Star.
London, England, 1809-10-31 00:00:00

miles an hour ; half-way, diwn the stream (whose
whole extent, when the eruption ceased, was about
six miles), a mile and a half an hour, and so on,
gradually decreasing in velocity to the most advanced
part, where its progress was a few hundred yards a
day.
. . .

The night view of the eruption and stream of Lava
was truly grand and terrific. The rocks emitted froria
the.craters displayed a white heat, and the flames an
intense red. lThen the adjacent hills and valleys
ware covered by a shower of rocks, they appeared,
for a time, beautifully spangled with stars, whose
silver brightness, as well as that of the burning trees,
formed a no less admirable contrast to the flames of
the crater than did the evening songs of the birds to
the bellowing cf the mountain. The lava was a
fancied infernal fire, streaked black and red, present-
ing a horrid contrast to the dark snr-ountLng scenery.
acre, down the rocky slopes, it rolled a cataract of
fire ; there it displayed floating mounts, crowned with
imagined fortresses. Trees were seen, as if growing
from the fire, whose parched branches and burning
trunks exhibited the idea of desolation in all its horrors.
The country about Lingua Grossa, Pie Monte,
and other places on that side of the mountain, now
lies covered with ashes, three or four inches in depth.
Though sonic lands have suffered by lava, many
have been manured by ashes, and the whole island is
freed from the dread of earthquakes for some time to
come. Thus we find
" All partial evils universal goad."

LONDON SESSIONS.
Yesterday a hoary wretch, named Turner, was found
guilty, on the evidence of -- Meadows, a musician,
in the East-India Company's Band, of exposing him•
self in a most indecent manner, in Moorfields, on the

26th of September ; and of an attempt to commit an
unnatural clime on the prosecutor. The detail of the
evidence, we, of course, cannot enter into. He was
sentenced to three months imprisonment.
Moses Joseph, alias Blind Smooch'', was heard on his
appeal against a conviction of the Lord Mayor,
under the authority of which he had been confined in
the Poultry Compeer, as a rogue and vagabond,
within the meaning of the Police Act, the 42d of
the King.
John Brown, a City Officer, saw the prisoner en-
deavouring to semen` a man of the name of Mow
Trott, a well known thief, whilst he appeared to be
in the act of picking a Gentleman's pocket, in Lea-,
denhall-street, between Heartshorn-alley and Chim-
ney-sweeper's-court. Witness attempted first to lay
hold of Trott, but he bolted right off. He then en-
deavoured to secure the Prisoner at the Bar ; he
dodged round three or four people, and the Witness
gave him a severe blow with his fist, and obliged him
to submit. He had seen the Prisoner constantly
plying about the same spot in Leadenhall-street, for
this twelve months past, and he was always in the
company of well-known thieves.
Eldridge, another City Constable, gave him a si

Except the inhabitants likely to suffer, little con-1 milar cha—racter from 14. years experience, and sup-
cern or curiosity was expressed by the Sicilians.— ported the story of Brown, having been in company
Even the Baron Carri, whose holm was so much in with him at the time of the Prisoner's apprehension.
danger, with superstitious obstinacy, rejected, for a Mr. BOLLAND, in support of the appeal, urged some
long while, every proposal of the British officers for • technical objections, which were over-ruled by the
removing his property. 6' No, no," he always re- ; Court. He then observed, that a man's former pur-
plied, " Let it be as Gon wills it." At length, how- i suits had no connection with his present actions ; for
ever, self-interest prevailed, and solitary walls alone' instance, he might himself, in the course of some
remained. But when the lava had arrived within years after the present, give himself up to the study
200 yards of this deserted habitation, the eruption of physic, he might follow agricultural pursuits, or
ceased, to the great joy of the natives, who attribut- he might turn to any other line of business—but there
ed this mercy to the merits and interference of their could not he any fairness in the person who saw him
Patron Saints, whose images were daily brought from now practising at the Bar, giving that fact in evi-
Castiglione (a distance of three miles) in procession, deuce with a view to prove that he was still engaged
during the progress of this calamity, and placed, in his professional practice.
while mass was performed, amidst the tears of a The Rs:cola-wit here observed—" Very well, Mr.
wretched multitude, a few yards in front of the B. but no man can deny that you are now occupied
slowly advancing fire. This procession was composed in your business as a Barrister, and we have it in cvi-
of the miserable and ragged natives, of both sexes dence, that at the very moment of_ his apprehension,
and all ages, crying and sobbing, beating their your client Was, to all appearance, engaged in thel
breasts, tearing their hair, and flogging their backs pursuit of his professional practice."
in penance, while their priests were calling on al The conviction was then affirmed, and the PriOoneri
their saints to assist them. On their way to the lava, sentenced to be confined six months in Brideweil.
they stopped at the Baron's house, from the balcony A hackney-coachman, named Frantlin, was charged
of which the chief priest, with the most violent ges- with an assault, by Samuel Butcher, of Bethnal-green.
tures of grief, delivered a short sermon, in which he The prosecutor stated, that he took the prisoner's
told them, the eruption was a judgment upon their coach from Holborn, to Sun-street, Bishopsgate; the
sins, and recommended thins to mend their lives, and whole time being about 20 minutes ; that he offered
pray to all the saints to intercede for them. Every the prisoner Is. 6d, which was refused ; when the
pause of this discourse was filled with a general burst prisoner collared, and charged the watch with him ;
of tears, beating of breasts, tearing of hair, and flog- although, as was proved by other witnesses, he took
ging of backs. I was never more affected by any out a quantity of silver, and told the prisoner to take
scene of public distress. what he thought was his fare. He was sentenced to
What mortal can dare to think that he breathes a pay a fine of 30s.
single moment without Divixe assistance ! How fee- Mr. ALLEY was heard on a petition from an Insol-
ble, how insignificant does he feel, who stands within vent Debtor, praying to be brought up for liberation.
`2OO yards of these furious volcanoes ! What must be Mr. A. stated, that at the time the late Insolvent Act
the pangs of his heart, who beholds his earthly pro- was to take effect, his client was in a Lock-up-house,
perty, his native fields, in a few hours irrecoverably and did not receive the benefit, not being in the ac-
overwhelmed ! Transitory, compared with this, are teal custody of the Warden of the Fleet. Mr. A.
all the other scourges of the earth ! The fertility quoted East's Reports, that a man in a Lock-up-house,
swept away by floods and tempests, by war and pes- for debt, was the same as in the custody of the War-
tilence, is shortly succeeded by smiling plenty ! The den of the Fleet, and said he could see no difference.
fields of Aosterlitz and Jena, already revive from The Recorder said, that the Sheriffs are obliged
their late desolation ! Even Spain may perhaps smile by law to keep a man 24 hours in safe custody, before
ere long ! but many successive generations, with they can commit him to prison for debt ; and the pe-
hopeless sighs, must view the black and barren rocks, titioner having been in this situation at the time of
which have buried the native lands of their unhappy the Act's taking effect, he could not grant the prayer
forefohers ! of the petitioner.