The Sun.
London, England, 1869-12-29 00:00:00

LAW AND POLICE.

C:INaGE C.MELTT AT A MENAGEME.—Mr. Edmunds
proprietor of the Edmunds' Menagerie (formerly Womb-
well's), now stationed at Liverpool, was summoned before
the magi:trates of that town for having tortured a rabbit.
The case was brought forward to try the right of a mena-
gerie proprietor to feed serpents with live animals. The
case was dismissed, as the evidence was not conclusive that
the rabbit was a tame or a domesticated animal, which was
necessary to bring it within the Act.
DAMAGING MACIIINETIY.—A boy named Layden, aged 14,
was charged at Sheffield with wilfully damaging some
valuable machinery about which he was employed. He
threw a hammer and some large pieces of iron among some
cog wheels, doing damage to the amount of .£2OO and ren-
dering a quantity of machinery completely useless. A
number of men were thrown out of employment in conse-
quence. The boy, whose excuse was that he wanted a few
days extra holiday at Christmas, was sent to prison for
two months.

SHIPWRECKS AND LOSS OF LIFE.

Many shipping casualties are reported to have occurred 1
in the severe weather cf the last few days. On Sunday
the screw steamer Leeds, bound to Grimsby from Rotter-
dam, and the screw steamer Zephyr, bound to Rotterdam
from London, came in collision off Helvoet, and a telegram
stiles that the former was sinking. On the same day the
River Ganges, bound from London to Adelaide, came in
collision with the brig Wings of the Morning, and the
former sustained such severe damage that she had to put
back. Among the vessels foundered are the brig New
Express, of Shields, whence she was bound for Alicante. and
the Lady Augusta, of Eeaumaris, bound from Liverpool to
Amlwch. The former went down just off Flamborough
Head, and the latter off the North-West Lightship. The crews
of both vesels were saved, that of the New Express being
picked up, after undergoing great hardships, and landed
at Yarmouth. Two vessels—the brig Bird, of Sunder-
land, and the Caroline, of Sunderland—were aban-
doned, the former in the North Sea and the latter
in Carnarvon Bay. The schooner Viscount Macduff drove
ashore on the Black Middens on Christmas Day, and
went to pieces. One man and the master of the
ship, were drowned. The brig Fancy, of Boston, bound
from Middlesborough to Lisbon, is a total wreck on the
Buxey, and the Haide e, of Montrose, drove ashore at
Seaharn, and went to pieces. One boy was drowned, and
the remainder of the crew saved. Among the other
vessels stranded are the Luther, of Leith, Whitby
sands ; the brig Warner, at the mouth of Blyth
Harbour ; the schooner Mary, of Bangor, the Samuel
Dixon, of Wexford; and the Catherine at Antwerp. Great
fear; are entertained respecting the safety of the screw
steamer Lady Darling, which put into Scarborough on the
21st inst in a damaged state. After repairing she left in
tow of a tog, but in consequence of the heavy weather the
latter was obliged to leave her. No tidings have since been
heard of the steamer.

PREHISTORIC RE3IAINS IN NORTEUM-

11 ERL A.) D.

The Rev. Canon Grcenwell, of Durham, and Mr. C. H.
Cadogan, of Brenkburn Priory, have completed some
highly interesting Northumbrian examinations of prehis-
tilie burials on Harbottle Peels, on the estate of Mr. P.

