power each. This vessel is expected at Singapore in the course of the ensuing month. This is

the commencement of steam navigation in the seas of this Archipelago, in which it is, perhaps, upon the whole, more easily, safely, and extensively practicable, than in any other part of the world. Singapore Chronicle, June 9. 11. CATASTROPHE AT GRAVESEND.-An Inquisition was taken at the Three Falcons, at Gravesend, before Mr. Hodgson, the coroner, on view of the bodies of Josiah Purvis, and Edward Manning, who came by their deaths under the following circumstances: Mr. Michael Rives sworn.— -I am inspector of the batteries erected on the ramparts on the north side of this town. On Wednesday last, a salute from the guns was fired, in consequence of the embarkation of part of the suite of grace the duke of Wellington, for Saint Petersburgh, in the princess Augusta packet, for Dover, and the deceased men with others, were employed on the occasion to discharge the pieces. About three o'clock in the afternoon, I was present when one of the guns burst, and the deceased were blown to pieces. I am of opinion that the accident could not be foreseen or prevented. It was purely accidental.

his

Juror. Can you give any reason why the cannon burst.

Witness. I cannot, unless that it was overcharged.

Ebenezer Mashell, a boat builder, confirmed the evidence of the last witness.

Mr. Alfred Morkan, surgeon, sworn. I saw the bodies of the deceased persons soon after the catastrophe happened. Their deaths must have been instanta

neous. I attended the other sufferers, two of whom are in imminent danger.

Mr. Hodgson, the coroner, having read the depositions, the jury returned a verdict, that the deceased persons, Josiah Purvis, and Edward Manning, were killed by the accidental explosion of one of the guns on the battery. Deodand 57. on the artillery.

RATTING IN ASCOTCH THEATRE.

A curious circumstance occurred in the theatre-royal Glasgow. About ten o'clock, a young gentleman came into the pit, followed by a little white terrier dog. All was tolerably quiet at the beginning of the afterpiece, but, in a few minutes a rat took the liberty of popping up his head through one of the many holes in the floor; the dog noticed it, seized it, and despatched it with very little noise ; another was served in the same way shortly after the first, and in a little time a third was caught, which, after a good deal of resistance, was also finished to the great amusement of the greater portion of the audience.

13. NORWICH.-This city has [see page been in a state of riot since eleven o'clock this morning, owing to one of the manufacturers being detected in sending work out of the city, to be executed in the country. Three men were all day cooped up at a public house, called the Sun and Anchor, in the parish of St. Clement, on whose persons several canes of silk were found; and such is the state of popular feeling, that any attempt to escape from the house would be the signal for their destruction the order of the day being to "break heads, not windows!" The mayor, and deputy-mayor, with several ma

Of the above number there are 246 males and 73 females.

15. BAR MERRIMENT.-In the course of a trial in the court of Common Pleas on Wednesday, one of the witnesses stated to Mr. serjeant Vaughan, who was crossexamining him, that he (the witness) was a twine-spinner and matmanufacturer, and dealt in flax and hemp.

Mr. Serjeant Vaughan.-I am sorry to hear, sir, that you deal in hemp (a laugh).

Witness. I dare say you are, sir, for I make ropes to hang lawyers (great laughter).

Mr. Serjeant Vaughan.-I hope, sir, you will keep a little for your own use, for you are very likely to want it.

Witness. I shall save enough for you, sir, at all events.

The merriment excited by this little dialogue had not long sub

sided, when it was renewed by the following circumstance:

The same witness was recalled by chief justice Best (who, be it recollected, had tried the action for false arrest), and asked by his lordship what had taken place at an interview between Goodwin the younger and Mr. Williams, after the trial. Why, replied the witness, Goodwin asked Mr. Williams if he ought not to move, to set aside the nonsuit. Mr. Williams said, certainly he ought, as he had good grounds for so doing; and added, that "the judge was a d- -d old fool, or he would have let the case go to the jury."

Lord Chief Justice Best joined most heartily in the roar of laughter which this reply drew from the whole auditory, except Mr. Williams, who, being seated immediately facing the learned judge, seemed quite overwhelmed with consternation at being thus suddenly brought, as it were, to pay his compliments vis-a-vis to his lordship; and, fearing he should be considered less courteous than candid in the expression of his opinion, he most energetically disclaimed the language imputed to him.

