Star.
London, England, 1830-10-25 00:00:00

SCINTILLA.

BIOGRAPHICAL MEMOIR OP DON FRANCISCO VALDE:
As general attention is now directed to the attempt of the Spanisl
emigrants to reestablish liberty in their country, a short biographical
account of the first military commander who has entered into Spain.
cannot fail to be acceptable. Colonel Don Francisco Valdes, commonly
called by the Spaniards Valdes of Tarifa, is a gentleman of good fa-
mily, and a native of New Castile. His brother, a wealthy landed
proprietor, was chosen one of the members of the Cortes for Madrid,
and was among those obliged to emigrate to England .for having joined
in deposing Ferdinand. He was very young when be entered into the
army. He went with the Marquis La Romana to Germany, and rc.
turned with him in 1808. He took an active part in the military orra-
tions under General Blake, and was present at the battles of Lamm.
and Valmaseda. He fought afterwards with the army of Gallieis—
went to Estramadurs—and was there taken pt burner by the French. ii
however contrived to effect his escape, and after many dangers, joins'
General Ballasteros in the mountains of Ronda, where he soon distin-
guished himself and became a great favourite with the General who
used to intrust him with the command of the advanced guard in the.
desperate skirmishes, which made that general's name celebrated durin •
the Peninsular war. When Ballasteros was deprived of the command.
Valdes joined the third corps of the Spanish army, and served in to
Pyrenees under the Duke of Wellington. At the termination of t!.
war, he gave proofs df the rashness of his character, and entered into a
conspiracy with many other officers of his division of the army, to compel
Ferdinand to swear to the Constitution. They were betrayed, and o.
course unsuccessful; and all implicated in the conspiracy would has.
been obliged to leave Spain, had not a great personage here interfere:.
in their favour. From that time to 1820, Val es kept clear of the many
conspiracies which threatened Ferdinand's throne, but on the 3d of Ja.
nuary of that year, we find him commanding the small body of patriots
who under the direction of Riego took the bridge of Suazo, which unite%
the Wand of Leon with the Continent. He was one of the chiefs of the
liberating army, and was afterwards sent to Castile against Merino.
where he resided until 1823. In that year when Ballasteros too!
the command of the Constitutional army, Valdes joined him, and s
appointed military commander of the province of Teruel then overru:
with royalist militia. He soon cleared the province, formed a brigade
with fresh recruits, and joined the General on his retreat to the south of
Spain. But Ballasteros was at that time meditating his treatherou,
abandonment of the Constitutional government, and was so sure that
Valdes would not sanction it, that he sent him to Carthagena under pre.
tens of giving him the command of that fortress, which however
was eventually transferred to another. But there Valdes remain.
ed, till after the fall of the Constitutional government, when hL
retired to Gibraltar whence he madly determined in August,
1824, to invade Spain, having received many invitations front
the patriots on the coast of Malaga promaing support. Unfortunately,
as soon as hs end his Ihnowets were embarked, the wind changed, area!
it not biligpsesible fee them either to go es Malaga or remain where
they were, Valhi donnedned M Ind ow des fortress of Tarifa in the
middle of die aid tbe ipmelarn. In this rub advsntur,
he was mesusell ; imellstely after surrounded by
the Frusta imps, he withal &sufficient garrison even to
is as Mir. In tilde be noslskii urns to the prisoners,
end the panne part few#t their sew benner with more heroical
=and fidelity than antler their old one. At last, when all their
and ammunition were corismed, Valdes and his followers
=Wed to retreat, which they did, to the coast of Africa, in open
boats, without other oars than their assn eta. After residing some time
is Tangiers he came to Inlaid, whine he continued to reside till
within these two months. Colonel Valdes is considered by his conniry.
men as most rash and daring—cool in the hour of danger—always the
first to attack and the last to retreat ; but his courage is little tempered
with prudence s be is well skilled in military duties, and not deident
in general knowledge : his figure is elegant, and the impetuosity of his
character nay be read in his bold carriage and the quick penetrating
glance of his eye, We are full of fears lest the nest mail should bring
the most melancholy news of this gallant soldier and his handhl of
devoted followers.—Athenann.

MEDICAL DISCOVERT.Dr. Ringseis, Professor of
Medicine at the University of Blunich, and Director of the Bavarian
Board of Health, as appears by his address on the commemoration of
the foundation of that University, on the 28th of June last, has dis-
covered, that "all the sciences have been stripped of their adamantitfe
pediment by the rude assault of human reason ; that pediment being
religious faith ! And even here," he adds, referring to medical science,
" the devil has equally forced his way ; and not all the oratory of the
world can disprove his presence !!" Ad ogni ucello—suo nido h hello.
THE PRESENT COMPUTATION OF YEARS ERRONEOUS.
The recent eclipse of the moon," says a foreign observer, " has
enabled us to prove, that our present computation is defective by
no fewer than three years- Correctly speaking, the year 1830 should be
1833 ; for losephus tells us, that shortly before the death of Herod, dur-
ing whose government the Saviour was born, there occurred an eclipse
of the Moon in the night of the 12th and 13th of March ; and it hoc
been astronomically demonstrated, that this eclipse took place in th,
fourth year preet ding the Christian computation of time; consequently
modern chronology is three whole years in error. •

The Royal East India Volunteers, under the command of
Captain Attell, will form the Guard of Honour on their Majesties' ap-
proaching visit to the City, on the Rib of November. This regiment.
consisting of seven hundred men. are raised and kept up at the expetvw
of the East India Company, and is the only one which is allowed tlx
distinction of Royal, or whose Officers hold the King's commission.
Saturday evening, a dreadful accident occurred near Har
row. Mr. Campbell, a gentleman of great opulence, of that place, was
driving to town, when the horse, a spirited animal, shyetl, went off
at the top of his 'peed, and coming m contact with a cart, Mr. C. was
thrown to the pound with great violence, and received, it is feared, fatal
injury. The arm, thigh, and skull are mmured ; and notwithstanding
' the first medical assistance wu obtained, Mr. C. has continued in a
mate of inbensibilite. We are informed that the accident occurred
through an imprudent practice of Mr. C. going over letters of busi-
ness on his journies to town, which prevented the necessary atten-
tion to the management of the reins, and fur which he so lament,
ably answered:

IitBDORIADART.
Tuts DAY.—St. Crispin. This !vim and his brother were natives of
Rome. who travelled into France to propagate the Gospel about the
year 303. subsisting by following the trade of shoemaking. The Go.
vemor of Salmons ordered then: to be beheaded in 303. Day decreased
six boon and a half. Little of Agincourt 1416. Chaucer died 1411.1.
To-Monnow.—Jupiter sets 44 min. past 8. Dr. Doddridge died
1751.
Wennesnae.—Saturn rises 50 minutes after midnight. From this day
to the end of the tnorth the ancient Romans celebrated the games
to victory instituted by Sylla. The celebrated Captain Cook born.
1728.
TEURsnar.—St. Simon and St. Jude--not now a holiday at the Bank.
slercury may now be seen a little before sundae : it is at its greatest
distance from the Star. Moon in conjunction with Mars 4 afternoon.
Erasmus been, 1487.
FRIDAT-Bir Walter Raleigh beheaded, 1618.
SATUITAY.—Ktog Alfred died. 000.