Star.
London, England, 1824-03-29 00:00:00

ENGLISH OPERA HOUSE.
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MATHEWS Trip to America attracted such numbers
again on Saturday, that the Theatre and all its lobbies
~crre completely full a few minutes after the doors
were opened. The applause was immense throughout,
but the definition c.:l the word " Yankee," and the French;
man's petite chanson (consisting of 33 stanzas) in praise
of General Jackson, were the points which excited most
laughter. At the end of the second part, where he
inakesMr.Penninglon, an American, hope that nothing
will ever separate Euglani hot!) America hot the bil-
lows of the Atlantic, a sentiment so congeni 11 to the
liberal and friendly policy adopted by both countries
towards each other, the audience testified their acqui-
escence and approbati,:n by lung continued rounds of
the loudest applause.

tiAPLEs.

PRIVATE CORRESPONDENCE.

. . ...... _ _ _
IZA :VA ItC 14 9, ls•'4.—ln the spring of last year, Mr. I fart is
and Mr. Angell, two English students of architecture, who, in the
course of their tour.through Sicily, remained a long time on the un-
explored ruins of Selinunte, discovered several nielnpes bin led under
the ruins of the fallen columns, &c. of the Greek temples of that
place. 'the prosecution of this discovery cost them infinite labour
and considerable expense, and as they stayed on the spot after the un-
healthy season set in (the advice of their friends and their own rea-
sonable apprehensions being °vet come by their zeal for the arts),poor
Harris caught the malaria liver, which sent him to a premature grave
in Jime last. While Mr. Aiigell was busied in putting the fragments of
the %metopes together, and making drawings, an order came front the
Iniendente of Palermo; orderieg him to give up the things discovered
immediately. Mr. Angell had scarcely time allowed him to fioi,de
his-dlavrings. The fragments were placed in the Museum of Pa-
lermo, where they were put together under Mr. Angell's direc-
tion, without which they would have lain as useless unsightly
rt.bbish, for there was not an artist in that city capable of exe-
cuting the woik.• As his only recompense, Mr. Angell sup-
plizated to have plaster Casts made of the objects under his
guidance; and, strange as it may appear. he was not able to
Obtain this after six months lust iu application. Mr. Angell,
on his return to Naples, addressed Mr. Hamilton on the sub-
ject, who, in this case, uniting his love for nit and antiquity to
his activity in advocating the interests
.of his countrymen, applied
directly to the Marchese Ruin), Minister t)1 the Royal Establish-
ments. After some time an' answer was returned, stating that casts
could not be taken widicnti injuring the tic-tapes ! and offering no,
indemnification to the person through whose so:e exertions those
valuable remains of antiquity had been added to the collection of
his Sicilian Majesty. This is much to be regretted, as the casts
would have been prized and of use in our collections at .home, fur
the figures are executed it, that very peculiar and little known szyle,
possessed by the Greeks when they first began to free themselves
front the trammels of the Egyptians, and to open that wittoticlen
path which led rapidly to perfection—they are, indeed, the conn
log chain between Egyptian and Greek sculpture.
Yesterday we had a dashing horse-sae:: on the Campo di 'Marie,
which was numerously attended. Among' the distinguished Eng-,
Ii h were the Marquis of Northampton and family, Lord and Lady
Ponsonby, Lord Biesington and family, Lord W. Russell, Lord
Augustus Hill, Sir W. Ger'ard, Captain and Lady Agnes Buller,
and several others, " too.-numerous to repeat."—An astonishing
slumber of English have arrived here lately: above IA English
passports have been given in within the last eight days. Count H.
qui:amid, the Austrian Ambassador, and his beautiful Lady, ar-
rived last Wednesday.

It is announced in the Journal des Debats, that on
the 13th instant the Duchess ofLucca, formerly Queen
of Euutia, Infanta of Spain, .and skter of the reigning
King FiRDINAND, died at Rome: Her Royal Highness
has left a son, married to the datighter of the late King
of Sardinia.. i$ the treaty of Vienna, this son will be-
come Grand Duke of Parma on the death of the Arch-
eachess MARIA LOUISA. •

