The Sun.
London, England, 1839-06-08 00:00:00

WONDERFUL POWERS OF MEMORY.

Locomotion is undergoing important and rapid
changes both on land and water. Time itself seems
to be in these modern days made doubly valuable to
society,—and distance is curtailed of more than half,
and in many instances, more than two-thirds of its
proportions.

The powers of memory appear also to be in a fair
way of being tutored into order and discipline. A
system is about to be developed, by which an art
may be acquired, that will render this faculty doubly
valuable to society.
We yesterday were favoured with an exhibition
of the extraordinary powers of memory possessed by
a talented young foreigner, Master GUSTAVE
ADOLPIIE BA SSLE, born at the Hague in 1826,
whose knowledge of facts is perfectly incredible.
We heard him repeat answers to extremely difficult
questions, in history, geography, mythology, natu-
ral history, and various other branches of scien-
tific acquirement. He then repeated 155 figures,
and having done so, he answered correctly, and
without hesitation, to every inquiry—what was the
46th of those figures ? the 28th ? the 115th ?
and so on.

A table of 40 figures was then drawn up on the
instant, and presented to him ; in less than five mi-
nutes he repeated the whole table from first to last
without a single mistake or hesitation ; but more
surprising still, he then repeated the same table of
figures backwards without a single error. In short,
it was the most interesting and wonderful display
of memory that we ever witnessed.

We are given to understand that the system by
which this extraordinary power of memory is ac-
quired is so simple, that a few lessons, of an hour
each, is sufficient to enable any one with moderate
abilities and application to be a proficient in the
art ; and the same rules, we are assured, are appli-
cable to languages—the French, in particular, being
nearly complete.

We have received a file of the Canton Register
to the 23d of January, in which we find a copy of
the new regulations under which the Hong mer-
chants are permitted by the Celestial Government
to re-open the trade with the " Barbarians inha-
biting the outer seas." It was addressed by the
Hong merchants to the Chamber of Commerce on
the 16th of January, with a gracious intimation
from the Hoppo that chops were granted to the
vessels detained at Whatnpoa and Lintin, to dis-
charge their cargoes. We subjoin a copy of these
regulations :

We have most respectfully to offer up for your lightning
glance a list of terms for securing ships to be agreed to and
the bond to be given as proof.
" Should any vessels at Whampoa bring up opium or

smuggle out sycee, the trade of such vessels will, on a dis-
covery and seizure being made, be instantly stopped, and
she be driven out of the port without a moment's delay.
Her owner will be mulcted in 20,000 dollars to be appro-
priated to the liquidation of the foreign claims.
" Should any vessel at Whampoa engage in smuggling
any other kind of goods her trade will, on a discovery and
seizure being made, be instantly stopped; the smuggled
goods will be sold, the proceeds confiscated, and the owner
mulcted in half their value, to be appropriated to the liqui-
dation of the foreign claims.
" No vessel at Whampoa must employ decked boats,
on penalty of her trade being stopped immediately the fact
is discovered. On the boat being giver, up to our Chamber
for destruction, we will petition that her trade may again be
opened.

" The master and consignee of any vessel condemned
to leave the port for her misbehaviour, must nevertheless
pay up her port charges ; they must not, on the pica of
the ship being driven out, endeavour to evade the payment,
on penalty of the most rigorous prosecution.
" Should the captain and consignee of any vessel de-
mur paying any just mulct, their security merchants must
inform the other merchants thereof, whp will deduct the
amount from the prices of any goods belonging to the
parties.

" The bond to be worded as follows :—' A bond Lieven as
proof. We (A) master, and (B) consignee of the (flag)
ship (name) which has come from her port with a cargo
of (C), to trade at Canton, do hereby guarantee that she
has no opium or other prohibited goods on board. Should
she have decked boats she shall not employ them in smug-
gling out sycee or other goods; but should any such doings
be discovered, we will cheerfully submit to be dealt with
according to the regulations, which we dare not endea-
vour to evade. In witness whereof we have signed our
names to this bond to be held by you as proof.'
THE HONG MERCHANTS."

The Charivari—the Figaro of the Parisian Press—
ironically contended in a late number, that all French-
men were born members of the Legion of Honour, but
that it was one of the grand prerogatives of the reigning
Sovereign that he could dispense, in the case of sweeps,
porters, and grooms in livery, with the wearing of the
insignia of the Order. This seems not to be very far
from the opinion of M. MOUNIER and a majority of the
French Peers, who on Wednesday last carried a
resolution for limiting the power of the KING to distri-
bute more than a certain number of ribands and grand
crosses annually. The resolution was opposed by Mar-
shal SOULT and all the Members of the Government in
the Upper Chamber, but was finally carried by a majo-
rity of 66 against 54. This spirit of independence on
part of the Peers, is lauded in the French Papers, but
we take leave to observe, that had the question been
purely political, the result of the division would have
been very different.

