Star.
London, England, 1814-08-24 00:00:00

A MBRMAID

Extract of a letter, dated Ardsheal, Argyllshire,
August 12., curt. (14 miles from Fort William):
" Our curiosity has been greatly excited by the ap-
pearance of a Mermaid on this coast. I dare say you
will give an incredulous• smile, but really we have
had such distinct accounts of it from different people,
that we can have no doubt of tie fact, though we are
all very anxious to have ocular demonstration. The
last time she was sees is nearly a fortnight ago; since
that the weather has been very stormy. When it,
settles at may have a chance of seeing, or at least
having more accounts of this strange animal which I
hope has not left oul. shores.
" It is some time since she was first seen, very
early one morning by a lad lying on the shun! at
Ardsheal. He was at a considerable distance, and
thought it was some person hiding himself in the sea
weed, with an intention of frightening him, but on
coming nearer, he saw that though the upper part
was like s human being, the lower part was like an
immense fish. He was so frightened that he ran off;
and, when he mentioned what. he had seen, people
only laughed at him, and thought no more about it.
Near a month afterwards some children were gather-,
mg some blae berries, on the top of a rock immedi-
ately above the sea, about a mile further down than
Ardsheal; they thought they saw a woman drowning
and trying to get on the rock; some of them ran
home to tell, and the rest staid to see what would be-
come of the woman, as they thought; but, on look-
tug more attentively, they discovered that it was not
a human being: they gave a very distinct account of
what they saw. The upper part was exactly like a
woman, the skin appeared very white, and a gond deal
of colour in the cheeks, and very long darkish look-
ing hair; the arms were well pioportioned above,
but tapered very much towards the hands, which
were no larger than a child's of eight or ten ye as old,
the tail was like an immense large cuddy fish or scith,
in colour and shape. By the time the people of the
farm came, it was about -a gun-shot from the shore,
' sitting quite upright on the water. One of the men
I proposed to shoot her, but the rest opposed this, so
he did not do it ; but whistled, on which she turned
round, but did not go away; she remained in sight
above two hours, at times making a hissing noise
like a goose. When she disappeared, she laid her.
telt very gently down.on the water, and swam away,
the head. only appearing above the water. She was
seen a little distance from shore twice after this, always
early in the morning, and when the sea was calm."

• Mr. Southey, In a rote to the first vol.•of the History of
Ikasq, expresses his belief in the existence of the Mermaid.

GLVT Or MACLIIt aL. —Tuesday se'nnight immense
shoals of mackerel came over the bar to the shore of
the town of Exmouth, a circumstance that has not
occurred for upwards of thirty years. Between six
and seven in the morning,ea most enlivening and in-
teresting Scene presented itself : the piss-age that
parates that place from the opposite Warren was
,covered wish boats, some with boas and lines, and
others with nets of various sizes. On the seine being
drawn, near the bathing-machines, it was so leaded
with mackarel, that it was with some difficulty it
could be dragged ashore.

A few days since an aged man, who resides at
Baillieston Toll, near Glasgow, and who has raised a
large family, having become acquainted with a young
woman of depraved habits, was so foolish as to ac-
knowledge her as his wife. After living together a
few days, the couple went on a visit to Glasgow, where
the young mistress introduced her new husband to a
party of men and women. as being her old acquaint-
ance. After the introduction, these people pled the
unsuspecting man with liquor, and having taker him
home to his house, he slept so soundly and for such a ,
length of time, that it is suspected that laudanum had
been administered to him. On awakening, he disco-
vered that his house had been robbed of cash, bank
bills. and a vast quantity of goods, and that his fair
one had also left him. He immediately went to Glas-
gow and stopped payment of the bills. The greater
part of the property was recovered in the following
manner :—On Thursday, a man and two women went
into a merchant tailor's shop in Saltmarket-street, and
purchasing a considerable quantity of goods, presented
a promissory note, indersed, of Carrick, Brown, and
Company's Bank, for £4O, in payment thereof. The
shopkeeper, however, suspecting that it was not ho-
nestly come by, told them to stop till he would get it
changed; and going immediately to the Ship Bank,
and presenting the note, it was stopt by Mr.
Carrick, who ordered the shopkeeper to secure the
party. Upoo his return to the shop, however,
the party were 'gone; but a few minutes after-
wards, one of the women called, and was secured ;
and shortly thereafter the man and the other woman
were seen in the street, and were also taken into cus-
tody. On their being searched in the Police Office,
another promissory note of the said bank, and for the
same amount, was' found upon the man, besides a
guinea-note, betwixt twenty and thirty half.crown-,
pieces, a number of pieces of base metal, cut in the
shape of shilling and sixpence-pieces, a gold ring and
other articles; and on the woman also were found a
considerable quantity of half-crown-pieces and other
coins. The man apprehended is recognized to be
James O'Neal, an old offender. who has broken out of
several jails in Scotland : some time ago he effected
his escape from Kirkcudbright jail, by gagging the
turnkey. One of the women apprehended is the old
man's freer wife.

We regret to find that the abominable and inicini-
tous practice of mixing China-clay with flour is still
carrying on to a considerable extent. Our Falmouth
correspondent informs us that three sacks of the perni-
cious mixture was on Thursday se'nnight seized on the
premises of a baker at Flushing, and thrown into the
sea. We hope that severe examples will be glade of
the wretches who have been already detected, and
that ac ive measures will be taken to discover the mis-
creaats who still pursue this poisonous trade. We
stated last week that true bills had been found by the
Grand Jury at our last Assizes against Trahar, Osler,
Trenerry, and Rowe, for this ofience.— Cornwall Ga-
-1 wile.

Monday se'nnight, a fire broke out in the wing of the
Duke of ATHOLL'S house, at Blair Atholl. By the
great exertion; of the collected numbers who came
forward with their assistance, the spreading of the
flames to the main house was prevented, and the loss
.sustained was confined to the wing where the fire had
commenced;

elltll4ll.
Oa the 49t1 vs', at the kovel Military C.,flege, Berk e
the Lady of Lieut. Gel. 114 r Mrs ander Hope, K. IL of a sun.
Lively. la Dublin, the Hon 11:s Nr %mar, et a

&seder.

XI. \ILAIEU.
Lately, in North America, Captain HatertinsWarnforti Ridge,
ra Miss Gertarl, ot,ly ti,t)/tter ref Simnel Gerrard. Esq.
Montreal, sod t.!..‘• snit heir, as apt his great prripert7 •' 4 :e
latay
rettirtted front LottJcin, widtLer else had bum tar lariaiacarioa.
Otr the 4th inbt ant, at Vonthnuae, Captain itenry Carrara, of
the Roya: Littineers,"co Mae Ana itadieram, secnodalauzhiwut
Captain Roriterain, it. N.•

;autatti
Sattirclas lair, at lit. Thomas Church, Portsmouth, Captain
Benjamin Berne, of the ship Peter Proctor. of Lontio.,, to AC*.
E:i hAbeth, daught‘r of Mr. Tlioaas Longrulge, of Jamaica row,
Reimoini•er.
At Lerwick, i Stintlan3, on the instant, Captain WI li ins
tiandry, Royal Nosy, to Barbaro, eldest daughter of Clawl..•
Ogilvy, Esq. oterrilant there.
At Hamilton, on ri:e 15th inst. George Douglas Alton, T.
writer, Handitor, to Miss Marion Patrick, daughter of A!..:l4u-
dt:r Patrick, Esq of Woodside.
Aug. 20, Lieut.-Colonel W. C. Mager, of the hi rc-,imen:
Foot Guards, to Mn: ashy, of.lUthmoad Park, Surrey.