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

FASHIONS FOR JANUARY.

(From the London and Paris Ladies' Magazine of Fashion.
Dresses of damns, with wreaths satines, moires
antiques, broches ; merveilles, and various other rich
materials, are equally fashionable for soirea, as visiting
dresses, according as the colours are light or dark ;
small bouquets of feathers are used to ornament the
moires broches in gold or silver, each confined by an
ornament of precious stones ; for dresses of greater
simplicity feuillages of ribbon are intermixed with bouil-
lonnes of tulle ; black and white lace is universally worn
in deep flounces ; for young ladies taffetas dresses are
trimmed with crape flounces pinked ; as many as nine
are put on in tiers of three and three, and form a pretty
light as well as bouffante trimming.
In evening dresses the skirts offer more variety than
the corsages ; berthes and revers are still so much in
favour as to preponderate over the corsages drapes; the
sleeves remain short and small, and indeed are mostly
covered by the trimming of the corsage. For morning
dresses there is much variety in ;the make of sleeves ;
some are a l'Amadis, others tight, with pretty jockeys,
or white straight sleeves fulled into a deep wristband,
almostoferstooorvi o
tirght, ending at the elbow, or wide and open
piped at the bottom, &c. Under the name
of passementene, a variety of new trimmings are con-
stantly
r introduced;ff
o a those formingvelvet
moiregfoalinatgieuiens, have
y
rich materials, as also fringe's headed by la
erepeanddenotetteer
Black velvet is always used en neglige, whilst colours
are reserved for dress; these are trimmed with lace :
the 'point a l'aiguille is much worn, with the colour
oreille d'ours as well as deep blue. Furs are also fashion-
able for trimming dresses at this moment, of pink and
white satin, whilst mantelets and sorties are lined
throughout with ermine, which always preserves its
pre-eminence for soir42s ; sable is fashionable for pe-
lisses and muffs ; they are worn a little larger than kat

satin capotes are much used for morning wear; many
are covered with tulle bouillonnt,e ; coloured blonds
matching the bonnets are also fashionable ; plain velvets
are lined with a different colour, and feathers to corre-
spond. Ribbon and figured velours epingle are used to
ornament the interior of bonnets.

Flowers will be universally worn this season; various
new coiffures are introduced; some of the prettiest are
the wreaths Luisa, formed of marine flowers and coral;
the Norma of feuillage and gold; the Vierge, a wreath
of white rose-buds, or a very narrow cordon, on the
forehead, and pendant flexible flowers at the sides, spark-
ling with precious stones.

Caps are worn very small, showing th• hair as much as
possible, with profusion of flowers; with lappets, on the
contrary, the ornaments should be light and simple.
Caps are without brides, with double and triple rows of
lace trimmed with gauze ribbon, the ends falling low.
Blonde is again used, and whether of lappets or deep lace
of gold or silver, charming coi !litres are made of it, some-
times intermixed with velvet.

UNroUNDED:CIIARGE OF MURDER.—On Tuesday
afternoon an inquest was held befure Mr. William Baker,
at the George public-house, Mansell-street, Whitechapel,
on the body of Mar
nth y Fitzhenry, an infant, aged months.
nfive
s. The parents of the child, Thomas and Caroline
Thames Pitenry, were brought before Mr. Yardley at the
Court, on Monday, on a charge of causing
the death of the child, by unfair ineans, but after a long
investigation they were discharged, and the magistrate
directed a post mortem examination of the body, tor the
purpose of ascertaining the precise cause of death. Mr.
John Liddle, a surgeon, stated that he was called to see
the deceased' on Sunday morning last. There was an
extensive burn on the left thigh. lle had since made a
post mortem examination of the body, and discovered the
viscera to be healthy, with the exception of the lungs,
which were highly congested, resulting from suffocation,
anal quite sufficient to cause death. The Coroner said it
was a very peculiar case, and should advise the jury to
return a verdict of " Found dead, apparently from suffo-
cation," which was, after a short consultation, agreed to,

