The Sun.
London, England, 1842-11-21 00:00:00

ALL CHURCHES THE SAME.

-------
The English clergy refuse Christian burial to per-
sons not baptised by an. Oxford or Cambridge man;
the Scotch clergy refuse Church rites to those who
bury their dead on Sunday; and the Catholic clergy,
as will be seen by the following letter from Gibral-
tar, are equally intolerant. When will the people
think for themselves ?
" GIBRALTAR, OCT. 29.—The longietxhiis city lons-existing fer-
ment has
among the Catholic population o
reached to a point of the greatest exasperation, in
consequence of an occarrence which has just taken
place at their church. Mr. Carlo, an old and highly-
respe:table Catholic gentleman, universally known
and esteemed by his fellow-townsmen, died suddenly
during the night from a fit of apoplexy.
The moment
his family perceived the danger, they sent for a doctor
and a priest ; but when the latter arrived, the patient
had expired, and the clergyman could do no more than
recite the usual prayers on such occasions. The fol-
lowing day, application having been made to the
clergy to bury the deceased, his afflicted widow
and family learned that the rites
of sepulture
would be withheld, in consequence, as was al-
leged, of his having died without confession.
It was represented to the Reverend Gentleman
that the deceased had been attacked so suddenly, that
it was impossible for his fatnily to apply to the church
earlier than they had done. The doctor's certificate,
and the verdict of the Coroner's inquest were pro-
duced to prove the suddenness of the death ; but all
the pressing solicitations as well of the particular
friends of the deceased as of other most respectable
inhabitants, proved unavailing ; the
priests were in-
exorable. In the afternoon the numerous friends of
the deceased attended his funeral, and, knowing that
another burial was then to take place, they entered
the church in the hope of finally prevailing on the
clergy desist from the ignominious treatment of a
worthy and much respected family. It was found,
however, that the clergy had purposely countermanded
the other funeral, and barricaded themselves in their
own house, leaving the church wide open, and without
anybody in charge. A considerable crowd soon collected,
and a body of persons, in a high state of excitement,
forced their way into the house of the clergy (adjoin-
ing the church), on which the priests made their es-
cape, with the exception of the Irish chaplain, Mr.
Devereux, and a Spanish friar, both of whom were
seized by the crowd, and, after experiencing some ra-
ther rough treatment, were forced into the church
where the body lay. An altercation there ensued
between these two worthies, the Spanish friar accusing
Mr. Devereux of being the cause of the whole pro-
ceeding, and volunteering to perform the rites himself
—an announcement which had the effect of at once
calming the infuriated people, as if by magic ; and
when the police arrived to quell the disturbance, the
ceremony
was proceeding quietly, and the funeral,
headed by the friar, was attended to the cemetery by
an infinite multitude, anxious at once to show their
respect for the deceased, and their disapprobation of
the conduct of the clergy.
This
attended with a more fatal result, is the fruit of the
unwise systemditurbn pursued which,
by
priests now in posses-
sion of this church, by making
s a
the withholding of
the providentially, was not
funeral rites a weapon of warfare in the perilous
qnarrel which they have had the insanity to create
with their flock ; and the indignation of the popula-
tion may well be conceived, when it is stated that,
in the same week in which this occurrence took place,
no less than four bodies of Roman Catholics were re-
fused Christian sepulture by these ministers of the
Gospel. Already several families, rather than allow
their deceased friends to be buried like dogs, (a fa-
vourite expression of their pastors), have had success-
ful recourse to the charitable offices of the Protestant
minister; and the edification experienced by
the by-
standers, and their surprise at the extraordinary con-
trast between his demeanour and that of their own
•
priests, has produced a state of feeling vouch will not
be long in manifesting its fruits.

