The Sun.
London, England, 1852-05-28 00:00:00

cated by a portion of food getting into the trachea ;
died in five minutes. On the 11th of April, at 1, Bul-
strode-court, Cavendish-square, a boy, aged five
weeks, was " starved to death." Post mortem. (In-
quest.) On the 3d Maya lauourer, aged 30 years,
was found dead in Copenhagen-fl -Ids, having been
suffocated en a clump of burning bricks. (Inquest.) A
girl, aged 7 weeks, was accidentally suffocated in bed.
On the 19th May the daughter of a shoemaker, aged 21
years, died of chorea, after 6 years' illness. A woman,
aged 52 years, died of " pyrosis (18 months) hxma-
temesis."

STATE OF THE WEATHER DURING THE PAST WEEK.

SUNDAY. —The sky was clear throughout the day.
Electricity—Positive, and tension moderate at each exami-
nation.
AlowDAY.—The sky was overcast throughout the day.
Rain fell frequently. From 9h. P. M. to 10h. 30m. P.M. light-
ning was frequent, and thunder was heard between 9h. 48m.
and 10h. 20m. Electricity—No electricity was shown at the
times of inspection.
TUESDAY.—The sky was one.balf covered with cloud at
noon, at other times during the day it was overcast; cumu-
lostratus and cirrostratus. Rain fell frequently. Electricity—
Positive, and tension strong during the afternoon.
EDNISDAY.—Three-fourths of the sky were covered with
cloud throughout the day; cumuli, cirrocumuli, and cirro-
strati. Electricity—From this time till Saturday at 10h.
A.M. the apparatus was under repair, and during the re-
mainder of the day weak positive electricity was constant.
THURSDAY.—The sky was one-fourth part covered during
the morning, and overcast during the remainder of the day ;
cumului, cirrocumuli, and cirrostrati. Rain fell at night.

FRIDAY.—The sky was overcast throughout the day;
cirrostratus. Rain tell during the earlier portion of the
mornine.

SATURDAY.—The sky was overcast till the evening, and
was mostly free from cloc.d afterwards.
The mean reading of a thermometer placed on the main-
mast, and read each day at 9h. A.M. was 58.1° ; and the mean
reading at 9h. P.M. was 55.1° ; the mean readings at the
Royal Observatory for the same times were 57.5 Q and 51.1°
respectively.
The reading of the barometer decreased from 29.89 in.
at the beginning of the week to 29.46 in. by noon on the
18th; increased to 29'86 in. by 9h. A.M. on the 20th, at
about which reading it continued till the z2d, when it further
increased to 29.91 in. by the end of the week.

FAMILY HISTORY of a FAMILY FRIEND.
The family seat of Potatoes is well known to be in
America. They are a comparatively new race in our own
country, since they did not come over untilsome time after
the Conqueror. The genealogists have nearly settled, after
much discussion, that all members of this family spread
over the world, are descended from the Potatoes of Chili.
Their town seat is in the neighbourhood of Valparaiso,
upon hills facing the sea. The Potatoes were early spread
over many portions of America, on missions for the be-
nefit of man, who had not been long in discovering that
they were friends worth cultivating properly. It is said,
that the first Potato who visited Europe, came over with
Sir Francis Drake, in 1753; it is said, also, that some of
the family had accompanied Sir John Hawkins, in 1563;
it is certain that a body of Potatoes quitted Virginia in
1586, and came to England with Sir Walter Raleigh.
M. Dunal, who has written an elaborate history of the
Potato family, shows it to be extremely probable that, be-
fore the time of Raleigh, a settlement of Potatoes had
been formed in Spain. Reaching England in 1586, the
benevolent Potato family was welcomed into Belgium in
1590. In 1610, the first Potatoes went to Ireland, where
they eventually multiplied and grew, to form one
of the most important branches of this worthy race. The
Scotch Potatoes date their origin as a distinct branch,
from 1728. It was at dates not very different from
this, that other branches of the family settled in Ger-
many. The Potatoes of Switzerland first settled in 1730,
in the Canton Berne. In 1738. the thriving family ex-
tended its benevolent assistance to the Prussians; but it
was not until 1767 that its aid was solicited inTuscany. In
France, the kindly efforts of this family were not ap-
preciated, until, in the middle of the last century, there
arose a man, Parmentier, who backed the introduction of
Potatoes into France with recommendations so emphatic,
that it was designed to impute to him the interest
of near relationship, not indeed by calling him Potato,
but by calling Potatoes by his name, Parmentiers. The
benevolent exertions made by the Potato family on be-
half of France, during the famine of 1793, completely
established it in favour with the grateful people. Pota-
toes, though so widely spread, are unable to maintain
their health under too warm a climate. On the Andes,
they fix their abode at a height of ten or thirteen
thousand feet; in the Swiss Alps, they are comfortable on
the mountain sides, and spread in Berne to a height of
five thousand feet, or not very much less. Over the
north of Europe the Potato family extends its labours
farther on into the cold than even barley, which is
famous as the hardi at of grain. There are Potatoes
settled in Iceland, though it is a place in which barley
declines to live.—Dickens's " Household Words."

