The Sun.
London, England, 1841-01-12 00:00:00

A. VESSEL DESTROYED-A -MAN

BURNT.

(From the Guernsey Comet.)
On Monday last, at about twelve o'clock P.M., the
fine schooner, the Veritas, of 179 tons burthen, (o m.),
Captain R. Peak, arrived here, in ballast, from London,
(which place she left on Christmas-day), and ran into
St. S)mpson's harbour. As the Captain resides in
town, he left the vessel in charge of the mate, Mr. P.
Gaudain, of Jersey, with orders to see the Veritas pro-
perly moored, as soo❑ as the tide admitted of its being
done. It appears that he and one of the crew who
slept in the forecastle, were the only persons who re-
mained on board on Monday night. The mate, we
understand, was left by the pilot at about 9 o'clock.
At a f w minutes before three o'clock on Tuesday
morning, the mate of the English schooner Eliza, who
was casting loose the chain before which she was moored,
perceived that the Veritas was on fire. He instantly
alarmed the crews of the other vessels in the harbour
(amounting to 16 in number), in order to get all the
assistance in his power, with the view to save the vessel
from that destruction with which she was threatened.
Providentially the wind, which was blowing from the
south-east, and across the harbour, in the direc-
tion of the shipping, was very mo;lerate ; hut, es it
might increase, and thereby place the other vessels
in imminent danger should the Veritas' sails and rigging
take fire, Captain Swain ordered the mainmast to hr j
cut away, as the flames had already communicated to
the mainsail, which was furled in the usual man-
ner ; when the mainmast went by the board, it
carried away with it the foremast also, snapping
it about fifteen feet above the deck ; and the
whole fell into the harbour. The vessel was scuttled
forward on the larboard bow, and by that means she
partly filled when the water surrounded her. A good
supply of water was then obtained ; and by persevering
exertions, the fire was got under at about seven o'clock
in the morning. The first person who descended into
the cabin was Captain Peak, who there beheld a hor-
rible spectacle—his late mate burnt in a manner too
shocking to describe! What remained of his Imam
frame was found in an inclined posture, with his face
toward the cabin floor ; and from this fact, it is conjec-
tured that be tnust have been sitting upon the after-
Incker, with his head resting upon the table, and in that
posture have fallen asleep. It is supposed also that
a candle was upon the table, and that on the vessel
taking the ground,when the water receded from her, she
I sted to the starboard, which caused the candle to fall
on the cabin fl ior, among some of the Captain's clothes
which he had put cff on his coming on shore, and ig-
nited them. Ai poor Gaudain had only slept five
hours since Christmas-day, (when he left London),
it is probable that he was in a profound sleep when
all this occurred, and prob ably he was suffocated be-
fore he could recover his self-consciousness, and thus
fell a prey to one of the most horrible deaths of which
human nature can conceive,—leaving a wife and three
orphan children to bewail his distressing and heart-
rending fate. Gaudain, we understand, was about
thirty-three years of age ; and it is with pleasure we
record Captain Peak's testimony respecting his sobriety
and industrious habits.

LONGEVITY OF PEACOCKS.—Dr. 011ivant, of
Lampetcr College, on opening the front door of the Ha-
ford Arms Hotel, Devil's Bridge, early on the morning of
the 30th ult., discovered a fine peacock lying on the flag
stone quite dead. It was in full plumage, and one of three
which wore presented to Mr. Morrison's children, by his
Grace the Duke of Newcastle. These beautiful birds had
had the range of the Haford domain upwards of thirty
years.—Carmarthen Journal.
CHRISTMAS-DAY IN ROME.—A letter from
Rome of the 26th ult., in the Augsburgh Gazette, says:—
" To-day being Christmas-day, the Pope offic,ated ponti-
fically at St. Peter's. In the reserved seas were the
Queen Dowager of Sardinia, Queen Maria Christina, the
Duchess of Cambridge and her daughter, the Princess
Augusta, Don Miguel of Portugal, and the Hereditary
Grand Duke of Mecklenburg Streliz. The Queen of
Spain arrived yesterday evening "
We understand that the Mediterranean mail
steamers, the Liverpool sad the Oriental will, in future,
start from and return to Southampton. In consequence of
this arrangement, the Oriental only will, after landing her
mails, come to this port.—Liverpool Albion.
The late Lord Holland left the Wiltshire
estate to his son, Colonel Fox, who married Lady Mary,
one of the daughters of the late King.
NARROW ESCAPE OF LORD CHARLES HER-
VEY.—The Hon. and Rev. Lord Charles Hervey and his
lady a few days since were endeavouring to cross the river
near the Rectory, Great Chesterford, for the purpose of
inspecting the cutting down of some trees on the opposite
side, when his Lordship perceiving the boat was taking
water at one end, endeavoured to remove Lady Harvey
from it, and whilst doing so the boat capsized, and both of
them were immersed in the water ; providentially the foot-
man, a short d;vanee off, perceived their perilous situa-
ilod With prompt assistance succeeded rescuing
fraila a watery grave.

