The Sun.
London, England, 1845-09-04 00:00:00

A STRANGE EEL.

REMARKABLE DISCOVERY at HELENSBTJRGH.
As a party of gentlemen from Glasgow were out fish-
ing for eels on Saturday, opposite Ileletisburgh, one of
them hooked a fish of unusual magnitude, which gave
him a gool deal of trouble to bring to the surface of the
water. This being at length achieved, he was startled
by observing an unusual appearance about the head
of the fish a fine large eel, at least seven feet in
length, and of proportionate thickness, and called out to
his companions to come to his assistance. By their joint
exertions, it was hauled alongside of the boat, in a state
of great exhaustion ; and It was discovered, strange as
it may appear, that it &tinily had a white hat on !
Its head had gone by &snit means or other clear through
the crown of the hat, wliich had stuck firmly upon its
dorsal fin. Much wonder and amusement was of course
excited by the circumstance, and the hat upon being
examined was round marked with the initials C.K.
of Glasgo7; Inside of it were found several small
crabs, ".vhich had taken advantage of the shelter it
af:orded to fasten themselves upon the neck of the
eel, and had doubtless been the principal cause of
the exhaustion of the animal. The hat was carefully
taken off, and the eel, as if relieved from a great in-
cumbrance, appeared to have suddenly revived, and in
sinuated its body through the sleeve of a shcoting coat
which one of the party had left carelessly hanging
over the gunwhale of the boat. In another instant,
and before an effort could be made to arrest its pro-
gress, it darted overboard, coat and all, to the no small
amazement of most of the party, and to the con-
sternation of the luckless wight, who was so uncere-
moniously deprived of his garment. In the pocket
of the coat was a small whisky flask, a yellow
silk handkerchief, some railway scrip, and a promissory
note, due on Monday (this day), besides several letters,
some of which were of a tender nature. The
gentleman, whose name, for ovious reasons, we sup-
press, was at first inclined to jump into the water after
this extraordinary depredator, but was withheld by his
companions, who forthwith rowed ashore. A reward was
immediately offered for the apprehension of the eel with
the coat on, and we understand that the boatmen of
lielensburgh made several unsuccessful attempts during
the day to fall in with it, and that they will recom-
mence operations at an early hour this morning. In
the meantime, the hat of C. K. remains in proper cus-
tody—little the worse for its immersion ; and we have
no doubt it will be delivered over to him upon satisfac-
tory explanation of his proprietorship.—Glasgow Argus.

FOwEY.—The pilchard fishery here is looking
gloomy, the weans at present having taken nothing—the
weather is now unfavourable.—Plymouth Journal.
DISPUTED TITLE TO A LEGACY.—A sharp-looking
young lad, apparently not more than twelve years old, was
placed at the bar of the Borough Manchester Court, on
Thursday, on suspicion of having stolen a pocket handker-
chief from Mrs. Taylor, Great Ancoats-street. The charge
having been stated, the boy, appearing to be deeply affected,
said—Sir, it is my father's viper ; he died a short time ago,
and that was all he left me as a legacy. Mr. Maude—ls
there any mark by which you know it? Boy—Oh, surely,
Sir ; there's a little bit off the right-hand corner, and a
small hole in the middle that a fly might creep through.—
(Laughter.) Mr. Maude—Why, contrasting the colour of the
handkerchief with that of your face, hands, and clothes, one
would say, a priori, that it did not belong to you; if it did, we
should not find it in such a state. Boy—Oh, Sir, I never uses
that, Sir; I know better. I always keeps it lapped up, neat,
clean, and sacred, because of my father, sir. Mr. Maude—How
often have you been here? Boy (meditating)—Why, I can
recollect four times. Mr. Maude—You are a sharp boy, and
it is a pity you cannot conduct yourself properly. It appears
you cannot behave yourself ont of a prison, so you must go back
for three months.—Manchester Guardian.
METROPOLITAN IMPROVEMENTS —The new line of
road from the London Docks to Spitalfields Church is now
Ineenagrtlhy caonmpldcea•ne g
eThe
and
foo kerbs
foot traffic
are laidare downcarr alongie
do n its whole
nearly
th e
whole of it. The road, it is intended, shall be continued
through to High-street, Shoreditch, where
it will come out on
the southern side of the terminus of the Eastern Counties
Railway, but no preparations are at present made for the
forma-
tion of this part of it. The estimated cost of the construction
of the portion reaching from Spitalfields Church to Shoreditch
is 40,2091. It is projected that the line shall be further ex-
tended from the railway station, across Holywell-lane, Curtain_
road, Paul-st:eet, and Tabernacle-walk, into the City-road, at
the point where it is intersected by Old-street. This plan,
which would give a direct communication between the eastern
and western parts of the metropolis, would also serve as a junc-
tien to the two railways running to either side of the City,
and it is expected would ease that part of the burden of a great
deal of traffic towards the waterside. The amount required for
the completion of the project is :112,000/. The plan of im-
provements in this quarter also includes a street from the Com-
mercial-road to the end of Red Lion-street,
,in Whitecbapel.

