The Sun.
London, England, 1823-12-19 00:00:00

ECLIPSES IN JANUARY NEXT.

THE SUN.—This great and glorious Luminary
will be eclipsed on the first day of the New Year; but the
eclipse will be invisible in this country, as the conjunction
takes place at seven minutes past eight in the morning, when
the Sun begins to rise. The same Luminary will be again
eclipsed on the night of the 26th of January; hut the eclipse
will of course be invisible here; it takes place at 39 minutes
past eleven.

- THE 14100x.—There will bo an eclipse of the 11loon on the
l6th of January, beginning at 113 minutes and 16 seconds after
seven, which will be partially visible here.

Futx.—This morning, about six o'clock, a fire
broke out at Mr. LEGGATT'S, No. 6, Adelphi
Terrace, which has entirely destroyed the inle-
dor of that house, and has injured those adjoin-
ing. The firemen were at work late this day.--
Fortunately no lives were lost, and it was hoped
that all danger would soon be removed.

in the late trial for murder at Paris, M. Du-
bois, an eminent physician, was called upon to
say, whether he observed 111 the prisoner Leconfe
any appearance of mental alienation. In vain
the physician protested that he saw no mark of
derangement ; the counsel for the prisoner,
with the consent of tile President, insisted
upon the head of his client being examines'.
The doctor felt the murderer's head, which
was, perhaps, destitute of Spumbeim's pro-
tuberance—or if it be that M. I.)t.Triols is no be-
liever in craniological theories—but aftergroping
all over and round about it, he solemnly declared
that he could discover nothing remarkable in the
prisoner's brain case. The following is part of the
dialogue which succeeded to this examination :
The President..." What is the result of your examination ?"
Dubois.__" The cranium of the accused presents no de.
fertility, and indicates no kind of alienation."
Prisoner's Counsel.—" Can you Ray that the accused never
has experienced mental alienation ?'
M. Dubois...." it is possible he may have when young
fore the bones of the head joined; but at present there is no
kind of deformity."

lIERCANVILIg SUIPPING,

PORTSMOUTH, Dm; 'l.l3,Wind S.W.—We
experienced a moat tremendous gale last night from S,S.E.,
which commenced about five (Meek and continued With.-
unabated fury until ten o'clock, when It suddenly, veered round
to the westward and became more moderate; during the gale;
the. liden, from -London to Leghorn, drove from her attelibrs;.
and was obliged to cut away her • mainmast before she
told
bring up: she is come into harbour to repair. His Majesty's
ship Queen Charlotte drove from hermoorings in the barbouri '
and got foul of the Brothers, Wilson, carried away her
sprit, top-masts, stove in her sides and decks, anti 4idot,bar
damage; the whole of the outward-bound, except the above,„
rode out the gale at the Motherbank all well.-1 he EliXa, Jersey, laden with iron, from Bristol to this Port, drove Jtorrt
her anchors, and sunk on Hamilton Bask at the entrance- of,
the harbour ;—craw saved.
DEAL, DEC. 18.--Wind W., moderate weather.—Gast
night it blew a violent gale from S.S.W. : the vessels in the
Downs drove, but we do not hear that any of their: have met
with an accident.— Put back this morning and remain,. 'the
George Hibberts, Drysdale; Fortitude Butcher; Cambridge,
Barber; Palarnbam, Simpson ; and Clifton, Smith. • - FALMOUTH, DEC. 17.—Wind S.S.W.—Arrived from Lon-
don the John, Ward, for Trieste; and Glory, Scott, for Genea.
I Arrived his Majesty's brig Partridge, with a mail from Lisbon
in 12 days.
LxvrapooL, DEC. I7.—Mrind S.W.—Arrived the Royalist,
Aslibridge, from Mirarnichi ; Concord, Ashford, from New-
foundland ; and William,- Noyes, from New York—lte. latter -
after being on shaman the Hoyle Bunk.

The Harmony, nom*ley, lost three anchors anti eables,on
Wednesday night in Yarmouth Roads, and afterwards sunk on
the beach.

• a
REMARKABLE NAUTICAL. ACCIDENT.
Extract of a letter from a gentleman, passenger on, hoard. the
' 'schooner Mexican, Captain Dawson, to hit t 'friend in Phila-
delphia, dated at Key West, Oct. 8•:—K You will, to doubt,
be surprised and much concerned on noticing from whence this
cornea. We arrived here in distress two evenings ago from
one of the northern keys, where we anchored after the fol-
lowing accident :-e-On the 4th instant, at about half-past tan
o'clock, we were visited by a most tremendous thunder-storm.
The lightning struck our fbre-top gallant-, and ered
it into a thousand pieces, split
the fore-tomast p Fallant-sailshiv into
two parcels; descended our foremast, which it very much in_
jureil, until within six feet of the deck.: it there descended the
schooner's hold, and passed out just under our starboard fore-
channels, tearing the copper with it as though a 121 h. Shot had
passed through hr. Every one on board, except Capt. Dawson
and the man tattle helm, were afiected by electricity. I
was in the
cabin when the accident happened, and was so severely shocked,
that when I recovered I thought I should loSe the use of my
hands and arms. I was knoclted down, as wcll as the steward,
who did not recover until near night. Shortly after this unfortu-
nate occurrence, We were alarmed by the appalling cry,4 lire,
we diszovered to issue front between decks, and the: quatTtltv or
smoke that gushed out of the forecastle prevented the possibility
of going down to relieve us in our perilous situation • indeed,
as it was, we had nearly lost two
men who descended,' for on
hauling them on deck they both fell as if dead. You may ima-
gine the distress that now prevailed on board : the boat was evert
too small to hold all of us, and out of sight of land. I told Cot.
Dawson our only chance of safety was to smother the fire
if possible, which we attempted by fastening the cabin door
and fore-seuttle ; this done, we made all sail our shattered condi-
tion would admit of for the nearest hand, and in three hours and
a half anchored in two fathoms water, to our great joy. We
got our chilies and some water and biamit on shore, and then
broke up the deck where the fire was, and after a most perse-
vering active exertion we succeeded in putting out the lira,
which had destroyed or injuteal nearly 100 begs, bales, and.
packages. Judge what a situation we were in, when the deck
was too hot to hear your hand on, and we in the momentary
expectation of being overwhelmed with a column of smoke and.
fire; in one hour more the schooner would have burnt up in_
spite of every exertion. Thanks be to tied for our miraculoos •
escape—it was most providential. We can get nothing here
but e carpenter to repair our deck, and contemplate leaving
this miserable unhealthy place to-morrow, for Alvarado."