The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1842-11-18 00:00:00

AUSTRALIA.

Intermediate dates have come to hand from Port Philip,
which, although they do not supply much additional informa-
tion to that received by the overland mail, give the satisfac-
tory news of the disbandment of the bushrangers, and the
death of their leader, who, with his several companies of law-
less freebooters, had so long harassed and destroyed the pro-
perty of the sheep farmers at their stations in the interior.
They had made a most determined resistance, and submission
was only gained by the shooting of Williams, who, as the di-
rector of their manoeuvres, had endeavoured, while a pri-
soner, to maim the parties who had him in custody. A pub-
lic dinner was to be given by the colonists to the gentlemen
who had volunteered their assistance in the capture of these
desperadoes, as a mark of the high esteem entertained for the
essential service they had done the province in their extermi-
nation. It appears that these individuals, who were'parties
having an interest in the quiet and peace of the out stations,
where these depredations generally occurred, undertook to
scour the spot supposed to be the rendezvous of the delinquents
whom they surprised and effectually vanquished, but not be-
fore the death of the leader on the one side, and the wounding
of one of their own party on the other. The capture was made
on the Yavra-yavra. So hotly had the bushrangers been
pursued since their late robberies in that district, that, ac-
cording to the confession of one of the gang, their determi-
nation was fixed to have mustered the three hands from
Goulbouru, Geelong, and Melbourne for the next day, in
order to seize a vessel and leave the colony. The bushran-
gers appear to have been runaway seamen, well armed and
accoutred for resistance in every possible way. A good deal
of valuable property was recovered from their haunt. One
of them is described as a Charles Ellis, of Surrey, in Eng-
land, aged 18, but of athletic proportions considering his
youth. His enthusiasm for a freebooter's life was exhibited
in the maniac grasp with which he received and caressed the
dead body of his comrade when called upon to speak to its
identity. Accounts had arrived from Portland-bay of the
murder of Mr. M`Kenzie, at his sheep station in that dis-
trict, by the backs, and the robbery of 8,000 of his flocks,
The crops in most parts of Port Philip promised favourably,
and a ship from South Australia advised the grain lands
there as furnishing much evidence of the abundance which,
in the shape of wheat, barley, and oats, will hereafter be
afforded by the agricultural operations of the settlers. A
surplus is positively predicted, which, it is said, including
the expenses of shipment, &c., will be available for the sup-
ply of the other parts of Australia. •

THE LATE GALES.

• DEAL, TUESDAY NIGHT.
An English brig, the Swains, Robert Tyas, master, bound
from Quebec to Whitby, was fortunately preserved last night
from being driven from the beach (where she must have be-
come a complete wreck, from the violence of the gale, then
just springing up)by the interpidity of the Deal boatmen.
At about 9 o'clock last night she was about to run from
the Downs, where she had put in for shelter on Sunday, to
the northward ; but the captain, not well knowing the coast,
got within a quarter of a mile of the shore, and in less than
three fathoms of water. Indeed, so near was the vesse 1 to
the beach, that during the lull of the wind I could plainly
hear the men speaking on board. Four Deal boats (with 40
men) immediately put off, and after great efforts for upwards
of half an hour, the boatmen succeeded, with an easterly wind
" blowing dead ashore," in preserving the brig (worth be-
tween £4,000 and £5,000), and taking it to a safe anchorage
in the Downs.
The captain has agreed to give £lB5 to the boatmen for
having saved the vessel—an offer which will not be accepted,
and therefore the case must be taken before the Salvage
Commissioners here for adjudication. There is no doubt
that the salvors would accept of £2OO for their really valuable
and efficient services.

The revenue cutter Ranger, Lieutenant Baker, and the
Lady Flora, Lieutenant Batt, which were cruising in the
Downs, were last night compelled to make for Ramsgate
harbour, which they reached in safety.
The Russian Finland ship Iris, Captain H. E. Hockhort,
arrived in the Downs this morning with loss of anchor and
cable, which parted in the bay of Boulogne during last night's
gale. They have just been supplied by Messrs. Goodwin,
Curling, and Co., the agents to Lloyd's.
The brig Phoebe, of Sunderland, from Quebec, with a cargo
of timber, was very nearly blown on shore here last night, but
by the timely assistance of the Deal boatmen she was got
clear, with the loss of two anchors (which have since been
supplied) and she is now riding in safety in the roads.

