The Sun.
London, England, 1847-01-02 00:00:00

manifest "firmness and a fair demand exists but the home
trade have been the chief operators; the value of low and
middling is 3s Cd to 3s Bd, good 3e 9(1 to 4s, and tine t,, cry
fine 4s 2d to ss. Leeward Island is wanted at 2s 6d to 2s 7d
proof, but little is to be had. East India has been in good re-
quest, proof at 2s 2d to 2s 3d. Demerara met with a fair sale
at 3s 6d to 3s 9d for strong. In Brandy a good demand has
been done, and at stiffer rates—Cognac best brands of the
vintage of 1842, selling at 5s lld to Gs Id,, and ditto, 1844,
5s 4d to 5s 6d per gallon.
Ons.—The market for Linseed Oil is firm, and purchases
to a fair extent have been made by the home trade at 25s 6d
per cwt on the spot, but for exportation the demand has
been limited. There has been little passing for forward de-
livery although there are sellers at 26s per cwt. Rape Seed
Oil has been in excellentr equest, and prices rule firm, pale
36s to 36s 6d, brown 35s to 35s 6d per cwt. Olive Oil sold to
a large extent, prices are improving, the stock still on the
decrease, and the consumption on the increase. Gallipoli
has been selling at 471 to 481, Spanish and Sicily 451 to 461,
Barbary, Levant, and Portugal 431 10s to 441. lOs per tun.
Cocos -rsut has been in good demand, but the supply is un-
usually small, fine quality has been selling at 42s to 435.

MURDER OF SEAMEN BY AUS
TRALIAN ABORIGINES.

The following is an account of the murder of the
supercargo and two seamen belonging to the schooner
Thomas Lord. The letter is written
Abyugt.hel67laBs t4e6r. of
the schooner "Sydney,
"Dear Sir,—lt is with much regret that I write you
the sad intelligence of the fatal termination of our
voyage. We sailed from Sydney on December 23,1845,
in the schooner Thomas Lord, myself in command of
the vessel, Mr. G. B. Bessant, supercargo. The schooner
was well equipped by her owner, Mr. Lewis Leon, mer-
chant, of George-street, for her intended voyage; we
were twenty-two hands in all; and, besides being pro-
visioned for twelve months, we were abundantly found
with tire-arms and ammunition for the protection of the
vessel and ourselves from the attacks of the savages,
with whom we were to trade for tortoise-shell and b6the-
le-naC.r. After leaving Sydney, I proceeded, under poor
Mr. Bessant's directions, on the inner passage towards
Torres Straits, and on the Bth of February,
while fishing for bi:che-le-m(er, on the coast of New
Holland, we had a narrow escape of our lives, being at-
tacked by the natives. Their spears fell short of the
boats. On the 22d of February, while fishing close to
a reef, a very heavy gale of wind set in, and we were
blown ashore with two anchors down; the vessel bilged,
and to our great sorrow we found we had only fifteen
gallons of water left, under a burning sun. Providence
however spared us, and we were enabled to find fresh
water on the main. After great exertions, we managed
to get the vessel off on the 29th. She leaked very much,
but we contrived to stop the leaks, and endeavoured to
get back to Sydney, but could not, owing to the strong
south-east wind we had to contend with. We therefore
steered to the northward, and finding a convenient spot
at Haggeston's Island, in Torres Straits, we hove the
schooner down to the shore and repaired her bottom.
She then made but little water, and we thought we might
be able to continue trading in the Straits, and perma-
nently repair in Singapore, to which place we were
bound. We then steered towards the coast of New
Guinea, visiting several parts of it and the adjacent
islands, and trading with the natives, with very little
success, for tortoise-shell. All went on well until June
3, when the schooner lying at anchor off Mulgrave Island,
on the western end of Torres Straits, at seven in the
morning, poor Bessant, the supercargo, with the car-
penter and four hands, left the vessel in the long-boat.
Each man was well armed, besides the boats carrying
the swivel guns mounted on the rail. They took provi-
sions and water with them, intending to stay away for
three days on a cruise up the river, to barter with the
natives. They first proceeded along the southern end of
the island, trading with the natives during the day. The
carpenter, who had been in New Caledonia before this,
did not like the appearance of the savages, who were
doing all they could to entice the boat's crew ashore by
many cunning devices which natives usually resort to.
About six in the evening, finding trade getting slack,
they left the island, and proceeded to a small dry sand-
bank, thinking they would be safe there. They made
a fire, and had supper, after which the carpenter pro-
posed going to the boat to sleep in it, but poor
Bessant said he should prefer sleeping on shore,
thinking there was not the slightest danger. The
party divided, the carpenter and two hands proceeding
to the b )at, which was anchored a few feet off the
shore. About nine o'clock the carpenter called from
the boat, " Who has the watch on shore?" Poor Bes-
sant replied, " The whole of us." These were the last
words he was heard to utter. Poor fellow, he little
thought his end was so near. About eleven o'clock the
carpenter was awakened by hearing a noise on shore.
He looked up, and to his horror beheld, by the light
of the moon, the wretched savages, who had come
across in their canoes, murdering poor Bessant and
one of the seamen. He instantly fired at them, when
they gave a loud yell and retreated to the scrub close
by. Through the resolute conduct of the carpenter
they succeeded in getting the remaining seaman into
the boat, but not before the poor fellow was dread-
fully wounded. He afterwards died on board of
his wounds. My poor messmate (the supercargo) must
have been quite dead when the carpenter and the
remainder of the boat's crew took possession of his body;
but they were compelled to give it up, as the natives, to
the number of at least 200, were again approaching from
the scrub, and canoes were observed coming with num-
bers more. They appeared to have been killed while
asleep, and lam certain made no resistance. Poor
Bessant had his pisiols in his belt and his carbine under
his head. He was a brave fellow and would not have
given in but with his life. At seven the following
morning the boat returned to the ship, and the carpen-
ter related the sad intelligence. You may judge my
feelings upon hearing the sad end of poor Bessant.
He was my only companion on board, and after
suffering many privations together, and escaping so
many dangers, I little thought this would be his
end. The two seamen were both young and promising
men. We remained at the island two more days, but
found there was no probability of recovering the bodies
of our dead comrades, or avenging their cold-blooded
murder. I then determined to return direct to Sidney,
where we arrived on the 6th of August, and found our
owner had left for England."

