The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1833-10-04 00:00:00

HURRICANE AT CALCUTTA.

Letters from Diamond-harbour state, that the whole country
as far as can be discovered, both up and down the river, on both
banks, is strewed with corpses of human beings and of the brute
race.

The carcases of two or three tigers have been drifted on Dia-
mond-point, besides many deer and cattle, and what is more
--esittraordinary, guaatitiec of larr-,, figl M-A-43-ampbelli from
Mud-point, Who had fortunatef; reached Diamond-harbour,
states, that of 4,0(X) people in the vicinity he had quitted, only
I,0(X) had escaped drowning, to die of thirst, unless speedy relief
was afforded to them. Water, however, has been ploruptly
despatched and may, we trust, be in time to avert this dreadful
catastrophe.
Mr. Pickering, in charge of a new tripod, who has also reached
Diamond-harbour, on the western shore, gives a most terrific
account of the gale, its pronless and effects in that quarter. It
is bad enougl at Diamond-harbour, he says, but the conse-
quences of it in the place he left beggar description. The gale
commenced at south-east, on the evening of the 20th, in-
creasing daring the nik„viit. At daylight the flagstaff was blown
down and his little shed unroofed; the vale continued all day ;
the flood came on with awful velocity-; they took shelter in the •
tripod. At eleven at night the water lose- over the bund; in
half an hour a breach was made in it, and it gave way, with a
fearful rush, to the force of the flood. The wind shifted to cast-
north-east, and blew with increased fury, and the whole country
was inundated to seven feet high before one o'clock in the
morning of the 21st. At this time the force of the waters burst
the flooring of the tripod, where Mr. Pickering and his people
had taken shelter, and they clung to the joists at the sides of the
building, almost up to their necks in water. As the water still
rose, the sircar suggested that they should endeavour to get to
the top of the building. They crept through the windows ; but,
alas ! the ladder for ascending was not there. By some lucky
accident, however, a rope was left hanging there, which had
been used to point the mast, and by this means they ascended,
to their wretched place of refuge, where they passed the night,
expecting every moment that the tripod would be blown over
and overwhelm them in the roaring waters below. When the
gale abated they got down and waded, or rather swam, to the
next station, No.lo, whence they got to Diamond-harbour, in a
boat sent for them by Captain Cowles, and saw in the way thither
not less than 7Uodead bodies; and all the communications we
have seen are of a similar tenour."
ExTItACT OF ALETTERDATED ON BOARD THE LORD AsIHERST,
HIGH AND DRY ON COWCULLY BEACH, MAY 22.
By the zerev of God, we are all hands safe and comparative-
ly cornfOrtable, though regularly stranded, being high and dry
on Cowen._ _
ny beach, within. half -a-mile of the Kedgeree light-
house. * * * * •* A little below us lies the Honourable
2y.q)any.b
or chora Duke of York, blown over from the New
l
ge, an apparently settling.in the sand. About a mile
a mile and a half to the north of us are three ships, not one
of which is in such, good plight as ourselves, and two of them
far worse, for they are almost on their beam ends.
EXTRACT UP A LETTER DATED SHIKAPORE, SAU6OR, MAY 22.
The
gale has made a clean sweep here, and, I understand,
all over the island. Forward water for the remnant of the
people immediately, in row-boats, if possible. All is gone;
no blinds, no tanks, no people. I think about sixty men,
as many women, and about twenty children, arc left out of
nine himdred and fifty souls, but cannot say yet correctly.
As near as I can judge from the height of the bungalow, there
were seven feet water over the land. It broke in at about a
quarter before nine, a.m., and did not begin to decrease until
one, p.m. Men, women, and children are lying dead in all di-
rections; many drifted over to Mr. Calder's and Mr. M‘Pher-
son's, and were found dead there.
Accounts Were also received yesterday morning from Mr.
Burt, .on the estate lately belonging to Messrs. Palmer and Co.,
stating the loss of lives and devastation there to be equal to the
above.

