The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1853-09-20 00:00:00

the Americ

A.CKED BY A RAT,

fonday, a child
sleening with

of Mr. Williams, Hanover-street,
another child in an upper room, was bitten inthe lip and
on the hand by a rat. The screams alarmed the family,
and the rat in escaping got jammed in a hole in the floor,
when it was caught and killed. It measured nine inches
from the nose to the root of the tail.

ON SATURDAY evening, a respectable looking, middle-
aged man went into a shop in Oldhall-street, and bar-
gained for a quaintity of mahogany-coloured oil-cloth, for
which he promised to pay on delivery at his house. A
boy was sent to carry the cloth ; and, on arriving at a
house in Park-lane, the " gentleman" took the oil-cloth
into his possession, telling the lad to remain outside, and
he would return and pay him. He, however, went
through the house, and made his escape with the cloth by
a back door.

THE SHIP MERLIN,
now loading in the S

use Dock for Melbourne and

as been ne

' Sydney, attracts much attention. She
fitted up, and, with regard to ease and covenien,
passengers of all classes, may fairly challenge competit..
Her first cabin, saloon, and sleeping apartments, are
models of domestic comfort ; and nothing that could add
to essential requisites has been left undone. There is a fine
promenade over the cabin, and stairs at the stern end
communicate with ante-rooms of the grand saloon, the
latter of which rivals any. apartments of the kind in any
ship afloat. The second cabin is equally comfortable, but
not fitted up in so costly a style. The great point, how-
ever, is for the intermediate and third-class passengers,
and they have as good, as light, and as well ventilated
apartments as are enjoyed by first-class. The height of
the third-class rooms is nearly 11 feet--light and air (in
any quantity as suits the occupant), being admitted both
from top and sides of the rooms and berths.
THE DERRY CASTLE.—Mr. W. Coward, the surgeon on
board the Derry Castle, hence to Melbourne, February 8,
has addressed a letter to her owner, George P. Oxley, Esq.,
in which he says :—" I cannot allow- the fast-sailing ship
Marc,- ing by her mail a few
h admiration respecting the pro-
ir fine vessel the Derry Castle,

Polo to leave without send;

lines, expressive of my hig 1

and which has been expressed by me, and recognised by
the commissioners here. Respecting Captain Drake I
must say, sir, that he has not only been of inestimable as-

sistance to me in the carry
has also, in my opinion—a'.

ring out of the regulations, but
Lnd I have now seen some ser-

vice on board of ships—an intelligent commander, and
one in whom any owner might place the most unbounded
confidence. For the liberty I have taken in addressing
you, I must offer as an apology my desire to make known
my great appreciation both of your vessel and her captain."
Tun STEAM-SIIIP BRAZILEIRA, belonging to the South
American and General Steam Navigation Company, met
'with a gale in the Bay of Biscay, upon her first trip from
this port to Brazil and the River Plate. She, however, is
reported to have behaved admirably, and made Lisbon in
five days from Liverpool. Her departure from the Tagus
on the 30th ult. was attended by upwards of 150 ladies
and gentlemen of rank and influence, who had been in-
vited, with the principal merchants in the Brazil trade, to
partake of a sumptuous d6rtiner, after which dancing
commenced, and was kept up with spirit until nearly dusk,
when the Brazileira, having steamed down the bay, trans-
ferred her guests to a sm&l steamer freighted to convey
them back to town, while she went over the bar amid
such hearty cheers as fully proved the satisfaction of all
parties, and the sympathy existing in Lisbon in favour of
the company. A very handsome letter was written and
signed, congratulating the company, Captain Green, and
the Lisbon agent upon the commencement of the line, and
eulogising the superior accommodations and appointments
of the Brazileira.

