64 leave his colony for ever. The houses in the village were neatly built, after the manner of those in Otaheite. Small trees being cut into stakes, were driven into the earth, and interwoven with bamboo. The leaves of the plantain and cocoa-nut served for thatch, and the floor was covered with mats. The young men were employed in the fields and gardens, and in various manufactures. They also made canoes, household furniture of a simple kind, with the implements of agriculture, and apparatus for catching fish. The girls made cloth from the cloth-tree. They engaged in the various amusements of dancing, jumping, hopping, running, and feats of activity. They were as cheerful as they were industrious; and healthy and beautiful as they were temperate and innocent. Having no ploughs nor cattle, they were obliged to cultivate the land with the spade and the hoe. They seemed to have plenty of provisions, fowls, pork, vegetables, &c. with fruits. The apron and shawl worn by the fe as Poetry. males were made of the bark of the cloth-tree, which is taken off in a circular manner, like the bark of the larch. It is beaten till it is thin and soft. The natural colour is buff, but was often-dyed, and covered with figures of animals. When Captain Folger was about to leave the island, the people pressed round. The Bounty's chronometer, which they gave to him, though made of gold, was so black with smoke and dust, that its metallic appearance was entirely gone. The girls gave him some cloth, they had made, and dyed of the most beautiful colours. Pitcairns' island seems to be so fortified by nature as to oppose an invincible barrier to an invading enemy; there is no spot apparently where a boat can land with safety, and perhaps not more than one where it can land at all; an everlasting swell of the ocean rolls in on every side, and breaks into foam against its rocky and iron-bound shores. One other article, concerning the geography of the island and the sympathies of the inhabitants, ought to be selected, adds the au [October 11, 1817. thor. In the notes to a poem, "Christina, the Maid of the South Seas," by Mary Russel Milford, there is the following passage :—“ I have the authority of the gentleman who favoured me with most of the particulars relative to Pitcairns' island, for stating, that there is a cavern under a hill, to which Smith, the Fitzallan of my poem, had once retired on the approach of an English vessel, as a place of security. The cave was always after held sacred by the islanders. Smith, on being asked if he wished his history to remain a secret, immediately answered, “No;" and pointing to the young and blooming group by whom he was surrounded, added, “do you think any man could seek my life with such a picture as this before his eyes ?"-He appears, however, to have afterwards entertained some apprehension for his safety, as he changed his name to that of Adams. The information which he then received of the voyage of the Pandora, in search of the mutineers, secmed to excite in him some uneasiness. THE MORNING WALK. THE morning sun shines broad and bright, And drinks the pearly dews of night; The circling cloudlets, brightly fair, Seem amber mountains hung in air; The lark, melodious, soars and sings, With speckled breast, on twinkling wings. With drooping soul, and sickening breast, I leave the couch-but not of restTo wander 'mid creation's charms; The pleasing, glowing scene, disarms My soul of sadness, and beguiles Away my gather'd grief, with smiles. The grandeur of a fairy dream; The blossom'd steep; the sparkling stream; The sprouting fields, are here ;-on high How pure the azure of the sky! And all combin'd, though silence shroud, Uplift the voice to Heaven aloud! Behold yon castle's might; how low'r The roof with moss is green; and twines The broad, bright river murmurs by, The woods are o'er my head; the dell Poetry. The rank grass is beneath the feet; Above, the boughs commingling meet; And widely, in the gloom profound, The ring-dove's plaintive cooings sound; And dusky rooks, with clamorous tongue, That feed on high their callow young. The shadowy wood is clear'd, again My steps retrace the grassy plain; The vistas, bright with sun, expand Their lessening fields on either hand; And far, far off, the mountains high, Upheaving, mingle with the sky. The snowy flocks, the lowing herds Are in the fields-the joyous birdsThe insect swarms are dancing here: The bee hums on his winding sphere; The ploughboy sings-and down the dale, The kerchief'd milkmaid bears her pail. The scene is chang'd; and in the west At such an hour, on such a morn, EARLY RECOLLECTIONS. Oh, Thames! as by thy busy tide, Where proud unnumber'd navies ride, I, sad and melancholy, stray, Without