The Sun.
London, England, 1842-06-09 00:00:00

WITCHCRAFT.

The following proofs of the ignorance and super-
stition of the Scotch clergy in the 17th century are
taken from the last number of the " Statistical account
of Scotland," under the head " parish of Irvine,"
Ayrshire :

!;` Both among the laity and the clergy, superstition
was prevalent to an extraordinary and lamentable ex-
tent. Their loudest and most plaintive wailings were
raised against the sin of witchcraft, so that about the
period of which we have been writing, persons,suspected
of it were prosecuted with persevering industry by the
people; and, at the instigation of the clergy, they were
punished by the executive, with unrelenting severity.
-The leading cause of the fast which the General As-
sembly appointed in 1649, was the supposed prevalence
of witchcraft. Confession on the part of the accused
was the only attainable evidence of a definite kind, and
its validity was never questioned by the judges. Of pro-
ceedings in such cases, several instances are stated in the
records of the presbytery of Irvine. The only effort
made in dealing with the accused was to bring; them to a
fuller acknowledgment of their guilt. This being done.
the 'day of execution was appointed. Of the 22d April
1650, the record of the presbytery of Irvine bears, that,
' the presbyterie, finding that the sin of witchcraft was
growing daillie, and that in the several paroehes meikle
of the hidden works of darkness was discovered and
brought to light in the mercie of God, and that severalls
were apprehendit and in firmance for that sin, did meet
occasionallie this day to heir and receive the confession
of some, of the said sin of witchcraft, that they might
recommend the same to the. Lords of Privie Counsel' i'or
the issuing furth of a commission of assyse to sit upon
the said persons, and after hearing, the presbyterie dues
judge the confessions of the persons following, relevant
to be recommendit.' Then follow the cases of Margaret
Cooper, Janet Robison, and Catherine Montgomerie ; all
of whom confessed tile renunciation of their baptism,
communion with the devil, and the taking of a new name
from him.' Other cases of similar import might he
extracted from the record of the presbytery of Irvine :
but we pass on to another source of information, as to
the prevalence and treatment of witchcraft in Irvine,
about the period under consideration. This source is
found in the Memorials of Mr. Robert Law, page 219.
During February, 1682, silver plate was stolen from the
house of Major-General Montgomerie. A female ser-
-want was suspected, but while she repelled the suspicion
with indignation, she proffered her services for' the dis-
covery of the stolen goods. On a certain day, according
to our author, she ' goes down to a laich cellar, takes the
Bible with her, and draws a circle about her, and turns a
riddle on end twice from north to south, or from the
right to the left hand, having in her hand nine feathers.
which she pulled out of the tail of a black cock, and
having read the 51st psalm forward, she reads backward
chap. 9, ver. 19 of the book of Revelation, he appears in
a seaman's cloathing with a blew cape, and asks what
she would ; she puts one question to him and he answers
it, and she casts three feathers at him, charging him to
his place again, then he disappears at this time.' Iwo
successive times, there is a similar appearance of the
devil, who is twice met in a similar manner, when she
found herself prepared to disclose the place where the
stolen goo& were secreted, and in the place mentioned
they were accordingly found. For this service, the
Major-General committed her to prison, where she con-
fessed the charge of witchcraft, and told them she had
learned the art from Doctor Colvin, who used to practise
it in-Ireland."

FATAL RENCONTRE IN A UNION HOUSE.—On Fri-
(lay two boys, inmates of the St. Alban's union workhouse,
having had some trifling dispute, a scuffling fight ensued, when
the youngest, a fine boy of 11 years old, fell by a blow received
on his body from his antagonist, under the effects of which he
lingered a few hours, and, notwithstanding every effort was im-
mediately used by the medical officer of the union, gradually
sunk. - •
. • The Annual Meeting of the City Almshouses Cha-
rity was held at Guildhall on Tuesday. The asylum is situate
near Brixton-hill, and was erected at a cost of about 6,0004,
for decayed citizens and their widows. It was built to comme-
morate the passing of the Reform Bill, on which occasion
1;500/. was contributed by the City authorities. It has now
30 inmates.
it appears, from calculation, that from the first day-
of the meeting of Parliament to the 27th day of %lay, 1842, the
aggregate number of petitions presented to Parliament, has
been 5,725, and the number of signatures attached thereto
5,593,106.
EMIGRATION.—The number of emigrants who have
left the port of Galway this year, and the season is not yet
over, amounts to no less than 1,130. A vessel sailed from
thence on Friday for Quebec, with 186 passengers on board.
MASTER JONES.—The boy Jones, whose repeated
intrusions into Buckingham Palace excited so much attention
in England some months since, has arrived as an emigrant by
the Diamond, the Government having availed themselves of
this plan to rid themselves, effectually 'of th' preience of a
youth whom no precaution-thoroordd rake-streleeri to exclude
from the presence oligoyalty...-11isirray's,.iftrefialiatti'Reviete
of Dec. 3.

