The Sun.
London, England, 1847-03-01 00:00:00

EXTRAORDINARY AND PERIL-
OUS ADVENTURE IN A SNOW STORM.
We were recently put in possession of the details
of one of the most singular and perilous adventures
during a snow storm, which we recollect to have heard.
The parties concerned are highly respectable and well-
known gentlemen in this neighbourhood,—James Side-
bottom, Esq. of Waterside, near Glossop, and Mr. Ed-
ward Wrigley, colliery surveyor and civil engineer, of
Cross-street, Manchester ; and though these gentle-
men were naturally averse to making themselves
the subjects of a notoriety, such as a newspaper
report may be calculated to give them, yet Mr.
Wrigley was induced, from a representation that the
notice might operate as a caution to other parties,
at this inclement season of the year, not hastily to
place themselves in a similar position to the very dan-
gerous one from which they have escaped, to give us
the particulars of a story, an outline of whic had
reached our reporter through another channel. It may
be remarked that the scene of this adventure is on the
same bleak and lofty range of hills, forming the boundary
between Derbyshire and Yorkshire, and only five or six
miles from the spot, on which a soldier of the 69th
regiment perished a few weeks ago, under circumstances
not unlike those we are about to relate. Mr. Wrigley,
on this occasion, was on a professional journey, one
of the objects of that journey being to search for the
inlet of the brook known by the name of the Great
Crowden Brook, into the river Etherow. He was
accompanied by Mr. Sidebottom, and they reached
Woodhead Station, the nearest point to their
destination they could attain by a travelling convey-
ance, by about nine o'clock on Monday morning, by the
train of the Manchester, Sheffield, and Lincolnshire
Railway, which leaves Manchester at a quarter before
eight. From thence they walked down the turnpike
road towards Huddersfield, as far as the summit of
Holme Moss, and turned westward on to the moors, en-
deavouring to follow the boundary between the coun-
ties of Derby and York ; but whilst they were thus en-
gaged, a snow storm came on, and they were completely
bewildered. They took a direction which they con-
ceived would lead them into the valley down which the
Great Crowden flows ; but after a cold and
fatiguing walk, they came to the turnpike
road from Greenfield to Holmfirth, a distance of
several miles from the place at which they aimed. The
snow was coming down at this time very fast ; there
are neither paths nor vegetation in the desolate coun-
try they had traversed, and the snow prevented them
from obtaining a sight of any landmarks by which to
direct their course. They had a copy of the ordnance
map, however, with them, and after some considera-
tion as to the course they should take, they again left
the turnpike road to cross the moors. This was about one
o'clock on Monday, and they had reason to believe that
their best guide to the point of which they were in search
was to walk in the teeth of the snow. To their astonish-
ment and disappointment, however, after traversing a
rough and precipitous country for nearly three hours,
they came, at nearly four o'clock, upon the turnpike road
to Greenfield, at little more than a mile from the point at
which they had first left. Mr. Wrigley now suggested
that they should desist from the further prosecution of
their search till more favourable weather, and that they
should pursue the road to Greenfield, and from thence get
home by way of Stalybridge, which place they could have
reached in time for a railway train. Mr. Sidebottom, how-
ever, had confidence in his knowledge of the country, and
the snow.having abated for a time, thought they should
still be able to reach the point at which they had aimed.
They consequently returned again upon the moors, and
had been engaged for nearly three hours in the object
of their excursion, when they came upon a brook, which-
they were. led to hope was the Crowden. With great
difficulty they reached the bed of the brook, down a
precipitous and dangerous ledge of rocks, with the in-
tention of following the course of the stream. But
darkness had overtaken them nearly two hours before
this, and they at length found it impossible, under
such circumstances, to surmount the obstacles pre-
sented by the immense rocks in the course of the
stream. In crossing one of these rocks, Mr. Wrigley met
with a serious accident. A portion of it was covered with
ice, but both the snow and the darkness tended to con-
ceal it, and the consequence was, that he was precipi-
tated with almost stunning violence into the water which
in this place must have been four or five feet deep. In-
deed, it would be difficult for any one not placed in
similar circumstances to conceive the danger and diffi-
culties with which they had to contend after darkness
had set in. The moors in this place are covered with
peat, to the depth of from five to fifteen feet, often
affording a treacherous footing to the traveller; and in
these great gullies (locally called " gruffe"), have
been washed from time to time by the rains. Many
of these gullies are eight or ten feet deep, and several
yards in width, but they ale now, in some places.
