The Sun.
London, England, 1844-12-20 00:00:00

VICEREGAL COURT.

The first levee for the season is officially announced to
take place on the 29th of January, and the first drawing-
room on the evening following.

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MORTALITY in the METROPOLIS

The following are the /TsCllts of "A Table of Mortality
in the Metropolis, showing the Number of Deaths from
all Causes registered in tae Week ending Saturday, the
14th of December, 1844." The Table is issued from the Office
of the Registrar-General:—

Weekly
Total. Average of
Flee Years
Epidemic, Endemic, and Contagious Diseases 226 178
Diseases of variable or uncertain seat lOB 111
Diseases of the Brain, Nerves, and Senses l5B 157
Diseases of the Lungs, and other Organs of
Respiration
Diseases of the Heart and Blood-vessels 42 21
Diseases of the Stomach, Liver, and other
Organs of Digestion►

CAUSES OF DEATH.

Disci-sea of the idneys, &e 5 s
Childbirth, DiselLes of the Uterus, &c.
Diseases of the Joints, Bones, and Muscles ll 6
Diseases of the Skin, &c
Old Age, or Natural Decay
By Violence, Privation, or Intemperance
Causes specified 1126 942
Deaths from all Causes 1201 946
DEATHS FROM THE, PRINCIPAL DISEASES INCLUDED UNDER

THE ABOVE HEADS.

Weekly Average
Total' of Five Years.
Consumption
Scarlatina 47 34
Pneumonia .
Dropsy ..... .. .. ............
Hooping Cough 26 33
Typhus....
Small Pox 5l 15
Disease of the Heart
Measles 33 28
Apoplexy .......... ... .... ... 29 18
Diseases of the Brain ......
Diarrhca.. - lO 12

Sudden Deaths
DISTRICTS.

West 176 138
North 209 171
Central
East 268 207
South 339 242

Total .... ..........1201

EXTRAORDINARY LAND SLIP.

A most extraordinary land slip happened a week
from Thursday last, the 15th, near Lebanon, New
Hampshire. About three miles to the eastward of
the village is a high conical hill, rising perpendicu-
larly on its southern side, but on the north sloping
gradually from the summit to the rich table land be-
low. This bill forms part of the property of Benja-
min I'Vurtle, Esq., and the land around it is divided
into three farms, each of which runs in a rectangular
shape into the hill, meeting together in a point at its
apex. The following is the relation of a person on
the spot at the time:—

" With one of the tenants, Robert Gourlay, I had
occasion to transact some business on Thursday last,
and having called on him at his farm-house about
two o'clock of the day, I was detained till late in the
evening. About half-past ten to'clock, as we were in=
the act of reading over some papers, preparatory to
their being signed by us, we were startled by a sudden
explosion. Our first impression was, that a piece of
artillery had been discharged in the roar of the farm
buildings, but after reflecting on the extreme impro-
bability of such an event, we referred the detonation
to an earthquake, or some subterranean convulsion.
For the next few minutes we sat in a state of con-
siderable alarm, which was augmented on hearing
unusual sounds from the barns and stables, as if the
cattle were struggling to get loose. Just as we
started from our seat, by a sort of instinctive resolve,
to ascertain the cause of this singular occurrence; we
suddenly felt the house in motion.
" At first there was a violent jerk, then a movement
onward, not unlike the first starting of a ponderous
railway train. Gradually the motion increased, until
we found ourselves moYing along at a rapidly accele-
rating rate. It was a clear starry night, and I could
see the boughs of trees in the distance passing the
windows, just as we perceive the transit of simi-
lar objects from the window of a travelling ve-
hicle. This continued for two or three mi-
nutes, and then there was a sudden stop, producing
another violent jerk, which threw my friend and ine
to the opposite side of the room. We ran imme-
diately to the door, and our astonishment may be
more easily conceived than described on discovering
ourselves in an entirely new locality. I saw at
once that a land slip had taken place ; but although
I had read of similar occurrences in the districts
around the Alps, I was not prepared for so remark-
able an instance as had just taken place.
" We found ourselves at least a quarter of a mile
from the original spot. The farm-house and out-
buildings were all entire. A range of poplars, which
grew near the barn, still occupied the same relative
position to that building. The only change observable
was that a stream which flowed a little below the
Ifarm-houses had entirely disappeared.
" The most singular result of this movement is
that the farm offices of my friend, Mr. Gourlay are no
longer upon his own farm. They have been pro-
jected upon the lands of a totally different proprietor,
and it is supposed that unless 17e manage to rent, in
addition to his old farm, the portion of land on which
his steading is now located, a good deal of nice liti-
gation will be the consequence of this sudden and un-
expected freak of nature."—Boston (U . S.) Chronicle
of Nov. 30.

SUlClDE.—Yesterday afternoon, shortly after four
o'clock, Mr. Wood, jun., :on of the proprietor of Wood's
Hotel, Lincoln's Inn-fields, entered the shop of Mr.
Rusk, bootmaker, of High Ho'bora, and requested per-
mission to go the water-closet, and, being a customer, it
was immediately granted. Having remained for a con-
siderable time, Mr. Rusk became surprised, and upon
going up stairs, to his horror discovered the unfortunate
young man quite dead, having cut his throat with a razor
hich was lying on the ground. No cause for the rash
act has been assigned.
THE PRINCE CONSORT'S PRIZE Ox.—This splendid
animal, which arrived at Windsor from the Smithfield
Club Cattle Show, on Monday last, was immediately
taken to the royal dairy in the Home-park, where it will
be domiciled during the winter,