THE USES OF FROST TO THE
FARMER.___

We extract from Bell's Wi'eekly Messenger the follow-
ing article, written by Cuthbert W. Johnson, Esq.,
F.R.S.:—
" The effect of the low temperature of winter is useful
to the farmer in several ways. As, however, the good
which the frost produces is not so generally understood,
or its power so commonly assisted as is desirable, let us
at this period o 1 snow and ice address ourselves to the
subject. The farmer of the heavy adhesive clay soils,
which are reduced to a sufficient degree of fineness only
by the most laborious exertions, is the man to whose
soils the frost affords the most valuable assistance. The
water contained in these clays, during its conversion into
ice in a low temperature of the atmosphere, expands
with a force which nothing can resist. As, therefore, the
ice pervades every particle of soil, its expansion, as a
natural consequence, reduces very completely the clay
into a very finely divided state. The farmers of such
soils, therefore, are much befriended by a hard winter,
like that with which we are now visited, since the frost
readily accomplishes that pulverisation of the soil which
the plough and the clod-crusher can only very imper-
fectly and laboriously imitate. The action of frost on
many varieties of such soils, it may be here remarked, is
most materially aided by the land being deeply
ploughed, and laid up in higher ridges than are
commonly thought necessary. By this plan, the frost
penetrates deeper into the earth, and thus not only is the
soil more thoroughly and deeply pulverised, but the de-
struction of grubs and other insect vermin is rendered
much more extensive and effectual. Many of these, it
well known to the entomologist, retire deeper into the
soil as winter approaches, and remain torpid during the
intense cold of the season, in places, beyond the ordi-
nary depth to which the frost extends. It is, therefore,
very desirable, that the usual effect of a very low tem-
perature should be facilitated as much as possible. The
action of frost upon even fish is well known, those in
stagnant fish ponds being peculiarly liable to be de-
stroyed in severe winter. This arises from two causes—
first, because, when the pond is completely encrusted
with ice, a supply of the atmospheric air, so essential to
the existence of fish, is intercepted; and secondly, be-
cause not only is the absorption of the air by the water
prevented, but the escape of the carburetted and sulpha-
rotted hydrogen gases, always more or less copiously
generated in stagnant waters abounding with organic
matters, is entirely stopped ; and as these gases are ex-
ceedingly noxious to fish, this also condaces to their de-
struction. The gardener, therefore, knowing these
things, is careful to have openings in the ice daily re-
newed, through which the gases of the pond can escape,
and those of the atmosphere have access to the water.
" There is no soil, perhaps, upon which the frost ope-
rates more rapidly and completely than upon those com-
posed of chalk. Chalk, when nearly saturated, we fine
by our own experiments, contains about 23 or 24 parts
of water •, and we can hence readily see how it is that
when such a large proportion of water is converted into
ice, it thus by its expansion so rapidly and effectually
pulverises the chalk spread over the land. It is to this
levelling effect of the frost that we may, perhaps, attri-
bute the peculiarly rounded smooth surface commonly
possessed by the downs of chalk formations. These
facts explain, too, why it is that the farmers who have
the most successfully practised the excellent system of
chalking, marling, or claying light lands, have remarked
that this operation never succeeds so well as when the
I earth is spread over the land, and allowed to remain on
the surface exposed to a winter's frost. The essential
condition, in fact, to the successful permanent addition to
the soil of such dressings is, that the adhesive earths
should be so finely divided as to be intimately combined
with the lighter and more sandy and gravely soil. If this
object is not effected—if the marl or clay is not thus al-
lowed to remain exposed to the action of the frost, and is
ploughed in in lumps, but little geed is derived from their
employment. The farmer then tells you that it dues no
good to the land, that it remains uncombined with the
staple of the soil, and that " it sinks down" into the
land. This, therefore, is another instance of the success
of earthly dressings being sometimes entirely prevented
by the mere neglect of a due attention to the mode and
period of the year at which this most valuable operation
is best performed; and it is to this source that many er-
roneous statements, and much injury to the more
general adoption of one of most certain modes of per-
manently improving light lands, are owing. The owner
of such soils will do well to consider with attention these
important facts. The expense of marling or claying, if
