The Sun.
London, England, 1829-02-19 00:00:00

DE6TE UCTIVE FIRE IN GEORGE-

TOWN, DEMERARA.

GFORGE-TowN, Dire. 31.----We have the painful task
of recording to-day the most awful and destructive fire
which ever took place in this colony. It broke out on
Monday night, about half-past eight o'clock, in the house
of a Mr. Maigrot, who keeps a licensed grog-shop, and was
occasioned by a lighted candle filling against the bed-cur-
tains, during, it is Said, a scene of domestic irregularity.—
This house was situate at the upper -end of Water-street.
On the east side, near the public market, in the immediate
neighbourhood, were a number of old buildings, and the
alarm not being suddenly given, the fire obtained such hold,
and spread so rapidly among such dry materials, that every
effort to extinguish it was unavailing. It soon communi-
cated with the other side of the street, and in its desolating
progress destroyed successively Mr. Massiah's premises, the
stores of Messrs. Ross, Preston, Albany, and Co., and
Johnston and M'Calmont.

Whilst the conflagration confined in this direction with
irresistible fury, it received upon the other side a momen-
tary check, affording some hope that America-street might
yet he saved. This hope was, however, but momentary ;
for the extreme heat caused by such an immense body of
fire as that occasioned by so many houses an at once in a
mass of living flames, acted so powerfully on one of the
opposite houses, though to windward, that it caught fire,
which immediately progressed towards America-street, so
that this street was now assailed on both sides, rendering
ing it but too obvious that its entire destruction was inevi-
table, both its opposite corners being at once in flames.—
Several times the fire took hold of the house occupied by
Mr. Paul, and as often was 4 extinguished ; but the opposite
side being now in flames, the heat became so intense, the ma-
terials so dry and predisposed to catch the least spark, and
the flames ascended in such immense volumes, that every
effort proved unsuccessful; the devouring element obtained
a complete mastery, which set every attempt to arrest its
progress at defiance, and it proceeded up America-street
on both sides, consuming house after house with awful
and astonishing rapidity. The appearance was now
fearful, and seemed to paralyse every effort. No language
can describe, no force of poetic imagination can • ade-
quately picture to itself the character of this truly terrific -
and lamentable scene ; and were it possible to cherish any
other feelings, at such a moment of devastation and ruin
to many, than sorrow and alarm, those which relate to the
sublime might be abundantly indulged—the very air
parched and burning, as if impregnated with the elements
of destruction—both sides of the street, with all their back
premises, or the most combustible materials, in one sheet
of living fire—the ft Imes raging as if animated by the
demon of destruction, sometimes pointing high to the
j heavens, and at other times forming a complete arch across
the street—light, unlike that of sun or moon reentering
objects visible as at noon day, spreading a horrid glare over
thousands of countenances of all colours, and clothing the
trees with a hue which seemed not of nature's work, and
on which the eye liked not to dwell—formed a scene
truly magnificent and appalling. In this way the fire
continued till about six o'clock in the morning of Tues-
day, and till, with the exception of three or four houses,
it totally. .destroyed the whole of that district of the town
bounded by the river on the west, High-street on the east,
Vlissingen draining trench on the north, and Stabroek ca-
nal on the south. The scene is now most desolate; the very
site of the different stores and houses can hardly be pointed
out; and of what were two days ago populous streets, com-
fortable habitations, and extensive warehouses, nothing
remains but smoking ruins, vitrified glass, and such mate-
rials as the fire could not entirely consume. Great fear
was once entertained that the fire would communicate with
the stores of Messrs. Murray, Brothers, and Co., across
the canal ; and were it not for the judicious measure of
covering the house with wet. blankets, and constantly play-
ing upon it with water, there is no doubt that this would.
have happened, and the greater part of the town would
have been destro)ed. As it is, the calamity is great ; and
we have heard the most intelligent and respectable assert,
that the loss cannot be less than 200,0001. sterling. Many
respectable and industrious individuals are entirely ruined,
homeless, and pennyless. The progress of the flames was
so rapid, and the confusion necessarily so great, that little
could be saved, and that little of course greatly damaged.
It is impossible for us to describe the magnitude of this
catastrophe, or detail the extent of individual loss; but
this we know, that some who were a few (lays ago in
affluent circumstances are now absolutely beggared ; that
many who were extremely comfortable, and contributed
to the wealth and respectability of the colony, are destitute
as the wrecked mariner who saved nothing but his life;
and that those who are best able to withstand the loss
they have sustained, cannot but feel it to a very serious
degree.

