Star.
London, England, 1824-10-23 00:00:00

rISIT TO AN EG YPI'IAN CsTACOMB.

The celebrated Aaron Hill, when in Egypt, had the
curiosity to examine a catacomb. He was accompanied
in his expedition by two Gentlemen, and conducted by
one orthe natives of the coantry as a guide. They at
length arrived at the spot, and without taking notice of
some fellows who were sauntering about the place, de-
scended by ropes into the vault. No sooner were they
let down, than they were presented with a spectacle
which struck them with horror. Two Gentlemen, ap-
parently starved to death, lay before them ; one of
these unhappy victims had a tablet in his hand, en
which was written, in very pathetic language, the story
of their lamentable fate. It seemed that they were
brothers, of rank and family in Venice, and having, in
the course of their travels, intrusted themselves with
one of the natives, for the purpose of visiting the cata-
comb, the perfidious villain had left than to perish.
The danger to which Mr. Hill and his friends were
txpo.ee, instantly alarmed. them. They had scarcely
read the tale, when, looking up, they beheld their in-
human guide, assistrd by two others, whom they had
seen near the spot, closing the entrance into the vault.
They were now reduced to the utmost distress; they,
however, drew their swords, determined to make a
desperate effort to rescue themselves from a situation so
appalling. With this resolution, they were groping
about at ranclom in the dark, when they were startled
at the groans of some one seemingly in the agonies of
death. They listened to the dismal sound, and at
length, by the glimmering light from the top of the
catacomb, they saw a man just murdered, and a little
beyond they be: eld his inhuman murderers flying with
the utmost precipitation. They pursued them imme-
diately, and though not able to come up with them,
they had the gond fortune to reach the opening through
which the wretches escaped out of the cavern, just be•
fore they had time to roll the stone on the top of it.

The Pientontaise Gazette of the 12th, contradicts the
report given by some Journals, that the Dey of Algiers
had threatened to declare war against the Court of Sar-
dinia, if it did not pay the customary tribute. It is no-
torious that the Sardinian Government has never paid
any tribute to the Dey of Algiers; it is well known that
that country was at war with Algiers till Lord Ex-
mouth's expedition.
A return post-chaise with two spirited horses, belong-
ing to Mr. Wright, of Dover, being imprudently left at
the door of the Star Tap, Canterbury, on Thursday, the
horses took fright and ran away at full speed for Dover,
which reaching they continued their route through the
intricate streets of Dover, until they came to their
stables, opposite the Ship Inn, a distance of nearly seven-
teen miles.
A serious affray took place on Thursday, in a brick
field, at Lower Hillington, caned by three soldiers and
their assistants, who repaired thither to apprehend a de-
serter of the name of Appleton. After having secured
their object, an attack was made on the besieging patty
to rescue the deserter, and a severe affray took place,
but the labourers being too numerous, overpowered the
soldiers, and rescued the man.
A few days since, a leaf of a most valuable and an-
cient manuscript, entitled the Exon Domesday Book,
preserved among the records and charters of the Dean
and Chapter of Exeter, was restored to its proper place,
having been accidentally found at some distance in the
country, after being missing, it is said, upwards of a
century. About eight years since, the above MS. was
printed.in 500 pages folio in a supplement to the Ex-
chequer Great Domesday Book; when the learned editor
and antiquary, HENRY Ewa, Esq. had occasion to
regret in his preface the imperfection caused by the
lost leaf.

MAGNANIMOUS CRIDIINALeMT. RYLAND, the artist,
who was executed in 1789 for forgery, so conciliated
the friendship of the Governor of fothill-fields Bride-
well, where he was confined, that he not only had the
liberty .of the whole house and garden, but when the
other prisoners were locked up of an evening. the Go-
vernor used to take him Out with him, and range the
fields to a considerable distance. His friends, antici-
pating the consequences of a trial at this time, concerted
a plan by which ltvtatirD was to effect an escape in one
of these excursions, and which was to have been executed
in such a manner, that the exoneration of his guardian
must have followed of course. But probable as it ap-
peared, when mentioned to the unfortunate mho, he was
so far from acceding, that he protested, that if he were
at that moment to meet his punishment, he would face
it with all its terrors, rather than betray an indulgence
so humanely given. He had previously escaped, but
was discovered, owing to his name being written within
a pair of shoes which he gave a cobblet to mend, Who
informed and got the reward of 0500.
The excavators have a second time been successful at
Famars, in France. On the ?th of October, at ten o'clock
in the morning, they discovered, at six paces distant
from the last work, and at the foot of the same wall, four
vases in terracotta, filled with silver Roman medals.
The first contained 1065; the second, 1,928; the third,
1,412 (these three vases were of red clay, with a single
handle); the fourth, very large, and of a spherical form,
contained 5,115 ; total, 9,515; which, with 9,955 found
on the 28th Sept. form the astonishing number of 19,470
medals of silver found at Famars, in the course of a
fortnight.—One of the vases of red clay is perfectly
entire. The medals of this cast ate of a larger die than
the others ; they are all radiated heads. Amongst these
are the effigies of Balbinus, Papienus, Gordianus, Pius,
Philippus, senior and junior, Octavilia Sever*, Trajanus,
Decius, Herennia Estrucilla, Hostilianus, Trebontanus
Gallus, Volusianns, Carious, and others, with a great
variety of different obverses.—Literary Chronicle.
Everybody has heard of the Cock-lane ghost, and of
Dr. Johnson being among the multitudes who visited the
church-yard vault at midnight to see that ghost. The
:!wful result and discovery are also well known by
Churchill's admirable satire :
" Silent they all walked in. About
. Tbry al we'd silent-&-soll Traiked out !"