these earths are conveniently situated, is much less than
is commonly believed. Mr. F. W. Overman, of Moulden,
in Norfolk, (who uses about 40 loads, of 40 bushels each,
per acre, on his sands and gravels) remarks:—" Land
will not always show the benefit it derives from clay in
the first crop, which is the reason it is condemned by
some persons; others dread the expense, which after all
is but little. A man to carry on his business well, and
to be always in season, must have a sufficient force of
horses; this will enable him to clay his land. He will
always find men ready to fill and spread at 3d. per load,
costing the small sum of 108. per acre for the permanent
improvement of his land." And he adds—" To sum up
the benefits of clay to land in various ways, it is by cor-
recting the acidity (the clay in Mr. Overman's land is,
is fact, a marl—that is, a mixture of clay, chalk, and
sand) and giving solidity; by stiffening the straw, and
increasing the quantity and quality of the corn; by pre-
venting mildew, which this farm was always subject to, but
which since I have clayed it it has not been; by preventing
the turnips from being diseased by groping, and adding
that to the soil which theclover likes, more particularly the
white or Dutch clover." (Jour. Roy. Agric. Soc.,
vol. iii., p. 235.) The correctness of the view of the
theory of claying and marling which we have taken is
also supported by the observations of Mr. Chas. Burness,
of Woborn. He tells us (ibid, p. 233)—" My system
has been to put the clay on the clover leys as early as
the crop is off; and then to get it broken in pieces as
muoli as possible before it is ploughed in for wheat. I
also lay it on the turnip fellows early in the winter, so
that it may have the chance of the winter and spring
frosts to get well pulverised before it is ploughed down.
This I prefer to cloying on clover leys. In January, 1841,
I elayed some land, which was going to be a turnip fallow
the following summer, and in the month of April, when
I began to harrow and plough the land, the clay broke
down, and slacked like lime, and worked in with the soil.
I did not see much difference that summer in the turnip
crop, as the other part of the field was sown at a diffe-
rent time, and I was not able to tell the difference ; but
this year (1842) the barley looks much stronger and
stiffer in the straw, and stands much more upright than
on the land which was not clayed. The quantity per
acre is generally fifty loads ; if more than this is ap-
plied, I should recommend it to be done at twice, as in
my opinion more at once would do harm, Nearly all the
light soil on the farm of the Duke of Bedford at this
place has been clayed, and a great deal of it twice, and
in every instance we have found its beneficial
effects. The clay may be dug from the pit at
any time when most convenient to the farmer, and if
turned over once or twice will mix much better with the
soil, but will be attended with more expense.
in
gameetoronnal wintero
rcsrn kepge.
re '
ie'doaafyd(
remarked.TitoAi
claying
htgne etnolhhanageenl osadhooAdlaaerstrye
surfacefAtHffhoo eugofucnurrot
i:ncooyh.efifthooovtaurtnhohtn,utiegwitshh:loeee:
ixiyn.sln,peode
apona
arts:
psi
oeasnersfolgal)Ld
tgsdrf:Mal
knoocpdoyetrrimfupaerlprototatil
has been generally to dig and cart the clay on the field
it
aiitrmbsnhete
tbheests)u,rafnacdetoofleaavleayitefrotrhae
ybeeattre.r, better; the method eptehroidodhdeurinfgon
hard frost is therefore that in which the opderaftion-oaf
em
tourren not
thaeccirtimplaisteh
only, as
is with
have
amostlrea advantagealready
seeseen,
is
its action then more
the clay or other adhesive earths by
rapidly accelerated, but the labour of the horses in draw-
ing it on to the land is very materially reduced. The ex-
tent of
ha
vtihnigs
this
vvreductionork p
eorffo rm laboured
wtiloisen thet surface of the
the farmer's teams,
made some time since may therefore be useefxurlerilnents
frozen ground is level and hard, very generally
understood. The results of some carefulno
intro-
duced in this paper. The following little tablyej, ther,
shows the average force, in pounds, required to draw a
light four-wheeled cart, weighing, with its load, 1,000 lb.
over the surface of different descriptions of ways :
Force required to Move
Description of Road. the Carriage.
Turnpike road, hard and dry 3of lb.
The same when dirty 39
Hard compact loam
53
Ordinary bye road lO6 Turnpike road newly gravelled 143
Loose sandy road
" These facts may be useful, too, in other ways to the
fahermmearythhaenneethavterfvrweashiocnhathhlyeyooarneelandeer,e athddatuctehde,
wear
ec
oi aml 1
py
itshhoesde
during brought t
bfer from
rmuchoada better
are
and tear of conveying heavy manures of all kinds, espe-
riaoddiwathanence,thise
ren-
dered hard by the frost, than at: any other period of the
year. The action of a low temperature upon vegetatiop is very interest' e,. and en ft.:. oar, upon plants
I hope to be a e, on another occasion, to direct the far.
men attention."
ertnnraherdl
ggne_rs:

_NTERESTING DISCOTERT. In levelling some
ground last week at Bec-Helloun (Seine Inferieure),
there was found a leaden box containing some bones,
and bearing the following inscription engraved on the
lead

" Ossa illustrissima D. D. Mathildis
Imperatricit infra majore altare roperta
2 mart : 1684, in eodem loco collecata
Eode mense et anno."
Matilda was daughter of Henry 1., King of England and
Duke of Normandy. She was the widow of Henry V.,
Emperor of Germany, and mother of Henry 11., King
of England and Duke of Normandy. She died at Rouen,
in 1167, and was buried in the church of the priory of
Notre Dame, where her tomb bore the following
epitaph :

CANADA COMPANY.
The general half-yearly meeting of this company was
held yesterday, at the offices, in St. Helen's-place, at one
o'clock, C. Frankes, Esq., the Governor, in the chair.
The CHAIRMAN made a statement to the effect that
the total quantity of land sold was 14,976 acres, includ-
ing Crown ref, erves of 7,797 acres, and grants in the
Huron tract of 779 acres. In the leases were com-
prised tracts of Crown reserves of 15,299 acres, and in
the Huron district 13,932 acres, making together 29,239
acres. The return for the lands sold amounted to
10,557/. ; the town lots sold were ten, while 63 lots were
leased in the country. The receipts in Canada to the
23d November, of the present year, were 31,3441. cur-
rency, while to the same period last year they only
amounted to 26,5071., showing an increase of 4,8371.
The amount of bills received over due, including in-
terest, is about 160,0001., the necessity for using which
was not at present at all apparent. It was, therefore,
his duty simply to make a statement of the dividend on
which the directors had agreed ; that was 6 per cent.
per annum on the paid-up capital of the company of
321. 10s. per share, to be due on the 10th January next.
After a few observations, this was agreed to without
dissent.
Mr. ROBERTSON inquired whether there was any in-
tention, as held out at the last meeting, of reducing the
expenses in Canada.

The GOVERNOR replied that tho whole of those ex-
penses were but 6,5001. a year, and the servants of the
company, so far from being overpaid, were underpaid
for their services. The directors were anxious to re-
duce the expense as much as possible. but in common
justice they could not reduce it in this particular.
A SHAREHOLDER inquired what progress had been
made in the railway?
The GOVERNOR replied that the railway in Canada,
like all other railways, was at present quiescent. The
object of the company was to form a railway communi-
cation between Lake Ontario and Lake Huron, and
there was little doubt but that it would be ultimately
constituted; but there was a railway at the present time
in progress which would connect the city of Quebec with
Portland, and which would prove of great advantage to
Canada. As an evidence of the prosperity of the colo-
nists of the company he might observe, that a sum
amounting to 7,1301. 18s. 9d. had been remitted by six-
teen settlers; the number of emigrants during the year
was 32,166, showing an increase of 7,142 over the last
year.

To another inquiry,
The GOVERNOR replied that the railway was not
abandoned.
The meeting was then dissolved.

- _ -
FLANDERS MAIL.
ANTWERP, DEC. 26.—The two English steamers
Transit and Gazette, laden with twist, intended for Ger-
many, have, for the first time, taken their places at the
quay Napoleon, between the north musesir of the basin
and Fort St. Lawrence. We were well satisfied at seeing
these steamers so well placed, they landed their heavy
bales with great ease, as well as at the best port in the
world.
The quay is very extensive, and only wants the pave-
ment to be completed. Two more landing places would
be desirable, then three steamers might easily be placed
there—the railway station being but a short distance
from the quay—the goods might be immediately placed
upon the waggons.
Thellamburgh Journal mentioned an instance of com-
mercial probity which deserves to be recorded. Some
years ago, the house of Schlezinger and Co., of Ham-
burgh, became bankrupt, leaving debt to the amount of
150,000 dollars ; two of the partners went abroad, and
no more was heard of them. One set up a manufactory
at Bradford in England, the other went to Modena, where
he established a commercial house. The third partner re-
mained at Hamburgh, and became a broker. The affair
was forgotten, when a few days ago the creditors were
summoned and paid the whole of their claims. The
manufacturer at Bradford had returned to Hamburgh,
and in concert with the broker, who had likewise been
prosperous in his business, he paid two•thirds of the
debt, and there is no doubt that the third partner will
follow this noble example.
BRUSSELS, DEC. 28.—We have just received the me-
lancholy news that Mr. Constantine Rodenbach, Charge
d'Affaires of Belgium in Greece, died at Athens on the
sth of Dec., at nine o'clock in the morning, at the age of
53, in consequence of an apoplectic stroke.
Their Majesties the King and Queen are to leave Paris
on Wednesday morning, and to arrive at Laachen on the
evening of the same day.
The Moniteur publishes a law, dated December 26,
proroguing till the 31st December. 1847, the law of the
18th June, 1842, which authorises the Government to
modify the regulations for the importation of goods in
transit, either direct or through the entrepot.
The Moniteur promulgates the law, dated December
24, by which the contingent of the army for 1847 is fixed
for the maximum of 10,000 men, who are placed at the
disposal of the Government ; and also the law for grant-
ing provisionally the credit of five millions to the War
Department for 1847. It likewise promulgates the law
for fixing the budget of the Minister of Finance for
1847, at 12,892,020.

It is believed that the King will be obliged very shortly
to set out again for England.—Brussels Papers, Dec. 29.