Counsellor Lamb, an old man when Lord Erskine was in
the height of his reputation, who was of timid manners arid
nervous disposition, usually prefaced his pleadings with an
apology to that effect, and on one occasion, when opposed in
some cause to Erskine, he happened to remark that " he felt
himself growing more and more timid as he grew older."
" No wonder," replied the witty but relentless barrister,
" every one knows the older a lamb grows the more sheepish
he becomes."

THE QUEEN OF SPAIN.—While rumour gives so many
future husbands to Isabella Segunda, did it never occur to
any one that, most probably, she will never marry ? Too
many conflicting and powerful interests are at stake for
Espartero to risk his existence by such a step. Besides, it
is a melancholy fact, that her Majesty is inflicted with
scrofula, and her general health is very precarious. Her
young sister, on the contrary, is endowed with an excellent
constitution, which bids fair to outlive the political one of
1837, and Exaltados, Moderados, and id genus omne, look
towards her as the destined arbitress of their fortunes.—
Correspondent of the Morning Post.
OUTRAGE.—On Friday night last, two men knocked at
the door of Bridget Shaughnessy, a lone widow,- residing at
Quinn's Acre, near Porturnna ; not getting.immediate en-
trance, one of the fellows forced his way through the window,
and opened the door for his comrades. On his entering they
demanded money, which she denied; they then seized her,
and threatened to roast her on the fire, which they drew
from its reakings for that purpose; being dreadfully fright-
ened, she yielded up £29 65., the earnings of many a year.
The ruffians then set fire to the house at both ends, which,
with the little furniture, was speedily consumed. The poor
creature was robbed about five years since of all her clothes.
—Galway Standard.
SAGACITY OF A CAT.---An almost incredible instance of
sagacity occurred a few days ago in a cat, which, if it had
happened in days of yore, when people firmly believed in
witchcraft, would have been attributed to that cause. A
friend of ours having occasion to leave the house along with
his family, accidentally locked •the cat outside the door.
After an hour's absence they returned, and found the cat
purring at the fireside; and on looking about to see by what
mode it had effected its entrance, they found a quantity of
soot lying in a bed-room grate, and a board, which is gene-
rally placed in front of the fireplace when the fire is out,
forced out of its place. As an additional proof that the cat
had entered by the chimney—which, by the by, has several
cans at the top, and is not less than four stories from the
ground—on examining it, they found it covered with soot,
and a quantity deposited on a bed on which the cat had lain
down. By what means it had found out this novel way to
get into the house, must, like many other important things,
remain unknown; but it certainly shows a degree of reason-
ing power for which the cat does not usually get credit.—
Scotsman.

POISONING BY SNAILS.—A. family of peasants living in
the commune of Clermont, near Toulouse, fell a sacrifice to
poisoning by snails. The physician who attended them com-
municated the details to the Journal de Toulouse :—" From
what I collected concerning the circumstance which preceded
the disease, and those which accompanied it, and from the
symptoms which I myself witnessed, I had no difficulty in
recognising a case of poisoning like those occasioned by nar-
col!eo acrid vegetables such as belladonna, hyogcyamus,
thorn-apple, &c. No doubt remained in my mind as to the
case of this terrible disease, as soon as I knew that the snails
eaten had been collected in the bushes called 'in French
redout, but in the patois of the country, roudout. Every
one knows that the leaves and young shoots are a poison to
the domestic animals which browse on them, and that they
kill them, after causing giddiness, and a kind of epileptic
attack ; but a fact which is not known, is, that the flesh of
these animals may occasion the greatest danger, and even
death itself. Symptoms like those which I have just wit-
nessed are rare ; but it is common to see among our peasants
indisposition caused by snails, which comes from their eating
them as soon as they are gathered. The example of the an-
cient Romans should be followed, and these animals should
be brought to table until they have been kept six months or
a year, feeding them with bran and wild thyme. This is the
way also to make them fatter and more savoury.—Gazette
Medicale, Oct. 22, 1842.

