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

STAGE COACHES.

...ogICAN NAVAL BIOGRAPNT. .
No. V. •
Captain Daniel M'Neal is a native of Scotjand, he
.enigreted to the United States before the Revolution,
and settled in Salem, in the State of Massechusets.—
During the revolutionary war, he obtained a commis. ,
lion as a Lieutenant in the Navy. On peace being
made, he got command of a vessel in the slave traJe,
jn which employ he contineed until the year 1803,
when he was called upon by President Jefferson to iii
take the command of the frigate Boston, of thirty-two
guns, which he soon afterwards took possession of, '
and sailed up the Mediterranean. Commodore Mur-
ray, in the frigate Constellation, was senior officer,
and had the broad pendant flying; but Captain Ma. '
Neal refused taking his instructions, saying, that he
was the superior officer, having held a commission
at the time of the revolution, and considered himself
to be entitled to carry the broad pendant, and instead
of obeying, if not obeyed, he would consider he had
a roving commission to go where and do what he
pleased. He accordingly carried his threat into exe-
cution', and went up the Mediterranean as high as
Toulon, and went into port; after remaining there
three weeks, he hauled out in the roads, and invited
two French officers to dine ; while at dinner, he or-
dered the ship to be got under way in the most quiet
manner, and can ied them to sea, and afterwards put
them on shore in Sicily, an enemy's port. They
were obliged to cut the buttons off their coats, and
borrow some from the Midshipmen of the Boston to
put'in their place to disTeuise themselves, afraid they
should be known. What became of the two Officers
we have never heard. At another time, he gave li-
berty at Leghorn, to two of his Lieutenants, his Sur-
geon, and Purser, to go on shore, and immediately
got under way with only cne commissioned officer on
board. His officers were not able to join him for
- four months, which they did at last at Malta, after
having been cruising up and down the Mediterranean
for four months in a Swedish frigate. When they
came on board, he accoste.l.l era in the following
handsome manner—" D—n your livers, I thought
you were in America'before this—l have just done as
well without you as if you had been on board, but as
you are here I suppose I must tape so much live lum- .
1
ber on hoard—you had better look out for your old
jea-bags" (meaning their cabins). From Malta het A powderamill on Hounslow-heath blew up on Sa-
ptoceeded to Sicily, where he amused himself at : turday afternoon, whereby two of the workmen lost
Messina and Palermo, giving, what lie called faedan- i
their lives.
gds to Ladies with their Lords, not of the most refined ! Thursday a thatched lodge, belonging to Mr.
description ; for when night came, the Captain and i Payne, butcher, of Canterbury, situate at the back of
I Winched street took fire by the burning of some
his party were in that state •of inclination, that it
would take more tgekles than the ship could afford i weeds in a garden adjoining, by which accident a sow,
to hoist them on deck. On the morning after he with twelve pigs, which had been farrowed only three
would have all the boats manned, and his company days, were consumed. Another sow, with three pigs,
lowerd into them, which was a most ludicrous scene; escaped unhurt.
the Ladies' costume being completely discnmpos- Last night, between 11 and 12 o'clock, a most
ed, and the Sicilian fop obliged to appear .in the alarming fire broke out at Mr. Howard's, cheese-
remnants of his gaudy dress of the night before.
'.monger, High-street, Newington Batts; it raged with
Ithe greatest fury for about half an hour,
—On their leaving the ship, he made the drummer but by the
and fifer play the " Rogue's March," to the no small ; timely arrival of the engines, and a plentiful supply
i of water, it was got under without the destruction of
Sicily. at Messina, he asked permission for the Go-
gratification of the crew. To complete his visit to
I the adjoining houses. We did not hear of any lives
vernor's band to go on hoard the Boston, to play for I being lost.
the amusement of his officers, which was granted g— ( A gang of incendiaries has lately been Irscovered
,in Berlin. Six of the offenders, who are in custody,
but the moment they got on board, lie ordered the
! acknowledge that their association comprised forty
ship to be got under way, and carried them to the
United States. Before he took the command of the 'members ; and tit it the object of their union was to
! set fire to the city in different quarters, that they
Boston he went a voyage to the coast of Guinea ; he
might, during the general terror inspired by the con-
had one of his sons on board with him. On the re-
turn of the ship, off Goree, the son fell overboard.— flee ration, plunder the citizens with impunity.
