation that there has been no loss of lives on thin
melancholy occasion ; a single head of cattle has been alone suit-
ticed ; but nearly the whole of the property, furniture, laming
implements, bay, and corn, contained in the above-mentioned pre-
mises, has been destroyed The loss is estimated in buildings at
12,609/. and in implements and produce at 15,000/. Fortutiste4.
none of the beans were carried.
At one period, the greatest fears were entertained for the saicly
of Mr. James Inglis's farm. The fire bad already communicated
to one of the ricks, but the Hertford and Cambridge engine %vas
immediately brought to play upon it, and to the prompt ex-ertioa
of Mr.Newhy the preservation of the farm may be ascribed.