The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1842-12-09 00:00:00

LITERARY NOTICES.

EgUnion Park Meeting, and other Poems. By John Ram-
say, Kilmarnock, Ayrshire. Edinburgh : Stirling, Kenney

and Co.

The truth that " Poeta nascitur, non fit " has never been
more aptly illustrated than by the peasant bards of Scotland.
In our own land the poetic fire has glowed, with the few ex-
ceptions of Bloomfield, Clare, and others, most frequently in
the boudoir of aristocracy, or in the study of the scholar.
But in our sister land star after star has risen from the hum-
bler walks of life, whilst few—very few—are the poets who
have risen amongst the nobly born, or the highly educated.
The genius of poesy has encountered the poor shepherd in
his mountain home—on the heath clad hill, by the mountain
loch, by the burnside and the brae;—bas gladdened his hum-
ble home with song, and shed over his Sabbath e'en the
holy light of his week day communings with the spirit of
beauty, which pervades all nature : but she has shunned all
communing with the cold utilitarian spirit which too much
pervades the mind of Scotland's educated children. A few
there are indeed, even amongst the scholars of that country,
to whom she has been bountiful. She boasts of her Scott, her
Wilson, and her Muir in the present generation. But these
names break not in upon the established rule which poesy
has there established for her visitings. These men wor-
shipped nature in her wildest fastnesses; followed her voice
by the glow and the streamlet ; studied her in all her fantas-
tic changes, by day and by night; and wooed the fickle spirit
in the solitudes where most frequently and most touchingly
her voice is beard. They are nature's poets ; and nature is
of no country or clime.
There is something we fear drossy and earthy in the phi-
losophy of the educated Scotchman which accounts for this
peculiar feature in the poetic development of Scotland's
children. We shall not here attempt to trace it; and merely
refer to it as an introduction to our present notice of
her peasant-poets—the Ayrshire bard, John Ramsay.
We shall not assume to say what Ramsay might have been,
had fortune placed him in a different position in life to that
which he has thus far adorned. The man, however,
whose muse could, from the loom-shop of a Kilmarnock
weaver, give to the world even one strain of the many which
adorn this unpretending volume, may fairly claim to be
worthy of, if already he has not received, immortality.
Some few of the poems here are perhaps little worthy o f
him—some few which appear to be the productions of merely
ephemeral thoughts, occurrences and perhaps feelings.
These, even, are often clever; whilst in many of the more
sterling productions of his pen a poetic talent is displayed
which is highly honourable to their author. The " Eglinton
Park Meeting," and " Dundonald Castle" are forcibly
written, and display occasional beauties of a very high or-
der ; whilst in " Musings by the Clyde," and a few of his
occasional pieces, we can find little which will not do credit
to a writer of much greater pretensions.
On another occasion we shall endeavour to give an extract
or two, as
.specimens of the style of our bard. At present
we can only say to him, strive on towards
" The steep where fame's proud temple shines afar ;"

and predict that he will not occupy a mean place there in the
eyes of his fellow-countrymen and the world.

MISCELLANEOUS.

On Thursday last, Mr. Stuart Wortley was elected M.P.
for the county of Bute, without opposition.
We learn, from good authority, that the accouchement of
our gracious Sovereign is expected next month.
The weather in Dublin, last week, has been more of sum-
mer than winter.

On Tuesday last, the bakers of Stirling reduced the 41b.
loaf Id. ; it is now selling at 6d.
The wife of General Sale is the daughter of the late vicar
of Puddletown, Dorset, the Rev. Mr. Winch.
All the outhouses about Holyrood House are to be thrown
down, and the owners compensated by a parliamentary grant.
There is now at St. George's Hospital, London, under
recovery from a dangerous operation, an old gentleman of
108 years of age.
The Gazette contains the offer of the increased sum of
£lOO for the discovery and conviction of the murderers of
Mortimer the middleman, at Freshford, county Kilkenny.
A reward of £lOO is proclaimed for the apprehension and
conviction of the person who fired at and killed Michael
Hanly, at Greenwall, Tipperary, on the Ist instant.
The Chancellor of the Exchequer has acknowledged the
receipt of XlO conscience money, as an omitted payment on
account of the income-tax.

