The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1840-10-23 00:00:00

SINGULAR AND AFFECTING INCIDENT AT SEA

Through the kindness of one of our friends at Scarbro'
we are enabled to communicate to our readers a singular
and affecting incident at sea. On Sunday afternoon, the
4th instant, three little boys of the names of Davis, (15)
Carlisle, (14) Fostil, (13) the two former fishermen's sons,
were amusing themselves with an excursion on the sea, at
Scarbro', in a small boat about 13 feet long, having with
them only one oar and a small sail ; the little fellows
managed to scull themselves out to a distance of a few
miles from land, when thinking they perceived some other
boys coming out in a boat to fetch them back again, they
hoisted their small sail, and the wind blowing from the
shore, the boat Ns as unfortunately carried out a further dis-
tance to sea. To their inexpressible grief the laud at
length entirely disappeared, and, after making several fruit-
less attempts to regain the shore, darkness put a stop to all
further endeavours, and a strong gale of wind forced them
to a further distance into the ocean. When the morning
returned, not a speck of land could be discerned, and no
sail hove in sight ; the situation of the three little boys
now became dreadfully distressing, not one of them know-
ing how to make the land, and not a single mouthful of pro-
visions, or a draught of water, being on board their frail
bark ; to add to their distress, the oldest boy, Davis, fell
sick, and continued in that state the whole of the day. The
sun again set, leaving them no prospect of a rescue from a
watery grave. The feelings of their poor parents on shore
all this time were heart-rending, while all endeavours to
discover them proved futile. Tuesday morning dawned,
and after straining their eyes the whole of the day in search
of a sail or land, and wearying themselves with fruitless
toil, night again come on, and the three poor little fellows,
overcome with fatigue ; hungry, and benumbed with cold ;
laid themselves down at the bottom of the boat, and left
themselves to the mercy of the wind and waves. On
awaking in the morning, they were horror-struck to find
their companion, Davis, dead. The little distressed
mariners described this as the worst of all. Fortunately,
the sea all this while was tolerably calm, but the third day
passed over with still less hopes of deliverance ; Wednes-
day night approached, but no friendly hand was stretched
out to save the two youthful mariners, who, with the life-
less corpse of their companion, continued to float upon the
bosom of the waters during the fourth night. In the after-
noon of Thursday, they descried a sail in the distance, and
with eyes filled with tears, they beheld a ship bearing
towards them ; she proved to be a Dutch vessel, bound
for Amsterdam. The captain immediately took the
two shipwrecked boys on board his own vessel; they were
in a dreadful state of suffering, having never tasted food
from Sunday afternoon. While the poor little fellows were
being received in the Dutch vessel, they perceived some of
the sailors about to throw the body of their companion
overboard. With affecting accents they besought their
deliverers to let them have the dead body of Davis to take
back with them to Scarbro' to his friends, but their entreaties
were followed by a heavy splash in the waters, and the body
of the poor unfortunate fisherman's boy was lost from their
sight. The captain of the vessel, and the whole crew
behaved with the greatest kindness to the boys, and upon
their vessel reaching her destination at Amsterdam, they
forwarded their charge to London, from whence the two
inexpressible
joy youths set out for Hull, and to the
joy of
their distressed and agonivd parents,. they arrived
in Scarbro' on Wednesday evening last.—Halifax Guardian.

A MAN OF BUSINESS.—A friend of ours was in treaty
with G—, the horse-dealer (who died the other day), for
the purchase of a mare, but could not agree by ten pounds.
Next morning, however, making up his mind to offer to split
the difference, he posted off to the yard, where the first per-
son he met was the groom. " Master up, Joe ?" said he.
" No, master be dead," said Joe, " but he left word you'd to
have the mare."—Kentish Gazette.

FOREIGN AND COLONIAL MISCELLANY. 1

PORT ADELAIDE.—The following is an extract of a letter
from a settler at Port Adelaide (Australia) to a friend residing
at Chertsey March 22, 1840.—1 s it true that reports
have reached England that we poor South Australians are
starving, and that famine stares us in the face ? I fancy you
hear strange tales of us, and John Bull, of course, believes
all he hears ; but, joking apart, for several months past all
kinds of provisions have been dreadfully dear—the four
pound loaf having risen to 4s, and is now selling at 3s. This
may sound awful in the ears of an Englishman, but I do as-
sure you no person need want, even when provisions are at
the highest. Children of eight or nine years of age can earn
as much as a labouring man in England, and are, therefore,
instead of a burden to their parents, a blessing. One instance
I will mention, of a boy, who is a candle snuffer at the the-
atre, and sweeps it out, &c. ; this lad gets lOs a week and his
board. This I know to be a fact. Our assizes are just over ;
there were many prisoners for trial, and amongst them seve-
ral bushrangers, who have been lately committing depreda-
tions in this neighbourhood. Four of them were sentenced
to die, but two only suffered. They were executed on Mon-
day last, and such an execution, I should imagine, was never
before witnessed. One of the prisoners resisted to such a
degree, by kicking at the hangman, that it was nearly half an
hour before the rope could be put round his neck, and then
it was done by main force, by three men. During the whole
time he smoked a short pipe till he was turned off, and the
language he used to the clergyman and others in attendance
was horrid in the extreme."