Tire Civil Tribunal of the Seine was occupied on
Wednesday with an action brought by the Princess DE LA
MOSLWA, daughter of M. LAFITTE, the rich banker,
against her husband the Prince, for taking away their
infant child, and placing it at a school to which the
PRINCESS was not allowed access. A certificate
proving that the PRINCESS starved the child, was put
in. The Court decided that the PRINCE had done
no more than the law allowed him to do as a father,
and the PRINCESS was nonsuited.

On Thursday the Chamber of Deputies was engaged
with various propositions, but they were all of local in-
terest. A motion for the Abolition of Slavery in the
French colonies is fixed for Wednesday next.
The Madrid papers received are of the 30th ult.
They merely confirm the appalling account of the in-
human massacre at Ripoll.
BO UR S E.—PARIS, THURSDAY, JUNE 6.
HALF-PAST THREE.—The market on the whole has been
brisk, and a good deal of business done in the French
Stocks for time as well as for money. For the Account
the Three per Cents. opened at 81f. 20c., rose to 81f.
25e., and closed at 81f. 20c., a rise of 5 cents. The
Five per Cents. opened at 111 f. 20c., and closed at 111 f.
35c., an improvement of 20c. For Money the Three
per Cents. are 15c., and the Five per Cents. 30c. better.
The Bank of France Shares are 2f. 50e. higher. The
Laffitte Bank 5,000 f. Shares, are sf. lower, and those of
I,ooof. unaltered. The Belgian Five per Cents. are
per cent. better. The Bank Shares 2f. 50c. lower. The
Spanish Active, after having fluctuated from 19 to 20,
closed at 191, being 4 per cent. better than yesterday.
The Versailles Right Bank Railway Shares are 7f. 50c.
higher. The Versailles Left Bank have improved to the
same extent. The proposed loan to the latter Company
has stirred up the opposition of that of the Right Bank,
which is not fair, because the Parliamentary authorisation
for the one was coeval with that for the other. The Go-
vernment will carry the proposition through the Chamber
if it can.

Pirst Highest Lowest Last
Price. Price. Price, Price
French 5 per Cents lll ... 111 20 ... 11l ... lil 20
4 per cents lOl 60 ... 101 t:0 ... 101 60 ... 101 09
3 per Cents Bl 10 ... 8115 ... 81 5 ... 81 10
Bank of Prance
Lai-IWe Bank I,ooof. SO— 107'2 50 ...1075 ...1072 50 ...1075
5,000 f. bh 5245 ...5215 _5245 ...5245
Belgian 5 per Cents lOl% ... 10114 ... 101% ... 101 N
Bank 793 ... 797 :-.0 ...790 ... 797 50
Coupons
Spanish Ac,ivc 1930 ... 20 ... 19% ••• 19, /4
Passive 4% ... 4% ... 4% •••
Neapolitan
Roman
-- -
...ylll4_ ..... 101h', ..... lol% ••• NI%

RAILWAY SIIARii
Versailles, /I. B 687 50 687 50
L.B. '265 ... 273 ... 265 272 50
Havr.?.
Orleans ..

