The Sun.
London, England, 1833-10-04 00:00:00

ADVENTUROUS VOYAGE.

It will be recollected that about a year ago we
noticed the singularity of an emigration which had
taken place from the Island of Coll, in the Hebrides,
to Van Diemen's Land—a Mr. M'Lean having
purchased a smart little vessel for his own use, and
transported in it himself and his whole family to
that distant part of the world, with only a captain
and one or two nautical hands to sail the vessel.
Only a few weeks have elapsed since news reached
this country of Mr. M'Lean having safely reached
his destination; and on Monday last we had the
pleasure of seeing the Captain engaged by Mr.
NPLean pop in upon us. The little vessel which
he navigated out was named the John Dennison, and
was, we believe, one of the smallest in which so
vast a voyage was ever performed, add to which,
that the captain, Mr. M'Kay, who is well known in
the Clyde, though he had previously been on some
parts of the coast of Brazil, was conversant chiefly
with the navigation of the Baltic and Mediterra-
neat', and therefore was not less adventurous in de-
pending purely upon his scientific knowledge to
conduct him aright, than was Mr. M'Lean in trust-
ing himself, his whole family and effects, to so
unusually .small a bark. They made up a full cargo
by shipping front this country to the Cape of Good
Hope coals, which they there exchanged for wines,
to be delivered on consignment in Van Diemen's
Land. When arrived at the latter colony, Mr.
M'Lean speedily found a purchaser for his vessel;
and the Captain, Mr. M'Kay, after remaining about
three months there, and visiting various parts
of the colony, returned home a passenger in the
Lavinia, of Liverpool. He reports that Mr. M'Lean
had pitched on a fine spot for a settlement, a consi-
derable way into the interior from Hobart Town,
and had every prospect of doing remarkably well;
and he tells some strange stories of discovering there,
and in Sydney, various old acquaintances whom he
had seen at the bar of justice in this country, nom
riding fine horses, possessing fine houses and esta-
blishments, and ranking as high in the society that
surrounded them as if they never had had a blot in
their scutcheon. We have a luded thus specially to
M'Lean, his little vessel, and the Captain, because
there was an adventurous originality about the idea
of one solitary family launching out in her from
their native home, to traverse more than one half
of the dreary waste of waters that encircles the
globe, and also because the romance thus thrown
around the adventure excited an interest at the time
which cannot yet have so far subsided as to render
any account of the fortune of the adventurers a
matter of indifference.—Glasgow Free Press.

A MODERN HEROINE'S ESCAPE.-At
dawn of day the Duchess awoke. The instant there
was light enough the guile discovered his mistake. He
had wandered two leagues from the path he ought to have
followed, and to regain which they would have to cross,
for the space of a league, a tract of open country where
they would run the danger of being recognised and token.
The Duchess perceiving a country seat at a little distance,
asked to whom it belonged. "To a furious Republican,"
the guide answered; `'and what is more, he is a Maire of
the commune." " Very well," replied the Princess,
" conduct me thither." Her companions looked at her
with astonishment. " Gentlemen," she said, i❑ a tone of
voice she always assumes when her determination is irre-
vocable, turning towards them and without giving them
time to speak, " the moment is come when we must part.
There is less danger for us separately than if we remain
together. Monsieur de Bourmont, you shall receive nay
orders at Nantes ! proceed thither and wait for me. Mon-
sieur de Menars, do you reach Montpellier ; there I will let
you know where I am. Adieu, gentlemen ; I wish you a
safe journey, and may God be with you." Oil saying this she
gave them her hand to kiss, and took leave of them. They
both withdrew, well knowing that remonstrance was of no
avail. On finding herself alone, the Duchess repeated her
order to the guide to conduct her to the house of the Maire.
In a quarter of an hour they were in the Maire's drawing
room ; and notice of their arrival having been given to
the master of the house, he made his appearance in about
ten minutes, and the Duchess advanced to meet him.
" Sir," said she, " you are a Republican, I know ; but
no political opinions can apply to a proscribed fugitive. I
am the Duchess of Berry, and I come to ask you for an
asylum." " My house is at your service, Madam." " Your
situation enables you to provide me with a passport, and
I have depended on your getting one for me." " I will
procure you one." " I must to-morrow proceed to the
neighbourhood of Montpellier; will you afford me the
means of doing so ?" " I will myself conduct you thither."
" Now, Sir," continued tl.e Duchess, holding out her
hand to him, " order a bed to be got ready for me, and
you will see that the Duchess of Berry can sleep soundly
under the roof of a Republican."— The Duchess of Berry
in La Vendee.

