Star.
London, England, 1825-10-17 00:00:00

SEAMEIv'S HOSPITAL.

The state of this useful Charity should claim, at the
present moment, the serious attention of the public,
and should prompt its friends and supporters to im-
mediate measures in its behalf, if its existence be
thought worthy to be continued. The funds of the
Institution are now nearly exhausted, and this work of
good and usefulness must soon cease to be prosecuted.
should the liberality of the public be withholden, and
the present appeal to its humanity be resisted. Since
its first establishment in March, 1821, 5,537 British
seamen, &c. have been admitted and relieved on board
the hospital ship off- Deptford ; and at this moment
there are .563 patients enjoying the comforts and expe-
riencing the blessings of this most unexceptionable
and admirable Charity. The cause to which the dimi-
nution of its funds is mainly to be ascribed, is the in-
creasing number of applicants for.admission ; and a
day scarcely passes without an application from sea-
men arriving in the river, either belonging to his Ma-
jesty's ships, or to merchant vessels, whose constitutions
have been impaired by those .diseases and accidents to
which the life of sailors, and the nature of their sea vice,
render them peculiarly liable. We cannot doubt but
that this faithful representation of the circumstances of
the Charity, will have its due weight, and stimulate
those who are connected in particular with the ship-
ping interests, and with the navy, as well as o:hers, to
press forward in support of this great national cause—
the cause of British seamen reduced to want, and suf-
fering from diseay.

Captain J. DUNDAS COCHRANE, R.N. whose death
at Valencia, South America, is announced, was per-
haps the most extraordinary pedestrian traveller upon
record. At the conclusion of the general peace, he
traversed on foot the countries of France, Spain, and,
Portugal; and in 1820, he offered to undertake a jour-
ney into the interior of Africa, to explore the source
of the Niger. To accomplish this object, it was even
his intention to have sold himself as a slave to one
of the owners of caravans travelling in that country,--1
The Admiralty, however, to whom he made the re-
quest, either from regard to the safety of his Iverson, pr
because they considered such an expedition foreign to
their department, were unfavourable to the plan.—He
subsequently set out with an intention of travelling,
round the globe, as nearly as it can be done by land,-
crossing from Notthern Asia to America, at Behring's
Straits—all this too, on foot, his circumstances ad-
mitting of no other mode. His leading object was to
trace the shores of the Polar Sea along America, by
land, as Captain PARRY is now attempting to do by
sea. Having arrived at St. Petersburgb, and obtained
letters of recommendation and protection from the Em-
peror ALEXANDER, be set out to traverse Siberia to
Kamtschatka or Behring's Straits, but had 130 t pro-
ceeded far, when, as he was travelling through a forest,
he was attacked by robbers, who first stripped him
naked, and then left him tied to a tree, from which dis-
agreeable situation he was released by a boy, who hap-
pened to be passing that way. His ardour, however,,
was by no means abated by this untoward circum-
I stance, for he still pursued his journey, and after en-,
countering incredible dangers, all of which ate fully
described in his Pedestrian Tour, he succeeded in
reaching Kamtschatka. While there, however, be be-
came fully aware of the impracticability of his plan,
and returned to Europe. In the course of this exten-
sive journey, he states that he travelled upwards of
6,000 miles at the expense of only one guinea I This
persevering and astonishing pedestrian traveller, was,
nephew of that distinguished and respected Officer,. the
Hon. Aslmiral Sir ALEX. I. COCHRANE.; G.C.B.

We regret to add .to the other bank failures men-
tioned in onr laA, the firm of Messrs. HARVEY and
Son, of Latavceston, wh;ch stopped payment on blon-
d.iy.— P/y mouth Journal.