a flower to strew my way, And view before the princely home The cupola, and gilded dome, D. M. And hear around the sounds of strife, But I am hapless doom'd to dwell ODE. FAIR, modest flower, of matchless worth, The darkest clouds of black despair. E. B. October 11, 1817.] FOREIGN INTELLIGENCE. IT is now officially announced, that none of the European powers intend to interfere in the affairs of South America. British officers en tering into the service of the insurgents are to be struck off the half-pay list. The French journals are filled with accounts of the progress of the election of the fifth of the chamber of deputies, and with the trial of the murderers of a Mr Fualdes, five of whom have been condemned to death. The trial of the persons accused of a plot called l'Epin-Noire, because the conspirators, it is said, wore in a particular part of their dress a large black-headed pin as a rallying sign, has commenced at Paris. The indictment, the reading of which occupied several hours, charges them with a conspiracy to overthrow the government. It is not unlikely that the death of Czerny Georges may be attended with more important consequences than was first expected from it. On the intelligence of the death of this servian, who was a Lieutenant-General in the Russian service, the Emperor Alexander sent a Courier to his Ambassador at Constantinople, directing him to require from the Porte a public decla ration, disapproving of that act, and the severe punishment of the perpetrators. ENGLAND. The Regent made two voyages in the royal yacht from Brighton. In the last he went on the French coast, and was out three days and nights. A Bridge of wood and iron is about to be erected across the Wear, in lieu of the ancient ferry at Hylton, which is attended with inconvenience and danger. take leave, on behalf of our brother proprietors, receipts of the several deputies and clerks are, life, no anecdote, however trifling, which is not A Bill was mentioned last week in the ViceChancellor's Court which had been filed in 1719, and was reported upon by the Master in 1788. of the fees allotted to the clerks, that their emoluments constitute a third of the gross receipts of this office, the total of which is estímated at £.28,000 a-year, yielding to the principal, £.8,249 10s. 74d. a-year; to the first deputy £7,000; to the second deputy, £.3,047 12s. 3d. To the clerks, £.9,000.-These increased and illegal charges and fees the Committee condemn; they conceive it to be the un At the Sussex Assizes, held at Lewes on the 11th of last month, in an action, Moore (qui tam) v. Kay, it was decided, that an auctioner, travelling about the country, and going from town to town, to sell the goods of real manufac-doubted duty of the office to dispatch the busiturers, is not liable to the penalties of the Hawkers and Pedlars act, though he be not licensed under that act, and is not a housekeeper or inhabitant in the towns or places where he sells. The late Mr Newton, of Litchefield, left property of the value of £.25,000, to be disposed of by trustees, appointed by him, to charitable purposes, at their discretion. These gentlemen The 74th annual conference of the Methodists distributed to different public charities, dona- held at Sheffield, attended by nearly 300 preachtions to the amount of £.15,000, and have re- ers, closed on the 9th of August. Eight addi. cently fulfilled the benevolent intentions of the tional missionaries are to be sent to the East Indonor, by bestowing the remaining £.10,000 indies, Ceylon, India, and other parts of the world, a similar manner. He At the late Shropshire assizes an action was brought by Mr Charles Broster, printer and publisher of the "North Wales Gazette," against Mr John Fletcher, publisher of the Chester Chronicle," for a libel contained in a paragraph of Fletcher's paper, charging him with a misapplication of the former proprietors' money: this assertion was proved, but the plaintiff, being the first aggressor, obtained a verdict of only one shilling damages. Mr Dauncey, for the plaintiff, commenced his case by a general attack on all newspapers. **could not help noticing (he said) the abominable licences newspapers in general take of libelling any man who may chance to fall under their notice, by the insertion of statements of any kind whatever. There is no action in private or public life-there is no anecdote, however trifling, which is not seized by the proprietors of these vehicles of slander, and crammed into their columns for the sordid purpose of extending their sale." To which the editor of the Shrewsbury Chronicle acutely replies:-"That, as Mr Dauncey has rambled out of his cause to make an attack upon newspapers generally, we the ensuing