The Sun.
London, England, 1850-12-09 00:00:00

COLBURN'S UNITED SERVICE.

The recent work of Sir Francis Head on the de-
fenceless state of Great Britain is, as might have
been expected, largely commented on in this number
of the United Service, and as warmly commended.
We have the first of a series of " Random Recollec-

tions of a State of Griffinage in India," which pro-
mise well ; we would, however, advise the author to
eschew al! classical quotations for the future, his
ram act do not betoken any very intimate acquaint-
ance with the language of ancient Rome. " Lady
Sale and Lady Harriet Acland" is the title of a
' paper giving a very interesting narrative of the heroic
conduct of Lady Sale during the retreat from Caubul,
and of the equally heroic conduct of Lady Harriet
Acland, who, during the American war of Indepen-
dence, shared with her husband, Colonel Acland, all
the privations and dangers of General Burgoyne's cam-
paign. When her husband was tHken prisoner danger-
ously wounded in the action at Stillwater, she at once
embarked in open boat and proceeded during the
night down the river to the enemy's camp to request
permission to attend upon him. She was ac-
companied by a clergyman, Mr. Brudenell, by a
female servant, and by her husband's valet. The
American sentinels stopped the boat, and threatened
to fire into it if it stirred before daylight, and Lady
Harriet was detained the whole night on the water.
In the morning she was permitted to land and join
her husband in hiw captivity, and was treated by the
American General Gates with every respect, humanity,
and kindness. The whole story will be found nar-
rated in General Burgoyne's history of his disastrous
campaign, and every edmirer of female heroism will
feel obliged to the editor of the United Service for
having again directed public attention to it. We
have in this number a minute account of the action at '
Ramnuggher, preceded by a review of the circum-
stances which led to the second Seikh war, in which
the errors of those in authority in the Punjaub are
unsparingly exposed. There are several other excel-
lent professional papers in this number.

HARRISON AINSWORTH'S ROMANCES.
Vol. XII —AURIOL.

For wiling away a winter's evening, about the fes-
tive time of Christmas, commend us to this little
volume from the pen of Harrison Ainsworth ! As
the twelfth instalment of his republished and collected
writings it will be found a delightful pendant to his
more well known productions. " Auriol" we re-
member on it appearance as a magazine story, espe-
cially that famous conceit about the " enchanted
chairs," which at the time fixed itself indelibly on
our imagination. The narrative is interesting, if for
no other reason, as a study from the literary portfolio
of the novelist—revealing to us the power, and facility
with which he can dash in those broad touches of light
and shade which make up the chiaroscuro of his re-
markable compositions. The perusal of " Auriol," in
this respect, is, to our thinking, investAl with some-
what the same pleasurable feelings with which we
might take up an outline sketch in crayons from the
hand of Salvator Rosa. It betrays the play and
vigour of our author's mind in the creation of a ro-
mance. The materials—previously employed by
Godwin in his " St. Leon," and subsequently by
Bulwer Lytton in his " Zanoni"—are admirably
selected, and as admirably grouped together. They
consist of a prologue, a first and second book, and
an intermean—with such headings to the chap-
ters as "The Elixir of Life," "The Hand and
the Cloak," "The Dog-fancier," " The Statue
at Charing cross," and " The Tomb of the
Rosierucian." After the abrupt conclusion of
" Auriol " we have two of the minor sketches, from
the same master hund, one entitled "The Old London
Merchant," and "A Night's Adventure in Rome."
Besides these there must assuredly be other and earlier
effusions of a similar character, not yet exhumed from
the obscurity of forgotten magazines—sketches we
should gladly see reproduced in just such another,
volume, and the reprinting of which, we are satisfied,
would be far from proving detrimental to Mr. Ains-
worth's reputAtion. Let us see these before the issue
of the concluding volume, containing the tale of
Mendel Forest, called " Tne Lancashire Witches."

We have good ground for believing that the Portu-
guese Government contemplates the raising of a loan to the
extent of about two millions sterling, bearing an interest of
three per cent., to be guaranteed upon the sinking fund,
which at present yields 400 contos of reis per annum, a conto
being equivalent to 250/. sterling. The sinking fund, there-
fore, producing an annual amount of 100,0001., and the inte-
rest on the proposed loan taking from this a sum of 60,0001.,
it seems highly probable, according to arithmetic as under-
stood in England, that only 40,0001. will remain annually
applicable to the gradual absorption of the already existing
public debt of Portugal. If we be correct in this little cal-
culation, we cannot persuade curtelves that English capi-
talists will easily overlook the facts from which we have
drawn our inference. In our country, at least, a proceeding
similar to the one contemplated by the Portuguese Govern-
ment would not be held likely to fortify the national credit,
or to add to the security of the national creditor.—Post.

GAME.Lsws.—The poachers connected in the
Scareliffe-park affair were committed to Derby gaol, on Sa-
turday last, for trial at the March assizes. In this affair
there is another plain illustration of the evil effects of game
preserving and the severity of the game-laws. The exces-
sive preserving is a strong temptation to poach, and the se-
vet ity of the law for night poaching prompts both poachers
and keepers to severe conflicts. In this Scareliffe aflair the
head keeper (who is recovering from the attack upon him)
was nearly killed by one of the poachers; one of the
poachers was shot and died in three hours afterwards; and
it came out before the magistrates last Saturday, that the
principal keeper would have been shot by a poacher had not
another poacher interposed. Consequences such as these are
almost weekly happening; families are thereby rendered
miserable, a heavy charge i thrown upon the cetunty purse
(alio often upon pat ishes), and all for what the propensity
of many of the aristocracy for excessive game preserving. In
no county i- that propensity more displayed than in the
" Dukery" small unty of Nottingham.
ECLITSIS IN 1451 —There will be four eclipses in
the terthconting year, the most prominent of which will be
a great :inn visible eclipse of the sun. The first is a partial
3110 visible eclipse of the moon on Friday, January 17,
commencing at 40 minutes pc.st three in the afternoon, and
terminating exact]) at six o'clock ; nearly one-half of the
:noon will be obscured. The Eecond is an annular eclipse of
the sun ttn Saturday, Feb. 1, visible to us. The third is a
prtiat and invisible eclipse of the moon on Sunday, the 13th
°fluty, and the fourth is the great eclipse of the sun on
Monday, the 28th of July ; the greatest solar eclipse we
shall have in England until blareh 1858. It begins 2h.
3m.-18s.

THE LAST PlrE.-41Wil1 the Thatcher," who way
seen proceNting from Bonvilstone, with a lighted pipe in his
mouth, on Thursday night last, was found next morning
burnt to death by the roadside, supposed to have resulted
from 'lacing his lighted ripe in his pocket, and his clothes
igniting, while he slept by the hedge.--Nonmouth