partially, and in others wholly choked up with snow,
adding to the fatigue as well as danger of crossing
them. Mr. Sidebottoni, who is a stout man, had begun
to feel the fatigue of the journey much more than his
companion when they arrived at the brook, and was so
overcome by it and the cold together, that as they sat
in a recess formed by the rocks, at the side of the brook,
an almost irresistible drowsiness stole over him, and he
proposed to pass the night there. That they should
bosh have been fatigued and worn out is no wonder,
for they frequently lost their footing, and had severe
falls, Mr. Sidebottom slipped down a ledge of rocks
ten or twelve feet in depth, and had many heavy
falls, and Mr. Wrigley, who fared little better,
sunk at one time il.to the beg to his armpits, be
sides getting wet in the brook, as before mentioned.
Mr. Wrigley resisted the proposition to pass the night
in the recess, which only partially sheltered them from
the weather, believing that from the state they were
then in, one or both of them could assuredly never
survive till the return of day ; and with some difficulty
he induced his companion to make an effort to find the
turnpike road, or a more suitable place of shelter.
They thee climbed the rock, to an elevation of probably
a hundred feet about the level of the stream, and it
then became evident that Mr. Sidebottom was too
much benumbed and exhausted to move much further.
In this dilemma, it is a singular circumstance
that Mr. Wrigley, who had seated himself on a
ledge of rock, regardless of the snow, to wait for his
companion (who had called upon him to stop, declaring
his inability to continue the journey), feeling an opening
beneath his feet, which he could not fathom even by
holding on the rock with the hands, was led to hope
there was some recess in which they could obtain shelter
for the remainder of the night. In the darkness, how-
ever, it was impossible to see of what depth it might be;.
and they were afraid to trust themselves to a descent
which might involve serious injury, or lose of life. At
length Mr. Sidebottom, taking hold of the hands of Mr.
Wrigley, was let down, and enabled to touch the bottom
with his feet, and both of them descending, found them-
selvesimmediately in a cavern of the rocks, of irregular
shape, but about 3 yards in length and 11 yards in
width. here they at once resolved to pass the night.
It was difficult to say which was in the worst condition
for such a resting place. Mr. Wrigley was wet to the
y skin, but had a top-coat and gloves on; Mr. Sidebottom
had left home without either of these useful cover-
ings. They could not see the time by their watches,
but imagined it to be about eight o'clock when they
discovered the cave. To keep out the snow, which
blew into their retreat with bitter coldness, the only
thing available to form a door was the ordnance map,
which had been wet through in Mr. Wrigley's pocket
when he fell into the brook; and this, on being held to
the mouth of the cave, soon stiffened with the frost, and,
to some extent, formed a screen from the wind and snow.
For several hours they sat back to back, in the hope that
they should be able, with the heat obtained in this way,
to resist the effects of the cold, but they found it neces-
sary at intervals to get upon their feet and move about,
and stamp on the floor, to induce a circulation of the
blood. Even with these aids, however, they found the
cold so piercing about midnight, as to induce them to
try other means, and one of these was to wrap their
handkerchiefs over their faces and mouths, as veils, to
obtain the benefit of warmth to the face from the breath
thus confined to that locality. For several hours, Mr.
Sidebottom lay across Mr. Wrigley's knees, as that gen-
tleman sZt on the floor of the cave with his back against
one of the sides, and his right arm resting on a shelf of
the rock; and additional warmth was obtained by each
in this way. The great difficulty was to keep off sleep,
which each felt must be fatal to the party indulging in it;
and to keep off this friend so refreshing to the tired
frame under ordinary circumstances, but now dreaded as
the worst enemy that could insinuate itself, they found
it necessary- continually to ask each other the question.
In spite of all their efforts, however, they seem to have
been so benumbed and cold as only to have retained
half-consciousness, and day-light, at seven o'clock, sur-
prised and gladdened them by its appearance, when
they supposed it to be only three in the morning.
