The Sun.
London, England, 1842-05-31 00:00:00

GREECE.

ATIIENS, NIAY 10.—Political news is quite confined to tile
movements of ships of war. The Monarch and Medea are
gone to Rhodes, to embark from the opposite coast some
splendid remains of antiquity for the British Museum. The
Vernon, 50, Captain Walpole, has relieved the Monarch on
this station, and is now at Salamis. The French Admiral
Lasusse is on board the Inflexible, 90, which vessel, as also
the Acheron war-steamer, Bougainville brig, and Licurge
steam-packet, are in the Piraeus harbour. The Cornaline, 32,
is gone to Candi!' ; the Sand Petri, 80, to Beyrout ; and the
Calypso, 60, to Toulon. The English squadron is expected at
Corfu.

The hotels of Athens are so full of English travellers that
some were compelled to go on by the last Austrian steamer,
not having been able to find accommodation in the capital of
Greece. Among our last arrivals is Lady Davy, widow of the
celebrated philosopher.
Accounts jest received from Patras state that the proprietors
of the currant plantations there, and in other parts of the
Morea, had become excessively alarmed on account of the ap-
pearance of immense quantities of locusts, which had already
nearly destroyed the wheat crops, and would undoubtedly be
equally fatal to the currant vines, should they take wing. The
local Government of Patras had caused nearly the entire pdpu-
lat ion to go4put into the vineyards and adjacent country, in the
hope of exterminating these obnoxious insects, and thus avert-
ing the impending evil, which, it appears, has been an in-
creasing one ever since the year 1838.

COAL PIT EXPLOSION.--It is this week our lot to
hare to relate one of the most melancholy and appalling acci-
dents which have occurred in this neighbourhood for many
years. On Tuesday afternoon last an inquest was held on view
of the body of Abraham Simpson, sinker, who came to his un-
timely end uuder the following circumstances :—The deceased,
along with another person named William Pollard, had
been since Friday last occupied in making some altera-
tions in a pit at Dudley Hill. They commenced at
the time above mentioned, and the fire pan, which had
occupied its usual place at the bottom, was removed
in consequence of its forming an obstruction to
their operations. Nothing during the two first days
was seen to occasion any fear from fire-damp. On Monday
morning, Pollard and Simpson came to their work at the usual
time, and were let down into the pit. Simpson was out of the
pit several times during tke forenoon, and he was let down
about eleven o'clock to his work for the last time. When he
had been down about a minute, a banksman named Taylor,
who was standing over the shaft mouth, saw fire advancing up
it, and had scarcely time to turn his head away, before a flame
of fire rushed out, knocked him down, took the cap off his
head, and inflicted some slight wounds on his hands. The
plank which was over the pit mouth was split, and some pieces
of iron which were near were projected several hundred yards
in the air. Steps were immediately taken to get the unfortu-
nate men out of the pit, and a man named Scholefield, who
ought to have gone with them in the morning to work, was let
down, and Wm. Pollard was found in a place called " the
black-bed," where he had stepped at the time of the explosion,
dreadfully burnt, but had by that means escaped the death
which it was now clear• Simpson had met with. He was con-
veyed to the top, and the water in the bottom having been
pumped out, the body of Simpson was found in the bottom
by Mr. John Sharp, son of Mr. James Sharp, the head-
steward. He was very much burnt; bnt not so much as might
hav,• been expected. The jury, after a patient investigation of
the matter, returned a verdict of Accidental Death.
.1) EPAE TIT RE OF A SPECIAL MESSENGER roxt AMR,
iCA . —We understand that a Queen's Messenger arrived here
yesterday (Friday) from the Foreign Office, London, with de-
,patches for our Minister at the United States. At the same
t.:ne orders arrived that the Rhadamanthus, steamer, which was
previously intended to sail for Lisbon and Malta, should
r roeeed hence last night with this gentleman to New York.
There was no commercial steamer to sail from this country
for America until the 4th 3une next; so that this sudden
and unexpected despatch of the Rhadamanthus indicates clearly
that the objects which have led to the sending out of the mes-
senger are of an unusually important nature. The Rhadaman-
thus had 700 additional bags of coals put on board her last
night, and is to return to this port as soon as the messenger is
landed. We have heard that Mr. Horsley Palmer went out in
the Great Western last week on business connected with the
proposition of a new American loan.—Devonport Telegraph.
The General Steam Navigation Company's vessel
the Columbine from Rotterdam, arrived off the Custom-House,
at one o'clock, r. m., on Sunday, with the Dutch mail.
A convict, named Guillemard, who was confined
at the prison of Troyes, under very strict guard, last week
succeeded in putting the surveillance of his keepers at default.
The interior of the prison was under repair, and masons and
labourers came and went for their work and meals. Guille-
mud perceiving this, whitened his face, threw off his jacket,
tucked up his sleeves, and smearing his arms with mortar,
took a mason's hammer in his hand, and boldly assumed his
place amongst the workmen going to breakfast. The turnkey
let him pass, never dreaming it was one of his prisoners who
went out so quietly, but the sentinel barred his passage.
‘• Where are you going," demanded he. " Parbleu ! lam
going to my breakfast, as you see," was the reply. The sol-
dier, convinced by the natural air and collectedness of Guille-
trard, let him pass on. The prisoner was soon out of sight,
and some hours elapsed before his escape was discovered. As
s,,on, however, as the flight was ascertained, 110 men of the
line were sent in pursuit of him, and his description was for-
warded to the neighbouring communes. This last measure
procured his arrest at Villecatif by some of the inhabitants.
13aussEt.s, MAY 24.—1 t is said that the King and I
Queen will go in the course of next week to London.

A letter front 111usliau. (Prussia), 12th May,
states :—" Prince l'utkler, who has fur some months had in his
service the famous pedestrian Meusen, sent him off this morn-
ing for Cairo, giving him letters of recommendation for several
persons of distinction. Meusen is to pass by Jerusalem. He
i 3 charged by the Prance io discover the soutces of the White
Itiver, as well as to determine the real position of the moun-
tains called the Mountains of the oon, which, up to the pie-
senc time, have been considered fabulous by most persons.
Meusen formerly took a journey from Calcutta to Europe,
through Affghanistan, Persia, and Syria, and did not meet with
the stightest accident. He can easily walk 20 German miles
(9. miles English) a-day, requiring for food only a loaf of
bread. lie is to embark on the Nile for Karthum, and, as the
pretended Mountains of the Moon are, it they exist, only five
degrees of latitude. from this place, he could reach them in four
days. Great hopes are entertained *that his journey will be
ci owned with success."