FEMALE CURIOSITY.
A naval officer, who lately came to reside in Edin-
burgh, having engaged a large mansion on a short lease,
despatched his butler to receive his furniture, and have
the house put in order. The butler engaged a young
woman, residing in the neighbourhood, to clean out the
rooms and arrange part of the furniture ; and he assisted
her himself to carry up a large chest of rather singular
appearance. This gigantic box his master had purchased
as a curiosity ; but, unlike that described in the
song of the Mistletoe Bough," it did not shut,
but opened with a spring attached to the lock,
which being touched, the lid flew open, and a tall
brawny Highlandman, in full costume, stood erect,
and struck out his right arm, in which was a
wooden sword. The gentleman purchased it as a
piece of curious mechanism, and was wont to amuse
his children with it. "That's a heavy chest," said the
woman, as they placed it on the floor. " Yes," answered
the butler, who was a wag of the first water, " There's
something heavy in it, certainly ; but there's something
mysterious about it also, for although the key hangs at
the end of it, not one of us is allowed to open it." " Did
you ever see the inside of it ? " replied she, walking
round it. "Never," said he. "It's as much as any of
our place is worth even to speak about it." So saying,
the knight of the corkscrew looked first at the woman,
then at the chest on the floor, and then retired slowly
down stairs, whistling, to work, on the ground flat. The
girl proceeded to put things to rights in the room ; but
every time she passed the chest she thought it looked the
more odd. ,4 Frailty, thy name is woman !" She rapped
on the lid with her knuckles—it had a curious, hollow
sound—very! And none of the servants had dared to
open it! What on earth could it contain? Well, it
was none of her business; so she went diligently to
work for five minutes, at the end of which time she saw
herself standing, with her arms akimbo, gazing on the
chest. "It can do no harm to look into it," thought she;
so she quietly took the key from the nail and applied it
to the lock. Of course she heard footsteps on the stairs
—as every one will do when afraid of detection in the
commission of some act they wish to keep secret.
Again she regained confidence, and returned to the
chest ~,sIA, *pooped, —and turned , the key. Up
flew Ole lid ;.,.';nnd the wooden Highlandman, kilt?
fetched the- petrified girl a sharp
hanutathilabegaguity,s ung
and
- on. -his > legs with-more - than
whack across the, shoulders with, the flat of his " Andrea,
Ferrara.. A. prolonged shriek, ending in a moan of de.-
ss poor 000 rf woman of
emwa nm
ihnaudt
es soughtthe
w o m reliefan
wildly round the room, till her
inPo asaei w oni nhdoeni ae
tl
ehldon thewtlalot
octokhuien; g
eyes caught the Highlandman bending over her. Seeing
nothing but destruction awaiting her, two springs took
her to the door ; down stairs she went, nor did she
slacken her pace till she: found herself standing in the
house of a lady in the neighbourhood. The poor woman
did not recover from her fright for several days.
A 0-

what exitceEnAsillvell'yEl'rnoTw 1113°tshTaAtGiE.—It
erisica mthee
continent, schemes have been proposed, the object of
which is to bring letters from any inland town to any
town on the sea-coast for the charge of one penny. Now
nAmnaonwd
o s on
supposeb e
,is i t
notthis
anwas
imperativeearrie d, which
duty
world
1i s h
,nation to introduce throughout the whole
.. .
a friend in
"Ocean Penny Postage ?" Thus, supposo
in
the far west of America wishes to write to a friend.
it is
incumbent issureuolntimthateElyn to
Newcastle-on-Tyne England.
pos-
session of three penny stamped envelopes. Onhe writes the following address :—James Green,
book-
seller, Newcastle-on-Tyne ; that is enclosed in another,i
addressed Jaiiies Green, England :Ft nd the+ ",,- ~
He puts himsellthine
firste
sent peltirst mail
From
T---- CA.,,,u, xdogiand, to 0
from Boston. Now here for three postage stamps the
letter will be Now
from the centre of America to
Newcastle-on-Tyne, England, and will also be prepaid.
The first envelope to be taken off at Boston, the second
at Liverpool, and the latter enclosed in the third,
would reach the owner in Newcastle. No other nation on
the face of the earth is capable of doing this ; some por-
tion of her immense navy might be profitably employed
for this purpose, and thus be the means not only of en-
riching herself, but of scattering the blessings of civili-
sation throughout the whole world. We pay sixpence
for the carriage of 64 lbs, of wheat from America to
England, and can we not, when we take into account the
immense increase there will be in correspondence con-
sequent on such a plan, carry letters from nation to nation!,
letters weighing
Essex Herald.
Only half an ounce, for one penny.
"COME AND TRY my TAP."—An anecdote not
inappropoiate to the season is related to have occurred
the other clay within 100 miles or so of the pretty little
village of B—. A worthy inhabitant thereof is pos-
sessed of a better half, whose personal proportions are
on a scale of magnitude very superior to those of her
spouse. Of this superiority the lady made too great use
for the comfort at home of her meek and quiet partner,
who was thus driven to seek more peaceful society in
the comfortable parlour of the neighbouring tavern here he met many hearty good fellows,
and on the event-
ful evening of our story mine host's excellent cheer so
far overcome his natural shyness, that in the plenitude of
his valour he invited a boon companion to "come home
with me and try my tap," an offer, of course, too good to
be rejected at the time when " stout October" may be
looked far ; and home accordingly they went. Ar-
rived at the house, " knock," says our hero, and his
friend knocked ; the door promptly flew open, and the
astonished guest was instantly saluted with a tremendous
whack on the head from the doubled fist of the lady of
the houso. "There ! how do you like my tap ? that's
what I get every nght !" laughed out the successful
practical joker. We regret to hear that the unfortnate
victim has taken so strong a dislike to our friend':.
f‘ tap," that he cannot even bear to hear of it.—Laneas•
ter Gazette.
Lord John Russell arrived at his residence, Chorley.
wood, yesterday, from Woburn Abbey, Bedfordshire.

