Star.
London, England, 1823-02-04 00:00:00

MR. M.ITHEIVS.

Extract of a letter just received from Mr. CB ARLES
MATRaws, the Comedian, dated Boston, in America:
a My success here (New York) has drawn down the ven-
geance of a fanatic, who is popular in his way. He lately preached
a sermon, called The Pestilence--a Punisksnent for Public Sins; in
which he points out the causes of the late scourge to the city—
the Theatre, and me in particular; for, by a most amusing ana-
chronism, he makes out, that my drawing crowds together in
November, was one of the causes of a pestilence which com-
menced in July. Take his own words as published by himself:
I,' What, I pray you, arc we to think of the state of society
among us, when, at the very moment that Goo's pestilence waa
the heaviest upon us,we are credibly informed in one of our Public.
Gazettes, that the nets-appearance of a celebrated Comedian (Ma:
rums) upon our Stage, in consequence if our calamity, had cast
as snuck gloom over our city as the fever itseff ! Must we not,
my brethren, conclude that the spirit of dissipation is deeply
rooted zincing us, when we find at this very time when our in-
habitants are called more solemnly than ever they were before, li
to consider their ways and humble themselves before Goo?
The Theatre, that school of Satan, that nursery for Hell, is
overflowing night after night with our citizens, to witness the
mimicries of an actor whom Goo AI•MIGHIY sent here at this
very time in his I;.tath, as a man better qualified, by. all accounts,
than any other in the world to dissipate every serious tea exion,
and harden men in folly and sin. If such be our spirit as a
community, have we not deserved Gobs chastisement ? ' Can
we not find in this thirst after dissipation, a fruitful cause of our
late calamity ?' "

Mantews is now playing at Boston to brilliAnt
houses, with the greatest possible success.

THE WEATHER.

CHICHESTER, FEBRUARY 1.

The breaking up of the late frost has completed
what the late boisterous weather had begun at Bog-
nor. The immense pier-wall has yielded, and ap-
pears in a ruinous state; the elegant marble bath,
erected by Mr. Walkden, and attached to the hotel,
is undermined and destroyed. Mr. A. Binstead, li-
brarian, has been compelled to remove the contents
lof his valuable library to a place of greater security.
The indecision of a Chancery suit has, we under-
stand, caused the neglect of repairing the sea fences
during the last summer, and the above disasters are
its consequences.
The rapid thaw we have experienced is universally
hailed with
.rapture. Hay, like coals, was daily
advancing in price; but now, from the stock in hand,
this provender is expected to remain at 31.105. per ton.
The Sussex sportsmen have had a season of real
sport, so far as relates to aquatic birds at least. Wild
fowl have not been so numerous for many years. As
great shots we state that twelve geese were killed at
one shot at Bosham, eighteen widgeons at Emsworth,
and eleven mallards and ducks at Selsea. Some
beautiful varieties of bier ganders, shelldrakes, pin-
tails, magpie-divers, and bitterns, have been killed
and preserved. The upland winter shooters" have
also shot some curiosities, among which are the
ring-ouzel, and that great rarity the bramble-finch,
which his Grace the Duke of Richmond has ordered
for preservation.
Four wild geese were last week brought down at
Newhaven, at one shot, three of which were bagged,
but the other, though crippled, got away.
GLiselow, JANUARY 31.—Wednesday, a little after
mid-day, the ice upon the Clyde, which had been
frozen for ten or fourteen days, broke up ; and,
during the afternoon vast quantities came down the
river, which had swollen very considerably in the
course of the day. Towards dusk, and at low water,
tile ice got dammed up opposite the first shed at the
Broomielaw, and while all below was clear, the
masses brought down continued to be thrown back
by a strong tide, and to accumulate upwards to a
considerable height; till the river had the appearance
of a solid field. Some idea of the irresistible force
with which the ice afterwards carried everything
before it may be conceived from.the fact, that at this
time the water actually stood three or four feet higher
at the top of the quay than it did at the bottom.
Between nine and ten o'clock at night, this immense
accumulation of ice and water gave way with the
noise of an earthquake, and a tremendous scene
ensued. Nine steam-boats, a sloop, and a brig, were
forced from their moorings, and carried down the
river. The William and Betsey, belonging to Dum-
fries, from Killala, with a cargo of oats, was the
first vessel that suffered damage ; she had two cables
and hawser cut, and her windiass, staunchions,
quarter-boards, and bulwarks, broken ; and having
drifted in the direction of the steam-boat pier, she
crossed the bows of the Waterloo, of Belfast, a large
steam-vessel, employed in the Irish trade, and car-
ried away her starboard paddle-wheel. The Waterloo
afterwards broke from two patent chain-cables, and
a seven-inch hawser, dragging her anchor as far as
Napier's dock. The Argyle was drifted to Bowling
Bay, a distance of twelve.miles, without any person
on board, the individual who was left in charge of,
her having jumped on shore when her cables gave
way. It is singular that this vessel did. not sustain
the slightest injury. The Greenock, according to all
accounts, has suffered the greatest damage, being
much strained, and the whole of her bulwarks and
most of her stern carried away.. The Dispatch had
her paddle-boxes and paddle-rings broken. The In-
dustry had her paddle-boxes damaged, and her stern
stove in. The Marquis of Bute was drifted about
100 yards below the quay, where she was thrown on
the bank without sustaining muds injury. The Ring-
dove brig, belonging to Peterhead, had two of her
side planks driven in. The following are the names-
of the nine steam-vessels that drifted, eight-of which
had last night got back to the Broomielaw, and the
Largs, the only one absent, was known to be sate :
The Samson, Dispatch, Industry, Waterloo of Bel-
fast; Largs, Greenock, Marquis of Bute, Argyle, ,
Belfast of Belfast.—The Rothesay Castle, Highland,
Chieftain, and Oscar, were among the other steam-
boats when they broke from their fastenings; but
these vessels had the good for tune to withstand the
shock. When the chain-cables of the Waterloo gave
way, sonic of the links flew about thirty feet high,
so esueme was the force. No estimate can yet be
made of the damage done, but it is not so great as
might have been expected. We are .happy to hear
that no lives have been lost, nor has the slightest
personal accident of any kind occurree, so ha as
we cart learn.

4

THE ARMY. •

Tuesday, a detachment of the 89th 'teeniest marched into
Chichester. and pursued their route the next muimitag fur Chat-
ham, in order to embark for the Past Indies.

SPORTING rir TEL L /VENCE.

'ERSALT2S, FEB. 3.

14 to 1 agst Talisman
20 to 1 agst Sir W. Milner's -
20 to 1 agst Pacha
22 to 1 agst Charcoal
OAKi.

10 to 1 anst Olivera
13 to 1 apt Sorcerer Lily
IS to 1 agst ally other
he field agst Figaro.

rOILTH.
4 to 1 agst Talisman

CIA]

:art.