Various accidents toolc place, and some of them of a very
serious nature—and it is with. deep regret we announce the
death of Dr. Stewart, of the 25th regiment of foot. His
daring courage and zeal to stop the conflagration led him
up into a situation of danger ; :and either finding his re-
treat cut off by the flames, or dreading suffocation, he
precipitated himself from a window three stories high,
and in his fall received a concussion of the brain, and
other injuries, of which he died this morning, in the
house of Messrs. Fraser and Magger, where every possible
attention was paid to him. We have heard of some other
deaths, but we cannot vouch for the truth of the report.
Dwelling-house and stores, the property of and occupied
by Mr. J. Vowles, shop occupied by Mary Chisholm, and
dwelling-house and shop, the property of and occupied by
Betsy Massiah—burnt.

Dwelling-house and stores, the property of Mr. A. Ivor,
and occupied by Mr. John Paul, merchant—bnrot.
Dwelling-house and stores, the property of Messrs. Jones,
Griffith, and Co., from which they had lately removed to
another part of the town—burnt.

Dwelling-house and stores, the property of Georgiana
Harding—burnt.

Dwelling-house and stores, the property of Mr. A. Iver,
and occupied by Mr. Latnbly, turner—burnt.
Dwelling-house and stores, the property of Mr. J. H.
Albouy, and occupied as a cooperage—burnt.
Front half-dwelling-house and stores, the property of
Messrs. Collymore and Forte, apothecaries and druggists,
lately removed to another part of the town. Back half, a
dwelling-house the property of Elizabeth Douglas—burnt.
Front half, dwelling-house and stores, the property of
Captain Luckie, occupied by Mr. M'Cormick, coach-
maker, &c. Back half; stable•yard for the court-house,
&c.—burnt.

The Court-house, Colonial Secretary's-office, and King's
Receiver-office, the property of the Colony—so much da-
maged as to be uninhabitable.

Dwelling-house and store, the property of Mr. J. H.
Bibdy, occupied by Mr. Koth, watchmaker—much da-
maged.

Dwelling-house and stores, the property of, and occupied
by, Mc. R. Pinkerton, coachmaker, &c.—much damaged.
Dwelling-house and stores, the property of Messrs.
Bogies, King, and Co., occupied by Mr. Joseph Richard-
son, as a cooperage—burnt.

Dwelling-house and store, the property of, and occupied
by, Edward Paris, tailor—burnt.

Dwelling-house and stores, the property of H. Halket,
Esq. ; front half occupied by Mr. Geary, plumber ; back
half by Messrs. M'Donald, Watson, and Co., as a cooper-
age—burnt.

Two dwelling-houses and stores, the property of Mr.
William Hedges—burnt.
Dwelling-house :and stores, the property of, and oc-
cupied by, Messrs. Kersten and Co.—burnt.
Dwelling-house and stores, the property of,' and oc-
cupied by, Messrs. Douglas, Adamson, and Co.—burnt.

Dwelling-house and -store, the property of Dr. John
Bryden, occupied by Peggy Anderson—burnt.
Dwelling-house and store, the property of, and occupied
by, Priscilla Thomson—burnt.

Dwelling-house and stares, the property of Messrs. W.
Johnston and H. M'Calinont, occupied by Mr. James
Brand, merchant—burnt.

Dwelling-house and stores, the property of, and occupied
by, Messrs. John Walmsley and Co. (front store fire-
proof)—Dwelling-house and bark stores, &c.—burnt.
Two dwelling-houses, &c., the property of Mr. N. W.
Pollard—burnt.

Dwelling-house and store, the property of and oc-
cupied by Mr. Burns, as a cooperage—burnt.
Dwelling-house, the property of and occupied by Mary
Bynoe—burnt.

Dwelling-house and stores, the property of Mrs. Shute,
occupied by Mr. Joseph Richardson, as a lumber-yard and
store-house—burnt.

Two dwelling-houses and stores, the property of Mr. 'l'.
Forrester—one house pulled 'crown, the ether nnich
damaged--all the out-offices burnt.

Dwelling-house and stores, erected on a platform extend-
ing to low water-mark, the property of and occupied by
Messrs. W. Johnston and H. APCalmont—burnt.
Dwelling house and stores, erected as the above, and
occupied by Mcfsrs. Albouy and Co.—burnt.
Dwelling-house and stores, erected on a platform, the
property of and occupied by Messrs. Preston and Cliff 'rd.
Small house and stores, the property of Mr. Joseph'
Vowles, and occupied by Maria Horner—burnt.
Dwelling house and stores, the property of T. G. Albouy,
deceased, erected as above—burnt.

