Star.
London, England, 1811-09-13 00:00:00

comrrs.

The Coinet now visible, is pronounced by a very
distinguished Mathematician, Mr. Page, of Congle-
ton, to he the same that appeared in IVA, and whose
period is 150 years, and not 1'29 years, as has been
generally supposed, and hence expected in 17i59, and
confounded with the one seen in 1531

Professor Robinson speaks thus of Comets :
" There are sometimes seen in the heavens certain
bodies, accompanied by a trail; of faint light, which
has occasioned them to be called Comets. Their ap.
pearance and motions are extremely various, and the
only general remarks that can be made on them are
that the train or tail is generally small on the first ap.
pearance of a Comet, gradually lengthens as the
Comet comes into the neighbourhood of the sun, and
again diminishes as it retires to a distance. Also the
tail is always extended in a direction nearly opposite
to the sun."

The opinions of Philosophers concerning Comets
have been very different. Sir Isaac Newton first
sheaved that they are a part of the solar system, re-
volving round the sun in trajectories, nearly parabo-
lical, having the sun in the focus. Dr. Halley com-
puted the motions of several Comets, and among them
found some which had precisely the same teakctory.
He therefore concluded that there were different ap-
pearances of one Cornet, and th it the path of a Cornet
is a very eccentric elipse, having the sun in one fo-
cus. The apparition of the C 'met of 1682 in 1759,
which was predicted by Halley, has given his opinion
the most complete confirmation.
Comets are therefore planets, resembling the others
in the laws of their motion, revolving round the sun
in elipses, describing areas proportional to the times,
and having the squares of their periodic times propor-
tional to the cubes of their mean distance from the
sun. They differ from the planets in the great
variety of the position of their orbits, and in this,
that many of them have their course in antecedentia
Signorum, (contrary to the order of the Signs of the
Zodiac.) Their number is very great; but there are
but few with the elements of whose motions we are
well acquainted. The comet of 1680 came very near
to the sun on the llth of December, its distance not
exceeding its semi-diameter. When in its aphelion,
it will be almost 150 times further from the sun than
the earth is. Our ideas of the extent of the solar sys-
tem are thus greatly enlarged.

No satisfactory knowledge has been acquired con-
cerning the cause of that train ri light which accom-
panies the comets. Some philosophers imagine, that
it is the rarer atmosphere of the come:, impelled by
the sun's rays. Others imagine, that it is 3 phenome-
non of the same kind with the Aurora Borealis, and
that this earth would appear like a comet to a specta-
tor placed on another planet.

The apparent magnitude of comet.; is very different,
sometimes seeming no bigger than the fixed stars, at
other times • equal in diameter to Venus. Hevelins
observed one in 1652, which was not inferior to the.
moon in size, though not so bright; its light pale and
dim, its aspect dismal.

Great numbers of cattle have been landed in Scot-
land from Ireland, within the last eight weAs, much
greater than ever were knows in the same period, and
the importation still continues. Barley harvest com-
menced la-t week in Stratherrick, which is earlier
than it has ever been known in t'iat district of the
country. This, however, may be ascribed to the
im-
proved mode of culture, which, we are happy to find,
is making rapil progress even in the most remote
parts of the Highlands. Barley harvest at Inverness
has become general.
As a proof of the excellent quality of the wheat
raised in Ross-shire, a quantity, grown upon the
estate of Mr. *Lend, of Geanies, fetched in the Lon-
don market 100 s. per quarter.

The present rise in the price of flour and bread is,
very extraordinary, when it is considered that we have
not only had a plentiful harvest, but that large im-.
portations of wheat are daily taking place. The im-
ports on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday last,
amounted to 20,380 quartrs of wheat, and yet the
market price rose 10s. a quarter.
At Bristol Fair, last week, the shew ofteattle was
good, almost beyond example, and sold quick, and
at good prices. Horses sold but indifferent ;-rod
horses, however, brought high prices. Leather expe-
rienced a heavy sale, at the following prices :-Heavy
Crops, 21d. to 23d. ; light ditto, 17d. to 19d. Shoe
and Coach Hides, 20d. to '2ld. Saddlers' Hides,
180. to 191 d. ; common and'inferior ditto, 16d. to
18d. Bulls, 16d. to 17d. ; Buffaloes, 12d. to 14d.
prime heavy ditto, 16d. to 18d ; light rounded ditto,
14d. to 16d. ; heavy close ditto; .18d. to 22d : Horse
Hides, 12d. to 17d.; Spanish ditto, 14d. to 17d.-
Best Pattern Skins, 3s. 7d. to 3s. Bd. ; common ditto,
3s. 2d. to 3s. sd. ; heavy ditto, 2,. 6d. to 21, 10d. ;
light Welsh ditto, 2s. 4d. to 2s. &I. ; Irish ditto, 2s.
4d. to 2s. Gd. Kids, 2s. to 2s. 6d. Light Seals, 2s.
10d. to 35.-Raw Goods t Buenos Ayres Hides, 6d.;
Irish Veals, 100. ; Newfoundland Seals, £l.l. per
hundred.

