The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1841-04-16 00:00:00

PLEASURE TRIP. /

On the morning of the Fast-day the Sir William Wallace
steamer left the Broomielaw on a pleasure trip, and landed in
the afternoon a large number of passengers at Brodick. In
consequence of part of the boiler, we learn, having been
burned, the boat could not leave the bay, and the husbands,
wives, and children, and beaux and belles, were left to enjoy
their " pleasure excursion" longer than they intended, to the
great anxiety of their friends at home. The following parti-
culars are abridged from the Herald:—All the way down the
Clyde and Firth, the passengers became thinned by landing
in detachments at Greenock, Largs, Millport, &c., but still
upwards of 100 accompanied the vessel to the limits of her
trip at Brodick, where they landed, and were allowed two
hours to stroll about and survey the beautiful geological fea-
tures of Arran. At two o'clock the party were called on
board for the homeward run, but to the dismay of all it was
discovered that the paddles were immoveable, from a leakage
in the boiler, occasioned by the giving way of a stay-bolt,
through which the water escaped. Vigorous efforts were
made to repair the rent, and night began to close in, but
still the Sir William lay motionless in Brodick Bay. Hunger
and discontent now began to creep over the party, but they
had to put up with them as best they might, and make pre-
parations for passing the night in the vessel, in which they
stowed themselves away, some in the cabin and some in the
hold, so far as the accommodations of the Sir William per-
' mitted. Friday morning rose, and relief was as far away as
ever. In ordinary circumstances the detention of the vessel
would have been a matter of little moment, for all could have
been relieved by the mail steamer; but it unfortunately hap-
pened that she was at this moment temporarily under repair.
In the course of the day the people eat up the only baker in
place twice over—at least they twice consumed his stock ;
and a quantity of biscuit which he was sending to order was
stormed in the cart in which it was placed, and munched on
the spot. The head inn was equally beset, and the whole of
the sweet marine village of Brodick was in a state of fearful
commo'.ion. When provisions became scarce here, the party
dispersed themselves inland, and the country people were
glad to bespeak their forbearance by giving them cogs of por-
ridge, cakes, and " dads o' kebbock," or boiled kail, and
one old gentleman gave them two pails of potatoes. Indeed,
some of the more desperately hungry of the group talked of
slaughtering a sow, a few sheep, or a bullock ; but we are
happy to say that they had not occasion to resort to this ab-
solute extremity. Brodick Castle, the Arran residence of
the Duke of Hamilton, was also tried, but as the " quality"
were absent, all that could be levied here was a bundle of
herrings. Friday night was setting in, and still there was no
relief, when fortunately the 'Victor was observed steaming
into the bay. Mr. Young, the proprietor of the Wallace, had
set out for assistance in the morning, and brought or sent
down this vessel ; but it was too late to set out, and the
whole party, minus a small number who had gone to Ardros-
san by the wherry, were compelled to pass another night in
the cabin and hold of the steamer. The beleagured passen-
gers at length started at four o'clock on Saturday morning,
and were landed at the Broomielaw in the course of the fore-
noon, in a rueful plight. It is only fair to state that the ac-
cident which caused this annoying result on the part of the
Sir William Wallace, was of a perfectly trifling kind, and
such as not to damage her fair fame ; but, slight as it was,
there was no means of repairing it at hand.—Scottish
Guardian.

The Duke of Wellington, during his administration, not
only paid off more than twenty millions of the national debt,
by resolute economy and retrenchment, but made provision
for saving millions more in the treasury at the time he re-
signed office.—What have the whig-radicals done ? They
have not only not paid off one farthing of the country's
debt, but they have squandered the savings of the Duke of
Wellington, increased taxation as before noted, and now
must levy new taxes, or resort to some other trick to make
up recurring deficiencies.—Norwich Times.

BASINGWERK.—No spot in the neighbourhood could be
better selected for the site of an abbey than the one chosen
for that of Basingwerk, the ruins of which rest upon a gentle
eminence between two hills, about a mile east of Holywell,
among rich meadows, near the spot where the waters of that
wonder-working well fall into the Dee, commanding a fine
view of the Cheshire shore, with a profusion of spreading
sycamores and groves of ancient trees on all sides. It is
supposed to have derived its origin from one of the Welsh
princes, but the fragments which the Wanderer contem-
plated belonged to an institution founded, probably, by the
Earl of Chester, in 1113, the foundation afterwards being
confirmed by King Henry 11. and Prince Llewelyn. In its
time-worn and crumbling ruins hardly any idea can be form-
ed of its original extent or character ; but it is proved to be
Of that mixed architecture, Norman and early English, by
its present remains, and by the traces of its foundation.
After being built, it received considerable additions at various
I times ;—the refectory, now used as a stall for cattle, with
its long range of circular pillars and trefoil arches sunk in the
wall, deserves particular attention. It is worth while to visit
Basingwerk, though only ' the shade of what it was,' were
it but to admire the taste which these hermits of old had in
fixing their residence, and the piety, it may be, which led
them to seek a solitary abode so favourable to devotion.—
From Roscoe's Wales, new edition, now publishing in
monthly parts.