female brought the child, which she said was the infant the gentle man had previously called about, and that it was four months old; remarking at the same time, that the child was not her own, but that of a friend who was ill, and then at Brighton. She then inquired whether the nurse had received a letter from the gentleman who had called, and whether the postage had been paid; observing that it was a frequent practice among servants, after receiving money for the purpose of paying postage, to pocket it, and let the letter go unpaid. The nurse said, she certainly had received the letter, of which, however, the postage had not been paid. She thereupon gave the letter into the hands of the lady, who immediately put it in her pocket, for the supposed purpose of charging the servants with the fraud. After presenting the nurse with a sovereign, and a card of address (where the nurse might apply, should any thing be wanting), she took her leave, assuring the nurse, that she should frequently call and see the child. The very respectable appearance of the parties banished all suspicion from the mind of the nurse; but no one having called, and the child being in want of necessaries, she applied according to the direc tion on the card, when she discovered, to her utter astonishment, that the card was a deception; in consequence of which, being a woman in humble life, and unable to maintain the child, she was proceeding with it to a workhouse, when the circumstance came under the observation of Mr. Bishop, the principal officer of his majesty's gaol of Newgate. He immediately took the deserted infant under his protection, and has ever since

brought it up, and maintained it, as a child of his own, at his private cost.

19. HIGHLAND SOCIETY.-The sports of the week at Perth commenced on Tuesday with the Highland Society games. At 11 o'clock, the president and members proceeded to the top of the North Inch, where a large area was inclosed with stakes and ropes, with a platform in the centre for the exhibition of the pipers and dancers. A party of the 93rd Highlanders had been appointed to keep the ground and preserve order, but they, for some unaccountable reason, had been ordered out to take their station at 12 o'clock, an hour after the time of meeting. Before their arrival, a crowd of spectators, estimated at not less than 10,000, had assembled; and, as a rather promiscuous, and by far too numerous admission, to an inner circle, within the lists was permitted, the view of the crowd being completely obstructed, they became turbulent, tore up the stakes and ropes, and pressed forward to the circle within. The handful of the 93rd completely failed in restoring order; and even when a party of the 7th Hussars arrived, the mob was in too much confusion to be arranged in their former station by any means which could have been advisable on the occasion. The sports were, consequently, much obstructed, and it was impossible to witness them with any degree of comfort. The musical competitors displayed much skill, and the dancers great agility and spirit. Great strength and dexterity were exhibited in the other gymnastic exercises, particularly by Peter M'Dougal, from the Braes of Fess, who far outshone any of his athletic compe

titors.

The sports, upon the whole, were calculated to afford much amusement, had the confusion in the ground not marred it in a great degree. The following was the result of the competition-First: --- To the best player of ancient Highland piobrachs, on the grand Highland bagpipe A handsome ivorymounted bagpipe, awarded to Angus Munro, piper to the 93rd foot. Second: A handsome silvermounted snuff mull, with Cairngorum stone; gained by Roderick M'Kay, piper to James Moray, esq. of Abercairney, as second best player on the bagpipe. Third: To the best dancer of a Highland reel-A handsome silver-mounted dirk, awarded to Angus Cameron, Rannoch. Fourth: To the best thrower of the Putting-stone-A handsome silver-mounted snuff mull, gained by Peter M'Dougal, Braes of Fess.-Fifth: To the best thrower of the hammer and tosser of the bar-A silver-mounted powder-horn, gained by the said Peter M'Dougal.-Sixth: To the best leaper-A sporan mollach, gained by James Robertson, Abercairney.-Seventh: To the best dressed Highlander- A Tartan plaid, to Angus Cameron, Rannoch.

RUSSIAN GOLD MINES.-The quantity of gold and platina obtained from the mines in the first six months of this year, is as follows:-1st. From the mines of the Crown-gold, 37 poods 14 lbs.; platina, 2 poods 5 lbs. 2nd. From the mines belonging to private persons-gold, 82 poods 333 lbs. ; platina, 7 poods 17 lbs. A pood is 40 Russian pounds, equal to 36 lbs. English.