FAILUREThames IN,as `thrown 0F A NK.— Theetaotwnf Ilenley-on-
e
consternation on
Thursday morning, by the announcement that the
bank of 'Messrs. J. D. and T. Lydall, the only local
bank in the town, had suspended payment. It was
market day, and the effects were very
BwAn into great
apparent, as
business was nearly at a stand. Bills were published
and circulated throughout the town, oallin _
a meet-
ing of the creditors, to be held at the Tomn- g hall this
day (Saturday), at 11 o'clock, when a statement of
their affairs will be made by a Committee who have
been intrusted to make a preliminary inquiry.
CONVENT IN LIVERPOOL.—In Mount Vernon-
street, at the top of Pembroke-place, a building has
just been erected, which must prove of considerable
interest to those who have never seen a place of the
same description. It is intended for a Convent, is
built in the Gothic style, and has a very neat appear-
ance. The premises are nearly finished, and will be
ready, we believe, about the beginning of the year.
The Sisters of Mercy, who are about to commence
their labours in this town. in visiting the sick and
ministering to the wants of the lowest and most de-
graded of the human race, are coming,
we believe,
from Dublin and Birmingham.—Liverpool Mercury.
IRELAND. -- DUBLIN, NOV. 17. --- The Derry
Standard mentions a rumour that Captain Jones is
about to retire from the representation of Derry, to
e way for Mr, Smith, the Attorney-General.

"CALMER CASTLE, Nov. 17.—The keen north-
easterly wind, which has prevailed with considerable
violence throughout the day, has induced her Majesty
to remain within the Castle, and not to venture out,
except once, and then but for a short time, upon the
ramparts.
Their Royal Highnesses the Prince of Wales and
the Princess Royal have not been taken beyond the
walls of the fortress, from the same cause, during the
day.

His Royal Highness Prince Albert walked upon the
beach for some time this morning, immediately after
breakfast, " alone and unattended."
Her Majesty contemplated taking her departure
from Walmer on Thursday next, for Brighton, there to
remain for three weeks or a month ; but the visit of the
Court to Brighton, and also the departure of the Court
from the Castle, have now been indefinitely postponed.
Her Majesty and the Prince have graciously for-
warded, through Mr. G. E. Anson, ten pounds each
to the crew of the Poll, which was capsized the other
day on going to the Lisbon steamer.
DEAL, THURSDAY EVENING.—The wind has blown
very hard throughout the night and up to this even-
ing, from the east north-east, and there are conse-
quently but very few vessels lying in the roads.
The bodies of William Dawes and Thomas Jarman
(Deal boatmen), who were drowned on the 22d ult.,
were washed on shore in the night, the one at Walmer,
and the other at No. 2 battery, about three miles to
the north of the port. These two men, who have left
wives and families, were drowned in attempting to
board a foreign ship in distress, which had hoisted
signals in the roads during the height of a violent
gale from the south-west.
It blew very hard last night from E.N.E. Her
Majesty's ship Thunderer sent her top-gallant masts
on deck, during the night, and upon the ebb tide she
struck her topmasts.
At half-past nine o'clock this morning a foreign
bark, and the English schooner Margaret, of Lancas-
ter, slipped anchors and cables, and ran round the
South Foreland.
The Russian ship Iris, for Shields; the Austrian
ship Drago, for Antwerp ; and the English brig
Smalls, for Whitby, remain, with the Lavinia, from
Honduras, for London.

FRIDAY EVENING.-A delightfnl change has taken
place in the weather since yesterday. The wind
shifted to the south-west during the night, and the day
throughout has been unusually fine and inviting.
Her Majesty has promenaded in the course of the
day in the gardens and upon the ramparts, but the
Queen has not proceeded beyond the Castle precincts.
This morning, shortly after ten o'clock, Captain
Daniel Pring, of her iMajesty's ship Thunderer, had
the honour of an audience of Prince Albert, when it
was arranged that his Royal highness should honour
the Thunderer with a second visit in the course of an
hour, for the purpose of witnessing some target firing
by the ship's company. Captain Pring then returned
to his ship, in order that the necessary preparations
might be made for the reception of the Prince, and
immediately dispatched Lieutenant Hector Loring, the
First Lieutenant of the Thunderer, across to Walmer,
in the first cutter of 10 oars, to convey his Royal High-
ness to the ship. The Prince reached the vessel shortly
before 12 o'clock, attended by Viscount Sydney, Lord
C. Wellesley, Colonel Wylde, the Hon. C. A. Murray,
and Dr. Preetorius.

