The Sun.
London, England, 1839-11-26 00:00:00

THE LUNAR ALMANA C.

This is another production a la Murphy, but
without Murphy's precision, and drawn up with a
degree of caution and ambiguity which leave the
author a loophole for every prediction. It describes
November, 1840, for instance, thus :—" A most
dreary month ; very little light ; great moisture in
the air ; full moon. Weather for the week—fair
and frosty, if wind to the N. or N.E. ; cold
rain, or sleet and snow, if wind S.S.W.
or S.E." It did not require a disciple
of Murphy to tell us this. The Almanac con-
tains a table of the winds in London for twelve
months ending September,. 1839, from which it
appears that south, south-west, and west winds
prevailed for 187 days, or more than half the year,
and that the bitter north, and the still more bitter
east, had only 48 days between them—namely,
east 26 days, and north 22. The price is mode-
rate, and to the Weather Table some of the usual
information contained in almanacs is added.

" THE CHARTISTS ARE COMING."-Several
imes has this ominous cry passed from mouth to mouth

in this city, since the Chartist insurrection at Newport.
Last week several persons called at our office to inquire
if we had had any authenticated account of the cur-
rent report that the Chartists intended to assemble on
the hills on Sunday, and visit Hereford on the Monday.
Monday came and passed away, but no Chartists ap-
peared. On Wednesday we again heard the report
" the Chartists are coming"—but now their approach
was to be from Birmingham, where it is said they had
risen, destroyed much property, and had commenced
their march to join their confederates in South Wales,

Hereford having been reported to have the honour o

being their place of common rendezvous. But this
report had an accompaniment which made it disbelieved

by all except the most credulous, a portion of the
community not contemptible in point of number either
in Hereford or elsewhere ; this accompaniment was

that the Mayor of Birmingham had
,joined the rebels!
This report had scarcely shared the fate of his prede-
cessors, by being buried in oblivion, when another,
phoenix-like, rose from its ashes. On Thursday even-
ing, news arrived fresh from Abergavenny, stating, on
" the best authority," which is often no authority at

all, that the Chartists on the hills had held meetings,
and being determined to take some town by storm, had
fixed upon Hereford, that being the largest of the towns
unprotected by soldiers. This report is now dying
away.—Hereford Times.
ANOTHER ALLEGED IMPORTANT DISCO-
vERY.—The following is a description of a new inven-
tion, applicable to locomotive engines, which is censi-
dered by a number of scientific men (as railway travel-
ling is proceeding so rapidly) well calculated to supply
a desideratum, and which is likely to prove a great na-
tional benefit, by reducing the expense and increasing
the safety of internal intercourse. The advantages of it
are—First, the condensing the steam after it escapes
from the cylinders, and the water produced thereby re-
turned to the boiler to be wrought over again and
again ; by which means the boiler is rendered more
durable, being kept perfectly free of incrustation or
deposit of any kind ; and no stoppage is required
to take in water ; of course freeing the engine
of the burden of carrying a supply along with it.
Second, The air that supports the combustion of the
fuel is considerably heated previous to entering the ash-
pit ; by which the smoke is completely consumed, al-
though fresh coal be used in the furnace. Consequently,
a great saving in the consumption of fuel is effected.
It is pleasant to add, that an experiment has been made
with the apparatus, which is exceedingly simple, and
found to answer all the purposes intended, and for which
a patent is in progress. The inventors are William
and Andrew Symington, whose ingenious talents are
likely to be of as great benefit to their country as those
of their father, the late William Symington, celebrated
as the author and introducer of practical steam naviga-
tion.—Correspondent of the Edinburgh Chronicle.
Kerse House milk pony died about a fortnight
ago, of extreme old age. Donald, for such was his
name, supplied the inhabitants of Grangemouth for the
last twenty years daily with milk and butter, and was
a great favourite with the little urchins, and latterly,
the matrons were often seen feeding him with a flour
scone. As his "grinders were few " for a number of
years past he was called the " horse of knowledge."
Quite unlike a bullock unaccustomed to the yoke, Do-
nald every morning came, of his own accord, to resume
his day's labour—seemed quite happy when calling at
his numerous customers, and after his day's work, wouldnot retire for rest to the stable, but, like a true High-
lander, slept in the open air. Had he been trained by
Sir Andrew Agnew, he could not hare observed the
Sabbath better. Donald seemed to know that it was a
day of rest, and never came to the yoke on that hallowed
morn ; but when a fast-day occurred, he seemed quite
puzzled why the customers were not to be served on
that day, and he, with grief, dropped his head like a
bulrush. Her nainsell also liked to be well shod, and
when his brogs were either loose or lost, Donald went
fr.., Charles Mitchell, the Earl's smith, distant about a
quarter of a mile, and although at first Charles could
not comprehend his pantomine, yet latterly his custo-
mer was always readily served. A newspaper might
be filled with anecdotes of him that would be pleasing
to a naturalist.—Scots Times.
A very protracted investigation took place on
Monday, 'before Mr. Wakley, touching the death of an
aged female pauper belonging to the parish of St. Giles-
in-the-Fields, had been an inmate of a lunatic
asylum at Bethnal-green. It had been alleged that the
woman was neglected, but the evidence did not bear out
he imputation, and the Jury returned a verdict of—
" Natural death."
Sir M. Chapman, Bart., M.P., has left London
for his seat in the county Westmeath.