The Sun.
London, England, 1861-02-18 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, MONDAY EvENING, FEBRUARY 18, 1861.

SYMPTO2IIB OF A GALE.

The folloNving letter appeared in the Times
r,—A letter in the limes this day from Mr.
Sackson, of Hartlepool, not only requires some re-
marks from me (as the meteorological officer aeting
Under authority of the &ant of Trade), but iilaY
be ussed as a peg on which to hang a few sentences
of practical information about a frequently misun-
derstood fact—the rising of a barometer before and
during a northerly north-west to tiotth-easterly)
gale.

- Mr, Jackson says that the barometer had been
"low with south-west winds; on Friday morning
began to rise, and continued rising, With a decreas-
ing temperature, Friday, Saturday. and Sunday,
from 24 hours before the gale to 24 hours after."
And if he had read the sixpenny Barometer Manual
published yearly since 1856, and circulated gratis
in many directions, especially among the fishermen
around Great Britain and Ireland, he would have
known that these very signs, after an unusually
low barometer, and southerly wind, indicated strong
northerly gales. In the morning of Wednesday,
Feb. 6, the barometers (two Kew verified) at Naitn
were at 28.66. At Pentance, only four days pre-
viously, other two similar ones were at 30.80. Prom
the Ist to the 7th of February—a whole week—the
barometer not only continued falling, or oscillated
(always a bad sign), over all the British islands,
but it fell remarkably low at some places.
On Tuesday night, the sth, it blew " a tremen-
dous gale from the south-west" at Queenstown. At
Dover the wind, early on the 6th, was reported at
10, in force, from the south-west. In South-Kent
it was called " a hurricane," and at sea, southward
of Ireland, vessels had a " south-wester" in full
violence.

Wednesday and Thursday were quiet, com-
paratively, here ; not so within a few hun-
dred miles—at Marseilles and elsewhere, per-
haps including the Black Sea ; but on Friday the
foretold northerly gale began to blow, and as it
restored the level or equilibrium of the atmosphere,
of course it raised the barometer.

Some observations in the Shipping Gazette of the
14th inst. induced me to write a letter to the edi-
tor, in which was the following passage :
" The barometer began to rise just before the gale
set in from the northward, rising more rapidly as
it blew stronger. And why ? Because the polar
current of wind was rushing, as a fluid current, to-
wards the place of low barometer, where a compa-
rative deficiency bad existed, which it not only
filled up, but, having once acquired impetus, or
mementum, filled up to a height exceeding that
which is usual, or normal, at the sea level—namely,
about 30 inches. The previous fall of the barome-
ter, with unusually high temperature, expressed, as
plainly as words, ' southerly wind, with rain.'
(Southerly including south-east to south-westerly.)
That wind, though it blew hard, did not restore the
level (or equilibrium) of the atmosphere, and there-
fore, till the polar current approached, the glass
continued to fall, or oscillated, while low. Directly
the northerly wind's approach was felt the baro-
meter began to rise, the thermometer was already
falling, and both thus moved for a time in opposite
directions, one rising for the direction of the wind,
while the other fell for its temperature."
The great practical difficulty in using a barome-
ter is avoiding the natural inclination to draw con-
clusions hastily—without thinking enough of its
foretelling properties—so often insisted on in the
Board of Trade Manual, and rather more explana-
tory pamphlet the Barometer Guide.
The main currents of atmosphere, polar and tropi-
cal, taking them on a large scale, advance along
the earth's surface side by side in nearly opposite
directions, more or less superposed, or conflicting
in every kind of combination, and turning each
other in all varieties of eddies (cyclones), though
though usually one way.
While advancing northward or southward they
move also laterally, like a ship making leeway,
towards the east, their elasticity, fluid properties,
and different temperatures (solar influence and elec-
tricity, of course, the main springs) occasioning all
the varieties of weather, all the alternations and
degree of vapour, fog, rain, snow, hail, and cloud
that we experience.
The gales of the sth, Bth, and 9th of this month
were two cyclonic combinations. One cyclone, of
which the centrical area bore north-westward from
Nairn, in Scotland, was of a large extent and slow
motion.

