The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1826-03-08 00:00:00

DISSECTION OF THE ELEPHANT.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE BRITISH PRBSS._
St 11,—A letter appeared in your journal of this morning, signet
X. Y. which contained some temarkstelative to che dissection of
the elephant, to which, in 'wade to Myself, I must reply,' pad
am sure I may depend on your liberality for an immediate inverter.
Your correspondent states he attended, " expecting a 'eeoplete
dissection of the animal." He could not, I think, have entertained
such an ides, The he allows it would have required ten or fourteen
' days to have completed it, and he must he aware that it wes
utterly impossible for it to have taken place at Exeter 'Ming*.
where (independent of other circumstances) the offensiveness arts-
Mg from the carcase would, without the care I took. have been in-
tolerable ; in fact, if it had not been at the particular Nquest of
the faculty (with whom I have always stuttied to complyr 1 would
not have been opened in the manner it was ; and if Primes:row
rally has suffered a deprivation. the blame rests anywhere bat *id
me. Immediattly on de death of the thilinal I applied to the Colteino
of Surgeons, offering them all or any part that they might wish to
Pad
The answe Wet, they would like to have the skeleton, but
bad no place to set it up ; the British aluseum teas then °Feel
the refusal, and I waited on Sir Humphrey Davy, who came' In
view the beast as it lay, and there met the Bishop of Ittedon. Uri
Stowell, and Mr. Children. (1 had prc-iiously ascertained Sir
Everard Home's opinion.] They all agreed it was most desirable
to have the skin of such an animal, but they could give no final
answer till g.fter some future meeting of the D.- ember.. I was tbutt
kept la a state of suspense ; but still hoping mat something might
be done to prevent so noble a !ipecinien from leaving the country,
or passing into the hands of private individues, I reftrdned ftsn
disposing of it until late pn Saturday. I was then obliged
to take immediate Oteps fee preserving the skin, 'Which would have
materially sufftted by lying ant longer in the State it was, and
having had very liberal offers frpm Mr. Morgan for the viscera, aasi
from blr. Dario for the skin. I closed with them! and .hose pane
are now in their eossession ; the Skeleton 1 at present eitain, and ir
Is most likely destined for some foreign University.
With regard to feeding the animals on the flesh, it is too edicts.
loos tb be treated seriously ; and 1 hope, as a hirer of With, that
X.Y. does not venture to assert it as from hat own observe:inn,
thing being so untrue. So far from its being the fact, I actually
ordered some meat, which •Irtveti front Newgate.market tot their
food, to be destreydd, on mount of its lying fur sonic hours in di
TOM exposed to the effects of the effluvium naturally arising froth
the carcase.
It is slid, " at the request of a medical gentleman present, two
small steaks were broiled, which were tasted and found to be exc.
crable, and that the remainder of the flesh welt *noted by Mr.
White, of Sharp's-allay, Cow.ct%t." The whole WO removed by
elelve o'clock on Monday morning.
I have now concluded my observations on the letter. For the
destruction of the animal no one can feel such severe sorrow as my-
self; and I need only td say, that nothing but the most perfect
conviction *flit the life of owe, or perhaps teeny, of my fellow.
creatures was endangered by his exMtence, and the paramount duty
I owed the public, could have induced me to resolve on so painful
a sacrifice. To the it is • great and irretrievable lose, but I still
rely on the generous patronage of that public in Obese service the
beat portion of a long life has been spent.
I remain, Mr. Edltor,
Your obliged humble servant/
E. CROSS.

National Menagery, Exeter 'Change. March 7, lee.
L 053 OF THE SMACK DF.LIGHT.—We are sorry to an-
nounce the loss of the smack Delight, off Harborough, on
Monday last, on her passage from Loteion to Leith. It
was first reported that specie to the amount of 40,000/. watt
on board; but we now learn that the actual quantity of
specie on hoed is only a tenth part of that amount, anti
consisted of 4,000/. in silver, destined for the use of the
Bank of Scotland.—Caledonion Mercury.
