The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1825-03-12 00:00:00

EARTHQUAKE IN SANTA MAURA.

The following is an extract from a leiter from Santa
Mauro, dated 24th January:—
The city of Santa '.Laura (in the lonian Islands), and several
villages in the island of Leueadia, have just been destroyed by an
earthquake, which took place on the 110th of this month, between
eleven o'clock and noon. The only house left standing in the
town is that of the amiable 31. Zambelly, President of the Tri-
bunal. All the other buildings have been so destroyed that they
on neither be repaired nor be made to serve as a temporary shelter
to the unfortunate inhabitants, of whom twenty-four have been
busiest in the city ruins, 11 in the villages, and by far a greater
number dangerously wounded. Immediately after the shock an
exceedingly heavy shower of rain, which still continues, began,
and has completed the misery of the inhabitants in making them
more sensible of their want of clothes and shelter, and in the per-
fect loss of the effects and provisions which they might hove drawn
front the rubbish. The picture of desolation which this unforto-
nate country presents, is inexpressible ; no human being can view
it with a dry eye. The town of Prevexa has also seriously suf.
fired. This earthquake has only been felt near the coasts.

Letters have been received from ?ante, dated the 20th of
January. They bring no particular news from Greece.
They speak of the daily increasing confidence in the Go-
vernment, acquired by its energetic measures against the
refractory Chiefs, who have all either submitted or fled.
From Gastouni we learn that all the disposable troops were
marching upon Patras. All accounts represent the Go-
vernment as determined to reduce that place speedily.
IVe expect to bear of its fall by every arrival.
Letters were received yesterday from Maranham of the
17th of January. The adjacent part of Brazil was per-
fectly tranquil.
Despatches, dated the 14th of August, have been re-:
ceived at the India Board from Calcutta. They relate to
operations against the Burmese ivhich have been known
long ago in this country.
Accounts were yesterday received from Batavia to the
Stir of November; they communicate no political intern- '1
gence. The spirit of English speculation would soon be
experienced in that distant colony—two fast-sailing vessels'
having been detached some time ago, with orders to pur-
chase up coffee and all the other productions of Batavia.
Our Indian Finance never was in FO high and palmy a I
state. The estimated revenue of 1823 amounted to
22,219,623/. while, five years before, it was only I
18,373,8201. strewing an increase in that short period of
no less than 3,837,803/. ; nor has the charge increased in
proportion ; fowl after paying the whole interest of the
Indian debt, there is a clear surplus of above Two Million,
and a Quarter sterling.—Evening Paper.
We understand that the idea of a loan for the island of
Jamaica is entirely abandoned, the measure not b. ing
approved of by Government.—Ereaing Paper.
Wixt Taaul.—The rise in the prices of wines in Eng-
land arises principally from the anxiety of the dealers to
get in stock, as the quantity in the country is very limited;
and the mere act of the trade getting a supply of French
wine into their cellars (the greater proportion never before
dealing in French wine) will occasion a greater demand
than can be supplied by France for the next year or two.
There have also been considerable speculations by persons
unconnected with the trade.—Gfolse and Trareiter.
New Tnroay or Visiox.—For the last century, at
least, the retina, or membrane which lines the bottom of
the eye, has been uniformly assumed by metaphysicians,
mathematicians, and physiologists, as the seat of vision.
M. Lehot, an officer of an Royal Engineer corps, In a
volume which he has recently published in Parls, has start-
ed a new opinion ; and contends that the rib-roil 44 Mail r
is the seat of the impression of luminous rays. He denies
that there is any direct proof of the popular opinion, that
our ideas of external objects are derived from images of thew
painted on the retina. He argues that the retina is pierced
by numerous vessels; that in marry animals this membrane
is folded, and consequently that its surface is irregular,
and incapable of conveying clear and distinct impressions
to the mind. Those Who suppose the retina to be the ins-
mediate seat of vision, he adds, have never been able to
explain the power we puss, ss of adapting the eye to differ-
ent distances ; and he announces that his hvpotheais has
led to the discovery of a mathematical law fOr the estima-
tion of distance,, and the real and apparent magnitude of
bodies.