Star.
London, England, 1828-07-24 00:00:00

THE NORTHERN COUNTIES.

PUMA A CORRESPONDIDIr.
I have visited, since I last ad'rrs•ed you, the va•ivus
trading and manufacturing di•trrcts of Nintfiurriber-
land, Durham, and the North Riding rif York-hire. In
Newcastle, Shields, and Sunderland, the shipping trade
suffers much depression, especially at the two latter
places. The commerce of Newcastle appears to have
increased of late years, and there is at present some ac-
tivity in the port. At Sunderland, loud complaints ale
made •f the stagnation in the shipping trade, though
upon inquiry I find that above the average number of
ships are building there. The state of the coal trade
in these parts is too well known to require details: the
actual monopoly which exists at the pits offers a bar to
the operation of those principles which, in respect to
other commodities, keeps trade in a healthy condition.
Some pits are not worked ; in others the pitmen labour
only a few hour., in alternate parties; the supply is
thus proportioned, not to the effectual demand, but to
what is considered as a remunerating return. Real
competition, the essential and regulating principle of
free trade, is proscribed in the working of coal, which

is conducted like that of the precious metals. At North
Shields, the usual clatter is nn longer heard, and the
streets, if they were somewhat wider and cleaner, might
be mistaken for the quiet haunt of fashionable idlers. '
Considerable progress is making in the new pier at
Sunderland, a bold and useful undertaking. The mouth
of the Wear will thereby become a very commodiou
harbour for shipping, with the advantnes it derives
from its matchless bridge of a single arai, admitting
the passage of fall brigs without lowering their topmasts.
In these cnuirties, as in other pal is of my journey,
gaols ate enlarging ; in proportion to the diminntion
of honest employment for the labouring classes, addi-
tional space must .of course be provided for them in
poor-houses and in gaols. A very handsome town gaol
has lust been completed at Newcastle, upon the panop•
ticon principle. The interior is constructed with ela•
borate regard to the health, comfort, and cleanliness of
the inmates. The debtors' apartments (tenanted fet
of expense) are neat and commodious; they must be
enviable dwellings to some individuals. There h a
roomy kitchen and a commodious yard. The felons'
cells are almost equally good. Tne attention paid to,
cleanliness and decency is remarkable throughout the
prison. The sexes are kept strictly apart, and there a
some attempt at classification of the prisoners, though
not very judicious; for instance, a moral prisoner is
sometimes confined with an immoral one, with the

imple expectation that the contact must be favourable
to the latter. The chapel (over the keeper's apari-
merits) is a plain but spacious and elegant room, where
the prisoners ate so placed in classes that each indi.
vidual is under the preacher's eye, whilst the classes are

precluded from a sight of each other. There is a tread-
mill, used for crushing hr'rse beans; the labour has
been found to be not only not prejudicial to the health
of the prisoners, but decidedly the reverse.
It is a lament Able spectacle to witness the havoc
which the late heavy rains -have created in the agricul-
tural prosperity of the country. Almost all the rivers
in Cumberland, Northumberland. Durham, Yorkshire,
Lancashire, Nottinghamshire, Lincolnshire, &c. have
swollen to an extent unprecedented at this period of the
year, and where the banks allowed it, have flooded the
adjoining country. My own observation, and the tes-
timony of eye-witnesses in the districts remote from
my notice, concur in inducing a belief that scarcely an
instance can be referred to of such a sudden destruction
of the farmer's hopes. I have seen arable and meadow
land, almost as far as the eye could reach, converted
from a luxuriant garden into a vast lake, the hay float
ing in corrupted masses on its surface. This is the case
particularly, I am told, along the high road from 1311 V•
try, in Yorkshire, to Newark-upon-Trent. Fields of
wheat are driven and laid as flat as if trampled by a
herd of cattle. In the country about me, manufactories
have been undermined and overthrown which had stood

for years. Budges have been swept away, and small
buildings have shared the same fate. The new bridge
building at Cockermouth (beneath the old arch) •a-
nished in a night. 1 saw this erection about a month
back, and anticipated its fate, should a flood happen;
the centre was supported by clumsy props fixed in the
bed of the stream, and acting as a dam.

FROM THE COUNTRY PAPERS.
BIDFORDI JULY 22.—The rain still continues its ta.

