The Sun.
London, England, 1867-05-14 00:00:00

called modern civilization. There is a loud outc]

against negro slavery, and millions are spent in
its suppression ; and here, in the very counties
from which some of the chief philanthropists have
come, we find the agricultural gang system at
work, with all the worst brutalities of slavery.
And all this takes place in the rural districts,
where what is boasted of as being the pure re-
formed Church is supposed to have its chief sway,
less opposed by dissent than in the towns, and still
less by the Popery of which the unhappy people
have been robbed. But the towns likewise have
their tales to tell of the treatment of children ; and
Parliament is at present engaged with the grave
question of the employment of children in fac-
tories which is somewhat of a counterpart to the
agricultural gang system, and of which we hope to
say more in a future number. A good and noble
feature of the Englishman of the present day is,
that with all his prejudice and pride, when things
like these are brought home to him, he sets to work
to put them right ; and, though. the report of 1843
led to no result, we think it will be different with
that of 1867.

THUNDERSTORMS.

--o-

At sunset on Friday and at daybreak on Satur-
day two thunderstorms broke over London, which,
although they lasted a short time, were very violent.
About 7 o'clock on Friday evening the sky became
very dark towards the south and west, and was sud-
denly lighted up by vivid flashes of lightning. They
were followed by heavy peals of thunder -and gusts
of wind and rain. Between 8 and 9 the storm had
cleared away, but a dark cloud stood out in the
north-west against a clear sky, and was lighted up
at intervals with the most dazzling flashes of sheet
lightning. Towards the east and south, where the
sky remained cloudy, lightning was also visible, and
slight peals of thunder were heard throughout the
night. The seccnd storm, which was also accom-
panied with wind and rain, broke out about 5 o'clock
in the morning of Saturday. The lightning was very
brilliant, and was followed by several frightful
crashes of thunder, but it does not appear to have
caused any serious damage.
In Buckinghamshire the storm of Friday evening
was very violent. The goods station at Winslow
was partly unroofed by the wind, and 86 panes of
glass were broken by the hailstones, some of which,
when measured by the police, proved to be five
inches in circumference. Similar damage was done
at Swanbourne and Claydon stations. Nearly every
pane of glass in Addington Manor-house—the resi-
dence of Mr. J. G. Hubbard, M.P.—was broken.
A fine old oak tree, on the premises of Mrs. Frank-
lin, at Dinton, was struck by the lightning, and cut
down. The storm extended to Aylesbury, while it
blew down trees and walls, and flooded the streets.
But it was in the vicinity of Buckingham that most
damage was done. lu Castle-street and High-
street panes were broken in every window. The
glass in every greenhouse, garden-frame, or any
similar building was smashed to pieces. The storm
has been very destructive to the crops, especially at
Winslow, Stowe, and Akeley ; and the borough
authorities at, Buckingham have stated their inten-
tion of opening a subscription list to. assist the
poorer class of the inhabitants, who have suffered
very severely by the calamity.
At Cambridge the storm commenced about
11 o'clock on Friday, and continued at intervals
during the day and night. The lightning was very
vivid, and many of the by-roads were rendered im-
passable by the floods. At Barrington, Cambridge-
shire, a labourer named Patman was struck by the
lightning and killed. He was in a field ploughing
with his master's son and four labourers, and when
the storm came on, about 1 o'clock, they all took
shelter under an adjacent straw stack. One flash
of lightning rendered them all insensible. The
others, upon reviving, went to their companion
Patman, and found him lifeless, with his shoes, leg-
gings, and hat torn to atoms. He was removed to
his lodgings in the village, where an inquest was
held in the evening. The deceased was a widower,
56 years of age, and had been in Mr. Coleman's
employ for about 40 years. A boy at work in the
same field had the upper portion of one of his shoes
cut clean out by the lightning, and a piece of flesh,
about the size of a shilling, from under his great
toe. A horse was killed by the lightning at Wal-
ton's coproiite diggings, near Coldham's-lane, Cam-
bridge.
On Friday evening a sharp storm visited New-
castle and the lower reaches of the Tyne. The
lightning struck West house, St. Anthony's, the
residence of Mr. Cook, chemical manufacturer. A
huge stack of chimneys was knocked down and fell
through the roof. It broke the furniture in the
rooms through which it passed, and a little girl who
was sating in the drawing-room had one of her
shoulders dislocated. Considerable damage was
done. Rain fell heavily in the north on Saturday,
and in the evening the wind got round from the
north and blew somewhat cool.

COUNTRY MARKETS:

COLCHESTER-MAY 11.

----- ---- ---- -
A fair supply of wheat. Trade rather slow, and in the
business done prices were is per qr decline on last week.
Beans and peas very scarce, and sellers had the advan-
tage. ,
Wheat, white 63s 745 Beano, Mazagan......33s 3's
red: 6's (-75 Middle and small. .44s 485
Barley .... ..
Oitti ..--s - a grey ..... .......365 42t3