Kedgeree letters were, - late in the afternoon, received from
the pilots of the Lord Amherst, the General Gascoyne, and
Robert. These letters state that most of the cargo of the Am-
herst may be saved; the General Gascoyne entirely bilged ; the
Robert may be got off. when lightened. All the pilots concur
in describing the gale as the most terrific they ever experienced.
One of the letters mentions another melancholy loss of_life.
Mr. Morton, with his wife at the Kedgeree Light-house, nar-
rowly escaped from the gale which overtook so many natives;
but their child was buried in the ruins of one of the out-houses,
where they had taken refuge from the storm. Seine of the poor
natives had been received on board the Amherst, and provuted
with food. One of the wrecked vessels was laden with rice,
which, we should hope, has been freely distributed; but they
were perishing for water. The ships, however, would, we trust,
have been able to supply all who could get to them with a small
quantity, until relief reaches them.
The following particulars, relative to tbe Sultan, are given
in last evening's Courier:—" Mr. Duce 's account of the ship
Sultan is, that on the eveuing of the 19th she put back from
the. Gasper; he saw her last at 9 a. m. of the. 21st, at anchor
off Saugor-point, with her top-gallant-masts struck. His opi-
nion is, that she must inevitably have been lost."— Bengal
Hurkaru.

Duc DE BORDEAUX.—On Saturday last this young prince
attained his 13th year, the period at which, according to the
laws of France, the heirs of the throne are considered of age.—
This interesting event was celebrated by the French royalists
now residing in this country with great enthasiasm, and most
particularly at the seat of Anne, Countess of Newburgh, in her
ladyship's private chapel, at Hinden House, Sussex. On this
occasion the priest who celebrated high mass wore a splendid
vestment painted on white velvet, and embossed with gold round.
the edges, executed by Madame de Fleury, late Miss 'Welch, an
artist of the French court, long iu the employment of her Royal
Highness the Duchess de Berri. This lady was engaged by the
Marquis de Montmorenci to prepare this vestment, but, it not
being in readiness previously to his departure from England,
the Countess of Newburgh &came the purchaser. The whole
of the dress and its appendages is Fainted in the first style, both
as to elegance of design and brilliancy of colouring. The ar-
rangement is allegorical, and appropriate to the Catholic faith.
The clasuble on which the cross is formed represents, in a pro-
minent manner, the lilies, the emblems of purity in the Catho-
lic religion, and the armorial bearings of the royal Bourbons.
These lilies are surrounded by the laurel-leaved passion-flower,
whose petals are dropping blood, as symbolical of Christ's pas-
sion. The other. flowers are. selected from the most brilliant
and lovely varieties, both Oriental and European. The sun-
flower, Tartariau violet, sensitive plant, corn flowers, wheat
ears, and grapes, are all combined with the utmost taste and
beauty, and prove the artist well deserving the distinguished
patronage with which she has so long been honoured. Our
readers may recollect, that in 1.820 Mad. de Fleury, then Miss
Welch, executed some molt Splendid Oricuital.paintings on yel-
' yet for the Persiau ambassador, Abul liassen.

OCT. 4. 1833.

AMERICAN GIMBLETS.—The Yankees are in a fair way to
destroy John Bull's gimblettrada with this country. The new
twist gimblet is almost as much superior to the old English
gimblet as the screw auger is to the old pod auger. There is a
a ginsblet factory at West Whately which employs fifteen
hands, about half of them females, and manufactures twenty-
five gross per week. The steel is 'imported from England in
round rods; the handles. are turned out in the vicinity.—New
York Journal of Commerce.