THE MAnco Pave Captain J. N. Forbes, (one of the
Black Ball Line,) arrived in the Mersey on Tuesday
last, from Melbourne, Australia, with forty cabin
passengers, and £280,000
gold dust on freight. The
Marco Polo made her last voyage in five months and
twenty-one days under favourable auspices ; the present
voyage has been made in exactly six months under un-
favourable auspices, she having been detained five days in
the ice, and fifteen days by calms on the line. The fol-
lowing is an abstract from her outward and homeward
logs :—The Marco Polo sailed from Liverpool on her out-
ward run -on the 13th of March, and on the 29th of May
she arrived at Melbourne, having made the run from
Liverpool in 75 days. She made but a brief stay at Aus-
tralia, and on the 10th June, at 6 p.m., started on her
homeward run. On the 23d large quantities of ice were
encountered in longitude about 60 S., which tore off all'
the copper from the bows. (hi the 26th, at 7 a.m., in
latitude 141 W., (still in the ice,) saw a large ship astern,
which proved to be the ship Kent, which sailed from Mel-
bourne' five days previous to the Marco Polo,,for London.
From-the 27th of June to the Ist of July ice was met with,
and only small distances were made. On the 2d of July
the ice was cleared, and strong N. winds encountered, and
the .ship made 303 miles ; on the 3d, -wind N.N.W., 332
miles ; 4th, wind N. and N.W., very strong, 364 miles ;
and the fifth, with same winds, 346 miles : making a total
for the four days of 1,344 miles. From the 3d to the 7th
of August she was again becalmed. On the 13th, in lati-
tude 6.62 S., again met with calms and light S. and S.E.
winds, which continued till the 24th of August. On the
25th, 26th, 27th, 28th, and 29th, 'with E.N.E. and E.
winds, she ran from seven to ten knots per hour. From
the 30th of August to 4th of September had light winds
and calms, the ship being in latitude 34.40. N, S.E., and
S.W. winds were experienced till the 7th of September, at
330 p.m.' when the Western Islands were made out.
From the Western Islands inwards she had moderate and
fine weather, and arrived in the Mersey at noon-on Tues-
day, making the voyage in exactly six months.
THE CHARGE AGAINST A WINE MERCHANT, reported
at length in the Standard of last week, but which had
not then been concluded, was resumed for hearing on
Tuesday morning, whenlhe plaintiff, Mr. Hughes, and
his managing clerk,: .iAl.ed Callow, were called, and
-remained under es.a.mintition during nearly the whole day.
The evidence was principally as to monetary transactions
'between the parties, and the "statements of the witnesses
--were very conflicting. It transpired that Hughes was in
'the habit of lending money at the rate of forty per cent. ;
that he was formerly the proprietor of a circus, and his
clerk, Callow, previous to going into the money-lending
business, was a tailor, though, according to Mr. Hughes,
'be did not make the dresses for the equestrian company.
In cross-examination, Callow statedthat he had never been
threatened with dismissal from Mr. Hughes's employ
because of his "leniency" to the defendant. Mr. Hughes
denied that he had threatened to _discharge Callow. At
the conclusion of Callow's examination, the hearing was
again adjourned till the' following day.—On Wednesday,
immediately on Mr. Mansfield taking-his seat, Mr. Aspin-
all said he was instructed by Mr. Hughes, who, however,
had not altered his opinion of the matter, to withdraw-the
case, because of the technical difficulties which had been
thrown in the way. Mr. Mansfield -thought it was the
best course Mr. Hughes could have pursued, for it was
quite impossible, with the evidence 'before them, that
there could be 'a conviction on the charge of false-repre-
sentation, with intent to defraud.. Mr. Simon observed
•that his learned friend Mr. Aspinall might have withdrawn
the case more gracefully after having'carried it as far as
he -could, and without throwing any ,aspersion on the
character of Mr. Thomas, by stating that •it was in conse-
quence of technical difficulties that the case was abandoned.
It had been fairly tried on its merits,
and on its merits it
had entirely failed. Sir George Stephen hoped that, on
behalf, of Mr. Thomas, he might be allowed to add one
word, which was, that according to the instructions placed
before him and his learned friend, and which,
for one, he
firmiY believed to be true, there was not a.syllable of the
evidence produced which could not be satisfactorily con-
tradicted, independently of the contradictions between
the witnesses themselves ; •nor wasthere a single item in
the accounts •which could not be satisfactorily explained.
The case had excited a considerable sensatimain the public
mind, and a great deal had been stated in the public prints,
and it was, therefore, important to Mr. Thomas and Mr.
Thomas's family an impression should not go forth that the
charge had been abandoned merely because cif technical
difficulties. It was due to Mr. Thomas that it shouldappear
publicly, not only that the charge was abandonedas hope-
less, but that the. case of the defendant had not even been
opened, though all that was suspicious would have been met
with contradiction, and all that appeared equivocal would
have been easily explained. He, therefore, trusted that Mr.
Thomas would IQ fully and honourably acquitted of the
charge which had been made againit him. The summons
was then withdrawn.

