The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1824-10-15 00:00:00

THE POYAIS BUBBLE.

Our readers will recoreet the articles ne published abut
tno months ago, in exposition of the imposture practised
upon the wretched dupes of the a:lf-styled Cacique of
Poyais alias Gregor MacGregor. It is koown that this ad.
venturer, under pretence of an alwelnte cession of certain
parts of the Mosquito shore by an Indian Chief, pretending
to the Sovereignty, had work«l upon die credulity of a con-
siderable number of people in this country, and induced
them, by specious representations, to buy land, and emi-
grate to his Poyaisian elysium. The history of the loans
is also well known. We reported at length the pi...call-
ings that took place at the stormy meeting of the bond-
holders, iu August, at the Poyaisian Laud 011 ice, on
towgate-hill. _

All these schemes failing, and the poor deluded creatures
sent out to Poyais either perishing of hunger there or re-
hinting home in rags, the Ministers, Peers, Generals. and
CommisAoncrs of the Cacique, threw off their allegiance,
anti began virulently to expose each other. Letters, Me-
morials, and use phlets, appeared in rapid succession, from
the pens of these worthy persons. each of whom charged
all the rest with every sit:Ties of dishonesty anti fraud. At
length, a publication has made its appearance which will,
we trust, reduce them all to silence. We allude to the
" Proceedings of an Inquiry and Investigation instituted
by Major-General OHM, Soperintentlent and Commander-
in-Chief of &dia.., in the Bay of I londuratt."
The investigation was undertaken by General Cold in
self-defence, anti in justification of some of the magistrates
of the colony which he superintends. CertaM persona con-
cerned, 311 they said, " in Poyaisi.tit affairs.- had addressed
Lord Bathurst, the Secretary for the Colonies, in a memo-
rial containing, weighty charges against the magistrates and
inhabitants of Belize; and a Colonel Low, connected with
the same affairs, hail written a letter to :eh Lordship in a
similar strain. His Lordship transmitted this memorial
and letter to the Governor of lionduras, commanding him
to examine the charge*. and transmit home the result.
The investigation in consequence took place in the Court
house of B. lize on the 10th of June. General Dahl pre-
ailed. A great number of wittunes were examined, and
the result was thus announced to the Magistrates by lois
Majesty's Stqwrintendent
lientlemen—This itivettiption, or. more properly, inqp onuiry.
twine now closed, I hare only to romirk, as instituted it u
the firm persuasion that the charges were without foundation, an
sot I happy to declare that the result Words me the greatest seta-
notion.

—......
Every impartial mind must now distinctly perceive, from the
pointed questions which I have Fut, that had there been a shale
upon your conduct it must have been exhibited to the co: iiiii unity ;
and your traducer.' cannot now sae that the y lientcfortli act in ig-
norance, as every advantv:e has been cfonit.l them by bearing the
various statements on oath.

„I shell transmit the whole to his 31 *jetty's Ministers. which
must fully convince them that the charges contained in the memo-
rial are nog unjust, ungrounded. and undeserved.”
Mr. Marshal Bennett, who was sent to Belize to inquire
into the royals settlement, states in his evidence, that he
found sickness and wretchedni 34 prevail to a great extent ;
that in order to prevent " the waste of I all life," he
took on board his vessel, lying off the Black River, " tot
individuals, all, with the exception of three, latiguishieg
on the bed of sickness and fever, and chiefly consisting of
women and children." The vessel was afterwards again
sent front ILlize, to bring away tht remainder of the set-
tlers, as well as the Caciques " Lieutenant-Goverum
Hall," who appears to have behaved well on the occasion.
This statement is confirmed by four Magistrates, and
so distressed were the settlers, that General Cold jadged
it pa:dem to appoint a Committee to superintend and
regulate the chantable donations of public and private
friends, to be approl:riated for the relief of these unfor-
tunate people.
Mr. George Wesley, another officer belonging to our set-
tlement at Belize, learning from Mr. Gouger, one of the
chief settlers of Poyais, and " banker of an imaginary
bank," the state of the settlers, hastened to their relief,
and thus describes their situation :
. . .

