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Leader (1850-1860), 17th January 1852, Edition Town of 1, Page 53, Untitled Article

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      Untitled Article

      great fevourite of Hodgson ' s , which , is much , in his favour besides * Graham Gore , the first lieutenant , a man of great stability of character , a very good offiper , and the sweetest of tempers , is not s ^ mucta man of 1 fce world as Fairholme or Des Vceux , is more of Le ViscomteV style without his shyness . He plays the flute dreadfully well , drawssometimes very well , sometimes very badly , but is altogether a capital fellow . Here ends my catalogue . I don't know whether I have managed to convey an impression , of our mess , and you know me sufficiently to be sure that I mention their little faults , failings , and peculiarities in

      all charity . I wish I couldj however , ' convey to you a just idea of the immense stock of good feeling , good humour , and real kindliness of heart in our small mess . We are very happy , and very fond of Sir John Franklin , who improves very much as we come to know more of him . He is anything but nervous or fidgety ; in fact , I should say remarkable for energetic decision in sudden emergencies ; but I should think he might be easily persuaded where he has not already formed a strong opinio * .

      Our men are all fine , hearty fellows , mostly North countrymen , with a few man-of-war ' s men . We feared at Stromness that some of them would repent , and it is usual to allow no leave—the Terror did not * But two men wanted to eee- ^ -one his wife whom he had not seen for four years , and the other his mother whom he had not seen for seventeen—so I let them go to Kirkwall , fourteen miles - . off . I also allowed a man of each mess to go on shore for provisions . They all came on board to their leave ; but finding we were not going to sea till the following morning , four men ( who probably had taken a teetie too much whiskyamong them was the little old man who had

      , not seen his wife for four years ) took a small boat that lay along side and went on shore without leave . Their absence was soon * discovered , and Fairholme , assisted by Baillie , and somebody or other * brought all on board by three o ' clock in the morning . I firmly believe each intended coming on board ( if he had beensober enough ) , especially the poor man with the wife—but , according to the rules of the service , these men-should have been severel y punished—one method being to stop their pay and give it to the constables , or others , who apprehead ^ them . It struck me » however , that the punishment is intended to prevent misconduct in others , and not to revenge their

      individual misconduct—men knaw very well when they are in the wrong—and there is clearly no chance of any repetition of the offence until we get to Valparaiso , or the Sandwich Islands ; so -I got up at four o ' clock , had every body on deck , sent Gore and the Sergeant of Marines below , and searched the whole deck for spirits , which were thrown overboard . This took two good hours ; soon after which we up anchor , and made sail out . I said nothing to any of them . They evidently expected a rowing , and the old man with the wife looked very sheepish , and would not look me in the face | but nothing more was said , and the men have behaved not a bit the worse ever since . I

      don ' t know why I tell you all this . I meant to go to bed when I finished the other sheet ; but went to look at some beautiful specimens of crustaceous animals in the microscope , one of which , about a quarter of an inch long , is an entirely new animal , and has a peacock's tail . Goodsit is drawing it . And now I must really say good night ; it is past one o ' clock . 11 th and 12 th . —All yesterday it blew very hard , with so much sea that we shipped one or two over the quarterdeck , by which I got a good drenching once . The eea is of the most perfect transparency—a beautiful , delicate , cold-looking green , or ultramarine . Long rollers , as if carved out of the essence of gloss

      bottles , came rolling towards us ; now and then topped with a beautiful pot-of-porter-looking head . At sunset the wind moderated , and was calm at night . This morning a fair wind until four o'clock , p . m ., when thick fogs blew over at last , and settled this evening into a strong northerly breeze ( fair for us ) , by which we are going on at a good rate , with another sea getting up in an opposite direction to the last , and between , the two we are rolling somewhat . We are now only 6 ix miles from Iceland—south of it . 14 th . —Yesterday evening the sea went down muoh , and the wind became very light . This morning the wind was quite fair , having been so more or leas all night ; but instead of having clear weather as with the N . E . -wind , it came to 8 . E . and brought hard rain and thiok fogs all day . We are nowhowever

      , ( eleven p . m . ) , going seven knots and a quarter in a thiok fog , with the Terror on one side and transport on the other , keeping close for fear of losing sight of us . To-day we arranged all our books in the mess , and find that we have a very capital library . ' Reid still amuses us . He has juat told me how to boil salt fish when it is very salt . He saw the steward towing it overboard , and roared out : — " What aro you making faces at there ? That ' s not the way to get the sarlt oout . It appears , that when it boils it is to bo takon off the fire and kept just not boiling . A his iB Saturday night . Reid and Osmor are drinking V Sweethearts and wives " ; and they wanted me to join . I said I had not the one , on , d did not want the other . Good night . ( To bo continued . )

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      FOX-HUNTING GLORIES . Nimrod dining at the ** Tower of Babel / ' and presented with a piece of plate by admiring neighbours , is what we do not read of in history ; but it is a sight the nineteenth century can exhibit—as well as French Constitutions . At Copt-hall , Epping , lives _ a gentleman named Henry John Conyers , described as " a fine old English gentleman , "—certainly a boisterous one . He is a mighty hunter , and has spared neither expense nor pains to keepfoxes in the county of Essex , and a pack to hunt them . And to testify their sense of his immense services to Essex-humanity , a company of gentlemen , Headed by Mr . Brains ton , M . P ., dOnned their " bits of scarlet , " dined , and drank together on Thursday , and presented Mr . Ooriyers with a handsome piece of plate . Of course , the eloquence of the evening was ^ expended in celebrating the glories of fox-hunting . Mr .-Bramston , with a certain reminiscent ardour , entered on the enticing theme .

