The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1844-07-16 00:00:00

SELECTIONS.

CIRCUMSTANTIAL EVIDENCE.—I have bend some
very extraordinary cases of murder tried. I remember.
in one where I was counsel, for a long time the evidence
did not appear to touch the prisoner at all, and he looked
about with the most perfect unconcern, seeming to think
himself quite safe. At last the surgeon was called, who
stated deceased had been killed by a shot, a gun-shot, in
the head, and he produced the matted hair and stuff cut
from and taken out of the wound. It was all hardened
with blood. A basin of warm water was brought into
court, and, as the blood was gradually softened, a piece
of printed paper appeared—the wadding of the gun,
which proved to be half of a ballad. The other half h-id
been found in the man's pocket when he was taken. He
was hang-d.—Lord Kdon's Note Book.
ANTIQUITIES OF DAMASCUS.—Damascus possesses
fewer authentic antiquities than might be expected in one
of the earliest cities mentioned in the Bible : the most an-
cient remains are some of the lower portions of the walls,
built with squire stones, and in some instances of blocks,
of which the h-ight exceeds the breadth. Some of the
blocks measure from six to eight or ten feet, by four, six,
or eight. They are united without cement; and many
have Arabic and Saracenic inscriptions on them. This
style of building is one belonging to a very ancient period.
The castle, like every place of strength in this country,
has been destroyed, rebuilt, and altered at various pe-
riods. The oldest cart, near the foundation, is formed of
stones of a very great size; and the broad ditch which
surrounds it is built in the rustic masonry of the Romans.
Its extent is considerable. Erected before the invention
of gunpowder, it could offer but little resistance to artil-
lery ; but, being consttucted with large diamond-cut
stones, and including eleven bastions within its circuit,
some of them mounted with cannon, and all supplied with
a guard, it is still capable of overawing the factious inha-
bitants of the town.—Library of Travel.
LORD ELDON AS A Boy.—Lord Eldon, late in life, told
his niece, Mrs. Foster, that " no boy was ever so much
thrashed as he was," and to Lady Eldon's nephew he once
said :—" Mr. Surtees, when your father and I were boys,
and that is now a long time ago, I remember our stealing
down the Side, and along the Sand-Hill, and creeping
into every shop, where we blew out the candles. We
crept along the counter, then popped our heads up, out
went the candles, and away went we. We escaped detec-
tion" On another occasion Lord Eldon said to Mrs.
Forster :—" I remember my father coining to my bedside
to accuse Harry and me of having robbed an orchard ;
some one had come to complain. Now, my coat was
lying by my bed with its pockets full of apples, and I had
hid some more under the bed-cloths, when I heard my
father on the stars, and I was at that moment suffering
intolerable torture from those I had eaten ; yet I had the
Clo
audacity
to deny the fact. We were twice flogged for it.
not know how it was, but we always considered rob-
bing an orchard as an honourable exploit. I remember
once being carried before a magistrate for robbing an
orchard—'boxing the f ox, as we called it. There were
three of us. Howet Johnson, another boy, and myself.
The magistrate acted upon what I think was rather
curious law ; for he fined our fathers each 30s. for our
offence. We did not care for that, but they did ; so nay
father flogged me, then sent a message to Moises, and
Moises flogged me azain. We were very good boys, very
good indeed ; we never did anything worse than a robbery."
—Life of Lord Eldon.

MORAL COURAGE OF THE EMPEROR OF RUSSIA.—
The moral and physical courage of the emperor has been
frequently displayed. At the period of the cholera, when
the ignorant and infatuated people were massacre ing the
medical men because they could not stop the ravages of
that fearful disease, the emperor in person appeared
amongst Owns, shoved his nodding plumes, and com-
manded them to kneel with him on the earth and ask the
pardon of heaven for such enormities. He was obeyed ;
he offered up an extemporaneous and eloquent prayer,
and the carnage ceased. His moral courage on all trying
occasions has not been less marvellous, and although tried
by great events and fearful complications he has ever held
high his head, preserved a calm and dignified mind, and
kept in abeyance all passions opposed to the triumph of
reason. Nicholas writes decidedly the best hand of all
the Russian emperors. It is calligraphically irreproach-
able, and as he begins with an arc .ing stroke of the pen
his name stands as beneath a roof. The emperor passes
the greater part of his days in the open air, at reviews or
in rapid journeys. Hence his late vis,t to England was
by no means rapid in his eyes, nor wearisome to his frame.