It is likely that Dublin and Cork will shortly substitute
wood for stone pavement in the streets. The material is to
be of Scotch fir, and laid down at 10s. the square yard.
Nothing but the sanctifying influence of religion can sub-
due, and keep in tolerable order, that pride which is the
concomitant of great talent with a bad education.
A Guardian of the Kilrush Union, who is a road contractor,
has managed to keep the work in repair the last two years,
by the help of his constituents, free of expense !
An action for breach of promise of marriage by an Irish
member of parliament, will be for trial next Term in the
London courts.

A Killarney gentleman crossing in the Arab steamer from
Dublin to Glasgow, mislaid his purse, full of sovereigns, but
before he knew his loss, it was restored with its contents by
by the steward, John Cameron.
George Robins is deputed by the Earl of Ducie to sell his
Woodchester estate. It is in the beauteous Vale of Glou-
cester, contiguous to Stroud, and a short drive only from
Cheltenham.

The Glasgow Town Council is about to memorialise Go-
vernment for the repeal of the income and property tax, as
the war in China and India is over. The proposition is also
taken up by the Merchant Company at Edinburgh.

STAPLE INN.—Chambers are about to be erected for the
oecupatiolk of the taxing-masters; they are to be built in the
Elizabethan
style of architecture, and will, when completed,
be a great ornament to the inn.
We learn from Mentz, Dec. 1, that all the persons who
were under trial there on a charge of political conspiracy
against the Germanic Confederation, and especially against
the State of the Grand Duchy of Hesse, have been acquitted.
Robert
have reason to believe that the financial plans of Sir
rPeel are being formed on a wide basis ; and will,
probably, when developed to parliament, not excite less in-
terest than those of last session.
An optician at Bath has in his shop an ordinary-lookino. silk
umbrella, which contains a telescope, a microscope, a 'ther-
mometer, a comp
in the handle,mP"s' and a sun dial, all skilfully packed away
The French papers state that Roman Catholic missiona-
ries taking advantage of the opening of five ports to British
commerce, and of the re-establishment of peace, will proceed
to China forthwith, for the promulgation of their faith.
Edmund Simpson, s°long the enterprising rtner of the
late Mr. Stephen Price, oftheatrical note, hasbecome a bank-
rupt in New York. This isasad end of much liberality and
zeal for the public entertainment.
The present population of British Guiana, according to the
latest returns of tbe commissary of
PFpulation, founded upon
a recent census is about 102,000.
number George-
town contains about 19,000.—Rovatt this
Gazette.
The Dorsetshire Mercury states that it cannot be too
generally known that at this season of the year (December,)
raisinformec
salmon is poisonous." Our cionitte,smyerary is
andoa it eot If
sthies
there is good and bad salmon the year round,
the period at which the very best salmon eand7
A'NOTHER. ELLIOT !—Capt. the Hon. C.
Spartan, 26, is reported to have got one of the midshipmen
flogged by the boatswain's mate of that ship for walking
vily the quarter-deck ! This case is now before the Ad ."
nu.
ralty.
ATTEMPT TO POISON.—The Tuam Herald states that a
young woman named Ruane and her mother have been coin.
mitted to Galway gaol, for having attempted to poison the
husband of the former, by giving him corrosive sublimate in
stirabout.
Two SHIPS BURNT.—At the East India House, intelli-
gence was received of the loss of two vessels by fire at Bom-
bay—namely, the Belvidere and Jessy ; the former loaded
with pearls, and insured for about £lOO,OOO. Crews of
both saved.

PRIVY COUNCIL.—Her Majesty will hold a Privy Coun-
cil at Windsor Castle on Saturday (to-morrow), when a pro-
clamation will be agreed upon for proroguing Parliament from
Tuesday next to some future day, then to meet for the de-
spatch of business.

POPULATION OF CIIINA.—In the present (December)
number of Fisher's Colonial Magazine, an able article con-
tends that the population of China must amount to at least
three hundred and thirty-three millions, in opposition to
opinions which rate the census at a much lower (not one-half)
number.

