The Sun.
London, England, 1846-07-03 00:00:00

A CHAPTER OF ACCIDENTS.

A journeyman baker, of Birkenhead, named Thomas
Hallwick, anticipating a complete revolution in his trade
by the operation of free traffic in the bread stuffs of
America, determined to be beforehand with the age, and
go out to New York to be instructed in the Yankee
method of making maize and chopped straw palateable.
Two heads being, in Thomas's opinion, better than one
in all deeds of " high emprise," he proposed to a comely-
looking servant girl, of Liverpool, to link her lot with
his, and try the chances of the world of freedom for
whites and slavery for niggers beyond the Atlantic.
The fair damsel blushed consent, and straightway left
the kind mistress with whom she had been long a tried
and trusty, though humble friend and servant, to better
her condition. She went to reside for three weeks with
an aunt in Birkenhead, to fulfil the requirements of the
law ; and having been duly asked, under the provisions
of the Dissenters' Marrisge Bill, his reverence was
waited upon, and the "happy day" fixed. Yester-
day morning the parties were all assembled at the Roman
Catholic meeting house in Birkenhead, the ring was
ready, and a car was waiting at the door to convey them,
after the ceremony, to the beach, whence they were to
embark, at one o'clock, in " a liner," then lying in the
river, for " the land of promise."
_

An awkward delay now occurred, in consequence of
the non-appearance of the superintendant registrar, or
his deputy, to legalise their proceedings ; and the
patience of " his Reverence" being exhausted, the aunt
of the bride was dispatched in search of the truant
official, and she speedily returned with the heart-rending
intelligence that he was at Knutsford Sessions, on town•
ship affairs which would not brook his absence. Hay-
ing somewhat recovered from the stunning effects of
this piece of news, the bride and her aunt went to the
office of the official to try whether this difficulty could
not be surmounted : and after due inquiry, it was dis-
covered that another registrar, who was then in Liver-
pool, could give legal force to the contract, and for him
there was forthwith such " running and searching," as
had never been seen since the lovely bride of Nether-
by was abducted by Young Lochinvar. At length
he was found, and, on reaching the meeting-house,
a new difficulty had arisen : one certificate
had been issued by the absent deputy, and a ',second
could not be made until that had expired. Another
delay now took place, until at length an unobtrusive
letter, lying at the police•office, was found to contain the
missive, which had been sent per post from Knutsford.
Twelve o'clock was now fast approaching, beyond which
mystic hour no hymeneal torch could be lighted, and,
with desperate haste, " his Reverence " coupled the
swain and damsel as they thought " until death did
them part ;" but, unfortunately, when the necessary
documents were to be signed, it was found that the two
parties had each resided in different parishes, and only
one certificate was forthcoming. The marriage was,
therefore, null and void. The feelings of the no longer
" happy pair," at having the cup of bliss dashed from
their lips, " may be imagined, but cannot be described ;"
and we have not heard whether the baker prevailed
upon his half-wedded spouse to share his fortunes, and
trust to a more fortunate " chapter of accidents," really
to make the twain one flesh, when they arrive in Ame-
rica.—Liverpool Courier.

SCIENTIFIC MISSION OF COUNT CASTELNAU TO SOUTH
AMERICA.—The Count de Castelnau, who was sent on a
scientific mission by the French Government to South
America, has just sent in the following report to the Minister
of Public Instruction :—" Lima, Jan. 26, 1846. Monsieur le
Ministre,—After travelling two years and a half in the in-
terior of the continent, we have reached Lima by Arequipa.
The distance we have travelled over, including our excur-
sions, is above 2,500 leagues. I already have had the honour
of informing your Excellency of our arrival at Chuquisaca;
from that town we proceeded to Potosi, famed for its silver
mines, once so rich, now so poor. For five-and-twenty
leagues from that place our road lay through most difficult
passes of the highest summits of the Andes; the
gigantic condor is the only inhabitant of these barren
regions where vegetation is extinct. The road then
improves, and, once on the great Bolivian table-land, remains
flat till you reach La Paz, though still in a barren region,
where the rarefaction of the air, owing to the great elevation, '
causes the painful sensation know under the name of
sarrache. These vast tracts of table-land abound in large
herds of llamas and merinos—the latter are wild. Passing
by Oruro, we reached La Paz, where the ambulant govern-
ment of Bolivia was established. The anniversary of the
battle of Ingari was being celebrated. On reaching the
shores of Lake Titicaca, we perceived the celebrated ruins of
the ancient palace of the Incas of Tiaguanaco. One of the
gateways is an admirable piece of workmanship, and wo
took different drawings of it. We entered Peru by the
Bridge of Desaguadero. Having reached Puno amidst vio-
lent and incessant storms of snow and hail, I deemed it
advisable to relinquish for the moment our Intended route to
Cuzco, and to proceed along the coast to Lima, with the
intention of returning to Cuzco after the rainy season. I
therefore struck in the direction of Arequipa, and thence to
Lima. When we have taken the rest we are so much in
need
we will turn our steps towards Cuzco, whence we
will
of, we
to join the Amazon river, by embarking on
e n o
the Apurimac. This will take us across the whole length of
the Pampa del Sacramento, and presents many dangers to
be overcome. I take the liberty of sending,- you a list of the
different objects forwarded for the Museum of Natural His-
tory."—F. DE CASTELNAU,
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Ross and Sons, 119, and 120, Bishopsgate-street.
SHOCKING TRAGEDY.—One of those dreadful occur-
rences, at the very mention of which the blood runs cold,
arising from the use of intoxicating liquor, has taken place in
Dublin. The unfortunate victim to the fury of a man mad
with drink, named Jane Boland, resided in Loftuslane, near
Capel-street. It appeared that she, was confined on Tuesday
morning last of a dead child; and a witness swore OA sife
confessed her lit;shaud, when in a state of intoxication on
Snr.day, came into the room where she was lying; that he
struck her with a stick several times across the belly, and
pointed to a stick that was used for drying clothes out of the
window; che added that immediately after she was struck
she was seized with severe vomiting and acute pain in the
belly; that she had felt the movements of the child imme-
diately before that, but never felt it afterwards. The coro-
ner's jury returned the following verdict :—" We find that
Jane Boland's death was caused by extensive peritonitis, pro-
duced by blows inflicted on her by her husband; William
Boland, while in a state of intoxication."