Star.
London, England, 1826-12-07 00:00:00

EDINBURGH, Drcemses 4.

THg LATE STORM.
EXTRACT Of A LETTER FROM THE HIGHLANDS.

Till the evening of Thursday last, the weather for
some time back reminded one more of the serenity of a
May day than of the gloominess of winter ; the grass
was springing up luxuriantly in hill and dale, and the
modest daisy was a second time adorning the mountain
brow, and inviting the fleecy flock to delay their annual
visit to the sheltered str<►iths. Friday, however, put an
end alike to such appearances, for the wind then blew
with a heavy sleet from the north west, and kept in-
creasing till the evening, when it became a perfect hur-
ricane, which continued with little intermission till
Saturday afternoon, when it cleared up, and was suc-
ceeded by a most intense frost. The scene of desolation
that then presented itself was most distressing—trees
that had for ages stood the st,irrus of winter strewed the
forest like rusheso—houses that had afforded shelter to
numerous families lay a heap of ruins, and the contents
of the barn-yards bad totally disappeared: But it was
amongst the hills that the work of destruction was
most complete—the sleet during Friday had so be-
numbed the sheep that they could make no stand
against the storm, and were driven by its fury to the
sheltered side of some rock or bank, where in a few
minutes they were covered with drifted snow and
suffocated. Others, again, that remained alive, but had
got entangled in the snow, and were unable to work
their way to clear gt ound, became a prey to ravens, that
instantly picked out their eyes, and in some cases made
their way into their entrails. The loss in this description
of stock is beyond all calculation ; on every farm there
are scores of them dead ; and in one instance several
hundreds have already been dug out of the snow, and
many hundreds ate still missing. Nor was the loss
confined to sheep alone ; in several places cattle, too,
were found dead ; but what will render this storm me-
morable in the annals of the peasantry, is the unprece-
dented loss of human life. In one district of the High-
lands we have heard of four individuals having been
lost ; one in Urlar of Bnlfracks, near Taymouth, and
the other three in the neighbourhood of Loch Tummel ;
and fears are entertained that many more deaths will
soon be heard of. It is gratifying to mention, however,
that although the storm has been unexampled in its
severity, at this season of the year, it is not likely to be
of long duration, for already the hills are beginning to
shew their green tops, and, should the thaw continue a
little longer, few traces of the storm can be found,
except in its effects."
• One of these, in the lawn of Castle Menzies' was perhaps the
largest ash in Scotland. Its circumference above the seduce of
the ground was eighteen feet and a half, and the whole trunk was
proportionably immense.

Advice: from Monte Video, of the 13th September,
state, that Lord Ponsonby had gone forward to Buenos
Ayres, in his Majesty's ship Ranger, without holding any
official communication with the shore. _ _

BT his Majesty's :hip Brazen, arrived at Spithead,
from the coast of Africa, accounts (ram Sierra Leone
to the 17th October have been received. The rainy sea-
son had been unusually severe, but, on the whole, the
colony was less unhealthy than it had bten.

LONDON SESSIONS, I:4mm 6.
These Sessions commenced thigglinrning. whet% B.
Saber!" James Tyler, C. Wyss, and Joseph Tykr, were
indicted for assaulting S. Sibley, and disturbing a con-
gregation, over which he presided as a ?reacher.
S. Sibley stated, that be was formerly a mariner, but
at present was a Preacher of the Gospel, at a Chapel IL
King-street, Smithfield. Oa the 7th of October, the de-
fendants came io while he was preaching, and laughed
and talked in a very loud tone. He remonstrated with
them, upon which they seized him ; a scuffle ensued,
and they all fell down together.
Cross-examined by Mr. LAW—Is a Millenarian, that
is, he believes Crum, will come again, and reign on
earth 1000 years, when peace will be universal, and
sin, death, crime, and misery, will be no more—
(Laughter). Ido not believe in Johanna Southcott, I
belirvein no woman—(Loud laughter). I believe she
was inspired by the spirit of truth ; I cannot answer any
more questions ; if you will write them down, and send
me a two-penny post letter, and pay the postage, I will
answer you—(Roars of laughter). I never said that
children would be born without the intervention of men.
Whets the defendants laughed. I vas not saying that
women would find children in their beds when they
woke in the morning—(Renewed laughter). I did nut
say anything to that effect. I always write my sermons ;
I can lend you the one I preached that day. I have not
got the register of the license for the Chapel.
The RECORDER said, that the prosecution could not
be sustained unless the register was produced, and
directed the Jury to acquit the prisoners, which they
accordingly did.
The RICOILDSS then cautioned them net to repeat such conduct,
as the punishment was very severe, being either a fine of 401. or
three oubnths' imprisonment.
The prisoners promised to attend to this advice, and withdrew.
MIDDLESEX SESSIONS, Dm. 6.

