The Sun. — 1864-09-21 (London, England)

THE INTERIOR OF A JAVANESE CRATER.—Separated by a shelving ridge, we found on the opposite side another crater, called the Kawa Ratu, which is seen to better advantage by descending into the interior. The way, which at first glance seems easy enough, we found before going many steps to be quite the reverse. The descent is almost perpendicular; and, there being no regular path, you are obliged to pick your way amongst loose stones and hard cakes of clay, which in some places were very slippery. When we htd descended about half way, we came to en escarpment, from which we looked down on the active portion of the volcano, whence issued sounds like the moaning of the wind on a stormy night. These sounds the superstitious natives believe to be the groaning cf certain giants chained under ground by a wicked gnome. Venturing to descend still lower, we had a more distinct view of the chimneys or apertures in the Kawa Ratu, some of which only present the appearance of extinct craters in miniature, while from others the smoke forces itself in dense volumes, preceded by hoarse noises, as though the vents were too small for the great rush of vapour proceeding from them. Tao sounds we heard were very distinct and loud, inconsequence of our proximity. The orifices are encrusted Kith thick deposits of a red and yellow substance, the ground on all sides being of a yellowish brown hue, in consequence of the quantity of sulphur with which the air is impregnated. A few of the holes were filled with water, blue as the sky above u-t, and apparently boiling hot. We lingered to gaze on this won. roux scene as long as we could stay, but the smoke, st hick sometimes rose in clouds before our faces, obliging us to close our eyes, compelled us at last to retreat, glad of having had the opportunity of seeing thus much. This crater, if not more, is at least 400 ft long, and I should say about 300 wide.--Life in Java, by TV. B. d'Abizeitia. I A dreadful murder was committed in the begins ning of last week by a bookbinder named Gauthier, residing in the Rue Montagne-Ste..Genßvieve, on the person of his wife. It appears that Gauthier, a man of violent character and much given to drink, had for some time been in the habit of ill-treating his wife. One night he went home intoxicated, and beat his wife because she reproached him with his dissolute conduct. They went to bed, however, as usual, but in the morning about six the husband revived the quarrel, and at last strangled his wife by entwining a cord six times round her neck. He then left the house, passed the day in drinks ing, and returned at night, and slept in the bed with his wife's corpse. lie did the same the two following nights, after which he returned home no more, but sent a letter by post to M. Vigneron, his father-in•law, stating what he had done, and advising him to get the body buried. Vigneron accompanied by a commissary of police and a doctor , went to Gauthier's lodgings and forced open the door, but it was found impossible to enter the room till the air had been purified by dtsinfectants. On removing the body it was discovered that the unhappy woman, in the agonies of death, had given birth prematurely to a still-born child, Search was made for the murderer, and ho was arrested on Friday night \elide playieg billi%rds, at a caft he frevonted,