ECONOMY ABROAD.—(Extract of a Letter.)—" There is
no alteration in the hostile disposition of the people towards
us. They are greatly disappointed that our affairs have taken
so favourable a turn with America, but console themselves
with the hope that we shall lose India. I have lately been
into La Vendee. to Varmes and 'Orient. Except along
the few chaussees, the roWlas are almost impassable even on
foot at this season. I did not like the country. The bread
is very bad, and is coated over with a thick, dark kind of
varnish. The butter is worse. Inside and outside it resem-
bles lard mixed with dirt. I could live in Ireland cheaper
than on the Loire—and how much better! Dress for re-
males is double the price here that it is in Dublin ; and many
articles are three times the price. Clothing for men is nearly
in the same proportion. Such are the prices when the shop-
keepers deal fairly with you ; but taking into account the
cheating and imposition, you could live cheaper in London.
The winter has now set in. During the last 10 days the weather
has been very cold ; and they say it is excessively cold in the
depth of winter. The houses are not suitable for cold wea-
ther ; and fuel is very dear. I feel like a man in a prison,
because I cannot obtain any out-door amusement. The
lands are divided into very small patchess of one or two acres ;
and, without the permission of the owner, a man is not al-
lowed to shoot. Each owner of a small field is very tenaci-
ous of his rights, so that sporting is impossible." Such is the
description given by a plain Englishman of the advantages of
a residence on the far-famed banks of the Loire.

ON THE GROWTH OF OSIERS.—Much has been said and
written about the waste lands in Ireland, and no doubt the
subject is a very important one, and it were much to be de-
sired that capital and skill should be employed to fertilise
them. There is, however, a description of waste ground to
be found in almost every district that by common consent
seems to be allowed to lie waste and unproductive—these are
the marshy and wet spots of the farm, which, from their
levels, cannot well be drained or made available for tillage.
Now, if persons who have such patches were to plant them
with osiers, and annually cut them, it would produce a sum
that would astonish the owner. It is scarcely to be believed,
although it is nevertheless a fact, that the Institution for the
Blind of the city of Dublin have been obliged to import
osiers largely from England to keep their hands employed,
and that it frequently happens the trade of basket-making in
Dublin is at a stand still (with some at least) for want of
osiers. When it is considered how little trouble there is in
the cnitivation of osiers—how otherwise valueless the ground
is that will do well for them—how very smalli, if any, the
risk of failure from the vicissitude of seasons, and that, after
all, an acre of osiers, at anything like the present price, will
make more money than an acre of wheat, is it not surprising
that the growth of them is not more attended to? With re-
ference to the employment induced by an abundance of
osiers, it could easily be shown that a large plantation of
osiers, as a source of employment, is of more value to the
neighbourhood where it is situated (particularly to the
children, as leading to habits of industry) than the proximity
of a great public work—the first is continuous and natural;
the other is evanescent, and, when done, leaves the desola-
tion and idleness that may be seen at Howth and other
places. And let it not be supposed that the trade in baskets
is a trifling or insignificant one. By the facilities of steam
the Great English ports are oped to us the consumption and
use of fish and fowl baskets in London alone is enormous,
where they could ba sentin nests at a very moderate freight,
while the export baskets, required for the nearer ports of
Liverpool, Glasgow, &c., is also very considerable. The
tendencies of human nature are too much to the sighing for
great things that are out of our reach, and to despise or ne-
glect the small practical matters that are within our reach.
Let us suppose a beneVolently disposed person, having, at
the same time, a wish to improve his own property, to plant
in ground otherwise of very little value a few acres of Osiers
near a village abounding with unemployed children ; a few
pounds spent instructing them, in the first instance, would
turn all these idle children to profitable industry, and he may
have the pleasure of circulating one, two, or three hundred
pounds per annum (far better than the sum in alms) to in-
crease the comforts of the villagers ; but should he not wish
to enter into the manufacture, if he but grow the osiers he
will find a ready sale for them, and the abundance of the raw
material will do good somewhere, either in the city or the
country, by the employment it would give.

ROYAL LIVER THEATRE, CHURCH-STREET.

FOR THE BENEFIT OF MR. SLOAN,
THE LAST NIGHT BUT ONE OF HIS APPEARANCE.

THIS present FRIDAY EVENING, the 18th instant,
-I- the Performances to commence with the laughable
Piece, entitled
MANCEUVRING ;
OR, AN IRISHMAN'S INHERITANCE.
M`Shane
In the course of the Evening,a variety of SINGING,

by Mrs. F.-Conway.'
After which,
A FAMILIAR ACQUAINTANCE.
Mrs. Chatterley .... Mrs: W. R. Copeland.
To be followed by the Laughable Interlude, in Two Acts, of
A DAY WELL SPENT.
Mizzle Mr. Sloan. Bolt Mr. Melville.
Mr. Allwood, (Leader of the Band,) will perform the favourite
Air of JENNY JONES, with Variations, on the Violin,
his own composition.
To conclude with (by particular desire)
MESMERISM !
Mike Murphy
TO-MORROW,—A variety of ENTERTAINMENTS►
in which Mr. Sloan will appear.