The Sun.
London, England, 1859-08-30 00:00:00

THE DUTY OF MAKING A WILL.

The disposal of Lord Northwick's pictures, col-
lected during a life extending for nearly a quarter
of a century beyond the average term allotted to
man, occupied 18 successive days, attracted buyers
or buyers' agents from all parts of the kingdom, and
realised a sum amounting in round numbers to
nearly £lOO,OOO. So extensive a collection has not
been sold for many years. The residents and visi•
tors of Cheltenham knew its value, and will long
lament its unfortunate dispersion. The galleries at
Thirlestane-house were the pride of Cheltenham.
They were to that thriving town what the National
Gallery is to the metropolis. They were open all the
year round, without fee or charge of any kind, and
their liberal owner had no greater pleasure than
that of knowing that his pictures drew visitors by
the hundred. In like manner, at Northwilk-park,
near Campden, his lordship had built a spacious gal-
lery, which was never closed at any hour of the day
to the public, and being the only gallery for many
miles round,was greatly valued by all the neighbour-
hood. Until within the last year or two Lord North-
wick spent much of his time every day among his
pictures, and took great delight in pointing out
their beauties to any intelligent visitor who might
ask permission to see the collection. He had a kind
way of getting into conversation with young people,
and would explain the difference between one school
of painting and another, and show how to discern
the great points in a picture, where to look for
merits, and how to distinguish between good and
bad. It was a pride and pleasure to him to know that
either at Cheltenham or Northwick-park his trea-
sures were appreciated by the public. Few men of
his rank and retired habits had more public spirit.
Not his pictures only, but his whole house and park
were at the service of the public. Those who have
frequented that lovely spot for picnics or parties of
pleasure know well the hospitality with which its
noble owner would send out choice fruit or other
refreshment by way of welcome to his often un-
known visitors. As for Thirlestane-house, it was
for all practical purposes a public institution, of
which Cheltenham and its visitors reaped the bene-
fit. These splen -lid collections are now scattered to
the winds. They were brought together in the
course of a very long life, they cost immense sums
of money, and repaid their owner by the gi atifica
tion they afforded to his own refined taste and the
pleasure they afforded to others. But they are scat-
tered, and it may be a whole generation before
another collection at all approaching to it in num-
ber, value, and public usefulness shall be formed.
And it is this thought that suggests these remarks.
We contemplate the dispersion of these pictures
with two painful reflections, which, by way of cau-
tion or suggestion to other collectors, we wish to
impress upon the public. The first is the compara-
tive uselessness of collecting works of art without
some provision for their preservation. Here was
a most accomplished nobleman, devoted to art,
especially pictures. He spent enormous sums of
money in the collection of choice specimens, and was
a liberal patron of young artists of ability and pro-
mise. In the course of years he had galleries of
which any peer or millionaire might be proud. Now
where are they ? He has gone, and his pictures are
scattered all over the country and the Continent,
They are no longer a school of art. The galleries
of Thirlestane and Northwick no longer form a school
for the student or a refreshment to the amateur.
The purpose of a life is dissipated, and a new illus-
tration is given to the preacher's moral, " Vanitas
vanitatis et amnia vanitas." It was the belief in
Cheltenham, we know not on what authority, that
the pictures at Thirlestane would be left for the
benefit of the town, or, at least, that some provision
would be made by which they would be preserved
there for the use of the public. This turns out to
be a mistake. Those works of art have gone to the
highest bidder, and their sale is regarded as a great
calamity. Undoubtedly, he who collects treasures
of art in the way Lord Northwick did, and gives
the public the benefit of them during his life, does
a great service in his day and generation ; but it
is impossible not to remember how much greater
a service he renders who not only forms a col-
lection, but provides for its perpetuity. To col-
lect pictures at great cost and then sell them by
auction is to throw to the winds a large amount of
money. The differenc between purchase and sale is the
price of the owner's enjoyment during his lifetime,
and a costly price it often is ; whereas a compara-
tively small addition to this expense would save
the labour and thought of years from the auc-
tioneer's hammer, and, what is worse, from useless-
ness and oblivion. In the next place, see the duty
of making a will. These collections are dispersed
because they form a portion of the personalty of the
deceased, and there being no instructions as to their
disposal, there is no choice but to sell them, and ap-
propriate their proceeds among the heirs-at-law.
Next to the mischief of making an unfair will is
that of making none at all. Had Lord Northwick
ordered by will the sale of his pictures, however
disappointed the world might have been, it would
have been felt that he had a right to do as he liked.
But dying intestate, the sale follows as a matter of
course, an the results of a long life and large for-
tune devoted to works of art are just nowhere.
Many of our readers are men of fortune and collec-
tors ofart treasures; we think the fate of Lord North-
wick's pictures is a lesson to them. A gallery of pic-
tures left to a family or to the public is an offering at
the shrine of art; but, sold by auction, and dis-
persed among innumerable private purchasers, is
sheer vanity and labour lost.