Wm. Palmer stood indicted for an outrageous assault
on Mr. Sidney Braithwaite. The prosecutor is a coal-
merchant, and was passing along Tottenham-court-'
road, in company with his brother, anglineer in the
New-road, late on the evening of the of October,
when they were attempted to be hustled by a gang of
men and women. They threatened to call the Watch ;
upon which the men instantly fell upon them, but Flo-
secutor knocked down three, the last of whom he held
down, and called Watch: The defendant, who is a
hired constable of the parish of Pancras, came up, and,
without enquiry, began beating prosecutor with his
staff, till he compelled him to quit his hold of the
prisoner he had taken. In vain prosecutor assured him
he was .:tacking the wrong man; he insisted on drag.
ging him to the watchhouse, and on his way there,
although no resistance was made, continued beating
him with his staff in a most brutal manner. At the,
watchhouse,' prosecutor was charged with fighting in
the streets, but the Night Constable dismissed the charge,
and the following day the defendant was himself held
to bail. He and his brother afterwards discovered that
they had been plundered, one of his pocket-book, and
the other of what money he had in his trousers pocket.

The Jery instantly found defendant Guilty, and the Climatal',
expressed a strong opinion that the Constable was in league with the
gang, but deferred his sentence tiU Saturday.

POLICE INTE.LLIGENCE,

—fties.--
BO W-ST RUT.

Yesterday. three men having the appearance of mechanics, timed
William Rend, Riehard Beater, and Williams Hilderaley, were put to
the bar on suspicion of having been concerned in stealing a 4100
bank note, which had been transmitted with other notes to a cond.
rierable amount, in a letter through the General Nava/Ice.
t It appeared, from the testimony of witnesses called by Mr. Pea•
ieocs, the Solicitor to the Post-office, that some weeks ago a letter
'addressed to a Gentleman in Letidon (the name not mentioned),
enclosing two notes of £lOO tack, a seso,.aod some smaller notes,
passed through the office, but did- not reach its final destination.
The usual means were resorted to to stop payment of the notes, and
to trace them, if possible. Within the last few days, one of the
Eater for £lOO was traced to the possession of Mr. Wheatley, a re-
spectable woollen draper in &. Martin's-lane who, on being ap-
plied to, at once accounted for it by stating that he bad received it
in the course of business, from Mr. Willay, a tailor, in Hollywell•
street. who brought two men with him, and purchased cloth to the
amount of £l4, which was selected by those who accompanied him.
Mr. Wheatley identified Read and Beaver, as the men who came
with Mr. Willay.

Mr. Willey had known the prisoner Read, and bad done business
for him for about twelve months. About three weeks ago Read and
Beaver came to his shop, and said that they wanted change for a
£lOO note. He asked them where they got it ? and they said they
found it with a £5 note in a leathern bag in Goodge-street, Totten-
ham-court-road. Witness asked no further questions, but took
them to Mr. Wheatley's, and purchased £l4 worth of cloth, whi:h
be (witness) was to make up into clothes for them. When the
business had been done with Mr. Wheatley, they all three went to
the Cock upon Snow-hill, where witness paid 801. in sovs. over to
Read, whe was to call in the afternoon for the balance of 61. still
remaining. Ile did call for it, and Beaver was to come to be mea-
sured for clothes, but witness had not seen him since, until now.
Read, it appeared, was taken into custody on Friday evening,
when be, without any hesitation, stated, that he and Hildersley had
found a 1001. and a 51. note in a leathern bag in Goodge-street,
about nine o'clock one evening, and that they wanted to get the
large note changed, but did not know how to go about it.
The prisoners all told the same story, and Mr. Harmer applied
for them to be admitted to bail.

Mr. PEACOCK said he should offer no objection to Read, who
perhaps might become a necessary witness; but with respect to the
others, he must press for their detention for the present. Them was
one circumstance of much importance which bad not been men-
tioned, namely, that the letter-carrier, whose duty it was to have
delivered the letter, lodged in the same house with &aver and
Hildersley, and on the very day when the letter should have been
delivered be absconded,---Beaver and Hildersley were remanded,
and Read was admitted to bail.