The Sun.
London, England, 1861-09-04 00:00:00

~" ~

THE SUN._ LONDON, WEDNESDAY EVENiNii, SEPTEMBER 4,

THE BAILWAY ACCIDENT AT KEN-

TISH TO 1V.147.

!1861.

Melons are more than usually abundant this year
at Marseilles. One small commune, Cavaillow, in the Vau-
cluse, supplied the Marseilles market with 528,093 red
melons, 1,944,776 green melons, and 84,000 water melons.
These melons, amounting in number altogether to 5,437,896,
were sold, on an average, at 2.50 c, the dozen, representing
a round sum of 1,200,000 f. A magnificent revenue, when
one considers how small a surface such a crop covers.
Some gardners boast of having already realised 25,000 f. by
their melons, and the season is not yet expired.
THE FRENCH ACADEMY.—At the recent annual
sitting of the French Academy, M. de Laprade, the direc-
tor, in the chair, a most brilliant assemblage of spectators
being present, M. Villemain, the perpetual secretary, hav-
ing read a report on the competition of 1861, M. de Bernier
ascended the estrade, and read his poem on the subject of
the "Isthmus of Suez," which obtained the first prize. M.
de Laprade next pronounced an address on the prizes of
virtue. The first (3,000 f.) was awarded to the Abbe Soret,
cure of Luzarches (Seine-et-Oise), who for 19 years has de-
voted the whole of his income affording succour to the poor ;
and the second (2,000 f.) to M. Pierre Espagne, of Bordeaux,
formerly non-commissioned officer in the army of Africa,
who has saved the lives of 18 persons at different times. In
a category of works most useful to morals, a prize of 3,000 f.
was given to M. Leveque for his work on " La Science du
Beau;" one of 2,000 f. to M. Mezieres, for his work entitled
" Shakspere, ses CEuvres et ses Critiques ;" and another of
like amount to M. Baudrillart, for a volume which appeared
under the title of "Des Rapports de la Morale et de l'Eco-
nomie Politique." A prize of 2,000 fr. was accorded to M.
Mistral for his poem of " Mireio" in the Provencal dialect.
The " Enneades de Plotin" of M. Bouillet obtained a prize
of 3,000 f., and the "Consolation Philosophique de Boece,"
by M. Judicis de Mirandol, one of I,ooof. The Gobert
prize was divided ex (quo between the " Histoire de la
Liberte I4eligieuse en France" of M. Dargaud, and the
"Histoire de la Literature Francaise" of M Geruzez.
The prizes proposed for 1862 were then announced, and the
proceedings terminated.
THE CANARY BlRD.—This pleasing bird ha d
its origin in the pleasant climate and delightful valleys of
the Canary Islands, and is now spread throughout Europe,
part of Asia, and as far as Siberia. The beauty of its form,
its plummage, and its song, united with its great docility,
soon gained its admittance into the most magnificent
abodes, where every one delights in rearing and preserv-
ing it, whilst the fairest hands are often eager to present it
with the most delicate food. It was brought into our
climate as early as the beginning of the sixteenth century.
The arrival of the canary in Europe is thus described :—A
vessel which, besides its merchandise, was bringing a num-
ber of these birds to Leghorn, was shipwrecked on the coast
of Italy, opposite to the island of Elba, where these little
birds, having been set at liberty, took refuge. The climate
being favourable, they increased, and would certainly have
become naturalised, had not the wish to possess them oc-
sioned their being caught in such numbers, that at last
they were extirpated from their new country. From this
cause, Italy was the first European country where the
canary was reared. At first their education was difficult,
as the proper manner of treating them was unknown; and
what tended to render them scarce was, that only the male
birds were brought over; there were no females. The ori-
ginal colour of the canary was grey, inclining to green on
the under part of the body, and, on the whole, not unlike
that of the linnet. But this has undergone so complete a
change from domestication, difference of climate, and hybri-
dising with birds allied in species, that we now have cana-
ries of almost every colour.—Cassell' s Popular Natural
History.

SHOCKING ACCIDENT.—An inquest was held last
evening before Mr. Langham, deputy coroner for West-
minster, in Charing-cross Hospital, touching the death of a

private in the 24 battalion Grenadier Guards, stationed at
St. George's Barracks, named Jas. Hutchins. John Simp-
son, a private in the samo battalion, said that about 10
minutes to one that afternoon he was coming out of the
barrack-room on the third floor, when he observed the de-
ceased quite outside the window, with the exception of the
left foot, and before he could stop him he had got quite out and
turned to the left of the parapet. He looked out after him,and
found that he had fallen. He ran down and saw him impaled
on the railin gs, the spike entering his stomach and coming out
of his back. He had seen him only five minutes before,
and believed him to be quite sober. The height from the
window to where he was picked up was 42 feet. It was also
stated in evidence that he had performed the same feat be-
fore, and said that he considered it worthy of Blondin. A
verdict of " Accidental death" was recorded.
PIIGILISM.—THOMAS TYLER AND WILLIAM
SHAW FOR £lOO A-SlDE.—This passage of arm took place
yesterday, but was not brought to a definite termination.
At the end of a long journey, no sooner had the company
alighted, than the " rural constabulary" put in an appear-
ance, and fresh arrangements had to be made. After
steaming about for some hours, the ring, for the second

time, was pitched. The first round lasted ten minutes and
a half, but while they wfilv.l yet occupied with the second
the police again came on the scene of action, so that the
contest was once more stopped, having lasted, up to the

time the combatants left the ring, 27 minutes 30 seconds.
The battle had not lasted long enough for the least advan•
tage to be obtained on either side. Neitliet mon was in
the slightest hurt. It was impossible to make any other
attempt that day, therefore the referee arranged for a fresh
meeting on a future occasion.

