The Sun.
London, England, 1861-05-11 00:00:00

A SHOWER OF 11811.

The following extract from a letter from Singa-
pore, addressed to the Academy of Sciences by M.
de Castelnau, will be found interesting :
"We experienced a shock of earthquake here
on the 16th of February last ; its duration was
about two minutes, in a S.W.—N.E. direction.
Although it caused no damage, its undulatory mo-
tion was sufficiently strong to affect certain per-
sons with a sensation akin to sea-sickness. It
was followed by rain in torrents on the 20th,
21st, and 22d ; on the latter day especially we
were for half an hour surrounded with water to
a considerable depth ; we could not see three
yards before us. When tile sun came out again I
saw a number of Malays and Chinese filling their
baskets with the fish contained in the pools formed
by the rain. They told me the fish had fallen
from heaven ;' and three days later, when the
pools were all dried up, there were still many
dead fish lying about. I found them to belong
to the Clarias Batrachus, which can live a con-
siderable time out of water, and even move to
some distance on dry land. As they lay in my
courtyard, which is surrounded by a wall, they
could not have been brought in by the overflowing
of a torrent ; nor is there any considerable one in
the neighbourhood. The space covered by these
fish might be about 20 hectares (50 acres), com-
prising the Eastern part of the town. They were
very lively, and seemed to be in good health. At
Malacca the earthquake of the 16th of February
was severely felt, and on the 23d there was another,
followed by a deluge of rain. I have particularly
remarked the singular occurrence of the fish, having
already, during my stay at the Cape of Good Hope,
had occasion to mention to the Academy the fact
of several new species of fish being found after an
earthquake. Is it admissible to suppose that a
waterspout, in passing over some large river of
Sumatra, had drawn up the fish and carried them
over ? It is not without fear I venture to suggest
this hypothesis."

COURT CIRCULAR.

WHITE-LODGE, RICHMOND-PARK, MAY 10.

Her Majesty, accompanied by Princess Helenatand Prin-
cess Beatrice, drove out yesterday afternoon. Lady Caro-
line Barrington and Lieut.-General the Hon. C. Grey were
in attendance,
The Prince Consort and Princess Alice rode on horseback,
attended by Major Du Platt.
Their Royal Highnesses Prince Arthur and Prince Leo-
pold, attended by Maj Elphinbtone, visited her Majesty.

A deputation had an interview with Earl Gran-
ville yesterday at the Privy Council-office respecting the
opening of the Glasneven-gardens on Sunday.
Despatches were received yesterday at the
Colonial-office from the Governor of Canada and the Lord
High Commissioner of the lonian Islands. Despatches
were sent to the Governors of the Bahamas, Hongkong,
Ceylon, and Malta.
MANSION-HOUSE BANQUET TO THE JUDGES.—

The Lord Mayor last night gave the usual entertainment to
her Majesty's judges and themost distinguished members
of the English bar. The Egyptian-hall, in which the
banquet took place, presented a brilliant scene when the
company, numbering about 300, took their seats.
THE SWISS SINGERS still continue their success-
ful career at St. James's Hall. Their entertainment has
the virtue of being light and agreeable, without being too
long. This latter is a great point, for the audience are
never sent away with a feeling of fatigue, but invariably
leave with a desire to go again and hear more.
MR. GEORGE TURPIN, so well known in con-
nexion with the Haymarket Theatre, where he has long
fulfilled the duties of Box-Bookkeeper with equal assiduity
and courtesy, announces his annual benefit for Wednesday
next, when a number of those who have experienced his
attention and urbanity, will be glad to acknowledge the
claims of the occasion.—Era.
A TOP ROOM IN THE TEMPLE.—Alterations have
been made in that part of the Temple since that time, and
it has not now so lonely a character as it had then, nor is
it so explsed to the river. We lived at the top of the last
house, and the wind rushing up the river shook the house
that night like discharges of cannon or breakings of a sea.
When the rain came with it and dashed against the windows
I thought, raising my eyes to them as they rocked, that I
might have fancied myself in a storm-beaten lighthouse.
Occasionally, the smoke came rolling down the chimney as
though it could not bear to go out on such a night ; and
when I set the doors open and looked down the
staircase, the staircase lamps were blown out ; and when I
shaded my face with my hands and looked through the
black windows (opening them ever so little, was out of the
question in the teeth of such wind and rain) I saw that the
lamps in the court were blown out, and that the
lamps on the bridges and the shore were shuddering, and
that the coal fires in barges on the river were being carried
away before the wind like red-hot splashes in the rain. I
read with my watch upon the table, purposing to close my
book at eleven o'clock. As I shut it, Saint Paul's, and all
the many church-clocks in the City—some leading, some
accompanying, some following—struck that hour. Tho sound
was curiously flawed by the wind ; and I was listening, and
thinking how the wind assailed it and tore it, when I heard a
footstep on the F tair.—" Great Expectations," in Diekens's
" All the Year _Round."
AN UNREHEARSED EFFECT.—The Sheffield Daily
Telegraph says :—" We regret to announce that on Friday
evening a circumstance of a painful and exciting nature
occurred at this popular place of amusement. During his
engagement at Hengley's establishment, Mr. Dan Castello
has been exhibiting his beautiful and highly-trained horse
Ducrow, and a ponderous buffalo, which he bought on the
prairies of America, and which the Indians had named
, Yellow Thunder.' after one of their chiefs, who was of
huge proportions. In order to provide against accident in
the event of the buffalo turning violent, Castello held the
animal by a rope, which was fastened to a hook through its
nose, and whenever it exhibited symptoms of obstinacy ho
applied a whip. On Friday evening the buffalo gave evidence
of more than ordinary stubbornness, and did not perform
some of the customary tricks, and when it came to that
part of the programme at which it should leap over a num-
ber of bars placed against the side of the arena, it cleared
one, and then, in the twinkling of an eye, turned upon Cas-
tello, and knocked him down. It fell heavily upon him, and
attempted to gore him, but Castello, being an active and
powerful man, struggled to free himself, and succeeded in
avoiding much of the injury which would otherwise have
been inflicted on him. The horns of the brute struck
several times against the side of the arena, and tore down
some portion of the red cloth covering. The utmost alarm
was created in the place, and great fears were entertained
for Castello's , safety. The audience, which was very large,
screamed and shouted, and several people ran out of the
place. At length Castello succeeded in escaping from his
powerful assailant, and
jumped into the boxes. The buffalo,
on losing its victim, immediately ran out of the arena the
same way that it had entered, and order was soon afterwards
restored. On inquiry, we are informed that Castello was
not dangerously hurt, that he was able to walk to a cab, and
that the most serious injury is a wound in the fleshy part of
one of his legs,"