year. The number of travelling The Second Report of the Commissioners ap- ness of the suitors upon payment of the fees to which it is legally entitled, which they conceive abundantly sufficient for the remuneration of all persons employed in the execution of its duties. The Committee, therefore, do not hesitate to recommend that their remuneration be immediately placed upon a new principle, and that it may be derived exclusively from the general profits of the office, and comprised within definite and reasonable limits." This Report, with the Appendix, occupies 171 pages. The following extracts of the gross produce of the Revenues of Great Britain for the twentysix years ending on the 5th of January, 1817: Years. Sums. 1798....£.26,820,629 " 13" 42 1799... .33,632,337 0 0 0 of utility and ornament, in the city and its environs, some of which, it is true, were pro In the first of these years, the difference between the net sum paid into the Treasury and the gross produce of the Revenue was £.5,023,146;jected before he entered on the duties of the in the year ending January 5, 1817, the diffe- Chief Magistracy. Under his auspices, in times rence amounted to £.9,361,785; of which of peculiar distress, the city of Edinburgh was £8,797,463 is accounted for by payments out of among the first places that adopted plans of imthe gross produce, and the remainder by pay-provement in the public walks, &c. which were ments out of the net produce" applicable to national objects." SCOTLAND. MAGISTRATES OF EDINBURGH. to those connected with building. These works, when completed, will prove highly useful and ornamental, and consist, among others, of the following: carried into effect by a liberal subscription, thereby affording relief to many hundreds of the industrious in the working class of the community, otherwise totally destitute-while the as tonishing spirit and extent of public and private Tuesday, September 30, the Magistrates and undertakings have produced full employment Council walked in procession to the High Church, where an excellent sermon was preached by the Rev. Dr Thos. Macnight, one of the ministers of the Old Church, from 2d Peter, chap. III. ver. 17.-" Beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own stedfastness." After divine service, they re. turned to the Council Chamber, and proceeded to the election of Magistrates for the ensuing year. The Council was filled up next day, and the government of the city vested in the following gentlemen : The Right Hon. KINCAID MACKENZIE, Lord GEORGE WHITE, Esq.... JOHN ANDERSON, Esq... ROBT. ANDERSON, Esq.. Bailies. ALEX. HENDERSON, Esq....Dean of Guild. Thomas Scott, Esq......... Old Bailies. and shrubberies, on the Calton-hill--the County The Regent Bridge, new prison, road, walks, Hall-the revival of the works at the College the new Merchants' Maiden Hospital, near the the Grass-market--the improvements on the Meadows the corn-market house, west end of west side of the North Bridge, next Princes' Street the Gas Light Company's works, on the north side of the Canongate-additional wet-dock at Leith-commodious access to the markets from the New Town-the parapet and iron railing in Princes' Street, west of the Great Mound a similar improvement at the Bank of Scotland-the laying down side pavement in the narrow streets of the Old Town-the removal of the gaol and other obstructions in the High Street--Mr Henderson's ornamental ground between the North Bridge and Trinity Hospital, before little better than a waste-and, though last, not least in the enumeration, those fine specimens of architecture, the two Episcopal Churches at the east and west ends of the New Town; the whole of which having been in pro. gress at the same time, has given employment to immense numbers, (besides those engaged in works entirely of a private nature), and will render the last two years an important era in Trades' Counsellors the city annals. William Sibbald, Esq.......... William Pattison, Esq..... Thomas Brown, Esq...... Old Treasurer. Merchant, Counsellors. Ordinary Council Deacons Extraordinary Council Deacons. On the 23d Sept. the sitting magistrate fined a publican in the High Street here, in two guineas, besides expences, for selling spirits on Sunday. On the same day John Dewar was sentenced to thirty days confinement in bridewell, for stealing a window shutter. George Stewart, John Nicol, and William Henry, were apprehended in Leith, under very suspicious circumstances. They were brought to the Police Office in this city, when it appear. ed that the house of Mr Hay, west end of Maitland Street, had been broken into by these men, who had carried away a great number of valua. William Pattison, Esq....Captain of Orange ble