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thing necessary done; the chin being tied up, &c.! Previous to being placed in the shell, while several were present uttering lamentations over the supposed dead body, Dunn feeling some warmth about the stomach, asked for water, when sprinkling a little over the face, the supposed dead gave a heavy groan to the terror of the astonished females. Instead, then, of being placed in a shell, a comfortable bed was provided, in which she was conveyed to the workhouse of Lambeth parish, where she now lies in a fair way of recovery. The poor woman is supposed to have been in a strong fit. Had the shell been sent without inquiry having been made by Dunn, the conse quence must have been srious.-[With this and the evidence, and the idle custom of sheriffs' searchers who merely get a fee and do nothing, an efficient plan ought to be adopted for the public safety.-ED.]

The Baffin-Bay Whalers and Captain James Clark Ross.-This meritorious and enterprising officer has just departed, as a volunteer in the government service, with three vessels, to release above 600 men, the crews of eleven whaling vessels, now left in the arctic regions, shut in by the ice.

Whale Ships.-Hull, Saturday Afternoon. We are happy to state that the Harmony, from Davis's Straits, has arrived this morning. The following letter has been received by Mr. W. Coltish, dated Peterhead, Dec. 23d, 1835:

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"Dear Sir, I am happy to inform you, that another of the Davis Straits' ships passed this place to-day. She was a good way off, and although a boat went towards her she could not reach her. Our whale-fishing captains say that it was the Harmony. Sir, yours truly, "JAMES HUTCHINSON." Loss of the Dordon.-Henry Groat, first mate, and Robert Meggison, second mate, of the ship Dordon, arrived here to-day in the Harmony from Davis's Straits. They state that the ship Dordon was totally wrecked in the ice on the 20th of October, in about 67 N. lat., and 45 miles from the west land; the crew were saved, and divided among the following ships: -Captain Willis and haif the crew, with half the provisions, were taken on board the Abram, which ship had then 94 men on board; the rest were divided, taking their proportion of provisions, between the Grenville Bay, Lady Jane, and Norfolk, except themselves, who came in the Harmony. The Harmony got clear of the ice on the 28th of November, in about 62 50 N. lat., about 60 W. long. They had not seen any of the other ships since the 13th of November, on which day the Abrain was in sight at 12 miles N.W. of them. The Grenville Bay, Norfolk, and Lady Jane, were in sight on the 10th, lying close together, covered in with can. vas, about 13 miles N. W. They have no subsequent knowledge of these ships.-Hull Rockingham.

We are truly happy, that the Duncombe, one of the missing whale-ships, has arrived in the Humber, bringing intelligence of two or three of the other ships, which, it is to be hoped, will shortly follow her. The Duncombe was set free from the ice by strong southerly gales; provisions began to grow very short before her arrival at Hull, and the crew were put on an VOL. VIII.-No. 1.

allowance of half-a-pound of bread, and a small portion of beef, daily. The cold was excessively severe, during their inprisonment in the ice; several of the crew were frost-bitten, but were happily recovered. The captain lost his life, by venturing up into the crow's-nest to survey around. The Duncombe did not see the other ships after the 7th of November, and was liberated from the ice herself on the 11th. We hope, however, that the public will not delay sending succour.

Loss of the Neva, Convict Vessel.-The female convict ship, Neva, Captain Peck, left Cork on the 8th of January last, bound to Sydney, having on board 150 female prisoners, with thirty-three of their children; nine free women, twenty-two children, and a crew of twentyfive persons. They had proceeded prosperously on their voyage, until, on the 13th of May last, when, believing themselves ninety miles from land, a reef of rocks, not set down in the chart, suddenly appeared right ahead. Orders were instantly given to tack about, but the vessel struck and unshipped her rudder. The ship became altogether unmanageable, and obeying the impulse of the wind only, was driven with violence on the rocks; and, swinging round, almost immediately bilged. The boats were speedily lowered, but they had no sooner reached the water than they were upset, and in a few minutes more the vessel parted, and fell asunder in four pieces, when, dreadful to relate, with the exception of twenty-two persons, who clung to the fragments, the whole on board perished. After enduring unspeakable hardships, the survivors reached King's-island, but seven of the number were so exhausted that they died soon after, leaving only fifteen saved out of the entire complement of 241 persons.-[A knowing correspondent has favoured us with the following satisfactory particulars. The Neva, in 1833, had 2,7001, laid out on her, under the inspection of King's officers, in dock, in the Thames; one may, therefore, say she was rebuilt. She then conveyed convicts to Australia (mark, the same voyage), with the same master and mate, and returned with a va luable cargo from Singapore, in 1834, in perfect safety, and without the smallest damage: she was then again engaged for convicts by government, and inspected in dry dock, when she had in part a new deck, and was wholly new-coppered, and was certainly, when she left England, as fit to perform ANY voyage, as any ship in the port. B. H. Peck, the master, is a man about thirty-two, or more, who has been master these twelve years; seven of which, if not more, in the employ of the owners of the Neva, and four of the seven in the command of H. M.'s late transport Silvia. So that both the master in his experience, and the ship in soundness, were as good as could be chosen.]