UNFOUNDED CHARGE OF MURDER.—On Tuesday
afterncon an inquest was held before Mr. William Baker,
at the George public-house, Mansell-street, Whitechapel,
on the body of Mary Fitzhenry, an infant, aged five
months. The parents of the child, Thomas and Caroline
Fitzhenry, were brought before Mr. Yardley at the
Thames Police Court, on Monday, on a charge of causing
the death of the child by unfair means, but after a long
investigation they were discharged, and the magistrate
directed a post mortem examination of the body, for the
purpose of ascertaining the precise cause of death. Mr.
John Liddle, a surgeon, stated that ho was called to see
the deceased on Sunday morning last. There was an
extensive burn on the left thigh. He bad 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,
and 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.
DESTITUTION AND DEATIL—Last evening Mr. Car-
ter, the coroner, held an inquest at the New Crown and
Cushion, Westminster-road, Lambeth, relative to the
death of George Drinkwater, aged two months the
illegitimate offspring of Catherine Drink water, residing
at No. 6, Carlile-square, Carlile-lane. The mother of
the deceased had been living with a man named George
Jessop, a deal porter, who had been out of employment
for some considerable period, which had reduced them to
a state of the greatest destitution. They occupy a small
room, and slept with their two children in one bed, made
in the corner of the apartment on the floor. They some-
times were without firing, and their covering at night
time consisted of a small blanket and rug. On Saturday
night at ten o'clock they all went to bed, but were very
cold, and were compelled to lie close to each other for
warmth and to make the blanket cover there. When
the father awoke he discovered the child quite black in
the face and cold. Mr. Peter Berrell, surgeon, of No.
53, Mount-street, examined the body, and found the face

and neat: perfectly congested with blood, the tongue was
protruding from the mouth, and from the appearance of
the deceased he felt quite satisfied that the child had died
from suffocation, most probably by the father or mother
having lain upon the face or neck. The jury ultimately
returned a verdict of "Accidentally suffocated."
The following outrage was committed, in the night
of the 22d instant, at Heyst-opden-Berg, in Belgium.
M. Verborgt occupied a small farm, with his wife, her
sister, and his son, eleven years old. About twelve
o'clock, while seated round the fire with a neighbour, on
the watch, on account of the disturbed state of the coun-
try, a noise in the yard was heard, which induced Ver-
borgt to go out to see whence it arose. He had scarcely
got behind the threshold, when a blow with a bludgeon
was levelled at his head. This, however, he escaped, by
springing immediately back, getting into the house, and
closing the door. It was then found that the premises
were surrounded by at least twenty men. The leader
came to one of the windows, and demanded 400 f.,
promising that if the money was given, the party would
immediately withdrew. Verborgt answered, that he
would not give them any thing, and told them that he
was fully prepared to receive them, if they attempted to
break in. Upon this, the leader made a sign, pronounc-
ing the words—one, two, three, and the next moment
the outer door was burst in, and six armed men, with
their faces blackened, entered the house. The family
fled up to the garret, and barricaded themselves in.
The invaders, however, made a hole through the ceiling
below, and one of them, carrying a lantern, came through
it, while his companions threatened to set fire to the
house if resistenee were made. The man who had got
up threw a blanket over the head of Mme. Verborgt's
sister, and carried her down to the room below, where
there was a large fire on the hearth, ou which they threat-
ened to roast her alive if she did not show them where
the farmer kept his money. With her eyes still ban-
daged, they took her to every corner she pointed out,
and thus were enabled to strip the house of every valu-
able it contained. The party then retired, wishing the
Verborgt family better luck another time. Through the
activity of the law-officers of the crown and the police of
Malines, two of the depredators have been arrested.
A FOLKSTONE MAGISTRATE'S NOTION OF LAW.—
A Folkston° magistrate, who did not live in the reign
of Elizabeth, had a prisoner, who had stolen a shovel,
brought before him for committal. The worthy holder
of the equally-adjusted scales, being conscious of, his
want of law knowledge, cried to the gaoler, " Sam,
hand me over Burn's Justice.' " the index of which
he commenced perusing, as following:—" Shovel, shovel,
shovel, humph! Spade, spade, spa—Ab, here's spade!
Let him go, Sam; can't do anything with him. If it
had been a spade, I should have committed you, sir;
but as it's a shovel, I can't, for Burn's does not say a word
about a shovel."