articles. Colours. In the afternoon an elegant entertainment was given at Oman's by the Town Council, at which the Earl of Glasgow, Lord Viscount Melville, the Lord Justice Clerk, the Lord Advocate, Sir William Forbes, Sir John Hay, Sir William Rae, Sir John Marjoribanks, Sir Patrick Walker, Sir Gregory Way, Sir James Douglas, Major-General Hope, Major-General T. Trotter, the officers of the North British Staff, several other naval and military officers, a number of bankers, merchants, and many of the most respectable inhabitants were present. The Provostship of Mr Arbuthnot has been ingularly marked with numerous works, both The magistrates of this city, by a proclamation, have expressed their resolution to inforce the laws to prevent overloading or maltreating horses. On the 24th, the following gentlemen were elected merchant and trades counsellors for the ensuing year, viz. Messrs William Pattison, Thomas Brown, and William Dunlop, merchant counsellors. Messrs Thomas Millar, and John James, trades counsellors. On the 23d, the price of the quartern loaf was reduced to 1s., and the price of oatmeal fell one penny the peck. On the 22d, the workmen at the harbour commissioners quarries at Lochee, while charging the rock with gunpowder, the steel rammer unfortu [October 11, 1817. nately struck fire, when an explosion took place, and two men were dreadfully lacerated. At a public sale of property at Annan, on Thursday the 11th Sept. consisting of land houses, feu rents, &c. which were exposed at and below 20 years purchase, and which three years ago would have met a ready market, not an offer was made, except for a seat in the pa rish church, which at the above period would have been thought exorbitantly dear at £.15, was actually knocked down at the sum of £.52. Jane Douglas, lately condemned for child stealing, has been respited during the Prince Regent's pleasure. On the 26th, the foundation stone of a new school-house was laid at Newhaven. On the 27th, the sitting magistrate in the Police-court sentenced a baker in the Cowgate to sixty days confinement in bridewell for purchasing stolen articles from boys. Notice has been given of the intention to obtaining an additional supply of water for this bring in a bill, next session of parliament, for city. A man belonging to the colliery in the neighbourhood of Bannockburn, while taking his breakfast in the pit, a large stone fell from the roof, which killed him. On the 14th, two girls, of the ages of 13 and 15, were unfortunately drowned in the river Teith, near the stepping stones, which they had attempted to cross. On the 23d, the wife of Rae, the chimneysweeper, lately transported for the cruel usage of his apprentice boy, brought a complaint be fore the police magistrate against a man and his wife for an assault. The complainer being attended by her second husband, a charge of big amy was brought against them; the charge of assault was found not proven. On the 30th, Lord Viscount Melville arrived at Dumbreck's hotel. Charles Forbes of Auchmedden, Esq. M. P. has refused to accept of the office of Provost of Aberdeen. His Royal Highness the Prince Regent has issued an order of Council, dated the 17th September 1817, granting to the burgesses, heritors, and inhabitants of Montrose, resident within, and bearing part of the public burdens of the said borough, a free poll-election for restoring a regular Magistracy and Council within that burgh; and for that purpose to meet within the Town-hall of Montrose, on Monday the 13th of October 1817, at ten o'clock, with continuation of days. The election to be made before the Sheriff-deputes of the counties of Forfar, Perth, and Kincardine, or any two of them. Monday, at the meeting of the burgesses of Paisley, it was resolved, by a considerable majority, that their rights had been infringed by the recent charter; and that, as the inhabitants were lawfully entitled to chuse their magis. trates, and to audit their accounts, measures should forthwith be adopted for regaining their authority. Mr Carlile, the Provost, attended, and moved an adjournment, for the purpose of giving the inhabitants at large time to consider the business; but, though he stated that neither himself nor his brother magistrates were disposed to resist any well-founded claims of the bur gesses, his motion was supported by but a small portion of the meeting. John Young, who was dismissed from the bar of the Justiciary Court at Glasgow on Friday week, the crimes of theft and housebreaking, of which he was accused, having been found " Not October 11, 1817.] Proven," was next forenoon apprehended in the act of carrying away a, bundle of yarn from a Having been porter's barrow on the street. locked up in one of the