- - -
" I t' ink it scarcely possible to witness greater misery than that
which presented itself to us. lillost of the people were lying on
theAdnund, under a few leaves and branrln-s thrown across some
sticks, which it would be a violation of truth to call hour;
many were in a state of ague and fever, and ahsolutely unable to
crawl to the woods fur the emnmou offices of nature. The stench
arising from this circumstance in the huts, the filthy and almost
naked state hey were in, the absence of cleanliness and comfort.
the want of good nurses, nourishment_ and, above all, of good
water, combined with the want of medicine, seemed to by accele-
rating the work of death, which was already advancing from dis-
raw."

will now turn to the evidence of the Cacique's Vice-
roy, Colonel Hall, who deserved a better °flier:—
" I trust," says this candid Officer, " the above 'tie:merit may
prove to this honourable Coon, that every exertion in my power,
physical and moral, were brought into activity, to give permartente
to this ill-fated establishment ; the difficulties opposed to me were
beyond the removal of human exertions. Had I not availed myself
of the opportunity presented by Mr. Itennett's arrival, and removed
the settlers front fllack River, at a period when disease, aggravated
by despair, was accelerating the work of death, I should have sub-
jeered myself to the severe visitations of Divine displeasure, and
obnoxious to the merited extent:ohs of mankind. I must ever
lament that I should have been the unintentional emote of drawing
on 31ajor-General Code!, anti the respectable Rlagierates and in-
habitants of the settlements, such a -load of unfounded calumny
and defamation. rie benevolence and hotnarity of Major-General
Codd. the Magistrates, and respectable inhabitants of Belize, and
their soteitnde to alleviate the sufferings of these unfortunate per-
sons, exceeded by most sanguine expectation's."
Nothing more is necessary to show that the Poy.ais
scheme has been one continued system of fraud and im-
posture ; and if the authors arc not without the reach of
the law, we trust they will be made amenable to it ; for we
can scarcely think, that, amidst the multiplicity of our sta-
tutes, there should nut be one under which du,. may be
prosecuted.
IVe have already published several state papers con-
nected with the rise and fall of the Gregorian dynorty of
Poyais. We have now to add three others, which will
complete the full view we have given our readers of this
n.onstrous specimen of fraud and delusion. The first do-
cument is the ruvoestiou of his Mosquito Majesty's grant
to Macgregor.
"I, George Frederic Augustus the Second, by the grace of Cod.
King of the Mosquito nation, do hereby decree the grant of land
given to Sir Gregor 31'lisegsw null end void, he not having fulfilled
hi* contract with me, agreeably to his stipulation; and leaving con-
nected a debt on a part of my territory, without my consent, mum-
irg to himself the title of Caeiqueuf t'oyeis, dee:aring the aforesaid
grant to be an independent state.
"Therefore. be it known to all those persons who have parehmed
lands, that the aforesaid lands shall be their lawful p-orrty, after
being signed by me; that all persons holding grants of land will
:mike the it claim by the lit of January, 1112.1, as they wiil he for-
t:flied atter that date; and all grants of land sold by Sir Oresor
lil•tirei,ww since the Ist of January, 1te..1, are declared null aud
void.

• ()lien under my hand at Cape Opeitni a Dios, this 28th day of
3larch, in the year of our lord 1823.
•• 4.1E0H9E Fit EDI:RICK A I'OUSTUS,

