The Sun.
London, England, 1868-10-13 00:00:00

THE SUN, _LONDON, TUESDAY EVEN

DEATH OF SIR (1, SINCLAII?:

Sir George Sinclair, of Ulbster, Caithness-shire, has
Just died, in George-street, Edinburgh. He was
born in 1790, succeeded his father in 1835. He
was M.P. for Caithness 1811 and 1818, and
1831-41. He was married in 1816 to Lady Catherine
Camilla Tollemache, daughter of Lord Huntingtower, who
died in 1863. The present baronet, Sir John George
Tollemache Sinclair, was born in 1825, and in 1853 married
Emma, daughter of W. S. Standish, Esq., of Laxbury Park,
Lancashire. The first baronet of the family was the Right
Hon. Sir J. Sinclair, D.C.L., F.R.S., distinguished as
a scientific agriculturist and statistician. The late
baronet was a Liberal, in politics, until the passing of
the Reform Bill, which he regarded as final. He was
the chairman of the committee for the election for
Westminister of Sir Francis Burdett, when the latter
had declared for Conservative principles. Sir George
Sinclair sat on the same form at Harrow as Lord
Byron and Sir Robert Peel, with both of whom he
kept up a correspondence and friendly relations. Sir
George was not only a scholar of great classical attain.
ments, but was master of the modern languages,
several of which he spoke and wrote fluently. He was
the author of various political and literary works. During
his early travels he was taken prisoner in Germany, and
brought before Napoleon 1., who vainly interrogated
him in order to turn to account information of the Prussian
army.

VII'SUVIUS.

The announcement of an approaching eruption of
this mountain, which has already been twice in
eruption within the last twelve months, indicates
an unusual activity in the South European volcanic
district. It is a remarkable circumstance that the
temporary cessation in the action of Mount Vesu-
vius, which since the end of August has done no-
thing but fume and grumble, has been marked by
the occurrence of several earthquakes in the south
of Europe. Two shocks were experienced in Gib-
raltar ; then a large portion of Turkey was shaken,
and lastly a sharp shock was experienced in Malta.
These disturbances following each other within
so short a space of time suffice to confirm the
opinion that the subterranean forces whose
effects have been experienced from time to time
over a district extending from the Canaries and
Azores across the whole basin of the Mediterranean
into Syria, form a single system, of which Vesu-
vius, Etna, Stromboli, and the volcanoes of the Gre-
cian Archipelago are the outlets. We do not remem-
ber any former instance in which the evidence has
been so decisive. The fact that Ischia and Vesu-
vius are intimately associated with Stromboli and
Etna had been confirmed by several striking phe-
nomena. When Ischia was in full activity before
the great outburst of Vesuvius in '79 the fires of
Etna had seemed to be gradully expiring, insomuch
that it was ranked by Seneca among extinct
volcanoes. But during the long interval of rest
which Vesuvius experienced before the great erup-
tion of 1,500, Etna was in a state of unusual
activity, a circumstance which Sir Charles Lyell
considers to indicate that " the great Sicilian
volcano sometimes serves as a channel of discharge
to elastic fluids and lava that would otherwise rise
to the vents in Campania." But although such
facts as these had been noticed, and the connection
of the Italian with the Archipelagic and Syrian
volcanoes had been suspected by many geologists
and seismologists, yet we do not remember any
former instance in which the temporary quiescence
of Vesuvius has been followed by earthquakes oc-
curring in portions of the South European volcanic
system so widely separated as Turkey, Malta, and
Vesuvius.