With the return of light, on Tuesday morning, they
ventured forth from their wretched retreat, but so
nearly deprived of sensibility, that they could with
difficulty walk. Nor was that difficulty lessened by
the nature of the country they had to traverse. They
followed the course of the brook which they had sup-
posed to be the Crowden, till they came to a sheep
track on the southerly side, and here they made the
disappointing discovery, that they were several miles
from the point they had supposed themselves to have
reached. Instead of finding themselves on the Great
Crowden Brook they found it was the Greenfield
Brook ; and the object by which they first
made this discovery was the plantation at no
great distance, at the top of which stands the
house known by the name of Bills-'o-Jack's, the
scene of a notorious murder, committed some years
ago upon a father and son, the perpetrators of which have
never yet been discovered. They pressed forward as fast
as they could, having discovered the locality, and soon
arrived at a farm-house called Asbway Gap, where they
broke a fast which had been protracted to twenty-six
hours' duration ! If they walked with difficulty and
pain, however, before reaching this shelter, they had still
greater difficulty in walking after sitting before a warm
Lire for a time. They tried in vain to obtain a convey-
ance on the road, and had to walk to Staly bridge, a dis-
tance of eight or nine miles, from whence they took " the
rail" to their respective homes. Mr. Wrigley had left
home, stating that he might probably be away all
night, and his absence created no uneasiness; but Mr.
Sidebottom had given no Such intimation to his family,
and the alarm in which his protracted absence had placed
them may be conceived. Both of the gentlemen have
ruff; red severely from the effects of cold and bruises
since—Mr. Sidebottom in particular—but we believe
Iwns:asiii.:l,,xeadroennow fast recovering from them. It is a sin-
gular eiratchttieitnisssittaiaoance, that though they must have
ncedayofnignot t
afterless ehaayni
gninthee Gorreetnen-
started
field turnpike road,
from, moreand
dthan half a mile from the point they
found thsieselves atatf
tercel not A
pob°,atrt
the cave in which they shel-
which they had a second time
offlock; so that they seem to
country,the
cave ciosn tsiirtmuaaltleyd
have journeyed,
The rocks in which
map, and are called "Seal 13
care eirnioracalr
kt.,s,ei e peculiarity of the
upon the ordnance
Bark Rocks,' about a

mile and a-quarter from the house above-men.'
tinned—Bills-'o-Jack's. The people at Greenfield

stated that the night had been one of the se-
verest they had experienced for many years, and, ac-
customed as they had been to the keen air of the hills,
it was with difficulty they could be made to believe that
human beings had survived such a bitter frost and
snow in a situation so exposed. Mr. Wrigley states
that the position of the cave is such, that it
doubtful if it has ever before been visited ; and that IC
they had perished, it is probable that years would
have elapsed before their bodies would have been
discovered, if, indeed, they had ever been dis-
covered! Their fingers on the Tuesday morning were
so benumbed and contracted, that as they took them
from their pockets, pulling out with them money and
other articles, which fell in the snow, they had no power
of picking them up from the ground; and up to this
time sensibility has been but imperfectly restored to
these important members.—Mancliester Times.

THE WEATHER AND THE CROPS.
From a curious " Table of Prices of Wheat," by Lieu-
tenant Mackenzie, author of the "Elements of the Cycles
of the Winds, Weather, and Prices of Corn," compiled
from Smith's " Wealth of Nations," and our Parliamen-
tary records, the following deductions are made. We
are induced to lay these before our readers from the
circumstance that, of late, public attention has been
aroused, both at home and abroad, to the discovery
made by Mackenzie of a fifty-four years' cycle or peri-
odical revolution of the weather. The " Table" we
refer to records the prices of wheat from the year 1203
to the present time; and, by a minute computation, it is
proved that during twenty-seven years of the cycle
prices have a tendency to rise, and during the other
twenty-seven years to fall. From 1836 till 1847, the in-
clination to higher prices has been perceptible; and,
from the present year till the year 1862 they will, it is
conjectured, still further advance. This the author
ascribes to the great prevalence of unfavourable winds
on this division of the fifty-four years' cycle. The
dreadful years of 1800-1801, when prices were at 1108.
and 1165.; and again 1812-13, when prices were at 116 s.