Nothing • can exceed the beauty of the weather,
:excepting it be the beaus of the country and the luxuriant
appearance of the crops. For ire- andltwenty years there has
not been such a season in Ireland; nor do we ever remember
such a prospect of an early and an abundant harvest.--Dublin
Evening Mail.
PLEASING TRAIT.—An incident occurred on board
the Viscount Bandon, which sailed on Wednesday from Graves-
end with the last detachment of the gallant 9th Lancers on
boarsl,,,which &serves record. It is thus described in the
United Service Gazette :—" A volunteer from the 15th
Hussars, named Fane, had recently married ; his pasting from
' his wife was so painfully affecting that his comrades clubbed
amongst themselves and raised the funds requisite to defray the
-expense of her pissage to Bengal, rather than sever her from
her husband. This generous act came to the knowledge of
the owner of the Beulah, Mr. Laidman, who happened to he
on board at the time, and who was so much, pleased with It he
men's disinterested generosity, and the attachment of the newly-
wedded couple, that he paid the woman's passage-money out of
his own purse, for which he was chaired, ;ideas coleus, round
the ship by the men."
THE Moons.—As the shooting season approaches,
inquiries from sportsmen in the south, whorish to take moors,
are as numerous as in former years; and Inverness bids fair to
keep up its title of the sportsman's toll-bar for the Northern
Highlands. From the continued rains in the end of last
season, the grouse beeline as, wild-as hawks, so that plenty
of birds must have been left for breeding ; and, up to
the present. period, this season has been highly propitious.
Over all the moors, except the very highest, this week
will be what is called the great hatchthe most critical
time for the tiny cheepers—and, if lain falls heavily, the
poor draggled birds are unable to crawl through the
heather, where they perish. hence
.the difference in the
numbers which compose the broods. 'ln fine dry summers,
coveys will average four or five brace, while, in wet seasons,
rarely more than half that number ever take wing. The
prospects of the season for anglers are certainly of the mo‘t
cheering complexion. Our spring salmon fishings have been
unusually good. The rivers are now teeming with fry, descend-
ing to the sea, and whey the grille season commences, every
pool will be searched by lovers of the gentle craft. The merry
month of June invites numerous piscatorial parties, where,
"in among the mountains," from Inch to loch, they pursue
the finny tribes, and enjoy, in detail, the beauties of the
Highland landscape. The following are some of the shoot-
ing quarters which are already let :—lnvereshie, to W.
Evans, Esq., of ARestree ; Corrybrough, to H. F. Whirl,
Esq.... Braham Castle, to George Stockwell, Esq. ; Knoydar
and inveree, to R. F. Shaw, Esq., of Eruntingham; Glen-
doe, to W. fcl, Wainman, Esq. ; Conon House and shooting:,
to J. -M. Bouldersoa, Esq. ; Logic, to John Ewing, Esq.—
InVernen Courier.

- ---..-..
KEN,DAL, TILURSDAY.----The crops of grain in this
reighoirrhood are of the most promising description. b po-
tatoes, the flat reds, of ishich there have be-en, as usual, man)
planted hereabouts, -have proved a failure, not one in twenty of
the set. - having made their appearance. In such cases the
ground is being re-set with those of other descriptiogs.

- -
year.
6. The first is the resignation of Mr. Griffiths, the
Inspector of the Colonial Establishments, whose con-
nexion with the Bank from an early period of. its ex-
istence the Directors regret should have terminated.
" 7. The selection of a suitable successor was a sub-
ject of much thought and anxiety to the Directors
but they have the pleasure of infbrming the Proprie-
tors that they have engaged the services of Mr.- Wil-
liam Hamilton Hart, who has been appointed to that
offic