It is worthy of notice that from the time of the
great eruption of '79, Vesuvius has been in activity
only at distant intervals until the eruption of 1666.
in 1631, indeed, it seems as if the mountain were
gradually assuming the condition of an extinct vol-
cano. At that time Bracini wrote as follows :
" The crater of Vesuvius is five miles in circumfer-
ence, and about a thousand paces deep ; its sides
are covered with brushwood, and at the bottom
there is a plain on which cattle graze. In the woody
parts wild boars frequently harbour." One is re-
minded by this description of the condition of the
mountain before the convulsions which preceded
the eruption of '79. At that time the mountai❑
presented so small an appearance of activity that
the bands of slaves and pirates which flocked to the
standard of Spartacus found refuge within the very
crater of the sleeping volcano. In December,
1631, the mountain behaved much in the same
way as in '79. It first blew away, by a violent
eruption, the covering of rocks and cinders which
had supported the woods and pastures described
by Bracini. Then seven enormous streams of lava
poured from the crater. Resina, built over the site
of Herculaneum, was entirely destroyed ; and tor-
rencs of mud, caused by heavy showers of rai❑
which fell on the heaps of ashes and volcanic dust
around the cone, effected an amount of destruction
scarceley less terrible than that which resulted from
the lava streams.

But since the eruption of 1666 Vesuvius has
scarcely ever beer at rest for ten years together.
Many of the eruptions also which have occurred
during the last 200 years have been as remarkable
as any which took place before the eruption of
1666. In the great eruption of 1779 molton lava
was propelled vertically upwards to a height of at
least 10,000 feet. According to the account of
Sir William Hamilton, Vesuvius was surmounted
continually by what appeared as an enormous column
of fire, the heat of which was distinctly per-
ceptible at a distance of at least six miles on
every side. Equally remarkable, but quite
different in character was the great eruption
of 1793. In place of lava streams millons of
red-hot stones were propelled into the air. Dr.
Clarke relates th ,t these stones reached a height at
least equal to half that of the cone itself. Enor-
mous masses of white smoke were vomited forth by
the disturbed
at
ag
mountain,e
iand gathering themselves
together
several
thousand feet above
hht cf
the cone they formed a huge and resplendent
canopy, constantly illuminated by the glowing fires
within the mountain, and sculling to open from
time to time, to hurl down dark streams of volcanic
dust and vapour, mixed with cascades of red-hot
rocks and scoriae. In the great eruption of 1822,
so enormous a mass of earth and rock was pro-
pelled from the crater that an abysm was formed
extending for two thousand feet into the very heart
of the mountain. The same eruption flung down
the whole of the upper part of the cone, so that the
mountain was reduced in height by about one-
fifth.

In the eruption which took place twelve years
ago lava poured down the slopes of Vesuvius for
three weeks together. A rivtr of molten lava
swept away the village of Cercolo, and streamed
nearly to the sea-shore at Ponte Maddaloui. Ten
small craters were formed within the principal one.
In the eruption of last winter these ten craters
united into one, and continued pressure from be-
neath actually converted this crater into a cone
within the great exterior crater. This cone rose
gradually until it readied beyond the rim of the
crater, and then the molten matter of which it
consisted poured in streams down the slopes of the
mountain.

After this tremendous outburst a long interval
of rest was anticipated. But the mountain con-
tinued to fume and mutter as if its pent-up forces
had but half found relief. At length, on June 13,
the cone began to show signs of renewed ac-
tivity, flinging out largequantities of basaltic stones.
Nine days later Vesuvius was so violently shaken
that the inhabitants passed the night in the open
air, fearing lest they should be crushed beneath the
ruins of their houses. The throes of the mountain
grew gradually more violent, and the quantity of
erupted matter (chiefly basalt stone) greater until
the beginning of July. The cone was rent in
several places by the violence of the mountain's in-
ternal throes. The disturbance continued through-
out the whole of July, and after a fortnight's rest
began again, and lasted until towards the end of
August. Since then the mountain, as we have said,
has been comparatively at rest, but Gibraltar,
Turkey, and Malta have been shaken by more or
less violent earthquakes. It seems that the moun-
tain has not yet vomited forth the elastic gases
which have been disturbing its repose during the
past year, and we shall in all probability soon
witness a renewal of the energetic eruptive pro-
cesses which prevailed last year at the correspond-
ing season.

Mr. W. Bradford has returned from New-
foundland, where he has passed most of the summer in
making sketches of the wild and picturesque coast scenery
of the region.
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NG, OCTOI3ER 13, 1868.

ME YORKSHIRE HOLD TUMULI.

MALTON, Thursday.