Captain Bingham estimates the losses of the Chinese since
the commencement of our hostile operations against them,
at from fifteen to twenty thousand men, and about eight hun-
dred pieces of cannon, with an immense quantity of other
materials of war, and the almost total annihilation of their
win•

tScAl'it FROM IMMEEAft
Camp, Cabral, Sept, 22, 1842,

I am sure you will be delighted to bear of not only myself,
but the whole of us unfortunate prisoners (with the excep-
tion of Bygrave) being once more under the protection of
the British flag, after a captivity of eight months and a-half.
On the morning of the 25th ult. (August), we suddenly
received an order from Mahomed Akhbar Khan to prepare
for our immediate departure towards Toorkistan. We
started at 10 p.m. Troup and Bygrave remaining with the
Sirdar, and Mrs. Trevor and family, Anderson, Mrs. Ander-
son, and children, and Dr. Campbell, in consequence of the
illness of the ladies ; our escort consisted of 300 infantry,
under the command of Salih Mahomed Khan, formerly a
Subadar in our friend thpkins' corps, and who deserted to
Dost Mahomed, at Bameean, in September, 1840. We
arrived at Bameean, on the Toorkistan frontier, on the 3rd
instant. During the march, as Salih Mahomed and I had
become rather intimate, on the morning of the 29th of
August, I privately proposed to him that if he would forsake
Mahomed Akhbar, and carry us off through the mountains
in the direction of Nott's force, which we heard was near
Ghuznee, and make us over to the general, we would give
him a lac of rupees. At that time he appeared to think it
very doubtful which party would gain the day, and laughingly
said, such a thing was, if not an impossibility, at least a
matter of great difficulty. As I had some doubts of the
man's inclination to serve us, I thought it was advisable to
leave him to digest what I had mentioned until a more
favourable opportunity offered. The next day Lawrence, to
whom I had mentioned my proposition, again spoke to our
Commandant regarding the lac of rupees. At Bameean our
whole party was put into two forts, in the most miserable
dirty hovels you ever saw, the officers, ladies, and children
into one, and the European soldiers into another. Our situ-
ation, as you may imagine, was not enviable, having nothing
but a prospect of slavery and a dungeon as our fate in Toor-
kistan, Mahomed Akhbar having declared before we left
Cabal that he would distribute us amongst the various Tartar
chiefs in the event of our troops marching on the capital.
On the 10th (September) we heard of Ghuznee being
destroyed by Nott's army. On the 11th we heard to our
horror that the order had arrived during the night for our
immediate departure to Kooloom. Shortly afterwards I re-
ceived a message from Salih Mahommed Khan that he wished
to see Lawrence, Pottinger, and self to a private conference.
I very soon obeyed, the summons, having an inkling that it
had reference to my former offer of a lac of rupees. When
we were assembled, our commandant told us that an order
had come from the Sirdar for our instant march to Kooloom,
and produced the letter, which stated that we were to be made
over to the Walee or Chief, and that all orders regarding us
must be obeyed; he then went on to state that Syud Moor-
teza Khan, who was formerly employed by me during the
siege, had brought him a message from Moonshee Mohunlall,
that, on condition of his releasing us and bringing us into
Cabal, he would receive from General Pollock 20,000 rupees
and 1000 rupees per month for life. Salih Mahomed said—
" I know nothing of General Pollock, but if you three will
sign a paper guaranteeing to me this sum I will join your in-
terests heart and soul." To make assurance doubly sure as
retarded the sum to be given to Salih Mahomed in the event
of Government not agreeing to aid us in effecting bur release,