cells of the Police Office, the wretched man attempted to strangle himself, and had nearly effected his purpose, when the involuntary noise which he made brought the keeper into the place. Chronicle. accused of assault and rape. John Thomson, carter, Glasgow, was also accused of the same crime. They were all acquitted. John Sym, accused of breaking into a warehouse in Hutcheson Street, Glasgow, on Sunday the 6th July, and forcing open a desk, and stealing a silver watch, microscope, &c. was found Guilty, and sentenced to 14 years trans Robert Murray, and James Ban, accused of stealing from the house of Thomas M'Donald, porter in Glasgow, three pairs of blankets, &c. were found Guilty, on their own confession.Murray was sentenced to be transported for 14 years, and Bean for 7 years. On the 13th ult. as John Rule, tallow-chan-portation. dler, from Jedburgh, was travelling from Carfisle to Langholm, he was overtaken on the road near Longtown by a person who, after walking with him some time, turned suddenly round, drew a large knife, and threatened to stab him if he did not deliver up his money and watch. The young man gave him 5s. 6d. and his watch, with which the robber made off. He was afterwards apprehended and lodged in Dum fries jail. Inverness was visited with another smart shock of an earthquake, about half past three o'clock on the morning of Sunday se'ennight. This is the fifth shock since August last year. September 26. Alexander Forbes, alias David Ferguson, John Young, alias John Muirhead, and Neil M'Lean, alias Peter Campbell, accused of theft and housebreaking, having, on the 28th July last, broken into the workshop of James Martin, smith in Paisley, and stealing a large steel picklock; and of breaking into the cellar of On the evening of Saturday the 13th curt. James Muir, grocer, Paisley; and further, on some boys discovered the feet of an infant above the same night, breaking into the cellar of Alex. the water in a miry pond on the farm of Din-Cowan, shoemaker. Young and M'Lean plead. mure, near Castle Douglas; they found the head inclosed in a piece of coarse black cloth, fastened round its neck, within which was a stone of about 13 pounds weight. On the 22d September, as Mr William Scott, farmer in Overbalcairn, was riding home from Blairgowrie, he fell into a lake, near Arthlair, and was drowned. The herring fishery this year is exceedingly favourable. On the Isle of Man coast, and also on the west of Scotland, some boats have been known to take, at two or three draughts, what produced £.50. CIRCUIT COURT OF JUSTICIARY. He was Dumfries, Sept. 27. The Court was opened by Lords Hermand and Gillies, when Andrew Mitchell, accused of assaulting, beating, bruising, wounding, and kicking the lieges, was found Guilty. found guilty on a second indictment, with his brother John, for a similar offence, when both received sentence of transportation for 14 years. The prisoner Andrew had been the terror of the town and neighbourhood for several years. The case of the other excited considerable commiseration. On the 18th, Mary M'Ginley was tried for The Jury returned stealing two webs of linen. a verdict of Not Proven, after deliberating an hour. Peter Kennedy was tried for stealing from a house at Corsock toll-bar, and having pleaded Guilty, received sentence of seven years' transportation. Robert Wilson, accused of housebreaking, was outlawed for not appearing. John and Samuel Smith, accused of housebreaking, having pleaded Guilty, received sentence of seven years transportation. The case of these young men strongly excited the sympathy of the court. They had been discharged from the navy, and were on their journey to Peterhead, when they had been prompted by want to abstract some articles of food and wearing apparel, from a house, during the absence of the inhabitants. Glasgow, September 25. James More, weaver at Blantyre cottonworks, and Robert Brown, cotton-spinner, were ed Not Guilty. Forbes was outlawed for not appearing. The Jury returned a verdict of Not Proven; and the prisoners were dismissed from the bar. Matthew Brown, accused of stealing from the drying-house of Robert Patison, thread-manufacturer, Paisley, 25 millful of linen thread, on Saturday night the 23d of August last. Lord Pitmilly summed up the evidence in a very clear manner, and the Jury, in less than a minute, returned a viva voce verdict of Guilty; and he was sentenced to be transported beyond seas for the space of seven years. Gregor M'Gregor and Catherine Jackson were accused of stealing from the court-yard or washing-green of the house of Springfield, near Dalmarnock, men and women's shirts, &c. Macgregor pleaded Not Guilty, and Jackson pleaded Not Guilty of the theft, but Guilty of