IMPORTANT TO VOLUNTEERS.—At the Bristol
Council-house yesterday Mr. F. Shipton, solicitor, applied
to the sitting,.magistrates for a summons against John Her-
roll, the toll-collector at Princes-street-bridge, under the
21th and 25th Vic., cap. 126, entitled " An Act to exempt
Volunteers from payment of tolls," &c., which received the
Royal assent on the Gth of August last. By the several
sections of this Act it is provided that any toll collector tak-
ing toll of volunteers in uniform going to drill or parade, or
on duty, shall be liable to a penalty of £5, which penalty
the magistrates have no power to mitigate. From the in-
formation laid it appeared that the defendant had demanded
toll of several volunteers on passing the bridge, but on the
provisions of the Act in question being explained to him,
he promised that no such demand should be made for the
future; and Mr. Shipton, who stated that his pi;ncipal ob-
ject in appealing to the magistrates was to obtain publicity
for the rights awarded to volunteers by the Legislature, ex.
pressed himself satisfied, and withdrew his application.
A WINDFALL.—CorporaI William Harwood, of
the 3d company of the 26th Regiment, has just had the
good fortune to come into possession of upwards of £3,000.
The mother of the lucky corporal was bequeathed a portion
of the fortune of her uncle, the late Captain Whittaker, of
the Bth Hussars, who resided at Accrington, Lancashire,
and died in 1859. It amounted to more than £12,000, and
on Mrs. Harwood's death, which happened about a fort-
night ago, fell to be divided among her four surviving
children, of whom Corporal Harwood is the youngest. He
is a native of Bolton, and entered the army about six or
seven years ago by enlistment into the 68th Regiment,
from which he volunteered into the Cameronians at the
close of the Crimean war. Corporal Harwood, who we
may mention is married, has purchased his discharge, and
leaves his regiment, we understand, on Monday next.—
Edinburgh Courant.

The liquidators of the Caisse General des Chemins de
Fer yesterday brought an action before the Tribunal of
Commerce, against a gentleman named de Jaconet, to ob-
tain from him 270,6911 r. for the balance of an account-
current which he had left unpaid, the principal item of
which consisted of the purchase of 1,000 shares of
the Caisse made for him by his order. He disputed
the claim on the ground that about five weeks
after the purchase he had given Mires an order to
sell the shares, but that it had not been executed;
also that both purchase and sale formed a gambling transac-
tion, of which the Tribunal could not take cognisance. In
the event, however, of the Tribunal deciding against him,
he prayed that Mires should be condemned to indemnify
him for not having sold the shares in due time. The Tri-
bunal ordered him to pay the sum claimed, and rejected his
demand on Mires.

The grandson of Charlemagne, the Emperor
Lothaire, tired of reigning, abdicated the throne, as is
known, and became a monk in the Benedictine monastry
at Cologne, and died there. His remains were interred in
the chapel of that edifice, and his tomb for several centuries
pointed out as one of the curiosities of the city. At length
the chapel was demolished, and a new building erected on
the site. In the demolition the tomb disappeared, and all
the searches afterwards made to discover the precise spot
in which the ex-Emperor was buried produced no result.
A few days back the high alter was removed to be replaced
by a new one, and in taking down the pedestals of the
chandeliers they were found to be filled with bones partly
enveloped in white linen. Among the bones were found
fragments of paper in a state of decomposition, but on
one of them were the words " Ossa Lotharii." From
this circumstance it is assumed that the bones are those of
the Emperor.

On Monday afternoon, Aug. 12, her Majesty's
ship Edgar was lying in the harbour of Queens-
town. While furling sails two men fell overboara
from the main rigging. One was so seriously in-
jured as to have his shoulder dislocated, the other
could not swim ; and as the tide runs very strong
both woald inevitably have perished had not timely
assistance been given. Commander Waddilove and
a seaman rescued one man, and Lieut. A. Buller,
jumping from the chains, rescued the other. This
is the second seaman's life Mr. Buller has had the
happiness of saving, the first being that of a man
belonging to her Majesty's ship Prince Regent,
when in Torbay, in June, 1852. The Lords Com-
missioners of the Admiralty have requested Admiral
Erskine to express their high approbation of the
prompt and gallant conduct of both these officers
and the seaman Robert Mitchell; and we under-
stand their names have been forwarded to the Royal
Humane Society by their Lordships' command.
The last portion of the Boyne, three-decker,which
figured for many years at Portsmouth as the Ex-
cellent gunnery ship, was broken up in No. 9 dock
at that port yesterday.