The Sun.
London, England, 1859-01-06 00:00:00

A TERRIFIC CAVERN.

Mr. J. W. Atkinson, F.R.G.S., delivered a lec-
ture at the Mechanics' Institute and Literary So-
ciety a few days ago, and in the course of his lec-
ture described a fearful cavern with which he met
in the course of his travels. While travelling along
the steppe, near the foot of the Alaton mountains,
he said he came to the brink of one of the dry
river beds frequently found in those regions. This
was the evident trace of the sudden disruption of a
mountain lake by a fearful earthquake at some pe-
riod. Travelling along the bed of the stream he
came to a deep valley, about 15 miles long and four
miles wide, surrounded by mountains varying from
5,000 to 7,000 feet in height. This had been a
deep mountain lake, proved beyond all doubt by
the sand and shells spread over its bed. " I also
found," continued Mr. Atkinson, " the water line
on the cliffs, showing that the depth was 560 feet.
Nearly opposite to the gorge by which he had
entered there was another in the mountains to the
north. On reaching it I found this was also a deep
and narrow ravine, and no doubt formed by the
earthquake; through this water had rushed, drain-
ing the lake, and had formed the great watercourse
on the plain, We shortly entered the chasm,
which I found was about 120 yards wide,
covered with fallen rocks, among which a tor-
rent was foaming with great fury. Our way
was a rough and dangerous one; sometimes
several hundred feet above the stream, and
then descending nearly to the level of the water. ,
At last we reached a spot beyond which to all
appearance we could not proceed. We were now
a little above the torrent, which was hidden from
our view, and close in front of us the rocks rose up
like a wall to an enormous height. A loud roaring
of the water was heard, which induced me-to sup-
pose it was rolling over a deep fall. The old guide
told me it was Shaitan's Cavern, swallowing up
the river. The mouth of the cavern was formed
by a rugged arch about 50 feet wide and 70 feet
high. The river entered this opening by a channel
cut into the solid rock ; it was about 30 feet wide
and 10 feet deep. A ledge of rocks, about 12 feet
wide, formed a terrace along the edge of the stream,
and just above tho level of the water. When my
astonishment had somewhat subsided I prepared to
explore the cavern by placing my packet of bag-
gage and my rifle on a rock, and the two Cossacks
followed my example. The guide watched these
proceedings with great interest, but when he be-
held us enter the cavern he was horrified. Having
proceeded about 20 paces the noise caused by the
falling water was fearful, and a cold chilling blast
met us. From this point the cavern extended both
in width and height, but I could form no idea of it,
dimensions. We cautiously groped our way on in
the gloom for about 80 yards from the entrance.
when we could see the river bound into a terrific
abyss—, black Erebus,' while some white vapour
came wreathing up, giving the spot a most super-
natural appearance. Few persons could stand on
the brink of this gulf without a shudder; the roar-
ing of the water was dreadful as it echoed in the
lofty dome. It was impossible to hear a word
spoken, nor could this scene be contemplated long
—there was something too fearful for the stronger t
nerves when trying to peer into these horribie
depths. We turned away and looked towards the
entrance ; for a distance the sides and arch wet e
lighted up, but the great space and vast dome were
lost in darkness. I sat down about 60 yards from
the entrance, and in the twilight made a sketch o
the scene. Having emerged from the ravine, w•
IQoked down en the last low ridge this appear( a

