Star.
London, England, 1823-05-08 00:00:00

THE BIRD OF PASSAGE.

Away, away, thou Summet: Bird,
For Autumn's moaning voice is heard,
In cadence wild, and deepening swell,
Of Winter's stern approach to tell !
Away, for vapours damp and low
Are wreathed around the mountain's brow,
And tempest-clouds their mantles fold
Around the forest's russet gold !

Away, away, o'er earth and sea,
This land is now no home for thee !
Arise, and stretch thy soaring wing,
And seek elsewhere the smiles of Spring!
Why should he grieve? the beam be loves
Shines o'er him still, whereer he roves;
And all those early friends are near,
Who made his summer-home so dear!

Oh ! deem not that the tie of birth
Endears us to this spot of earth;
For wheresoe'er our steps may roam,
If friends are near, that place is home !
No matter where our fate may guide us,
If those we love ate still beside us !

ENGLISH CEMETERY AT ROMP.

ROME, APRIL i; __.--tXTKACT TIMM a PitIVATE Lmrß.

" If I might be permitted to pass from g gay to
grave,' it would be to inform you that I have, in the
true spirit of British feeling, paid a visit to the silent
inmates of Testacio, the English Cemetery.' This scene
of sorrow is considerably improved since my last trip to
Rome : a ditch prevents all approach to that portion
which had been previously occupied, and our Consul
has caused a high wall to be raised round a contiguous
spot, appropriated to re:eive those of our countrymen
who may be destined to leave their bones here in fu-
ture. There is no name of note yet to grace the new
burying-ground, if I except that of the unfortunate
Mr. SHELLEY. You will recollect the melancholy
fate that befel this child of the Muses some months
ago, 9n the coast of Tuscany. His ashes were brought
here lately in an urn, which has been deposited at Tes-
tacio, close to the Pyramid of Caws Semi's, the
Roman Pro-Consul. There is a slab placed over it,
bearing the name of the deceased, his age, and birth,
with the simple inscription of Coriconntum. I under-
stand this last office of friendship to the departed
spirit of poor Mr. SHELLEY is due to the generous
sympathy_ of Lord BYRON.'

THE EARTHQUAKE AT VALPARAISO.

EXTRACT OF A LETTER, DATED QUINTERO, NOV. 30.
There had been no shock of any consequence for
several months, when, on the night of Tuesday, the
19th inst. about a quarter past ten o'clock, the ground
began to shake so violently, without any previous
warning, that it was hardly possible to stand. C.
and I ran instantly to the front door, fearing that the
rocking of the house would set it fast and cut off Our
retreat. We were followed, and pushed out of the
house by the servants, who were shrieking and scream.
ing, and calling upon the Virgin with all their might.
By the time we were outside of the house, the mo-
tion of the earth had greatly increased, and the noise
was now so loud, that it resembled that of a heavy
fire-engine passing rapidly along a paved street.. As
we went through the passage the door of A.'s room
was open, and I had no doubt they had escaped with
us. 'Thinking the house woold be thrown down, I
called to those who ran out with us to follow 'me
into an open space below, where we should be out
of danger. I had been an invalid all day, from
being accidentally struck on the head by a heavy
piece of metal in the morning, and between the
sudden exertion of running out of the house, and
the violent rocking of the earth, I was totally un-
able to stand on reaching that spot, and was com-
pelled to go upon my hands and knees for support.
I however recovered myself in a few, seconds, bind not
perceiving Mrs. A. near me, I ran back towards the
housi. I found her standing with A. and they were
holding each other for mutual support. She was
clasping her child convulsively in her arms, and her
face and clothes were covered with dust. It appeared
that just as they had reached the door of their room,
the book-case had fallen upon them and struck them
all three to the ground. They were fortunately not
much hurt ; and A. by a sudden exertion of strength,
contrived first to get clear himself, and then to extri-
cate his wife and child. As the motion still conti-
nued, we led Mrs. A. still further from the house,
and seated ourselves on the ground till the shock was
quite over. It had lasted about two minutes.
The first thing that occurred to us all was the state
of the family at Conccn. Their house being very
high, and built of unburnt bricks, we greatly feared
that it had been destroyed. C. and I both resolved
to set out instantly for Concon, but as I had not been
able to leave my room during the day, C. was fear-
ful that the ride might have a bad effect on me, and
I therefore went over alone. At this time a great
number of women, and some men from the neigh. i
bouring.randios, had collected round the chapel-door,
praying, screaming, calling on the Virgin, and all
the Saints to protect them, tearing their hair, and
beating themselves in the most violent manner.
They all wished to gain admission to the chapel,
but the key being in the house, not one would ven-
ture in to fetch it; but they afterwards went in pro-
cession, with lighted candles, to the hills, where they
remained bellowing and praying for nearly an hour.
All our servants went with them, escept a lad of
A—'s, who remained with us all night, and not
another individual came near us till neat day, even
to inquire for Mrs. A. whom they well knew to have
narrowly escaped with her infant from being killed.
Soon after B— was gone, we contrived to get out
a mattress, &c. from the house, with which we made
up a bed on the ground in an open spot for Mrs. A.
and her little one, and near it lighted a large fire. All
this was done by about eleven o'clock, and we had
then no alternative but to sit down quietly by the
fire, in momentary expectation of another shock r the
moon was setting, and it wanted nearly five hours to
sunrise. I would experience a repetition of the shock
ten times over, rather than the dreadful. suspense that
we suffered during the remaining hoursoUdarkuess.
We had a shock, and sometimia rather a severs one,
though generally withoot noise, .every three.or tour
minutes for the first hour ; afterwards they were less
1