23. WRESTLING MATCH-Devonport. The grand match for the

championship of Devon and Cornwall took place this day, on a large green at Devonport, surrounded by high walls, wherein seats had been erected for 10,000 persons, and so great was the interest excited, that some thousands more than this number were present. The receipts at the gates were full 700%. Polkinghorne, the Cornish champion, entered the ring at twelve o'clock, and was received with great applause. In half an hour after, Cann made his appearance, and was also welcomed by his friends with reiterated cheers. The match was for 200 sovereigns, the best of three back falls, fifteen minutes time between each fall. Cann had this year borne away the prize wherever he appeared, and, in fact, had never been thrown in a wrestling ring. Polkinghorne was but little known as a wrestler. He merely came forward to accept Cann's challenge. Cornwall has many better men, though Polkinghorne was, nevertheless, considered a fair match for the Devonshire hero.-After a severe struggle, during which Polkinghorne was much kicked, and each man was several times thrown to the ground, the Cornishman hugged his antagonist, and succeeded in hurling him over his head, dashing him with great force to the earth. This was decided a fair back fall, amidst astounding uproar. Cann had thus met his match for the first time, and though he is undoubtedly game to the bone, the effect of his humiliation was apparent. He, however, appeared again on the field after the lapse of fifteen minutes, and showed beautiful play. His friends mustered courage, and two to one was offered, that he threw his man the next fall. Polkinghorne was, neverthe

less, on the alert, and seemed bent on maintaining the high character of his county. Several falls on either side followed, some of them showing capital science, and much energy was displayed by both men. Cann's kicks began to tell, and it was evident that Polkinghorne, who played after the manner of his county (without shoes), suffered much from the Devonshire practice of kicking with heel and toe, which Cann administered with much good-will, though the Cornishman taught him to be cautious. The triers were divided on one of the falls, two of them considering that Cann had thrown the Cornishman a fair back fall, while the other two as strenuously maintained that it was not a fair fall. It was decided by a toss in favour of Polkinghorne, as not being a fair back fall. The men set to again, and after nearly two hours arduous play, which exhibited the different science of the two counties to the best advantage, Polkinghorne threw Cann a violent fall, on the fairness of which the triers were again divided; but the Cornishman's committee considering it a fair back fall, refused to suffer Polkinghorne again to enter the ring, and in this state the match remained, as, by one of the articles of agreement, it was stipulated that the triers should be unanimous in their decision.

WANT OF NATURAL FEELING.— An Irish woman, apparently about forty years of age, went into the shop of a respectable surgeon, in Glasgow, and offered to sell him, for dissection, a fine living healthy child of her own, about two months old. The price demanded was seven pounds. The surgeon, wishing to see how far the wretch's inhumanity would go, said, he was afraid she would return and trouble

him afterwards. She replied, that so far from returning about the infant, she was willing also to sell him her son, thirteen years of age, whom he might kill, and boil, or do what he liked with him. She then stipulated to retain the infant's clothes; and actually began to strip them off the intended victim. In doing this her eyes filled with tears. The surgeon remarked, that she had an affection for the child, and had better keep it. She replied no, she would part with it ; and dried her tears. The surgeon sent her to the police office, and a warrant was also issued against the husband; but he had been some time separated from the woman, and declared his ignorance of the affair.

24. OPENING A GRAVE FOR TEETH.-On Wednesday, John Foxley was charged with having, at Birmingham, on the 20th of July last, violated and disturbed the remains of Jonathan Bedford, who had been buried in St. Bartholomew's chapel-yard. The body, which was that of a young man, 19 years of age, had been interred on the 19th July. The prisoner, who was a grave-digger, was seen at the grave, at eight o'clock the next morning, by a little girl, who thought the grave had been opened. In consequence, the chapel-wardens were applied to, and they permitted the grave to be opened. The coffin lid was broken, the head of the deceased was shockingly cut and mangled, and the teeth had been taken from the jaws. On the prisoner being asked what he had been digging at the grave for, he said he had lost a rope in filling up the grave, and had taken out some of the earth to look for it. He was found guilty, and sentenced to be imprisoned three calendar months in gaol,

SINGULAR ACCIDENT. About seven o'clock on Sunday morning, as one George Byers was proceeding through John-street, Oxfordstreet, to his stables, he was alarmed by the cries of a female issuing from a cellar; on listening, he heard her supplicating for help, and calling out murder. Alarmed at the cries, he instantly knocked at the house door, but no person answered; in the mean time the cries of the female became much weaker. At length two other persons came up, to whom Byers told the matter, and they proceeded to force open one of the shutters, when at that instant the door was opened, and they instantly rushed in and proceeded down stairs to the kitchen; a faint cry issued from a vault under the street, to which they proceeded, and there on examining they made the following singular discovery-the vault, which was paved with flag stones, contained a well; the stone that covered the mouth of it had fallen in during the night, and a young woman, a servant in the house, in going through the vault, was precipitated into the water. The aperture was so small as to prevent any person from descending to her assistance, and the only mode of delivering her from her perilous situation was by a ladder, which after some time was procured, and to the lower end of which was fixed a jacktowel; it was then lowered down, and she was thus drawn up. She stated that she was going for some shavings when she fell downwards, not knowing where she was going; she caught hold of the bricks on each side, and thus remained suspended. On examination, it appeared that the well was about 20 feet deep, and about half filled with water; it had been closed up for a considerable time,

and, in fact, it was not known to be in existence. The family, who slept in the back part of the house, would have been unconscious of the fate of the poor girl, had not her cries been providentially heard in the street. Excepting some bruises on her back, she sustained no injury.