ti. The Directors are convinced that Mr. Hart's
long exiierience in business and acknowledged talent
qualify him to discharge satisfactorily the responsible
and arduous duties of superintending the affairs athe
Corporation in the Colonies, and thst he will maintain
his previously well-established character.
. "9. Mr. Hart sailed from • Plymouth, with his
family, at the commencement. of - this year ; but iu
consequence of the typhus fever having unfortunately
broken out among the passengers, several of whom fell
victims to its effects at sea, the vessel was compelled
to pUt into Pernambuco, ill the Brazils, where a
vexatious detention of several weeks has been expe-
rienced, occupied in eradicating' the disease from the
ship. The . voyage, it was expected, would •be re-
sumed in the middle of April, and the Directors hope
Mr. Hart will now ere long reach his destination.
" 10. Mr. Griffiths continues to. conduct the affairs
of the Corporation until tke arrival of his successor.
"11. In.their last Report the Directors announced
that steps had been taken for the formation of a branch
bank. at Perth, in Western Australia, under the-ma-
nagement of Mr. Lewis. This gentleman died suddenly
soon after his arrival in the colony, but prior to that
unfortunate event he had most ably brought to a con-
clusion a negotiation entered into with the then existing
colonial bank, called "The Bank of Western Austra-
lia,' which became amalgamated with this establish-
ment. The branch opened on the 3d May, 1841; un-
der the superintendence of an efficient and influential
local Board of Directors, selected for that office by
Mr. Lewis, and has received the decided support of
the principal colonists. • The transactions have been
as extensive and profitable as could be looked for in
the infancy of the business, and the Directors re-
tain the same . expectations of the success of the
branch which they had formed when its opening was
determined on.
" 12. At the death of Mr. Lewis, which took place
on the first day that business commenced, the ma-
nagement devolved on Mr. I'Dermott, the next in
office, who had ben engaged as the accountant of the
brancl,.and who for many yearr,' had filled the situa-
tion of principal cashier of the old Bank.
" 13. The subject of the position and prospects of
the officers of the Corporation is one of 111) inconsidera-
ble importance, connected as it essentially is with the
future good management of our colonial establish-
ments, and the general prosperity of the Bank : it
.has
consequently occupied, for a lenkth of time the se-
rious attention of the Directortl.
14. It apeared to the Directors that the most ef-
fectual way of retaining the services of their -officens
would be to create a fund, out of which pensions
should be granted to those who from age or length of
meritorious service, or physical incapacity, might. es•
tablish a claim to such a provision. Acting upon
this 'view, they desire now to state that they have
passed a reSolution. (in the propriety of which they
confidently expect the cordial concurrence of the Pro-
prietors) appropriating the sum of 1,0001. per. annum
for the formation of a retiring fund, to accumulate in
Sydney at colonial interest.
" 15. It will, be some years before any claim can
arise to form a charge on this fund, and when that
period approaches the Directors will be prepared with
a digested plan for its application. In the meantime
the knowledge that such a fund exists, and that every
officer who by length of service, fidelity, and good
conduct shall be entitled to its benefits, will be enabled
to ensure to himself a future provision, will, the
Directors fully anticipate, tend to secure the con-
tinuous services of the officers in. the employment of
the Bank.
" 18, Having made the foregoing few observations,
the Directors proceed to lay betbre the Proprietors the
following statement of the results of the year's trans-
actions ending on the 11th October, 1841 :
The amount of the reserve of un.
divided profit at 12th October,
1840, as shown at the last
annual. ineeting, was .
To which 'are now to be added the
profits realised both in the Colo-
nies and London, to Ilth Octo-
ber,, 1841, after deducting all
expenses incurred, and an esti-
mated 'provision for bad and
doubtful debts, amounting to

£80,293 2 3

67,024 17 0

£147,318 0 0

1 .
From which are to be taken the
following sums paid to the Pro-
prietors, viz :
_April dividend 1841, on 10,000
shares, £l 6,000
Oct. dividend 1841, on 15,000
shares ...... ...... ... 44,000
And the bonus of 11. a 6ha r e
paid at Oct. 1841, on •
15,000 shares... 15,000 135,000 0 0

