The Sun.
London, England, 1849-08-22 00:00:00

EXTRAORDINARY COMBAT.

Captain Rochfort, of the British and Irish Com-
pany's screw-vessel Rose, arrived at Dublin lately
from London, and reported having on his passage
fallen in with a whale of large dimensions, on a Sun-
day morning, at two o'clock, seven miles south-west
of the Lizard. This monster of the deep was suffer-
ing severely at the time in an encounter with two
well-known enemies of his tribe—a sword-fish and
a thresher. These formidable creatures generally go
together through the waters, and are reputed to be
joined in a league of unrelenting enmity against the
cetaceous animals. Captain Rochfort and the crew
saw the combat for about three-quarters of an hour,
but being obliged to continue their voyage home-
wards, they bad to forego the pleasure of witnessing
the struggle to its close, and of taking in tow to
Dublin the body of the vanquished whale, for of his
being eventually worsted in the affray there was no
doubt whatever. The sword- fish was • seen once
driving his tremendous weapon into the belly of his
victim, as he turned on his side in agony. The
thresher fastened on his back and gave him terrific
blows, which were heard at a distance with great dis-
tinctness. The latter not having any power to strike
in the water, it was the instinctive policy of the sword-
fish to make the attack from below; this causing the
whale to rise above the surface, which he did at times
to a remarkable height, the other assailant, which was
about 20 feet long, then dealt out his blows unsparingly,
with all the force of his lengthy frame—between them
their victim must have suffered extremely ; be
spouted blood to an immense height, and crimsoned
the sea all around to a considerable distance. Being
within 200 yards of the ship, to which the whale
appeared to make for protection, the conflict was dis
tinctly visible to all on board, who regretted it was
not permitted them to await the issue, and carry off
the prize from epicurean whalers, whose palates are
satisfied, notwithstanding all their labours, with the
tongue of their unwieldy antagonist, upon which
alone they condescend to feast, leaving the carcass to
some coarser appetite, or, as it may be hoped in this
instance, to some lucky fishermen, whose toil in se-
curing it will be well repaid. It is considered un-
usual for marine animals, such as were engaged in
the struggle now narrated, to be seen in such a lati-
tude. But this point must be settled by naturalists.
—Dublin Mail.

EXTENSIVE BANK FORGERIES
• IN MANCHESTER.
An extensive forgery on the Manchester and
Liverpool District Bank has just been discovered.
Two men implicated in the felony have been appre-
hended, and it is supposed that the investigations
which are about to be commenced will lead to the
discovery of a number of serious forgeries upon the
same company. The circumstances connected with
the present case are, that on the 20th tilt., in conse-
quence of an advertisement which appeared in the
Liverpool Mercury, a person named Lindley applied
for a situation, and received an answer appointing a
meeting with the writer (a Mr. Robinson, who at
that time called himself Openshaw), at the Stork
Hotel, in that town. After that meeting a further in-
terview took place at the Corn Exchange, in Manches-
ter, at which Robinson, after giving Lindley two letters,
the one to post and the other to deliver, gave him a
cheque upon the Manchester and Liverpool District
Bank for 3371. 155., desiring him to get it cashed. This
Lindley did, and returned with six SO/. notes the re-
mainder of the amount being in gold. The notes, at Ro-
binson's request, were subsequently turned into gold at
the Bank of England, and Robinson pocketed the
money without taking the trouble to count it. At
another interview, a few days afterwards, Robinson
offered Lindley a situation, but requested him to re-
turn to Liverpool, promising to communicate with
him upon the subject, and giving him money to de-
fray his expenses: On the Tuesday following Lind-
ley began to suspect from various circumstances that
he had been duped, and, having called at the branch
bank in Liverpoel, hetthere related the 4ove circum-
stances, and An investigation took
.place. The cheque
purported *to have been drawn by Messrs. Collinson
and Simpson, brewers in Manchester, who have an
account with the Manchester and Liverpool District
Bank, and it has been pronounced by Mr. Simpson
to be a forgery—and a remarkably clever one—of
his handwriting. The circumstances were communi-
cated to the detective police, and on Friday last Robin-
son was apprehended by one of the Liverpool detec-
tive force in the shop of a man named Macauley,
who was supposed to be an accomplice. They were
taken into custody, and examined before the magis-
trates on the following (Saturday) morning. Ro-
binson was clearly identified, and a young man of
the name of M'lntire related another instance of
having been duped by the same individual.
Macauley, however, did not seem to be implicated in
the charge beyond having been seen in the hotel with
Robinson and also at the bank when M'lntire was '
cashing another cheque, which Robinson had given to
him under circumstances precisely similar to those
detailed in the case of Lindley. We understand
that the above is only one of a series of forgeries
which have been recently committed, and from
which the Manchester and Liverpool District Bank
has been a sufferer to a considerable amount—pro-
bably not less than from 1,2001. to 1,5001. The
prisoners have been remanded to afford time for insti-
tuting further inquiries into the subject.