The crops of oats on Mendip are very great, and a
finer season for harvesting them was never known.—
In many parts of the county, and also of Devon, there
are more apples than was expected ; in some places,
halt a crop.

• CORN MARKET, SEPT. 13.—This day the Market
has several fresh arrivals of Wheat, but waiting fur-
ther supplies, sales are dull, and rather give way in
price. Barley, with Malt, in si,ort supply, and fully
at the late increase in price. White Peas likewise—
Grey, and Beans of each sort, maintain their prices—
There are also several fresh arrivals of Oats, part
new, but a demand, and sales thereof quoted nearly
at last prices—Flour without 'variation.
OSNISALISIFILIMICT AS SINDSS :
Wheat 99.1. 955. 112$. Beans, 465. 5!..
Fine ditto, 114 s. 11111. Tick ditto, 40,. 465.
Rye, 40s. 465. Oats, 12s. 275. SOs.
Barley, 42.. 481. Poland ditto, Sig. Us. 6d.
Malt, 765. 52.. Potato. ditto, 334. 84s.Gd
White Peas (Boilers) 721. 75.. Rape Seed .640,F44
Fine Flonr, $ ..tt. Wis.—Seconds, 90, to 955.
Monday se'nnight, as the waggon belonging to Mr.
Squance, the Oakirampton carrier, was on its way
tram thence to Exeter, it hid not proceeded more
than a mile, when three of the four horses were struck
instantly dead by lightning.

I

POLICE.