LIVERPOOL OBSERVATORY.—The report of Mr. Hart-
nup,August 24th, contains proofs of the practical benefits
the resident astronomer of the Observatory, dated
which have accrued from the facilities afforded to the
chronOmeter-makers of this town for correcting their
chronometers. Mr. Hartnap has observed the rate of 200
chronometers, for the purpose of ascertaining the amount
to which they are affected:by a change of temperature of
20 degrees, rising and falling. He began by ascertaining
the rate of the 200 chronometers at a temperature of 60
degrees. He then placed 100 of them in a temperature of
40 degrees, and another 100 in a temperature of 80 de-
grees, with the following results :—On observing the rates
of the 100 chronometers removed from a temperature of
60 to one of 40 degrees, he found that they were all
affected by the change, though in different directions, and
in very different degrees. Of the 100 there were 14 which
s lined more in 40 degrees of temperature than they had
gained in 60 degrees ; and 86 which lost more. The
greatest gain or increase in the rate of any one of the 100
chronometers was 15 seconds, which would have placed a
vessel 3 miles wrong in her longitude each day; the
greatest loss was 72 seconds, which would have placed a
vessel relying on it 18 miles wrong in longitude each day.
The average change of rate, from this reduction of 20 de-
grees of temperature, was 7 seconds, or 14 miles of longi-
tude per day, a difference which, when multiplied by ten
or twenty days, might produce most serious, indeed, fatal
results, especially to a vessel running before the wind at
night. On examining the change of rate in the 100
chronometers more minutely, it was found that the 10
which changed their rate least with a change of 20 degrees
of temperature, changed only 1 second, or mile in longi-
tude, whilst the 10 which changed most changed 31
seconds, representing eight miles a day in a ship's longi-
tude. The results produced on the 100 chronometers
changed from a temperature of 60 degrees to another of
80 degrees were also very remarkable, and especially im-
portant to vessels sailing from England to the southern
states of America, to the West or East Indies, South
America, Africa, and Australia, or to other countries of
higher temperature than England. The average change
of rate (generally losing more) from this increase of tem-
perature was three seconds, three-quarters of a mile in
longitude daily ; but there was one instance of a change of
more than 13 seconds, one of a change of upwards of 12
seconds, three of upwards of 7 seconds, one of upwards of
6, three of upwards of 5, and eight of upwards of 4. The
average, however, was about three seconds of change in
the rate; and there were many chronometers in which it
was less than two seconds, and several in which it was
less than one second. Mr. Hartnup's experiments lead
him to the conclusion that the supposed difference of rate
of going in some chronometers on sea and on land has
nothing to do with land or sea, but is entirely
the result
of changes of temperature; and his investigations confirm,
him in the opinion that no captain ought to rely for his
time on one chronometer. In order to prove this he has
constructed a table, showing how nearly certain it is that
a captain who does so will fall into error in his longitude,
in the course of a voyage of moderate length. Mr. Hart'
nup also suggests that the electric clock in Castle-street
might be worked from the Observatory.