The Sun.
London, England, 1834-07-16 00:00:00

WEXFORD, JULY 13.

(FROM OUR CORRESPONDENT.)
At a time when " public opinion " is of the first import-
ance to statesmen and journalists, it may be well to in-
form you how it is at present in this county, lately the
scene of much political bustle and excitement. The
Second Edition of the Sun newspaper of the 9th inst.
having diffused throughout Ireland the latest authentic
intelligence yet arrived of all circumstances connected with
the resignation of Earl Grey, the public mind is now made
up, and prepared, to hear of no other change in the ma-
nagement of affairs, than such as can, and will carry into
effect the measures already begun or contemplated for our
welfare and tranquillity. Be assured, therefore, that the
" people "—and I include under this term the majority of
numbers, as well as of wealth and intelligence--expect that
ere this, a perfectly liberal Cabinet will have been formed
on the principles, at least as regards Ireland, of the expla-
nations given on Wednesday last by Lord 'Althorp, and
Mr. Littleton, in the House of Commons. And here let
me endeavour to show, what really is the state of " public
opinion " here, for the late election, I find, is by no means
a proper criterion whereby to judge of it. Though Mr.
Waddy has been returned in the room of Lord Carew, in
opposition to Mr. Harvey, an anti-repeal candidate, it must
not be inferred either that the repeal question is a sine qua
non with the electors of the county, or that the electors are
disposed to vote against their landlords. Mr. Waddy owes
his election to the following circumstances—the exertions
of the young and least worthy portion of the Catholic
clergy, the indifference of the Conservative landlords,
and the want of time on the side of the sound portion of
the constituency, who expected that Sir Thomas Esmond,
a rational Reformer, would have offered himself. If there
were a new election one month hence, the •county might
exhibit a feeling totally different from that apparent in the
return of Mr. Waddy.
The Assizes commenced here yesterday. The state of
the Calendar, containing only seven cases, none of them of
an aggrav-ated nature, differs from many recent calenders in
the county. It should not, however, be inferred from this
circumstance, that this part of Leinste'r is an exception to
the statements made in the Lord Lieutenant's late dis-
patches so much spoken of. On the contrary, the follow-
ing fact, not much alluded to in any of the. Irish news-
papers, but too fearfully verifies his Excellency's most ag-
gravated statements. About two years ago, one of the
most atrocious acts in the annals of crime, was perpetrated
at Tourfarney, in the western part of this county, wherein
four persons were murdered, and their residences burned to
ashes. Two men were some time ago executed for the
foul deed, and it was hoped that the spirit of mischief had
been subdued, or expelled from the country. The pre-
mises were rebuilt, and the surviving part of the family
(the Maddocks's) were about to return to their ill-fated
abode. But, on the very night when it was supposed they
had retaken possession, the premises were again reduced to
ashes. This occurred about•six weeks ago !! !

AFRICAN EXPEDITION.

The death of Richard Lander, the discoverer of the

great geographical problem of the course of the Niger, has
added another to the numerous victims who have perished
in the attempt to explore the interior of Africa. Accounts
brought by the last English packet state that he was mur-
dered by the natives several hundred miles up the river,
whither he had gone on a commercial expedition.
The history of African Discovery is a history of unex-
ampled mortality. Since the feeble attempts of the Por-
tuguese and English trading companies to penetrate into
the interior, down through the numerous expeditions fitted
out by the " African Association," and the British Go-
vernment, how few—two or three at, the most—of the tra-
vellers have survived the journey. Not one has survived
a second attempt. Caille and John Lander are still living,
though it would not be surprising if they should follow the
example of their predecessors, and renew their efforts—to
share a similar fate. With this fatal prospect before them,
there have never been wanting persons ready to embark
in the same undertaking. A more remarkable evidence
cannot be found in history, of the unconquerable spirit of
enterprise, thati the eagerness with which the places of. the
dead are filled up immediately by zealous competitors, at
the risk of martyrdom, in the cause of knowledge.
Our own countryman, Ledylrd, was the first adven-
.

turer on this field sent out after the establishment of the
British " African Association." He arrived at Cairo in
August, 1788, and died there shortly after.
The next was a Mr. Lucas, who penetrated but a little
distance, and returned to Tripoli, abandoning the expedition.
The third was Major Houghton, the British Consul at
Morocco, who undertook to reach the Niger by the route
of the Gambia. After being robbed by the Moors, in the
Great Desert, be was abandoned, and perished of hunger
and fatigue, in 1791.
The celebrated Mungo Park followed. The story of
his first voyage, which he commenced in 1795, is well
known. He returned safely to England after an absence
of three years. His second and fatal voyage commenced
in 1805. The large expedition which he carried with him
melted away before the pestilential influence of the African
climate. Of 38 Europeans who started with him, five only
were left, all sick, and one deranged, when he embarked
on board his canoe, in November, 1805, on his voyage
down the Niger ; after which he was no more heard of
with certainty until the voyage of Denham and Clapper-
ton ascertained the particulars of his murder.