DEATH OF MAJOR SIRR.—Mr. Sirr, better
known as Major Sirr, for many years a Magistrate of the
head police-office, Dublin, died last Thursday night, at
the age of 82. Mr. Sirr had been Town-major of Dub-
lin during the Rebellion of 1798, and took a prominent
part in the arrest of Lord Edward Fitzgerald, haying fired
the shot of which his Lordship died in Nowgate, a few
days subsequently to his capture. Major Sirr had the
superintendence of the " informers" who figured during
the rebellion, of whom the notorious " Jemmy O'Brien,"
afterwards executed for murder, was the most conspicuous.
THE IRON TRADE.—This important trade has
been in a most depressed state during the greatest portion
of the past year, which depression continued to its very
close. The new year has, however, opened with a sud-
den and decided improvement. The demand is brisk, and
large sales have been already made at an advance of ss. to
los. per ton; the present quotations of Welsh bars on
shipment being 71. 10s. per ton.—Silurian.

REPEAL—SIR W. HO MAN. -- Sir William
Jackson Homan, Bar:., of the county of Waterford, uncle
to Lord Stuart de Decies, has pub:ished a letter, in reply
to one from Mr. O'Connell, which enclosed the requisi.
tion for the Monster Repeal Meeting, and requested the
signature of Sir William thereto. Whilst expressing
" admiration for the extraordinary talents and ability" of
Mr. O'Connell, Sir William declares his determination
not to join in the agitation for Repeal, and he states his
reasons at considerable length, thus concluding:—" I
should myself be a zealous Repealer at any sacrifice; but
convinced as I am that repeal and separation are one and
the same thing, which cannot be accomplished without
ruin, I do not say to one or other, but, without distinction,
to both countries, I cannot (though free to confess that
Irish affairs have been too often negligently or ignorantly
conducted) bring my miad to concur in the views of the
requisition, so far as it relates to a repeal of the Legisla-
tive Union."

TILE WEA THEit.—On Saturday morning at
five o'clock, the thermometer at the ZnlC,gical-gardens in
the Regent's-park stood at zero, being the coldest period
of the season. A thermometer in St. John's-wood regis-
tered 1 deg. below that point between Friday evening
and S ourday morning. During Friday night the tem-
perature of the giraffe house averaged from 47 deg. to 51
deg., the elephant house 35 deg. to 37 deg., the repository
42 deg. to 47 deg., the monkey house 49 deg. to 50 deg.,
and the temporary repository 54 deg. to 55 deg. At
Hackney, the thermometer at seven o'clock vvas 7 deg.,
whilst at 110(0 the temperature had risen to 26 deg. There
was a slight thaw in the evening, the wiud having veered
to the south, but at one o'clock on Sunday morning there
;vv., a very heavy fall of snow, which terminated about
four o'clock, it having accumulated in many places from
six inches to a foot in depth. On Sunday morning, at
seven o'clock, the thermometer was 30 deg., and at noon
it stood at 34 deg. There was in the afternoon a rapid
thaw, which rendered traffic through the principal streets
very inconveni, nt to passengers. The atmosphere was
highly hygrometric; and the barometer sank considerably.
Tlie Noah. mails from.Cheltenharn to Birming-
ham are to hfre put.upon the railway on the :Ali of „next
month, on and afir whioh date the up mails will leave
Gloucester at seven and nine p.m., and the down return
mails start from Birmingham at three and five a.m.,
daily. fly this afrangtmtant Cheltenham ought to gain
an hoar in the making up of the bags of the first north
mail, which will be a great convenience to many persons
rthn are in the habit of corresponding with Birmingham,
and 0010 places further north, which arc dependent for
the transmission of their letters upon the arrangements of
the post-office of that town.—Clielienhant Looker on.
THE PROVISION MARKETS.—It is q gratifying
Net that the prices of some of the commodities of life amongst
the puo fasrd tint adianfied proportionably to the inclemency
of the season. Of potatoes, in Wilds a floe was anticipated,
there is now in the river a supply calculated for two
months, tiptiatds of one hundred vessels having arrived
dnring the week from the different ports of Devonshire,
Verkshire, and many parts of Scotland. It is remarkable
that, amongst the supply, there has been but one vessel from
Jersey, from which island potatoes of good quality have
torltictlybeen introduced in large quantities. The supPlY
of Kentish hluei is ais7 restricted. The general average
of white potatoes during the week stas and ot
_can
frcm 803, to 903. per ton. The meat markets_ 7.
reach
of supplied, list at such a price as to put it oriao,iksh
toe
oar
of the poor. Coale, too, e risen, and, '
Corn-laws, bread continues still at
Abut, without much
tiaggetation, may be called a famine prie
e.
The experienced brokers,f
in the country is not
Finder' ott, say that the *took 0.
teal is
and who are to be de.
much under 50,090,0001 k, 'e equal to about a year.
and hence it seems pretty clear,
and a half's consumption;
who ought to have been otter in-
formed, tea speetliation,
es circumistart.ce partly overlooked by the great leaders of
bstoppage of the
the importations of kept up at
trade,
a rate not much inferior to that of a period of amicable
that, notwithatantltthl,,,,,etahretiacplepahraein,et
relations with the Chinese.
THE LATE MURDER OF 'AIR. WESTWOOD,
is PRINCES.STRUET.-A paragraph has during the past
week gone the round of tho daily papers, stating that at
length a clue has been obtained to the discovery of the
murderer of the late unfortunate Mr. Richard Westwood,
the watchmaker in Princes-street, Soho, in the person of
a man who had recently beets convicted of felony at Hull,
in whose possession some of the stolen watches had been
found. The paragraphs also went on to state that the indi-
vidual in question was also suspected of having been the
murderer of Eliza Gri.inwood, in the Waterloo-road.
From the inquiries we ha vs made on the subject wo have
reason to beheve there is tto truth in either of these awe-
. meats.—Obbarver.