The news having spread that his Royal Highness
intended to visit the Thunderer, there was a large
party on board, who had just previously arrived from
Deal and Walmer, amongst whom were the fami-
lies of the Rev. C. Lane (the Rector of Deal), Capt.
Westbrook, R.N., Lieutenant Batt, R.N., and Miss
Batt, Lieutenant Rice, R.N., Captain Box, Hon. East
India Company's service ; Mr. Wootton, Mr. G. Leath,
Mr. R. Pagley, &c.
The Prince, upon his reaching the ship, was re-
ceived by Captain Pring, Commander Berridge, and
the officers of the Thunderer, on the quarter-deck ; the
yards at the same time being manned. A company
of Marines (130 being on board), under the command
of Captain Stevens, were drawn up in line on the
quarter-deck, and received the Prince with a Royal
salute, the band playing the national anthem.
The scene at this time was most animating. Several
vessels in the Downs, at anchor and sailing in the im-
mediate vicinity of the Thunderer, also manned their
yards and decorated their masts and rigging with
various awl innumerable flags. The Revenue cutters,
Sealark, (Lieut. Quested) and Ranger, (Lieut. Baker)
cruised off Walmer during the stay of the Prince on
board.

His Royal Highness first proceeded to the main
and lower decks, and inspected, with evident interest
and satisfaction, the admirable economy which pre-
vailed in this portion of the vessel.
The Prince then took his station on the poop, upon
the right of Captain Pring, surrounded by his suite
and the numerous visitors who were permitted to be
present.

- Two targets were then laid out to the eastward of
the vessel, away from the shore—one of 600 yards
and the other at 300 yards' distance. This service
was performed by the Pearless, Government steamer,
Captain Bullock, and completed in about twenty mi-
nutes. The target nearest to the ship was composed
of a stage, ten feet square, at either extremity of which
was a staff surmounted with a small flag. The other
target was a small boat, termed a " dingy," about
twelve feet in length, with a flag flying from the top
of its mast.

Everything being prepared for the gunnery prac-
tice, and the order being given to beat to quarters,
the men cast loose the guns throughout the ship, on
the port broadside. The quarters being reported to
Captain Pring by Commander Berridge, the orders
were given to fire a broadside at the nearest target.
This was executed with admirable precision, one flag-
staff being shot away altogether, and the flag on the
top of the other staff carried away also. Next were
fired two broadsides, by divisions, and these com-
pletely riddled and nearly destrowed the "dingy"—
every one of the balls which did not strike the target
falling close around, and within a very few feet of it.
Had the target been of the usual size of a ship of war,
there was not one of the shots but would have " told"
with unerring effect.
The next was quick single-gun firing, at the re-
mains of the " dingy,"lfollowed by a divisional broad-
side. The effect of the precision with which this was
executed was soon perceived, by forcing out the off-
side of the "dingy,' knocking away her stern, and
finally sinking her.
The firing being ended, the men (the ship being
supposed to be attacked by an enemy) were ordered
by divisions of boarders to board ; then to repel
boarders by several interesting evolutions in defence
of ships of war, cl•sely supported by the gallant corps
of Marines.

The riggers and firemen were next seen aloft, ac-
tively employed in the various departments. The
firemen (the ship being supposed to be on fire) with
their fire-buckets, having long lanyards, reaching from
the lower yards to the water, appeared to be endea-
vouring to stop the progress of the flames in their re-
spective vicinities. The riggers were aloft knotting
and stopping the rigging supposed to have been shot
away by the enemy.
Thus terminated what nautical readers will under-
stand by the term "general quarters," and the guns
were then ordered to be manned.
At the termination of this most interesting display,
his Royal Highness addressed Captain Pring, and
expressed his highest admiration at the excellent
discipline of the ship, and the beautiful style in which
the whole of the nautical movements had been performed.
Upon the Prince taking his departure, the yards
were again manned as before, and the Guard of Ho-
nour drawn up on the quarter-deck. His Royal
Highness was attended to the ten-oared cutter (which
was steered by First Lieutenant Loring) by Captain
Pring, and the officers of the ship.
When the Prince had reached a distance of half a
mile from the vessel, a Royal salute was fired by the
Thunderer.
The Thunderer left England in May, 1840, and
was engaged in the whole of the Syrian operations.
It was the only line-of-battle ship at Sidon (then
commanded by the Hon. Captain Berkeley), and
shared in the glories of Acre. It was since engaged
in the Mediterranean, under the command of her pre-
sent gallant Captain.
This morning, at eight o'clock, the Southampton,
Captain Ogle, 50 gun ship, passed by Walmer Castle
to the northward, and fired a Royal salute. The
Southampton has just arrived from the Cape of Good
Hope, and was proceeding to Sheerness to be paid off.
This vessel landed Admiral King at Portsmouth.
The Rhadamanthus, Government steamer, anchored
off Walmer Castle last night, and sailed this morning
for Dover, to embark troops for the Mediterranean.
Captain Pring has received her Majesty's command
to fire a Royal salute on Monday morning next, at
10 o'clock, in honour of the princess Royal, her
Royal Highness on that day completing her second
year.

