Star.
London, England, 1826-11-07 00:00:00

PEDESTRIANISM.

Mr. W. West, the pedestrian, had a ....... yesterday. His task
was to go on foot frnm London to the 78th mile-stone on the Bath
road, and return in forty-seven hours. for a stake of three hundred
sovereigns, and the half part of the road being hilly, the odds were
6 and 6to 4 against him. The pedestrian started at three o'clock
on Saturday morning, and reached Staines in three hours, where he
made a temporary bait, and went on to Blackwater, where betook
refreshment by why of lunch, at half-past eight o'clock (thirty
miles). He next reached Overton, where he dined, and had his
table cleared before a quarter-past three. The pedestrian walked
to Weybill, the next 14 miles, in three hours, and touched on the
78th mile-stpne' after three hours refreshment, only at twelve at
night, and returned back to within a mile of Andover soon after
three, leaving himself sixty-two miles to do in twenty hours. He
was very much distressed at this part of the performance—he kept
on, and completed the next twenty miles in eve hours, and reached
Golden Hill, where he was compelled to resign, beat isy the ski-
' mina and great fatigue. The match was lost by twenty-seven
miles, and the pedestrian had seven hours left to perform it in if he
could have kept on.

The Honourable Band of his MAJESTY'S Gentlemen
Pensioners dined together yesterday, at the Freemasons' Tavern,
to celebrate the anniversary of the sth of November.
Yesterday, the Marchioness of SrAvioao arrived in
London, but only,remained to breakfast.
The LORD CHANCELLOR has appointed Mr. JACOB,
of the Chancery Bar, a Commissioner of Bankrupts. This Gentle.
man,is the SOD of Mr. lima, who bas written upon the Corn Laws.
On the 28th ult. the outbuildings of Turner's Hill
Farm, at Harpenden, Herm occupied by Mr. J. Bates,
were discovered to be on fire, arising, as it is conjec-
tured, from a spark from a candle in -the shepherd's
lantern, communicating to the fodder in a lamb shed.
The shepherd had fed about twenty ewes and as many
lambs, the latter of a peculiar breed, for the London
market, and locked them up for the night. Soon after
his retiring to rest, he was roused by a strong light in
his bed-room ; and on getting up perceived the lamb
house on fire. He immediately gave an alarm to the
family, and finding that his master had not returned
from Flamstead market, he started off to fetch him.
During this time the flames were raging with the
greatest fury, and communicated with the stable and
barns, which, together with several stacks of corn and
other valuable property, were soon involved in one
scene of devastation. One barn alone, of Se eat extent,
filled with corn, and several smaller ones, v ere included
in the general destruction ; the whole of the ewes and
lambs were lost; and one horse, valued at 60 guineas,
together with all the carts and waggons, were burnt to
cinders. To add to the calamity, a large party of
gipsies, who usually infest Harpenden Heath, attracted
by the blaze, rushed to the spot ; and on the plea of
affording assistance,ransacked the house, and plundered
it of every moveable article on width they could lay
their hands. The crowd which assembled were im-
mense; and some bad the audicity to break into the
cellars, even tap ale and home-brewed wines, which
they drank and wasted with indiscriminate wantonness.
The property destroyed is estimated at nearly 5,0001.
In consequence of the depredations committed by the
gipsies and others, though the dwelling-house was
never in immediate danger, the family had no bed left
them, but were obliged to sleep on the Mot; not a
vestige of a bed remamusg in the house.
About eight o'clock on Sunday morning, as a number
of boys were amusing themselves on board of the w ater-
men's wherries, off Iron-gate-stain, near the Tower,
three of them in one of the wherries, fell overboard ; one
of them, fortunately, sot hold of the gunwale of an
adjacent boat, and clung fast to the side, until he was
relieved from his perilous situation. The two other boys,
however, sunk; and the ebb tide running very fast at
'the time, it is supposed they were carried down under
the many tiers of shipping laying in the neighbourhood,
as every exertion was promptly used in searching for the
lboffies, by means of the drags, which vete employed
the greatest part of the day ; but, unfortunately, without
success. They were about 13 or 14 years of age, and the
children of poor parents residing in the vicinity.
A New ComaT.—A new comet has lately appeared
in
the constellation of Arcturus. It was discovered on
the 22d of October last at Florence, by Mr. Pons; on
the 24th at Paris, by Mr. Bouvard ; and on the 28th at
Marseilles, by Mr. Gambart. In the evenirtg of the Ist
instant, Mr. Nicollet perceived that it had sufficiently
increased both in size and light, as to have grown visi-
ble to the naked eye. Its nucleus displays a strong ne.
bulosity, accompanied by a tail several degrrea in
length. Its right ascension augments 'every day about
one degree, and its boreal declination dinsinishes about
one degree and a quarter during the tame period.—
Joirecd des Pelmet.