      " Depend upon it , no successful foxhunter was ever a fool . { Cheers . ) He must not only be a man of sense , but he must have a good eye , a ready hand , a cool head ; he must be capable of enduring great fatigue ; he must , above all , have great nerve , and an unswerving determination to accomplish the object he has in view . no matter what difficulties and obstacles may present themselves in his way . It is upon these qualities that the national character of Britons is based . { Hear , hear . ) But , to return to the topic which more immediately concerns us , I would remind you , gentlemen , that we are assembled to pay a tribute of respect and esteem to Mr . Conyers , who , for forty-eight years of his life , has been the master of a pack of foxhounds . { Loud cheers . ) We have heard of the father of the bar , and the father of the house—but here , gentlemen , is the father of the chase . ( Enthusiastic < applause . )"

      The Father of the Chase beat his senatorial admirer hollow in enthusiasm . Of course , Thursday was the " happiest day of his life " ; and the kindness he received greater than he deserved . " When I come to think of the blessings of foxhunting , I have no language to do justice to the subject . It is easy to talk of love and of ' its sweet return '; but what is there that promote love and' kindness , and benevolence and benignity , and every thing that is good , genial , and kind-hearted , amongst countrymen and neighbours , like foxhunting ? ( Cheers . ) At a foxhunt men of the most opposite opinions—men who , on questions of religion and politics , have scarcely one sentiment it

      common—Whigs , Tories , Radicals , and any thingarians—( laughter ) —can mingle together , with as much harmony , good humour , and good fellowship , as if they had been all their lives on terras of tho most cordial unanimity and the most ardent sympathy . Serious people , who look upon religion aa a matter of gloom , occasionally say to me , 1 How wicked it is to hunt I' ( Laughter . ) No later than yesterday morning a very great lady , whoso name I will not mention , said to me , ' How very wicked it is of you to hunt a fox ! ' ' What , madam V said I , ' to see all my friends and neighbours thronging round me to enjoy a manly , healthful recreation—with happiness beaming upon every brow , and a smile upon every lip ?

      - ^ -how can that be wicked ' ( Loud cheers . ) The lady seemed to feel the justice of my statement , but she took advantage of my infirmity—( laughter )—and told me that I swore when I hunted . Well , perhaps , I have done bo before now—( laughter and cheers )—but I told her , what is the fact , that I nevertheless regard the swearing with as muoh disfavbur as heraelf , and , so I do . ( Loud cheers . ) Swearing is a vulgar and ungentlemanlike habit . I ought to be ashamed of it , and so fain . ( Laughter and cheers . ) I will endeavour never to do so any more . ;

      indeed , I have almost taken an oath never to do bucu a thing again . ( Loudlaughter . ) But the fuct is , a habit that one has contacted very early in life , is not very easy to be got rid of . ( Cheers . ) However , I can declare with all sincerity , that there ia not a Berioua person in the country who disapproves of swearing more strongly than I do ; and I could wish to impose a fine upon myself for every time that I indulge in an oath . ( Continued applause . ) But an for fox-hunting , I will ever maintain that the blessings it confers on a country are great und numerous . It encourages bravery , aourage , » nd enterprise in a poople , and , above all things , It pro 0 » otoa kind feeling and good fellowship . "

      Every man not a foxhunter must blush in his shoes . This extravagant praise is laughable enough ; but what a basis of pluck , goodnature , and energy it discloses ! applied to rural sanitary reform , for instance .

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      THE 'KAFIR WAR . A public meeting was held at Birmingham on Tuesday , attended by Mr . Joseph Sturge , Mr . C . B . Adderley , M . P ., Mr . Chameropzow , Secretary of the Aborigines Protection- Society , the Reverend H . Richards , one of the secretaries of the Peace Society , and other gentlemen , for the purpose of affording the inhabitants of Birmingham an opportunity of protesting against the cruel and aggressive war now desolating South Africa , at an enormous cost to the people of this country . Mr . Alderman . Baldwin presided . Letters were read from Mr . Hume , M . P ., and Mr . Cobden , M . P ., who both agreed in referring the war at the Cape to Lord Orey and the delay in according to the Cape the long promised constitution ; at the same time severely censuring Sir Henry Smith for his method of conducting

      the war . Mr . Adderley , MP ., took views nearly analogous . He was opposed both to the policy of " conciliation" and " extermination , " the policy proposed by the leader of the meeting , and that of Sir Henry Smith . He thought we should act upon the principle of justice towards the Kafirs , and grant a constitution to the Cape . Colonies ought to govern themselves . He denounced the colonial policy of Downing-street as a " policy of corruption , jobbery , and weakness . " Resolutions . were agreed to , lamenting the origin and continuance of the war , and regarding it as " the direct result and retributive consequence of ^ a cruel and unrighteous policy ; " protesting against the " enourmous expenditure , " and urging an immediate return to the "just and conciliating policy of Lord Glenelg . " A memorial to Lord John Russell , and a petition embodying these views were ordered .

