The Sun.
London, England, 1850-09-09 00:00:00

ORKNEY ISLANDS

WE,TRAY, AUG. 29. The weather fir several
days has been wet and blowy, in cons: quence of which
the crops are much laid, and harvest is a little farther
behind than it otherwise would have b, en. A day or
two. however, of dry weather, would catue reaping,
which has already been partially commenced, to be
quite general in Oikney, as the fields in all directions
DOW present the yellow aspect of maturity. The pota-
ties are daily improving, and the turnips are excellent.
Thursday, the 22d, was a particularly stormy day.
About mid-day there was a sudden shower of bail,
which, at one part of the island, accumulated to a consi-
derable depth, and the stones were prodigiously large,
equalling in size a linnet's egg. The night of the same
day was terrific, with roaring peals of thunder and vivid
flashes of lightning, which continued for several hours.
No injury, however, in any way has resulted from either
of these storms. On Monday it blew very strongly, and
by the violence of the gale a herring fi•hing-boat, an-
chored at Rapness, Wcstray, was driven upon the rocky
shore, end smashed to pieces. On
.the same day an-
other herring boat was wrecked at the west side of the
island, hut she is not beyond repair. Little or nothing
done at the herring fishing last week, in consequence
of the state of the weather. The storm still continues.—
Inverness Courier.

SCENES and LIFE in CALIFORNIA.
Mr. John Wliitford, jun., a gentleman recently
engaged as a clerk in the service of Mr. William
Laird, a Liverpool merchant, in a letter written to
that gentleman from an Francisco, gives some inte-
resting details concerning California, and its strange
medley of inhabitants. The water, he says, at Ssn
Francisco and Sacramento city is very bad; it is
taken about in carts, and sold at one rial (123/4 cents)
per bucketful ; it causes the diarrltea, as he supposes,
on account of its miceral qualities. He expresses an
opinion " that, in the course of a few years, all the
gold regions in California will be bought from the
United States Government by large capitalists, v, orks
will be erected for washing the gold wholesale, and
men employed at high wages, and that this country
will flourish so long as the gold lasts ; and it seems
to be inexhaustible, for I have never yet washed a
pan full of dirt in these mountains- without finding
some specks of gold. Sickness, also, is a great
drawback. I would not advise any one to leave
1001. in England, with all the comfort and ease of a
good house, for California, if even they were to
make 5,000 dollars here. No one likes this coun-
try ; all come with the intention of making money
and going home again ; very few intend to settle,
for it will never be an agricultural country, except
on the banks of the principal rivers. The style of
dress at the mines is pretty much the same all over
the country—red flannel shirt, belt with knife and
pistols, and mining boots pulled over the trousers,
and a straw hat with a wide rim. San Francisco city
is about one mile and a half broad and two miles long.
It is most crowded at the water's edge. Piles are
driven into the beach, and any quantity of houses
built on them. Several ships are run ashore, their
masts, &c., cut away, and two or three stories built
above the deck ; a first-rate house is made out of a
ship. Hundreds of fine ships are lying at anchor, en-
tirely deserted ; some sink at their anchors for want
of pumping. San Francisco is very unhealthy, on
account, I suppose, of the cold north-welters that
blow every afternoon. Sacramento city is a most un-
healthy place, because it is built on a plain below the
level of the river ; the stench from the offal, dead
bullocks, &c., lying in the streets, is sickening. There
are some hundreds of Indians camped all round us in
the woods ; several come through the towns every
day. They are a miserable set of fellows, and all
carry a bow and arrows. Their dress is an old shirt,
tied with a string or belt round the waist. They are
frightened of a white man with a gun, but are sly
assassins when they have the chance. An Indian seen
at most of the mines is shot down without hesitation.
It is a difficult matter here to restrain old miners from
shooting them as they come through the valley.
People that die at the mines are buried on the tops of
the neighbouring hills. It is astonishing to see the
number of graves on some hills. One night, on our
journey, we laid our blankets and slept on a hill. In
the morning, at breakfast, we discovered that we had
slept amongst a let of graves, and were cooking on the
headstone of one."

OMNIBUS ACCIDENT.—Yesterday afternoon the fol-
lowing accident occurred in Holborn. It appears that a
youth hailed a Paddington omnibus at the corner of Little
Queen-street, and as two omnibuses belonging to rival com-
panies were both on the look out for passengers they both
drew up together. The youth selected the one nearest to
him, and was in the act of seating himself upon the roof,
when the sudden jerk of driving on threw him over the rail-
ings on to the ground, and before he bad time to get up the
other omnibus, which had drawn in behind the first, also
darted ctl; and all the four wheels passed over the poor
fellow. As speedily as possible he NM conveyed to King's
College Hospital, where he now remains in a very precarious
state. Both his legs were broken, in addition to other severe
contusions.