Miss Allwootl, of Barnes, met with an accident rather
alarming than serious, opposite the Horse-guards' bar-
racks in the Park, yesterday. ;ler horse fell, and her
face was much disfigured by the loss of ont of Wet teeth.
RECkUITING.—An exception not generally known,
though of some importance to enliating parties, seat lately
taken by Mr. White, and allowed by Mr. Gregorie, at
Queen-square, where a desevter from the army was
brought up. It appeared, on inquiry as tS the enlistment
time, that the recruit in question had been enlisted on
a Sunday ' • and it was ruled, bi consequence, that his en-
listment had been illegally made, and could not be consi-
dered as binding him. Recruiting in general is restricted.
Such has latterly been the activity of the recruiting staff,
and so numerously and readily hare recruits come forward,
that, by g recent regulation, no recruit can be accepted
for any regiment of cavalry or iiifatery, in the East In-
dies, if under the age of twenty years; while each regi-
ment of infantry is enjoined to resort to the standard which
Was fixed at the commencement of October, is 23, and
henceforward to continue to recruit by it.
A short time ago a tattler, at Cambray, having con-
tracted to equip a regiment, bought all the ohtequip,Ments.
To his astonishment, whilst ripping tip en old saddle, he
discovered a considerable stun of money in gold. bearing
the effigy of altntist all the Princes of Etirope. Upon in-
quiry he found that it had belonged to an o'd Quarter-
master, who had made every campaign for 25 years, and
who died at the hospital of Saragossa during the last war.
Like an honest. man he sought mit the family of the de-
! ceased, and divided with it the treasure which chance had
thrown into his hands.—Glote.
DREADFUL Ace' NT—On Monday, as Richard smith,
swarm to Mr. Nicholls, of Ilawick, netteV.-oreester, was
plougising, a pack of harriers came across the field, and
frightening the horses, they started off; in attempting to
stop them, Smith was knocked down, and, shocking to re-
late, the plough-share literally ripped up his belly. He
'was conveyed to Worcester Infirmary, where he expired on
Tuesday night. An inquest returned a verdict of " Ac-
cidental Death ;" deodand on the plough Zs. 6d. The k-
ceased was 53 years of age, he bore an excellent-character,
had been in the same employ upwards of 30 yearn, and has
left a wife and four children.—Gloucester Journal.
Mr. John Monteith, proprietor of the extensive cotton
factories at Pollockshaws, his been so fortunate ae to be
able hitherto lo carry on without shortening the hours of
labour. Some time since, however, he intimated to his
large wheel spinners that he would be under the necessity
of reducing their wages; but they refused to continue fer
lesa, and did net return to their work on Monday. Some
weavers residing in Pollockshaws, who had been piecers and
I spinners in their youth, observing how much the cotton-
spinning was preferable to the loom, applied for antlgot
wheels. It appears the turned-out spinners, their Mends
and abettors, had resolved to annoy the new workers, quite
regardless of the examples that have been made, and the
punishment they are certain to bring on their own heads.
While passing to and from their meals, the new hands
were generally assailed with threats, and every species of
malignant and insulting abuse, because they have made a
laudable attempt to better their condition, and dared, in
the exercise of the undoubted right of every free man, to
return to a business in which they had spent their early
days. On Tuesday night, after the mill stopped, when
one of them was passing quietly home, on one of the least
frequented roads in the town, he was attacked by three
fellows, who had been waiting his approach, knocked
down, barbarously kicked, and stabbed in the body by some
sharp implement, supposed to be an old bayonet. On
Wednesday, three of the old spinners were apprehended.
for the purpose of being examined respecting this coward-
ly assault. The Magistrates committed them to prison,
and on Thursday morning they were sent down to Paisley,
and delivered over to the Sheriff—Gltugoze Citruniele.