The scientific investigations among the graves of
the ancient Britons, which at intervals, for three
years past, have been carried on by the Bev. Canon
Greenwell, of Durham, and ()Cher archeologists,
upon the Yorkshire Wolds, have been resumed, and
are occasioning much interest. Two large barrows
have been examined, both of which are prolific in
remains, and have yielded results of a valuable
nature, some of which have hitherto not been pre-
viously observed. The details of these discoveries are
briefly these :—Barrow No. 1 was GGft. in diame-
ter and 2ft. high, formed of earth and chalk rubble.
Six feet south of the centre an unburnt body, con-
tracted and laid on the left side, was found, the
head being to the south, and both hands up to the
face. This burial WPS upon the natural surface of
the ground. Three feet north of this was a burnt
body, the bones forming a round heap 10in.
through, and Bin. above the natural surface—a later
introduced burial, among the bones being two pieces
of a funeral urn. At 6f t. south-east of the centre, also
on the natural surface, was the body of a young
person on the right side, with the head to the west ;
and at 9ft. west of the centre was a second burnt
body at the 'same centre of the barrow. Here a
grave was dug into the rock, north-west by south-
east, being Bft. Gin. by Oft., and 31t. 10 in. deep.
In the filling in of the grave some teeth and va-
rious bones of a:disturbed human body, with three
pieces of urn and a piece of .jet were found doubt-
less the remains of a primary interment dis-
turbed by the digging of the grave for a later
period. At the bottom of the grave was the body
of a man lying on his left side, at the south-
east side, with the head to south-east, the body
contracted. In front of the head was a fine pierced
stone axe-hammer, the edge of which was touching
the face, the handle having been held in the right
hand. The edge had never been intended for cut-
ting, it being carefully squared, more like a modern
thin-edged hammer. The weapon or implement
is a splendid example, and has clearly never been in
use before it was interred with its owner. Behind
the head were a thumb flint and a flint flake, and
there was charcoal about the body. Closely ad-
joining this grave was another, north-east by
south-west, the two being united by an excavated
passage 2ft. wide. The second grave was Oft. by
4ft. Gin.,‘and a few inches shallower. At the north-
east end was the body of a woman, contracted, the
head to the north-east, the two burials, therefore,
being made facing each other. Touching the tem-
poral bones of the skull were two earrings of pecu-
liar construction, one on each side. They were
formed of bronze, and had been made thus :
a piece of bronze bad been beaten out flat at
one end, having a circular edge, the other end
being hammered into a pin. This had been
passed through the lobe of the ear, then the flat part
rolled back and the pin turned into it. When
once attached, therefore, the earrings must have
remained permanently fixed. Behind the head of
this British lady were two flints, and under the
body were remains of wood, as if it had been buried
on boards, and then strewed with charcoal. The
unbared skeletons lying within twin graves pre-
sented a curious spectacle. It NM generally agreed
the burials were those of man and wife. In the ma-
terials of the mound was a large number of flint
chippings, there being examples of a thumb flint, a
drill, and a tool of enigmatical use. Charcoal was
found throughout the hone, but there were very
few potsherds. The second barrow was 70ft. in
diameter, and only 1i-ft. h;gh, formed of earth and
chalk. At 16ft. south-south-west of the centre, on
the natural surface, was the body of a man, con-
tracted, on the right side, with head to west and
hands up to face. Two feet east of the hip of this
body was a child's skull, the other bones, if they
had ever been there, having quite decayed. Touch-
ing the face of the child was a very small, chisel-
like, greenstone axe, the cutting edge to the face.
Ten feet south-east of the centre was a hole 2ft.
Gin. in diameter by 2ft. 9in. deep. In this were
charcoal and various flints, and near the top a
tooth and some animal's bones. Six feet north-
west of the centre was the body of a young man,
on the left side, head to the east. Behind the
head were a thumb flint and a fine owl-shaped
flint knife. Nine feet west of the centre were
part of a human pelvis and various other
bones, disturbed by rabbit digging, or perhaps
by interment of the body above-mentioned,
Immediately west of that body, the feet of which
extend over it, was a grave north-west by south-
east, 7ft. 10in. by 7ft. Gin., and 3ft. Bin. deep. At
the east end of the grave was the doubled-up body
of a young man, on the left side, hands to face
and head to south-east. This body had been en-
cloaed in wood. About 2ft. above the body was a
remarkably fine javelin head of flint, 3lin. long,
most beautifully chipped. The investigations -are
being proceeded with on the Ganton, Sherburn,
and Wellerby Wolds.