Its southern half was checked and temporarily
overborne by another advancing rapidly from the
southwestward, which combined with and aug•
mented the strength of the polar current that on
Friday, Saturday, and Sunday (10th) swept across
the North Sea, Western Europe, and beyond the
west of Ireland, much further and wider than the
extent of the Royal Charter storm.
Widely extenaea ana very general Irregularities
of the atmosphere (such as were shown by instru-
ments before the Royal Charter, the Whitsuntide,
the St. Kilda, and other storms) are easily noticed,
and are certain to be followed by more or less
strength of wind, although not in all, or even in
many places, because currents of wind, like those
of water, circulate, intermix, or follow one another,
moving swiftly in some breadths, slowly in others,
scarcely at all in cr near their respective centres of
circulation. Hence some places escape the violence
of a storm, while others, even near them, feel its
full fury.
Elaborate and complicated as may be the scien-
tific researches of meteorology, the practical use of
its results is happily most simple and availably
open to any one who will read brief instructions,
notice ordinary -weather glasses, and observe the
changes in the heavens.
London, Feb. 16. ROBERT FITAROY.

EXCURSION THROUGH JAPAN.

We extract from the correspondence of General
de Montauban, to the Minister of War, the follow-
ing account of an excursion lately made by him to
parts of Japan, and which contains some curious
details

