collision with, and upset and sunk by, the Fingal, which sailed over the said smack, whereof in consequence Mary Duncan or Anderson, and Margaret Anderson, Grizle Anderson, and James Anderson, her children, were drowned.

From the evidence, it appeared, that the Favourite steam boat had the Carolina smack in tow for Glasgow, when, at the place mentioned in the indictment, the Fingal came up, and rang her bell when about one hundred yards distant. The steam boats, however, continued to advance, and came in collision, in consequence of the one boat not going sufficiently to the north, and the other to the south, but rather keeping midway in the river. The seamen of the respective boats deposed as to the vessels keeping the right side, and threw the blame on each other; and swore they backed the engines about two minutes before they came in contact. The smack, on being struck, instantly sunk. Mrs. Anderson was below, with her three children. When the vessel righted, a voice was heard, and a hole being cut with an axe in the side of the vessel, a boy was got out alive, but Mrs. Anderson and her children were found dead. A seaman of the Favourite swore he saw the light of the Fingal three hundred yards distant. He cried to starboard, which brought the head of the Favourite to the north; but the Fingal kept her course right down mid-channel, and struck the Favourite. A seaman on board the Fingal swore, that the bell was rung, and the order was twice given to starboard the helm, and the vessel inclined to the south. Some person in the Fingal cried out, "where is that stupid fellow, (alluding to the Favourite) going

.

across our bows?" The Fingal was between two and three hundred tons burden, with engines of one hundred horse power. The Fa

vourite was much smaller. In exculpation, the superintendent on the Clyde deposed there were regulations made by the Trustees as to the side steam boats should take; but there was no rule as to them except these regulations. That practice had, however, been generally observed by the steam boats for nine or ten years. There was no rule as to sailing vessels taking a particular side of the river, they being regulated by the state of the wind, depth of water and other circumstances. The panels received good characters. Smith was found not guilty by a plurality of voices, and the other panels were unanimously found not guilty.

12. ACCIDENT AT THE THAMES TUNNEL. - At six o'clock this morning, the night gang left their work, and were succeeded by the day men, consisting of one hundred and thirty excavators. Mr. Brunel, jun., who was present when the relief took place, was giving directions to the workmen, when he remarked that the water drained through the soil at the shield much more rapidly than it had done for some time. The soil itself, which for some days had been strong and clayey, appeared much looser, and water and sand poured through the left of the box No. 1, but not in such quantities as to create a supposition that the evil could not be soon remedied. At about half past six o'clock, however, several hundred weight of mud was forced into the tunnel through the left corner of No. 1 shield. The boxes No. 1 and 2, having yielded to the pressure of the high tides of the season, and permitted the influx of

the river, the water rushed in with such extreme velocity, that the force of the air threw one man upon his back on the stage, and extinguished the gas. The workmen who could get to the eastern arch effected their escape; others were carried by the force of the water to the end of the shaft, and were taken out of the water in a state of extreme exhaustion. At one period eighteen men were all immersed in the water, besides Mr. Brunel, jun.; and that gentleman and twelve of the men, after being repeatedly driven against the woodwork, and severely bruised, were taken out at the shaft nearly insensible. Two men who were knocked down along with Mr. Brunel, and a third, who was a bottom-box man, were destroyed almost instantaneously. The rush was so violent as to destroy the lower part of the staircase by which the labourers ascended and descended, so that it was utterly impossible for them, by any exertion, to save themselves. Three other men, who were at work at the lower boxes of the frame, when the catastrophe happened, likewise perished.

The noise created by the influx of the water was tremendous, and absolutely deafened the ears of those engaged at the base of the shaft. It was so powerful, that the water rose several inches above the level of the shaft, and reached the lodge itself.

Mr. Brunel, jun., was brought out with his ankle much injured in his exertions to save the unfortunate men that perished. He gave the following account of the accident.

"I had been in the frames (shield) with the workmen throughout the whole night, having taken my station there at ten o'clock.

