The Fury and Hecla are to...
The Times, 1824-01-17T00:00:00

The Fury and Hecla are to be taken into dock immedi- ately at Deptford, and fitted for the voyage of discovery. Captain Parry takes the command of the Hecla, his ship in the first voyage under his orders; and Captain Hoppner is to command the Furiy. The Griper is also fitting, and pro- ceeds to Wager River, from *vhence Captain Lyon proceedis by land. Captain Lyon is appointed to the Griper, as is also Lieutenant Manico, who is to accompany him In his journey. A letter from an officer on board the Harlequin sloop of war, states the following circumstance as giving rise to the report of that vessel having foundered ofF the western coast of ITeland. It seems that the last timne this ship was in company witli tlie Arab sloop, one of the crew exchanged his hat, on wlhich was painted the word "Harlequin," with one belonging to the Arab, and on the loss of the latter this identical hat was washed on shore with several pieces of wreck. Letters dated the 5th ultiino were received yesterday from Havannah. They state, that up to the I 7th of No- veniber, the firing from the Castle of St. Juan de Ulloa on the town of Vera Cruz had continued at intervals. Ac. cording to advices fromn Tampico, of the middle of Novem- ber, the prohibitory order against the admission of Spa- nish imerchandise or produce in that or alny of the Mfexican ports, had been receiyed and vas acted on. Noneof thedecrees against the persons and propertyof European Spaniards had been put in force; bttihe fewv subjects of Old Spain ivwio still resided in thle country, lived in a state of constant ap- rehension. The news of the surrender of Cadiz reached Havannah the latter end of Novemnber, but the event hav- ing been foreseen, produced no sensation; ;and there wvas little doubt, to judge from appearances at least, that the island of Csubaw.ould .continue its-dependence on Spain. We learn with ratification that the Coinmittee of the Court of Common Council, to whom wvas referred the con- sideration of the state-of the coal trade, have determined on recommending the appointment of 25 additional meters-a measure which, if adopted, cannot fail, by leading to a quicker supply, to lowver the price of that most necessary article. iThe commnittee, we understand, were nearly una- nimous on this point. Yesterday the despatches for Bengal and China. by the s4hp Ndcqsicud, were tle&d at the East India Housc, and delivcred to the Purser of that ship. Mr. Bell, the King's Counsel, has, -we believe, retired from practice altogether. We understand that a lady of quality, dowager of a dis- tinguished statesman lately deceased, has sent some eggs of the astrich to bebatched by the newly-iuvented steam-proces6. It is a well known fact in natural history, thlat this bird does not sit on its eggs, but that they are deposited in the sand, where the warmth of the sunriroduca tEhe same effect as the incubation of the parent bird.- As ostich.Teathers are a costly article of commerce, and of tashionable consumption, this process, if successful, will greatly di. 'inish their value. T'he difficulty of ascertaining the exact degtee oftensperature, and of raring tile young ones when brought to life, will, however, prsewnt bpstacles not easily surmountable. The eggs ire new ones, having been p;oluced from a mase and feunale ostrich, Ihe property of the lady #ho has supplied them for'the experimlent. We have already iaentioned,tbat on the 4th of December, 1823, thesbhip. ris, of Jonrdon, was lost in a violent gale, be- tween Londofn aidShW&ld-. Aftei the crew bad made every exer- tion, and cut tbemai anl mizen-mast away in hopes to save the ship, she went down; tho Captain, his wife, and the whole of the crew, excepting the second.mate and boatswain, who were unfortu- natelybelow, h3d jdst time to. get into the long-boat, without a single article, ora drdp ofi'ater, and with only one ear to manage the boat. They'mustall.haveperished, but tlieiextinoring they were picked up br an Aberdeeismnack, alinost naked. On the 15th of December, the crew arrived at MIr. Palmer's, the Merchant Seaman's Hoate of Call, Wiapping, without money or clotbes. Being4lmost naked, they earnestly invoked the charitable and be- nevolent who might think proper to subscribe a small mite to enable them to get afev aothes5 which would have been carefully distri. buted among the tuffrers by MIr. Palmer; but.only 5s. were sent to relieve their ditressed state. Mr. Palmer kindly returned that to the individu, end sent these poor sailors on board of different ships, and paid a11 their expenses, which - they were very thankful for. A comsron4ent suzest. the erection of a Merchant Sea- men'se Hosptal,pel, i&, and Boarding.houz4 on thgbahms