The Sun.
London, England, 1863-11-10 00:00:00

ASIA MINOR.

(From the Levant _Herald.)
SMYRNA, Oct. 24.—The rain-famine which is complained
of in the capital equally afflicts Smyrna, and is daily be-
coming more and more the topic of common local remark.
Only a few drops, so to speak, have fallen for months, and
wells and cisterns are alike dry almost everywhere. Each
successive change of the moon has been hailed as sure to
bring relief, but as yet the hope has been in vain. This
morning, however, the clouds promise well, and our weather
prophets are confident that a great douche is at length at
hand. If so, the relief to man, beast, and ground will be
great, for all three are water-starved beyond the memory of
our very oldest inhabitant.

In perhaps some atmospheric connection with this unus-
ually prolonged drought, we had a couple of sharp shocks of
earthquake on Saturday night last. Happily no harm was
done, nor (seeing how we are used to these little volcanic
freaks) was any one much frightened, so far as I have
been able to learn. The shocks appear to have been felt
still more sensibly in the interior, as accounts from
Aidin and Oushak report some slight injury to houses in
both places, but fortunately no damage to life or limb in
either. The vibration came from the eastwards, and seems
to have expended itself, or nearly so, on reaching the sea.in
this neighbourhood.

I regret to have to mention the death of one of the most
esteemed members of our local British colony—Mr. Fred.
Whittall, which took place on the 15th, after:a very short
illness, at Aidin. The deceased gentleman was the second
son of our universally respected doyen, Mr. C. Whittall,
sen., with whom every class of our population warmly sym-
pathises under the bereavement. The body was brought
from Aidin on the 16th to Bournabat, and there interred in
the family mausoleum, in the midst of one of the largest
funeral attendances which Smyrna or its neighbourhood
has witnessed for some years. Every section of the popu-
lation—native and foreign—sent its representatives to ex-
press respect for the deceased gentleman and condolence
with his venerable father. The incident, happening so un-
expectedly as it:did, has cast a gloom over our local society,
much beyond what any mere private bereavement of the
kind might have been expected to produce."

SMITHFIELD CATTLE Snow.—The annual show
of the Smithfield Club will commence on Monday, 7th
December, and continue the four following days, at the
Agricultural Hall, Islington, on which occasion, we doubt
uot, but most of our country readers will visit the metro-
polis; and to such we would say, do not omit to look in at
Madame Tussaud's unrivalled exhibition in Baker street,
where many additions of models of the Monarchs of Eng-
land, &c., have been made during the past year.
THE MAILS, B.:c.—SOUTHAMPTON, Nov. 9.—The
Royal Mail Company's steamship Parana, Capt. J.
H. Jellicoe, sailed hence to-day with the Brazil and River
Plate mails, 143 passengers, £221,621 in specie, English
jewellery value £1,360, French jewellery value £,026, and
a full:cargo of British and foreign merchandise. The Solent,
Capt. Hammack, leaves on Tuesday with mails for Madeira
and St. Thomas, resuming on her arrival at the latter port
intercolonial service on the West India station ; the America,
Capt. \Vessels, on Wednesday, with mails for New York;
and the Ellora, Captain J. R. Kellock, on Thursday, with
the Mediterranean and Bombay mails. Ihe Hammonia,
Captain Schwensen, is due on Thursday, with mails of the
31st ult. from New York; and the Plata, Captain Sawyer,
on Saturday, with the West India and Pacific mails.
THE CONCENTRATION OR THE LAW COURTS.-
-

Last evening, the first general meeting
session of the Law Amendment Society W 55
Fitzroy Kelly,
-•
°hfeltdheat2tlhset
offices, 3, Waterloo-place, Pall-mall, Sir
Q.C., 11. P., in the chair, Mr. Palmer movedointedthteofoclolnowaiidnegr
resolution:—" That a committee be
to the proposal
what a:ition should be taken with refeoarrPePnce
Beighbourhood all
for bringing together into one place or
the offices attached
the superior courts of judicature No
He said that last year,
thereto, and to report on the sainted.ors
of the House of Coro-
in consequence of the standing
the
bill for concentrating the
mons not being complied with,
courts could not be introduced, but he was now in a position
b
to state that the bill would be introduced in the ensuing
session. Mr, Edward Webster seconded the motion. After
some discussion, the chairmanof_inscson
s-inn would be the veryild that he was certainly of
'
opinion that the Society 14
t having for its object the general
benefit of the people.
last to oppose a movement
motion was then carried. The
annual address from
the council of the society was read and
adopted, and a vote of thanks to the chairman closed the
proceedings.
REVISING
BAItRISTERS.--The Court of Common
appointed the 17th and 21st inst. to hear
Pleas has o decisions of the Revising Barristers
the appeals from the
under the 6th Victoria, cap. 18,
during the late
taken in the following order:—Robinson
The cases Dump y, respondent (Northamptonshire):
appellant,anandd .113)luain
(Lancashire), Counter and Addams
Bennett
(Ashburton borough), Force and Flons (Exeter), Smith and
Hall (Sandwich borough), Crowther and Bradney (Kidder-
winger),
Garbutt and Trevor (Yorkshire, North Riding),
Clerk
ilenrike and Booth (London), and Jessop and the Town-
f Ipswich, from the borough of Ipswich.
A STRANGE DISCOVERY.—The turning up of a
horseshoe, real iron, from a depth of seven metres
in the deluvium of pre-Adamite deposit bids fair to put out
of joint the famous Abbeville jawbone. The phenomenon
has been found on railway excavation in the Orne Valley
between Caen and Conde, The Journal du Calvados gives
ample details, adding that not only horse bones and sundry
other antediluvian fauna, but skeletons of the Hudson's
Bay beaver are plainly recognisable.—Globe.
THE WHALE FISHERY._ On Friday the Sir Colin
Campbell, Captain 13irnie, arrived at Peterhead
from the whalings with one fish, which will produce about
17 tons of oil. Like others, Captain Birnie reports having
seen a large number of fish in Cumberland Gulf; and ho
expects that the vessels wintering will make a good fall
fishing. He reports having seen the Alibi, of Aberdeen,
with one half fish, and the Sophia and Lady Franklin, of
the same port, clean. The Alert, of Peterhead, had got 22
tons of oil, but the Lord Saltoun and Queen were unsuc-
cessful. The Camperdown of Dundee, had 100 tons, and
the Franklin, of New London, one fish and a half. The Sir
Colin brings home 17 of the Alibi's crew and 14 of the Lord
Saltoun's, so as to reduce the crew of both vessels to winter-
ing proportions.—Scetsman.

THE EASTERN FISHERIES.—In consequence of
the heavy gales of the last few days many of the
boats have come into Great Yarmouth harbour, and less
fish have therefore been landed. The quality of the fish
taken has improved of late. Similar reports como to hand
with reference to the operations of the Lowestoft boats.
The local Board of Health of Great Yarmouth proposes to
apply to Parliament next session for powers to purchase an
extensive range of riverside property, which it is intended
to apply to the requirements of use fishery, so as to prevent
the quays being blocked up with "swills."
A GRATEFUL OFFERING.—"A Sailor's Daughter"
has just transmitted, through Messrs. Drummond, the
bankers, £lOO to the National Lifeboat Institution.
THE REWARD OF TEMFELANCE.—J. B.
Gough,
the temperance lecturer, has drawn, in the Art Union of
London, Ross's picture of " Leaving Home,' ' valued at 100
guineas.