Star.
London, England, 1826-09-07 00:00:00

DUEL IN AMERICA.

An affair of honour took place at New Orleans on
the 18th ult. between two citizrns, growing out of a
private misunderstanding. One fire was exchanged
P with pistols, but no effect being produced, they had re-
course, according to agreement, to the small sword.—
The affair ended in the death of one of the parties, he
having received his antagonist's sword in his vitals.
The names of the patties were, Theodore Previl,
aged 19 years, and Zephyr Canonge, and originated in
an affront having been offered to the father of the
former by Canonge. The following notice of the death
of Preval is published in the New Orleans Papers.
" The friends of the family of Mr. Preval—the friends of virtue
and justice—are informed that Mr. Theodore Presal, aged 19
years. terminated his career yesterday afternoon, at four o'clock, by
a frightful fatality. His corpse will be exposed at Mr. U. Marirroy's,
Fauxboprg Marigny, from whence the convoy will start for the
Church."

Over the grave of young Preval a discourse was pronounced by
Mr. Pierre Landreux, who alluded in warm language to the bravery
and filial piety of the youth, who "felt his blood heated with in-
dignation at the sight of his father beirsg cruelly outraged by a
despicable man, dishonoured for a long time in the public opinion."
The address was concluded by the following anathema upon Preval's
murderer, which, the Louisiana Courier observes, was unanimously
repeated by all the persons present:
"" For us, Gentlemen, who sigh over this grave, in which the
remains of our young friend repose, let us all swear, in parting with
him, to burthen for ever his murderer with the weight of our con-
tempt, to exclude him for ever from the bosom of our society, and
to abandon him without pity to the torments of remorse--swear it!"

VAN DIEMAN'S LAND.

Macquarie-street, Hobart Town, April 17,1626.

We are at pre,ent very well situated just opposite the
Governor's house. Everything is more advanced than
I expected to find it ; none but an English colony could
have made such progress in so short a time. Madeira
and Rio Janeiro, in point of kumfort, are three hun-
dred years behind it: Luxuries, and even necessaries,
are infinitely dearer here than at either of those places.
Fresh butter is Ss. 6d. per lb. sometimes ss. loaf sugar.
ls. 2d. tea, excellent hyson, 101. moist sugar, very
good, 6d. bread; Sd. meat, 6d. and Bd. cheese 2s. 6d.
very bad.

Our expenses at the tiristol Hotel, for a fortnight
(five persons). were 501. House rent and firing are.
high , we pay for six rooms and the use of a kitchen,
l'unfurnisbed, 1201. per annum.
A few days after my arrival here, I went oft board a
China ship, the Sun, Captain Gillit, and bought a re&
and a lemon coloured Chinese' each enough-for
two dresses, at 21. per piece. The Chinese who came'
to open the box, was the very prototype of the figures
in the grocers shops in London. I learned that the
Chinese begin to emigrate, and are much less jealous
of admitting strangers than heretofore. They excel in
painting ; they :hewed me some copies they had made
of English plates ; one was " The Proposal"--the draw-
ing, however, was very defective.
We have plenty of fishing, shooting, and riding.. I
heard a Gentleman say the other day that he has seen
5,000 cockatoos rise at once, and at other times nearly
as many wild ducks. We have plenty Of quails, par.s
rots, and pigeons; the eagles are formidable birds, often
measuring from tip to tip six feet. They hover over
the flocks, and carry off the lambs. Nothing this to our
albatrosses. On the 26th of January, a 6straiieg hot. day,
and dead calm, we went a considerable way from the!
ship, and were in the Indian Ocean. After cruising
about two hours, we returned with two albatrosses,
one alive, besides several other birds. The albatrosses
weighed 25 pounds, and measured ten feet eight inches
across the wings. Two of these birds carried away the
contents of a gun, seemingly but little hurt.

Our servant, to /whom We advanced 301. for outfit, previous to
her quitting England, quitted us one fortnight after arriving here,
and got married instantly, we thus lost 701. by her. This is an evil
it is impoodble to guard against.

HERCULANEUM.

A flight of modern steps conducts to the subterranean
city, through a well, sunk for the purpose, at the place
where the well was by which it was discovered in 1669..
Herculaneum was destroyed by the same eruption that
destroyed Pompeii and Stabia, in the year 79, bat it has
since been showered on seven times by the fiery moun-,
lain, as may be seen by the different strata of lava in
descending. All that remains open at present of the city
below, are some parts of the theatre, and a few narrower
passages on the outside by three of its doors. The ex.
cavations were continued to a considerable extent, and
many valuable relics taken outs bat as the towns o(
Resini and Portia, with the Royal palaces, which are
built over Herculaneum, would have been endangered
had they been carried further, piers were built, and the
rubbish left to prevent accident. Enough, however,
was done to prove that this was a 'city of much greater
'consequence than Pompeii; its streets were broad and
straight, paved with lava, and had footways on each '
side; its theatre is much larger, and every article found
spoke of more luxurious refinement. The Custode led
me through the passages, and showed me various frag-
ments of columns, painted walls, burned timber, and the
like, of course ail is sten by torch light. It is supposed
that with the ashes which destroyed Herculaneum a
vast quantity of water was thrown out by Vesuvius,
which, mingling with the ashes, flowed throughout,
and hardened into tuio, as the city is filled with it.—
The material was certainly much heated, as the doors
and timbers of the houses are found reduced to a species
of charcoal; in those places where it did not penetrate
everything combustible was charred by the violent heat,
such as the rolls of papyrus, wheat, barley, beans, nuts,
almonds, bread, and many other articles of domestic
t'se. The inhabitants had time to carry with them
their valuables, for these were nut found more than a
dozen skel. tons altogether, and a very small quantity of
gold or silver, or, indeed, anything valuable that was
not too bulky to be carried with ease.