FATAL EFFECTS OF INTOXICATION.—On Friday
an inquest was held by Mr. W. Carter, at the George Tavern,
Bermondkey, on the body of a single woman, named Sarah
Barber, 29 veers of age, who drowned herself in the river
henry Wainwright, a currier, said he had been
acquainted with the deceased for three or four years, and
used to cohabit with her. She bad latterly led a drunken
life, and had sold ant pawned all her clothes and furniture to
get drink. lle celled upon her a fortnight ago, but finding
she was quite drunk he went away immediately and told her
he would leave her entirely. She had attempted to destroy
herself on two previous occasions; he believed that drunken-
ness had driven her mad. Another witness said the deceased
had been mad drunk for three weeks before she committed
suicide. Alfred J. Walker, a boatman, proved finding the
body of the decease.," in the Thames, off Bermondsey, and
bringing it ashore. Verdict, " That deceased destroy, d her-
self whilst in an unsound state of mind, resulting from
habitual and excessive indulgence in ardent spirits."
EXCURSLoN TRAINS.—Two thousand five hundred
persons were taken down yesterday to Bath and Bristol by
the Great Western excursion train. The excursion train
from Bristol brought up about 900 passengers. The two
trains produced about 9001., of which upwards of 8001. must
be clear profit to the company.
SENDING COALS TO NRWCASTLE.—The Ethiopian
serenaders had appeared on the stage of Bombay, to the
entire gratification of their audience; after completing an
engagement of some nights they were going es route to the
presidencies.
SEIZURE OF AN ILLICIT SPIRITS OF NITRE MANU-
F.AcTony AND Two STILLS.— On Saturday Messrs. Elroy and
Pargeter, detective officers of Excise, made a seizure of an
extensive illicit establishment, No. 1, Cook's-grounds,
Chelsea. On entering the house they discovered that it was
fitted up as a chemical manufactury, with two stills in full
operation, each capable of containing about 70 gallons. Be-
sides the stills were several carboys, containing spirits. About
200 gallons of molasses wash were in a state of preparation
for continuing the operation of the stills. The officers found
three persons in the house, ore of whom, upon seeing them,
seized a large iron chisel, and struck a carboy with it, break-
ing it to pieces, and the whole of the contents were lost. lie
would have destroyed the rest had he not been prevented.
The persons found in the house gave the names of Sawyer,
Smith, and White, who were all given into custody. These
stills, if kept at work, it was estimated, would defraud the
revenue of upwards of 5,000/. annually. On Friday the
, 'time officers seized another still at a house in York-street,
Bethnal-green.

- -
About two o'clock on Tuesday morning a fire
broke out on the premises of Douglas Mill, Lower Dud-
property of the Messrs. Gilroy, Brothers, and
Company
The destruction of property is great, amount-
ing,iihe
wteare informed, to nearly 10,000 i., a considerable por-
tion, however, of which is covered by insurance.—Scottish
Guardian.

DUBLIN, FRIDAY.—The operation of tracheotomy
was performed here a few days ago by Mr. Oven, the vete-
rinary surgeon, on a favourite horse belonging to his Excel-
lency the Lord-Lieutenant, with perfect success, the animal
having Leen labouring under an attack of influenza. A
metal tube was inserted into the wind pipe near the chest,
through which the horse has been breathing since the opera-
tion until two days ago, when it was taken out, the animal
quite recovered from the disease, and the wound
ATTEMPTED ASSASSINATION OF A CLERGYMAN.--
fbaseitnghenaollivng.

HULL, SEPT. 6.—An attempt was made this morning upon
the life of the Rev. R. Atthill, curate of Holy Trinity Church
in this town, which has created considerable excitement.
rev.
're rev. gentleman was conversing in the market-place with
a friend whom he had met,. when a. man, respectably dressed
came up, and, holding a pistol within two or three inches:
of Mr. Atthill 's head, pulled the trigrer. Fortunately,
although the cap exploded, the pistol itself hung fire; upon'
ball and
" It
dwoledaenllttlieeignfeiflylo;wwlie'alakheadllunmcoenetcerasigeadi.iny.,,mriaty,fisrasyt saying,
gentleman thought a rather ex..traordinary. joke had been
was
was then i
found
n taken kt
ne n
be into
loaded
played upon him; but, recovering from his surprise, he fol-
lowedexam i then at i man,on , Upon
a proper charge of powder, and. a powder-flask and another
tli ewphiost pistol
bullet were discovered Upon his person. Had the pistol not
providentially been prevented from going off Mr. Atthill
must have been killed on the spot, so close was the weapon
held to his head. The prisoner was taken immediately
before the magistrates, who were sitting at the time of the
occurrence, and by them he was committed to York for trial
at the next assizes. H i
is name s Edward Eelass, and, from
statements made before the Court, he appears to be insane,
and to be suffering under a religious monomania. He as.
signed no motive for the outrage.
THE LATE POISONING OCCURRENCE AT CLIFTON

Since the death of Itlrs. Rees, who, with three of her chi.
dren, was poisoned by eating a poisonous fungus in mistake
for mushrooms, another of the sufferers has died - the young-
est child of the• unfortunate woman. The two surviving
children remain in a most precarious and suffering state.
Mrs. Rees was only twenty-six years of age, and was greatly
respected. An inquest was held upon the bodies, and the
jury returned a verdict of—" Accidentally killed by eating
poisonous fungi."
A CHARM FOR WARTS —ln some parts of Ireland,
especially towards the south, they place great faith in the
following charm t—When a funeral is passing by, they rub
the warts and say three times, " May these warts and this
corpse pass away and never more return ;" sometimes adding,
in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost."—lVotes
and Queries .
of the
eilipniger is completeto the
w
Nuw Docx AND IMFROTEMENTS AT LEITH.--The
,
improvements at Leith are progressing steadily. The whole
of the timber arching reaching from the north wall of the
dock to the western breakwater is nearly completed, with
tl.e exception of the palings or fences. The piling
western breakwater is completed as far as the low water
pier.tiie
the f
rangetlie es. eastern rEnt
atones
sr
ehaddfi enegt of
from
tmhethp
Mar-
tello 'rower is in course of being removed. The Martello
Tower itself is fitted up, in the interior, for the accommoda-
tion
of a considerable number of the artillery. With
re-
gard to the new dock all the walls are completed excepting
the eastern, which is now in the course of being built. The
inverted archway of the entrance to the dock, a
work of
considerable labour and skill, is also pretty tat advanced._
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