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

ORKNEY ISLA?DS.

WE TRAY, AUG. 29. WC2ther f.rr several
days has been wet and blowy, in elms wile() of which
the crops aro much laid, an,i harvest is u little farther
behind than it otherwise would have b cu. A day or
two, however, of dry weather, would ct.u.e respinv,
which has already been partially commeneel, to be
quite general in O,kney, as the fields in all directions
now present the yellow aspect of rits'utiy. The pota-
t ,es are daily improving, and the turnips are excellent.
Thursday, the 221, was a particularly stormy day.
About mil-day there was a sudden shower of hail,
which, at one part of the island, accumulated to a consi-
derable depth, and the stone; were prodigiously large,
equalling in size a linnet's egg. The night of the sonic
day was terrific, with roaring peals of thunder and vivid
flashes of lightning, which continued for several hours.
No it jury, however, in any way has resulted from eitl er
of these atoms. On 51onday it blew very s!rorgly, and
by the violence of the gale a herring fi,hing-bow, an-'
chored at Hapness, Westray, was driven upon the rocky
shore, and sma, bed to pieces. Oil the same day an-
other herring boat w wri eked at the west side of the
isl,nd, but she is not beyond repair. Little or nothieg
done at the herring fishing last week, in consequence
of the state of the weather. The storm still continues.—
Inver n ess Courier.

.SCENES and LIFE in CALIFORNIA

Mr. Jln Whitford, jun , a gentleman recently
engaged as a clerk in the service of Mr. William
Laird, a Liverpool tnerchan,, in a letter written to
that gentleman from en Francisco, gives some inte-
resting details conceniing California, and its strange
medley of inhabitants. The water, he says, at Sin
Francisco and Sacramento city is very bad; it is
taken about in carts, and sold at one rill (12A cents)
per buckt tful ; it causes the diarrl cert. as he supposes,
on account of its mineral qualities. lie 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, works
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 wilt 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-westers 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 bill. In
the morning, at breakfcst, we discovered that we had
slept amongst a lot of graves, and were cooking on the
headstone of one."

OMNIBUS ACClDENT.—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 of 1; and all the four wheels passed over the poor
fellow. As speedily as possible he was 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 M:. W. Carter, at the George Tavern,
Bermondsey, on the body of a single woman, named Sarah
Barber, 29 years of age, who drowsed herself in the river
Thames. Henry Wainwright, a currier, said be had been
acquainted with the deceased for three or f,ur years, and
used to cohabit with her. She had latterly led a drunken
life, and had sold alai pawned all her clothes and furniture to
get drink. lie called 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-
rees 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 deceased in the Thames, or Bermondsey, and
bringing it ashore. Verdict, "That deceased destroyed her-
self whilst in an unsound state of mind, resulting from
habitual and excessive indulgence in ardent spirits."
EXCURSION 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 NW , of which upwards of 8001. must
be clear profit to the company.
SENDING COALS TO NEWCASTLE.—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 en route to the
presidencies.

SEIZURE OF AN ILLICIT SPIRITS OF NITRE MANU-
FACTORY AND Two STILLS.— On Saturday Messrs. Elwy and
l'argeter, detective officers of Excise, made a seizure of an
extensive illicit establishment, No. 1, Cook's-grounds,
ChelFea. On entering the house they discovered that it was
fitted up as a chemical rnanufactury, 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
fur continuing the operation of the stillo. The officers found
three persons in the house, one 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. Ile
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 eslimated, Iv( ula defraud the
revenue of upwards of 5,000/. annually. On Friday the
Pnme 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-
hope, the property of the Messrs. Gilroy, Brothers, and
Company. The destruction of property is great, amount-
ing, we areinformed, to nearly 10,0001., a considerable por-
tion, however, of whichis covered by insurance.- Scottish
G

DUBLIN, FRIDAY.--The operation of tracheotomy,
was performed here a few days ago by Mr. l•yen, the vete-
rinary surgeon, on a favourite horse belonging to his Excel-
lency the Lord-Lieutenant, with perfict success, the animal
having been 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
being now quite recovered from the disease, and the wound
fast healing.

ATTEMPTED ASSASSINATION OF- A CLERGYMAN.—
a man, respectably dressed,
Hunt, SErr. 6.—An attempt was made this morning upon
the life of the Rev. It. Atthill, curate of Holy Trinity Church
in this town, which has created considerable excitement.
r e
hwaa sd
meton Nse ienng in the market-place with
came up, and, holding a pistol within two or three inches
ra friendr e vgentlemanw' o he
of Mr. Atthill's head, pulled the trigi;er. Fortunately,
although the cap explLded. the pistol itself hung fire; upon
which the fellow walked unconcernedly away, saying, " It
doesn't signify; we shall meet again." At first the rev.
gentleman thought a rather extraordinary joke had been
played upon him ; but, recoveling from his surprise, he fol-
lowed the man, who was then taken into custody. Upon
examination, the pistol was found to be loaded with ball and
a proper charge of powder, and a powder-flask and another
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. • Ilis name is Edward Kelass, and, from
statements made before the Court, be appears to be insane,
and to be suffering under a religious monomania. Ile* as-
signed no motive for the outrage.

-
THE LATE POISONING OCCURRENCE AT CLIFTON.
Since the death of Mrs. Rees, who, with three of her chil-
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 fuqi."
A CHARM FOR WARTS —ln some parts cf Ireland,
especially towards the south, they place great faith in the
following charm :—When a funeral is passing by, they rub
the warts and say three times, " May these warts and this
corpse pars away and never more return ;" sometimes adding,
" in the nanie of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost."— Antes
and Queries . .

NLW DocK AND IMPROVEMENTS 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
ti e exception of the palings or fences. The piling of the
western breakwater is completed as far as the low water
e
pier. Of the eastern pier 960 feet of the piling is complete;
while the range of stones leading from the pier to the Mar-
tello Tower is in course of being removed. The Alartello.
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 excep
Thg
tin
eastern,itnhveer:
e d
archway
entranceilithe course
oof being built, the
dock, a work of
considerable labour and skill, is also pretty far adVanced.—
Edinburgh Advertiser.