The Sun.
London, England, 1865-08-02 00:00:00

Desperate Poaching Affray.

On Sunday morning, about one o'clock, a murderous
affray took place in the plantation of Mr. W. Armstrong,
viewer at Wingate Grange Colliery. It appears that the
estate has a quantity of game on it, and the pitmen of the
neighbourhood, despite the efforts of the watchers, have
of late been committing serious depredations amongst the
game. Two of 111 r. Armstrong's watchers, named Benjamin
Embleton and James Stark, on Saturday night concealed
themselves behind a hedge near to one of the plantations.
About one o'clock on the Sunday morning they saw two
men in the plantation, and they spread a large net from
one end to the other in order to catch hares. The two
watchers sprang from their hiding-place and seized hold of
the two poachers, but ono of them blew a whistle, and im-
mediately afterwards other five men came up. A struggle
at once took place. The whole of the poachers were armed

in some way or other—some had large sticks, another a
brace of pistols, and one a life-preserver. On the watchers
trying to obtain the nets, the men rushed upon them, and
Embleton was knocked down. The party who threw him
to the ground was kicking him, and Stark, observing the
manner in which he was being treated, drew out a pistol,
and threatened to shoot any one that dared to come near.
While holding the pistol in a defiant manner at the protector
of his comrade, some of the poachers got behind him, and
by a sudden catch of his arm it caused the pistol to go off,
and it being pointed in the direction of one of the men, it
is supposedthe contents lodged in his person, as he dropped
simultaneously with the report, and moaned as though
in groat agony. Stark was thrown down at the same time,
and he caught hold of his assailant and pulled him on
the ground with him. While struggling the poacher who
was armed with two pistols came up and threatened-10
shoot him. Some of his companions cried out, "Don't shoot
him on the ground while lie's down," but he took uo notice
of their advice, and fired. Stark seeing the dangerous posi-
tion he was in, turned his back to the deadly weapon, and
the contents of the pistol were lodged in his shoulder. The
charge had not been very groat, or he would have been
killed, as the close proximity of the pistol to the person of
Stark was such that a portion of his coat was completely
blown off. While Stark remained disabled the poachers all
rushed upon Embleton, who had got up, and he was again
knocked down with a life preserver. When down the vil-
lain came across Embleton's nose with a fearful blow with
this terrible instrument and smashed his nose level with his
face. The life preserver, with the suddenness and force of
the blow, broke off by the head. Poor Embleton, also, was
most severely cut upon the head with a large rail, which
laid his skull bare, and he now lies in a dangerous state.
When the poachers thought they had done sufficient, they
carried their wounded man away, and made off towards
Shotton Colliery. The two watchers were both rendered
almost insensible, and it was some time before they could
get up to make for their homes. On doing so, they ma-
naged, with considerable difficulty, to get home, when a
doctor and a policeman were at once sent for. Dr. Morrison
on arriving extracted several of the shot-corns from the
shoulder of Stark, and dressed the wounds of Embleton.
Mr. Superintendent Scott, on receiving information of the
affray, apprehended three notorious poachers. Their names
are Simeon Ridley, Robert Williamson, and Thomas Sim-
mends, all pitmen, belonging to Shotton Colliery. In the
house of the latter were found two horse pistols, one appa-
rently recently discharged, and the other laden with No. 6
shot, which corresponds with the shot extracted from
Stark's shoulder. The man who is supposed to have been
shot by the watchers has not been found, and the other
three are all but in the hands of the police, being absent
from their residences. The two watchers are progressing PM
well as could be expected, but Embleton is far from out of
danger.—Newcastle Daily Express.

- THE KING OF THE BELGIANS.—Accounts re-
ceived from Lacken yesterday state the satisfactory intel-
ligence that the health of his Majesty Xing Leopold has
considerably improved.
HARVEST IN THE EAST RIDING.—The wheat har-
vest has already commenced in this district. In the
course of the week reaping will become almost general.
From Driffield, Northwards, tke beginning of harvest will
be in about a fortnight. In all directions the wheat looks
remarkably well, especially in Holderness, where it is be-
lieved the crops will cut up satisfactorily.
Exc URSIONISTS FROM ABYSSINIA.—Our intrepid
fellow-townsman, the Count du Bisson, and his
heroic wife have arrived here on their return from a second
expedition in Abyssinia. They both succeeded in passing
in safety from the extremity of the Red Sea to Alexandria.
At Cairo the Countess was attacked with cholera, and only
escaped by her rare energy. During the count's stay at
the Court of Theodoros, he was able, by the honesty and
firmness of his character, to acquire the good graces of the
terrible Abyssinian monarch.—Journal de Nice.