The Vintners' Company have given instruc-
tions for their 61. pensioners to be increased to 101. each
pension.
CUSTOM-HOUSE INFORMATIONS.--Yes-
terday the Commissioners of his Majesty's Customs, on
the petitions of the parties, liberated Captain Shield, the
master of the Margaret, lying in the Loudon Dock, who
was convicted in the penalty of 1001. by Mr. Ballantine
and Mr. Hoskins, at the Thames Police-office, on Wed-
nesday, for smuggling half a gallon of brandy, which was
found in a bladder in his bat as he was coming out of the
dock, on his paying a fine of 51.; and they also signed an
order for the discharge of Ralph Dawson, a seaman of the
John and Amelia, who was ordered by the same Magis-
trates to serve his Majesty five years in the navy for
attempting to smuggle ashore three quarts of Hollands
and a pound of tobacco, on his paying a penalty of 40s.
GAS LIGIITING.--On Wednesday morning
a petition, numerously signed, was presented by a deputa-
tion from the inhabitants of the ward of Bishopsgate, to
the Commissioners of Servers at the Guildhall, against the
existing gas monopoly in the city of London. The peti-
tion stated that a reduction having taken place in the price
of gas in the western part of the city, the palpable injus-
tice of the chartered Gas Company in keeping up the pre-
sent charges in their district was not to be tolerated, and
the petiti9ners requested the Commissioners of Sewers to
withdraw their exclusive protection from the chartered
cornp lily, and encourage the establishment of a City Gas
Company, in-order to get rid of a monopoly which pressed
so heavily upon the pockets of the citizens, and at a time
when there was a general reduction of charges in the ar-
ticle. Mr. Daw (the Chairman of the Commissioners of
Servers) stated that a request should be sent to the Direc-
tors of the chartered Company to attend before the Corn-1
missioners, and asked the deputation whether, if that
Company agreed to reduce the charges for gas to those
made by the City Gas Company, the inhabitants world
be satisfied. Toe deputation replied that they would be
3ati-fled in the present instance, but their acquiescence is
such a proposition must not be considered as binding upon
them as to future operations. They urged the utility of
the establishment of a City Company by the traders them-
selves, who felt severely the overwhelming charges at
present made, and they expressed a firm hope that unless
the charges were lowered according to the suggestion just
made, the Commissioners would testify their sentiments
on the oppressive system at present acted upon by a total
withdrawal of their protection. The Chairman—" Cer-
tainly the Court will protect their fellow-citizens." The
deputation then withdrew. It is understood that the
Commissioners of Sewers will meet again on Friday next,
to determine the question with the Chartered Gas Com-
pany.
An accident, very similar to the melancholy
one at King's College, has just occurred in France. The
inhabitants of Cosne, a provincial town on the borders of
the department de la Nieve, were recently thrown into a
state of great distress by the occurrence of a deplorable
accident in that place. Fronting the town, a suspension
bridge had just been erected, for the purpose of maintain-
di n peg
la Nieve
r ma
aline
dn t communication be e
te,nr
dtghee, department
separated into two divisions of unequal length, and resting
on an island, was completed in two days, and then put to
the proof. A considerable weight was laid on the first
part of the bridge, which it bore for three hours, without
giving any appearance of weakness. The suspension
chains were manufactured from iron ore obtained near the
spot. The second portion of the bridge, the chains of
which came from Paris, and the strength of which was
tried several times, and received its complement of weight,
but in a little time, all of a sudden, one of the wings of
the supporting chains snapped, and the part of the bridge
wasw e were
kperne c iopui -t
twahteidchinittosuthsteainrievderg.ivingOnweay4sitxhespeermsoenns
dead; four others were severely wounded. The engineer,
M. de Verges, one of those who had fallen into the water,
received a violent shock on his head. Every hope, how-
ever, is entertained that the whole of the party, with the
exception of one, will survive an accident which no hu-
man foresight could have prevented.