SUSPENSION BRIDGE.—Forty English workmen, and two
hundred natives are engaged under Mr. Tierney Clarke's
direction upon the suspension bridge at Pest.

An Algiers letter mentions that the fortifications are being
put in a more effective state of defence than they have at any
time been. At some points 36-pounders are planted, and at
others 80-pound Paixhans guns have been substituted for
18-pounders. All the batteries upon a level with the water,
and which have been used as stores for wood, have been re-
converted to their original purpose.
BANKING IN HUNGARY.—A plan for a bank was pub-
lished in the 'report of a committee of the Diet last session,
but nothing has been done. There was a report that an emi-
nent English house was engaged in some undertaking of this
kind, but on account of the parties by whom it was rumoured
that they were to be connected, no hopes are entertained on
that score.

INSULT TO THE ENGLISH AND RUSSIAN CONSULS AT
MARSEILLES.—The Sud has the following :—" An act
worthy of the South Sea savages was committed on Sunday
night. A rabble of men, strangers to the town, went to in-
sult the Russian and English consuls in their houses. This
violation of the rights of nations has been reprobated by all
honourable citizens. It is incredible that such scenes, which
are condemned when enacted against us, can be reproduced
in France, where the well-known maxim—ritranger est une
chose sacree—is admitted to have the force of law. This
conduct shows the manner in which some men comprehend
patriotism. On this occasion, in addition to the law of prin-
ciple, we have the question of persons. These two consuls
enjoy the esteem of the people of Marseilles, and are regarded
more as fellow-countrymen than foreigners. The English
consul has resided amongst us for 26 years, and his family
are natives of our city."

JUNCTION OF THE WATERS OF WESTERN AND EASTERN
INDlA.—Lieut. Baker, deputed by Lord Auckland to take
the levels between the Sutledge and Jumma, has finished
them ; and his report is favourable for the excavation of a
canal between Kurmul and Loodianah, by which the waters
of Western and Eastern India may be joined together. The
successful voyage made by a small steamer from the mouth
of the Indus to Loodianah, holds out the most extensive
prospect of usefulness from the completion of this grand un-
dertaking.

A deposit of human bones has been found between Vesig-
neul and Poigny, in the Marne, extending to upwards of 200
yards in length. Besides this, there have been discovered
three small vaults, a stone coffin, Roman tiles, fragments of
vases, the foundation of a wall four yards in length, and some
medals, two of which are of Adrian and one of Constantinus.

PROTECTION OF IRON FROM RUSTING BY ZINC.—M. de
Althaus, director of the salt-works at Durrenberg, has suc-
ceeded in completely protecting the evaporating boilers of the
salt water, which are thirty feet long, from oxidation, by
fastening bands of zinc on the outside. He has observed
also, that it is not necessary that the two metals should be
polished at the points of contact. This fact, which he has
established by more than ten years' experience, seems com-
pletely to verify the theory of contact.—lnventor's Advocate.

A TRICK OF FRENCH THIEVES.—A most extraordinary
scene took place, on the evening of Tuesday last, in the
Galerie d'Orleans, at the Palais Royal. A considerable
crowd assembled, and could only be dispersed by the assist-
ance of the military of the guard-house of the Theatre Fran-
cais and the municipal guard. As is generally the case,
there were many persons in this gallery. A lady of a most
genteel appearance was walking through, when suddenly a
young man, who appeared to be following her, exclaimed,
Look at her, she is the murderess, do you not know her ?"
addressing the crowd. "It is Madame Laffarge, who, in
consequence of fortune, has in spite of her condemnation
been set at liberty." This individual poured forth most
insulting language against the lady, whom he insisted upon
was Madame Laffarge. The lady was very soon surrounded,
and protested against even the knowledge of the lady alluded
to ; but the crowd, which immediately surrounded her, per-
sisted in not believing in her assertions ; neither the tears
nor sobs of the unfortunate lady seemed to have any effect.
The despair of the lady increasing, to the sobs succeeded
violent hysterics, she rolling herself on the pavement. The
crowd round her was so wedged in as to make it impossible
to render her assistance. It was in vain that the soldiers of
the line attempted to make a passage, and they therefore
were obliged to send to the Chateau d'Eau for a reinforce-
ment, and it was only with the assistance of the garde muni-
cipale, that they succeeded in dispersing the multitude, and
protecting the unfortunate lady, who was taken senseless to
the guardhouse, where assistance being procured she re-
covered her senses, and was conducted to her residence.
Thus ended the scene, the object of which was soon found
out. Half an hour was hardly elapsed when 10 or 12 per-
sons, who made a portion of the crowd, returned to the
gallery in search of different articles, such as brooches,
diamond pins, purses, India handkerchiefs, and snuff boxes.
There was no doubt the scene had been got up by pick-
pockets with the intention of robbing those who would be
looking on.