SERIOUS ACCIDENT.—On Tuesday night week, three Youths,
to make what they no doubt thought a little sport, made up
some gunpowder in six hard packages, and tied it to the knocker
of Mr. Waugh's dour in Everton-road. The noise produced by
the explosion so alarmed the fathily that they all ran out to
ascertain the cause, when, unfortunately Mrs. Waugh, through
the darkness of the night and the confusion and alarm into
which she had been thrown by this silly and wicked trick, tell
down the steps of the door, bj• which she received so much in-
jury that she now lies dangerously ill.
An accident of a serious nature occurred at Hamilton on
Monday evening. While a noddy, with two ladies and a gen-
tleman, was in the act of descending the Muir-wynd, a part of
the reins gave way, which lett the animal at liberty; and, thus
situated,-off it set down the street with fearful rapirrity, until, in
turning the corner of Mr. Bishop's shop, at the Cross, the
vehicle came into tremendous collision with the wall. The con-
sequences were serious in the extretue. The chaise was smasi;ea
to pieces, the. ladies were severely hurt, and the horse wa3
materially injured that he had to be shot, while a lad, a au Oar-
pened to be standing in the way, had one of his legs broke:l.--
Edinburgh Advertiser. • .

IMPROVEMENTS IN CANADA.—The Receiver-General of'Upper
Canada is now in England fOr the purpose of raising a loan, t
proceeds of which are to be applied to the improvement of the
river St. Lawrence, by renderingit navigable for vessels of 15a
tons .burden, from. Montreal to lake Ontario. We undo-swam
that the amount contemplated is a million; but iu the early
stage of the business not snore than 1:150,000 will be reiinirect.
This undertaking will be a most advantageous entelision- of the
internal communication of Upper Canada, and afford commer-
cial facilities that must tend materially to develop the rescmcct
and augment the wealth of this important and, valuable d:-
pendency. •

SICILY.—It speaks but little for the spirit of the Sicilian
Government, that the population of the island shout have
remained stationary
.during the last sixteen years. The
census of 1817, which showed the number of i,uhabitants to be
1,625,04), does nut differ.many thousands frtra their present
amount. In 1826 the island contained 9000 nuns, 12,000
monks, and 60,000 ecclesiastics of all sorts. Palermo alone,
though containing but-173,000 se*, possesses upwards of 3W
churches and chapels. Neither have the clergy altogether
driven the aristocracyout of the field; fur Sicily is honoured
with the presence' of 'GI Dukes, 213 Princes, 2.34 Marquesses,
308 Counts, and 4,161 Barons; to say nothing of the Ducherbios,
Principinos, Baronsinos, et alii iinales, their honourable progeny.
EFFECTS OF THE UN lON.—On Tuesday a stonemason, named
Weston, was brought before the sitting magistrate, Thos. Case,
Esq., by warrant, to keep the peace towards his wife. The wife,
a very decent-looking Our woman, stated that she resided in
Richmond-fair, and that this was the first time she had ever
complained against her husband. Until he joined the union he
conducted himself with the kindness of a tender father, but from
that time to the present moment, now eight months, he had not
contributed one penny towards the support of herself and her
eight children. He spent in think every farthing lie earned or
was allowed by the union, and one consequence of constant
drunkenness was the daily abuse of his wife and family. Weston
betrayed evident symptoms of having led a life of dissipation.
and a fear was expressed that he had totally disqualified him-
self, by his recent course, for a life of future industry. 'Weston,
in answer to the magistrate, stated that he would henceforth, if
discharged, conduct himself peaceably towards his wife, and
Mr. Case said he would take care that lie should do so, for he
would compel him to find bail to keep the peace.