mg of the Moscrito Nation."
The wind is no Ic:3 than the oath of allei.,riancc taken
by the vassals of Poyais to their liege lord the Cacique :
• I, A. It., do hereby most solemnly Swear, in the, presence of
Almighty /ia4 and upon the Doh, Evangelists. that I acknowledge
his Highness (lrepw, Cazique of Pupil*, to be the true and lawful
Sovereign of the said territory of Poyais and its dependencies; and
furthermore, I, in like manner, do swear that I will now, as wen as
in all times to come, love, honour, and obey his Highness thygor,
Catique of Poynis. as toy true Pol lawful Prince, and will defend
bins against all his enemies at the peril and risk of my life. So help
me God."
The thir.l and last document to which we shall treat our
readers, is a Poyasian military commission
•• Gregor, Prince of Pore's, Cinique of the Poviiis Nation, De.
finder of the Rights of the Indian Tribes,
"Tootle trusty and well-beloved Robert John Edgar, Esq. greeting.
IVe, reposing especial trust and codidence in your loyaliy„
courage, and good mimic', do, by these presents, constitute arid
appoint you to be Captain of that troop, whereof Esq.
was late Captain, in our lit Regiment of hsnecrs. commanded by
war trusty and well-beloved Major.t lett ral Baron Began°.
" You are therefore to take the said tu.,p into your rare, and
charge, and duty, to exercise as well the (Accra as soldiers thereof
in arms. and to use your hest endeavours to keep them in goal
order aril (Pscipliiie, and we do hereby command them to obey you
as their Captain ; and yea are to observe Altl follow such or,lers
and directions front time w time as you stall reveler from us, ytnir
Colonel, or any other ynkt: superior nirVer, wording to the rules
and discipline of war, in pursuance of the trust hereby Tinned
in you.
" (liven at London, the 4 h day of Jiine,lBM, in the 4th year of
our reign. Ily command of Ins Serene Highness,
(Signed) " I: Et )OR, Prince of Poyais.
(Countersigned) " SAM bream, Under Secretary of State
for the War and 31arine Departments."

The great illness of the Alranee Insurance Company
has lei! to a similar establi.lnnent in Vienna. at th, head
of which are neon J. Itatliselii:ll, M. lit•?.tr.e.h:r, the
butler, and Mr. David l'ariah.

THE BRITISH PRESS.

LONDON PAVEMENTS.

We hnvel•efore us a new plan for Firing the metropolis.°
The pr,,j..cor, after pointing out Ihe rani' t, defects, and
incantreni,ncies of the par2tr.ent (that ie. the carriageway
Of the streets) of lAnltloll, and remarking on tin: had state
of the Strand, which has recently been repay it at a grent
expense, thus exp!ains the principle and detail of his
plan :
" Considering as an absolutely requisite principle for :he con.
atruction of • good pavement, that the atones should be firmly fixed
and immovable, I adopt that one principle, and shall endeavour to
prove in the sequel, that every objection treated of may be obviated
by the innairs pointed out fur effecting so great and desirable an
object of public importance. Each stone, from a foreten or ex-
ternal force acting upm the surface of a pavement, is liable to two
motions only, the gravitating and the lateral; these being guarded
against, the end is attained.
" The means of effecting this object, though simple, arc ex-
pensive ; but with Englishmen thin is not an insuperable objection.
3lorenver, I have a confident expectation, an 1111 l ming almost to a
moral assrirance, that although the fir.. expenditure will be very
heavy, yet the durable and lasting quaintest of a pavemeat so coil.
attuned, will very shor.ly prove it to be the most expedient and
econominal plan, partinularly as applicable to the leading tho.
raughhires. I proceed to a developentent.
" The ground being sunk In or 16 inches In Ins the footpath or
fing.priventent. should be levelled and rolled hard, rising towards
the middle of the street in a very small degree. Upon this ground,
thus prepared, should then be laid planks two inches thick. well
saturated (in order to their preservation) by pr,rvious soaking in
coal tar, which is a very cheap commohity ; a few aurar holes,
of minim an inch diameter, should be bored in Mein. These being
laid side by side upon the gmund, either in the direction in which
the street extends, or senor it Les may be considered nom con.
venient in reference to the operations of the Commissioners of
Sewer*, and the Water and flat Light Companies), will fonn a
compact flnoring, upon which clean finely sifted gravel must be
strewed two inches thick (to obviate inequalities and unevenness in
the stories, and to pt-vent their indenting, crushing, or perforating
the planks); the stones should then be linseed side by side upon
the gravel, according to Cie present method, taking care that the
lines ordiyisinn intersect each other, and that the stones are of an
equal depth. timed should afterwards bretrewed over the surface
lightly, in order to fill in between the stones. Any given space
being thus laid and hounded. so as not to admit of any lateral
imminent or change of position of the atones, wooden wedges
should be inserted nto the interstices and lightly struck down, but
only in •snill deg a • until the whole are inserted after which, in
regnlar progression, all the wedges *Mind be struck in about half
way. which may be done without much labourl and alien all are
so done, then finally again, in regular progression, they should be
struck in the whole way, with whatever fixer may be requisite,
level and even with the stones, which thue conjoined, will form a
plum's-it of • pleasing, even surface, of a firm, inimorable, and
almost inupenrtral.le nature. superior to any ever yet formed.
" A pavement thus constructed, would not for a series of years
betromg dilapidated, and, as before observed, although expensive in
the first instance, would amply repay a large expenditure. by the
saving of succeeding ytars. The planking won't! last 20, 30, or
many more years, according to the quality or properties of the
timber, twin the nature of which I am incompetent to otter an
opinion ; tut a proper kind may be chosen, and also for the wedges,
many thousands of which may be daily made by a few men. Two
sixes only will be remtired, ono for the ends of the stones, and
and another for the sides ; the depth will be uniform according to
the depth of the stones.
" I proeer I to show the effects which I consider will result
from this mode of paving. The earth being covered by planks,
and therefore not subject to any diluent action, will maintain its
mutual consistency, and cannot waste by being forced upwards to
the surface in the manner such process takes place under the pre.
sent imperfect system. The two-fold &leo of this will be, that
the t avenient sill not lose its foundation by the sinking of the
emit', and therefore it will maintain its surface; and also (as
truly as the efrert follows the cause) the streets will be perfectly
free from mud anti dirt ! ! !

