The Sun.
London, England, 1826-11-24 00:00:00

EXPENSE OF ACTS OF PARLIAMENT.

The attention of the public having been recently drawn to the
enormous fees charged iu obtaining a private Act of Parliament, I
take the liberty of enclosing a copy of a bill delivered by a Parlia-
mentary Agent, for soliciting an act for improving, the town of
and I shall be glad if any of your readers will be kind
enough to inform me to whom and for what the different fees there
charged are paid. I hare seen many similar bills, but never could
procure the particulars, and I am a little anxious to know how
these fees so charged in the lump are divided ; the yeomen, ushers,
door-keepers, and all other officers about the two houses of Par::
Bement, have, I believe, liberal salaries; and therefore ought not
to tax the public with these extra fees. The enclosed bill you
will perceive, is only the Parliamentary Agent's charges—the So-
licitor's bill for drawing the act, and attending the passing of it,
arc to be added, so that we may fairly calculate that the total ex-
pent* of it was not much less than 1,288/. Surely some member
will be found independent enough to cleanse out this Augean stable,
and abolish a great part of these fees. Q.
Draft of petition, preparing notice, and settling another 41 11 6
Perusing, settling, and alteriug the Bill 4 4 0
Copies of Committee on Petition
Settling Report, and drawing order of leave

Making Copy of the Bill for the House 32 3 0
Drawing brief and fair copy for the Speaker
Copies for Committee on the Bill
Preparing amendments for the Committee ' 2 2 0
Filling up and altering Bills ' 5 12 0
Copies of Clauses and schedule for Agents, Chairman of
• Committees, Private Bill Office, CoMmittee, lngros-
sing Clerk and Press '46 4 0
Paid House on petition, and petition and Bill

_ .
Paid committee clerks, ditto
Paid housekeepers and managers ditto

IS 3
6 12

Paid doorkeepers for :delivering printed bills, corn-
- pleting bills for ingrossing clerks and for press ... 112 0
Paid ingrossing fees l4B 8 9
Paid for assistance. to examine ingrossment and proofs 12 6 0
Examining imgrovantenbt and (amendments on third
reading
Paid printing the bill and art
Paid fees in the private bill otliee, and attendaiwe, 9 2 0
Correspondence 6
6 0
Sending a bill to the Lord in the chair, and attend-
ing him
Paid house fees at the Lords, fees to yeomen, usher,
and door-keepers ... 117 9 0
Paid for order of committee and swearing witnesses 1 6 0
Paid couttnittee clerk's fees
Paid porters,, postages, small gratuities, and other
incidents
Solicitor's fees
Paid extra trouble .

Morning Herald.

2 2 0

5 18 0
t 6 0
10 10 0

SICETCHtS IN AFRICA,

£658 18 6

MADE DIMING THE SURVEY OF THE COAST OF THAT CONTINENT,
IN HIS MAJESTY'S SHIPS LEVSN AND BARNACOUTA.

No. IV.

The Mozambique Channel has been much forsaken of
late years, on account of the uncertainty of the situation of
its numerous shoals and islets; and, by being neglected,
has acquired a character which it by no means deserves.
It shortens the distance, very materially, to or from India
for all vessels leaving or bound to ports west of Madras ;
and the operation of the currents which exist here are not
to be dreaded now, when the practice of chronometers has
become universal.