a quarter ; fell within the corresponding division of
twenty-seven years. There is no doubt (the author
admits) that the effect of corn-laws, and other conven-
tional arrangements of legislators, political economists,
changes in the currency, &c., materially affect the prices:
these, and a state of peace or war, vary the rate and
generally produce higher prices upon both the dear and
cheap divisions of the cycle—more especially when
Europe is suffering under a striking visitation of nature;
but Legislative measures can have no place in any sys-
tematic account of the weather or in the revolution of
seasons ; and such is the powerful influence of the
eather, that prices, on the average, are proved to be
cheap and dear on the respective divisions of the
fifty-four years' cycle. This very influence of the
weather—altogether independent of conventional ar-
rangements—would produce, as it has produced already
for a period extended back for more than five hundred
years, an average of ti-ts. on the dear half (or twenty-
seven years) of the cycle; and of 365. per quarter on
tho cheap half. We are now in the commencement of a
s->ries of unfavourable Sears, which (if the theory be
well-founded) will prevail till 1862, when another revo-
lution of the cycle will occur, which will have a tendency
to produce greater abundance, and consequently the
prices will decrease from that period till the year 1889.
—Church and State Gazette.

NEW SUBSTITUTE FOR THE
POTATO.
(From the Northern Whig.)
The interest with which every addition to our stock of
plants, capable of affording food, is at present regarded,
will render a few observations, on a species of grain hi-
therto unknown in Ireland, acceptable to our readers. At
a late meeting of the Council of the Chemico-Agricul-
fund Society, I produced a sample of the seeds of a
South American plant, whicleby the kindness of a friend,
I had procured, about a year ago, from a Peruvian gen-
tleman, who, at present, resides in Liverpool. The
parcel, containing the seeds, was accompanied
with a note, in praise of their numerous valuable
qealities, and stated, that they were known in Peru by
the name of quinoa. At the same time, my friend sup-
plied Mr. Ferguson, Curator of the Royal Botanic
Garden, with a parcel of the seeds, but which, I regret
t find, upon inquiry, did not vegetate. The only infor-
mation which I could, at that time, procure, respecting
the plant that yields these seeds, was in the writings of
the old Spanish voyager, Don Antonio de Ulloa, who, in
his work on South America, when giving an account of
the vegetable productions of the Province of Quito,
speaks highly of its value, both for food and medicine. In
the interesting work on South America of Dr. Tschudi,
a German traveller, which has lately been translated into
English, I observe some additional particulars re-
ssecting it, which are of peculiar interest, from the
circumstance, that the plant has been successfully culti-
vated in Germany ; and should, according to his ac-
count, be regarded as a valuable substitute for the
potato. The following is the description which nem
gives us of this grain :—" Besides the grains of the
same species with those in Spain, this country (Quito)
hat one peculiar to itself, and which very well deserves
to be ranked among the most palat.:ble foods ; but still
more valuable, from its being one of the best preserva-
tives against all kinds of abscesses and hnposthumes.
This useful species of grain is here called quinoa, re-
s•iinbles a ieutile in shape, but much less, and
vei y white ; when . boiled it opens, and out comes
a spiral fibre, which apears like a small worm, but
whiter than the husk of the grain. It is au annual plant,
being sowed ar.d reaped every year. The see mis
about three or four feet in height, and has a large
peinted leaf, something like that of the Malloro. The
flower is of a deep red, and five or six inches in length,
and in it are contained the grains or seed. The quinoa
is eaten boiled, like rice, and has a very pleasant taste,
and the water in which it has been boiled is often used
as an apozem. The quinoa is often used in external
epplications, in order to which, it is ground and boiled
to a Fro per consistence ; after which, it is applied to
the part, from which it soon extracts all corrupt
humours occasioned by a contusisn. Dr. Tschudt's
account of this plant is not less interesting.—" Maize,"
hessys, "is the species of grain most extensively culti-
vated in the Sierra ; it is of excellent quality, though
smaller than that grown on the coast. kVheat, though
it thrives well, is cultivated only in a very limited
quantity, anti the bread made from it is exceedingly
bad. The other species of European grain, barley ex-
cepted, are unknown to the Serranos. To compensate
for the want cf them, they have the quinoa (cheno-
podium quinoa, L), which is at once nutrious, whole-
some, and a pleasant article of food. The leaves of this
plant, before it attains full maturity, are eaten like
spinach ; but it is the seeds which are generally used
for food. They are prepared in a variety of ways, but
most frequently boiled in milk or broth, and sometimes
cooked with cheese and Spanish pepper. The dried
stems of the quinoa, are used as fuel. Experiments in
the cultivation of this plant have been tried in some
parts of Germany, and with considerable success.