CURIOSITIES OF THE CARBON CO2II-
-

(From the Liverpool Albion.)

The more uncertain the law the more positive the
lawyers about the desirability of dabbling in it ; and
assuredly chance seems just now to confer upon the
undermining corps a large share of the luck of that
subterranean potentate whose Mephistophelean mi-
nisters they are currently reported to he. The case
of the Carron Iron Comoany promises another Small
v. A ttwood field of most auriferous diggings, and
already they are " prospecting "awith the confidence
characteristic of their tribe, in the assurance of
lighting on a lode that will yield no end of nuggets
by the application of a moderately powerful "crush-
ing" apparatus. Not the least curious is the word-
ing of the old " Charter of Incorporation," dated
1773, and with sight of a manuscript copy of which,
transcribed in 1836, some explorers of commercial
joint-stock singularities have, during the week,
been regaled by metropolitan preservers of such
muniments. 'She document begins "George, &c.,
To all honest men to whom these presents shall
co oe, greeting." Comical sound must the words
" honest men" have had to the Dawsons and Stain-
tons every time they opened the sheepskins when
woolfishly engulping the successive shares of the
diddled individuals whom they ironically called
their " greedy partners"—cutting humourists ! The
names of persons so skilled in the sacred science of
taking care of Dowb as Dawson and Stainton do
not appear in the charter at all, the two family
parties in the copartnery being the three Cadells,
(ancestors of the once well known London pub-
lisher of Scott's works), and two Garbetts. These,
with John Adam, Ralph Lodge, John Minyer,
Ambrose Tibbetts, James Balfour, Charles Gas-
coigne, and Benjamin Roebuck, make up the total
dozen, to whom his Majesty, on condition of their
" extending the exports of Great Britain to the
kingdoms of Russia, Sweden, Denmark, and many
other foreign countries," conceded the privileges set
forth in the charter ; and it is worthy of note that
the most minutely specified provision of the
whole, (the draft occupies 19 closely written fool-
scap pages), is the very one the disregard of which
has been the cause of the whole rascality and ca-
tastrophe, namely, the holding of meetings of the
shareholders, and securing every facility for ascer-
taining the exact state of the concern at any and
every, time they might desire. It would almost
seem as if there were a presentiment of all the sub-
sequent knavery, so specific and precise are these
precautions in this regard ; but, alack for human
prescience, valueless they all proved.
It is strange also to note the confusion into which
both the cid biographers and the new commenta-
tors have fallen iu respect to the Roebuck just men-
tioned. Contrary to what is alleged in the papers,
he was not the father, but the grandfather, of the
member for Sheffield; and it is not quite clear he
was that. The Roebuck of the Carron Charter
was "Benj Amin ;" but the Roebuck whu was father
of John Arthur's father was " John," at least is so
described in the Annual Register, and all the pub.
lications speaking of him since; namely—" Roe-
buck, John, M.D., son of a Sheffield manufac-
turer, was born in 1718 ; received a liberal educa-
tion at Northampton, under Dr. Doddridge, sub-
sequently in the University of Leyden, and
settled in Birmingham as a physician :
pursuing an early taste for chemistry, he intro-
duced improvements in refining gold and silver."
When Roebuck of the Carron Works (be he Ben-
jamin or John), who was a relation of, as well as
partner in other undertakings in Birmingham, with
the Garbetts mentioned in the charter, died, in com-
parative poverty (through coal mine speculations,'
after having lost all his profits in the Carron Works,
and also those from his share in Watt's first patent
for the steam engine), his son Edward went to Mr-
dras, where Tear'em was born, in 1801 ; and it is to
be hoped, if there be law, about the nefariousness
which has invested with so much odium the ma-
nagement of the great enterprise his relative helped
to originate (also designing the furnaces and ma-
chinery, calling in the aid of Smeaton and Watt),
that the honourable and learned gentleman will de-
rive some considerable professional profits from the
forensic analysis. Perhaps, however, the true way
in which he might be of service, and a very unique

