The Sun.
London, England, 1832-12-28 00:00:00

THE TRAVELLING TINKER.

The best practical lesson I ever got originated
in the following accidental occurrence. Some
years ago I received private information, that
a travelling tinker, who occasionally visited these
mountains to make and repair the tin stills used
by the peasantry in illicit distillation, was in the
constant habit of destroying fish, and he was
represented as being a most successful poacher.
was returning down the river after an unfavour-
able day, a wearied and a disappointed fisher-
man, and observed, at a short distance, a man
chased across the bogs by several others, and
eventually overtaken and secured. It was the un-
fortunate tinker, surprised by the keepers in the
very act of landing a splendid salmon ; two, re-
cently killed, were discovered in his wallet, and
yet that blessed day I could not hook a fish !
He was forthwith placed in durance before « my
Honour," to undergo the pains and penalties of
his crime. He was a strange, raw-boned, wild-
looking animal, and I half suspect Sir NN'alter
Scott had seen him before he sketched Watt.
Tinlin in the Lay. He was a convicted felon—
he had no plea to offer, for he was taken in the
very fact. But he made two propositions where-
withal to obtain his liberty—"He would never sin
again—or he would fight any two of the captors."
My heart yearned towards him—he was after all
a brother—and, admitting that rod and coat
were not worth threepence, still he was an adept
in the gentle art,' although the most ragged
disciple that ever Izaac boasted. I forgave him,
dismissed the captors, and ordered him to the
lodge for refreshment. My Honour had no
sport,' and he looked carelessly at my flies.
Would I condescend to try one of his He
put a strange-looking combination of wool and
feathers on the casting-line. There was a fine
pool near us—l tried it, and the second cast I
was fast in a twelve-pound salmon; My ragged
friend remained with me some days; and in his
sober intervals, few and far between' gave me
lessons in the art, that have been mote service-
able than any I had hitherto acquired.— lOW
Sports of the West.

As far as present appearances and reports go,
there are likely to be fewer petitions against returns to the
next Parliament than have ever been known. This--
should it turn out to be the cave—will be favourable tes-
timony to the working of the Reform Act.
It is said that the KING, the QUEEN, and
all the Royal Family intend to go to Lille, to meet the
troops and the Dukes of ORLEANS and NEMOURS ppm
their return from Belgium. The KING and QUEEN of the
Belgians will also go thither from Brussels, to meet the
Royal Family of France.—French Paper.

The iViorning Post asserts, that in the event
of a hill being introduced into Parliament to reform the
abuses of the Church, the bishops will resign their sacred
functions in a body. Horrible ! What, the bishops turn
out! Stop your hands, ye Ministers, it must not he—the
country will be ruined !! !--Blackburn Gazette.
During one of the dark and stormy nights of
Last week, a foreign small vessel, and supposed to tie
Swedish, from Malaga for Gottenburg, struck on a rock
about two miles N. W. of St. Agnes (Scilly) and went
our
fathoms
her
B uconsiderablet masts little still
of
ta
thned cinagrg, in h a
s ab
yoe utt
i down ; thowe is every reason to fear that all her crew
sf
m of w,
perished ! The circumstance was not known till Sunday
last, when the appearance of soma boxes of fruit (chiefly
raisins and oranges) led to an investigation, and the vessel
wa at f o nd, w a itr
part of it exceedingly
erection of a lighthouse on one of the islets or
een
saved ; and the continued violence of the weather renders
the
doubtful. The
west of St. Agnes, and some milts further ant
ii tot
f h
anyan that island, has sometimes beets suggested
rocks
7ebetco e recoveryothe
a i
after easual!ies of the above kind, but sufficient attention
does not appear to have been yet given to so desiri.b'e
measure.—Falmouth Cornubian. i
It is a singular custom amongst tne nn•
keepers in the Cevennes, th it they always lay the whole
loaf on table at the traveller.' meal, and, when he rises
from table, carry it forthwith to the scale. He is after_
wards called upon to pay for no more than the positive de.
hcieucy in weight which the loaf Das incurrod twist- Vs
bawds,