The Sun.
London, England, 1842-02-05 00:00:00

STORM IN THE NORTH.

PERTH, JAN. 27.—The thas;
through-
out last week had hardly cleared away the snow of the
previous week when a fresh storm set in. It commenced
on Saturday with a drifting wind from south-east, and
continued for the next two days falling slightly, but con-
stantly, till Monday evening, when it again lay about six
inches deep on the average, but drifted in many places to
three times that extent. As usual, with a storm from
that direction, travelling is most impeded on the east-
coast roads, although in this case the obstruction h
extended over all the North Highlands. The Inverness
Mail and Aberdeen Defiance pushed through on Monday
with difficulty, particularly the latter, on the
stage betwixt Stonehaven and Laurencekirk. On
Tuesday travelling by the Strathmore road in
that direction was entirely stopped, and the De-
fiance due here that afternoon has not yet appeared.
The North Mail by the east-coast road the same night
was also greatly impeded, and most of the road from
Aberdeen to Perth had to be driven with six horses. A
very melancholy and fatal accident occurred that night
on one of the stages north from Dundee. The additional
pair of horses put on for those occasions are ridden by a
postilion, and his horse slipping, fell with him, and the
rapid rate at which all were going, prevented the possibi-
lity of the coachman pulling up, the horses and coach
went over him, and killed him on the spot. Monday
night is described by the Inverness mail-guard as one
of the most fearful he had ever travelled in. Major
Hall, the Post-office Surveyor for the north of Scot-
land, happened to be in Inverness that day, and left with
the mail for Perth. They had hardly gone a stage
southward when it was found necessary to leave the coach,
and Major Hall and the guard pursued their jour-
ney with the mail-bags on horseback. Fortunately the
storm abated with the advancing day, and Dalwhinnie
was at length reached, where the north guard was re-
lieved by Stewart, with whom Major Hall pushed on to
Dalnacardoch, over Drummochdir Hill, where the
wreaths of snow reached sometimes to the middles of the
horses. Here a drosky was obtained, in which all arrived
safely in Perth by midnight, the surveyor and
guards have ridden upwards of sixty miles on horseback.
A singular circumstance occurred to Major Hall and the
guard to break the monotonous dreariness of the ride.
During the height of one of the gales on the high grounds
in Inverness-shire, a covey of grouse were carried, by
the violence of the storm, right upon the horses and
riders. One was killed by the shock and brought on
by the guard to Perth, and some of the others might
have been easily caught had the party wished.

THE HOP TRADV—The following is from an
opulent and respected agricuhurist, and confirms, we
believe, the experience of most of our farmers and the
public in general. Appended to an invoice of 19 pockets
of Hops sold at 110 s., is the following letter from the
factor employed to effect the sale:—
" Sir,--We could do no better for you. We are quite
convinced we shall have no improvement in the value of
Hops this spring. The working classes are not half
employed, neither have they been the last two months;
consequently there is but little demand eiaier foi- Hops
or Malt. The consumption of beer is very limited, and
will be until trade revives in the populous districts.
Our Correspondent adds:—

" 1.20 th, 1842."

" In Noveniber last Sussex Hops were at 1265. after the
crop was gathered; and from the shortness of the yield
it was confidently expected that they would be higher
before another crop could be got in, the previous stock
being completely exhausted; but owing to the depression
of trade and manufactures, as suggested in the above
factors' letter, the Sussex Hop-growers are again doomed
to suffer disappointment. This is another illustration of
the injury done to agriculture by. a system which checks
our manufacturing and commercial industry and enter-
prise. Without prosperous customers the farmer cannot
be prosperous himself."
The price of Hops and of Malt, and consequently of
Barley, will soon tell the farmers thai it is not even safe,
much less wise, to injure the manufacturing classes.—
Brighton Guardian.

ATTEMPT ON THE LIFE OF E. C. LISTER,
EsQ.—We regret to learn that about four o'clock on
Wednesday morning last, the life of E. C. Lister, Esq.,
was attempted at his residence at Fairfield House. We
believe the circumstances of the attack were as follow
Mr. Lister was disturbed by some noise, and perceived a
man with some instrument about to strike him. Mr. L.
immediately sprung up and said, " You have no occasion
to murder me—what do you want ?" He replied, he had
come on purpose to murder him. Mr. Lister seized him,
wrenched the instrument out of his hand, threw him on
his back, and was about to strike him on the head with
it, but threw it to a distance, and then let him get up.
He immediately made another spring, and Mr. Lister
again threw him down. One of the servants then came
in and said, "It is the butler." Mr. Lister exclaimed,
" Oh, James, what could induce you to do this ?" He
replied a man, with large black whiskers, had haunted
and tempted him to do it. Mr. Lister perceived that he
was deranged, and had a surgeon sent for, who bled
him, and he then expressed his sorrow, but reiterated
the statement about the man tempting him. He was an
old and confidential servant, and has for the last ten
years been in connexion with the Wesleyans. He has
since been removed to the York Lunatic Asylum.—
Bradford Observer.
NAVAL ARCHITECTURE.—We have seen a
model of a vessel, of a curious and novel construction, to
which we would direct the attention of nautical readers.
The object is—swift sailing with facility of manoeuvring ; in
order to accomplish which, the keel is made very deep at a
point in the centre, and slopes upwards towards Oil lAqw &;14
stern in the form of an obtuse angle. The inventor supposes
that a vessel with a keel so conOrubted, would sail very close to
the wind, itiie it
would obey the helm much more quickly
w
thin an ordinary vessel, as it would turn in the water as it were
upon a pivot. There is also a peculiarity in the rigging, the
masts, three in number, radiating from the centre, the main-
mast being upright—the foremast sloping forwaTd, anti -Oil)
wizen having a similar rake backvvimt, Toi arrangement is
to suit the form of t e, tßils,'Whiclt are, with the exception of
icsme nr•thoits On the mainmast, triangular, with a view to
have the principal pressure on the canvas as low as possible for
the sake of safety, and also to facilitate tacking. It is impos-
sible to explain the plan thoroughly without diagrams, anil we
question whether even nautical men could venture a dectd&l
*pinion on its merits
without an e4erinxent kin 'lc lokrge
Meanwhile we think the, invOr4klit''', "ithi itteetton nf the
i!lorttiern y4cht-pov, to
t
entiemen interested in naval
xraiite*rg, The constructor o the model is Mr. Dempster,
Kioghota