During summer the shade of his military hat draws across
his forehead an oblique line, which marks the action of the
sun upon the skin. The figure of the empress, when less
oppressed by suffering, was very elegant. There was an
indefinable grace about her whole person. Her mein, far
from being haughty, was expressive of habitual resigna-
tion. One of her daughters, the Grind Duchess of Olga,
is the most beautiful woman in the whole empire—perhaps
in the world. The imperial family is one of the happiest
upon earth, for their views, tastes, occupations, desires,
are all similar, and none are not in harmony with virtue
and religion.—Fraser.
DAMASCENE BARBERS.—Among the shopkeepers we
must not forget the barbers, those dear old friends with
whom the Arabian Nights have put us on so cordial a
footing of intimacy. With that ease and suavity for
which their fraternity is renowned all the world over, they
invite the passers by to enter and submit their heads and
faces to their beautifying fingers. Their shops are always
full of customers. They are long narrow rooms, with
benches on each side, on which a dozen Turks may some-
times be seen squatting in a line, with tMir bare heads,
already shaved, poked out in the most patient manner,
to be kneaded between the hands of the barber, who rolls
them about as if they were balls. quite unconnected with
the shoulders they belong to. The barbers of Damascus
are celebrated for taste and skill in all the myst, ries of
the toilette, including the art of imparting to the beard
and mustachios that dark glossy hue so anxiously and
universally coveted. The important affair of arranging
the turban is their daily business, and the becoming
variety displayed in the disposition of the turbans worn
by the gallants of the city, does infinite honour to these
meritorious artists. It is pleasant to know that such men
continue to enjoy a due share of consideration in the
East, and that their talsnts often raise them to affluence.
When Mr. Carne's party wished to hire a seperate resi-
dence in Damascus, they were recommended to a barber
who had become a sort of capitalist, and was possessed of
some houses. The old gentleman, extremely well dressed,
with a goodly length of beard, was always found seated
at his ease, smoking or chatting with some of his friends.
He wished the Englishman to take a luxurious apartment
of his, situated on a terraced roof : it was profusely
gilded ; the cushions of the deewan were as white as snow ;
and it commanded a superb view of the mountains. But
the barber's wife was by far the more zealous part of
himself, and protested with loud clamour, that infidels
should never sully t: e purity and beauty of her deewan,
and after a warm dispute the good man was forced reluc-
tantly to give way.—The Library of Travel.
AN ENTHUSIASTIC NATURALIST.—One of my first
movements in Nashville was a walk to the College to see
Professor Troot, who is a great enthusiast in geology. It
is to be mentioned, to the honour of the State of Tennes-
see, that it has been one of the first American States to
patronise science, by allowing him 500 dollars a. year as
geologist to the state, in addition to his al pointment at
the College as Professor of Chemistry and Natural His-
tory, to which a salary of 1,000 do.lars a-year is attached;
so that the worthy professor is thus enabled to enjoy all
the comforts of life and to make himself perfectly happy
as the distributor of these sums ; for, like all philosophic
enthusiasts, he places no value on money, and willingly
gives any of the country people 20 dollars to bring him a
live rattle-snake, or anything new or curious in natural
history. Everything of the serpent kind lie has a peculiar
fancy for, and has always a number of them that he has
tamed in his pockets or under his waistcoat. To 101 l back
in his rocking-chair, to talk about geology, and pat the
head of a large snake, when twining itself about his neck,
is to him supreme felicity. Every year in the vacation be
makes an excursion to the hills •, and I was told that upon
one of these occasions, being taken up by the stage-coach,
which had several members of Congress in it going to
Washington, the learned doctor took his seat on the top,
with a large basket, the lid of which was not over and
above well secured. Near to this basket sat a baptist
preacher, on his way to a great public immersion. His
reverence, awakening from a reverie he had fallen into,
beheld, to his unutterable horror, two rattle-snakes raise
their fearful heads, and immediately precipitated himself
upon the driver, who, almost knocked off his seat, no
sooner became apprized of the character of his ophidian
outside passengers, than he jumped upon the ground with
the reins in his hands, and was followed instanter by the
preacher. The insides, as soon as they learned what was
going on, immediately became outsides, and nobody was
left but the doctor and his rattle-snakes on the top. But
the doctor, not entering into the general alarm, quietly
placed his great coat over the basket and tied it down with
his handkerchief, which when he had done, he said,
" Gentlemen, only don't let dese poor dings pite you, and
dey won't hoort you."—Feathersionhaugh's Excursions
through the Slave Slates.
SINGULAR NAVAL OPERATION.—The line of piles
which had been driven in across the river was not lees than
20 feet wide, or rather it was a double line, tilled up be-
tween the two with large sunken junks laden with stones.
