The Sun.
London, England, 1834-07-30 00:00:00

THE NIAGARA WHIRLPOOL.

This whirlpool, which is several miles below the fall, is one
of those scenes which is too grand for description. Instances
of accidents there, can best convey an idea of the horrors of that
dreadful abyss. The whirlpool is a large deep basin, and in
which the mighty waters of St. Lawrence revolve in one per-
petual whirl, caused by their being obstructed by an angle of
the deep and dreary banks which overhang this dreadful place.
The whirlpool, like the falls, has frequently caused the loss
of human life—one instance of which I will here relate :
" Mr. Wallace, the blacksmith, had a son, a fine youth, of
whom he was exceedingly proud; and the lad one day went
down to the whirlpool--and the current proving too strong
for him, be was carried into the whirl. His poor distracted
mother sat on the gloomy banks hours and days, and beheld
the body of her own darling child carried round in a circle by
the waters, sometimes disappearing for a time, and then
coming up and revolving on the surface of his watery grave,
and thus continuing for several days—no human aid being
available even to obtain his remains. An acquaintance, who
resides at the whirlpool, informed me, that in the course of five
or six days, bodies which get into this dismal cauldron are
carried down the river. It is usual for persons rafting timber
from places between the falls and the whirlpool, to get off the
raft before they come to the basin, first placing the raft in such
a position as may best enable it to float down the stream with-
out being carried into the whirl. On one occasion, however,
one of the raftsmen refused to leave the raft ; he was not
afraid—all would go safe—entreaty was unavailing, and the
raft, with the unfortunate headstrong man upon it, made its
way downwards, and was soon drawn within the fatal circle,
around which for three days and three nights, it continued to
revolve ; all the efforts of a thousand anxious spectators proved
unavailing. The continual and sickening motion he under..
went robbed the poor sufferer of all power to eat—sleep he
could not ; a dreadful death was before his eyes, so much the
more terrible that it was protracted night after night in such a
place. At last a man was found, who ventured into the whirl,
as far as he could with hopes of life—a strong rope being tied
round his middle, one end of which was on shore. He carried
with him a line to throw to the raft—succeeded ; the agonised
sufferer fastened it to the raft; and in this way he was drawn
on shore, and his life preserved."—Men and Manners in
America.

AGRICULTURAL RELIEF.—It is impossible that
the Chancellor of the Exchequer could have given any relief
to the agriculturists equal to that which they will derive, in
all probability, from the passing of the Bill for amending the
Poor Laws.

lIQUIRY INTO THE CARNAGE AT BALLREAGH I
—The labours of the Court, at which Lord Kenmare pre-
sided in Listowel, for four days, ended on Friday, after the
fullest investigation into all the circumstances as to the cause,
progress, and loss of lives in the murderous affray at Ballyeagh,
near Ballybunnion, and of the means adopted to apprehend the
offenders. Chief Constable Brandy was under examination
for several hours, and we understand acquitted himself with
credit, having received the thanks of the Court for his zeal,
and extraordinary and important facts were elicited, which it
is stated seriously involve the character of Magisterial juris-
dictionin that county, but no report of the evidence will be al-
lowed to appear until Government shall have received the de-
positions taken by the Court at the investigation. The Bench
were composed of the County Lieutenant, Earl of Kenmare,
Charles G. Fairfield, Esq., Deputy Lieutenant, Major Miller
Inspector-General of Police, Counsellor Batty, and Henry'
J. Brownrigg, Esq., Sub Inspector and Magistrate.—Cork
Evening Herald.

MONKEYS CROSSING A ItivEß.—There are a
tribe of monkeys in Trinidad who have a great aversion to
water, and if obliged to cross a narrow stream, they climb a
tree near the bank, and form a chain by hanging from the
tails of each other; the whole string of animals then swing
backwards and forwards, until the lowest, to whom the post of
honour has been assigned, alights on the opposite bank, and
pulls over, by the aid of the " tail," his companions on the tree
and bank. This singular operation is carried on amidst ter.
rible howling, and with the most frightful cries and grimaces.
—From Montgomery Martin's Ilisiory of the British Colo-
nies, Vol. 11. West Indies.