Loss of Human Life.-Accidental loss of life, during the recent months, has become a matter of such frequent occurrence, that the recollection of each melancholy occasion is blotted, as it were, out of the public mind, as soon almost as the event takes place. The lamented death by fire of the Marchioness of Salisbury, was followed by several members of the family of Mr. Chennell, and likewise many other deaths from a similar cause, particularly

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of children, in various quarters. Then came the sad news of the loss of the convict ship, with hundreds of poor souls on board, prisoners. During the recent foggy nights, within a fortnight past, several persons who had quitted their friends and companions in perfect happiness and peace, passed homeward to the docks, in which lay the vessels which were about to waft them, ere the morrow's dawn, to their lawful homes and families. The news, however, of that morn, gave the account, that ten persons had found a watery grave. Not the London docks, but our docks of London are very insecure, and some means ought to be taken, by rope or chain, to prevent such events in future, as we understand similar accidents have often happened before. But the foggy weather, unfortunately, bewildered many persons, and several more met a watery grave in the Thames, mistaking their road. Another calamity, was in the recent destruction by fire of a Hull steamer. And again, the apparently accidental loss of the Neva has struck terror into the minds of convicts, and affected with deep sorrow the general public-friends of humanity. Add to these, the afflicting loss of life of members of this metropolis, which, coming home to the bosom of all, must deeply affect the many thousands who witnessed the scene; and still more so, many of those thou. sands who, sporting heedlessly on the glassy surface of the Serpentine, and of the canal in St. James's-park, and of other streams on Christmas-day, might each and all, but for a happy fatality, have been victims, and slept the eternal sleep of death. Deceived by the intensity of the frost, the ice at the St. James's canal had the fatal appearance of strength. Many persons before 12 o'clock had fallen into the water, amongst whom, it is said, were four brothers, each after the other, in rendering assistance to him who had fallen in; but they were all saved. At mid-day the crowd was excessive, for it was really Christmas of the olden time; the frost as intense as need be, After half-past one, eight or nine persons were suddenly immersed in the water, but they also were rescued ; at three o'clock, four persons fell in ; three were taken out in a very weak state; but an hour elapsed before the other was got out, and he was dead. At four o'clock, five persons fell in, two of whom were dead when found. The presence of mind exhibited by some of the parties saved was wonderful. One sufferer stretched out both his hands, and thus prevented himself from sinking. Another had an apron thrown to him, but the string broke; a seat from the bank was then shoved over the ice, and by that means he was released. Two individuals were conversing, and fell through the ice; they were face to face, as if conversing still; they were saved. Some one or other of these raised his hands up and claimed assistance, by clapping his hands together. A Mr. John Beck, who was passing, threw a rope to one, who eagerly grasped at it. At this moment he perceived another person close by so exhausted, that he would be lost by the least delay, accordingly here linquished the first rope, and turned all his attention to the other individual. Both were by his presence of mind and penetration saved; but the deep groan of despair which came from the first, when he held only a slackened cord, can

never be forgotten by those who heard it. Four or five lives were saved by the exertions of Moody, a waterman, who resolutely plunged in after the sufferers. Mumford, a policeman, also rescued another. One individual only, apparently a tailor, thirty-five years of age, is unowned. Some were saved by the Royal Humane Society. By the evidence of Mumford, the policeman, it seems that the men belonging to the Royal Humane Society and others, using their exertions to prevent persons going near the unsafe portions of the canal, were only laughed at. Such silly and thoughtless conduct we have often witnessed. It should be known, that in consequence of the rising of springs, several parts are always dangerous, as well to the bather as to the skater; and that other parts of the ice are necessarily broken, to make room for the water-fowl, and to enable persons to get on the island. The Serpentine was crowded with skaters at an early hour, without accident occurring. About half past twelve o'clock, two rash young men ventured near a spot, declared to be dangerous, and fell in. A Life-guardsman pushed forward to rescue them and fell in headlong, and at the same moment, the ice breaking, fifteen were immersed in the water, and carried out of sight. After great exertions they were got out, and carried to the receivinghouse, but six were corpses. One of this party, a gentleman, kept himself up by planting his fingers on the edge of the ice, and bobbing his body up and down in the water. The instant he was released, he scampered off homeward as fast as he could. It was remarked to us as very singular, that when the fifteen fell in, not a sound was uttered by any one.— -When viewed by the jury, the only marks upon the bodies were on their chests, from the grappling irons. A Royal Humane Society man stated that the first accident occurred at nine o'clock, when three persons were rescued.-M'Castie, drummer in the Scotch Fusileers, deposed, that on Friday, about noon, at the Serpentine, he saw nine persons fall through, twenty yards from the bank, near the receiving-house. No assist

