The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1804-09-19 00:00:00

GEORGE PRESTON.

On Stmday Let, an inquest was taken br J. T.
SAMrsun, Esq. one of the (7oroners for Susce.., ry
the body of George Preston, a private in His Ma-
jesty's Koval Staff Corps, stationed at Ewhurst, in
Sussex, which was found in a wood, a few miles
from that place, before whom it came out in evi-
dence, tbat the deceased had, some days previona
to his being found, got possession of a stone bottle
containing about five quarts of gin, which he car-
ried to the wood wherein his body was discovered,
and there concealed it till yesterday sennight, when
he invited two of his comrades to acroannail him to
the woad to gather nuts ; that they accordingly
went, and were without ceremony introduced its the
Fin, of which Promos and one of the others (the
third having with greet caution and prudence refused
to partike of it) drank so immoderately, that they
soon after dropped down in a stupor, from which
Preston never recovered ; and that it was with diffi-
culty the other was preserved from the fatal effedy
the intoxicating patios. Verdict, Deed zs Hour
• e Drinking.

STRATHSPEY FIRM INC

SOCIETY.

PITNAIN4 SEP r. 3...
This day the first annual meeting of the Badatuith
and Strathspey Farming Society, farmed under the
patronage of the Duchess niGurdon, was held here
and the company, considering the retirement of the
place, was both iii:o4rous and brilliant. Among
those present were, ,their Graces the Duke and
Dachess of Gordon, the Marquis of Huntly, who
commands tie. Northern Distrie, Lady Madeline
Si eclair, On. Hon. Archibald Frakr, of Lovat.
Lientenant-Colorubl George Gordon, of the 2.)tii
dragoon., David Carnegie, N. of Craign, most
of the Proprietors of the Distrid, with many other
Gentlemen a:.d Ladies in the neighbourhood, mak-
ing in all M) who sat to dinner. In the forei,oon of
the day, the company went and visited the Free
Tryst, held in the vicinity of the village of Kin.
guissie, and which, it is hoped. will eventually an-
swer the useful purpose for Atich it was intended.
Thereafter, there was 46 competition for the pre-
miums formerly advertised to be given by the Society.
The Marquis of Huntly and the Diredorx, assisted
by some of the cattle-dealers present, were judges of
the bulls and trips exhibited ; and the Duchess of
Gordon, with the as-istanee of the other ladies, de.
cided on the various articles of domestic manufadure
produced. ITpwards of thirty guineas weir distri-
buted among tho-e found entitled to premiums, and
five guineas were ordered to be distributed ion rig
the unsuccessful candidates, as an incitement to to-
tute industry and exertion.
In the evening there was a ball ; every thing was
conduCted with elegance and propriety; t!-e busi-
ness, without bustle; the social hour, wit:tout in-
temperance.
Meetings of this kind afford a high degree of gra-
tification to the patriot and philanthropist. To en-
c .ntrage habits of industry, among those whom id!e-
ness had too trequentl:' led to vice ; to patronise and
assist the poor in their endeavours to ameliorate
their condition, by useful labour, and to prevent a
hardy Highland peasantry from goieft in quest of
bread to a distant country, by pointing out to them
the means of earning a decent and comfortable cub
sistence in their m,tive !and. 2-e objeCts more than
commonly interesting, both to the thinking head
and the feeling heart.
The Noble Personage who first suggested a pl in
of this kind, in the central Highlands, sod who coa-
tinues to honour the institution with her patronage,
may be said equally, in the Lutz:nage of poetry and
of tr o have " gained a laurl in a field where
no one t•. et cultivated a wreath befo-e."

Boards of agriculture and national tocict:es, how-
ever useful they may he in colleaing and dissemi.
noting general knowledge, embrace too wide a range
to stimulate local industry, or to add much to indi-
vidual comfort. Associations, more limited in their
Weft, are more likely to attain the end desired.
It ought to be mentioned as a proof of the
Marquis of Huntly's zeal to countenance his fa-
vourite Highlanders, and of his strong attachme-it
to them. that, owing ti his being confined by
offs, i tl situation, he onlc left Aberdeen on the morn-
ing of the day of the meeting, and rode to Pitmain
(a distance of ninety miles), wh—e h- arrived about
one o'clock, without appearing to be is the least fa-
tigued.