Dwelling house and stores, erected as above, the property
of and occupied by Matty Jordan—burnt.
Dwelling-houses and stores, the property of Mr. George

Ross, erected as above, occupied by Mr. Ross, Air. Coey,
and Mr. F. Padinore—burnt.

Store-houses erected as above, the prop i.ty of vn 1 oxu,
pied by Mr. G. Ross--burnt.

_
Dwelling-house arid store, erected as above, the property
of the minor children of Mes,rs. Samuel and Paul Massiah,
occupied by Mr. Massiah and Jane Jolly—burnt.
Dwelling-houses and stores, the property of the minors
Massiah, occupied by Mr. James Campbell, Mr. Ttossie,
Sally Delph, Mary Trayfogle, and Miss Rumpler—burnt.
Dwelling-houses and shops, the property of Mr. A.
Malgrot, occupied by Mr. Malgrot, Mr. Nicholls, and
Kitty Stradly—burnt.
P. S.—The fire-proof store of Messrs. Walinsley and Co.
being considered sufficiently cooled, was opened this after-
noon about hill-past two o'clock, and found to have pro-
tected the different articles of merchandise, with which it
was completely filled, from all injury. The first object
that presented itself on opening the door was a cat, which
seemed glad of being released from her confinement.

A German Paper contains an account of a
birth of five children, three boys and two girls, all of whom
were born alive, but died within three days. They were
from fifteen to seventeen inches in length, and weighed
little more than half the weight of healthy new-born chil-
dren. The mother did not suffer much during her preg-
nancy, and recovered rapidly after delivery.
DEATH OF Mil. ROBINSON.—On Tuesday
last, Mr. Robinson, of Duddon Hall, near Tarporley, who
had b en transacting some business in Chester, met his
death on his return home. Verdict—Accidentally killed,
by being trampled upon by his mare, from which he had
fallen on the high-road, in the parish of Tarvin, on the
evening of the 10th day of February instant.—Chester
Courant.

At one of the late sittings of the Academy of
Sciences at Metz, an account was given of a new experi-
ment, in order to ascertain the presence of cotton in
woollen stuffs. An ounce of pure alkali or caustic is to
be dissolved in half a pound of water, and the suspected
stuff is to be boiled in it about a couple of hours. If the
stuff is composed wholly of wool, it will be entirely dis-
solved, and will form a species of soap-suds on the surface
of the water, and should run through a fine sieve when
poured into it boiling but. lc on the contrary, the stuff
contains cotton, or other vegetable fibres, they will perhaps
undergo some alteration; but they will not entirely dis-
solve, but: will remain upon the sievellike the pieces of rags
in paper mills—for alkali, one of whose properties is to
dissolve animal substances, has very little effect upon vege-
table ones.—Paris Paper.

MR. KEAN.—Having been obliged, in con-
sequence of indisposition, to throw up his London engage-
ment, this eminent actor arrived last week in Bute, and is
now once more encamped on the banks of his favourite
Loch Fad. A correspondent informs us that he saw him
when he landed. He was closely muffled up in great coats
and handkerchiefs, and apparently so ill that he seemed to
shrink from the slightest breath of even the gentle Rothsay
breeze. " I should hardly have recognised him," says our
informant, "but for that indescribable expression, and intel-
lectual sharpness of the eye, which so strongly remind us
of his Richard, and which it seems beyond the power of
disease either to weaken or destroy. There is no saying
what the genial climate of Bute may do for him ; but ill
as he is he seems determined not to be idle. He has ad-
vertised for road-makers, and has already set himself about
the work of improvement on his romantic residence in
genuine earnest."—Scots Times.

A few weeks ago the child of a labourer at
Doningtcn, named John Kirk, voided a very Strange
animal, resembling a locust, with six feet, and two re-
markably prominent eyes. It lived above a fortnight
afterwards, without any apparent means of support.—
Boston Gazette.

DESCRIPTION OF A SCENE IN THE HEART
OF AFRICA.-At five p.m. halted on the borders of a
large lake, which is formed by the rivers Zurmie and
Zarrie, or, more properly speaking, a chain of lakes and
swamps, extending through all, or the greater part of,
the plains of Gondamie, approaching nearly to Soccatoo.
The borders of these lakes are the resort of numbers of
elephants and other wild beasts. The appearance at this
season, and at the spot where I saw it, was very beauti-
ful; all the acacia trees were in blossom, some with white
flowers, others with yellow, forming a contrast with the
small dusky leaves, like gold and silver tassels on a cloak
of dark green velvet. I observed some fine large fish leap-
ing in the lake. Some of the troops were bathing; others
watering their horses, bullocks, camels, and asses : the
lake as smooth as glass, and flowing around the roots of
the trees. The sun, on its approach to the horizon,
throws the shadows of the flowery acacias along its sur-
face, like sheets of burnished gold and silver. The
smoking fires on its banks, the sounding of borne, the
beating of their gongs or drums, the braying of their brass
and tin trumpets, the rude huts of grass or branches of
trees rising as if by magic, everywhere the calls on the
names of Mahomed, Abdo, Mustafa, with the neigh-
ing of horses and the braying of asses, gave animation
to the beautiful scenery of the lake and its sloping green
and woody banks.— Clapperton's Journey into the In-
terior of Africa.