DEATU OF A VETERAN.—CoI. Laborde, military
governor of the Palace of the Luxembourg, the last survi-
vor of the officers of the Old Guard who accompanied Na-
poleon I. to the Island of Elba, has just expired in his 94th
year.

METROPOLITAN RAILWAY.—The ordinary half-
yearly meeting was held to-day at the London
Tavern. The directors' report, which has already appeared
in The Sun, was adopted, and a dividend of five per cent.
in the preference, and seven per cent. on the ordinary
stock was declared. The chairman congratulated the
shareholders on the prosperity of the undertaking, and in-
formed them that the district railways were proceeding
very satisfactorily.
MR. SCULLY AND THE CORK ELECTION.—It is
said (remarks the Dublin Evening Mail) that Mr. Scully is
minded to test the gratitude of his former constituents by
another trial. He intends to petition for an avoidance of
the late election, on the grounds of the provisions of the
statute of 1 Geo. IV., cap. 11, fixing the qualification of
Deputy-Sheriffs, not having been complied with.

The increase of 26 millions of 1864 over 1863 is
divided between the foreign and colonial imports
in the ratio of seventeen millions to nine, the re-
turn from the former being £181,137,158 in 1864
against £164,235,273 in 1863, and from the latter
£93,726,766 in 1864 against £84,683,747 in 1863.
Thus, not only our own settlements, but all parts of
the world, are gradually enlarging their trading re-
lations with us, and, as a natural consequence, are
deriving a corresponding benefit from that enlarge-
ment. The largest increase of our foreign imports
is in the arrivals from Holland and Egypt. In the
former country's produce the increase has been from
eight to eleven millions sterling ; and in the latter
it has reached the extraordinary sum of from 16 to
19 millions. The impetus given by the recent
alteration of the sugar duties to the importation of
Dutch refined sugar has increased our imports
from Holland ; and the ready adaptation of a
wide area of land to the cultivation of
cotton in Egypt will account for the augmentation
of our imports from that quarter. The produce of
cotton alone from Egypt absorbs 14 out of the 19
millions, the stated value of our imports. The ex-
tension of steam culture on the fertile delta of the
Nile, and the improved irrigation which the late and
present rulers have completed, have added largely
to the productive powers of the soil ; and the chances
are that Egypt will become a settled source whence
we shall draw good supplies of cotton in the future,
though it may not equal in staple that which we
were in the habit of drawing so largely from the
Southern States of the American Union. Russia
has also contributed to swell the amount of our im-
ports by something like two millions sterling ; and
the foreign West Indies have added a similar amount,
while the Hanse Towns, Belgium, Spain, and
Mexico have each added a million to the former
value of their importations. From Norway, Den-
mark, and Japan the increase is but small ; while
from Portugal, Italy, and China there is a slight
falling off. Our trading intercourse with the United
States of America has naturally experienced great
vicissitudes ; but as the civil strife, which paralysed
for a time her imports, has happily ceased, we may
look forward to a renewal of the relations which
formerly prevailed. The value of our imports from
America has experienced a considerable diminution,
of more than one million and a half beyond the de-
crease which was recorded in 1863 as compared with
1862. This has extended to Northern,Southern, and
Pacific ports alike. Our imports from France have
again increased, and in nearly the same proportion
as in 1863. The largest increase is in butter, raw
cotton, leather gloves, cloverseed, silk manufac-
tures, brandy, and refinedsugar. The only decrease
of any note is in raw silk, and that is only as com-
pared with 1863, the values being still above those
attained in 1862 and 1861. India stands at the
head of our colonial dependencies, and contri-
butes more than half of our imports, having
added this year to her general supply nearly four_
millions in value. In 1862 she added 14 millions to
our imports. These large sums arise from the con-
tributions which India has made to our supplies of
raw cotton, the prices of that article having ranged
las nearly as possible 10s, per cwt., or about Id. per
lb. lower in 1864 than in 1863. Australia has like-
wise sent us more commodities, amounting to the
sum of three millions sterling, chiefly in the value of
wool. Hong Kong and the Bermudas have more
than doubled their supplies. - The Bahamas, whose
imports and exports rose so suddenly in 1863, owing
to the establishment of Nassau as the depot for the
blockade runners both to and from the Secession
States of America, have again added nearly one mil-
lion to their value. The other West India Islands,
Singapore, British Guiana, and the Honduras also
show an increase; while from Ceylon and British
North America there is a considerable falling off.
The returns which give the quantities of the princi-
pal articles imported show a decrease upon rather
more articles than usual. Out of 14 articles usually
selected as a test there is, in 1864 as compared with
1863, an increase in nine and a falling off in five.
The nine showing an increase are cotton, flax, hemp
and jute, spirits, sugar (unrefined), timber and wood,
tobacco, wine, and wool. Those showing a decrease
are coffee, tea, silk, corn, flour, and provisions.