frequent. Sometimes the shock appeared as if caused
by a sudden explosion immediately below the spot
where we were sitting ; at other times the earth rocked
for ten or twelve seconds.
In the Morning, in order to kill time, we ventured
into the Louse for some and sugar, with the other
requisites, and madeourselves some breakfast ; shortly
after which the eastern sky, towards which we had
turned our face the whole night, began to skew. by
-the diminished lustre of the stars in that quarter, that
the sun would not be much longer absent from us.—
Never, I believe, was the dawn of day hailed with
more heartfelt pleasure than on that morning. I was
so impatient to know how the family at Concon were,
that I immediately saddled my horse, and in less than
forty minutes the nine miles of ground had passed
under his feet. .1 had felt convinced, at the time of
the shock, that the ground must have opened in some
places by its violence, but had not observed anything
of the sort near our house. On reaching the side of
the lake I found the gi ound on its banks rent in every
direction, so that the road in many places was almost
impassable. When arrived at the liver side I found
things still worse; in some places there were large
chasms, and in others the banks had sunk three or
four feet below their former bed.
I reached the house just as the sun had risen above
the Cordillera, and had the satisfaction to find all the
family in pet fect safety. The house, though much
shattered, was not materially injured, but almost
every tile was shaken from the roof. The walls of
the mill were thrown down, and it was at first feared
that the machinery was deranged, but it has since
been ascertained that this is not the case. The sides
of the mill-cut were in several parts forced nearly to-
gether, so as scarcely to leave a channel for the water.
After remaining about an hour in Concon, I re-
turned immediately to Lord C.'s house, in Quintero,
to see Mrs. Graham (author of the Life of Poucsin,
&c. &c.) who was residing there with a relation, who
was a Lieutenant on board the Doris, and left here
in a confirmed decline. They had all escaped with-
out injury, but the house was shaken to pieces. I
breakfasted with them and then returned home. I
found that the framing of our house was not mate-
r'ally injured, but nearly all the plaster was shaken
from the walls. Our room presented a sad scene of
confusion; nearly every article in it was thrown upon
the ground. A sort of press, made of a large cedar
chest, had stood on one side of the room, and con-
tained all our chemical tests and apparatus; on the
op of it were our writing-desks, dressing and pistol
cases, a great number of dried plants, the roots and
seeds I had collected this season, &c. ice. This press
had been thrown down, most of the bottles and ap-
paratus broken, and the acids being spilt, almost
every article contained in the press was destroyed.
Our soap-house was not injured, except that the chins-
nies were thrown down; but a reverbatory furnace,
which stood in a shed near it, was shaken to atoms.
As everybody feared there would be a repetition of
the shock, I had promised the ladies at Concon that
I would get Mrs. A. to go over and remain with them
for a few days, and after getting a temporary erec-
tion put up to reside in, on our return we all set of
for Concon. There were several slight shocks during!
the day. At night we all slept under a tent. Next
day C. and A. went. to Valparaiso, -and on Saturday
M. and I went thither.

