The Sun.
London, England, 1834-09-22 00:00:00

THAMES POLICE.

SINGULAR CASE.—RUNNING OFF WITH A SHIP.—A
person of the name of Ryan, late master of a sloop called
the Industry, which was in 1832 employed in conveying
stores to Don Pedro at Oporto, appeared to answer the
complaint of George Lannack, a sailor boy, who stated that
he had served the defendant from November, 1832, until
May-, 1833, when the Captain having been left behind at
Oporto, he, by the advice of the Port Captain, left the
vessel at Gibraltar. He stated that since that period he
had been to the West Indies, and that this was the first
opportunity he had had to make the claim for wages, which
he now preferred.

The Captain had engaged with the boy, but while he
(the Captain) was on shore at Oporto transacting business
a gale of wind sprung up and drove the vessel to sea, and
he heard that she was driven into Vigo. Since that period
he had heard nothing whatever of the vessel, but he be-
lieved that the mate and the crew had run off with her, as
a great spirit of mutiny had exhibited itself on board some
time previously to the occurrence.
Mr. Hill, a ship-chandler of Shadwell, said he understood
that the vessel was trading at the present time on the coasts
of Spain and Portugal.
Mr. COMBE said the case presented a very suspicious
appearance. The boy had no claim for wages, as it was
evident he was on board the ship some time after she had
been carried off by the mate. He thought the boy was in
an awkward situation, and he would advise him to state all
he knew respecting the sloop.
The boy said he knew nothing of the ship or her crew.
Mr. COMBE—The complaint is dismissed.
Mr. Ledley, the junior clerk, said that when the boy
applied for the summons he stated that the vessel was con-
demned at Gibraltar as not being seaworthy ; but Mr. Hill
was positive that she was now trading on that coast.
Mr. Comm said it was a suspicious affair, and ought to
be investigated.

UNION-HALL.
Two young men, named Williams and Beckley, were
charged by an exciseman named Williams with conveying
a quantity of spirits without a permit.
It appeared that a manufacturer of noyeau had employed
them to carry a large jar of that liquid to the •house of a
publican.

The manufacturer said that it was merely the juice ex-
tracted from nuts, the publicans themselves infusing spirits
to make the liquor palatable to the ladies.
Mr. Traill, having tasted the noyeau, decided that there
was no spirit, and discharged the defendants.
The excise officer said that the persons to whom the jar
belonged refused to take it unless he carried it home to
their house.

The Magistrate said that as the exciseman brought it
there he had a right to take it back again.
The exciseman was also threatened with an action for
false imprisonment.

STORIES OF SCHOOL EDUCATION.—Not only in
the great national schools, but in the little paltry cottage set-
naries of threepence a-week, I hear of the most ridiculaus
instances of the affectation of literature. A poor little girl of
this stamp was in my room one day when a gentleman was sit-
ting with me. He asked her what she was reading at school.
" Oh, sir, the whole circle of the sciences 1"—." Indeed," said
he ; "that must be a very large work 1"—" No, sir, it is a very
small book, and I had it for half-a-crown." My friend smiled,
and lamented that what had cost him so much time and money
was of such easy attainment. I asked a little girl, a servant's
child, the other day, what she was reading, and if she could
say her catechism. " 0 no, madam ; lam learning syntax."
What I am going to add you will think an exaggeration, if not
an invention, but it is a literal fact. A girl in the next parish
being asked what she learnt, answered, " Gog-raphy, and the
harts and senses." * * * Many a child is brought to me in
my room for a little reward of a tract, &c. Since I began this
scrawl, a sharp little girl was brought to me for this purpose.
She repeated a short poem extremely well. I then said,
" Now I must examine what you know of the Bible. Who
was Abraham ?" After some hesitation she answered, " I think
he was an Exeter man."—Mrs. H. More's Life and Corre-
spondence.

A FUNNY MAN.--Fun is to me what ale was to
Boniface. I sleep upon fun—l drink for fun—l live upon fun,
hence our dear funny friends just suit me—they do nothing but
laugh ; they laugh with one when present, and at one when
absent—but to me that is the fun-_I admit myself fond of prac-
tical joking, I don't mean in one's own particular circle; there
it is dangerous ; people are not always in the same humour ;
what they think uncommonly good fun one day, they will se-
riously resent as an insult the next. There's no judging with
certainty a man's temper of mind, and it is not easy to ascer-
tain how much melted butter a gentleman would like to have
poured into his coat-pocket without kicking ; I avoid that sort
of thing, but on the great scale I confess my addiction. Com-
ing here yesterday evening-, I stopped the chaise at the corner
of Egham, in order to turn the finger-post at the corner half
round—sent all the people bound for London to Chertsey, all
the people destined for Egham to Windsor, and all the people
destined for Windsor to London—that's my way. I've whipped
off every knocker in Sloane-street three nights running—a
hundred and ninety-four, exclusive of shops ; and if ever the
project of lighting London with smoke should be brought to
bear, I flatter myself you will hear of my darkening the whole
parish of Pancras, by grinding a gimlet through a gas-pipe I
These frolics cost something occasionally, but what of that ?
Every man has his pursuits—l have mine.—Theodore Rook.