Mr. and Mrs. Butler (formerly Miss Fanny Kern-
ble) embark for the United States at the end of the
month for the estate, in rhiladelpbia,

Funchal, the capital of Madeira, and the whole
of the island, has been visited with one of the most
dreadful storms that has occurred since the flood in
the year 1803, when upwards of 400 persons were
swept into the sea ; and had the late deluge occurred
at night, as was the case in the former catastrophe,
there is no doubt but hundreds of persons would have
been drowned ; however, as far as can be learned at
present, few lives were lost except in the distant pa-
rishes, where several hundreds of persons have been
carried into the sea.

The last summer was exceedingly hot, and almost
without rain, the weather remaining beautifully fine
until the 15th of October, when the clouds began to
envelope the mountains, which brought on the fol-
lowing day severe thunder storms, accompanied with
heavy rain, continuing almost without intermission
until the morning of the 24th of October, when the
rain partly ceased. At ten o'clock the Royal West
India steamer Dee arrived, and landed fifty-two pas-
sengers for the island. She was, however, prevented
from proceeding until the following day, as the Ad-
miralty agent, who had come on shore with the mail,
could not get on board again.
About mid-day the whole of the island appeared
buried in a one vast cloud, threatening total dark-
ness ; the barometer fell considerably. The air be-
came very oppressive, with a strong sulphurous smell,
and the wind veered about to nearly every point-of the
compass. At one o'clock the rain began to fall in
torrents, and about an hour afterwards I perceived at
a distance of about a mile from shore an immense
rising in the sea, which was soon connected with a
mass of dark clouds overhanging the bay, to all ap-
pearance charging tneniselves or drawing the water
from the sea, for the space of about ten minutes, fol-
lowed immediately by a heavy swell or rising of the
ocean, which swept towards the shore ; and although
I was at a considerable elevation above the level of the
sea, it appeared high enough to sweep over the city;
its force, however, was broken, and it subsided on the
beach. The rain still continued in torrents, and at
four o'clock the roar of the water in the river, which
was forty feet in depth, began to give me some alarm,
when looking out of the window of my house I per-
ceived' that the bridge was being swept away, and that
the water was rushing into the streets. I immediately
left the house, and on reaching the street the appal-
ling sight that appeared in every direction was enough
to make the stoutest heart quake with fear. The
street in front of the garden of my house was upwards
of three feet deep with water, and hundreds of men,
women, and children, were ading their way up the
stream, flying towards the mountains, whilst others
were flocking to the town, not knowing where to go
for safety, amidst the most dreadful shrieks and cries
that can possibly be imagined. As I approached to-
wards the river, the scene became still more awful, the
water having burst open the wine lodges, and the
contents being swept into the sea, whilst the streets
in the neighbourhood were all overflowed with water,
and the inmates of the houses escaping by ladders and
over the roofs of the buildings. Upwards of 200
houses have been destroyed, or become untenantable
by this disastrous flood, and the quantity of wine, corn,
&c., swept into the sea and destroyed, is very great,
but at present it is utterly impossible to state any-
thing like an estimate of the amount of damage done.
A meeting was called on the following day (25th) by
the Governor, and food distributed to the poor; at the
same time, an arrangement was made to open
several forts, Ice., for their accommodation, until
such times as they could provide themselves with
other houses. The authorities also made every arrange-
ment to prevent drunkenness in the streets, and rob-
beries at night, but as casks of wine were rolling
about in every direction, and whole streets of houses
open to any one who wished to enter, the inmates
having fled, many robberies occurred, and many scenes
of intoxication. The rain continued to fall during
the night of the 24th, but the following day gave
signs of the weather moderating, and in the afternoon
it was fine, with a strong breeze from the S.E., which
continued until three o'clock P.M. on the 26th, when
it blew a hurricane from the south, the sea rushing
over the beach, and entering into the streets in the
lower part of the city. Six vessels were at anchor in
the bay, but to me it appeared utterly impossible for
them to ride out the gale, as the sea broke with ter-
rific fury over them, and the wind being dead in the
bay, gave them no chance of escaping by making
sail. At five o'clock the American brig Creole drag-
ged her anchor and was soon on shore—the whole of
the crew were saved; and about an hour afterwards I