The Lord Chief Justice.These things will happen, Mr. Williams.

Mr. Williams, with increased vehemence, denied having used any such expressions; and seemed to grow very warm on the occasion; on which his lordship said, Mr. Williams, for once learn temper of me. He then related an anecdote of lord Kenyon, to whom, after trying an action one day, one of the parties came to make a complaint of the other, who had been defeated. "What is it?" said his lordship. "Why," replied the party, "he said your lordship

was a rogue, and the jury were fools."-"Well," said lord Kenyon, "I forgive him, and I hope so do the jury."

MARCH.

1. DEATH OF THE ELEPHANT AT EXETER CHANGE.-This stupendous animal, which has been for some time in a restive state, became at four o'clock this afternoon, unmanageable. The strong den in which he was confined, was a compartment of the grand hall, in which the superior animals of Mr. Cross's valuable collection are kept; so that, if he had succeeded in getting loose, the destruction of property would have been considerable, and some lives would probably have been lost, before he could have been killed. At half-past four o'clock, the violent exertions he made to break the door and bars of his den, in which he partly succeeded, determined Mr. Cross to send to Somerset-house for the assistance of some of the guards stationed there. They soon arrived, and continued firing at the animal for one hour before he fell. There were one hundred and eighty musket balls fired at him, during which time the exasperated animal made furious but unsuccessful efforts to get at his assailants. The ball, by which he fell, entered under the ear. One of the keepers then fastened a sword to the end of a pole, and thrust it several times up to the hilt in his body. The animal stood thirteen feet high; the body as it lay on the floor, was of the height of six feet. The attack upon his late keeper, which proved fatal, is not the only act of violence which this animal had committed. Some years ago he

was in the habit of rubbing his head against the side of his apartment, to allay an itching on his forehead. From his great weight and strength, this operation shook the whole building, and the keeper, with a view to prevent its continuance, took an opportunity of driving some short nails nearly to the head, upon the favourite spot on the side of the cell. The event justified the expectation. The first time the elephant resumed his amusement, his head was scratched by the projecting_nails, and he soon discontinued the practice. The unfortunate keeper, however, paid dearly for his device. On his approaching the cell, the elephant, who knew to whom he was indebted for his scratched forehead, immediately attacked him, and, but for the immediate interference of the servants of the place, would have killed him on the spot.

Some years ago, he had a female companion in an adjoining apartment in the Change. Upon one occasion, on his return from a provincial tour, the doors of Exeter Change were shut, and it was too late to re-place him in his old birth. A temporary lodging was accordingly prepared for him in a waste house at the rear of that building. A strong post to which he was chained, was fixed in the floor, and the door was locked: thus placing him, as was thought, in a state of perfect security. In the course of the night he felt a desire for the society of his old companion; and the wish was no sooner conceived than it was executed. With the first movement up came the redoubtable post from its five feet bed in the floor; and the doublelocked door yielded to the first touch of his proboscis. Entering

the door in the rear of the 'Change with almost equal facility, he proceeded up stairs, and with one thrust, in flew two pannels of the door at the top of them, opening to the grand room, at the end of which was his proper home. The crash roused the keepers from their sleep, who, on hastening to the spot from which it proceeded, found the elephant at the top of the stairs with his head stuck through the door. As it was not considered practicable or prudent to resist his humour, means were immediately adopted to facilitate his entrance, and he was safely lodged in his old apartment near his companion, who died shortly after.

ABDUCTIONS IN IRELAND.— On Friday night last, the house of Thomas O'Donnell, of Camas, in the county of Limerick, was entered by a party of ruffians, who forcibly took away his daughter, a child about 13 years of age. Early the following morning, the offenders were closely pursued by the constable, T. Butler, and sub-constable, Michael Thornell, of captain Bourke's party of police, stationed at Bruff, who, after a diligent search and active pursuit, succeeded in rescuing the victim from the hands of those marauders, and restoring her to her parents.

