The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1809-10-31 00:00:00

leg several *Bee, it Hind be Gtlui4 immediately
undecideath. the thin light crusted surface. Just
after Seuing from the crater, I should think it
fluerad.at the rate of four miles an hour ; half-wey
down- .the stream (whose whole extent, when the
eruption ceased, was about six miles), a mile and
.chalf-ain hour, and so on, gradually decreasing in
velocity to the most advanced part, where its pro-
gran was a fesy hundred yards a dry.
The night view of the eruption and stream of
lava was truly grand and terrific. The rocks emit-
ted from the craters displayed a white heat, and the
flames an intense red. When the adjacent hills
and valleys were covered by a shower of rocks,
they appeared, for a time, beautifully spangled
with sutra, whose silver brightness, as well as that
of the burning trees, formed a no less admirable
contrast to the flames of the crater than did the
evening songs of the birds to the bellowing of the
mountaiu. The lava was a fancied infernal fire,
streaked black and red, presenting a horrid con-
trast to the dark surrounding scenery. Here, down.
the rocky slopes, it rolled a cataract of fire ; there,
it displayed floating mounts, crowned with imagined
fortresses. Trees were seen, as if growing from
the fire, whose parched branches and burning
trunks exhibited the idea of desolation in all its
horrors.
The country about Lingua Grosse. Pie Monte,
and other places on that side of the mountain,
now lies covered with ashes, three or four inches in
depth. Though some lands have suffered by lava,
mum/ have been manured by ashes, and the whole
island is freed from the dread of eathguakes for
some time to come. Thus we find
4, All partial evil universal good."
Except the inhabitants likely to suffer, little con-
cern or curiosity was expressed by the Sicilians.
Even the BarouCarri, whose house was so much in
danger, with superstitious obstinacy, rejected, for
a long while; every proposal of the British officers
for removing his property. 4, No, no," lie always
trolled, •• Let it he us tio.l wills it." At length,
however, self-iuterest prevailed, and solitary walls
alone remained. But whe, the lava had arrived
within 200 yards of this deserted habitation, the
eruption ceased, to the great joy of the natives,
who attributed this mercy to the merits and inter-
ference of their Patten Saints, whose images were
daily brought from Castiglione (a distance of three
miles) in it ..cession, during the progress of this
calamit: _on placed, while mass was performed,
C,e tears of a wretched multitude, a few
m front of tile slowly advancing fire. This
pro: mason was composed of the miserable and rag-
^-.1 natives, of both sexes and all ages, crying and
sobbing, beating their breasts, tearing their hair,
and fing;ing their backs in penance, while their
priests at re calling on all their snorts to assist them.
Oti their way t.. the lava, they stopped at the Be-
i roa'a house, from the balcony of which the chief
prirst, with the most violent gestures of grief, de-
livcred a short sermon, in which he told them, the
ute:ion wss a judgment upon their ems, and re-
In
them to maid their lives, and pray to
all ' aai ts to intereitle for them. Every !muse
of this di ieows.. wag tilled with u general burst of
tertrA, be-Jing of breasts, tearing of hair, and Reg-
giog of hacks. I was never more effected by any
scene of public distrt,s.
What morrisl can dare to think that he breathes
a single moment without divine assistance! How
feeble, how iiisignitirstat dues he feel, who stands
within QOO yards of these furious volcanoes ! Whet
most he the pangs of his heart, who beholds his
earthly property, his native fields, in a few hours
irrecoverably overwhelmed ! Trans:tory, compared
with this. are all the other scourges.ut the earth !
The fertility swept away by floods and teepees, by
war awl pestilence, is shortly suecet.l-.1 by smiling
pleritv !--The fields of Austerlitz anal Jena, already
revive:tont their late desolation ! Ertl' Spain may
perhaps snide ere long !, but many successive gene-
rations, with hopeless sighs, must view the black
and barren rocks, which have buried the native lends
of their unhappy forefathers !

THE BRITISH PRESS.

LAN DON,
TUESDAY. Ociosta 31.

