The National Register.
London, England, 1816-12-16 00:00:00

ISECEMBER 18.

THE SABBATH.
AS whew the hero sailing d'er those saes,
Which even fancy ne'er supposed before,
Inhard with joy the apicey western breeze,
And saw in misty clouds Columbia'* shore.
As when the lonely mariner at night.
Perceives just glimmerin; through the clouds afar
Amidst the thickening gl tom, one only sight,
And gladly hails the well known polar star.
Thus, and with a greater joy, a joy sublime,
The faithful Christian in this yak of tears.
Whilejourneying o'er the thorny road of time,
Peels when til3 ltallow'd Sabbath morn appears.
A rest, the Lord hash said, my saints shall rind,
A rut, how exect l to every weary mind.

Letters from Quebec have been received to the 28th,
Gazettes to the 25th of October. The former mention,
that his Excellency the Governor General and Com-
mander in Chief had dispatched two gentlemen of great
respectability to Fort William, to take possession of that
settlement in the name of his Britannic Maksty, to re-
tain the possyssion until the disputes between the Hud-
son's Bay and the North-west Companies were adjusted.
The arrangement by his Excellency had given great
satisfaction. The business of the Company would pro-
ceed without interruption, and would not at all affect
the dispute u to territory, &c. between the two ex-
tensive establishments. It was believed the disputes
would ultimately be referred to the Courts of Great
Britain.

We are happy to learn, that Government has taken
into consideration the forlorn state of the foreign seamen
who have so long been begging about the streets of the
metropolis, and passing the nights under the miserable
shelter of the bridges. The Heider frigate, of 3•l
gum. is to be sent immediately from Deptford, to be off
the Tower for the reception of these destitute men.
She is commanded by Lieut. Collitt of the navy ; and
is placed under the special directions of the Lord
Mayor, with respect to the reception of proper objects.
The statement communicated to us adds, that provisions
are to be sent from the Victualling Department at
Deptford, to be issued to the men on board according to
the practice of the naval service, under the manage-
tr.ent of a purser. All these humane measures are much
to be approved: at the same time, we trust, that even
in the works of charity, a due regard to economy will
not be lost sight of, by which means the money destined
to benevolence will be made to relieve a greater num-
ber of distressed individuals.

The METEOR.—The meteor lately seen at Glasgow
was also very visible at Perth. It made its appearance
in the S. W. in the form of a small star, and gradually
increased in magnitude till it reached the zenith, when
it subtended an angle nearly equal to that of the full
moon. In shape it resembled a paper kite. After pass-
ing the zenith, it again seemed to diminish in size, owing
no donht to its gradually receding from the observer,
till its altitude was equal to about SO deg. when it ex-
ploded like a skyrocket. The report of. the explosion,
which is described as more tremendous than the noise of
the loudest thunder, reached the ear about three minutes
after the meteor vanished, so that it could not be loss
than 40 Miles distant, and probably about 27 miles above
the surface of the earth. From the various particulars
collected concerning it, its diameter must have been
about 240 yards. The light which it yielded was very
considerable, being sufficient to render the smallest ob-
jects visible.
BRITISH AND FOREIGN SCHOOL Soctszy.—A ge-
neral meeting of the ladies and gentlemen subscribers to
this institution was held on Thursday at the Freemasons'
tavern. His Royal Highness the Duke of Sussex took
the Chair, and the last report of the Committee was
read. The report presented a very flattering picture of
the progressive utility of the Society, who were now en-
gaged in a work, the building of a general school, to
the completion of which the sum of 1,4001. only was
wanting. The report was received, and ordered to be
printed. The most interesting part of the report was
that which referred to the influence produced abroad by
the example of the society, not only in France and Ger-
many, but ih 114wsia, and the remoter parts of Europe.
A person from Mount Caucasus bore simple but im-
pressive testimony to universal excellence of their sys-
tem; and amidst various other indications of external
(mntenance and support, the Saxon Ambassador (Ba-
ia Just), through the mouth of Mr. Schwabey, beg-
ged leave to add, that it was already established, and
l•rnspering in the dominions of his master, whose sub-
jects had been for centuries remarked for their mental
improvement, and whose land was the earliest scene of
mformatimi.

The Parisian journalists are amusing their readers
with the following. talc :—"Three weeks, ago during a
violent night storm in the Categat, a Russian and a
Dutch vessel drove twainst each other with a tremend-
ous crash ; terrified by the shock, the wife of the Dutch
Captain rushed upon deck in her shift, and thinking her
husband's vessel was sinking, sprung into the shrouds of
the Russian ship. In an instant a hurricane separated
the two ve.mels. The Dutch:nart continued his voyage
to Copenhagen, and the-Russian, with his prise, steered
towards the Moditeraneass. The poor Dutch Captain
is inconsolable for his loss,. and waits with anxious soli-
d:11(1e for the return of the Itusaian ship with his letter
I et!.