RA ILP AY INTELLIGENCE.

ST. ANDREW'S.

The report of the directors states that the origi-
nal stock of the company amounted to £21,000,
and the debentures to £5,300, total £26,300 ; the
expenditure on capital account amounted to £26,212,
leaving a balance in the Bank of Scotland of £BB.
The revenue for the half year ending the 31st of
July last amounted to £2,051, and the expenditure
for salaries, wages, and maintenance of way, taxes,
Cc., to £727, leaving a balance of £1,324, out of
which was deducted £lOl for interest at 4 per
cent. on loans, £461 for diN :demi on capital at the
rate of 473. per cent. per annum (less income-
tax), and £595 paid to the North British Rail-
way Company for running 11,900 train miles at
Is. per mile, leaving a surplus of £167 55.,
of which one-half was paid under agreement to
the North British Railway Company, and the
other half was retained by the St. Andrews Com-
pany. The traffic receipts showed an increase of
£7l, as compared with the same half of 1867. The
reserve fund showed a balance of £lB2, and the
sinking fund £6OO in favour of the company. The
directors congratulated the shareholders on the
continued prosperity of the line, and recommended
that the dividend for the half-year on the capital
stock of the company be at the rate of 5 per cent.
per annum, free of income-tax. Mr. W. Barrie,
the company's engineer, reported that the perma-
nent way and works had been efficiently maintained
during the past half-year, and that 160 yards of
the railway bad been relaid with rails, fish-
jointed, weighing 751 b per yard. The late storm
had done considerable damage to the break-
water at Kingcaple, which was in course of repair.

MERCHAN7S' COMPANY.

(From a Correspondent.)

THE LORD MAYOR is a very decided Conserva•
tive ; so decided :that he has called down upon
himself numerous animadversions for allowing his
political partisanship to discredit his public func-
tions. Nevertheless, he was not at all satisfied
with the termination of the charge brought against
the Conservative candidate for Plymouth and two
other persons concerned in the defunct "Mer-
chants Company." We are not surprised at his
lordship's dissatisfaction. The more we examine
into this affair the less satisfactory does
it appear. We find that two gentlemen who had
been induced to connect themselves with the
above-mentioned company on the strength of the
prospectus, applied for a summons against Mr.
LANE, Mr. CHAPMAN, and Mr. HELBERT, on certain
grave charges. These charges impute the grossest
misconduct to the gentle men in question, amounting,
in fact, to fraud, such as that for which the
directors of the unfortunate 0 verencl and
Gurney Company are about to take their
trial in a criminal court. Nevertheless,
when the time comes for hearing these charges,
there is a remarkable reconciliation between
accusers and accused. The first are thoroughly
satisfied ; the second are magnanimously for-
giving. They shake hands, metaphorically, in
public, and ask the LORD MAYOR not to take any
further notice of this little misunderstanding.
They are the best of friends now, and of course
there is nothing further for them to do but to walk
out of court together arm-in-arm. The recon-
ciliation is so complete and so sudden, that
Lord Mayor ALLEN'S suspicions are aroused.
What does it all mean ? he asks. Why was
this case brought before him at it was not to
be prosecuted What is the nature of the charges
upon which he was asked to issue his warrant ?
Pray do not ask, say complainants by their
counsel. It was all a mistake. There were sundry
money disputes ; we have got an accountant to look
into the matter, and are perfectly satisfied. But
the LORD MAYOR wishes to know the grounds of
their satisfaction. Has anymoney passed ? The reply
was in the negative. Well, then, will any money
pass ? Well, one of the complainants had left all that
to his solicitor. The solicitor is then interrogated ;
and it then comes out, after much mystification, that
the " loss" which his client had sustained would be
" recouped " to him. Then there was a loss, after
all. Yes, the company had unfortunately failed—
had gone down during the great crash, which had
ruined everyone but lawyers and accountants.
The LORD MAYOR stopped short here. He
probably does not feel himself entitled to
ask why Messrs. LANE, CHAPMAN, and HELBERT
should " recoup " Mr. MOORE his " loss," if that
loss had not occurred through any fault of theirs.
It was, perhaps, beyond his province to inquire if
Messrs. LANE, CHAPMAN, and HELBERT meant to
" recoup " the losses of all the other shareholders,
and if not, why Mr. MOORE, and, we presume, also
Mr. BARLOW, the other complainant, should have
been favoured above the rest. We expect that the
public will be a good deal more curious than his
lordship allowed himself to appear. We frankly
confess that we are.