" !laving shown that the planking will prevent the gravitating
motion, anti the gond effect of such prevention, 1 proceed to the
consideration of the wedges as applicable hi the prevention of the
lateral motion and the effrots to be expected therefrom. In order to
bring into effective operation the insertion of the wedges, it Is ab-
aolusely necessary that fixed boondaries should be formed. The
cut b-ttones of the foot-pavement will form such boundaries. on
each side of the street, and curb-stones or other restraining fabric
may be imbedded across the street at distances varying, according to
its width, and governed by other circumstance's, and forming either
a regular or an irregular polygon or quadrangle: these boundaries
will Isirm the resisting or restraining power, without which the
wedges would he useless and inoperative; hut, being formed, the
wedges may then be driven in as before directed, and the whole
supertices will, as the wedges operate, gradually and progressively
become compact and solid; and will, I have no doubt, maintain its
surface unimpaired for many years.
"The top of the wedges being driven to the exact level of the
stores, the whole surface must therefore necessarily be even. This
deeireble adjunct can by no means be effected by the present plan
of paving, because whenever rain washes away or dilutes the earth,
in the nitumer observed upon. interstices aro caused into which the
feet of horses slip, and the friction of the iron destroys the angles.
and shortly rounds the top of the stapes, an that a wheel ins cad of
flirting over an even surface, with always an equal bearing, and
rolling smoothly along with easy draught as on a railway, jolts
onwards from the crown of one stone to the crown of another, form-
ing a convexity upon other convex forms, having only a partial
bearing upon the very crowns, and not touching the intermediate !
parts: hence the stunning noise of the streets by the collision
against each succeeding itane ; hence the inswing,' and tumblinga in
carriages; end hence an increased draught and unnecessary wear
and tear of horses, carriages, and harness.
" The pavement being formed according to this plan will he al-
most impervious to wet ; the stone. of course are so ; and as wood
naturally swells when wet, the •hole pavement will become stronger
and more compactly united in wet weather than in dry: but there
will of course be small crevices and chinks through which the rein
(Margit in a very small degree) will find its way to the planks;
but the perforations provided in them, independent of the crevices
between, will be fully sufficient to admit of the water passing to the
earth, wlleh, from the protection derived front the planks and
wedges, will possess in its consequent dry state very great power of
absorption, so that the very email qaantity of rain which can reach
ir, and which it will so readily Imbibe, cannot be of any injurious
consequence. But should it be thought desirable wholly to ex-
clude rain from penetrating the surface, a small quantity of Parker
aid IVyatt's cement, or melted pitch, poured sparingly along the
line of artlgts, would render It impervious. Upon the whole I
should assimilate the state of the streets, and compare them, when
constructed upon tl:is plan, to a ship's deck, with the planks well
caulked, front which starer runs with great facility.
" Streets and places that are unusually wide, and not subject to
be much used (as l'aetland-place and many of the squares), may
be paved noon the new plan in the centre, arid convened into roam
on Mr. AP.ldam'a plan upon both sides.
Tnere is much of general direction towards carrying the plan
into effect which might be here noticed ; bat any aurveyor can de-
vise the means most effectual to render it of public beneht : minute
points I pass over, haring given my attention chiefly to the defec-
tive principles hietevto prevailing, and to the invention or applica-
tion of a new principle to improve, and in some measure (if nun
whollyi supersede, the former : nor is it necessary for me ir. Cie
course adopted, in order to make the principle known and available
to the public, that all the exactness and minutia requisite in a 'pe-
nile:Mori of an invention to ground a patent, should be observed."