ASPEIALTES AND BITUMENS.
Galvanized Iron

... 360

According to the `correspondence of the Semaphore
of Marseilles from Persia, dated the 21st of April,
Russian policy was making rapid progress in the East,
and the SHAH was doing all in his power to open a
road to India for the Army of the CZAR. On the 16th
M. BOUTENIEF, the Russian Ambassador at the Porte,
received important despatches from Teheran, which led
to an interview with the SULTAN and the Persian Am-
bassador MEZIN DZIFIR. Subjoined is the latest news
of the state of affairs in. Syria and Egypt:—
Letters from Beyruth represent that Mehemet Ali con-
tinues to prepare for war. Soliman Pacha ( Selves) is in
Syria, accompanied by all his staff. Aleppo, the city the
most threatened, has been fortified. All the trees in the
environs have been cut to make palisades and chevaux de
(rise for the ditches. The choice Egyptian troops are
marching for the Euphrates, and soon there will be im-
posing forces on that side to oppose the Porte.
Canto, MAY 11.—M. Tippel, the French Consul,
leaves us. He has leave of absence for six months, on the
grounds of ill health, but leaves quite disgusted with the
country and with the persons with whom he is obliged to
do business. M. de Bourville, his successor, is expected
by the next packet.—Semaphore.
BEYRUTII, MAY 13.—Hostilities have not commenced.
Soliman Pacha has just written that an amicable arrange-
menttbat
peace may yet
may b
be e mp
taedsee,r
vaendd. th eI
br e ftobree
mw
ee a hna vt
iemset:
Al
lhe hopes
that
Antab, and the sure ounding places have all the appearance
of being besieged ; the country is covered with masses of
infantry, cavalry, and artillery, and all are kept on the
alert. All communication with the interior is suspended.
The Ottoman artillery has passed the Euphrates, as well
as the other forces. We cannot conceive how these pre.
parations, which must have taken time, escaped the notice
of Ibrahim Pacha ; the Turkish Generals are incompetent
to make such well-concerted movements without other
advice. The inhabitants of Damascus showed a disposi-
tion to a movement on learning the passage of the Otto-
man army, and Ibrahim Pacha has therefore sent the son of
Emir Beachir into the town, with 1,200 mountaineers.

Mr. Wyld, of Charing Cross has just published
a comprehensive little book on the London and
Southampon Railway, with a map of the whole line,
and maps of the Isle of Wight, and the Towns of
Southampton and Portsmouth. Much useful informa-
tion is given respecting objects on the line of route,
and to accommodate those who wish:to know the country
through which they fly, full particulars are given
of all the neighbouring towns, and the more remarkable
objects that can be seen from the line. It contains,
also, a Guide to the Isle of Wight, the Channel Islands,
and the opposite coast of France. At the end is an
itinerary, after the mode of those once useful books,
but now little better than old almanacs—Road books,
giving the distance of each station from London, and the
names of all the towns and villages on each side, with
the distances from the main line. A description of
most of these places is given in the " Guide." We may
add, that the line will be opened from London to
Basingstoke, and from Southampton to Winchester on
Monday next.

DRURY-LANE THEATRE.--A benefit was
public and the exertions of friends. The
taken last evening in favour of the widow and children of
owfaathae good one, but not in the public sense full.
the late Haynes Bayly, whose long illness and premature
death had left them in a condition to call forth the sym-
hpoatuhsye
The private boxes were well taken, and the dress circle
was crowded. The performances were various and good,
several of the most eminent vccal and instrument per.
formers having lent their assistance.
HAYNIARKET THEATRE.---Ths
following,
among many other distinguished fashionables attended this
theatre during the week :—The Earl of Lichfield, Sir G.
Wombwell, the Marchioness of Ely, Prince Louis Napo-
leon, the Duchess of Cleveland, the Earl of Miltown, Lord
Jocelyn, the Duke of Brunswick, the Marquis of Water.
ford, the Countess of Charleville, Miss Coutts Burdett,
Lord Boyle, Sir G. Ouseley, the Earl of Belfast, Sir C.
Kent, Lord Kinnaird, Lord A. Fitzclarence, Lady Albert
Conugham, Sir J. Catheart,, &e.
LADY BLESSINGTON S " IDLER IN ITALY."
was constantly and variously employed—en-
-A new and cheaper edition of this charming work has
h her fine mind received; with a
just been published in 2 vole. post Bvo., containing Land-
seer's portrait of the accomplished author. The volumes
hiu
record the occupations of nearly every day, and prove that
the more striking
. and setting down
employed—en-
joying, Ladyshipog,
observing, exploring,
sthpeirivtivliibdeirna'lParsesjsiuT:,s aw love of blended vivacity and senti-
ment
erudition,
as, wli
contrastedib
rarely possessed by a lovely and fashionable woman. Our
fair Jourealiser's versatile pen gracefully flies from politics
lheyn ds a charm
evidences
ot
fo. herciclassic
s pages,
sio and
to cookery, from religion to scenery, from fashion to the fine
arts, music and the drama, from illustrations of national
character in humble life to the highest society through
which she passed. High titles and noble names abound in
her agreeable work. Not; the least exciting among them,
liLLInFnl E •Crbery, will shortly
lead LIFE.-Captain Freke,
nephew
the reader will find those of our British literati, Byron,
ml altar the Lady Louisa Butler, the
hNolouoittares.,, iview
,Slelley,G.Thnelli, Hamilton, and a host of celebrated
my.
Ait A o t
R andli
It .
heirAh yGE
presumptive l i t
o hymeneal
il G
lovely sister of the Marquis of Ormonde.