During the workings, through the night, no symptoms of insecurity appeared. At six o'clock this morning (the usual time for shifting the men a fresh set, or shift of the men, came on to work. We began to work the ground at the west top corner of the frame. The tide had just then begun to flow, and finding the ground tolerably quiet, we proceeded, by beginning at the top, and had worked about a foot downwards, when, on exposing the next six inches, the ground swelled suddenly, and a large quantity burst through the opening thus made. This was followed instantly by a large body of water. The rush was so violent as to force the man, on the spot where the burst took place, out of the frame (or cell), on to the timber stage, behind the frames. I was in the frame with the man, but upon the rush of the water, I went into the next box (or cell), in order to command a better view of the irruption; and seeing that there was no possibility of their opposing the water, I ordered all the men in the frames to retire. All were retiring, except the three men who were with me, and they retreated with me. I did not leave the stage until those three men were down the ladder of the frames, when they and I proceeded about twenty feet along the west arch of the tunnel; at this moment, the agitation of the air by the rush of the water, was such as to extinguish all the lights, and the water had gained the height of the middle of our waists. I was at that moment giving directions to the three men, in what manner they ought to proceed, in the dark, to effect their escape, when they and I were knocked down and covered by a part of the timber stage. I struggled under water for some time,

and at length extricated myself from the stage, and by swimming, and being forced by the water, I gained the eastern arch, where I got a better footing, and was enabled, by laying hold of the railway rope, to pause a little, in the hope of encouraging the men who had been knocked down at the same time with myself. This I endeavoured to do by calling to them. Before I reached the shaft, the water had risen so rapidly that I was out of my depth, and, therefore swam to the visitors' stairs-the stairs for the workmen being occupied by those who had so far escaped. My knee was so injured by the timber stage that I could scarcely swim, or get up the stairs; but the rush of the water carried me up the shaft."

On the following day, Mr. Gravat went down in the diving bell, and examined the aperture. It was found to be of an oblong shape, extending from West to East, and in length about seven feet. It was quite perpendicular. The ground on either side was so perfectly sound, that notwithstand ing the strong current that must of course have accompanied the influx, it still remained unbroken.

13. VIOLENT STORM.-On the night of Saturday the 12th, and during Sunday the 13th, a severer storm of wind, than had been experienced for many years, visited the coast. At Plymouth, on Saturday afternoon, there was a great fiux and reflux of the tide, which rose and fell two feet perpendicular. Between twelve and one o'clock on Sunday morning, the wind, which had been blowing freshly from the S.S.E. suddenly increased to the violence of a gale. About two o'clock it shifted to the S.S. W., and blew a tremendous hurricane for

two hours. Shortly after four it changed to the W., and became less violent. It was accompanied with vivid flashes of lightning. The harbour, particularly the Sound, was crowded with shipping; and, towards one o'clock, signals of distress were heard from the Sound, though such was the uproar of the elements that the guns were but faintly distinguished in the town, and it was found utterly impossible to render the slightest assistance to the vessels which were drifting. When day-light broke, there were altogether thirteen vessels on shore; six in Deadman's bay, six in Mount Batten bay, and one in Bovisand bay. Eight vessels, however, rode out the gale in the Sound, without damage. Only two lives were lost. The preservation of the crews and passengers, particularly on the dangerous shores of Mount Batten bay, was owing mainly to one individual. The only habitation on the mount, is a cottage, occupied by a labourer: by the exertions of this man and his wife, ropes thrown from the wrecks were fastened to the rocks, and the crews saved: four women and a child were brought ashore from the Jessic Lawson in this manner. The hurricane occasioned, likewise, a great destruction of property on shore. In Plymouth, Devonport, Stonehouse, Stoke, and all the villages around, many chimnies were blown down, and a great number of houses unroofed. The northeast minaret of Stonehouse chapel was blown down, and fell through the roof into the chapel. One of the chimnies in the centre range of the buildings of the workhouse, fell through the roof, and broke through part of the upper floor, carrying away two of the joists. There were, at the time, six poor

women lying in bed in the upper room; but, although the mass fell upon three of the bedsteads, and broke the iron sides of one, only one of the women received any injury. This escape excited the astonishment of all who viewed the premises.

Two hundred trees were blown down at Mount Edgcumbe. On the estate of J. Harris, esq. at Radford, fourteen elm-trees, of immense size, were blown down, most of them being literally torn up by the roots. On the barton of Hooe, eleven trees, of different descriptions, were blown down, and at Totill, about forty. At Portsmouth, Dartmouth, Dover, and Falmouth, the storm was equally severe; but the shipping in general escaped with less injury. The tempest was the most violent and destructive, that had visited the coast, since November, 1824.