• Con%iderations on the defective state of the Pavement of the
Metropolis: with obsn-vations on the causes and emu-An:menet-a
Together it ith a Plan for Pabiog upon a nest principle. By Wm.
Pey!ics,

Extract of a letter from the Agents to Lloyd's at Smyrna,
dated 2d S pt. 1:414:—" His Majesty's ship Rose has
sailed for Malta. The Euryalus frigate, Captain Clifford,
arrived on the Ist!' ult. with advice, of the peace with
Algiers, and is in the Gulf, with his Majesty s ships
Martin and Alacrity. We continue to enjoy perfect tran-
quillity. About fourteen days ago, the Cerium Paella
embarked part of the troops at Seals Nuova, for attacking
Samos, and might have effected a landing, had not about
twenty-five armed Greek vessels, with some fire-ships,
made sail towards his fleet—one under the command of
Canaris (who has on three former occasions distinguished
hims,if by burning the Turkish Admiral's, and other
large ships), took effect on a large frigate, and she, with
two smaller ships, were burnt, creating confusion amongst
the Turks, and causing a pr.cipitate retreat. The Capitan
l'aJia had gone to Bouilrouni, to collet small vessels for
transports, and still threatens Smog, though the Turkish
forces are diminished by sickness and return of volun-
teers to their homes. The Egyptian fleet, formidable in
its number of ships and troops, was in the port of Macri
about four weeks ago. We hear nothing further o' its
movements, nor is there other authentic information to
add."

Pa•llTalt eAgT..—" To Lysistratus," says PlinT, "the
werld is indebted for the invention of plastee.cauts. '
liu-
minis autcm gyps.) e facie ip.a primus otaininin expressit,
ceraque in elm formam gyps' infusa emendare instituit
Lysistratua Sieyouitts, (rater Lysippi. (xxxv. 11.) This
Lvsistratus flourished in the time of Alexander the Great:
all the busts of an earlier (late are cans 'Trendy not copied
from modellings, but must he likenesses comparatively im-
perfect. Let us not attempt to study physiognomy in the
pretended heads of limner and of Plato.
A aninneholy circumstance happened on Sabbath last,
the 3,1 inst., in a stone quarry at the Cloyinie, near
Crosg-liill, parish of Kirkatichael. While Iwo boys,
about twelve or thirteen years of age, were umusinF them-
in ;511 on a plank floating on a pool of eight or nine feet
of water, it upset, and, melancholy to relate, one of them,
named John Dalton, the only son of Mr. Samuel Dalton,
Il.,tehnusc of Balsagge.7t, sunk to rise nu more.—G,'.isgou,
Paprr.