Star.
London, England, 1824-04-12 00:00:00

_THE SLAVE TRADE

Dr. Audouard, a Paiis physician, read a memoir to
the Royal Academy of Sciences, on the Sth inst. on the,
yellow fever. The doctor had observed the symptoms
an i exavined the cathes (Willis malady at Barcelona, in
1824 and at Passage last summer, and thinks himself
justified, from the facts which he adduces, and the in-
ductions be makes, to conclude that the yellow fever
arises from a special infection contained in certain
ships which have been engaged in the slave-trade." If
this theory be just, the bat harms traffic in human beings
brings along v. ith it its own punishment, and retributive
pestilence avenges on the Whites their cruelties to the
African race.

The Board of Longitude have conferred the Parlia-
mentary premium fill 0;) on Mr. Peter Barlow, of the
Royal Military Academy, for his method of correcting
the local attraction of vessels. The great quantities of
iron employed at this time in the construction and equip-
ment of ships of war, produce so much deviation in
the comoass (varying according to the direction of the
ship's head), as to rendet it almost an useless instrument,
pat ticularly in high Northern and Southern latitudes.
It appears by Lieutenant Foster's report of experiments
made in his Majesty's ship Conway, under the super-
intendence of Captain Basil Hall, to lat. 61 degrees
S. and under that of Captain Clavering, in the recent
voyage of the Griper, to lat. 80 deg. North, that the
didurence in the beariog of an object with the ship's
head at East and West, amounted to 28 deg. before the
latter vessel left the Nore : this difference afterwards
amounted to 50 deg. at the North Cape, and to 75 deg.
at Spitzbergeb. ' Great, however, as this effect was, the
method recommended by Mr. Barlow was completely
successful. This is extremely simple: it consists in
merely placing a small plate of iron abaft the compass, i
in sue& a situation as to counteract the effects of the'
ship any one place; after which, without removing
it, it continues to do the same in all parts of the world,
whatever change may take place in the dip or intensity
of the magnetic needle. Three important advantages
...ill result from this discovery. If will add ready to
the safety of vessels in our Channel, in calk and blow.
ing weather ; it will tend to the general correction of
our Charti of Variation ; and will dispel nine out of ten
of the suppositions curl ent, liberally supplied by na-
!igators, to account for every remarkable disareement
between reckoning and observation, and of which there
can be no doubt the greeter number have arisen from
this long-neglected error in the compass.

L L Nl' ASSIZES.

• TAUNTON, APRIL e.
EI.WORI'IIY AND ANOTHER V. BIRb.

Mr. ADAMS said that this action was lifought by Tho-
mas and William Elwerthy, weie respectable
clothiers of this county, against Mr. Bird, who, in the
year 1811. mantled the daughter of the plaiaiff, Mr.
Thomas Elwol thy, and die sister of Mr. William El-
worthy. Mr. and Mrs. Bird, horn the 'ear 1811 to
1821, lived togs her without any dissections to break
in upon that happiness which was so detirable in a mar-
ried state; but in 18`91 diffetences basing arisen between
them, Nils. Bird, with the concurrence of her friends,
left hei husband, and went to reside in the Lou ,e of her
fatter, upon an a: rangement that her husband was to
allow her an income of SW. a-year. Mr. Iliad could
not 'fulfil his engagement, and Mrs. Bird, from neces-
sity, was compelled to return to the defendant's house,
and,shortiy after she had done that, the transactions
took place which were thi foundation of this action.—
Mr. Bird, ss itia a ci kicky hardly to be conceived, heated
his wife in the most unmerciful manner. He imprisoned
her in a dark chamber, beat her, kept her without food
and tlothirig, and in short behaved with an unremitting
harshness and severity towards her hardly ever heard of
before. Fur these ciuelties he was indicted at the Bridge-
, ,
.water Quarter Sessions, in April, 1t22, and convicted,
and while the Court were deliberating what punishment

;.t should infl;ct on him, an arrangement was made
among the family, that the Conrt should pass a nominal
fine on him, on the condition of bis entering into an
agreement that he would separate from his wife, and
settle on her an income of 60/. a-year. Besides this,
there were to be other conditions. For some time Bird
considered the arrangements entered into as binding,
but after he had the advantage of the conference, and a
light sentence had been passed upon him, in conse-
quence of tie cordiaiity that then appeared between the
parties, he refused to enter into the agreement, or com-
ply with its terms.
Some documentary evidence of the conviction of the
defendant at the Bridgewrer Sessions, in April, ]822,
of an assault on his wife, was then pot in, and read.
Mr. Serjeant PELL having learned that the whole of
tl.e documentary evidence intended to be produced had
been read, took an objection, that the various other in-
dictments and actions against the defendant Bird and
others, had not been proved to be discontinued, accord-
ing to the te:ms of the agreement entered into.
Mr. ADAM, Mr. Buster:7s, and Mr. JEREMY replied
to the objection.—The Court considered the objection
good at law, and ordered the plaintiffs to be nor,suited.