The following are the further rules an. regula-
tions of the Cant for Piverce and Matrimonial
Causes,- made under the provisions of the 20th and
21st Victoria, cap. 85, and 21st and 22d Victoria,
cap. 108, dated the 3d of December, 1858
" OFFICE COPIES,--EXTRACTS, &C.
" 1. The registrars of the Court of Probate are to
have the_ custody of all pleadings and other docu-
ments now or hereafter to be brought in and filed
in any matter or suit depending in the Court for
Divorce and Matrimonial Causes ; and all rifles and
o:ders and fops payable in respect of searches for
and' inspecting of or • copies of and extracts from
and attcniances with documents deposited, in the
'registry= of 'the Court of Probbite sholL extend
to _such_ pleadings and. other . documents brought
r in. and filed in the Court for Divorce and
Matrimonial Ctiuses, save that the length of
such last-mentioned documents shall in all cases be
computed. at.the rate of 72 words per folio.
Office copies of documents furnished from
the registry of the Court of Probate will not be
-collated With the originals helm which the tame are
copied unless specially. required. - Every copy so
required to be examined shall be certified under the
hand of one of the principal registrars of the Court
of Probate to be an examined copy.
"PROCEEDINGS IN CAUSES.'
"3. In order to prevent, the time limited for
bringing in answers and other pleadings and pro-
ceedings from expiring before application can be
made to the Judge Ordinary for an extension
thereof, any ond.of the principal • registrars of the
Court of Probate may, upon reasonable cause being
show, extend the time for bringing in such answer
or other pleading, or proceeding, provided that such
time shall in no case be extended beyond the day
upon -Which the Judge Ordinary shall next sit in
open court or in chambers.
" 4. No cause is to be called on for hearing or trial
until after the expiration of 10 days from the day
when the same has been set down as ready for hear-
ing or trial; -and notice thereof has been given, save
with consent of all parties to the suit.
" 5. The time fixed by these rules and regulations,
or by former rules and regulations made under the
provisions of the 20th and 21st Victoria, cap. 85,
for bringing in petitions, answers, and pleadings,
or for any other proceedings in a cause depending
in the Court for Divorce and Matrimonial Causes,
shall in all cases be exclusive of Sundays.
" COSTS.
"6. When an appointment has been made by a
registrar of the Court of Probate for taxing anybill
of costs, and - one party only attends at the timo
appointed, the registrar may nevertheless proceed to
tax the bill after the expiration of a quarter of an
hour, upon being satisfied , by affidavit that due
notice of the time appointed was served on the other
party.

"7. If more than one-sixth is deducted from any
bill of costs taxed as between practitioner and client,
the costs incurred in the taxation thereof shall be
deducted from the sum allowed on taxation, if so
much remains due, otherwise the same shall be paid
by the practitioner to the client.

" AFFIDAVITS.
" 8. No affidavit will be admitted in any matter
depending in the Court far Divorce and Matrimo-
nial Causes in which any material part is written
on an erasure.

" SUMMONSES.
" 1. A summons may be taken out by any person
and in any matter or suit depending in the Court
for Divorce and Matrimonial Causes.
" 2. A printed form must be obtained and filled
up with the object of the summons. It must then be
taken into the registry, where the blank left in the
printed form for the time when the summons is to
be made returnable will be filled up, and the signa-
ture of the registrar will be obtained.
" 3. The name of the cause or matter and of the
agent taking out the summons is then to be mitered
in a book to be called the summons book, and the
summons returned to the applicant., who is to serve
a copy on the party to be summoned. This copy
(except in cases where the consent of the party to
be served has been obtained and endorsed on the
summons) must be served one clear day at least be-
fore the summons is returnable and before 7 p.m.
On Saturdays the copy of the summons is to be
served before 2 p.m.
"4. On the day and at the hour named in the
summons, the party issuing the same is to present
himself with the original summons at the Judge's
chambers.

"5. Both parties will be beard by the Judge, who
will make such order as ,he may think fit, and a
minute of such order will be made by the registrar
in the summons book.

" 0. If the party summoned do not :appear after
the lapse of half-an-hour from the time named in
the summons, the other party shall be at liberty to
go before the Judge, who will thereupon make such
order as he may think fit.
" 7. An attendance on behalf of the party sum-
moned for the space of half-au-hour, if the other
party do not during such time, appear, will be
deemed sufficient and bar the party taking, out the
summons from the right to go before the Judge on
that occasion.
f' 8. If a formal order -is desired, the same may
be had on the application of either party, and for
.that- purpose the original summons,_ or the copy
served on the party summoned, must be filed in the
registry. An order will thereupon be drawn up
and delivered to the person filing such summons or
copy. _

`9. If a summons is brought to the registry with
consent to an order signed by the party summoned,
or his proctor, solicitor, or attorney, endorsed
thereon, an order will be drawn up without the
necessity of going before the Judge, provided that
the order sought is in the opinion of the registrar
-one which file Judge, under the circumstances,
would make.