" On leaving Tientsin the 22d November, I went
direct to Chefu, and visited the garrison. I there
found everything in good order, and very well
organised. The weather was extremely cold,
and the surrounding mountains were covered with
snow. Being within two days' distance from
Nangasaki, and the weather being fine, I re-
solved to pay a visit to that important port, not
being able to go in an official character to jeddo.
In order to reach the magnificent roadstead of
Nangasaki, we had to cross a Bosphorus quite as
rich as of Constantinople. The two banks are lined
with forts and defended by batteries, the guns of
which are roofed over; the mountains, which rise
like an amphitheatre on either side, are covered,
with trees, and gardens are formed on terraces one
above another, built up with stone walls. The
roadstead is excellent, and forms a large basin,
having on the western side the town, and on the
eastern different manufacturing establishments, one
of which belongs to the Russians. The town from
the sea presents rather a gloomy appearance ; the
houses are built of wood, and most of them are
only ono storey high, but on reaching the inte-
rior of it, the greatest cleanliness is observ-
able, the streets are wide, and the houses
built in a regular manner. The men are in general
small in stature, but vigorous ; those of a certain
class aro well dressed and wear two weapons, one
like an ordinary sabre and the other like a poignard,
both being handsome of their kind. The lower
orders when working
are almost in a complete state
of nudity. The women are a;:o small in size, and,
contrary to the habits of the Chinese, allow .
them-
selves to be seen in the streets as well as Lieu
houses. The young girls, some of whom are very
pretty, show no fear of foreigners, and willingly
enter into conversation with those who speak their
language. When they marry they are obliged to
redden their lips and blacken their teeth, which
gives them a frightful appearance, and is the
more to be regretted, that, so long as they remain
unmarried, they almost all have fine white teeth.
The inhabitants of Nangasaki are mild in their
manners, but possess a certain finesse peculiar to
the Southern nations of the East. They are well
behaved, and polite even to obsequiousness, and
are very industrious. There is at Nangasaki a
class of beggars who cannot follow any other
calling, and have their occupation handed down
from father to son. Their dress is clean, and
their heads are covered with a large hat, the brim
of which falls down over their eyes. Both dress
and hat are white, and they pass their time in
wandering about, stopping at every door, an-
nouncing their presence by striking a small iron
rod on an instrument of metal. It is rare that
the occupant of the house does not give them some
trifle. Everything in the town goes on in the
most perfect order, and I think it must be the same
in all the other towns in Japan. The police of the
place is carried on by Jaconmines, who are called
officers, for every Government official has a mili-
tary rank, and wears the double sabre in use in the
country. Those officers, though very polite, are
inflexible in the performance of their duties. Their
life is the penalty for the slightest infraction of
their duty. The bonzes, contrary to what is
the case in China, appear to be very powerful,
and are moreover well educated. Their dress,
which is all composed of silk and crape, with a
kind of gilded shoes, is exceedingly rich, and
bears some analogy to that of the French bishops
when they officiate on grand occasions. French
commerce is represented at Nangasaki by only two
merchants; the Dutch and the Russians have made
greater progress in- that respect in Japan than any
other Powers. Fish, game, vegetables, and fruit,
are abundant and cheap at Nangasaki but beef and
mutton are scarce. The climate is mild ; snow is
never seen, but there is a considerable quantity of
rain during the winter months. After a stay of
four days at Nangasaki, I attempted to go to
Ozaka.. No foreigner had ever yet penetrated
into that town, and the accounts given of the
Inner Sea were marvellous. All, however, that
had been said of the beauties of the country
through which this sea runs, are far below the truth.
I doubt whether it be possible to find anything
more beautiful or more curious. From Nangasaki
to Ozaka we passed in succession through five or
six lakes like that of Geneva, bordered by moun-
tains of the most verdant aspect, with trees of pro-
digious height and size, some covered with green
foliage, and others with flowers of every colour.
At the foot of these mountains are an uninterrupted
aupposainn of towns and villazes, and ports filled
with junks of every form. The inner sea is covered
with trading junks and fishing boats, fish being the
principal food of the inhabitants. The houses are
surrounded with gardens planted with orange and
apple trees, pine apples, &c. After proceeding
for three days at a rate of about 10 or 12 knots
an hour (we only moved in the daytime) we
arrived before Ozaka, but only in the outer road-
stead on account of the shallowness of the water.
I made an application to the Governor for per-
mission for some French officers to visit the town,
but did not make myself known. The Governor
was in the country, but I received for answer
that an express should be sent to him. On the
following day four Japanese officers came on
board the steamer in a handsome junk belonging
to the Government. They visited our vessel
with the greatest curiosity, and appeared surprised
to see such large guns on board. Everything
struck the imagination of these intelligent men,
who, in spite of traditions unfavourable to Euro-
peans, could not be blind to our immense supe-
waited for 24 hours for the riority. After having
reply of the governor, and being pressed for time,
I gave orders to return to Nangasaki, contenting
myself with admiring through a spyglass the town
of Ozaka. I left Nangasaki on the morning of the
14th, and reached on the evening of the 16th
Shanghai, where the troops from Pei-Ho had
arrived some days before."

LAW INTELLIGENCE.—Feb. 16.

COURT OF QUEEN'S BENCH.
SECOND COURT.

(Sittings at Nisi Prius, at Guildhall, before Mr.
Justice Blackburn and a Common Jury.) •
RAPSON V. STARK.

Mr. Collier, Q.C., and Mr. T. Jones were counsel
for the plaintiff; Mr. M. Smith, Q.C., and Mr.
Pinder for the defendant.
This was an action for breach of promise of mar-
riage. The plaintiff kept the Temperance Hotel at
Falmouth, and the defendant was a Scotch travel-
ling draper carrying his goods in a pack around
Falmouth. The plaintiff was a widow of 36, with
a son 17, and the defendant was 28. The defendant
used to stop every other Friday at the widow's
hotel. Ho became enamoured, and for five years
walked and went to chapel with her. He talked
of what he should do " when he was master there,"
and when out on his rounds carrying his pack he
wrote a great number of letters in a very bad hand-
writing, and the chief essence of his tale was,
" Hopping you arc well, dearest, as I am at present.
Your admirer, or your own George." In the sum-
'nor of 1860 the defendant went to Scotland, and
on his return he told the plaintiff, " Oh, what shall
Ido P What can I say ? I have a wife and three
children living in Scotland. Don't grieve—be pa-
tient, and perhaps Providence may interfere."
The jury gave a verdict for the plaintiff—
damages £25. •