THE NEW MERCHANT SEAMEN'S

ACT.

A letter received at Lloyd's, from their agent at the
Cape of Good Hope, mentions that masters of k'essei
had been fined several hundred pounds ht k ape Town,
for an informality in the ships articles under the New
Merchant Seamen s Act. By clause 53, it is required
that the Christian names of each party signing be written
in full. In cases where they had been abbreviated, in-
formation of such informality has been given to the
collector of customs at that place, and fines imposed in
every instance. Captain Hight, of the City of Poouah,
had been condemned in penalties amounting to 'BOl.,
who, in a letter addressed to Lloyd's agent, there com-
plains of the harsh construction put on the Act in his
and other cases, mentions the fact that in many cases
the men are incapable of writing any more than the
abbreviation, and inquires whether a man's signature,
different from his ordinary mode, would be recognised to
a bill of exchange, power of attorney, or any other
authority or agreement? And if the necessity of the ex-
ample be recognised, why should penalties be laid in
each individul case in the articles ? As one moiety of
the fines, however, is awarded to the informer, the
reason is sufficiently clear.
Under these circumstances, the shipping interest, and
particularly ship masters, will do well to exercise ex-
treme caution, and observe the rules of the Act in the
strictest sense.

THE TASMANIA CONVICT SHIP.
SOLEMN SCENE.
As it was expected that the above vessel would sail
on Saturday from Kingstown Harbour, a number of
persons proceeded to the pier to witness the impressive
and melancholy sight. The day was beautiful, the sky
was serene, the sea unruffled and smooth as a mirror—
all nature was hushed in hallowed repose, and every-
thing indicated peacefulness and happiness ; but when
the eye turned to the gloomy form of the convict ship
as it lay upon those calm blue waters, a floating
dungeon, the prison-home of the felon exile, a sadness
came over the mind from the reflection that, however
bright, and lovely, and joyous all things around it
seemed to be, within its dark and tomb-like bosorh
were enclosed many suffering spirits, whose crimes
had expatriated them from their native land, and to
whom the beauties of " the firmament above and the
earth beneath" were but as " a foul and pestilent con-
gregation of vapours." At three o'clock, through the
kindness of the commander, Win. Black, Esq., and Sur-
geon Jason Lardner, a few visitors were allowed on
board. The convicts, altogether consisting of females,
amounting in number to 137 women and 37 children,
were at this time arranged at the mess table, and had
just eaten a plain substantial dinrer. The visitors de-
scended one or two ladders which led to the prison, as
the place in which the convicts eat their meals and sleep
is called, and entered, by stooping, through a great door-
way, very much resembling that of an ordinary cell.
This prison is situated under decks, and the mess-tables,
which are constructed at each side, extend about two-
thirds the ship's length. Etch table is sufficiently large
to accommodate eight persons with ease, and at night
can be converted into a bedstead, or receptacle
for a mattress ; it is railed or boarded in like a
sheep-pen, and separated from similar tables which at
either side adjoin it. To reach these tables or leave
them it is, therefore, necessary to climb over the wooden
railings. At the time to which we allude all the con-
victs were penned in—some were occupied sewing, some
winding thread or cotton into balls ; some reading
prayers from small time and thumb-worn books—some
endeavouring " to make out" the last letter from home,
while ethers were lulling their sick-looking infants to
slumber, or sitting silently and motionless in a state of
morbid, mopitig melancholy. The hour for recreation
upon deck having arrived, the convicts prepared to
proceed there, and a few had done so when the shrieks