we three were formed into a committee, obtained the sanc-
tion of every officer and lady to give such sums as we might
hereafter demand of them for the proposed object, acting to
the best of our ability to effect our own release. We told
Salih Mahomed to draw out an agreement, which he did, and
we bound ourselves on the part of every lady and gentleman
to give the commandant 20,000 rupees, and 1000 rupees per
month, and subsequently added four months' pay to each
Sepoy on condition of their taking us into Cabul. We had
now falsely committed ourselves, as we knew that in the event
of our hereafter falling into the Sirdar's hands, through trea-
chery or otherwise, the lives of us who had signed the paper
(I ought also to have mentioned Mackenzie's name, as he
also attached his signature) would pay the penalty. On the
morning of the 12th Salid Mahomed's flag of defiance was
hoisted on one of the towers of our fort ; he wanted money
to pay his troops; some kafilas coming in at the time from
Toorkistan, he levied a tax on them. The governor not
bringing himself forward in assisting us, he deposed him and
put up another. The man who had civil charge of us, Ahmed
Khan, received an intimation that neither he nor his 160 sol-
diers were required any longer, and that they would be seized
if they delayed their departure. On the 13th those agents
had all taken their departure ; on the night of the 13th I
went outside of the fort, when everything was quiet, and
brought the water from a cut near at hand into the ditch at
the back of the fort, as, in the event of a siege, which we
hourly expected, as we imagined our troops must be some-
where near Cabal, the Sirdar would for a certainty bolt in
our direction ; the river being at some short distance off our
water might be cut off. On the 14th all the principal chiefs
came in. to make their obeisance to us and tendered every
kind of aid. We all subscribed such small sums as we could
afford to lay in a little godown 'of our own, and I undertook
this part of the work with about 5000 rupees, which I had
collected. On the 15th it was thought advisable to send three
or four officers into the soldiers' fort, as we had been pro-
mised muskets for them, and my mess, consisting of Bur-
nett, Alston, Crawford, and self, removed our beddings
there, and took military and political charge. We dug wells,
filled the ditch, repaired the holes, and were all busy as bees.
When we heard of Mahomed Akhbar's defeat at Tezeen, all
our preparations for a siege were stopped, and we determined
to force our way to Cabul with our small guard, and to effect
our release solely through our own exertions; on the morning
of the 16th we took our departure, and halted about ten
miles off; on the 17th crossed the Kaloo mountains, 13,000
feet high, and halted near Kharzar, where we were met by
610 Kuzzilbash horsemen, who had come to our aid, under
command of Sir Richmond Shakespear. On the 19th we
were met on the road by General Sale, with 1,000 cavalry,
1,000 infantry, and two guns, who had the day before come
out to our assistance from Cabul, and thanked God that we
once more breathed the air of freedom. I was anxious to
push on to Cabul, and started again in the evening with two
of my Kuzzilbash friends to Kila Kazee, where General
Nott's force was encamped, stopped the night with my
friend Dr. Mackinnon, and came on here on the morning of
the 21st, and took up my quarters with my old shipmate
Burn. Yesterday morning all the prisoners came into camp,
when there was a royal salute fired, and here we all are as
happy as men and women can be who but a few days ago
had scarcely a hope of any other fate than the dragging on a
miserable existence in some dungeon in Toorkistan. Maho-
med Akhbar had sent orders to put to death all those who
were too weak to proceed to Khoolooro.—Delhi Gazette,
Oct. 12.