14. PEDESTRIANISM. Shep pard, the Yorkshire pedestrian, undertook for a wager of twenty guineas to run twenty miles, in three hours. He started from the Maidenhead, Leadenhall-market, and ran with great speed until he arrived at Romford, a distance of ten miles, which he accomplished in considerably less than half the time given to perform the whole of the match. After a short rest, he again started towards London, and arrived at the Maidenhead, at a quarter past one o'clock, having performed his difficult task in a quarter of an hour less than the given time. He was extremely exhausted, and a great number of bets were lost and won on the occasion.

OLD BAILEY SESSIONS.-Constant Steck, a native of Germany, a person of respectable appearance and address, stood charged with

stealing an inkstand, value 5s., the property of John Jones. John Pedder stated, that he was in the auction-room of Dawson and Cafe, in Great Marlborough-street, on the day named in the indictment, when he saw the prisoner take an inkstand off the marble slab, with which he walked away. Witness told the prosecutor of the circumstance, and the prisoner said he had purchased it of a person who had left the room. John Jones, the prosecutor, stated that he saw the prisoner with an inkstand, which he considered to be his property: hence he gave the prisoner into custody. In his cross-examination by Mr. Sergeant Arabin, the witness said, that he was a broker, and that he attended sales to buy and sell goods; there were two hundred and fifty lots for sale that day, part of them belonging to him and part to other people; the inkstand was not one of those marked for sale; there were thousands like it, and he would not now swear that it was his property. He did not deny but that it was the practice of jobbers to sell their lots immediately after the purchase.

The prisoner, when called upon for his defence, addressed the Court in the following words:

"My Lord and Gentlemen of the Jury,-Overwhelmed as I am at the deplorable situation in which I now stand before you, will, I am fearful, preclude the possibility of my revealing to you what I have suffered both in body and mind, in consequence of the accusation which is now preferred against me, and of which most solemnly avow I am perfectly innocent. I trust the verdict which you, gentlemen, are about to return will bear me out in that assertion, and restore me to that liberty of which I never

had the misfortune to be deprived, until the present occasion. Gentlemen, I beg to call your attention to the circumstances of this (to me) distressing case, which are simply these-Having occasion to pass through Marlborough-street, on the day in question, I was attracted to notice a bill of sale attached to the auction-room, and was induced to go in. While there I was looking at an inkstand which stood on the table, when a man standing close by me asked if I would buy it, adding, that he had just given four shillings for it, and if I would give him one shilling advance, I should have it. I agreed to do so, and paid him five shillings, and he went away, and I proceeded to do so in about half an hour, when I was accused of theft and given in custody, although there was no concealment of the article, and I took it from the table in the presence of a number of persons. I need hardly advert to the fact, that the case appeared to be exaggerated against me, probably taking advantage because I was a foreigner, and consequently unable to convince them of their doubts respecting my respectability. Gentlemen, no cause exists why I should be induced to purloin an article of trifling value, as the means I derive from my parents are amply sufficient to procure me a comfortable living in England, independent of which my education and pursuits are a source of income. I came, gentlemen, to this country, twelve months ago, in order to study mathematics, and perfect myself in the English language, and was about to return home on the 8th of this month, and had procured my passport accordingly, which is now become useless in consequence of this abominable charge, which not only gives

rise to delay, but will be the means of deranging my domestic affairs. My passport, certificates, and other credentials, will show that my character has always been unquestionable, and there are persons in court who will give verbal testimony to that effect. My lord and gentlemen, as a foreigner I throw myself upon your protection. I am entirely innocent of the charge, and rely upon your justice, your humanity, and respectability as a safeguard; and hope that, after taking the circumstances into consideration, you will by your verdict, not only restore me to liberty, but thereby enable me to return to my country and friends, where important affairs demand my presence." While the unfortunate gentleman delivered the address, he was at times considerably affected.

Mr. Taplin, the proprietor of a tavern near Soho-square, stated that for the last two months Mr. Steck had lived at his house; he kept gentlemen's company, and appeared at all times to be a gentleman himself, by his conduct, and by his pecuniary means.

Mr. Sergeant Arabin left it to the jury to say, whether under all the circumstances they could suppose that the prisoner was guilty. His defence manifested talent and ingenuity, and no man circumstanced as he was could have a better character. The jury would also bear in mind that the prosecutor would not swear to the property being his.

The jury without hesitation, returned a verdict of acquittal.

15. CUTTING TREES.-For a considerable time past the persons residing in the vicinage of Maidenhead-thicket, a large common near Maidenhead, have enjoyed undisturbed the right to cut furze off