" CIIELMSFORD, C.
"CAMPBELL.
"A. E. COCKBURN.
" FRED. POLLOCK.
" WM. WIGHTMAN.
" ED.' VAUGHAN WILLIAMS.
" SAMUEL MARTIN.
" C. CRESSWELL."

ATTEMPT TO MURDER WV BOARD
SHIP.

Captain John Binuett, of the barque Express,
now lying at Queenstown, has been charged with
firing a loaded pistol at Joseph Worthington, car-
penter of the vessel, against whom there is a cross
charge of insubordination. The charge against
Worthington was first proceeded with. From the
captain's evidence it appeared that, on the evening
of the 23d Dec., Worthington quarrelled with him
and the steward, and was grossly impertinent and
insubordinate, saying that he had supreme autho-
rity in the ship, and refusing to leave the cabin
when directed to do so. The captain then took a
four-barrelled revolver, belonging to a passenger,
and said he certainly would use it, if necessary, for
his own protection. While in that position, with
-the pistol in his hand, Worthington knocked him
down, took the pistol away, presented it at. him and
pulled the trigger, but it missed fire. He then went
out of the cabin, and the captain heard three shots
fired successively, one after another. Then, when
the captain was sitting in his cabin, some person
whom he did not see, but whom he suspected to be
Worthington, fired a shot into the cabin. He pro-
duced the steward and a boy to support his state-
ment, but their evidence was not substantially c
roborativc of it. The charge against the captain of
firing a loaded pistol at Worthington with intent
to murder him was then gone into. The evidence_
to.sustain it was, that when the dispute occurred
between the captain and Worthington,
out of
took up the pistol, and threatened to blot:tiler lat:
toi's brains out. Worthington on this ran.
the cabin to the forward part of the vessel, crying
out to the men that the captain was going to shoot
hear-
ing -
ear-
him. One of the seamen,
shoot anyone here,"
ing him, said, "No one shall named Ines,
Worthington
then went into the cabin andt
;d "Captain,
,
and ran into the
I'm going to blow the
carpenter's brains out,
are you going to do ?"
ly
made
cabin
a rush at the
reply.aasntdhesa.
captain to take the pistol from him. Rines ran
between them and caught them both by the collar,
holding them as far apart as possible. -While doing
this the captain fired the pistol, and the shot passed
trough Rays' waistcoat, which, owing to his
steting back to keep the parties asunder, was
partly open, and lodged in the bulkhead at the
height of four feet and a half from the floor.
Worthington then ran over and knocked the captain
down, taking the
_revolver from him. fines said.
to him, " Worthington, give me the pistol." " I
will not," said he. " Well," said Rines; "go and
fire it over the bulwarks." To this he assented,
and fired the shots into the river, keeping pos ession
of the pistol. The steward, who wcs very drunk,
ran out then and made a blow of a knife at lirorth-
ington, and Hines stopped him. Rines afterwards
asked the captain if he had any more weapons, and.
on receiving a reply in the negative, said, " Go to
your berth, and It take care no one shall insult
you." This the captain did, and Rines locked up
tine steward, thus putting an end to the disturbance.
The bench decided on dismissing the charge against
Worthington, and took informations against the
naptain, returnable to quarter sessions, but directei
that he should be allowed outon bail on giving tvim
sureties in £25 each, and himself in ;VA

3

ROYAL ENGLISH OPERA, COVENT
GARDEN, under the sole Management of Miss Louisa
Fyne and Mr. W. Harrison
THIS EVENING will be presented an entirely new and
romantic Opera, by Mr. W. Halle, entitled SATA.NELLA ;
or, THE POWER OF LOVE.