•ages un the hay harvest, and excites the fears of the
Lamers for the growing corn. The showers are so heavy,
that they beat down the grain—the barley and rye suffer
very much, and if the wheat were heavier in the ear than

it is at present the mischief would be greaser. On
Saturday last the evening was fine, and hopes we e
entertained of a change of weather ; but St. Swithin's
favours returned with redoubled force on Sunday—
it rained in torrents all day—the water fell in sheet,
and it seemed more like the effect that would be
produced by an infinite number of those vessels that
'are used for watering the streets than ordinary
rain. The waters I.f the river Ou‘e are in consequence
out, overflowing the low countries, concerti° ; fields,
with all their produce, into broad lakes, and sweeping
away vast quantities of hay. A Gentleman told me,
that the other day he saw in one place the produce of
twenty acres floating upon the river. A far tner in this
neighbourhood, who has thirty acres of hay down for
some weeks past, says, that if it were swept away
like that of many of his neighbours, he would be con-
tent; but as long as it remains upon the ground, he
is put to the expense of endeavouring to save it in
the intervals between the showers, but is continually
disappointed. The corn speculators are abr• ad,
watching the " turn of events: Just at this moment
they are in great perplexity, because a few weeks of real
summer weather setting in new would not only save
the wheat, but probably produce a most luxuriant har-
vest. Their operations are therefore suspended for the
present, while they are eagerly watching the appearances
of things. To-day we have had a violent thunder storm:
the lightning was remarkably vivid, and the rain de-
scended with tropical liberality. The electric fluid struck
the house of the Moravian Minister in this town, but did
no more mischief than knock off the chimney, displace
some tiles, and make an ignoble lodgment in the scul-
lery. The whole neighbourhood was alarmed by the
tremendous crash with which it was accompanied.
FROM TUC RosTuß GARRITY.
The morning of Friday last was showery, with partial
gleamings of the sun, and the atmosphere was sultry
and oppressive. About noon the clouds appeared
violently agitated, and assumed the form of thunder
clouds; the lower stratum was then evidently nearing
the earth, and every minute becoming more dense. One
cloud assumed a dull lead colour, and was almost sta-
tionary for some minutes. Some labourers at work in a
field inWybertonFen noticed a r emai kable appearance in
the hemisphere; they state a small cloud seemed suddenly
to descend in the shape of a column, and as suddenly a
similar cloud appeared to rise from the earth ; the two
joined, and formed a vast column 40 yards in breadth,
reaching from the earth to the clouds. It was quite
black, and at a distance very much resembled smoke.

When the column was perfectly formed, the magnifi-
cent body advanced rapidly in a direction from the
..mrll towards the north-east, accompanied by a loud
rushing ,kitind, which resembled the discharge of artil-
lery. It was seen thus advancing for several miles un-
il it reached Wybeet m Fen ; there its power and ravages
were distinctly visible to persons who were, within
few yards of its track.
rwn labourers employed in spreading mantwebn Mr.
Clark's firm, at Wybeiton, perceived the column ap-
proaching, and retreated. The manure which they had

been .pee.rtling was taken up by the whirlsvind,an dsome
of it carried above an hundred yards. The terrific mass
then crossed a wheat field, beating the corn close down
to the earth; as the young straw easily bent, no further
daMage was done to the corn. The breadth of the co-
lumn is plainly discernible by its track through the
wheat, and exceeds 40 yards, for which breadth the coin
is levelled as though some ponderous body had pressed
it to the earth. The North Forty-foot Drain then

interposed, but it speedily swept across, and kom the
quantity of water it deposited immediately afterwards,
there cAn be little doubt but that it drew up the entire
body of water which spread across it: track. On the north
bank of the Forty-foot, near the spot where the whirlwind
crossed the drain, a farm-house and suitable buildings
etre situated, occup'ed by Mr. Horsewood; and on
this farm considerable damage was done. The column
drew into its awful vortex a very heavy cart, which it
lifted with violence from the ground, and carried with
amazing velocity the distance of 42 yards, and then it
was dAshed with great force to the earth; it alighted
upon the shifts, which penetrated...flea/1y four tett into

the ground. The whirlwind also took up an amazingly
heavy roller from the same farm-yard, which is used to
level ploughed land, and which requires four hones to
draw it along the gr‘und; this huge machine it raised
horn the earth, and actually carried forward a distance
of 20 yards!
After passing Mr. Horsewood's farm yard, the whirl-
wind proceeded.over another wheat field, and here it
met with a labourer, who could not retreat sufficiently
fast to entirely elude its power. The accompanying air
of course partook of the violent motion of the whirl-
wind, and a portion of this came in contact with the
labourer's dress, which it immediately set in motion.
He made a violent effort, however, and springing for-
ward, eluded the terrible engine which would in another
moment have caused his death. The column then
passed towards Mr. Pepper's farm, where it committed