A great part of the houses in the part calladifie
Almendual, are thrown down. In the port itself
almost every house is rendered uninhabitable. The
Chilenos are all living in the hills, and the English
families are gone on board the 'ships in the harbour.
A great number of lives were lost in Valparaiso ;taro
English carpenters were among those who suffered.'
We dined with Lord Cochrane, on board the O'Hig•
gins, and at night returned home.
As usual after a violent earthquake, scarcely a der
passes without one or two slight shocks; there wail
rather a smart shock this morning and another sinew
It is not yet known how far this earthquakeextended.
Quilloa is nearly destroyed ; Santiago has not suf.
fered much; at Aconcagua there is much damage,
and some' also at Baneaqua ; Casa Blanqua is de-
stroyed; Melipilla nearly so; the shock was not se•
vere at Conception nor at Talca. It es singular that
Capiapo was nearly destroyed on the 4th of this
month ; it is not yet known whether much damage
was sustained there from the shock of the 19th, bat
Illapel, on the road to Coquimbo, it said to be in t nine.
It is the universal opinion of the inhabitants, that
there cannot be another severe shock for many years.
They say it happens only once in a century. The la*
one felt in this part of Chili was 92 year; ago.

I ANIMMI•••••••

Sunday forenoon, as a Clergyman was passing
along the Skinnergate, Perth, to his Church, he was
shocked to hear the sanctity of the day broken by -a
shrill pipe whistling, " Up and waur them a',11114."
His own name is WILLIAII; and his first thought
was, that some profane bay might be mocking hun,
as the children did the Prophet of old. 'Nest day, he
ascertained that the unconscious offender was beyond.
the reach either of spiritual censure or the Pollee
Court. The musician was a blackbird ! At the
nister's suggestion, however, the sooty songster is op
future Sundays to be.confined to a back room !:—A
story similar to this, is told of a blackbird at Edin-
burgh, which shortly after the 45, wets seised *Ad
committed to the
,Hurt of Midlothian for pipiti:
also on a Sunday Morning; 4‘ Charlie is my Dar(sni
Tuesday. evening, aliout eight o'clock, the tower
of the Church of Weston Colville, Cambridgeshire,
tumbled down : part falling upon the roof of the
Church, broke through and destroyed 4he seats and
' pews; the other per; fell to the wears. 'The tower
contained five bells, four of which were broken by
the fall. It is fortunate that no persoA soap near: if
it had happened during Divine Smics, many of the
congregation would inevitably here lost their lives.
About 58 years ago, the tower of Alls4lat.s' Church,
Fullbourn, fell in a similar manners
A few days ago, a Gentleman who was riding near
Uckfield, observed a man with a couple of cl*rries
(the produce of a neighbouring hot-house), tied on a
stick. The Gentleman, on passing, inquired the price
of shese early specimens of summer fruit, and was
informed that they were.only agssinea each ! Check-
ing his horse for the moment, he drew from his pocket
au embroidered purse, and placed in the hands of
tbe.man who - had -the cherries two sovereigns and
two shillings ; at the same moment taking the fruit,
he with the greatest nonchalance ate it, observing aloud,
it was very fine and full flavoured !