ance was near, and he jumped in. A Society's boat was brought to the spot by a lad, who was of no use. Witness got into the boat; but, before he could get near those in the water, which was ten feet deep, they had disappeared. Had prompt means been taken, no lives would have been lost. Six persons were got out before witness left, three of whom recovered. Ropes were lying upon the shore, but the bystanders could not throw them far enough. Ten minutes elapsed before any one of the Society's men rendered assistance. Ultimately, three boats, or punts, were brought to the hole, but twenty minutes or half an hour might have expired before the second boat was brought to the place where the men went down. The coroner and several of the jury remarked, that witness, in his agitation, might have considered the time longer than it really was before the Society's men rendered assistance. The witness further stated, that, by his own exertions, he got two of the bodies out of the water, and helped to get a third into the boat, when he was obliged to leave for fear of being censured at the barracks, for having stopped over his time.—Mr. Thomas Higgs, of

Park-street, Lisson grove, deposed, that he was at the Serpentine river about half-past twelve o'clock on Friday, and saw at least seventeen or eighteen persons in the water at one time, six of whom disappeared under the ice. The last witness courageously took off his coat and plunged in to their rescue, and in every way most manfully rendered his aid to preserve their lives. Several of the bystanders endeavoured to throw the ropes far enough for the unfortunate men to reach them, but without effect. Witness was certain that not one of the Society's men was present till some time after the accident. Every attention was paid, and unremitting exertion used at the receiv ing-house, when the bodies were conveyed thither; witness had been at the Serpentine river for the last thirty years, when it had been frozen over, and had hitherto seen ropes placed across the river, with a man in attendance at each end, so that the ropes might be drawn over any part where the ice had given way; and he regretted that the Society's men had discontinued a practice so good.-We give the above evidence at length, because it fully agrees with that of private friends who witnessed the event, and we should be sorry to take from the merit of M'Castie, who, we hope, will be well rewarded for his noble conduct. It is stated that the ropes are cut by the skaters and others, and that chains would be too heavy. We suggest that slight chains might be put across, to which ropes could be attached and drawn across at the moment of peril. It seems, also, that the Humane Society men are not generally divers, an act which should be a needful qualification for men of their calling. But if habited in gauze flannel dresses, with a belt round the body, and a rope attached at the back, they would have greater confidence, as well as be free from danger. If the Society funds, as alleged, are insufficient to buy ropes, the public should, by a statement, be invited to increase them. To this long catalogue there has been a great and melancholy loss of poor and industrious fishermen. The close of the year 1835 will be fearfully remembered by a great many families, whilst thousands must bless the Providence which has protected themselves, and also preserved those who are dear to them as life itself.

Death of a Female Burglar.-In the Newry Telegraph is an account of a female burglar, who being up at three o'clock, a.m., serving customers, afterwards descended a neighbour's parlour chimney, and when half way stuck fast, (the funnel being narrow,) her clothes and arms remaining right above her head. Some of the children being unwell, the master lit a candle, and then heard a voice crying, "John, dear, come and relieve me." Going to the parlour chimney, he asked who was there? she men. tioned her name. "What brought you there?" She answered, "The devil." After other interrogatories, she said she had no accomplices. He then went for his two brothers, but they all found it impracticable to bring the unfortunate woman either up or down the chimney. During all this time she was conversing freely with the family. Having next made a breach in the funnel, to their astonishment, when brought out, she proved to be actually lifeless. An inquest sat and found accordingly.