AMPUTATION WITHOUT THE KNOWLEDGE

OF THE PATIENT.

The following "account of a case of successful amputation
of the thigh during the mesmeric state, without the know-
ledge of the patient," was read to the Royal Medical and
Chirurgical Society of London, otethe 22d ult.:—
" James Wombwell, aged 42, a labouring man, of calm
and quiet temperament, had suffered. for a period of about
five years, from a painful affection of the left knee. On the
51st day of June last, he was admitted into the district hos-
pital at Wellow, near 011erton, Notts, no longer able to work
and suffering much pain. It was soon found that amputa-
tion of the leg, above the knee joint, was inevitable and it
was eventually proposed that it should be performed, if pos-
sible, during mesmeric sleep.
" At half-past one o'clock," continues the narrator, "we
proceeded to Wombwell's room, to make the necessary ar-
rangement. From the sufferings inflicted by the slightest
movement, it was found impossible, without needless torture,
to place him upon a table. The low bed, on which he then
lay, was therefore lifted upon a temporary platform. Ten
minutes after being mesmerized, he was drawn, by means of
the bed clothes beneath him, towards the end of the bed.
The movement, however, excited that pain which had so
often aroused him before; and now it did so again. There
was somthing quite excruciating in the suffering which the
state of the knee produced ; for I had seen him., whilst in
mesmeric sleep, pricked to some little depth, in other parts
of the diseased limb, without being disturbed or conscious of
it. To preclude the necessity of any further movement, his
leg was now placed in the most convenient position which he
could bear. Shortly afterwards, he declared that the pain
had ceased; and I again mesmerized him in four minutes.
In a quarter of an hour I informed Mr. Ward, that he might
commence the operation. I then brought two fingers of each
hand gently in contact with Wombwell's closed eyelids, and
there kept them still further to deepen the sleep. Mr. Ward,
after one earnest look at the man, slowly plunged his knife
into the centre of the outer side of the thigh, directly to the
bone, and then made a clear incision to the opposite point
on the inside of the thigh. The stillness at this moment w a
something awful. The calm respiration of the sleeping man
alone was heard ; for all seemed suspended. In making the
second incision, the position of the leg was found more in-
convenient than it had appeared to be, and the operator
could not proceed with his former facility. Soon after the
second incision a moaning was heard from the patient, which
continued at intervals, until the conclusion It gave me the
idea of a troubled dream ; for his sleep continued as profound
as ever. The placid look of his countenance never changed
for an instant : his whole frame rested, uncontrolled, in
perfect stillness and repose; not a muscle or a nerve was seen
to twist. To the end of the operation, inciuding the sawing
of the bone, securiag the arteries, and applying the bandages
—occupying a period of upwards of twenty minutes—he lay
like a statue. Soon after the limb was removed, his pulse
becoming low, from loss of blood, some brandy and water
was poured into his throat, which he swallowed unconsciously.
As the last bandage was applied, I pointed out to one of the
surgeons and another gentleman present that peculiar quiver-
ing of the eyelids already alluded to. Finally, when all was
completed, and Wombwell was about to be removed, his
pulse being still found very low some sal volatile and water
was administered to him ; it proved too strong and pungent,
and he gradually and calmly awoke.
" At first he uttered no exclamation, and, for some mo-
ments, seemed lost and bewildered ; but, after looking
around, he exclaimed, 'I bless the Lord to find it's all over !'
He was then removed to another room ; and, following im-
mediately, I asked him, in the presence of those assembled,
to describe all be felt or knew after he was mesmerized.
His reply was, I never knew anything more, and never
felt any pain at all. I once felt as if I heard a kind of crunch-
ing.' I asked if that were painful. He replied, 'no pain at
all ! I never had any, and knew nothing till I was awakened
by that strong stuff (the sal volatile.) The crunching,' no
doubt, was the sawing of his own thigh bone. He was left
easy and comfortable, and has since slept well, and is safely
recovering."

This statement is signed and authenticated by W. Topham,
Esq., of the middle Temple. Mr. Ward also has given his
own account, which bears exact testimony to every circum-
stance recited above.

SALE OF ESTATES BY MESSRS. FAREBROTBER AND CO ,
AT GARRAWAY'S, Nov. 30, 1842.—The freehold manor and
estate of Manley, in the county of Chester, with excellent
residence, gardens, and pleasure•grounds, several dairy and
other farms, with farm-houses and superior buildings, the
whole estate containing upwards of 1,100 acres of productive
meadow, pasture, and arable land, well watered and wooded,
in the occupation of very respectable tenants (excepting the
residence and about 168 acres), at rents amounting to £l,BlO
per annum, sold for £52,900. The freehold land-tax payable for
great and small tithes in Manley, &c., amounting to £l2 7s.
per annum, £4OO.
. STEAM-BOAT COLLISION.—An accident, which was nigh
being attended with disastrous consequences, took place at
the Dublin bar late on Friday night or early on Saturday
nl
orning. It appeared that the Devonshire steamer, belong-
mg
hadtaorritrheedßritish and Irish Steam-packet Company' , which
the
and a fearful
pro-
ceeding fromhere from London on Friday morning, was pro-
thence to Belfast on the same night, when she
De-
vonshire is a Eclipse steam-boat, from Strangford to Wexford,
which
collision took place between them. The De-
in down wig,,rl vessel, of large tonnage, and was bear-
thethe steersman steam
i up, when she was discovered by
Eclipse,
boat. Her captain, who small, although a very stout-built
was on the paddle-box at the time,
cried out to
to the rule in such cases, but put his helm a-port, according
hisutn a moment after the stern of
the Devonshire struck
; and her bowsprit having then
bowsprit, and drove it down
through the deck to the keel
come in contact with the foremast
across, and it fell with a tremendous crash Eclipse,
captain was standing on the paddle-box,
soxcrash near where the
smashed it
~ebreaking down the
gangway. After the first collisionoatthetrhensdtern, it appeayed
liofooutrso the
fragments.taffrail ,
that a second took place at the
John
lyß,oand she
wheel, and rudder of the Eclipse are smashed;
Her hull, however, escaped almost mirac
J,
was towed up the next morning to Sir gerson's
Quay, where she is at present. All fortunately escaped
without any accident occurring to them ; her cargo sustained
no damage also.—Dublin Morning Register.