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      BAYARD TAYLOR ON AUSTRIAN CURRENCY . Bayard Taylor , who has lately been travelling in Aus " tria , has the following on Austrian currency : — . " My recollections of ' shinplaster ' times have greatly advanced in dignity since I have made acquaintance with , the Austrian paper money . The notes from one florin ( fifty cents ) upward are engraved on steel , and printed on paper of moderate' fineness . They contain the value of the note in German , Italian , Hungarian , and Bohemian , with a statement that the Austrian National Bank will pay the holder the full amount in silver . ( The coin , it need not be said , is handed out over the left shoulder of the applicant . ) They are also adorned with a female head , which at first I greenly took to be Liberty , butvhave since been

      informed that it represents Austria . The smaller notes , down to the value of six kreutzers ( five cents ) , look like apothecaries' labels ; they are printed with ordinary type and on very ordinary paper . Even the copper kreutzers are so scarce that you are obliged to pay three kreutzers by tearing a six-kreutzer note in twain , and giving half of it . These half-notes are current among the small merchants , but you can always pass them by pasting two together . They are generally so black and greasy , from long use , that you are tempted to spend your money for the sake of getting rid of it . In the public offices they have whole sheets of the small notes , and will give you a dozen together , like so many post-office stamps . "

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      MURDER NEAR BANBURY . Kalebergo was an old man living in Banbury , and following the craft of a jeweller . He had laid up good store of wealth , but was still active in adding to his accumulations . Some time ago he sent for his nephew from Germany , who arrived and immediately lent hiB assistance in carrying on the thriving trade . On Saturday morning both started in a cart to make the usual trading round among the villages—a semi-peddling expedition . They were out all day , and were observed in the evening coming home by a baker driving also a horse and cart . Kalebergo and his nephew were walking . Shortly after the baker heard two shots fired ; but of this at the time he took no notice . Two other persons going in a

      contrary direction passed him , and proceeded up the hill called Williamscott , on the road to Daventry , and lying between two steep banks . One of these , a woman , first met a cart without a driver , and then saw , about half way up the hill , something like a greatcoat on the ground , but which on approaching sho found to be the dead body of a man . It was Kalebergo , the old jeweller . Meanwhile , the nephew , hatless , had rushed into Banbury , declaring that his uncle was murdered , that three ruffians had attacked them , and thai he in fear had fled after his uncle had been shot down . This story being held unsatisfactory , the nephew was arrested . He attempted to escape from custody by jumping out of a window ; but as he broko tho small bono of his right leg and sprained his wrist , he was easily captured .

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      MISCELLANEOUS . The Court is still nt Windsor . Tho Queen , Prince Albert , and the royal children performing the usual rides and walks necessary for health' and pleasure , The Queen will open Parliament in porson , A Privy CounoU was held on Saturday at Windsor Castlo , attended by Prince Albert and the whole of the Ministers , except Lord Broughton and Lord Minto . It was resolved to prorogue Parliament until the 3 rd of February , then to meet for tho despatch of business . Two Cabinet Councils have been held this woek at the Foreign-office .

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      It is currently reported that the address on the opening of Parliament , on the 3 rd of February , will be moved by

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      the same period , 156 , 310 bathers , with £ 2143 . 7 s . 8 d . receipts . There were 43 , 462 washers , who washed for 98 , 824 hours , and paid £ 531 . Is . 2 d . Taking the metropolis generally , which as yet yields us reports of but five establishments , of which one was opened on the 2 nd of September , we find that during the past year there were 647 , 242 bathers , who paid in all £ 9141 . 8 s . 6 d ., and 132 * 251 washers , who paid £ 1498 . 19 s . 2 d . The sum of the combined receipts is 10 , 640 . 7 s . 8 d . The country returns yield similar results , for the periods during which the establishments have been opened to the public .

      BATHS AND WASH-HOUSES . Some statistical returns have been published , showing the success of the baths and wash-houses already established in London and the provinces ; . Here are . some Of the more striking results . In the establishment which is situated in St . Martin ' s- in- the-Fields , during the course of the year 1851 , there were 213 . 485 bathers j and the receipts amounted to £ 3437 . 17 s . 9 d . There were 60 , 200 washers ; the number of hours washing was 103 , 836 ; and the receipts under this head were £ 499 . 14 s . Id . So at " the Model , " in Whitechapel , there were , during

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      .-j ^ ; i ^ .-i « iii .. - - &frr & ***»**? 5 a

  • Citation
    • Leader (1850-1860), Jan. 17, 1852, page 53, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse2.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct1918/page/9/