her lowest terms, he engaged her to sing at Ger-
man-house, promising to give her even more than
that sum. She sang for four evenings for Mr.
Woodburn and his friends, and soon after returned
to London. In April he sent for her to Brighton,
and she again performed for four evenings. Sub-
sequently, at the Sabloniere Hotel, she attended at
a party given by Mr. Woodburn and again sang
for him. For these services she now claimed by
her particulars £B4, although she said she was
really entitled to double the amount. She said that
Mr. Woodburn had on many occasions promised to
pay her handsomely, and that for every hour she
lost she would be amply remunerated. Once he
offered her a cheque for £l5 on account, but she re-
fused to accept it, alleging that she would rather
have all that was due in one sum. He said he
would consult his banker, and she should be paid.
The evidence of Madame Dotti was confirmed by
Mr. Norris, member for Abingdon, who was staying
at German-house while she was fulfilling her
alleged engagement with Mr. Woodburn, who told
him that he (Mr. Woodburn) "stood champagne
and music," and that he should pay Madame Dotti.
This gentlemen spoke very favourably of the vocal
powers of the lady, as also did Mr. Beale, the well-
known musical publisher. Letters were read from
Lady Cowley, Lady Sudely, and other persons of
rank, who expressed themselves in high terms of
praise of Madame Dotti's accomplishments. Her
diploma from the College of St. Cecilia at Rome was
put in, and a certificate frem Signor Rossini, the
famous composer, by whom she was selected to sing
at a fete given at his native place—Pesaro—on the
occasion of the inauguration of his statue.
Mr. Phinn having announced that he did not
intend to call witnesses for the defendant,

Mr. Brandt proceeded to sum up the evidence at
some length.
Mr. Phinn then addressed the jury for the defen-
dant, and commented upon the improbability of the
plaintiff's case, which he designated as the result of
an afterthought, and laid great stress upon the fact
that Madame Dotti had at first claimed only £5O.

.""e learned judge, in summing up, said that the
.t.._
defendant: were justified in taking the opinion of a
jury on the case for that it was their duty as execu-
tors to protect, the t's:'
stator's estate. At the same
time it seemed to him to be a question of amount,
unless the jury thought there sad been no contract.
The jury retired, and after a shoit absence found
a verdict for the plaintiff for £B4, the amount
claimed by the particulars.

SECOND COURT.
(Before Mr. Justice Byles and a Common Jury.)
PERCIVALL V. SHIRLEY.
Mr. Hawkins and Mr. Pearce were counsel for
the plaintiff ; Mr. Huddleston and Mr. Honyman
for the defendant.
The plaintiff, a horse dealer and livery stable-
keeper at Burton-street, Eaton-square, sued the
defendant, Mr. Shirley, a horsedealer at Twicken-
ham, to recover damages for breach of a warranty
of a horse sold in the month of December last. It
appeared that a Mr. Carter had informed the plain-
tiff of the horse in question, and on a day in Nov.
last the plaintiff went to look at it, when it was
slightly lame. Subsequently, on the parties meet-
ing at Tattersalls', the subject of the recovery of the
horse was talked over, and it was alleged that on
this occasion the defendant stated it was perfectly
sound and free from lameness, and that £5O was
the price. The plaintiff afterwards sent Mr. Carter,
who purchased it at £47 10s. The morning after
it had been brought to the plaintiff's stables he put
it in a break, and it was then found that the horse
was lame, and Mr. Mayor, the eminent veterinary
surgeon, who was examined as a witness on behalf
of the plaintiff, stated that such lameness arose
from chronic. disease of the fetlock joint in the off
hind leg. The horse was immediately returned and
the defendant then asserted and now reiterated as
his defence that no warranty was given. The evi-
dence was of the usual conflicting character, and
the jury returned a verdict for the defendant.