of a woman were heard " above," together with the
rapid steps of a female, who was apparently running about
the deck, chasing and beating every person whom she
met. Then resounded from all quarters exclamations such
as ." The mad-woman has broken loose"—" She is
coming down stairs"—" Shut the door." Some of the
women ran and hid under the tables or in the little hos-
pital which adjoins the prison ; and others, more cou-
rageous, hastened upon deck to see what it was that was
disturbing the vessel. It was soon ascertained that a
woman named Mary Kelly, who was mad, or feigned
madness, was pursuing all who were within her reach.
She had, it appeared, exhibited symptoms of violent insa-
nity, or assumed them, from the time that she was
brought on board, in consequence of which it was
considered necessary by those who had the care
of her to take means to prevent the possibi-
lity of her injuring any one. Her hands were
accordingly fastened behind her back, her feet were tied
together by leathern rings, and she was kept down in a
recumbent position by a fellow-prisoner who was selected
to guard list. The surgeon was unwilling to take
her on board as he was afraid she would disturb the
peace and order of the vessel, and he objected to leaving
the harbour and sailing until he heard further upon the
subject from the Executive. A communication was
therefore made to the Castle, and an intimation received
therefrom, that on Monday a medical investigation to
test the state of the convict's mind would take place.
On the receipt of this reply the surgeon gave directions
to liberate the prisoner. Her fetters were then re-
moved, and when she found herself free, she, as has
been already stated, tusked furiously upon all whom she
met, tearing the clothes, caps, and hair of the women,
striking the commander, surgeon, and sailors, and
creating the consternation and dismay which has
been but faintly described. The Reverend Ber-
nard Kirby, chaplain of the Grangegorman depot
for female covicts, who paid a visit to the vessel
to giro his parting and prayerful admonitions
to the unfortunate prisoners to conduct themselves
peaceably during the voyage, and virtuously for the
remainder of their lives, was in the cabin of the com-
mander at this period, and went forward to restrain the
infuriated woman. He spoke to her, reasoned with her,
and succeeded in bringing her mind to a condition of
temporary composure. He then collected the Roman
Catholics (upwards, of 100 in number) into groups at
each side of the vessel, and prevailed upon Mary Kelly
to kneel near him. The scene at this period was very
imposing. Here were a number of human beings, vary-
ing from ten yeas s old to seventy—the black glossy
curls of girlhood, contrasting with the hoary locks of
wintry age; the bright beaming eye and rosy cheek of
dawning womanhood, with the sunken tearful eye and
withered cheek of " three score years and ten"—all
kneeling to supplicate mercy from an offended God for
crimes different in complexion and kind, ascending in
the scale of criminalty from the felony of a riband to the
murder of a husband or a child ; and in duration of
punishment from seven to ton years, to perpetual tran-
sportation. Side by side knelt the miserable creature
who poisoned her husband in Kilkenny, and she who
drowned her infant in Wicklow when driven from the
door of her seducer ; and near them sported, in happy
innocence, unconscious of their degradation, unobservant
of the misery around them, happy and playful as if they
were gathering flowers in the field, two little girls
the children of the convict mothers. The Rev. Mr.
Kirby having gone through a portion of the
evening service, usual upon such an occa-
sion, Mary Kelly, being under the impression
that an old woman behind her, who was saying
her prayers in a very loud tone, had approached too
near her, turned round, and with a heavy blow laid the
poor penitent prostrate upon the deck. A. panic spread
through the crowd, several rose from their kneeling po-
