The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1840-06-19 00:00:00

THE WRECK OF THE SYLPHIDE.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE LIVERPOOL STANDARD.
In reply to two letters from Messrs. M'Arthur and Clarke,
I beg to state that it is not true that it was six o'clock when
I went to the wreck of the Sylphide.
It is not true that I was only one hour there.
It is not true that I said I assisted in towing that vessel.
It is true that 1 found three steamers at anchor doing no-
thing.
It is true that Sherlock said he could have done better
with one steamer and a couple of fiats.
It is true that I went in the Seacombe steamer.
I am also certain that had Mr. Ahbinett gone down the
morning I went with his slinging apparatus and a couple of
flats, she would have been towed up the following tide, for
the water was perfectly smooth.—Yours respectfully.
JOHN ASKEW.

THE ARCHIMEDES.
TONS—" Through Erin's Isle."
A sage of yore at Syracuse,
Who dealt in mathematics,
Invented a machine to pump
Spring water to his attics ;
A wondrous screw the water drew,
By spiral revolution,
And did the sage's thirst assuage,
Or serve him with ablution.
And daily they who came that ways
The mighty screw when viewing,
In cup and can all blessed the man,
And drank success to screwing.
Long ages fled, the sage was dead,
May be the pump was rotten ;
The good old screw, its maker too,
Were well nigh both forgotten,
• When a youth who sprang from British blood,
One night when he was dreaming,
In fancy crossed the channel's flood
With screws applied to steaming ;
And from his dream he took the scheme,
And screwing now his creed is ;
So screw along became the song—
Success to Archimedes!
One fine spring morn, at early dawn,
The youth—we couldn't find him;
He 'd gone afloat in a little boat, •
With his magic screw behind him ;
e hailed him as we tacked about,
To ask what he was doing ;
Said he, " My mother knows I'm out,"
I'm only going screwing;
And screw along. shall be my song,
And, if you doubt the plan, boys,
Get up your steam and try the scheme,
And catch me if you can, boys.
We scanned his craft all fore and aft,
We saw his genius clever;
Three shouts we gave along the wave,
With—" May he screw for ever !"
With steam and sail of no avail,
We tried to catch him flying ;
We tried till night, and so we might—
We found 'twas no use trying.
So screw along became the song,
And screwing still the creed is;
In bumpers true we drink the screw,
And England's Archimedes.
His work is done—his laurel's won—
And, sung through every nation,
The name of Smith must be forthwith
The wide world's admiration.
Philosophy, with vacant eye,
Is lost in silent wonder;
And theory says, " Really I
I'm screw'd, and I knock under."
So screw along shall be the song,
For screwing now the creed is;
In bumpers true we drink the screw,
And England's Archimedes.
Then myriads flocked to see the ark
That held the screw so tightly ;
And Beauty came to bless the bark
That crossed the wave so lightly ;
And bright blue eyes Ilt up the decks,
Afraid no more of losses,
And screws were hung on ladies' necks,
And worn instead of crosses.
So screw along is still the song,
And screwing now our creed is :
With Europe's fame is wreathed the name
Of England's Archimedes.

The children belonging to Hackin's-bey daily schools, in
connection with St. Paul's Church in this town, underwent
the half-yearly examination in their knowledge of scripture
and scriptural truths on Wednesday last. There were seve-
ral ladies present, and the parents of many of the children
attended. The Rev. .1. N. Peill conducted the examination,
and addressed, at considerable length, the persons present on
the chapters of the Bible repeated by the children : thus do
the occasional examinations of these schools become in a
manner opportunities for the religious improvement of the
parents, as well as of the children.
Upwards of 20,000 barrels of potatoes and 15,000 barrels
of Foreign wheat have been imported into Wexford in the
last two months.