CON'FESSION OF MU/WEIL—A. few days ago, a man died in,
the vicinity of Ellesmere, who, whets on the point of death,
confessed his having committed a murder twenty years ago, for
which a blacksmith, named Preston, was soon after tried, con-
victed, and executed. The murder was committed on two aged
people named Francis Bruce and Ann Taylor, who resided at
Langford, near Drayton. The murder took place on a Sunday
evening; the next morning the deceased were found with their
throats cut, and the guilt of Preston was established by a chain
of circumstantial evidence. He was known .to be poor, and
was seen running from the scene of the murder on the evening
it took place; the next morning he exhibited a handful of gotd
and bank-notes. A stick and a hammer, with which the old
Man's skull was fractured, were proved to have been borrowed.
No doubt was therefore entertained of his guilt. When on the
scaffold, be denied any participation in the murder, but admit-
ted his share in the robbery. It now appears from the con-
fession of the dying man that Preston watched at the door while
the murder and robbery .were committing; but counselled the
robbery should be committed without violence, and was igno-
rant that the murder had been committed. The murder %yes
perpetrated by two other men, one of whom was the dying
man, whose conscience sought relief in the disclosure.
Tim DUKE OF BUCCLEUCH.—It must be admitted that no-
thing can tend more to maintain the harmony and welfare of
the country than a kindly intercourse between landlord alio
tenant, and nowhere has this feeling been more effectually culti-
vated than in Dumfriesshire, nor has any of our aristocracy
contributed more to its practical extension than the Duke of
Buccleuch. Short as his Grace's public life has been, lie has
lived down the calumnies of his enemies, and, at this moment, we
believe there is not a more popular landlord in Scotland. The
whigs admire his condescension and affability, the racli-
eels toast his health at their political dinners, the country gen-
tlemen partake liberally of his hospitality, and the poor bless
him for his princely charities. To these circumstances,. chiefly,
it is owing that the county of DuMfries, which, like others, had
allowed its reason to wander astray in the midst of reform,
has been, with few exceptions, brought back to a sounder
judgment, and become what it formerly was, one of the strong-
holds of conservative principles.—Edinbueo Advertiser.
THE LARGEST.—STIa LIN SHIRE.—The weather for the last
fortnight has been rather unfavourable for the important opera-
tions of the farmer There is still a good deal of beans and peas
to secure on the verse lauds, and time muir lands are also in want
of a few dry days to place their crops out of danger. We are
happy to say that there is no reason to alter the favourable re-
port;formeily given of the grain crops—the great bulk of which
is safely housed even in the higher districts of the country.
Turnips are still backward, and it is feared will not recover the
injury received during the wet and•unprecedentedly unfavoura-
ble weather experienced in August. Potatoes -have risen in
price ; but this, it is supposed, is more to be attributed to the
farmers being occupied too much in harvest labours, to admit of
bringing the usual supply to the marker. The crop will certainly.
not turn out equal to what was anticipated;n July; pit, front
all we can learn, the more recent diggings give reason to hope
that the return wiil not.he so deficient as many apprehend. At
all events, the crop-has not failed-to the same extent as in other
quarters of the kingdom. We have heard of various returns
from the-thrashing-mill this season, many of which give a flat-
tering view of the grain crop as au average; but as these would
not of correct data for arriving at the truth, we forbear no-,
tieing them.—Edinbaegh Advertiser,

HtctitAND DESCENT.—Ou board of one of the steam-packets
on a late trip to lona, there were two passengers that particu-
larly attracted the attention of the party. The one was a stout
Irish gentleman, full of all that off-oand frisky humour said to
be peculiar to his countrymen, and the other little under-
sized Celt, of the smallest vossible dimensions, who, covered
With an immense broad-hricomed straw hat, moted about the
deck more like an animated mushroom than any thing- that
could be taken for a Highlander. Nevertheless, this little man-
nikin, as the passengers were told again and again by two gkir-
ralous old ladies, who seemed to have charge of Lim, was.
mavyre his dwarfish appearance, the representative of a clan
that had in the days of old been remarkable. for the production
of tall athletic warriors; and to see the graves of souse of those
was the object of his present visit to lona. On landing. the
passengers, who were not numerous, were marshalled iuto Riti-
goran in the usual form by the schoolmaster, where, after show-
ing off a number of the remains of by-gone times, .he brought
them to a row of large stone figures in armour, which he de-
scribed as the Mac—s of —, "a race of giants," as ho
said. The Irish gentleman, looking down to their represen-
tative, who stood by enjoying his fancied consequence, asked
him if these were the people from whom he was descended
"Yes," said he, pushing himself upwards like the frog in the
fable. "Then," said Pat, "by the powers, my little fellow,
you may say you have had a descent, and a d—l of a one, too."—
Perthshire Advertiser.