The islands of this Channel, except the Commis, are
du low, flat description, of coral origin. The water is
unfathomable to a very short distance, around them all.
They afford, in general, shelter and anchorage upon that
tide which, by change of monsoon, becomes the leeward ;
but the weathermost coast is constantly beaten by a lofty
and most furious surf. Too much vigilance in passing near
them by night cannot be exercised. Upon such of them
as have been the theatre of shipwreck, ,fresh water has in-
variably been found, though (as gemerally with coral islands)
of a brackish quality. They are resorted to by ituttune-.
ruble turtle, which, and the sea birds, are their only Mini-
bitants.. These shores abound with shell and other fish,
and they are occasionally visited by the fishermen front
Madagascar, as well as the small turtle.
The Grand Comore, the principle of the group,
primitive mountain of great elevation, rising abruptly from
the sea. It afforded, one morning in September. 1824,, One
of the sublimest spectacles we ever witnessed. It was be,
tween us end the rising sun. Immense hills of cloud, of
of the cumuli modification, were passing rapidly before the
monsoon, at a little height, which, coming in contact with
the summit had its buoyancy destroyed, and its character
altogether altered, so that it was seen rushing down and
overwhelming the base of the mountain. The majestic
masses of vapour passed through a variety of splendid tints
in the course of their movements, at times so rich and
glorious as to dazzle £he eyes of the spectator.
Comore has been abandoned by shipping, of late years
in favour of Johanna, the anchorage at the latter place
being more eligible, the place more convenient, produce
more plentifid, mid, upon the whole,, the people more civi-
lized and friendly. We lied scarcely anchored at Johanna,
before canoes mine alongside, which, on account of their
narrowness, are here obliged to be sepported by outriggers,
in the manner of many of the South Sea islands ; they were
all laden with supplies=-sheep, goate, fowl; milk, eggs,
yams, sweet potatoes, pirnpkins, pines, cocoa tints, itrlB-
ess, tamarind; guavas, lac k fruit, shells, bows and
cocoa nut oil, mats, and other articles of straw arrows,work . but
we were somewhat early for their best , garden
The cargo of one canoe was the property of Ina
duals unconnected with others, and this occasioned ln
ed. our
decks to be burthened with people who could
not hi got
rid of till` ong after the sale of their commodities.
It is a colony of Arabs, who have been settled
here from
a remote period.lt formerly paid tribute to Mozambique,
but that has long been discontmued. Their own care, and

tife,
the natural fruitfulness of the island, which.,,,
Eden, suppliesihein with' such an extriiore
as would long since have placed them .st
opulent of People, had it been possible to scale
for one tithe only of their overplui4 5171
The natives of the coast of Africa, form their idea of
Europeans from what they see on board the slave vessels
or palm oil traders ; but the Johaunese derive their notions
of the English people from, the Indiamen. They are apt
to imagine there is no limit to an Englishman's wealth,
and, therefore, conclude they have. Only to ask to receive.
They have been accused of much craft in this particular,
but we had no reason to adopt such an opinion. They
are a fine looking people; most of them are respectably,
and some even elegantly, dressed. There appears no real
want among them : but, from their travelled countrymen
and others, they have imbibed a strong desire for European
conveniences, and Asiatic luxuries. All description of
finery is highly prized among them. In our dealings they
appeared just, confiding, and reasonable : end it. was with
regret we observed these fine and intelligent looking men,
who come up to the notion we might form of an Arabian,
from a perusal of the thousand and one stories, condescend.
ing to beg for the most humble employ—to attend us on
shore, to point out and•beat up the game, wash linen, &c.
and yet needing nothing more than their island supplies.
One of the chiefs, a venerable patriarch, long known to
the visitors of this island by the title of Lord Rodney, a
name which he is proud of, observed, that all his wishes
with respect to property were confined to the young girls.
" Though," said he, " I am old, and have done with them,
yet I still love them, and am never more happy than when
I have the power of presenting them with any trifle of dress
or ornament. When I land, they will flock around me
to see what I have brought them from the English ships,
and I cannel endure to disappoint them by returning
empty."
" Presents to you, Rodney," said One of the Officers,
" would be useless. You are clothed in gold, and fine
silk, and undoubtedly are very rich." " No, no," replied
he, " those clothes are not mine, but the Sultan's. He
lends theth to me when I come off, but I must return them
on lending, as well as something for. their use, and shall
assume then a very different appearance."
Rodney, though jet black, has the most perfect eastern
contour. An artist wishing to delineate a grave Ottoman
Vizier, could not possibly have a more suitable person be-
fore him.

These islanders stain the extremities of their fingers with
an intense red fluid, and their teeth are almost darkened
to blackness, by chewing' the leaf of a species of anacar.
dium. Their dress is a white cotton chemise, reaching
below the knee, bound in round the waist with a coloured
sash, in which is carried a dagger. 'Necklaces of various
kinds are worn; the turban is negligently thrown over the
head, and part of the cloth of which it is formed, bangs
down over the left side, not altogether ungracefully. The
Sultan, and principal -people, differ not from those mate-
rially, except on gala days, when a splendid mantle or
cloak is worn, and also shoes or sandals.