The Association lied in the mean time dispatched other
travellers into Africa—Horneman, who perished in 1810
by disease at a town on the Niger ; and Mr. Nichols, who
proposed to start from the Gulf of Benin, and died there
of fever. A German, named Roentgen, was dispatched in
1809, under the same auspices. He reached Mogadore,
but was robbed and murdered, a few miles from the place
whence he set out.

The narratives of Riley and Adams, both Americans, are
next in order. They both survived a slavery in Africa.
The expeditions sent out by the British Government
were not more fortunate than those of the Association. A
grand enterprise, fitted out in 1816, was divided into two
parties, one to descend the Niger, and one to ascend the
Congo—the last commanded by Captain Tuckey, and the
former by Major Peddie, with numerous attendants. Most
of the officers of the Congo expedition perished. The
captain, the zoologist, the botanist, the geologist, who• ac-
companied it, fell successively. The other party fared no
better. Major Peddie died early ; his successor in com-
mand, Colonel Campbell, soon followed ; the third in com-
mand, Lieutenant Stockoe, survived them only a few days.
The miserable remains of the party returned in the fall of
1817.

The next enterprise was conducted by Messrs. Ritchie
fond Lyon. The former died at Fezzan, and the latter
returned safe. Major Laing and Captain Gay had a little
while before made short expeditions into the interior, and
returned without loss of life.

The important expeditions of Denham and Clapperton,
accompanied by Dr. Oudney and Mr. Toole, were the next
in point of time. The journal of their first voyage, is fami-,
liar to most readers. Mr. Toole and Dr. 'Oudney died on
that journey. Clapperton's second voyage was accompanied
by Dr. Morrison and Captain Pearce. Their serVant, Ri-
chard Lander, was the only survivor ; the others died suc-
cessively from the effects of the climate.
Major Laing, the next victim, was assassinated in the
Desert.

The French travellar, Caine was .the immediate prede-
cessor of the Landers in their first and successful journey.
He returned in 1828. Their first journey was terminated
in 1831. The second has added the name of Richard Lan-
der to this long list of mortality. On looking it over, and
remarking with how few exceptions the attempts of tra-
vellers have been fatal to them, one cannot but Wonder at
the pertinacious spirit with which 'the attempts are re-
peated.—Balt. Amer.

MRS. SIDDONS AS LADY MACBETH.—It was
my custom (says Mrs. Siddons, in her memoranda) to study
my characters at night, when all my domestic cares and busi-
ness of the day were over. Mn the night •preceding that on
which I was to appear in this part for the first time, I shut
myself up as usual, when all the family were Ketired, and com-
menced my study of Lady Macbeth. As the character is very
'short, I thought I should soon accomplish it. Being then
only twenty years of age, I believed, as many others do be-
lieve, that little more was necessary than to get the words into
my head ; for the necessity of discrimination, and the deve-
lopement of character, at that time of my life, had•scarcely
entered into my imagination. But to proceed ; I went on
with tolerable composure, in the silence of night (a night I
never can forget), till I came to the assassination scene, when
the horrors of the scene rose to a degree that made it impos-
sible for me to get further ; I snatched up my candle, and hur-
ried out of the room in a paroxysm of terror. My dress was
of silk, and the rustling of it, as I ascended the stairs to go
to bed, seemed to my panic-struck fancy like the movement of
a spectre pursuing me. At last I reached my chamber, where
I found my husband fast asleep. I clapped my candlestick
down upon the table, without the power of putting the candle
out ; and threw niyself on the bed, without daring even to
take off my clothes. At peep of day I rose to resume my
task; but so little did I know of my part when I appeared in
.it at night, •that my shame and confusion cured me of pro-
crastinating my business for the remainder of my life.—Camp
bell's Life of Mrs. Siddons,