THE ttEVOLT nT BAitaLONA,

SUBMISSION OP THE INSURGENTS.

Our private letters from Perpignan of the 2d inst. state,
that letters had been received by the Spanish Consul in that
town from a correspondent at Gerona, dated the Ist. inst, an-
nouncing that the insurgents at Barcelona had capitulated.
The terms of the capitulation were not known, but it was said
that the leaders in, the revolt had effected their escape.
General Llinas, and several other refugees who had dis-
tinguished themselves during the insurrection, had pro-
ceeded from Perpignan to Marseilles.
The Sud of Marseilles of the 3d inst. announces the arrival
in that port of the steam-boat the Mercurio, which sailed
from Barcelona at 5 o'clock in the morning of the Ist inst.
" It is stated that the entire day of the 30th ult. was passed
in negotiations between the new junta and Espartero, whose
head-quarters .were at Sarria. The junta proposed to sur-
render Barcelona on the following terms:—
" The removal of Zurbano van Halen, and the Political
Chief, the garrison to be changed, and the present National
Guard to remain armed. No quintas or conscription."
The Gazette du Midi publishes the same news, and adds,
that Espartero refused the conditions proposed by the new
Junta, and required that the insurgents should surrender at
discretion. The Junta spoke of resisting, but it was believed
that on some bomb-shells being thrown into the town they
would submit.

The Semaphore of Marseilles publishes a postscript, stating
that all was terminated at Barcelona, the Junta having
accepted the conditions proposed by Espartero. One of
these conditions consisted in the disarming of the National
Guard.

The Madrid Gazette of the 29th ult. publishes reports
from the Political Chiefs of Logrono, Soria, Biscay, Granada,
Guipuscoa, Cordova, Almeria, Seville, Santander, Burgos,
Huesca, Saragossa, Lerida, Guadalaxara, Jaen, and Ciudad-
Real, announcing that the best spirit existed amongst the in-
habitants of their respective districts.
The Madrid Gazette likewise announces that the squadron
appointed to blockade Barcelona was composed of the frigates
Cortes and Christina, the brigantines Manzanares, Hero, and
Plute, the galliot Isabel IL, the packet-boat Yaut Hay, and
the steam-boats Isabella 11. and Mazeppa.
El Heraldo, of the 22th ult„ asserts that a treaty of com-
merce had been signed between Great Britain and Spain.
The Eco del Commercio of the 29th ult. publishes the
proposed law relative to the military establishment of the
kingdom for the year 1843. countersigned by the Minister
Jose Ramon Rodil. The first article states, that the force
of the standing army should be fixed at 90,000 men. By ar-
ticle 2 the government is authorised to call into active ser-
vice the provincial battalions, should circumstances require
it.
The Corresponsal of the 29th ult. states that the govern-
ment was about to lease the quicksilver mines of Almaden
to a brother of General Seoane.

The 3 per Cents. were done at Madrid on the 29th alt al
22 21 15-16 at 60 days; the 5 per Cents. at 26 11-16 4al
60 days.

The Paris National observes, that " although the state of
the atmosphere for the last three days has not permitted the
arrival of a telegraphic despatch from Spain, there can be no
doubt that by this time Espartero has entered Barcelona, and
that order has been re-established in that city. Now that
the local insurrection is crushed, and that the Regent finds
his influence confirmed, the attention of Europe will be at-
tracted to his conduct. His defeat would have placed him
in much peril; victory likewise has its dangers. We trust
that Espartero will observe that impartiality which is the
duty of a chief of a nation. The insurgents when con-
querors of his army displayed the greatest moderation.
Masters of the town, they respected property. They were
humane and generous to the troops who fell into their hands ;
and we feel confident that Espartero will, showing clemency,
serve at the same time the cause of humanity and of the
government."