way it would be for him, is to recommend a refe-
ren'_:e of the whole muddle to some parties really
qualified to pronounce practically on the points at
issue, and disposed amicably to do so, alike for
the sake of avoiding interminable and ruinous liti-
gation, and any further exposures of these com•
mercial demoralisations, that are fast converting
the old traditional repute of Englishmen for pro-
bity into a satire among foreigners and a burlesque
among ourselves. One thing at least is certain, that
the holders of Carron shares, either of their own,
or as executors, trustees, or otherwise, can know
nothing of the true value of the property ; and about
the worst mole of finding itoutis to set an attorney
on the costly search, through the mazes and tortuo-
sities of Scotch law. The persons obviously compe-
tent to give an approximate valuation, and best ad-
vice as to the mode of testing it, are some of the
heads of the iron trades, such as the Kinnairds, of
Falkirk (close to the Carron Works) the Daniels, of
London, the Staffordshire Williams , orany ein'nent
Liverpool or other firm whose status and antecedents
offer a guarantee for disinterestedness as well as sa-
gacity in so delicace a matter. The adoption of such
a course finds favour among members of the Stock
Exchange, who naturally regard with dismay the
effect on public confidence that must result from
protracted and ex parte and necessarily most exag-
gerated statements, in connection with an historic
corporation hitherto of the highest commercial cele-
brity ;—this magnitude, launched as it was at a time
when the word "prince" was associated with " mer-
chant" in our city vernacular, and was felt to be no
misnomer ; for the British lion in those days was
never put to shame by a " stag," and Bull disdained
to have things made pleasant by cooked accounts.

SUFFERINGS AT SEA.

(From the Madras Spectator of July 5.)