Great labour arid perseverance were required to get up
sufficient of these pilea.to clear a passage broad enough
fur the ste tmer to pass. This was only accomplished after
four hours' hard work, in which, oddly enough, the Chi-
nese peasantry bore an active part, voluntarily cowing
forward to assist, and even venturing to come on board
the steamer itself. This was undoubtedly one of the good
results of not having inflicted any injury upon the country
people or inhabitants of the villages through which the
little expedition had passed. Inquiry has often been made
what method was adopted in order to open a passage
through obstacles such as I have described. It may,
therefore be here remarked, that several modes were at
different times resorted to, according to circumstances.
Where the stakes were not driven in very firmly, it- was
easy, by fisteiling a hawser round the top of them, and
making it fast to the steamer, to back her out, and pull
them one by one away; but, as this was a tedious process,
a hawser W 43 -ometimes fastened resod ten or a dozen of
them in a line across the river, and carried from one to
the other, but fastened to each of them in such a way as
to leave about a few fathoms of slack rope between each
pair. The end of the hawser was made fast to the steamer
wilt a tolerable length of line out, and she was then
backed at full speed. The momentum thus acquired was
on sufficient to drag the first pile away with a jerk; and
ih;s one being already fastened to the next, as before de-
scrib ad, with a fathom or two of slack line between them,
the force of the steamer, which still continued to hack
astern, was sufficient to jerk that one away also; and thus
proceeding at full speed backwards the steamer pulled
them all away one after another, still remaining fastened
togeiher by the hawser; but the power of the jerk was
only applied to one at a time. In cases where the stakes
were driven in to some depth, or where the bed of the
river was tenacious, it was necessary to pull them fairly
out perpendicularly, by luff tackle led up to the mast
head. The piles were gradually loosened a little, by being
pulled to and fro ' • for which purpose chain slings were
passed round the head of the pile, and a hawser being then
made fast, were laid aft along the deck ; thus, by being
pulled in various directions, sometimes one way and some-
times another, the pile was at length drawn fa!rly out,
something like drawing a tooth. Tee bows of the steamer
were run nearly close up to the piles during this operation,
and she was steadied by ahawser run out from the quarter
to the banks of the river.— Voyage of the Nemesis.
WASHING DAY AT THE PALACE.—We are indeb'ed to
a lady for the following original anecdote of King William
IV. :—A great deal has lately been said of the retentive
memory of the Emperor of Russia, but his late majesty
William the Fourth was not far behind him in this re-
spect. When he was a young man, serving on hoard
H.M.S. Pegasus, be was for some t;me on the North
American station ; and at one time while lying in the har-
bour of St. John's, Newfoundland, he gave a ball on
board, to the elite of the town, which gave general satis-
faction to those who were fortunate enough to receive in-
vitations. One gentleman, who had been particularly de-
lighted at the novelty of the scene, on leaving the ship
thanked the prince for the honour paid to him and his fa-
mily, and said he would be happy to see him at his house,
at any time that he found himself disengaged on shore.
Accordingly, Prince William Henry, as he was then
called, determined to avail himself of the invitation, and a
few days afterwards presented himself at the door of his
worthy friend, by whom he was most graciously received,
and hospitably entertained. The lady of the house not
making her appearance, the prince most politely inquired
for her health, and hoped he was to have the pleasure of
seeing her. Mr. El replied she was quite well; but
he must ask his royal highness to excuse her, as it was
washing day at Apple-tree Lane. The prince, bearing
that a business which appeared to be of such importance
was going on, rose to take leave, and, while doing so, told
Mr. H--- if he should at any time visit London, he
hoped lie would find him out and call on him, telling him
he had only to send in his card, and he would be most
happy to see hire. It was not for many years after that
- visited England; but when he did, he re-
membered the invitation of the prince(at this time William
the Fourtb) ; so one fine morning he hired a cab, and
drove off to the palace, but was very much disappointed to
find that " cabs" were not admitted within the palace
gates—he was obliged to get out and go in on foot ; but
what was his indignation when he found he could gain no
admittance to his majesty ! He remained expostulating
for some time with the servants, telling them that he was
specially invited by the king to call upon !iim, and that he
was a personal friend of his majesty. The servants at
length consented to take in his card, which, on its being
presented to his majesty, be immediately remembered the
name and address, and desired the attendants to show him
in, and received him with that frank and easy manner for
which he was at all times distinguished, which the simple-
hearted man taking advantage of, he ventured to express
a hope that her majesty was well, and that he should have
the honour of paying his respects to her. His majesty, in-
stantly recollecting the circumstances attending his call
at Apple-tree Lane, replied with much acuteness, that he
was happy to inform Mr. that her majesty was
H---- to excuse her
quite
well, but he must ask Mr.
making her appearance that morning, " as it was washing
day at the palace." It is needless to add that the hint
was taken by the unsophisticated son of Terra Nova, who
vets* soon backed himself out from the presence of roy.
alty.— Greenock Adverli.er.