sitions, and ran towards the forepart of the vessel ; in
their flight two women fell over a wet coil
.2f ropes,
which in no small degree disturbed the solemnify of the
scene ; but the service, notwithstanding this ludicrous
episode, was continued to the close. The influence which
religion had over the mind of Mary Kelly was but tran-
sient, forshe broke out again in a manner equally violent
as before, and it became a second time necessary to hand-
cuff her. The authorities of the vessel stated that they
never had a better conducted class of convicts entrusted
to their care, or persons more disposed to submit to dis-
cipline and observe the regulations which they had made.
The vessel will, it is thought, sail on Monday,
evening for Van Diemen's Land, where it will in all
probability arrive about the month of Janhary next. A
plentiful supply of provisions has been laid in,
comprising pigs, sheep, and all descriptions of fowl ;
and this fine vessel, one of the largest, most cleanly, and
most expeditious in the service of the Government,in-
tended for the transmission of convicts, has been fitted
up in every way that could ensure the comfort of those
whom it is destined to convey to exile. The convicts
will be usefully employed during the voyage in making
shirts, stockings, and other articles of clothing. They
retire to rest and rise, eat their meals and amuse them-
selves upon deck at certain hours, the rules in these
respects being very rigid. The children who accompany
their mothers are left with the m till they are two years old,
they are tben taken from them and educated at the
expense of the Government. The Rev. B. Kirby re-
turned to " Olivemount" at six o'clock. The Rev.
Gentleman ran some risk in visiting the vessel, for he
had only a day or two recovered from a dangerous
fever, in which his life was despaired of by his phy-
sicians, and which originated in exposure to cold and
over-exertion in his untiring labour to support the
interests of the benevolent institution which he has
founded. The assiduity and the anxiety evinced by
Mrs. Rawlins, the matron of the Grangegorman
Prison, in preparing each convict for the voyage,
and seeing that everything was provided for
her which necessity required, is beyond all
praise. A number of attendants have been appointed
from among the convicts themselves, the most active and
nt being selected to wait upon the rest during
their meals ; and to prevent confusion, all the articles
belonging to each convict have been numbered, the num-
ber which they bear corresponding with that affixed to
a plate worn by her. In conclusion, it may be said that
a scene such as is here feebly depicted reads a whole-
some and solemn moral lesson ; it was one which deeply
interested all the visitors, who were indebted to the
courtesy of the commander and surgeon for an opportu-
nity of witnessing it.—Saunders.

PROGRESS OF IRON Suit's AND SCREW PRO-
PELLEAS.—We understand that the firm of James Hodgson
and Co., iron ship-builders, of this town, are building, amongst
other vessels, an iron ship of 1,200 tons burden, the first of a
new line of steamers to ply between New York and Liverpool,
with engines of 180-horse power ; also one of 600 tons burden
and 100-horse power, to ply between Liverpool and Rio
Janeiro, the first of a new line of seven ; also one for Buenos
Ayres, all fitted with screw propeller and Grantham's patent
direct-action engines.—Liverpool Times.

LollftuAsvaßnEd,
Sir Henry
ry2H.
the General Steam Navigation Company's steam-ship Rain-
---unidlookredlandGedeorhgeree
yaesntedrdaHy,efErnrmy,
Rain-
how which left London the previous afternoon, and performed
the passage against a strong head-wind under 18 hours.
11.BRTFORDSHIRE.—Sir Edward Bulwer Lytton,
Bart., has recently taken up his residence at Knebworth, his
family estate in this county. The Hon. Baronet has accepted
an invitation to preside at the Agricultural Society, which
takes place on the 24th of September...-. Cambridge Advertiser.