It must not be supposed that this is idle
curiosity. It is excited in the first place by the
extraordinary charges brought against the defen-
dants, and is justified by the extreme importance
of this case to the public welfare. The charges
reach us only through the pertinacious suspicious-
ness of the LORD MAYOR, who insisted that they
should be read, in spite of the great reluctance of
both complainants and defendants and the protests
of the counsel. The accusations are certainly pre-
cise and definite enough. Mr. MooRE asserts
that Messrs. LANE, HANKEY, and Co., (under
which name Messrs. LANE, CHAPMAN, and
HELBERT carried on their business), did,
in transferring that business, sell for £62,500 one
which was absolutely worthless, or " rotten," as
one of the partners himself declared it. They
support this charge by stating that within ten
months of the transfer the partners declared
themselves bankrupt, and that according to
their own account the debts of the partner-
ship were £282,498, besides £89,295 private
debts of the partners, whereof Mr. LANE
owed £70,000. Mr. MOORE adds, that no divi-
dend has yetbeen paid on this total of £372,000, and
that "consequently, at the time of the issuing of the
said prospectus (of the company), the said Messrs.
LANE, HANKEY, and Co. were and had been for
some time past hopelessly insolvent, and must
have stopped payment but for the fraud committed
upon me and other shareholders of the said
company by the misrepresentations aforesaid, and
the amount of debentures, shares, and cash contained
by them thereby." Mr. BARLOW, who took the
post of " colonial manager " of the company,
is even more explicit. He declares that " the
statement in the prospectus that Messrs. LANE,
HANKEY, and Co. had made profits during the six
years prior to the year 1865, and which justified
the sale of the goodwill of their business to a com-
pany for £62,000, is false ; for I say that in the year
1865 they were hopelessly insolvent, and had so been
for years past, and, instead of making profits in
their business they made losses." He adds
that Mr. CHAPMAN (one of the defendants) on
May 2nd, 1866, "informed me that the said firm
of LANE, HANKEY, and Co. ought to have stopped
in the year 1861. He further said, when he joined
it in June 1863, the said LANE declared there was
£65,000 capital in the concern, instead of which it
was £75,000 the other way, and completely rotten.
I say that the said LANE, HANKEY, and Co. were
not in a position to guarantee 10 per cent. to the
shareholders, as stated in the prospectus, being at
that time utterly insolvent."
What is the answer to these terrible charges ?
They are withdrawn. Withdrawn ! Would a man
suffer himself to be called a rogue and a swindler
in a court of justice, and then allow the accuser
quietly to " withdraw" his words, shake hands
with him, and hand him over a sum of money.
One of two things. Either the charges are false,
or they are true. If they are false, Messrs.
MOORE and BARLOW have done Messrs. LANE,
CHAPMAN, and HELBERT a cruel wrong, for which
they deserve a criminal information for libel. If they
are true, the matter should not rest here. Messrs.
MOORE and BARLOW may think that they are not
bound to act the part of public prosecutor, and
having got their money back may wish to with-
draw from the case ; but public morality demands
that it should be thoroughly investigated. The
defendants, if they are the honest men we hope
them to be, have been most ill-advised in allowing
this matter to be hushed up. They should have
been the first to demand that it be sifted to the
uttermost.