The arms of these people are still only the lance and the
bow. With these they are unskilful, and are much too
timid and-gentle to be warriors even for the defence of
their own island. Some few years back they were subject
to the marauding attacks of entire armies, equipped, and
sent out from Ilembatooka, in Madagascar; by these they
were annually plundered, ruined, or carried into OiVcry.
The invaders generally landed by night, surrounded the
town, and committed what havoc they pleased upon the
natives, without encountering any kind of opposition.
The Sultan, upon his visit to the Litn, produced a letter
from Radama 'the Madagascar Chief, in which he engages
to molest Johanna no more, on condition that no coun-
tenance be given to the Slave Trade. •

The town is of moderate size. The houses are of clay
or stone, and, in general, thatched with palm leaves. A
castle or fort stands on a hill above the town, and corn.
pletely commands it, provided with a few rusty, unservice-
able, light guns. The town formerly stood about one mile

further east, but was removed hither on account ,of its
eligible position for defence. The principal building is a
Mosque, which has the appearance of a light-house from
the offing.
Among other vegetable productions is the bomber, very
pientiful, and appears to be the Most considerable treat on
the island.
We invariably observed the natives, on their return from
the ship in the evening, perform an ablution in the water,
the moment after they reached the ihoro, before they pro-
ceeded homewards. The temperature of our anchorage
was from 81 deg. to $7 deg., but the town being sheltered
by the high land in its rear, was usually 9 deg. higher.
Among the animals which this island produces, is a spa-
tied of Vespertiho, answering the following description
Extent of wing, three feet two inches.; head resembles the
Vulpus; five claws on each timt ; the centre hook of each
wing is placed on a horny protuberance 1 inches long. It
is one of five, which originated at the third articulation of
the wing. The 'substance of the wing 'is a soft, black,
leathery membrane. The body 'of the animal is fox-
celotired. In the upper jaws there are •two canine •teeth,
four cutting, and eight double; in the lower, two canine,
ten double, and four cutting. The ears are short and some-
what erect. They appear the same • with those found at
Madagascar and the -Seychelle islands, and are extremely

Among other rare fish one was taken of the following
description ;—Length, 2 feet 10 inches; breadth, 4.
inches; circumference, thickest part of the body, 1 foot 9
inches ; head, casque shaped; the upper part runs out in a
blunt cylindrical horn, ti 4-10ths inches long; its form,
except the head, resembles the Scomber Pelamis, but is
less elegant; it has no scales.' bat a skin like the squalus,
only of much finer texture. The dorsal fin begins at the
hack of the head, and continues through its whole length,
with 34 radii. The pectorals, triangular-shaped, 18 radii,
compact below, and spreading at top; centrals' four radii ;
tail lobated, and its extremities diaphanous. The whole
rinloiteio :yoef
itsh the
armgoen sfupir
bolarTkinhiryilthieriisi prrzemandible.
The dye of the animal is a reddish purple; the horn very
strong, mid appears calculated only for defence. It has no
tongue; the teeth are very small in either jaw.
nipArnsatt,-I;:nlevefoout.,)eurridii?npa,ritulii•leaiflif•llienrt this desirable island
iidnied with
abundance. The people having had time to bring in from
the country, astonished us with the quantity of provisions
they were eapable.orproducing. As house
be-
tween the Cape and India,. for a body of troops, or a squa-
dron, none could be more suitable. We eommeneed get-
ting under sail with a great number of the people on
tirsrdm oa‘ilmaelti:t7tBhliey
le
hurried;but
the most intolerable noise, front the apprehension of ]arias
left on board.

will
be met with occaasitol7l:leld
ehitrile,emancipation from the Mozambique Govern-
ineSntin,ctleletyh
y m the vicinity roup ,
Red, white, red horizontal, the whit* part of the field
the folloning eitgdo, which
charged with a red triangle, wheat) base rests on the head
Of the flag.
The true site of ,the town of JOilittllnt is re deg. 9 min.
S. It and ,44 &K. min. E. long. Its longitude was
CStfiblikholl by several good ehronotneters on board thu
vessels composing the oxrdition, nand the ships on the Isle
of Franc,. station, !slid this information may be utieful to
those win, wish to regulate their time keepers at Johantlk.
sun &sceptical this evening like a sphere of burning
crahl gilding most gloriously the edges of u beautiful hank
of purp.e.
to general, we have not here such beautiful
skies as are. met 'with in the tropical parts of the Atlantics,
bat the scenery of this evening,wati matchless. The tem.
perature of this channel, between the parallel of jann„
and Cape Corielitoi, is, in the summer months,_nOosdtedg:
et"
82 deg, .5 min. at the surface, and the extreme !ranges of
the barometer seemed confined to 38 lines. We- could
never- discover the thermometer to be any index of our
approach to the coast, by a decrease of beat, though about
the Cape of Good Hope and elsewhere, it is
dedly serviceable.