observed the English schooner Wave was doomed to
the same fate, the whole of her crew being saved by
the exertions of Mr. Henry Crawford, who secured
them ropes, &c., from a rock above where the vessel
struck. It had now become dark, but as I observed
a blue light from one of the vessels, and as the
gale still continued, I determined to attempt to
get to the beach to give all the assistance I could,
as I apprehended the whole of the vessels must come
on shore. I had some distance to go ere I could
procure a torch, and over a very dangerous passage,
the flood having made such dreadful havoc in the
lower part of the city ; however, I reached the beach,
and immediately heard the cries from another vessel
approaching the- shore. This proved to be the Portu-
guese schooner Novo Beijinho; and I must say, that
with the few lights we had on the beach, every ex-
ertion was made to save the .whole of the crew, but,
unfortunaiely, four of them were drowned. Immedi-
ately afterwards a vessel approached burning a blue-
light, and which came on shore alongside the Novo
Beijinho; but as the rain fell in torrents and the
wind was still blowing a perfect hurricane, it was
some time ere we could afford them lights or approach
the vessel. She proved to be the Dart, of London ;
and by great courage and good management all the
crew were saved; and I cannot but praise the daring
conduct of the Portuguese on the beach in rescuing
the crew of this vessel, particularly Senhor Jacinto de
Freitas Lomelino, as well as the activity of Senhor
Nuno Dias, Senhor Francisco Antonio Rodrigues de
Silva, and of Mr. Unwin, all of whom were indefati-
gable in their exertions to:save the unfortunate seamen.
We got up a bonfire here as a signal for the vessels
still at anchor ; and then left to prepare another at
the wreck of the Wave, where we found only a few'
boards left, which we soon had lighted, and were glad
to find that the ship Success was still atanchorG;lobruiat
we here learnt that the Sardinian schooner
Madre Esperanza had gone on shore to the east of
Fuxona, and not a soul saved or a vestige of her left.
At nine .'clock the wind veered to S.W., and at ten
p.m. I considered the remaining vessel, the Success,
was perfectly safe, but I understand she owes her
safety to the anchor of a large American ship which
bad gone to sea, and which anchor came in contact
with that of the Success, as she was in the act of
being dragged on shore. At nine a.m. the following
morning the Success got out to sea, and is no doubt
safe ; but a wreck of a three-masted vessel is found at
Porto Cruz (north of Madeira), without any of the
crew, or even anything to distinguish her name. I
apprehend this vessel must have come on shore pre-
vious to her having seen the island, probably in the
night at the commencement of the storm. Several
ships and barks are expected here from London and
Liverpool, and doubtless it will prove to be one of these.
It is utterly impossible to describe the state of the
streets in the lower part of the city, and having seen the
river in its force as it swept down the ravine, I won-
der that the greatest part of Funchal was not carried
into the sea ; at the mouth of the river N. S. do Calhao,
a fruit-market, and a part of a fort, with the entrance
to the Praca Academica, are entirely swept away, and
the bed of this river, formerly thirty or forty feet
deep, is now filled up with immense rocks and stones
brought down from the mountains, which I am afraid
in the present poor state of Portugal can never be re-
moved. Three rivers flow through the city of Fun-
chal, taking their rise in the mountains, but the river
N. S. do Calhao has now been the cause of the great-
est part of the disaster, and the houses on its banks
that are not swept away will remain untenanted, afil
the bed of the river is now nearly equal with the
streets, and liable at any time to overflow. The news
from the interior, or rather the coast—for from the
interior we bave none—is awful. Half of Maehio is
swept away, and all the fishing-boats belonging to the
village. In the parish of Madelena nearly all the
houses and part of the population are gone ; in
Calheta many houses are washed away.
and Porto Cruz have suffered much,Faye'
entire
vineyards having been swept into the sea.
Santa Cruz has suffered less than others ; but at
Canico the disasters are great. The excellent road to
S. A. de Serra has disappeared altogether, and instead
of travelling the distance, as formerly, on horseback
foot, and a person
in two hours, it must be ontak.;:inilin,
flood was twenty-two
agfeacto,f
who arrived from there since the
condition allCa mtahcehapliasceins
hours on
to
depltheorable
n
with the
hleaadveinsguffferroedm
lm,nonreohoalr laerses
utterly impassable.
and most of the roads
On
the 28th the Bishop,
Governor, and all the
principal authorities attended
prayers in the Cathe-
dral,after which the h d y a a procession, carrying the
figure of our Saviour
on the cross, the size of life, as