finding the bundle! She was likewise charged with be ing habit and repute a thief. Mr M'Cormick addressed the Jury on the part of the Crown, and concluded by restricting the libel against Jackson to an arbitrary punishment; and Mr Monteith addressed them on behalf of the pri soners. Lord Succoth charged the Jury in a very distinct manner, and they returned a verdict finding them Guilty of theft, with the addition, that Catherine Jackson was habit and His Lordship, after a short adrepute a thief. monition, sentenced them to be transported be. yond seas for the space of seven years. M'Gre gor is about 18, and Jackson 25 years of age. September 27. Freebairn Whitehill, accused of assaulting Thomas Barre, carrier between Slamannan and Glasgow, on the 21st May last, and of robbing him of £.3 in bank notes, and 6s. in silver, pleaded Not Guilty. After the evidence was gone through, Mr M'Cormick and Mr Monteith addressed the Jury; and Lord Pitmilly summed up the evidence, advising the Jury to find him guilty art and part of stealing the silver only as libelled; which they did accordingly. Lord Pitmilly then, in an impressive manner, told the prisoner that it was now his duty to pronounce the sentence of the law against him. crime of which you are now found guilty, that of robbing an innocent country man on the streets of this large and populous city, in broad daylight, cannot be passed over. I beseech you "The 61 make good use of your time, and do not waste it in reflecting on your former companions."His Lordship then sentenced him to be executed on Wednesday the 29th October curt.-The prisoner was then taken away without saying a word, and did not seem to be at all agitated. James Green, alias Cairnie, accused of assault' and robbery on Sunday the 10th of August last, in company with two accomplices, by attacking Robert M'Aulay, foreman to James Buchanan, hat-manufacturer, Glasgow, as he was walking along the pavement, and inflicting severe blows on his head and face with an iron pin, and of robbing him of his pocket - handkerchief, was found Guilty, and sentenced to be transported for fourteen years. Alexander Hamilton and William Curr, for a robbery in Hamilton, being put to the bar, the diet was deserted pro loco et tempore. Duncan Ferguson, accused of robbery, in having, on Friday the 2d August, assaulted and taken by force from Margaret Smith, then unmarried, £.175 in bank notes-Diet deserted pro loco et tempore. Inverness, October 3. The Circuit Court of Justiciary was, opened here on Monday last, by the Right Hon. Lord Reston; and in the course of the day the following criminal cases came before him: John Petrie, accused of stealing, on the night of the 10th April 1815, from a barn in the possession of James Younie, farmer at Callific hill, parish of Rafford, two sacks containing a boll of barley; and of stealing, on the following night, from a kiln in the occupation of David Duncan, farmer at Boman hill, parish of Forres, six pecks of barley, &c. On being called to plead the prisoner stated, that though he was quite innocent, he was forced, from circumstances, to plead guilty. The Court, however, explained to him, that his answer could not be received, and on being again asked, he pleaded Guilty.A verdict was accordingly returned, finding him Guilty in terms of his own confession, and the advocate-depute restricted the libel to an arbitrary punishment.-After an admonition as tohis future conduct, he was sentenced to transportation beyond seas for 14 years. The diet was then called against Alexander Ross, alias Macfarquhar, and William Ross, aliasMacfarquhar, tenant in Ular of Glencalvie, Rossshire, accused of stealing, on the 30th May last, from the hill-grazings of Glenmore, in said parish, three sheep, the property of Mr John Geddes, taxman of Ardmore. William Ross having Alex. Ross failed to appear, was outlawed. having pleaded Guilty, the case was remitted to a Jury, who found him Guilty in terms of his own confession; and the advocate-depute restricted the libel to an arbitrary punishment.Mr J. P. Grant of Rothiemurchus, the prisoner's counsel, then addressed the Court in mitigation of punishment. The prisoner received sentence of transportation for seven years. Hugh Anderson and Alex. Monro, charged with stealing growing wood from the wood of Spinningdale, parish of Criech, Sutherlandshire, were called to the bar, and Alexander Monro having failed to appear, was outlawed.