Leaving as the amount of the re,
served fund or rest on the Iltk
Oct. last
" Out of which sum the April dividend 'for 1842
has been paid, and the Directors propose declaring
the usual dividend of four per cent. upon the old or
paid-up shares of the' Corporation for the following
half-year ending in October, being at the rate of eight
per cent. per annum. Considering also the probable
lengthened period which will ellipse between the pay-
ment of the first and• following instalments on the
last series of new shares issued, it is the present in-
tention of the Directors to pay a dividend in April
next upon the first call of 10/. already paid on those
shares.
" 17. The foregoing result will, the Directors con-
fidently anticipate, be received With satisfaction by the
Proprietors. It is in itself the best test of the pros-
perity of the establislunentf and the prudence
and correctnes of.its management during a period
of severe monetary pressure. At the date of
the last accounts, this pressure still continued
to paralyse the operations of commerce, and
it is not improbable that losses may be sus-
tained by this Corporation in addition to those already
estimated ; but the Directors entertain a firm hope
thrt some improvement in the states of the colonies
Nsill before long take place. - The: Directors, how.
ever, always bearing in mind that the business of so
concern, and conducted at so great a
parent establishment; is. peculiarly
the
eingencies which no prudence can
exposedd largeistan es e bankingfrt
from
n
foresee or avert, have not tailed to avail themselves of
the opportunities which the successful results of pre-
vious years have afforded to make what is believed to
be an ample provision to meet any such low, should
they occur."
the cHAIRMAN wished to know if any Proprietor
desired to ask any
_question relative- to the Report?
Tha MCeting was aware that it. alluded to two or
three important questions ; the Meist. prominent one
-
was the eStablishment of a provide pensions
for the
of in the:c*Oloilles.,=-(Hear, hear.)
The Dtrecton thought the eAablishment of such a
fund would
_have- a beneficial' effect.-(llear, hear.)
Captain PAGE wished to know if .the'plitrieg &My
sOlVf Wald C9ntribitlit itaythinf to the find r

BANK OF AUSTRALASIA, IN+CQR-
-1 PORATED by ROYAL CHARTER.
The annual General 11lecting of the Proprietors of
this establishment was held on Monday, act their
office in .Moorgato-street, to receive the Repeat of the
Directors &c
• •
The chair having been taken hy4. S. Brovinrigg,
Esq., M.P., the advertiseinint convening the meeting
was read by the Secretary, eetors,
,and the three Directors
Oliver Ferrer, Esq., Captain Sir A. P. Green
and Alderman Sir George Cart on, going out of office
by rotation, were unanimously t.e-elected.
Mr. Mturii}:l, the Secretaryr,then read
.fol-
lowing Report :
geocy;al rules " contbrmity with the
estab-
lished for their guidance, the Directot.'4 proceed to
perform the duty assigned to them of laving before
the Proprietors their annual •Repo# of the soperations.
and position of the Bank during- the last ,Year of
account.
Every person having communication ( con-
nexion with the British colonies in Australasia must
be well .aware of the. unexampled state •of dist,•ess,
both agricultural mid commercial, under which th.sti
colonies have laboured during the period adverted to..
" 3. The continuance of tins diStress. for inure than
a year, accompanied with commercial failin•es of un-
equalled extent and importance, thlg-ht not unnaturally
-have prepared the- Proprietors to hear of an unusual
amount of casualties ; but it 'is satistlictory to the
Directors to be able to state that the ascertained
' losses do not materially exceed' those which from the
magnitude of the business might have been expected
in ordinary times.
• "4. 'The Directors perform-a most gratifying duty
in reporting to the 'Proprietors • that the conduct of
the local Directers, and that of the Inspector and
Managers at the various branches, have generally been
characterised by great prudenee, discretion, and fore-
sight ; that the zeal and anxiety displayed by all the
officers in their respective stations hate been moat laud-
able and unceasing, and that it is tothe exercise of these
qualities that the Proprietors are mainly indebted for
a result kin the year'S accounts, tow about to he laid
before them, which could hardly have been realised
had less judgment and caution been evinced. On
these grounds the gratitude and thanks of the Pro-
prietors of the establishment have been richly earned
by the colonial eetablishments of the Bank.
"5. There are a few matters of detail which the
Directors think it right to ley before the Proprietors
previous to giving the abstractof the accounts for the

