Star.
London, England, 1829-08-19 00:00:00

CHALLENGE.

The following national trait is so truly original, that we stag a
million against all Europe, from the Nortb Cape to the Dardanelks,
to show us any Newspaper or publication whatever, containing a
defiance so magnificently grand, so daringly confident, as charac-
terizes this challenge in championship of a Short Horned Tup,
Rousseau was right when he styled England a laud of eccentrics :

" A Gentleman, who was on a visit to Chilton this mirnitig (in
company with many °Mara), after the exhibttiun of the celehrated
Short Horns, which are confessedly unrivalled, expressed astonish-.
ment t.n beholding the sheep, and was so delighted with twe top
named Childers, two years old, that he involuntarily proposed to
stake One Thousand Guineas that no sheep cou'd be found equal
to him in the known world ; and he hereby offers a ber.of that
amount to any one disposed to take it, who has only to -iznify his
wish to the Editor of this Paper, and it will be immediately at-
tended t0.".-- Tyne Metal ry.

So much for a Sheep ;—now, readers, for a GOiSe :

" On the 6th of August, a gonae belonging to Mr. ilauvick, of
Highway, deed, which bad been in the family thirty-our years. and
in that time had reared above Awe ktiwired young ones. Moat
three year. ago it lost one eye, and at the latter end of Jahuary test
the other ; but. nutwitbstaliding its total blindness, it his sluice that
time reared toiX fine geese."—Both //add.

The history of its pedigree, character, habitudes, manners, at:d
various moulting', we anxiously expect in the neat Bulk Herald.
We have been favoured with the name of the PRIPICZ of 7'..ps : we
should equally like to know that of the Qu►x. of Geese !

COMMERCIAL INTELLIGENCE.

HARVEST, CROPS, &c:

Tii H AnyrsT.—Letter.i from the frontiers of Bel-
gium state that the wheat and rye. newly harvested, yields a
produce greatly exceeding that of all foregoing years. The old
farmers have no remembrance of a harvest so abundant and pre-
ductive.—Faris Paper.
The harvest has commenced in many parts of Shrop-
shire. and the wheat crop appears every where to be abundant, the
only fear entertained being that the weather may not prove hne
fur the getting in of the harvest.
Lt 31 ERICK.—We were visited on Wednesdw by some
very severe weather, and exceedincly heavy rain, which continued
to fall without intermission all that day and night. It was
succeeded nest morning by a violent trite, and occasional
furious squalls, which altogether, we apprehend, must have dove
some serious hurt to the crops. Some of the heavy corn fields are
laid in many parts.—Lieseriek Chronicle.
ABERDEEN.—On Tuesday lut we had tone lotel
peals of thunder with vivid Hashes of lightning, succeeded by
heavy rain, which fell for about two hours literally in torrents.—
The weather has since undergone a very unfavourable change, and
become very cold, with occasional frost in the night, so as during
the succe.dling part of the week to have been unpropitious for the
harvest. We shall hope, however, that the weather may soon lie-
come genial and favourable for ripening the crop, which is fast
coining to maturity, as, with warmth and sunshine, we would
have pretty general harvest in the cour-e of a fortnight or three
weeks hence. On Monday last barley was begun to be cur in this
neighbourhood, at Mill of Auchmacoy, near Ellon ; the same day,
at Whistlebury, in the parish of Kineff ; and, in the course of the
week, at Fyvie, and Orchardton of Udny.--alkotkeas Chronicle.
PROSPECTS Or TH E HA RV EST.—Among the facts
which have come to our knowledge front a long residence in the
country, we have observed, that a cold and wet summer is genet-
ally au unproductive one. We do not arm that heat anti drought
might not he continued to the destruction of the farmer's hopes ;
but, speaking of whit are in common parlance so called, we say
that even in their excess they are invariably advantageous. and their
contraries the opposite. Nor is the reason far to seek. The unfer-
tile tracts of Great Britain are so ftum coldness of exposure, from
elevation, and front the dampness of their subsoil. In dry and
warm summers such tracts are covered with luxuriant crops.
They then come not merely in supplement of the failures of the
lighter soils, but as an enormous addition to the produce of the
strong soils. In a cold and wet summer, on the contrary, the
stronger soils return little, the uplands nothing, and only the lighter
and less valuable portions are productive. Looking, therefore,
not to the reports of a district, not to speculations concerning
markets, but to plain matter of fact, the pres:nt summer has been
singularly cold and wet, and vie cahoot h 1, bazardiag a prognos-
tication, notwithstanding the favourable accounts tram many parts

respecting the ',respect of the aproach.ng harvest, that it wriii not
eventually prove so productive as many writers seem to .
pate. It is consoling, however. to add, that the weather, at pre-
sent, is more favourable, and seems more settled, that) has been the
ca.e for some weeks.—Manciesier Paper.
_ _

The destruction of the feathered tribe, sf almost every
species, occasioned by the late tremendous storm, and the tremen-
dous rains is uncommonly great. The woods and plantat;oos iy
some parts are literally strewed with them Even the crows were .
al much exhausted and injured by them, that on Tuesday, when
the rah* bad ceased, immense numbers aliowed themselves to be
taken by individuals, without attempting to escape. Partridges,
grouse, &c. have also suffered to a great extent. Thousands it
them have been drowned , and many of them that had in one sense
escaped the rains, were destroyed after they had ceased, by alight-
ing on those fields where they had seen the tops of coin, and which
contained 18 or tO inches depth of wafts . (-Wirier.

- -
NORTHERN HERRING FIsIIERY.—A correspondent
in the baroness Courier, in a letter, dated from Thurso. the Ist
in.tant says, "for the last ten days herrings have set in here and to .
the westward in great abundance. One curer at Puri Sierra bad
120 crans from eight boats, none of which were well equipped; and
the only nouth frith boat, now remaii log at this place, belonging
to, and sailed by that indefatigable fisherman, W.l.er Banks of
Fitherrow, delivered two days ago 19 cram, and yesterday
cram ; and this morning a small yawl had 12 crans of very superior
fish. Ou Wednesday morning 36 boats belonging to Clyth,
brought in 3bo barrels to one curer. Friday and Saturday a num-
ber of the Wick boats brought from five to forty barrels. and two.
boats brought 70 per boat, but a %rest many boats bad only a few,
herrings." We have had no direct intelligence from Wick later
than Monday last. Tne fish had then appeared in that quarter in
abundance, hut owing to the unfavourable winds and tentpastuoua
weather, few or none ut the boats have ventured to aces for eight
days.
111=11=1=MMIMMINMIRO •

MARCH OF INTELLECT.—A lady, in a neighbouring
town, who bad risen rapidly from the kitchen to grace the bead of'
her niaster's table, was one day entertaining a large party, when
the coaverution happening to flag, one of the guests rrniarked—
" aqui pause ;" " and what's your bu.iness wr my artful paws,"
in wrath, retorted the landlady; '• if you had scrubbed the house
as laa g as I have done, your pees would ua bee been see bonnie
and woke as they ate."—Eittabsergh Paper. . •