A NEW EXPLOSIVE SUBSTANCE.—Glycerine, as
we all know, is the sweet prinpiple of oil, and is ex-
tensively used for purposes of the toilet ; but it has now
received an application of rather an unexpected nature. In
1847, a pupil of M. Pelouze's, M. Sobrero, discovered that
glycerine, when treated with nitric acid, was converted into
a highly explosive substance, which he called nitro-glyce-
rine. It is oily, heavier than water, soluble in alcohol and
ether, and acts so powerfully on the nervous system that
a single drop placed on the tip of the tongue will cause
a violent headache which will last for several hours.
This liquid seems to have been almost forgottendish
by chemists, and it is only now that Mr. Nobel, a Swedish
engineers has succeeded in applyng it to a very important
branch of his art, viz., blasting. From a paper
by him to the Academy of Sciences, we learn
of ta hr addressed
oa
nt
othe chief
part of
advantage which this substance, compose
glycerine and three of nitric acid, possesses, is that it re-
quires a much smaller hole or chamber than gunpowder
does, the strength of the latter being scarce y one-tenth
of the former. Hence the miner's work, whicht,oa2ccording
to the hardness of tho rock, represents from 5
0
the price of the gunpowder used, is so
short that the cost
of blasting is often reduced by 50 per cent. The process
is very easy ; if the chamber of the mine presents fissures,
it must first be lined with clay to make it water tight ; this
done, the nitro-glycerine is poured in, and water after it,
which, being the lighter liquid, remains at the top. A
slow match with a well-charged percussion-cap at one end
is then introduced into the nitro-glycerine. The mine may
then be sprung by lighting the match, there being no
need of tamping. On the 7th of June laft three experi-
ments were made with this new compound in tte open part
of the tin mines of Altenburg, in Saxony. In one of these
a chamber 34 millimetres in diameter was made perpendi-
cularly in a dolomitic rock, 60 feet in length, and at a dis-
tance of 14 feet from its extremity, which was nearly ver-
tical. At a depth of eight feet a vault filled with clay was
found, in consequence of whiCh the bottom of the hole was
stamped, leaving a depth of 7ft. One litre and a half of
nitro-glycerine was then poured in ; it occupied sft. ; a
match and a stopper were then applied as stated and the
mine sprung. The effect was so enormous as to produce a
fissure 50ft. in length and another of 20; the total effect
has not yet been ascertained, because it will require several
small blasts to break the blocks that have been partially
detached by this.—Galignani.
BALLOON ASCENT.—On Monday, notwithstand-
ing the heavy rain during the afternoon, Mr.
Coxwell ascended in his balloon punctually at 6 o'clock,
taking with him Captain Rowley, of the 2d Life Guards.
The " Mars" left the Palace grounds in front of the cen-
tral transept; the drenching rain came down in torrents,
and the balloon entered a mass of rain cloud which hung
over Sydenham hills at a very low elevation. The voyagers,
however, continued up for one hour, and then descended in
a meadow adjoining the residence of Mr. Leake, at North
Cheam House, near Epsom. Here Mr. Coxwell and Cap-
tain Rowley were provided with dry clothing, and wore
hospitably entertained.
PRINCE NAPOLEON.—Iiis Imperial Highness
Prince Napoleon arrived at Kingstown, on Monday
morning, from Liverpool, in his yacht the Jerome Napo-
leon, and subsequently visited the Dublin Exhibition, in
which he spent several hours. He afterwards visited seve-
ral mercantile establishments in the city. His Imperial
Highness arrived at Liverpool on Saturday afternoon from
Holyhead, and shortly afterwards landed, accompanied by
his suite. They visited the Sailors' Home, and, were shown
through the building by the superintendent. Afterwards
the distinguished party were shown over the Custom-
house. On Sunday morning the mayor, and several other
gentlemen, bad an interview with the Prince on board his
yacht, which sailed from the Mersey at noon.