The following is an account from an eye witness
of the loss of the ship Ricardo. The writer was on
board the Ellenborough :
"Fort William, Calcutta, Cadets' Quarters, Sept. 12.
" We left Madras on the 2d of September,- and had
a rough but quick passage up the Bay of Bengal. At
length we got our pilot on board, and the same night,
ahout 50 miles from the mouth of the Hooghly, I was
awakened by a most violent shock, and, with many
others, made sure that our vessel had struck. Rush-
ing on deck in cur shirts, we found that in the dark-
ness of night we had run down upon a large vessel,
the Ricardo. The scene that met my eyes baffles
description. The bowsprit of the Ricardo was
on our poop ; and, of course, as it swept our
decks, overthrew everything before it. The great
danger was, that our mizenmast would be carried
away by it. It was a moment of intense anxiety.
The bowsprit of the vessel came with fearful impetus
against our mizenmast ; we all stood clear, thinking
it must now fall ; for a moment, the Ellenborough
shook as if every plank was loosened ; the mast wa-
vered; but the bowsprit of the Ricardo snapped
short as she shot by. We escaped with our quarter
boat and bulwarks stove in ; this was bad enough but
very lucky we thought ourselves that it was no worse.
The next evening we anchored in the Hooghly and
the Ricardo, having rigged a jury bowsprit, came pu
with us as we were preparing to weigh next morn-
ing. We had some difficulty in weighing ; and as
the Ricardo passed us we stood looking at the ill-
fated vessel. I felt convinced, much to my cha-
grin, she would be in Calcutta before us. I

turned to mention this to our pilot, when I saw him,
pale as a sheet, looking in the direction of the vessel.
I locked again through my telescope. The Ricardo
was two miles ahead of us. Imagine my horror to
see her at the very spot the pilot had five minutes
before pointed out to me as the James and Allary
Sands. Another moment and she struck, her top-
masts fell; for an instant she staggered and reeled;
two minutes after all that could be seen of that noble
ship was part-of her hull, and the tops of the masts
just above the water. Such a spectacle I never could
have imagined. There was something awfully grand
as well as horrible in that sudden wreck. We could
see the men swarming on the masts, and tearing off
their clothes. We fired several guns, brought back a
steamer, and sent our own boats. Our boats suc-
ceeded in saving eight men, many others picked up
some also, but about 20 perished; among them the
captain of the vessel. We saved his brother, who saw
him sink, and his distress was terrible to behold."

CHALMERS' LIBRARY.—This sale concluded yes-
terday at the rooms of Messrs. Evans, Pall-mall. How
much the eight days may have produced we did not
hear, but certainly considerably more than if the
books and manuscripts had been disposed of in any
other way. At the same time the prices have been
very unequal—sbme lots selling for much more than
they were really worth, and many others for sums
greatly below their value. It seemed throughout as
if the booksellers were unwilling to bid against each
other, unless one of them had a commission. Mr.
Chalmers' Collection relating to Mary Quee'n of Scots
sold for 101. 105., and Sir R. Douglas' " Genealogical
Collections for the Baronage of Scotland," for 161.
The latter was bought by Thorpe, who yesterday
gave 151. 15s. for the " Collectanea Typographica
Scotica," consisting of an accumulation by Mr. Chal-
mers of curious and valuable materials for a history of
printing north of the Tweed. Rodd was the pur-
chaser of Chalmers' Bibliographia Scotica Poetica,"
for 181. 10s., which we apprehend will be soon on its
road to Edinburgh, and will devolve into the hands of
one of the most enterprising and learned antiquaries
that city has produced. Pickering became the pos-
sessor of " Ritson's MS. Account of Scottish Poets
and Historians" for 121. 125.; we were in hopes that
it would have found its way to the British Museum,
where, if we mistake ;not, are deposited several other
fruits of Ritson's research, to which this might well
have been added. " Chalmers' " Caledonia," " Topo-
graphical Dictionary of Scotland," and materials for

the intended fourth volume of " Caledonia," only
brought 301.