EXFORD, FEB. 14.—Saturday last a girl
of the name of Walsh, residing in Taghmon, put an end
to herself under the following circumstances :—She had
for some 'plinths received the attentions of a person who
gave her reason to believe that he intended making her his
wife, but who put off the match from time to tune, assign-
ing as his reason his inability to support the expellee of
house-keeping. The girl haring obtained from her father
a small sum of money (about 71.) presented it to him, by
way of enabling him to commence; but from that mo-
inent he withdrew himself from her society, and discon-
tinued his visits to her father's house. The coldness and
neglect with which she was treated preyed so deeply on her
mind that she resolved to terminate her misery by a volun-
tary death. Accordingly, on the evening in question she
left her home, under pretence of going for candles, but in
reality with a determination to carry her dreadful purpose
into effect. With this view she bought some oil of vitriol,
which having swallowed she returned home. Though
she had been but a few minutes absent the change in her
appearance was so great as to be immediately observed by
her brother and sister, who were then in the house, and
who had no suspicion of her real motive in leaving it.—
They anxiously asked her what was the matter ? She
answered, " Nothing—she was a little ill, and that was
all ;" but she grew so rapidly and so alarmingly worse that
her brother said he would go for the Doctor and the Priest.
She replied, " No, you will go for no Doctor for me, nor
Priest either. I ant beyond the Doctor's skill ; and as for
the Priest, it's too late—l'm dying, and I'm !" then
conjuring him to be " revenged of that villain," she sunk
under the effect of the powerful poison she had taken.
THE PARISH OF RICKMANSWORTH.—The
whole of this fertile parish is to be sold 'next week ; that
is, the Great Tithes of all, together with the Rectory
House and Glebe...---The following is George Robins' de-
scriptions of this fine investment :—The Great Tithes
include that upon corn, grain, hay, and stubble, also upon
the aftermath and clover, they extend over the entirety
of the parish of Rickmansworth, which (it is said) ex-
ceeds Ten Thousand. Acres of rich Arable and Meadow Land,
including about Three Thousand Acres, disposed in Com-
mons, Waste and Wood Lands, Moor and Rickmansworth
Parks, 84c., of which a portion may be very soon convert-
ed into profit, as the inelosure of Charleywood or any of
the commons will necessarily add an additional prospective
value to the Tithes. It is conjectured that about 6,000
Acres only contributed last year to this source of revenue,
which may account for the income being comparatively
small. There are, however, so many and such important
reasons why this should be accounted a most satisfactory
and safe investment, that a few only of the more promi-
nent will exhaust the space usually devoted to such a pur-
pose. And first, the quality and convertability of the soil,
and the compactness of the parish. It is bounded by Lord
Essex, at Cashiobury; by Sorrel Chenies, Chalfont Saint
Peter's, Denham, Harefield, and Ryeslip. The Grand
Junction Canal nearly divides the whole property, and the
river Colne (frequently running in a parallel line with it)
takes its course through the centre of the Estate by means
of the Canal ; the produce of the land may speedily be con-
veyed to the London Market. Of the tenantry, it may not
be amiss to enumerate a few only :—the Earl of Grosve-
nor, Mr. Baron Vaughan, Edmund Morris, Samuel Salter,
John Barnes, William Flower, and N. Clutterbuck, Esqrs.,
also St. Thomas's Hospital, and Caius College, Cambridge :
a commentary upon Buell respectable names would be se-
perfluous. The soil is so generally known, and so well ap-
preciated, that but little will suffice on this point ; it is
proverbial for its convertibility, rendering it even in times
(happily gone by} of agricultural distress, a certain and
solid source of revenue, and now that better fortune pre-
vails, and the sun shines propiti►usly on the industrious
views of a farmer, with the slow but certain effect result-
ing from the Corn Bill in view, it must be taken as granted
that the present exceedingly hiyh price of the Funds, and
consequent little value of money arising out of so much
unemployed capital, gives to this investment a character
from which the most cheering and refreshing prospect may
be contemplated. The annual value, it is said, exceeds
2,100 pounds.