4 Ortu magna viro major, see maxima Partu
Hie jacet Ilenrici filia sponsa Parent."
According to the chronicles of the Abbey of Bee-
Ilelloun her remains were removed to that abbey, and
buried near the altar.—Paris Paper.
COMFORT TO SECOND-CLASS PASSENGERS FORBID-
DEN.—The directors of the Eastern Union Railway have
lately placed on their line second-class carriages of a
greatly improved construction, and in which the comfort
oft he passengers has been studied, in a manner worthy
of imitation. They are inclosed with glass, and the seats
are of stuffed leather, and they altogether approximate
much nearer to the English elysium—comfortable—than
those in general use. But, unfortunately, the Eastern
Union authority extends only 17 miles of the 6s between
Ipswich and London ; and, on Tuesday, a peremptory
order from the magnates of Shoreditch was received at
the Colchester station, that the new Eastern Union
second-class carriages should not: be suffered to proceed
beyond Colchester. The passengers were accordingly
obliged to resign their warm seats in the Ipswich car-
riages, and locate themselves in the Eastern Counties
Railway tumbrils for the remainder of the journey. The
comfortable second-class carriages will, therefore, for the
resent, be only available for the local traffic between
Colchester, Ipswich, and Bury.—lpswich Journal,

filE SUN, LONDON, FRIDAY EIVENING, JANUATRY 1,
_1847.

NAVAL INTELLIGENCE.

PORTSMOUTH, DEC. 31.—The Samarang, 26, survey-
ing vessel, Captain Sir Edward Belcher, arrived at Spit.
head late last night, from the East India station, whereon
she has been engaged surveying during the last four
years. Commander Graham Ogle, late of the Royalist,
came home acting as first lieutenant of the Samarang,
and will succeed Commander Brown as commander of
the St. Vincent shortly.
Sir Charles Ogle commences his series of grand eater-
tainments at the Admiralty House. on the evening of the
Eth of January.
The Comet steam-vessel, Lieutenant Commander John-
ston, was at Westport, Ireland, on the 28th instant, cn
which day her marines and seamen were ordered to be
landed to protect the stores from a reported descent of
the population. The 26th being St. Stephen's day, many
" parishes " were expected to make a demonstration in
the town and on the Government stores at Westport-
quay. A troop of cavalry from Castlebar were on the
qui wive as well as the military in barracks, but happily
all passed off quiety. "Paddy is much grieved," says
our informant, "because some of the merchants here will
not lower the price of the Indian meal."
The Rhadamanthus steam transport, Master Comman-
der Aylen, sailed yesterday with a cargo of Indian meal
for Clifden Manninhay, Galway; and Belmullet, Mayo;
half her cargo to be discharged at each place, to which
she is to proceed direct, and afterwards return to Ply-
mouth for further orders.

The Vengeance, 84, was paid advance yesterday.
The Scourge steam bomb-vessel, Commander Caffin,
was hauled alongside the dockyard yesterday to reship
her mortar, &c.

Lieutenant John Denis Do Vitre (1781) died on the
29th inst., at Lancaster, in his 90th year. This gallant
veteran's commission, as lieutenant, bears date the 3d of
March, 17.1; thus he had been nearly 66 years in that
rank when he died. He commanded the Biter gun brig,
and was wounded in the expedition to Ostend in 1798.
He was the oldest lieutenant upon the list, and was on
the pay of 7s. per diem. Lieutenant Robert John Hibbs
(1796 !) now becomes the senior lieutenant on the Navy
List.