Death of Mr. James Hogg.-We learn that James Hogg, the Ettrick Shepherd, has paid the debt of nature. From his hale and robust appearance on his late visit to this metropolis, we should have expected that he had many years in store. James Hogg was unquestionably a man of great genius. As a poet, he excelled in many departments. Many of his songs have become national; and in his "Queen's Wake," he exhibited a vigour and richness of fancy, of which there are few examples in any language. But Hogg's excellencies were, by no means, confined to poetry. As a writer of tales in prose, he is, in our opinion, without his equal in the English language. We allude more particularly to his "Winter Evening Tales"-a wonderful storehouse of invention. In these he has pourtrayed the manners of the various classes of borderers with unrivalled fidelity. He throws such an air of reality round his inventions, that we never, for a moment, doubt the reality of the occurrences described. He has, in this respect, all the merit of De Foe. In his "Shepherd's Calendar," too, he has described many of the adventures and incidents of his own life in a most interesting manner. The shepherds of the south of Scotland are a peculiarly intelligent class of men; and they are faithfully pourtrayed in the pages of Hogg. There is little resemblance between Hogg and Burns. The latter was a man of strong passions, and great energy of character. He would in any walk of life have excelled. In the highest society he could be the highest, and in low society he could be the lowest. Had he been at the bar, he would have distinguished himself as a firstrate advocate. He was a poet, rather because he was misplaced in society-in his own language, "unfitted with an aim,"-rather because he was shut out from more ambitious careers of intellectual display, than from any peculiar attraction to the Muse. Hogg, on the other hand, was a man of great simplicity of character, and it is difficult to conceive a part better fitted for him than that which he filled. He was a faithful observer of nature and character, and, like Walter Scott, whatever he observed, he knew how to turn to account. Without the energy or intense pathos of Burns, he possessed more of fancy and imagination. If he does not agitate like Burns, his tales and his songs are often very affecting; and a vein of sly humour runs through his productions. He has left a widow and several ehildren. We fearthat they but slenderly provided for.

The Body of General Lord Crewe, who died about three weeks previously, at his country seat, at Bois d'Evigne, near Liege, arrived at Brussels on the 20th ult., on its way to London, where it is to be interred.

Death of Lady Fanny Ponsonby.-Died, on Thursday, the 17th of December, at Besborough-house, near Pilltown, county of Kil. kenny, the Lady Frances Charlotte Ponsonby, wife of the Hon. John Ponsonby, M. P. for Derby, eldest son of the Right Hon. Lord Viscount Dungarvon. Her ladyship was born on the 16th of Oct. 1812, and was the only surviving daughter of the Right Hon. the Earl of Durham, by his lordship's first wife, Miss H. Cholmondeley. Lady F. Ponsonby was married but a few months since, and personified all

that was lovely and most estimable in the human creation-pourtrayed in her thoughts and actious the most estimable disposition, and endeared herself to all who had access to her, by the affability and kindness of her manners. Her premature death has proved a source of deep and unmixed affliction, and cast a gloom of regret and sorrow over the entire neighbour.

hood. Her ladyship had been but seldom abroad since her arrival in this country, an insidious disease having early developed its fatal symptoms, with a certainty that marks the progress of the despoiler, who spares neither the exalted in rank, the amiable in disposition, nor the worthy and beloved in virtue and charitableness.-Dublin Freeman's Journal.

Births, Marriages, and Deaths.

BIRTHS.

Nov. 21, at Hanover, the lady of Capt. Stephens, aide-de-camp to his Royal Highness the Duke of Cambridge, of a son.-In Grosvenor-square, Dec. 12, Lady Emily Pusey, of a son and heir.-Nov. 23, the lady of Richard Carpenter Smith, Esq., Bridge-street, Southwark, of a son, still-born.

MARRIAGES.

