The Sun.
London, England, 1832-12-27 00:00:00

CATCHING A TARTAR.

~ Last summer, I was witness to a curious

I scene ; running through the Sound of Achil in
my hooker at a short distance from me, I ob-
served several men, who appeared to be prac-
tising a quadrille over the thafts and gunnels of
a row-boat ; they never rested for a moment, but
continued jumping from stem to stern, and
springing from bench to bench. Struck by the
oddity of their proceedings, I eased away the
sheets and ran down upon them ; I was a wel-
come ally, as the result proved. It turned out,
that having espied a seal and her cub sleeping
on the sand, they had procured an old musket
and rowed over to attack them ; they were par-
tially successful, and seized the cub before it
could regain its native element, although the
dam rendered all assistance possible to relieve
the young one. Having placed their prize in the
boat, they were returning, followed by the old
seal, which kept rising beside them, attracted
by the cries of the cub ; after many bootless
attempts, their gun at last exploded, the ball
entered the seal's head, and for a moment she
appeared dying. The captors, seizing her by
the tail and fins, with an united exertion
dragged her into the boat—but this exploit had
nearly ended in a tragedy. Stunned only by
the wound, the animal instantly recovered, and,
irritated by pain and maddened by the cries of
her cub, attacked her captors fiercely ; every
exertion they could make was necessary to save
them from her tusks, and their oars were too long
and clumsy to enable them to strike her with
effect. I came most opportunely to the
rescue, and by driving a carbine-bullet through
the seal's brain brought the battle to a close.
Never was the old saw of " Catching a Tartar"
more thoroughly exemplified ; and though we
laughed at their terror-stricken countenances,
the deep incisions made in the oars and gun-
nels by the tusks of the enraged animal, showed
that galopading with an angry seal is any thing
but pleasure.— Wild Sports of the West.

It is intended to invite Mr. COKE to a public
dinner at Norwich, in honour of his political integrity and
private worth, as exhibited during a period of nearly sixty
years. This homage will be appreciated by him the more
highly because it takes place after the effervescence of
party spirit, so far as he is personally concerned, has sub-
sided. It is a homage to Mr. COKE'S public integrity
and private worth. We shall be glad to see it followed by
a small subscription, on a large scale, for a piece of plate
to the father of Norfolk agriculture as well as to the un-
compromising defender of general liberty. —Norfolk East
A nylian.

ANTEDILUVIAN REM AINS.—In the middle
of last month two fishermen, being employed on the banks
of the Lippe, near the village of Ahsen, in Westphalia,
and at a moment when the water was unprecedentedly
low, discovered a heap of bones lying in the bed of the
river, and conveyed them ashore. It was a superb and
perfect specimen of a mammoth's head, in excellent pre-
servation, and of an unusual size. For instance the four
grinders are from six to nine inches in diameter, and the
two tusks, one of which was found adhering to the chin
bone, are between three and four feet in length. The
fishermen parted with their prize for a mere song, and it
was conveyed to Ilaltern, where, we understand, after it
had been examined by two of the professors from Bonn,
it was sold to them for the use of the Zoological Museum
in that University. A further search has been made in
the Lippe, but without success.
A WI-mi. PARTY.—It was evident at first
sight that the soldiers were no matches for the gentlewo-
men. The rubber game was on the point of being de-
cided just as we reached the table—the soldiers had it by
honours, but, by a barefaced revoke, that would have been
detected by any but the buzzards they were playing with,
the ladies gained the point required, and had their claim
allowed. " Supper is served," said Mrs. P—..., with a
satisfactory grin ; " had we not better stop, Lady L—.—.?"
The gentlemen simultaneously popped their hands into the
pockets of their nether garments. "In how much have
I the honour to be your Ladyship's debtor ?" inquired the
Colonel, with a gracious smile. Mrs. P--- instantly
mumbled, with the rapidity of a bar-maid, " Ten points
three rubbers—only nine guineas." The Colonel started
and stared. " Nine devils !—I mean, guineas 1" ex-
claimed the Sub, in awful consternation. But the de-
crre had gone forth. " They never played higher—deep
play was detestable." The money was accordingly doled
out, anal I observed that the contents of the Lieutenant's
purse, after rendering this sweeping Subsidy, were reduced
to a solitary guinea,— Wild Spurt* of the {Pest,