-Mr J. P. Grant, counsel for Anderson, objected to the relevancy of the indictment; that in the copy furnished to the prisoner, the Lord Advocate was inaccurately designated "Alexander of AfMeadowbank," the sirname being omitted. ter some discussion, the case was certified to the High Court of Justiciary, to meet at Edin burgh on the 17th of November next. 68 Adam Mackay was then brought to the bar, accused of murder. The indictment stated, that on the 1st of August last, in the immediate vicinity of the toll-house at Easter Helmsdale, Sutherlandshire, he barbarously assaulted a poor old woman, by name Catherine Sutherland, alias Oag, and inflicted several severe wounds upon her head and other parts of her body with a spade, in consequence of which she died in a few hours thereafter. The prisoner pleaded Not Guilty, and his counsel, Mr P. Robertson, stated the nature of his intended defence to be, first, a total denial; and, should that fail, that the prisoner, in consequence of religious infatua. tion, was subject to occasional fits of insanity.— The examination of the witnesses occupied a considerable time; when ended, the Jury were addressed by the public prosecutor, who admitted that the plea of insanity set up for the prisoner, was fully established; and afterwards by Mr Robertson, who, in an able speech, demanded a verdict of Not Guilty. After the evidence had been summed up by Lord Reston, the Jury retired for a few minutes, and unanimously returned a verdict finding the libel Not Proven.The prisoner was therefore acquitted: he appeared to be wholly indifferent to the proceedings, and continued reading or looking to a Bible he held in his hand during the whole trial. Barbara Mackay, prisoner in the tolbooth of Inverness, under a respite during pleasure, has had her sentence commuted to two years imprisonment, commencing from her conviction. The number of criminals tried at the different Circuit towns in Scotland has this year been uncommonly great. A number have received sentence of imprisonment; several are to be banished Scotland; others are outlawed for not appearing; and some difficult cases have been remitted for trial to the High Court of Justiciary at Edinburgh. No less than 13 persons (two of whom are females) are at present under sentence of death in Scotland, viz. three at Glasgow, one in Edinburgh, three in Greenock, four in Ayr, and two in Perth. NAVAL AND MILITARY INTELLIGENCE. A life-boat, upon an entirely new principle, has lately been completed by Messrs Dodds and Shotton, boat-builders, of Sunderland, under the direction of John Davidson, Esq. of Bishopwearmouth. She draws only ten or eleven inches of water when her crew is on-board, not more than two feet ten inches when filled with water, and is capable of carrying with safety fifty persons! In the presence of numerous spectators, she was immersed in the sea from off the pier, and, unassisted, she cleared herself of the water in less than forty seconds, by means of apertures through the bottom. No cork is used in her construction. A party of twenty persons, passengers on board the Mary Ann, for New York, proceeded in a boat to Yarmouth, where they continued some time on their return to the ship, owing to a strong wind and tide, the boat was forced under the bows of the ship and upset by the cable, whereby seventeen persons, including the boat-man, were unfortunately drowned. There are more ships on the stocks at this time in our port than have been recollected for these 20 years.-Yarmouth Herald. There are now almost 300 King's vessels of all sizes laid up in ordinary in Portsmouth harbour. Of these the Victory and the Nelson are the chief objects of attraction; the latter on ac Chronicle. count of its extraordinary size, beauty, and magnificence, as well as its name. The Nelson is made to carry 130 guns, and is the largest ship that ever was built in this country. Every possible care is taken to keep her in the best state of preservation. Her three masts are standing, but her top-masts, top-gallant-masts, yards, booms, rigging, &c. are carefully stowed upon the decks; and all covered with a large awning. With the exception of guns, she has on board every thing necessary to fit her out for sea in 48 hours. A vigilant boatswain, with some other warrant officers, are on board; and although she lies about three miles up the harbour, it is as much as one of these persons can do on a fine day to attend the company, who come to see the inside of the ship. The various devices, mottos, and emblematical figures upon her head, bows, quarters, and stern, are in a good state of preservation. Letters received in America, from New South Wales, dated November last, state, that two vessels had been taken possession of by some desperate convicts, and that they had proceeded One of the ships mentioned is his Majesty's brig Kangaroo, commanded by Lieut. Jeffery. to sea. A Court-Martial was held on the 13th ult. on Mr J. Warman, master's mate of his Majesty's ship Volage, for striking a serjeant