On Saturday evening the barque Melanie an-
chored in the Madras Roads, having on board 12
men and the chief and second mates of the barque
Sir Charles Napier, which foundered at sea off
Acheen on the 2d of June. The Sir Charles Napier,
341 tons, Wm. Balsillie, master, was a British ship,
and was bound to England from Rangoon with a
cargo of rice, when she sprung a leak and was
abandoned by her captain and crew. Mrs. Balsillie,
the wife of the captain, at the time in a very deli-
cate state, was on board when the ship was given
up, and shared in all hardships and privations which
befel the captain and crew, and with them narrowly
escaped being brutally murdered by the semi-
savages on the coast of Sumatra. Both Captain
Balsillie and his wife are no more. They.died in
the Melanie almost within sight of Madras, victims,
no doubt, to the sufferings they underwent before
they were rescued from a situation in which their
lives were threatened every moment.
The Sir Charles Napier left Rangoon on the 17th
May on her homeward voyage. In lat. 4 N., and
long. 93 W., it was found that she was making
water hourly 18 inches, and it became necessary
to keep all hands at work at the pumps. All the
exertions of the crew, however, were of no avail.
Night and day for five days did they toil, without
taking a moment's rest, to save the ship, but the
leak pined on them every hour, and on June 2 the
water in the hold was found to be six feet. The
men were no longer able to work, and there was
no alternative but to leave the ship to her fate and
take to the boats. The three boats were lowered,
but before the captain finally abandoned her he
tried to bring the ship as near Acheen as possible,
and he succeeded in taking her to within 60 miles
of the coast. The provisions and water were all
stowed away in the jolly-boat, in which were the
captain, his wife, and three men. The chief mate
and five men were in the pinnace, while the second
officer and the remaining five of the crew took
charge of the gig. The three boats got away toge-
ther. The gig and the pinnace ran in for shelter
off a village under Acheen Head. They had nei-
ther provisions nor water, and were seen by the
villagers, who hailed them to come on shore, but
the men in the boats saw they were armed with
long knives, and their looks and gestures did not
promise a kind reception, and they refused to land.
While the men in the boats were debating among
themselves as to the best course to pursue, two
armed praos made their appearance and struck out
in the direction of the boats. The praos were large
and heavily armed •, in each there wore upwards of
50 or 60 men, all of whom carried muskets and a
description f gun which the sailors term " blun-
derbuses." The shipwrecked men had no chance
against these formidable customers, so there was
nothing for it but to bolt, which they did, followed
by the praos. The praos plied about 40 oars each,
and the chase would have been soon decided if
darkness had not come to the aid of the
ship's boats. The pinnace dropped quietly
to and was passed by the praos unnoticed,
while the gig, which kept ahead of its antagonists,
got considerably in advance, and was enabled to
anchor out of the reach of immediate danger. The
night was passed in the greatest suffering and un-
easiness. The men had neither food nor water.
Day had scarcely dawned when the sailors in the
gig saw that the praos were almost on their bows.
They tried to escape again, and stood out to sea,
but the praos gave chase, and the crew of the gig
soon became alive to their perilous position. They
therefore altered their original intention, and put
about for land. The gig was fired into by the
pirates. None of them were struck, however,
though a ball grazed the carpenter's back. The
only course was to surrender, and this the gig did,
as it was found that escape was impossible. The
pirates boarded the gig, and rifled her of every-
thing she contained, broke open the few chests in
her, and took all that was in them. They gave the
prisoners rice, and said they would send the men
to Acheen if they faithfully promised not to report
what had happened, and the sailors having done so
they were taken to Acheen overland to the resi-
dence of the rajah, where they were much cheered
to find their chief mate and the crew of the pin-
nace safely housed and comfortable. The pinnace,
it appeared, had been more fortunate than the gig.
As the chief mate understood the navigation of the
coast well, he made direct for Acheen, and
succeeded in reaching the place. They
were enabled to land and report themselves to
the rajah, who understood a little English, treated
them with all kindness, and having first provided
them with food, took them to the King, to who:ie,
treatment of them all join in bearing the most fa-
vourable test imony. The day after the crew of the gig
had joined the party in the pinnace the French ship
Jean Victor, of Nantes, anchored in Acheen roads,
and soon learning the story of the rescued mariners,
sought them out and offered them an asylum on
hoard the ship, which was about sailing for Penang.
Nothing was then known of the captain of the Sir
Charles Napier or the jolly-boat, but immediately
after dinner the same day they discovered the jolly-
boat. There were no Europeans in her ' • but she
was manned by two Madras men, from whom they
learned that Capt. Balsillie and his party were safe
on board the Melanie, which was lying lower down
the coast. It was not long before the whole party
met. The men in the gig and pinnace had the
satisfaction of seeing their captain and his wife safe
and sound again, but the trials the jolly-boat had
undergone were even more severe and more dan-
gerous than were those which they themselves had
suffered. It appeared that, having been separated
from his companions, the captain reached the island
of Pulo Brass, and had scarcely beached his boat on
some coral reefs, when hundreds of the villagers
came to the shore and asked him to land. It was
the only course open to him, and so with the assis-
tance of the islanders the whole party got safely
ashore. In fact, the islanders brought them away
on their backs, as the surf raged furiously, and in
every way evinced the most favourable disposition
towards the white men. Having landed them
safely, they led them to a hut, where they brought
them rice, and after this act of hospitality, their
friendly intentions, if they ever entertained any,
seemed to have vanished, for they positively refused
to do anything more. The fatigued people were
allowed to rest a few hours. When they awoke, the
natives refused to do anything without payment, and
the clothes the sailors wore seemed to attract their
particular attention. A shirt was given for six eggs
with
fo
.thewhich
la somedy kind of a breakfast was knocked
up
, and other necessaries Were pur-
chased in a similar manner. This doubtful behaviour
of the natives did not last long. One of them took
a fancy to the rings Mrs. Balsillie had on her
fingers, and drew his knife across her hand, which
was understood to mean that he would cut the hand
off if they were not given up quietly: These orna-
ments were accordingly given tip excepting the
wedding-ring, which. after some explanation, Mrs.
Balsillie was permitted to retain. A. few fowls were
purchased with clothes, and all that day was passed
in a dreadful state of suspense anti atitiety. To-
wards evening the islanders attacked the jolly-boat
broke open the boxes, and carried away althost
everything, not excepting the captain's chrono-
meter. The attitude of the natives was not the most
friendly. The captain and his party were entirely.
at the mercy of upwards of 100 armed savages,
when, to their great relief, two Vuropeans were
seen approaching them on land, fighting their way
through the natives, who were evidently not dis-
posed to allow them to
,join the shipwrecked party.
The captain thought they were some of his own
men, but he was soon undeceived, as they were
strangers, and proved to be Captain Barton, of the
Melanie, and Mr. Thompson, his chief mate. These
two brave men had heard at Acheen there were
Europeans in distress at Pulo Brass, and guided by
the Malay from whom they got the information,
set out to the rescue, carrying their swords with
them. The natives then gave up the chronometer
and other articles which they had plundered, and

Capt. Barton had the happiness of conveying Bal- '
sillie—and his party to the Melanie. All the sufferers
were in the highest spirits, but it was not fated
that the captain and his wife should see land again.
On June 22d Mrs. Balsillie was delivered of a girl,
which did not live many hours, and the shock she
had sustained was too much for her weak frame,
and she began to sink. On the 25th Capt. Balsillie
himself succumbed to the dreadful sufferings he had
undergone. On Thursdry, June 30th, while within
only a few miles from Madras, Mrs. Balsillie died,
and was consigned to the deep.