He would not allow the ship to be hove tn, but or- Monday last, one of the crew of a victualling hoy at
dered a hen-coop to be thrown overboard, which was Dover, was found suffocated in the cabin of the vessel,
which had a few days previous to the accident been
self on that, let him be drowned and be d--d I"
accordingly done, saying, 44 if he cannot save him-
fumigated with smoke to destroy the vermin, from
which cause it is supposed the uutertunate man died.
While the gallant Captain was at anchor off Malaga
this son came on board the Boston, being miractr- I At Hanslope, Gabeth Hindes, an infant, innocently
, endeavouring to seize the rail of a horse, received a
lously saved by a vessel a-stern of that of which his
unnatural father was master. On presenting himself '
to his father, he was received in the following maser: 1 kick, which causes his death in a few hours.
Saturday morning, between Slough and Eton, as
;
" Dan, I thought yon were drowned, but I see you the Windsor coach was coming down Harbour-hill,
are here, to perplex me like that old b—h of a mother at a very gentle pace, the near wheel horse unfortu-
of yours." The young man most respectfully an- nately fell, upon which Mr. Moody, the coachman,
swered, he came on board to see his father, for he
i and who is one of the proprietors, immediately jum-
considered it the duty of the son, but not to hear n ped from the box, and before he made any endeavour
mother whom he loved and respected abused, and !to disentangle the fallen horse, succeeded in getting
a
immediately left the ship. This had no other effect away the passengers, who were ten outside and four
inside, except a little child, who was left upon the
in Captain M'Neal, than to get under way that night, ,
and he amused himself the next morning off Malaga, ;roof, Mr. Moody then, whilst he was re-ascending the
i
firing at a poor fruit vessel which was trying to get coach, to rescre the infant, stationed one of the pas-
intos harbour. She hove to and made every sign of :engers at the head of the leading horses, and the
instant he had gat the child down, the passenger very
. submission, but it did not satisfy him, he still conti- i
, improperly left the liorcs to themselves, upon which
stied his fire, although he knew it was impossible she
;they immediately set ow with great rapidity, making
should come down on him, as there was not a breath
Vi every impediment, until they came
Of wincti at last a breeze sprung up, and after her their: way thro
papers being examined, she was dismissed. At length ,in contact with sonic road-side paling, which they
he received an order from the Secretary of the Navy (broke, and did considerable damage to the coach.
to return to the United States, which at first he re- I ' Bartholomew Fair, last week, was well attended
fused ; but in three months afterwards he did return, throughout. As usual there were visitors of all sorts ;
but on the whole the company was very respectable.
and when he was told that his conduct would under-
The booths and sliewshad abundance of customers.—
go investigation, he took his commission from his
I pocket, and threw it into the Secretary's Office, At Richardson's Theatre the receipts on Friday were
never less than :it the rate of £'23 every half-hour.
saying, " You wanted my commission, did you ?
d—n your livers, you have got it now, and you may ! White who was lately wounded in the throat in
use it for what dirty purpose you please," and took endeavouring to secure a man at Hon, in Kent, whilst
stealing wheat, died on the evening of the day after
his leave. He still resides at Salem ; he is about five
feet six inches in height, very thin and emaciated, a : he received the wound : an inquest was held on the
great lover of the Ladies, and about 70. years of age. body before J. Simmons, Esq. when a verdict of wil-
;
Iful murder was returned against William Brazier.—
Tuesday a match at Cricket was played on Bullinßrazier absconded immediately after the perpetration
if- !
i
don green, between eleven married and eleven sing e of the horrid act.
li men of Oxford, which was won by the former. I Saturday se'nnight, R, Stevens was committed to
O
A neat little Theatre, fitted up by the French Of- ;xford gaol, charged with having feloniously stolen
i a dark-brown mare, the property of William Hall, of
facers upon parole at Cupar, Fife, was opened on the
1 Aldborough I arm, parish of Limington,Warwickshi:e.
27th ult. for the first time. A Prologue, composed At the Somersetskire Assizes, a replevin cause, in
by one of the Gentlemen, complimentary to the in-1
which E. spencer, Esq. of Wells, was plaintiff, and
habitants for their hospitality to the captives, was .