On the night of Wednesday, the 22nd ult., a report was made to serjeant Cranwell, of the police stationed in Kilfinan, under the command of Benjamin Jackson, esq., that a body of about twenty fellows had passed close to the town, after breaking the door of a poor man in that neighbourhood, with stones, and had proceeded to the mountains of Ballintubber. Serjeant Cranwell, with his party, immediately went in pursuit, and after traversing the mountains for

The

several hours, came up with them as they were in the act of forcibly carrying off the daughter of a farmer residing in Glenroe. police challenged, and were fired on by the country fellows; they instantly returned the fire, which put them to flight: they all escaped in consequence of being mounted, but the police succeeded in rescuing the girl, and bringing her safe into Kilfinan, together with three horses, one of which had a gunshot wound in the breast.

4. Lately was shot, by Mr. John Parsons, of Aston, near Wallingford, Berks, a male and female Pied Oyster Catcher (Hæmatopus ostralogeus, Lin.) These birds are the constant inhabitants of the sea shores, and though no where numerous, yet are widely dispersed over the globe, being met with in almost every country from New York to the Bahama islands, also in New Holland, New Zealand, and Japan. As they feed on oysters and other shell fish, it is very rarely that they are found far inland; they appeared, when first seen, to be much fatigued by a long flight. Also was taken, in Sutton Courteny Fields, near Abingdon, Berks, in December last, a very rare bird, the male Scoter Black Duck, or Black Diver. These birds are only sparingly scattered on the coast of England, where they feed on small shell-fish, of which they are very fond. In France, they are often sold to the Roman Catholics, who eat them on fast days, and in Lent, when their religion has forbidden them the use of all animal food, except fish. It is very uncommon for either of these birds to be found so far away from their food. They have been stuffed and placed in the private museum of Mr. J. King, of Appleford, Berks.

THE LION WALLACE.-Friday se'nnight, as Mr. Wombwell was passing through Aylsham, on the way to Lynn Mart, he stopped a few hours to exhibit his menagerie, and was very fully attended. Just before feeding time, a young man, by the name of Rix, at the Dog Inn, happening to go too near the den in which the lion Wallace was confined, had his arm very much lacerated by his claws; but the wound was soon sewed up by a surgeon, who was upon the spot at the time. A gentleman had his coat very much torn a few minutes before by the same lion.

6. ROBBERS IN GERMANY.Mausche Nadel, the swindler, and captain of banditti, notorious throughout Germany, Switzerland, Alsace, and Lorraine, has been brought before the Court of Assizes in Mayence, and, after a trial which occupied several days, condemned to death. His fine and expressive countenance excited much interest, especially among the women. The indictment recited, among other adventures of his, that he let himself down from a prison at Bremen, three stories high; swam through the Weser, loaded with his irons; received, when in the middle of the river, a musket shot in his leg, and yet escaped. In the speech of the city Procurator, on the trial of Nadel, there were some curious, though probably fanciful, statements respecting the number of robbers in Germany. The result is, that there are in Germany 16,000 robbers, of whom no less than 12,000 are Jews.

EXPLOSION OF FIRE DAMP. On Sunday morning last, J. Weston and M. Pointon, of Shelton, and W. Bedworth and R. Lodge, went down in the coal pits near

Cobridge, in the Potteries, to the Great Row Mine. Weston and Pointon, who were acting as guides to the other two, not being aware of the portion of the pit now in use, took a light into an old part of the mine, upon which the inflammable air ignited, and an explosion ensued; all the men were much burned, and Mr. Lodge, so much so, that he expired on Tuesday last, the fire having caused an inflammation extending to the brain; he remained totally blind, and his face was blackened over, like burnt coal. An inquest was held on the body on Wednesday. William Stonier, the assistant engineer, deposed to letting the four persons down into the pit, which is more than 200 yards in depth. About half an hour afterwards he saw the rope shake, when he drew them up, and R. Lodge was so much burnt, that he was obliged to be carried in a chair. Mr. Malkin, the brewer, deposed that Lodge had been employed by him in fixing some vats; he had expressed a wish to go down and see a coal-pit; and Mr. M. promised he should be gratified, but advised him not to do so till he got a proper person to accompany him, who knew the pits; and Lodge promised to do as advised; previously, however, he had seen some other person (Weston), and went down on Sunday morning as described, without informing Mr. M. where he was going. On the Monday he appeared better, and conversed with Mr. Malkin, but delirium and death soon followed. Verdict-Accidental Death.

THAMES TUNNEL.At a meeting of the shareholders of the Thames Tunnel company, held