SEABORNE MAILS.
[IT signifies that the mails are sent from the General Post-office
by the night—and M by the morning—dispatch.]

When made up in From what When
PLACES. General Post-office port dis- due.
London. patched.
America (by Brit. pkt.)N , May 23 ... .. Liverpool .• May 31
America (by U.S. pkt.) N!June 1 .. .. Liverpool .. June 9
America (by U.S. pkt.) M'June 8 . .. .. Southampt. Jane 3
Australia (via South-
ampton) .. .. .. M .. .. .. .. Southampt.
Ditto (via Marseilles) N, .. .. .. .. Dover ..
Ditto, vale. of G. Hope N,Junc 2 .. .. Plymouth..
Africa (West coast).. N,l4th of the month ,Plymouth June 3
Alexandria* ...... NII9III & 30th of me. Dover .. May 28
Belgium •• .. .. N Dely •• .. .. Dover .. Daily
Brazil .. .. .. M 9th of the month Southampt. June 16
Buenos Ayres .. .. M 9th of the month Southampt. June 16
California(viaChagrer)M 2d& 17th of monthlSouthampt. June 5
Cape of Good Hope N,2d & 14th of June Plymouth.. June 3
Cape do Verde .. .. N June 2.. .. Plymouth..
Constantinople* .... N 7th 17th 27th of mo Dover .. May 30
Central America .. M2d & 17th of mon. Southampt. June 5
Channel Isles • • .. N Mon., Wed., & Fri. Soot/owt. Tn. Th. Sat
Chili .. .. .. . M'l7th of the month Southampt. Jane 5
Franco .. .. 51 & N TA:CO (Wily .. .. Dover Twicedally
Greece* •• .. •• N,7th 17th27th of nao Dover .. Slay 30
Damburgh .. .. N, Tuesday & Friday London, .. Tees. Sat.
tiolland .. •• .. 91,Wednes. & Satur. London .. Men•Tbur
Honduras .• .. . N 17th of the mouth Southampt. June 20
Ireland .• •• M& N Twice daily .. .. Holyhead .• Twicedally
India (via Southamp.) M 20th of the month Southampt. June 20
Yndia(virtMerseilles) 1.4 mtb:i.24th ofrnonth'Dover .• June 1
India, vlaC. of G. Hope N 15th of month Plymouth..
Mauritius .. .. ...N 15th of month Plymouth..
Mediterranean (via
Southfurnton) •• M 20th of the month Southampt. June 20
Mediten anean (via '
Marseilles) .. .. N Bth&24tia of month Dover .. June 1
Mexico .. .. .. M;2cl of the month.. Southampt. Juno 5
Madeira • • •• .. AI 9th of the month Southampt. June 16
Malta* • • .. 7th,17th,19th,27th 1
I & 30th of month i Dover May 28
t
Naples* • • • . • • N,sth 15th 25th of mo Dover • • Juno 2
Papal Stated* .. .. N Sth 15th 25th of mo Dover .. June 2
reninsular.. .. .. M 7th 17th 27th of mo Southampt. June G
Peru • • .. .. • • M 17th of the month Southampt. June 5
Tuscany. .. .. .. N .sth 15th 25th ofmo Dover •• ,June 2
West Indies .. .. Al 17th of the month Sputhampt. 'June 20
West Indies (except
Havanna & Nassau) M 2d of the month .. ,Southampt. , Jane 5
* The mails to those c onntrias thus marked (*) are conveyed by
French packet via Marseilles.

3outhampt.:Jane 5
(*) are conveyed by

INFLUENCE OF ATMOSPHERIC CHANGES