The CHAIRMAN replied in the negative, the Direc-
tors being desirous of having the control over the
funds in their own hands.
A PROPRIETOR inquired if the profit set forth ii
the Report was to the close of last year ?
The CHAIRMAN answered, it was only to October,
1841, so that the Company bud always nearly a year's
profit, which was not brought into tbe statement sub-
mitted to them at the annual meeting, as the accounts
from the colonies could only be made Up to that pe-
riod.—(Hear,
hear.)
The following resolution was then carried :—" That
the Report be adopted, printed, and circulated among
the Proprietors." •
The CHAIRMAN continued—The Directors having
called the atte'ition of the Proprietors to the conduct
of their local officers, at a time of no ordinary trial,
feel it their duty to propose to the meetini, the fol-
lowing resolution :—" That the cordial thanks of the
Proprietors be given to the Local Directors, and the
Officers of the Bank on the Colonial Establishments,
for their able management of the affairs of the Corpo-
ration during the trying period adverted to by the
Directors in the foregoing Report," which was carried
with acclamation.
The Rev. Mr. MADGE said he had a resolution to
propose. It was—" That the thanks of this meeting
are eminently due, and are hereby given to the Chair-
man and Directors, for their excellent management of
the affairs of the Establishment on every 'occasion."
Several Proprietors rose simultaneously to second
when it was unanimously adopted.
The CHAIRMAN, in returning thanks for himself
and his colleagaes, could assure the meeting that this
was the best stimulant that could be given to them,
and he hoped they should continue to receive the
same encouragement they had just received, by that
vote of confidence.—(Cheers.)
Mr. T. ROBINSON thought the meeting could not
separate without passing a vote of thanks to Mr. Milli-
ken, their Secretary, for his able and assiduous atten-
tions to the affairs of the Corporation.
General CAULFIELD would cordially second it, when
it was unanimously carried, and the meeting sepa-
rated.

ORIGIN OF THE WAR IN
AFFGHANISTAN.

Anaongst other letters. from India just received which throw
light more or less upon the state of affairs there, and the occur-
rences which brought matters in Caubul to such a melancholy
'pass, one of an extremely singular character may be mentioned,
which from its curious details is really worthy of attention,
more especially as the lady writer asserts that the facts may
be relied upon and are well known in the higher circles in
India. It would seem, according to this statement, that
woman, the " cause of all man's woe," was the cause,
in perfect innocence however, of the late disasters in Air-
ghanistan. The story runs thus :—Some time after the
arrival of Lady 3l‘Nag,hten in Caubul, to join her husband,
Sir William, he received the news of his appoint-
ment as Governor of Bombay. When considering
the necessary arrangements for proceeding to take
possession of his Government, Sir William, of course, could not
but look to the safety of his journey and the comforts of his
lady and the other officers' ladies who proposed to accompany
ber. At that time the passes through the Ghilzie territory,
through which lay the route, were still infested and rendered
dangerous by the unruly tribes inhabiting them. Previously,
in order to restore tranquillity and ensure order among those
tribes, Sir William 3hNaghten, on concluding, a treaty with
the chiefs, had taken the precaution of making the condition
that some of the more influential among them should take up
their residence at. Caubul, so as to be under the surveillance of
the 'British authorities. The ladies proposing to accompany Sir
William to Bombay, well aware of the troubled state of the Ghil-
aie districts in the mountain passes, expressed naturally great
anxiety about the perils of the passage,and in fact a disinclination to
proceed without the best security for safety. In consequence,
as the most ready means, Sir William summoned the Ghilzie
chiefs in Caubul to a conference, at which he intimated to
them his desire, equivalent to a command, that they should ac-
company his party through the unruly districts, so as by their
presence and influence to secure the peaceful behaviour of their
tribes. On retiring from the conference, the Ghilzie chiefs
held a parley amongst themselves, and expressed their distrust
of the proposition as being a snare for carrying them offprisoners
mid confining them in Hindostan, as was the case with the
Kakeer chief, Hadji Khan. They formed the resolution in con-
sequence not to proceed with but as disobedience,
of course, would subject them to punishment, they re-
solved also, as the only way to escape the alternative,
to raise an insurrection, the plan of which was com-
bined on the spot. And this was to attack the resi-
dence of Sir Alexander Burnes as the more formidable party
they had to deal with, and to plunder the treasury, which,
strange enough, was held in the next house to his, and un-
guarded. Early in the next morning tha project was put in
execution ; Sir Alexander Burnes murdered ; the treasury
plundered, and the population, already discontented, rose as
one man to support this improvised insurrection. The result
is known. At the nee s every district, valley, and hamlet in
Caubul poured forth its man sad horse, contributed its sword
and musket, to join in the plunder of Caubul and the expulsion
of the Feringhees.
The moral to be drawn from this lesson (for the facts can
hardly be doubted) would seem to point to the impolicy and
inexpediency of permitting the accompaniment of the wives,
or other female relatives of officers, in an expeditionary force,
not destined for the permanent occupation of a conquered
country.