F. Cleunell, of Harbottle Castle. The site is on the slope
of the hill rising from the river, in the valley of the

Coquet—a district which abounds in prehistoric re-
mains, camps, cairns, &c. The place where the
graves were found had once a cairn of stones over it.
This La I been removed some years ago to make a
neighbouriag hnce. The first discovery was cf a stone
c7st, fermcd of four slats set on edge, a bottom stone, and
a ecver. The cist was S. W. by ?ft. 9in. by ift. 3in.,
and 16in. deep. It contains an urn known as " the food
vessel," of 11)wer-pot shape, Cin. high and thin. wide at the
mouth, and covered over the whole of the outside with
lines of oval impressions in the clay. At 4ft. bin. to the
north was a second cist, made in like manner, N. and S.,
3ft. Sin. by 2ft. 3in., and 19in. deep. In it was a food vessel
in the north-e.st corner, in. ;in. wide, flower-pot
shaped, with four unpierced ears. This urn externally,
3lin. from the top, was beautifully ornamented
in " herringbone " pattern of lines made by a sharp-
pointed instrument. On the slab forming the east
side of the cist was a very peculiar grooved figure, cut
into the stone by some sharp tool, the marks of which
were as fresh as if made yesterday. The figure was of a
uniform shape, not unlike the outline of a human foot. It
was 6iin. long and 4in. broad at the widest part. It
was, no doubt, one of those enigmatical markings which
in the form of pits and circles have been so frequently
found in Northumberland. Immediately north of this
cist was a cinerary urn, reversed, filled with burnt human
bones, and placed 18in. below the natural surface. The urn
is 16in. high, and is ornamented on the overhanging rim
with fine lines arranged in chevron pattern. At 3ft. south-
east of the cist was a deposit of burnt bones of a child placed
on the natural surface. At 6.!,ft. north-west of the cist was a
most beautiful food vessel, sin. high, 511 in. wide at mouth,
flower-pot shaped, and having four unpierced ears. The
moulded portion towards the top was ornamented inter-
nally and externally with rows of lines and dots of most
delicate touch and beautifully regular execution. The

body of the vessel was divided into two sections by lines
and dots. The sections were filled with chevronized pat-
terns of dots in line, the triangular spaces being alternately
plain and filled with lines diagonally arranged. The
bottom of the vessel was ornamented with a cross of lines
and dots a very rare circumstance. The so called
" incense cups " have the bottoms ornamented occa-
sionally. Upon the whole, this is the best executed and
most ornate specimen of British pottery yet found. At
10ft. N.N.E. from the second cist was another similarly
formed, being W.N.W. by E.S.E., 3ft. 2in. by lft. 6in., and
15in. deep. The cover stone had been removed in the
course of ploughing. In the cist at the north corner was a
food vessel sin. high, sin. wide at rim, flower-pot shape,
and covered externally with a herringbone pattern, made
more carelessly than in the other urns already described.
At 18f t. north from the third cist was a fourth, quite
empty. The cover-stone had been removed for ploughing.
Cist. N. and S. 3ft. by 2ft., and 2ft. 3in. deep; all contents
had gone to decay. At Gift. to N.W. from the first-do-
scribed cist was a food vessel, flower-pot shaped, Gin. high,
and Giin. wide, two inches of the upper surface being
ornamented in herringbone pattern of fine lines. At
Oft. N.W. by W. of this vessel was a deposit of burnt
bones upon the natural surface. In the original burial
mound there had been three burnt and six unburnt
bodies, of which five had food vessels placed with them. In
no case were there remains of the uuburnt bones, which(as
is usually the case where a cairn of stones has covered the
graves and so allowed a free admission of air) had gone en-
tirely to decay. In the mound were found three chippings
of flint (one showing signs of use at the side) and a curious
thin disc of sandstone, 21,in. diameter, having a shallow de-
pression in the centre on each side. The edge is much worn
by rubbing, and except that it has not been used for ham-
mering, it closely resembles the so-called " toolstones " of
Denmark and Ireland. The depressions are well placed to
enable the person using the stone to hold it firmly between
the thumb and the finger. A little time ago a cinerary urn
was discovered about two miles to the S.E., filled with
burnt bones, over which it was upturned. It is 10in. high,
10in. wide at mouth, and covered for Min. with lines of
oval impressions.—Times.

The Government (says the Loadon correspondent
of the jfanchester Guardian), acting on the advice a Mr,
Goschen, declines to render any aid in furtherance of

emigration. "It is impoFsible to exaggerate," it is remark4l,
" the bitterness and disappointment which this resolution,
if adhered to, is likely to cause."

THE EXPIRING BANKRUPTCY LAW.—The Gazette
contains a list of bankrupts sent up from the Manchester
District Court, without the usual announcement of days
of meeting. This results from the extraordinary pressure
put upon the court, in common with all the other courts.
caused by the rush of persons anxious td place themselve,;
nail•.:r the operation of the existing law before the end of
year deprives them of all further opportunity of doing
so. It has been stated that during the present month the
usual number of bankrupts on their own petition has been
marly trebled.