and a cor poral of marines of that ship, contrary to the positive orders of his Captain (Reynolds ;) when he was sentenced to be dismissed from his Majesty's service. A German paper states, that from the opening of the navigation of the Baltic this year, to the 20th of June, 733 merchantmen had arrived at Cronstadt, of which 27 were Russian, 226 English, 137 Prussian, 9 French, 56 Dutch, 32 Danish, 70 Swedish, 23 Norwegian, 4 Portuguese, 42 Mecklenburgh, 13 Oldenburgh, 30 Lubeck, 23 Hanoverian, 6 Hamburgh, 14 Bre. men, 1 Dantzic, 1 Costock, and 19 American. On the 24th and 25th of May, the Admiralty for the Caspian Sea launched at Kasan, three new ships, namely, the Vulcan bomb, the Kasan frigate, and the Ossket transport. A light-house has been lately erected on Mutton Island, Galway Bay, and, according to a notice in the Gazette, its light is to be exhibited on the 25th of October. The light is to be a bright red. A court-martial was held lately on the boatswain of the Cherub at Portsmouth, for conniving at a theft of tar, part of the stores committed to his charge. He was sentenced to be dismissed the service. The Scarborough, of 74 guns, not more than five years old, has recently been taken into dock at Woolwich, for the purpose of undergoing repair. On opening the works necessary to commence, it is found that the dry rot has made such havock, as, litarally speaking, almost to have consumed the whole of the ship. Some other ships in the same dock-yard are also found in the same state. One cause assigned for this dreadful evil is, that the oak is felled in the spring of the year, when the tree is full of sap, for the purpose of preserving the bark, instead of, as formerly, cutting it in the autumn. The Russian Government has removed the light-house which stood on Cape Lativanem to the island of Rodseher. The new light will open and shut successively at intervals of three quarters of a minute, by which means it will be sufficiently distinguished from all others in the vicinity of Hogland. The steam boats on the Clyde are repaying better this season than the last; and those best employed are expected to divide 30 per cent. on their capital. Monday week, the Connaught Rangers were reviewed in Burntsfield Links by Major-General Hope, and on the Wednesday following the Scots Greys were reviewed by the same officer on Portobello sands. The highest approbation was expressed of the discipline and appearance of both regiments. On Wednesday the 1st inst, a boat belonging to Cockenzie, while dredging oysters, was upset, and sunk by a sudden squall or whirlwind; the crew, consisting of four men, were immediately picked up by another boat, which was only a few yards distant when the accident happened, and did not in any way suffer by the squall, although it passed close by her bow, raising a column of water apparently about three feet high, and two or three fathoms in eircumference. The boat was afterwards recovered by means of dredging. The squall took place when the wind was veering round from N. W. to N. E. COMMERCE AND MANUFACTURES. The Norfolk Chronicle states, that the ma nufacturers of Norwich are again actively employed: indeed so great is the demand for bombazeens, &c. that the old looms which have long lain by as useless, have been within these few weeks all put in requisition, and many new ones are making. The manufactures of Birmingham are rapidly improving. The mills for the rolling of metals are now in full and constant work: packing-box boards, which a short time back could scarcely find a purchaser, are eagerly bought up; and the makers of that article are so completely employed, that it is with difficulty boxes can be procured. The King of France having ordered and re ceived an account of the remits to France of the last season for silk, as to the produce obtained from silk-worms, and having ascertained that there would not be enough to supply the manufactories, has issued an Ordonnance, dated the 10th ult. to facilitate the purchase of foreign raw silk, by a considerable reduction of duty, which, however, is only to be temporary. Such an immense number of vessels from various quarters have lately arrived at Leith, that the harbour was crowded to an excess perhaps seldom before witnessed. As a proof of the great increase of the trade of that port, no less than 480 vessels have arrived this year with cargoes from foreign ports, being 261 more than last year at the same period. The trade of the Baltic is represented as having resumed its wonted activity. Hemp is in increasing demand at advanced prices. The prices of flax advance rapidly: the supply is quite inadequate to the demand. The standard of copper ores has again advanced. It is now £118 per ton. |