The Sun.
London, England, 1825-08-24 00:00:00

THE MAELSTORM WHIRLPOOL.

LETTER. FROM A CIENTLEIUAN IN WASHINGTON TO THE
HONOURABLE A. B. WOODWARD, JUDGE OF MIDDLX

FLORIDA.

4' This wonderful phenomenon, that has ex-
cited the wonder and astonishment of the world, I hare seen.
There are few of my countrymen who have had the opportu-
nity, in consequence of the situation of it being remote from
any port of commerce. Its latitude and longitude Ido not ex-
actly recollect. It is situated between two islands, belonging to
a group off the coast of Norway, called the Low.instaff Islands,
between Dronthietn (being the most northern port of commerce)
and the North Cape. I suppose the latitude to be about 69
north, but will not be certain. _ _

44 fhad occasion, some years since, to' navigate a ship from'
the North Cape to Drontinem, nearly nil the way between the
islands or rocks and the main. On inquiring of my Norway
pilot about the practicability of running neas the whirlpool, he
told, me that with a good breeze it could be approached near
enough for examination without danger. lat once determined
to satisfy myself. We began to near it about 10 A.M. in the
month of September, with a fine leading wind N.W. Two good
seamen were placed at the helm, the Mate on the quarter-
deck, all hands at their station fcr working ship, and the pilot
standing on the bowsprit, between the night-heads. I went on
the main-topsail yard, with a good glass. I had been seated
but a few moments, when my ship entered the dish of the whirl-
pool ; the velocity of the water altered her course three points
towards the centre, although she was going eight knots through
the water. This alarmed me extremely for a moment, I
though that destruction was inevitable. She, however, an.
swered.her helm sweetly, and we run along the edge, the waves
foaming round us in every form while she was dancing gaily
over them. The sensations I experienced are difficult to de-
scribe. Imagine to yourselves an immense circle running round,
of a diameter of one and a half miles, the velocity increasing
as it approximated towards the centre, and gradually changing
its dark blue colour to white—foaming, tumbling, rushing, to
its vortex; very much concave, as much so as the water in a
tunnel when half run out; the noise too, hissing, roaring,dash-
ing—all pressing on the mind at once, presented the most awful,
grand, solemn sight, I ever experienced.
" We were near it about 18 minutes, and in sight of it two
hours. It is evidently a subterranean passage, that leads, the
Lord knows where. From its magnitude, I should not doubt
that instant destruction would be the fate of a dozen of our
largest ships, were they drawn in at the same moment.—The
pilot says that several vessels have been sucked down, and that
whales have also been destroyed. The first I think probable
enough, but I rather doubt the latter.
" 1 have thus, Sir, given you a lame, but a true account. If
hereafter I can occupy a leisure hour in detailing scenes and
circumstances within my own knowledge, in the course of
twenty-two years voyaging, I shall be happy, and will be amply
repaid by the consciousness that I have contributed to add one
motridilt's pleasure to a gentleman I so highly respect and
esteein."—(itfichigan Herald.)

COURSE OF EXCHANGE, Aug. 23.
1 rostet Limn
Ditto, at Sight
Rotterdam l2 3
Antwerp l2 3
haniborgli
36 11 2f
Altona ..
Paris, Day's sight.

- ,
Ditto
Root-de:tux, ditto
Berlin 7 0
Vu auk fort of: the Main
Pete' shurgit
Vieou•t

Trieste
Nlad rid

~;~r1iz

Bare.,lona

i~•yillr, ~,
~:I I)I aai

9 57
37 ESective

Erfretive

361 Effective

364

Li*horn
Cieri,a. 43. -----Venice, Ital. Liv 27
Nlzilta'
Palermo
Lisbon

l)itOrto

_
.. 514

Rio Janeiro
. 52
91 Cut k 9; pc' Cent.
EIULLIO3

l'ortugal Goltl,i 17 C1)117 J.O 0 0 pet Oa
Fortign (301(1, in BIN-

New

..0' 0 0

. _ .. _ . ..... . .
. • ~
' New Dollar:
Silver Standard ;t1 8ay5..... .... 0 5 1

PUNISHMENT of FRAUDULENT INSOLVENCY hr

the UNITED STATES.

At the last March Term of the Court of Coal-
men Pleas of this county, John Bramson pea"
tioned for the benefit of the Insolvent Laws. It
appeared, on the hearing of his case, that in May,
1824, he opened a store at the Corner of Second-.
street and Carter's-alley, for the sale of dry
goods, jewellery, and hardware, where he car,.
vied on business until the 22d of January last,
when he made an assignment purporting to coo'
vey all his property to two of his creditors, one
of whom was his brother-in-law, in trust, first la
pay certain favoured creditors ; seconaly, to di'
vide the residue among each of his other credi-
tors as should within a specified time, release
their debts. The debts due by the petitioner at
the time of executing this assignment, and which
were all contracted within about seven months,'
for goods purchased by him, amounted to 35,435
dollars. The property which passed into th
hands of the assignees was valued by himself at
about 14,000 dollars, and produced about 9,000.
The Court, after hearing the evidence on the
part of the opposing creditors and on that of the
petitioner, supported respectively by the aregll'
merits of Counsel, were unanimously of opini(ll
that there was a strong presumption of the peti-
tioner having fraudulently concealed a part 0'
his property, and therefore they refused to dis;
charge him. At his own instance he was bout'
over to the succeeding Court of Quarter Session,4s
to be prosecuted under the Acts of Assembly .r"
lative to insolvent debtors. At the late Sessioll.
of that Court an indictment was found, to which'
he pleaded not guilty. After a patientinvestiga"
tiou of two days, the Jury retired, and slier"
after returned a verdict of Guilty. The charges
preferred in the indictment were founded en th
Acts of 1816 and 1820; the former of which
directs that the offender shall be punished by. inn;
prisonment merely, the latter by imprisonment%
hard labour. On the Bth instant, Bramson was
brought up to receive sentence, when his Counsel
presented to the Court a certificate from a rile
spectable physician, expressing a belief, that toe
state of Bramson's health was such, that confine
meat at hard labour would occasion his death
Upon this, the Counsel for the prosecution, at t
rt
instance of the creditors, requested the C°ljiv
to pronounce judgment on those counts en
Of
which laid the offence wrainst the Act °,
1816. Accordingly the prisoner was smite"cea
de
to suffer imprisonment for one year.—(ADi la
phis Gazette.)