S. Paine, Esq. lord of the manor of Uphill, defendant,
spoken and acted. It was followed with Les Fairs
excited considerable interest. It appeared, that nine
ilmetirewer, a comedy in verse by RaoneßD, and the
of the plaintiff's horses had strayed into the delen-
afterpiece of Le Qualerne. They have been in every
dant's lawn, from Uphill Green, where the plaintiff,
thing their own artists. The scene painting, the in-
has a right of common; defendant empounded them,
tenor decor.ttioifr of the Theatre, the arrangement of
, and demanded nine guineas for damage, which was
the costume, the getting up of a complete stage appa-
resisted by the plaintiff on the plea of the defendant's
ratus, and, above all, the forming of a most excellent i
The . fence being down, and otherwise weak, low, and in-
band for the orchestra, are all their own doings.
sufficient. Several witnesses were examined, who
after p
iece
went off successfully, and the comedy and .
completely made out the plaintiff's case; and the
afterpiece were extremely well played. The French
Jury, by the direction of the Judge, and much to the
L style of acting is more rapid and vehement than ours; !
satisfaction of a crowded Court, gave a verdict for
on this occasion, too, the female characters were re-
the plaintiff, damages erl 12s. 6d. and costs. By
I 'relented by persons of the other sex; yet these peen- this decision it was clearly established, that proprie-
° Rarities did net prevent a numerous audience, many
tors of land, adjoining to commons and wastes, were
of whom necessarily knew litde of the language, :Wind to keep good aad sufficient fence.
1 Kea being. • highly amused With the pod acting.

The constant pr'actice of loading coaches, and the
improper conduct of the drivers, which is daily wit-
nessed in and about London, in direct violation of the
Act of Parliament, induce us to insert some of the
more important clauses, that the public may be in
possession of the power given them by the Act :
A coach having four or more horses, and with four
or more wheels,• to carry ten outside passengers, and
no more, exclusive of the coachman, and including
the guard.—All coaches drawn by two or three horses
to be allowed five outside passengers, and no more,
exclusive of the coachman.— All long coaches, and
having double bodies, to carry eight outside, and no
more, exclusive of the coachman, but including the
guard,.—No child in lap, or under seven years of age,
to be reckoned as one, but two such children are to
be accounted as one.—No person paying as outside
shall be permitted to sit as inside passenger, unless
with the consent of the inside passengers, and next to
such on the scat.—No luggage on the roof, nor out-
side passengers, unless the height be under 8 feet 9
inches from the top of the ground, penalty £s.—No
luggage exceeding '2 feet in height on the roof, when
drawn by four horses, and if two or three, not to ex-
ceed 18 inches.—No person to sit on packages, under
penalty of £so.—The names of the proprietors, and
number of passengers to be painted on the doors of the
coach.—Summons left with the driver or master, to
appear before a Magistrate, sufficient.—No driver to
leave his horses, under penalty of 55.—Any driver
loitering on the road, being in liquor, or careless, to
forfeit selo.—Any driver who shall use insulting lan-
guage, or insist on more than he is entitled to, shall
forfeit 40s.—Any constable, or officer, refusing to
execute a warrant against a driver, to be sent to gaol
for one month:—Passengers may order the toll ga-
therer to count the number of passengers, and mea-
sure the height of the coach : 'if the driver or collector
refuse, either to pay £5.-:—Outside passengers getting
off before they come to the gate, and getting tip again
when passed through, to pay 510.—N0 person to be
permitted to drive, except the coachman or proprietor,
and if he shall dri .e furiously; so as to endanger the
lives of the passengers, to pay £lo.—May appeal to
the Quarter Sessions, if aggrieved.