One of the difficulties which delayed the ratifica-
tion of the treaty of peace between Austria and
Frdnee, by the Emperor FRANCIS, is said to have
been produced by the arrival at Totis of a deputa-
tion from the brave and loyal Tyrolese. They as-
sured His MAJESTY that their spirit was still uu-
subdued, and their means by no means scanty—
that they had 120,000 men ready to spill the last
drop of their Wood iii fence of their liberties and
their Sovereign—and that, if equal ardour and zeal
pervaded the rest of His MAJENTY's dominions,
and His MAJISTY'S Councils, the independence
of the Empire might yet be preserved. These
repreiientstions miiy hare produced some doubt
and hesitation in tl,e Austrian Councils ; but
altlimigh they delayed, they could not prevent the
ratification of the treaty which took place on
the 14th. That event has been for 112:illy days
consideied a' certain, and yet it wonid appear that
the public mind is not qaite satisfied, and still
requires farther confirmation.—A letter from Do-
ver, received yesterday, says—
" The Mini iskieg.ssaack of this plies was takes about
' aim mouth/ ago, by a fresh man of war schooner, sad car.
vied into Boulogne; the crew were sashed tie 110AbWill,
where they have bees to pries ever else; they were re.
leased yesterday, arid put us board their vessel, which bad
been partially repaired, and every assa received is crows,
and the boy nine crews.; they els had a loofahs-tad each,
some meat, sad a bottle of tweedy ; and tley brought hews
sl. Cr the swan of the vessel. Mr. Ho., of this place.
Whoa limy ease sway, the sews of peace was nee bass a*
Bookies, but they wets told tbat a report prevailed of Its
beteg signed; tiers bed ham so reialeings at Beatogse
they do mot twiag say Mbar Dews. Ilsoural kuars fans
Imam from Plisse**, wait ,waived by the seed."
Such is the substance of the letter from Dover.
It is considered as throwing some doubt upon the
SW of the coschteiser et puce k but we de not re.
•


.

Bard the report of the Intim ai by any meant
authentic, or correct* as our letters from Rams-
gate„-Deal, and Dover, of the a3d instant. all
concurred in stating, that a very heavy firing took
place along the French coast on the preceding
day. The absence of Official intelligence On the
'subject, fot so great a-lesigth of time. is. hoWcrer,
extraordinary; and the madness of BOSAPARTS,
the report of which we lately noticed, continues to
be assigned u the cause.