Tit 'CRS OF A MONREy.—A Governor of Jamaica, who had his
peculiarities, but who was nevertheless. considered a good Go-
vernor, was in the habit of noting down on the back of a letter.
or any other slip of paper near him atehe moment, such matter
as lie deemed it necessary to notice in his despatchee, and when
these were to be transmitted, the notes, were all arranged to be
officially communicated to the colonial secretary. It happened
On the eve of the sailing of a packet, that one of these scraps was
missing, containing some memoranda of importance, which the
Governor could not call to mind. The secretary and his clerks
were set to work-to hunt for the lost scrap, arid whilst busily
ransacking the cabinet a servant, entered with the stray frag-
ment. The Governor, pleased to recover his lost memoranda,
and being tired with the search, summoned his suite to repair to
the breakfast room, to partake of a lunch before they completed
the despatches, which they had still time enough to finish; but,
in quitting the cabinet, they locked up in it a huge Airkan mon-
key, who had been the curhsus spectator of all their proeeedingf.
When they had nearly finished their lunch the'whole house
echoed with an hideous. yell ; the monkey dashed into the room,
jumped over the table, and bounced out at -the window. Ott
repairing to the cabinet.the cause of . the outcry was explained.
The monkey had imitated all he had seen ; he had searched out
and torn to atoms all the papers he could lay his paws on, and
amongst others the recovered memoranda, and finally he raised
the wax to the lighted taper to seal his labours, but, unluckily.
catching at the heated wax, he burnt his fingers, whichecca-
sioned the yells which alarmed the executive, and which further
caused the postpouetneut of the packet; an event creating, as
usual, sundry conjectures and manifold .murmurs a_midSt. the
Kingston ptiliticians.—Shoriclan's Jamaica -,AlagaiHe for --1".9"1.
•
The variety of human life is, after all, nowhere so strikingly
or so whimsically displayed as in the world of politics; gene-
rally, too, there is a poetical justice at the termination of each
man's. part, which gratifies our better feefing3, iu addition to
the amusement and instruction afforded by the study. These
reflections are suggested to us from a.querfer from which plea •
saut reflections rarely come. .But it is another proof of " some
soul of goodness in tiiings evil," that even the London Common
Council occasionally affords matter for agreeable thoughts.
We allude to the proceeciiug et the election of Lord Mayor,
and to the handsome, but rot more handsome than just,
unanimity of applause of which Sir Peter Laurie was the
object. The history of this• excellent magistrate, during the
last two or three years, has been -not a little curious.. Two
years ago, it will he remembered Sir Peter, though a gens
tleman of high commeicial rank, a man of the most
amiable manners, and of unspotted private character,
and though incomparably the best of all the city magis-
trates--we may safely say the hest of all the' metropolitan
magistrates, for where shall we find any one to match him in
the essential qualities of temper, acuteues,s, energy, and zeal ?
—notwithstanding that he was all these, Sir Peter Laurie was,
two years ago, put aside, somewhat disrespectfully, to make way
for the second mayoralty of Sir John key, that gentleman's
second mayoralty 'lacing undisguisedly designed to introduce
him into Parliament as one of the city members. Two years
- have passed : - circumstances, with which Sir Peter Laurie had
no connexion whatever, removed Sir John Key from Parlia-
ment. -Nobody would have opposed him, because nobody could
oppose him with any chance of success. . Ile declined the scat,
very much, we believe, to the regret of the- city. His year of
office expired. The. compliment paid to Sir John Key, and
fought for in his behalf by canvassing, and brawling, and riot-
ing, is quietly, and by an unanimous consent,_ tendered to Sir
Peter Laurie. And why ?• On account of his politics? -Cer2
taint), not; for nothing can be more true than- his boast that,
during the last year, the- Manaion-house has been, as it •always
ought to be, neutral ground -between contending political par-
ties. No-Sir Peter's popularity, for popular he is is the best
sense, is wholly unconnected with politics or party. He is pa.
pular because he has steadily, ably, and with good humour, dis-
charged the important.duties of his office. This is the .conser-
vative style of. earning
.popularity—for a conservative,•ce are
proud to say, Sir Peter/is. tibi cruet artce.—Standard.