m illy devastations; a large apple tree, standing in the
orchard, was literally drawn up by the roots, and carried
forward a considerable distance. Fifteen geese were
also taken from the earth, to which they returned in a
moment quite dead. A great number of pigeons were
killed in a similar manner.
BAREARD•CMITLLJULI 16.—1 n Swaledale the water
has flooded many hundred acres of grass, and done
great damage. Some individuals, who expected a very
abundant crop, are bereaved of it, and behold with
distress their property completely entered with sand,
Etc. Horses, cows, pigs, sheep, and-trees, were carried
away in the wreck. At Barnard-Castle little damage
has been experienced ; but the Tees, on Sunday last,
exhibited a most alarming sight; it being higher than it
has been for years.
WifITET, JULY 13.—For this last week we have had
nothing but rain, which has made the livers in this
neighbourhood swell greatly, and this morning a beau-
tiful suspension bridge, built at Ruswarp, at the sole
expense ut James Wilson, Esq. M.P. for the city of
York, was carried away by the torrent, • and every ves-
tige of it has disappeared, the greatest part of the floor
having gone to sea. The damage done in this neigh-
bourhood must be very great, as the waters have swept
whole fields of hay away, and the corn and potatoe fields
are completely inundated.
SHOTLEY Samos, JULY 17.—Sunday the Derwent
rose higher by several feet than the oldest people in the
vicinity can remember. The damage done in the hatless
must be immense, as they were all covered with water,
and from the rapidity of the current both the crop and
soils are carried away. The damage at the paper mann.
factory at Shotley Grove is very great; the whole of
die dam-head and apron are gone, and great part of
a new quay for the erection of another mill is swept
away. Fortunately that part of the quay on which the
sew buildings are erected have received no injury from
the floods; although from the rain having penetrated
the new walls which were not covered in, some have
fallen and others will have to be taken down. Lintz
Ford Bridge was forced down to Wellington Mill by
the violence of the flood, and most of the wooden
bridges have been carried away. A water-spout tell at
the foot of the bank near Hamsterly Lodge, and washed
part of the lodge away.
GLASGOW, JULY 22.—From Saturday morning to
Monday afternoon an immense quail ty of rain fell in
this neighbourhood ; the clouds literally discharged
torrents on our heads, and.long as is the period we have
mentioned, there was scarcely any intermission in the
deluge. The natural consequence was, that the Eden,
Caldew, Patera, and other rivers overflowed their
bank-, inundated the holm lands, and, in some parts,
the water carried off a considerable quantity of hay and
a few sheep ; but both the Eden and Caldew have fre-
quently been considerably higher than on that occasion.
DUMFRIES, JULY 22.—An immense quanety • t rain
has fallen of late, and the sky, we are very sorry to say,
up to a late hour last night, gave no indication of a fa-
vourable change. A succession of violent thunder storms
appear to have visited the whole country, and the Joni
nal: are filled with sad accounts of crops lodged, build-
ings damaged, roads rendered impassable, meadows
overflown, cattle, and, in some case-, men drowned, and
valuable property swept away. On Friday last the
thunder was prodigiously loud a few miles to the
westward rf this town; and we have heard that at
a place called the Garden, three cottages were struck
with lightning, and the inmates injured and dread-
fully alsrmed. All our streams have been flooded
to overflowing, and some damage done to the mea-
dow hay. The rye-grass, fortunately, is mostly In
rick, and though the crops in many places have been
partially lodged, the stalks are bent rather than broken;
and various farmers have given it as their opinion, that
they will rise again, or at all events fill, provided we
have a few favourable breezes, accompanied by warm
and dry weather. A distinguished agriculturist con-
nected with this part of the country, who lately tra-
velled as far south as Kent, informs us that the crops
are better in Scotland than in any part of England he
visited. The wheat he describes as being only middling,
the barley excellent, and the oats fair. With such a
prospect before us, we still fondly cling to the hope,
that the weather, as the country people say, will .1 take
up," realizing the husbandman 's must sanguine hopes,
and filling the widow's heart with joy.

ABROAD AND AT HOblL—The English abroad can
never get to look as if they were at home. The Irish
and Scotch, alter being some time in a place, get the
air of the natives, but an Englishman in any foreign
Cou►t looks about bun as it be was going to sieAl a
to ukArd.—Mirror.

ADVICE TO THE YOUNG lADIES.