25. FUNERAL OF TALMA.—According to his last desire, the remains of Talma were carried direct from his house, to the cemetery of Père la Chaise. At ten o'clock, the funeral procession set out. It consisted of a magnificent hearse drawn by four horses, fifteen mourning coaches, Talma's carriage, with those of Mlle. Mars and Mlle. Duchesnois, and two or three other empty ones, having their curtains lowered. In an open carriage was Madame Roustan (Mlle. Volnais) in mourning, and in a second, which immediately followed, were M. Ancelot and M. Soumet, and in a third were M. Casimir Perrier and his two sons. In the first mourning coach were seated M. Arhault, sen. and M. de Jouy, habited in the costume of the Institute. All the others were empty, the fineness of the weather having allowed Talma's friends, who were to have gone in them, to follow the procession on foot, which they preferred. The number of persons composing it may be estimated at three or four thousand, almost all young persons, at the head of whom walked several distinguished by decorations; among the rest, M. Mechin, in his costume as a deputy, and the performers of the Theatres Royal, all bare-headed, marching in the greatest order and silence. The place of sepulture was on one of the heights to the right, not far from the monument of marshal Massena, and bordering upon that of the Despaux family. Midway

up the steep leading to it, the hearse stopped; twelve young men then carried the coffin to the borders of the grave destined to receive it. From an early hour in the morning, a considerable crowd, amounting, perhaps, to 20,000 persons, had filled the cemetery, and when the coffin was brought into it, they 'assembled round the tomb. It was not without difficulty that the persons carrying the coffin, with the friends, and even the orators themselves, (for several silly harangues were pronounced at the grave) were able to get within the circle.

30. POISONING. Jacob Evans was indicted for administering to one Camp Collins, a certain quantity of decoction of foxglove, and thereby causing his death. The prisoner was one of those empirics, by whose ignorance health, and not unfrequently, as in this case, life is sacrificed. The deceased was an apprentice to a cabinet maker, in Clerkenwell, and was troubled with a giddiness in his head. Evans, who had written a book upon the use of herbs, was requested by the mother of the youth to do something to relieve him; to effect this, he administered a dose, which Mr. Whitmore, a surgeon, of Cold-Bath-fields, described as being one hundred and forty-four times stronger than the usual extreme dose used by the faculty. The symptoms described by the surgeon were such as would attend death by vegetable narcotic poison. The prisoner admitted the facts, and pleaded ignorance. A verdict of Not Guilty being recorded, the Court addressed the prisoner as follows:-" For God's sake, prisoner, never let me see you here again; go and repent of the mischief you have done, and never administer medicine again."

31. SLAVE TRADE.-There were 26,533 slaves embarked on board Brazilian vessels, on the African coast, between the first of July, 1825, and the first of July 1826, for the Rio de Janeiro market. Of these poor creatures, 1,540 died on the passage; and 24,728 were landed at the Brazilian capital. The traffic in human flesh and blood must be uncommonly active, when nearly 25,000 unfortunate Africans are annually imported into Rio alone.

RATS' TAILS AND BIRDS' HEADS. -A whimsical return appears in the Mauritius Gazette. It is printed by order of government, in pursuance of a proclamation, made in February, 1825, for the destruction of rats and birds, which form the plague of the island. The rats' tails from eight districts amount to the almost incredible number of 830,473, and the birds' heads to 238,549 in one twelvemonth. The document is signed G. A. Barry, chief secretary of the government.

BOARD OF TRADE, &c. DOWNING-STREET. This magnificent range of building has been lately opened to public view. Although merely a portion of the projected design-the present façade forming only the centre and south east pavilion of the north wing-this is, even in its present state, one of the most splendid edifices in the metropolis. The front is entirely of stone, and consists of a Corinthian order, raised a few feet above the level of the street, one subbasement, before the area to which is a massy stone ballustrade. Ten three-quarter columns, with fluted shafts, and highly-wrought capitals and entablature, occupy the centre; the end pavilion has six columns of the same order boldly advanced