There was, one Sunday, at Holland House, during
the life of the late lamented owner, a party of twelve
at dinner, and it was agreed, that when the same
party met a week after, each guest should bring a list
of the twelve best and most interesting works he had
ever read. There was, of course, no concert or com-
munication between them, who were all men of lite-
rary pursuits and great attainments ; and when, at
their next meeting, the lists were opened by Lord
Holland, there was but one name found in all.
MYSTERIOUS DEATH.—About three o'clock yester-
day morning a cabriolet drove to the Hoxton police-
station with a man who was supposed to be drunk.
The door of the cab being opened, however, he was
found to be motionless, and to all appearance dead,
and upon his being removed to the station-house Mr
Coward, the police surgeon, was sent for, who ascer-
tained that life was quite extinct, although there
was still warmth in the body. Policeman Dormer,
205 N, it appeared had found the deceased lying
in the City-road, and was about to procure the
stretcher to remove him to the station-house, when a
cab driver offered to convey him thither in his
cab, and did so. A gentleman named Burton, who ac-
companied them, said that previously to the arrival
of the police-constable he saw the deceased lying
apparently in a fit, and another constable of the G
division standing near him, as if waiting for assist-
ance, by I which time was lost. The deceased was
identified as a young man of the name of Butcher,
respectably connected, and it was stated that he had
been a lawyer's clerk, but forsome time unemployed,
and known as keeping rather loose company. It was
ascertained that he was at the Eagle Tavern until
after one o'clock yesterday morning, but he does not
appear to have been intoxicated. Some bruiseshianhd
marks were observed upon the head and face,
will form the subject of investigation before thew eCo-
roner's
Jury, information of the occurrence having
been forwarded to Mr. Baker, the Coroner.
EXECUTION IN PRANCE.—Francois Gateau, con-
demned to death in August last, for attempting to
murder his wife, under most aggravated circumstances,
was executed at Poitiers on the 3d inst. The Droll
gives the - following account of the execution :—" As
the public authorities thought it advisable, in order to
strike the mind of the people, to have this execution
made as public as possible, the day and hour had been
stated beforehand. Hence an immense crowd had as-
sembled, and the rush round the scaffold was so great,
that it .was necessary to place a double line of foot-
soldiers and cavalry to prevent confusion. Gateau
expressed a wish to walk to the place of execution.
This he did firmly enough; but on seeing the instru-
ment of death, he turned pale, and appeared ready to
faint. Supported by his confessor, the Abbe Pascal,
he, however, went up the steps steadily, and, having
knelt down, received his benediction. In half a mi-
nute after he ceased to exist. From some misma-
nagement, the body was not sufficiently secured to
the plank, and the knife, in severing the head, caused
the body to roll over on the scaffold. The execu-
tioner's men hastened to place it in the wicker basket
destined to receive it, but, in their haste to quit the
spot, they forgot the head. In vain did the Commis-
sary of Police send to seek them, they were not to be
found, and the head remained where it fell, no person
consenting to touch it. At last, the Maps' trate using
his authority, ordered the carman, who was
waiting
for the body, to throw the head into the basket. This
the man refused to do, and it was not until after seve-
ral minutes' resistance that he made_ up his mind to
obey. The head being at last taken away with the
body, the crowd dispersed."
ENGLISH OAK—Womisop. It is well known that
there is a number of beautiful oak trees, in the
greatest perfection, growing
in the neighbourhood of
Worksop, but more particularly near to Welbeck, the
seat of his Grace the puke of Portland, some ofwhich
trees are of great antiquity, and of an
immense size ;
and others, again, may be seen,
exhibiting every age, in
a state of luxuriant growth. The number of oak trees
which have been cut down during the last few years
have been eagerly sought after, and purchased, at very
high prices, by the ship builders of both Hull and
Liverpool, quantities of which have been transported
to both of these important towns. It appears, now,
that the Government officers have turned their at-
tention to the valuable oak timber grown in this
neighbourhood, as there are, at the present time,
a number of workmen employed, under an officer
from London, in cutting up a large quantity
of trees, which have been purchased for the
use of her Majesty's navy., We understand that
these oaks are of such an excellent quality that, during
the last week, upwards of sixty bushels of acorns,
collected from the finest trees growing on the Sher-
wood Forest snd Clumber estates, have been forwarded
to the Commissioners of her Majesty's Woods and
Forests, to be sown in her Majesty's plantations in
Hampshire. The country is much indebted to the
Right Hon. the Earl of Lincoln, for his good judg-
ment and perseveriug industry in obtaining the
choicest and finest description of acorn to improve
the growth of the oak in her Majesty's Wood., and
Fopsts..---,Doncadv Gazette.