Dispatches were received at the Foreign Office,
no Saturday, from the Marquis Wetxxstv,r, in
Spain.; but they do not contaiu aorreply to the
proposal made to his Lordship. The reply is not
expected before the middle of next mouth.
Letters from Bourdeaux, of the loth inst., were
received on Saturday; they are silent as to the pee-
sage of any troops from thence through Lea Landes
to Bayonne and Spain. We have already men-
tioned the preparations that are making for the
French fortes in that direction, mud where, through
a sandy country, a fine military paved road, at an
immense expense, had been long since constructed,
with barracks, bakehouses, and accommodations to
facilitate the transmission of a numerous army with
great rapidity. But those who imagine, that, be-
cause nothing is said of the march of the enemy by
Gnienne and Gascony, BONAPARTIL is indolent in
the pursuit of his designs against Spain, may be
most egregiously mistaken. There is another way
from Germany to Spain, much shorter, and, on
many accounts, from the extent of the population,
and the supplies to be obtained, more convenient.
It proceeds through Frauche Compte, Lyonois,
Languedoc, and llossillon ; from whence, through
the defiles adjacent to the miigeilieent fortress of
Bellegarde, an easy entrance to Spain in afforded
by descending the Pyrenees in the immediate ri-
emity of Gerona. 01
Report states that the Seals of the War-0
have been offered to Mr. H. MILNES, but that he.
is either fearful the Administration will " not last,
or is afraid to vacate Pontefract."
A Paper, of yesterday alluding to Mr. OWNER'S '
extraordinary appointment to the office of Secre-
tary to the Admiralty, observes " For The Cam-
paign. in which the victory of Blenheim is eele-
brated iii verse worthy of its subject, Mr. ADDISON
was rewarded by succeeding Mr. Loafs in the
lucrative office of Commissioner of Appeals.' The
' Battle of 'Falavei.e it. attributed to Mr. l'itnesa,
and we find him the successor of Mr. W111.1.1,31.LY
Pocs in the Secretaryship to the Admiralty.—
It would be too much to assert, that this place was
conferred on him as a trifling reward for so excellent
a poem ; but we believe it will appear in the sequel,
that Mr. Caccia has been remunerated for his
Campaign. as well as Mr. ADDISON." The salary
annexed to the Office of Secretary to the Navy, is
4,0001. a year.
RICHARD W 1130 N, Esq. ham been elected Deputy
Recorder of Launceston, to represent his Grace the
Duke of NORTHUNIERLASH.
Notice was received, yesterday, at the Stock Ex-
change. from the CHANcel.Lon of the ExcatevEa,
that he should be reedy, on Friday next, to receive
Proposals for a New Lottery, of iO.OOO Tickets, to
be drawn in one day, on the 12th of February nest.
At the last Coen of Consume Council of the
city of London 1001. was voted to the Mile-act!
Philanthropic Society, established upon the same
plan as the Thatched-house Tavern Society. for
the relief of persons confined for small debts ; and,
in addition, to relieve persons at their own houses.
The brig Industry, LYNCH, master, was wrecked
on the night of the 15h instant, near the Dursley
Islands, and, we regret to state. that, of nine isien
who were on board, every soul perished. The
crew consisted of eight men, and the ninth was, as
our information mutes, a Jewish Clereyniiiii,
who
was passenger. This person's character an, ascer-
tained by some trunks dint were picked up. one or
more of which belonged to him, and the remainder
of the crew. The lachtstry woo from Malta, but
last from Gibraltar, and had SO casks of oil on
board, and a quantity of dye stuff. A few casks of
the oil were preserved. The vessel had gone to
pieces during the night in which she struck ; and
nothing but pieces of floating wreck were discover-
able next morning. Noue of the bodies were found
when our Correspondent dispatched his intelligence.
The particulars which we have stated. respecting
the name, destinetien, &c. of this vessel, we pre-
sume to have been obtained by the preservation of
her papers.—(Cork Mer.Chronick.)
. A Court Martial was held on board His MA-
JESTY'S ship Magnamiste, at Sheerness, on the 94th
lust. upon Capt. Ttttaao, the surviving Officers
and crew of His Meteser's late sloop of war
Alert. captured off Fredericwaern, in Norway, by
a division of 15 gun-boats,of the largest dimensions.
supported by two brigs, of twenty guns each.—
After a full investigation, the Court were of
opinion, that every exertion had been made by
Captain Tittsau, &c. in the defence of the said
sloop, against so very superior a force, sand ad-
judged Captain friLLARD. the Officers and crew,
to be most honenrably acquitted. The Presi-
dent, Capt. Semite. upop returning Capt. Tut. ARD
his sword, paid him a very high encomium upon
the professional skill displayed on this occasion;
and concluded by observing, that it added another
instance to the many already upon record, where
British valour had been most eminently displajed.
The provincial papers received yesterday, ore
filled with accounts of the celebration of the Jii-
bike. Every town, city, and village. Wasted on
that memorable day its processions, dinners, illumi-
nation., donations, and subscriptions.
The establishment of a royal dock-yard at Mil-
ford, which has been long spoken of, is. we under-
stand, immediately to be carried into effect. The
price of laud in that neighbourhood has is conse-
quence rises four and five hundred per cent. ; in-
deed, the rental of some grimed at St. David's has
been advanced more than toe thousand per cent.
One Geld, in particular, neer Mr. Imes's yard,
which was let fee throe pounds peiamtera a Rem
years since* was re-let • week, ego for ninety-ive
pounds per saunas. A new division of marines. to
comprise 30 companies, is, we bear, about to be
formed at Milford. We rejoice in the intension
of this valuable corps. so peculiarly whined to our
insular situation ; and we shell hope to had it still.
further augmented by the formation of 'anther di.
wain at Cods.