Maatstota-tioustaaa-Yesterd ay Aaron Letletvol, 4
butcher's boy, iii Leaclenhall-market, was charged
with throwing a knife at his fellow-apprenice, which
inflicted a deep wound in his thigh. It did not ap-
pair ~o be a malicious act, but the effect of momena
ta:y passion; and after die Lord Mayor had repro.
bated in severe terms the youth's misconduct, he was
dis;harged by the consent of all parties.
.191 in Longley, a soldier in the Wes: London Iscli..
tia, was sent by the Lord Mayor to receive the .l:sci-
pline of his regiment, for stealing a pewter pot (tom t
James Keetakh, a publican, in Golden-lane.
FL/mos-GA R °ea.—Yesterday three young fell-*
lows, apprehendad by some of Ow officers tireasame
morning at one o'clock, in the fields; at Islington,
near Bagaigge-wells, were put to tha bar, and under-
went examination, charged on suspicion a ita having
been concerned in conlmitting robberies in that quar-
ter, as a great number of depredatieas have been re;
centlY committed ; and the prisoners being suspici-
ons characters, nn whose persons were found ifnnie.'
ments of house-breaking, not being able to g.v2 Aar
' gond account of themselves, t!,ey were acanabittea
! for re-examinat .n.
Ustoa-Haia..—Yesterday, 111. Siam'', the reran i
in custody on a charge of uttering a ilath note Inc
five-pence, as a five-pound Bank of Ea;.;land note, to
. Elizabeth Hill, a poor woman with wl.o:n he lodged,
was brOught up for a final examination —The Bank
Solicitor now attended, and charged the prisoner with '
having been guilty of a capital offence, in having
altered the paper is question from itamiginal term,
in order to make it hear a nearer resemblance to the
Bank of England Note. By an Act passed in the
45th of the King, called 4, the B ,nk Note Act," it 1
is provided, that any person guilty of altering or i
making any Bank note, and uttering the same, for •
the purpose of defraud, shall be considered guilty of
a felony; this he submitted tA the M igistr ites was
the prisoner's offence ittithe present case, and there-
fore not a bailable offence.—The prisoner's Solicitor
on the other hand contended, as there was uo evi- '
deuce of the prisoner's having altered the note, or
even that he was aware, at the time he paid it to
Mrs. Hill, of its being any other thaa a go. t ;tote;
his offence, to take the worst view of it, could only
amount to a misdemeanour. That he did not know
of its being a bad one was probable, as, after it was
paid by him to Mrs. Hill, it passed through (I'd
hands of several persons conversant with sank notes.
before the fraud was discovered. He also submitted.
that the conduct of the prisoner in preserving the note '
•in his own possession 21 hours after it was returned
to him, and not dastroying the only thing which could
be evidence against him, was strong prod of Lis in-
nocence. He also offered to call evidence to the
young man's character. The Magistrate observed,
that he did not sit to try the prisoner ; he had heard
the charge, and r-as of opinion ti,eonce came with-
in the meaning of the Biuk Note Act ; the prisoner
might have ail the benefit of character at the Assi-
zes. He was fully committed for trial, and the par-
tie bwolt
A celebrated character, of first fame
iNnoLFIA over.sG_
ss
amongst the swindling fraternity, is again levying '
tootr:butions on the unwary, after four years of du.
ranee vile. An expertness in disposing of seats in
Parliament must be fresh in the public mind. His 1
companion is a man about six feet, of dark but hand-
some manly visage, with a stern brow, and fluent in
address. Warrants for frauds, &c. have been issued
from Bow-sweet and Marlborough-starer, for off:nets .
at the West end of the tpwn, and yet they were ti-
goring away at a Tavern at Blackwall, a few days
since, where they found sonic useful acquaintance to
a few hours. One was introduced to a Captain be-
longing to a West Indiaman, as wanting a passage
to the Carraccas, and he agreed for his passage. &c.
The swindlers gave expeusiva dinners to their friends.
and one offered to lend the Captain sums of money.
On the Tuesday the swindlers having got intimately
acquainted with those necessary for their purpose, or-
dered a turtle dinner for Thursday, and now was the
time for them to make use of their new acquaintance.
A third person made his appearance as a livery ser-
vant, who wanted £.50 of one of them for his master,
The swindlers expressed their willingness to send the
mow/ by the servant, though one had only £lO,
and the °that no small notes, but offered a cheque.—
As the sum *as for immediate use, ready money was
necessary ; the landlord was called, who advanced
A'3o, receiving a cheque on a banker for A'so, ob-
serving he might key the £2O till the turtle dinner.
On the landlord gain to the banking-house, he Was
told the parties were noted'swindlers, wholiadgot hold
of a cheque-book. On his return the swindlers had
fled, after borrowing some money of the Captain.
There are a multiplicity of other charges against them.

Wednesday evenng, about six o'clock, a yonth,.
about sixteen years of age, of the name of Galin,
wentinto the Thames to bathe, near Broken-whart,
Thames-street, when, after being in tl.e water a short
time, he suddenly sunk, and was unfortunately
drowned before any person could go to his assistance.
His body was dragged for, and picked up after lying
in the water forty minutes, but life was then found
past recovery.
A letter from Galway, dated Sept. ,tly says—Two
outrages weye perpetrated in this town on Sunday
night, as flagitious and inhuman as any that has faller.
to our lot to notice. At .a late hour of that night, a
gang of ruffians forcibly seized a woman in the Greeti,
whom they ill-treated in a manner which we are lip
willing to mention here : a gentleman who hapreiv.d
accidentally to have been passing at the moment,
shocked at such a scene, having endeavoured to
interfere, narrowly preserved his life by flight, .4fttr
receiving a severe beating and some wounds. This
occurrence, taking place as it did, in so public a part
of a large and populous -town, is unquestionably
reproachful and disgraCeful in a great degree, arid
might not, perhaps, have occnrred, had a centintl
been at the time placed there, as had been heretofore
-usital. The enormity, however, of this transactior
was exceeded on the same night by one of a similt:
far advanced in pregnancy, who had beer
nature, but more deli:or:lWe in its effects :—a young
woman,
returning home, as we aro informed, in company Wid
her husband, was stopped at Hohermtire, and used
the same manner, but with so much brutal ferocity a:
actually occasioned the death of the unfortunate fe,
male the day atier.--It is suspected, and very real %
nably, that both were committed by the same

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