Dec. 3, at Christ-church, Marylebone, T. G. Shaw, Esq., of Woburn-place, Russell-square, to Mary, eldest daughter of the late J. Ryle, Esq., of Carshalton, Surrey, and niece to John Ryle, Esq., M.P. for Macclesfield.--Dec. 3, at Charlton, Capt. G. G. Palmer, R. A., to Lydia, youngest daughter of the late B. Benyon, Esq., of Wilton-crescent, and Monkmoor, Shropshire.-Dec. 1, at St. George's, Hanover-square, F. Hart, fourth son of Sir Percival Hart Dyke, Bart., of Lullington Castle, Kent. to Charlotte Lascelles, youngest daughter of the Right Hon. Sir H. Jenner, of Chesterfield-street.-Dec. 1, at Great Brickhill, C. B. G. Garrard, Esq., of Lamer, Herts, to Honora Henrietta, eldest daughter of P. D. P. Duncombe, Esq, of Brickhill.-Dec. 9. at Weymouth, G. D. Scott, Esq., of the King's Dra goon Guards, and of Lovelhill, Berks, to Frederica Harriet, second daughter of E. Broderip, Esq., of Weymouth.-Dec. 1. in the Chapelof-Ease, Londonderry, the Rev. T. Lindesay, rector of Tamlaght, in the archdiocese of Armagh, and chaplain to the Most Noble the Marquis of Ormonde, to Harriet Catherine, eldest daughter of the Hon. the Lord Bishop of Derry.-Dec. 3, at the British Embassy, Paris, Sir C. Payne, Bart., late of Tempsford-hall, Beds, to Sophia Maria Creighton, daughter of the late Major Robert M'Crea.-Dec. 10, the Hon. J. Boyle, eldest surviving son of the Earl of Cork, to the Hon. Cecilia de Roos, sister of Lord de Roos, at St. Nicholas-church, Brighton, by the brother of the bridegroom, the Hon. and Rev. Mr. Boyle.-Dec. 15, at Mundesley, in Norfolk, T. Martin, Esq., of London, to Elizabeth, daughter of the Rev. R. Steele, rector of Mundesley and Trimingham, in Norfolk, and grand-daughter of the late Sir Parker Steele, of Dublin, Bart.-December 26, at St. John's Church, Margate, by the Rev. W. F. Bailey, Jesse Cato, Esq., of Russell-square, London, to Sarah, daughter of Edward White, Esq., Marine-terrace, Margate.

DEATHS.

Nov. 15, Emma Mary, the wife of W. Mackinnon, Esq., M.P., after an illness brought on by nursing too long her youngest child, from which she never entirely recovered. Mrs. M. was the only daughter and sole heiress of the late Joseph

Palmer, Esq., of Rush House, county of Dublin, and of Palmerston, in the county of Mayo. Mrs. M. was born in 1792, and married at the age of 22 years, at which time she was consi. dered one of the handsomest and most accomplished women, as also one of the greatest heiresses, in the kingdom.-At Tralee, Commander F. E. Collingwood, R.N. This gallant officer, who was nearly related to the great Lord Collingwood, was during the last war on constant service; and at the battle of Trafalgar, being stationed on the poop of the Victory (Lord Nelson's flag-ship), shot the French marine who had just previously inflicted a mortal wound on the gallant Nelson. -On Sunday, Dec. 13, at York, aged 19, Miss S. S. Bullivant, youngest daughter of the late K. Bullivant, Esq., East Retford, Notts: trusting in Jesus, her spirit was wafted to the realms of bliss, to sleep,

-like Lazarus, upon her Father's breastWhere the wicked cease from troubling, and the weary are at rest."

-Nov. 24, at Worcester, aged 84, Mrs. Singleton, widow of the late Governor Singleton, of Landguard-fort, mother of the archdeacon of Northumberland, and daughter of the celebrated antiquary, Francis Grose, Esq., F.S.A.-At Leamington Priors. Nov. 24, Louisa Sarah, third daughter of Sir R. D. H. Elphinstone, Bart.-At Pope's Villa, Twickenham, Dec. 3, after a few hours' illness, of apoplexy, the Right Hon. the Baroness Howe, daughter of the admiral, Richard Earl Howe, and wife of Sir Wathan Waller, Bart., G.C.H., groom of the bedchamber to his Majesty; also mother of the present Earl Howe, lord chamberlain to the Queen-Dec. 4, at his residence, near Liege, General the Right Hon. John Lord Crewe, in his 66th year.-Nov. 7, in Woodstock-street, Sarah, the beloved wife of Pierre Crepin, Esq., (formerly head-cook to his late Majesty George the Fourth,) aged 68.— Dec. 7, in Rutland-square, Dublin, Henry Dundas, son of Capt. Saunders, R.H.A., aged 14 months and 3 days.-Dec. 18, at his house at Tottenham, C. Hanbury, in the 72d year of his age.-Dec. 17, at Kingston-upon-Thames, at the house of her son in-law, Mr. Jos. Fuller, Mrs. Brown, in the 96th year of her age.-Nov. 19, at Twickenham, in his 80th year, Henry Angelo Esq., formerly of Bolton-row, May-fair.-Nov. 19, at Edinburgh, Thomas Blackwood, Esq.Dec. 24. at Tunbridge Wells, after a long and distressing illness, Lieutenant-general Sir John Hamilton, Bart., G.C.T.S., Colonel of the 69th Regiment, and Governor of Duncannon Fort, beloved and regretted by all who knew him.Dec. 24, Elizabeth, the wife of James Morrah, Esq., of Sloane-street, in the 34th year of her

age.

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