It would appear, however, that its flavour is
not much liked—a circumstance rather surprising
to the traveller, who has tasted it in Peru, where it is
regarded in the light of a delicacy. It were to be
wished, that the general cultivation of the quinoa could
be introduced throughout Europe ; for, during the preva-
lence of the potato disease, this plant would be found of
the greatest utility. It is a well-known fact that pota-
toes and tea, two articles now in such universal use, were
not liked on their first introduction into Europe. The
quinoa plant, which yields a wholesome article of food,
would thrive perfectly in our hemisphere ; and though,
in its hitherto limited trial, it has not found favour, there
is no reason to conclude that it may not at a future time
become an objest of general consumption."
JOHN F. HODGES, M.D.
Laboratory of the Chemico-Agricultural
Society, 7, Arthur-street.

__ORE STREET ROBBERIES IN EDINDURGII.--We
bear that on Wednesday night, last week, a gentleman con-
nected with the Excise, was knocked down on the road lead-
ing from Market-street to the Mound, and robbed of a gold
watch—and late on Saturday night, a tradesman while going
to his house in Potter-row, was assaulted in that street and
robbed of about 153.—Caledonian Mercury.
LYNCH LAW IN DEVONPORT DOCKYARD.—A ra-
ther summary mode of executing justice was adopted here
last week, on board the hulk occupied by the crew of the
Brazilian vessel now undergoing repair in the dockyard. It
appears that two officers of this vessel engaged a couple of
watermen to row them on board, not taking the caution to
agree as to the fare previously. Now it is well knowu what
watermen consider it their bounden duty to do under these
circumstunces. In the present instance, then, they did not
Lil to demand 2s. instead of the one the Brazilians believed
to be properly due. These refused to pay, and began to
ascend the companion ladder. One of the men, with that
polite and courteous urbanity which characterises his profes-
sion, instantly laid his hand upon the coat-tail of the hind-
most, and the result was a considerable rent in the laced
skirt, and the ignominious detection of the officer. In this
sii nation the latter judiciously sounded a parley. " Well,
my good fellow," said he to his grim Charon, " come on
board, and we'll arrange what you're to have." Nothing
and received an uncertain number
suspecting, the waterman went on deck, but was seized soon
which, we are told, he did not bear
aafftel
ursbtyily
afiplpel
ioefdr fLasriiineess,,
with that amiable spirit of resignation one would have ex-
pected. His companion, artfully seduced on deck by visionary
promises of biscuit arid grog, was served in a similar manner,
and after being kept some hours, the two were dismissed to
make their reflections on the incompatibility of possessing
at the same tune roguery and a sound back.—Devonpo, t
Journal.

PERILOUS SNOW STORM IN MONTGOMERYSHIRE
—The mail from Gloucester to Aberystwith was in great
peril on its road at the foot of Plinlimmon Mountain on
_Tuesday, the 9th inst. On its arrival at Llangwrig, at eight
o'clock in the evening, being five hours after time, six homes
were attached to it, and it proceeded with the greatest diffi-
culty for five miles, when the obstructions increased. With
the aid of Mr. Scott, of the Trewythen Arms Inn, Llanidloes,
who happened to be at Llangwrig when the mail
passed, and volunteered to assist, they got it
onward another mile ; further, however, it was
impossible to go, the drift being as high as the top of the
coach ; and the road being without fences of any kind, was
totally undiscoverable. Sometime before this the postilion
on the third pair of horses had been put inside the coach, lie
being totally benumbed with the intense cold, and his place
on the saddle was taken by a stable boy. In this distress,
it being evident that the coach must be abandoned for the
night, the horses were detached, and the coachman (who for
S. time had been unable to drive, and had resigned the
reins to Mr. Scott, who fortunately knew the road w ell) was
put upon one of them, but could not retain his seat, and
was so totally helpless that Mr. Scott and the guard had no
alternative but to put him also within the coach, with the
postilion, for the night; whence he was fetched to Dyffiyit
Castle Inn, on the following day, in a deplorable state. The
her: es were with difficulty taken to Dvffryn Castle, and the
mail bags were taken thence by Mr. Scott and the guard to
Aberystwith, where they arrived at cis o'clock in the morn-
ing of the 10th. The coach was cut out of the drift in the
course of the day. Fortunately there were no inside pas.
edgers.—Shrewsbury Chronicle.
Mr. Hindley, M.P., and Mr. Bardwell bad an inter-
view with Sir George Grey, on Saturday at the Horne