The Sun.
London, England, 1840-07-06 00:00:00

POLICE INTELLIGENCE.

MANSION-HOUSE:
Mary Ann Arnuld, a comely girl, who stated that she
was just fifteen years of age, came, accompanied by an-
other young woman, to the justice-room in order to re-

quest assistance a few weeks previously to her departure
for India, to which country she had obtained a passage
through the kindness of the owner of a ship in which
she had served as one of the crew for a considerable
time. As the vessel was nut to sail till next month,

and as her parents were both dead, and she had no re-
any one person must to a certain degree be restricted
dative who was able to relieve her necessities, and was and local, but by a communication of facts through
herself wholly unacquainted with feminine acts, she a widely circulating periodical, many interesting data,
fancied that the best thing she could do was to repre-
in respect to the operation of season, weather, and
sent her situation to the Lord Mayor of London, who climate, can be collected. In the vicinity of the metro-
was known in all the countries to which she had travelled, polls (and we include a circle of thirty miles around
to be the friend of the unprotected. it, on every side) the gardens have presented a picture of
Mr. nobler, in the absence of the Lord Mayor, who extraordinary beauty, since the copious and most
was engaged on the subject of the shrievalty at Guild- seasonable rains of May ; but there are two circurn-
hall, questioned the girl on the cause of ker choice of stances which must be remarked as in a degree pecu-
such a life, and the nature of the duties she performed, liar to the year. The green fly, in all its varieties
" Have I not," said he, " read something about your (aphis), has abounded to an extent most astonishing.
sailorship in the newspapers some time ago ?"—Mary The rose bushes and peach trees have been severely
assaulted, the buds of the former being, in many
Arnold : No doubt you have, Sir. The captain of the
instances, destroyed, and the young shoots of the latter
East Indiaman in which I was engaged, wrote home to
rendered objects of deformity, so much so as to make it
London to his owners from the Cape of Good Hope
that he had found a girl amongst his crew, and all the necessary to prune them back very severely. These in-
particulars that I mentioned to him, and I saw in the sects have resisted every remedial application. The
trees have lost their leaves, fruit, and a great part of newspaper at Calcutta an account of what I told him.
Mr. Hobler—Were you led by a childish freak into their spring wood.
so odd and dangerous a change of life ? Mary Arnold Never was the foliage of apple trees more clean and
—Not at all, Sir. It was nothing but want that drove healthy,therefore it was reasonable to hope that the abun-
dant promise of fruit would be secured and fully realised,
me to sea. I was born at Sheerness, and my father and
no frost having occurred. Yet, we observe, and others also mother being dead, and nobody caring for me, I thought
inform us, that the trait, when perfectly set, and grown to
I had no chance of escaping starvation except I took to
the sea, so I got into a jacket and trowsers and was the size of a greengage plum, falls of, in consequence of
taken on board a vessel, for I was a strong boy in ap-
a maggot eating to the core of the apple. Thus the
pearance, and I had got strength too, in truth, far be- crop will be partial. Yet, we agree with our friend at
yond my years. Hertford, who writes that " the garden is in great mea-
Mr. Hobler—And you were reconciled to the corn- sure realising the promise of spring, especially with re-
pany of sailors ? Mary Arnold--Yes. They never gird to the smaller hetried fruits. Apples will hardly
did me any harm. I was always at work, and never average a crop, grapes promise abundantly both in and
thought of harm or feared any. out doors ; the latter are now setting their fruit."
Mr. Hobler—And were you not afraid of detection ? To evince the general equality of this temperate sea-
Mary Arnold—Never suspected I should be found out son, we quote a passage from a correspondent at Edin-
all, and never would have said a word about my being burgh, who dates his letter June 22 :
a girl, if I had not been discovered. How that dis. " All garden produce is attaining a large size. We
covery took place I don't at all know ; but I have been have peas, carrots, turnips, strawberries, and cherries
told that it was when we were crossing the line, for already in the market."
there I was obliged to undergo the operation of what is In some places rain is wanted, and if it do not come
called " shaving," as I had never been there before ; but soon, our peas will quickly fail. The berried fruits are
how they suspected me I don't know at all—l never ripening so fast that the change becomes manifest every
leatned ; but the captain called me aside and put the day. Strawberries, raspberries, and gooseberries, are,
question to me, and I told him the truth, for there was or have been, superabundant ; the first extremely fine
no use in denying it once I was suspected ;so his clerk and of high flavour.
took down all I said in answer to his questions, and he The weather now, at the close of June, is generally
then got me a woman's dress, and placed me amongst warm, not hot, 72 eg. to 74 deg. per day ; 56 deg. to
the feraale passengers. 60 deg. in the night, by the self-registering thermometer.
Mr. Hobler—Yon were exposed to no annoyance In the kitcken garden it ought to be a prime object
or impertinence ? Mary Ann Arnold—Not the least. to destroy every weed, prior to the visitation of the usual
Captain Scott, of the Robert Small East Indisman, is July rains ; for, while the ground is dry, the spud-hoe
a gentleman ; he told me, when he was paying me my will speedily and easily destroy those which exist.
last month's wages, that I was his best man, and that Sowing.—One more crop of kidney beans can yet be
he was very sorry to part with me. undertaken, but not after the first week. This veget-
Mr. Hobler—He meant that you were willing to able has risen very indifferently heretofore. Young
work, and handy ? Mary Ann Arnold—Oh ! I was t potatoes come on very well :as the ground is cleared,
able to do the hardest work in the ship ; lam sure I it ought to be manured for the reception of Inocoli
was as strong as any other man in the ship ; there was plants for next spring, because all plants of the cabbage
no labour I was not able to perform ; I could, and often femily prosper after potatoes, and so on alternately.
did, furl the main fore and mizen by myself, and never Trenches for celery must be made, and planted
had any fear of any kind. I was as good a man as any with strong plants from the nursery bed. It is
on board, good practice to remove twice ; first, from a seed bed,
Mr. nobler—That description of yourself is quite at , or box, to a small open department, and thence to the
variance with your years. How long were you at sea ? 1 trenches. Winter spinach, endive, lettuce, and salad-
Mary Ann Arnold—lt is about three years and a half I ing, can be sown twice, or as wanted.
since I left Sheerness ; and I assure you, Sir, that, 1 The wall-fruit trees should be neatly regulated and
young as I was, I was able to do all I tell you. I have nailed in during the month, and all the dwarf, espalier,
great strength now, though I have been very ill with a and wall apple and pear trees, spur-pruned (close home)
scarlet fever. ,as soan es possible. Vines will require frequent regula-
Mr. nobler—You could do the duties of a seaman I tion to admit air and sun.
now ? Mary Ann Arnold—Certainly I could. I know ) Greenhouse plants, not set out, especially the Indian
everything about a ship, and could get into the shrouds azalias and camellias, should stand in a cool house or
in an instant. If I had not been discovered, perhaps I pit, with a north aspect.