PLYMOUTH, DEc.3o.—Admiral Sir Samuel Pym struck
his flag as Admiral Superintendent of her Majesty's
Dockyard, on Monday evening, on board her Majesty's
ship Caledonia, 120, Captain Manby H. Dixon; and Ad-
miral Sir John Louis, as Admiral P 3 m's successor, yes-
terday morning hoisted his flag, white, at the mizen, with
the accustomed salute.

Admiral Pym is gone to the eastward. On taking his
departure he was greeted by an assembly of all the of-
ficers of the dockyard.
Her Majesty's frigate Thetis, 36, recently commis-
sioned at this port by Captain Codrington, was towed
yesterday by the Confiance steam. tug from Barn Pool to
the Sound, where she saluted the flag of Port-Admiral
Sir John West. Her salute was acknowledged by her
Majesty's ship Queen, 120, Captain Sir Henry J. Leeke,
The Thetis sailed this morning.

ROYAL GEOGRAPHICAL SO-
CIETY.
MONDAY, DECEMBER 28.
Lord Colchester, Pretident in the chair.
Mr. J. Lysaght was elected a member of the so,
ciety.

The paper read was the first portion of a very elabo-
rate "Essay on the Nile," by Dr. Beke.
The obscurity which has so long hung over the sources
of the Nile, is now in a great measure dissipated by the
trouble which Dr. Beke has taken to clear up the am-
biguities of conflicting statements, and to re-establish
facts long misunderstood. A careful sifting of the
writings of both ancient and modern travellers, in regard
to the sources of the Nile, together with his own intimate
acquaintance with the country, watered by n great num-
ber of the primitive tributaries of the great river, have
enabled him to unravel the entanglement which obscured
the subject, and to present us with a statement so clear
and satisfactory, as to leave little for furtherinvestiga-
tors but a corroboration of his views. _

It is impossible for us to go into all the details of this
interesting paper, and we must therefore content our-
selves with a brief notice of the main points.
The doctor first ascends the Takkazie, the Astaberas
of Ptolemy, and minutely describes its various affluents ;
after which, coming back to the Nile, he ascerds it to the
junction of the Biue and White Rivers. Going up the
Bahr el Azrek or Blue River, he comes to a spot where
M. Cailliand speaks of the Hessenn as coming from the
south-east, which Dr. Beke proves to be the Abii of
Abyssinia ; and he at the same time shows that the
river described by M. Russegger as the upper course of
the Bahr el Azrek is, in tact the Dedhesa, a river which
was first made known by Dr. Beke, and which he now
identifies with the Takiii described by De Barros as the
great western arm of the Nile ; under which name the
Portuguese understood the Blue River, since the White
River, or Bahr el Abiadh, was entirely unknown to them.
After describing all the affluents of the Abil on both
sides, Dr. Beke notices a river, which has, of late years,
appeared in the maps, under the name of Habahia, and
which has been supposed by:some geographers to be either
the upper course of the Kilimaney (Quilinfau6) or of the
Bahr el Abiadh, but which Dr. Beke shows clearly to
have no separate existence; it being, in fact, nothing
but the Abai of Abyssinia, called by the Gonges Abbaya.
Dr. Beke next discusses the subject of the Maleg, a river
which was crossed by Fernandes in 1613, on his way to
Enarea, and shows that the route taken by the JeAlit
Missionary has been altogether misunderstood by Bruce.
Leving the "kW, the doctor next takes up the Dedh63s,
and enumerates its tributaries on both sides, as
he had done with the other two great rivers, the
Takkazie and the Abai. Having thus exhausted the
hydrographic basin of the Blue River, the author,
before commencing the particular investigation of
the course of the White River, enters into a compari-
son of the two great arms of the Nile, the 'White and
Blue Rivers, and after minutely examining the evidence
both ancient and modern on the subject, concluded in
these words :—" Thus, whether we consider the relative
magnitudes of the two rivers, the directions of their re-
spective beds, or the volume of their waters ; whether
we regard the opinions of the ancient geographers, or
those of modern travellers, or of natives acquainted with
both streams—for the evidence of such as only know one
is, of course, inadmissible—the result is the same. In
all and every of these points of view, the Bahr el Abiadh,
or White River, is the principal stream, and the Bahr el
Azrek, the subordinate or affluent."

This valuable paper will be concluded at the nex
evening meeting.