-NORTHERN EXPEDITIoN.—We stated in a former Pa-
per, that tlic. North Pole Expedition, under Captain
!'AIRY, will be accompanied by the William Harris
transport, Lieut. J W. PRITCHARD, for the purpose of
carrying out propelling wheels, to be used on the ships
among the ice. It is now intended that another trans-
port shall prckeed• at once with canoes and various
necessaries for Captain-FRANKLIN's part of the service,
which canoes are to be forwarded to the mouth of Mac-
Icenzie's river, to which spot Captain FRANKLIN will
proceed early in the ensuing year, to endeavour to pe-
netrate from that spot westward to Behring's S:raits—
i. making_the.North Pule passage.. The catroes
. are
of a light description, but as they are to be carried over
the projecting headlands and promontories, they are to
be inflated when thed. Captain LYON will endeavour
by the use of similar canoes, to trace the coast from
Repulse Bay to Copper-mine River, whilst Capt. PARRY
will again pass into Lancaster's Sound, and in the
neighbourhood of Melville Island renew his endeavour
to make a saccessfill passage thence to Behring's Straits,
and thus accomplish the great object of the expedition.
Every cite will be taken to prevent similar privations
to those experienced by the former land expedition.
The Survey of Ireland is finally decided upon. Maj..r
CoLav is to have the direction, and to increase the rapidity of it, 20
Cadets who have left the Woolwich academy, and are waiting for
Commisaions in the Ordnance Corps have been ordered on that
service. By the 29th instant they are to be at Cardiff for fur-
ther instruction in Land Surveying, under Mr. Dawson, of the
late Corp 9 of Draftsmen, with whom they will remain about six
weeks, an.l then proceed to Ireland. It is supposed they will be
encamped during the progress of the survey. Their pay will be
augmented front 29. 6d. to 6s. per day.
SINGULAR ANECDOTE OP A MAN &WAR'S MAN.—
When his Majesty's ship ACTIVE was employed in the Mediterra-
nean in the late war, a seaman was pressed front a merchant-Ves-
sel by an Officer of that frigate. Jack felt his lot so extremely
hard, that he remonstrated with considerable nautical ability 2nd
eloquence upon the folly of pressing for the King's service a man
who had only the use of one arm. The Lieutenant, however, sus-
petted his arm was more sound than his logic ; but cut the matter
short, by promising him his release upon his removal to the frigate,
if the Surgeon pronounced him unserviceable ; but as no disease
was at all discoverable, or any apparent cause for its hanging by
his side like a supernumerary limb," he was in consequence de-
tained for his Majesty's service. Two years, however, rolled dyer
the ACTIVE'S servitude on that station, and though narrowly watched
night and day, never •did Jack's faithful arm betray the slightest
muscular emotion. As he was an excellent seaman, every induce-
ment was held out to hinh to disclose the deception—hat he, bent
on his discharge, though subject to the most degrading duties, con-
tinued indelible to the last. It, however, happened that the Ac-
THE was, in 1811, engaged with the enemy's squadron, and Jack,
in order to be under the eye of the Captain, was stationed on the
quarter-deck. During the heat of the action, though he " lent a
seining hand," he never lost sufficient presence of inii.tl to cause hint
to forget his arm was the reverse, yntil just at the montent that the
pliant Captain (the present Sir JAMES Goitomi) fell, wounded—
when that, which neither encouragement, time, threats, nor danger
could accomplish, did—for Jack was, with a truly generous tar-
like feeling for his esteemed Commander, the first to run and pick
Nifll up with froth arms. This semi-comic circumstance drew, al-
t ough dreadfully wounded, this cool observation froM the gallant
Sir Jasses—" Well, my buy, if I have lo! `a leg, d—n ir,you have
r:d an arm !"
Monday, James Bridgemon underwent the awful sentence of the
law, at the drop in front of the county of Limerick gaol, for the
barbarous ass:.ssination of Richard Going, Esq. Chief Alagistrace of
Police, near Cappagh, in 1821. Previous to the unfortunate wretch
leaving the cell, he acknowledged the justice of his sentence, and
net bred he Was not only a participator in that inns-der, but was
uPo present at four other pturders in that county. On reaching
the scaffold he appeared perfectly resigned, but his countenance
betrayed strung emotions of fear. After praying for a few mo-
ments, the signal was given, the drop removed, and he was launched
Into eternity—he appeared to suffer but little pain, and died with-
out a struggle. The hand of litvise Patovinennx, iu bringing
This wretched criminal to an ignominious and just fate, was truly
exemplified, as he . was three times in gaol under charge of Mr.
r;oing's murder, and was discharged without trial. It is singular
that Bridgman was married a few hours before his execution, to
womais who cohabited wth