AFFRAY WITH POACHERS.— On the night of Thurs-
day last, the gamekeepers and watchers at Ockeridge
Wood, in the parish of Holt, the property of Lord Ward,
hearing the report of a gun in the wood, went towards
the bottom of it, with a view of meeting the poachers
coming out. The gamekeeper's son (Mr. D. Rawlings)
moved off in another direction, but, not finding the
poachers, he went to the other side of the wood, and
heard another shot in a cover-about a quarter of a -mile
rOni OCkeridge Wood;- After ~some considerable search,
he traced the parties hr., a direction, towards the road:;
two men soon afterwards got over a stile, and as they
came up opposite to where he was hid, he observed that
one of them had a gun and a bludgeon ; this man he
immediately collared, and a struggle took place for the pos-
session of the gun. Rawliegs was forced down on the
ground, but he would not loose the gun, and, succeeding
in regaining his feet, he renewed the fight, in which he
,iffitfen4e4 bifflsolf w4h his atiekar,sahe poacherse•at-
- iength.got iilistown gain,antijumpect on his. stemltch,
-batioviee..raora..gaining his. feete.-ancl .making liberal use
9 ftiAlcri both the 'poachers ran away. Rawlings
'galre.chase to the one whom he supposed carried some
game, and when they came to a brook which the poacher
could not leap, the latter dropped three pheasants, and
pulling off his jacket, managed to outrun the keeper,
and got away. Rawlings knew this man to be James
Roberts, a labourer, of Grimley, and the other, whom
he knew by sight, but not by name, proved to be Thomas
Milton, son of a schoolmaster, also residing at Grimley;
and on the following day (Christmas-day) Rawlings, in
company with apoliceman, went to the house in which
Roberts lived, who, in the course of conversation, con-
fessed all the transactions in which he and Milton had
been engaged on the previous night. Information was
yesterday laid by Mr. Rawlings, before F. 1). Hastings,
F. E. Williams, and J. G. Watkins, Esqs., at the county
petty sessions, who granted a warrant to apprehend the
parties on the charge of night poaching.— Worcester
Journal of yesterday.
EXPLOSION OF FIRE DAMP.—THREE MEN KILLED.
' —lt is our painful duty to record another of those
fearful accidents which so frequently spread misery and
death amongst our mining population. It appears that
on the morning of Saturday, the 12th instant, the miners
employed at the Shankrey Muir limestone pit (belong-
ing to Messrs. A. and J. Baird. of "Awe vv orke,
went clown +- ro, at tne usual time. In consequence,
however, of their entertaining a suspicion that fire damp
hud accumulated in the workings, they delayed proceed-
ing to their work until the arrival of the overseer, who
came down the shank about eight o'clock. On finding
the workmen congregated at the pit bottom, and learn-
ing the cause, he taunted them with cowardice, and told
them to follow him; upon which he and several of the
workmen, with naked lamps, proceeded into the sus.
pected workings, the consequence of which was a terrific
explosion, which destroyed the lives of the overseer
and two of his companions, severely scorched other
three, and by its force tore a part of the pit-head frame
from its fastenings, and threw it to a considerable dis-
tance. It is said that the pit bad not previously been
much disturbed by fire damp, but, on the day before the
accident, part of the workings had blasted, by which a
man was burned, which gave rise to the fears of the
workmen.—Airdrie Advertiser.

FATAL ACCIDENT AT BLACKWALL.—Yesterday,
Mr. Baker held an inquest at the Shoulder of Mutton
and Pig, Blackwall, on the body of Richard Webber,
aged 56 years, a cooper, residing at Blackwall-stairs,
who was killed by the falling of a wall on Wednesday
morning last. Ali red Green, a watertnan, stated that
he was standing near Ashton's wharf, plying for hire,
when the deceased passed with his hands in his pockets.
On his arriving outside the wall of the wharf, it sud-
denly gave way and crushed the deceased under the
ruins. Witness immediately cleared the rubbish away
from the deceased, who was found to be quite dead. A
large quantity of sand had been placed by Mr. Lungley,
the proprietor of the wharf, against the wall, a few
days previously, and there was no doubt that the
weight caused the wall to fall in. Verdict, " Accidental
death."

DuTirs or PfOPERTY.—The Earl of Shannon
employs at present 400 labourers upon his estate at
Castlemartyr. He has purchased a stock of Indian meal,
which is retailed to them at a shilling a stone less than
cost price. His Lordship has also caused to be dis-
tributed among his tenantry, to the number nearly of
500, two stone of flour each, and a piece of beef for a
Christmas dinner. At the same time Lacly Shannon
devotes her attention to providing clothing for the poor,
and otherwise attending to their domestic comfort.—
Cork Examiner.-