North Wales Gazette

ANECDOTE RELATED BY THE CAP- l TAIN OF A GUINE A M AN. The bosom of the ocean was extremely tran- quil, and the heat, which was now intolerable, had made us so languid, that almost a general wish overcome us, on the approach of the even- ing, to bathe in the waters of Congo however myself and Johnson were deterred from it, from the apprehension of sharks, many of which we had observed in the progress of our voyage, and theSe enormously large. At length Campbell alone, who had been making too free with his liquor case, was obstinately bent on going over- board and although we used every means in our power to persuade him to the contrary, dashed into the watery element, and had swam some dis- tance from the vessel, when we on the deck dis- covered an alligator making towards him from behind a rock that stood a short distance from the shore. His escape I now considered impossible, his destruction inevitable, and I applied to John- son how we should act, who, like myself, affirmed the impossibility to save him, and instantly seized upon a loaded carbine to shoot the poor fellow before he fell into, the jaws of the monster. I did not however consent to this, but waited with hor- ror the tragedy we anticipated, yet willing to do I cl all in our power. I ordered the boat to be hoisted, and we fired two shots at the approaching alliga- tor, but without effect, for they glided over his scaly covering like hail-stones on a tiled pent- house, and the progress of the creature was by no means impeded. The report of the piece, and the noise of the blacks from the sloop, soon made Campbell acquainted with his danger—he saw the creature making for him, and with all the strength and skill he was master of, made for the shore. And now the moment arrived in which a scene was exhibited beyond the power of my humble pen perfectly to describe. On approach- ing within a very short distance of some canes and shrubs that covered the bank, while closely pursued by the alligator, a fierce and ferocious tiger spntno- towards him, at the instant, the jaws of his first enemy were extended to devour him.— At this awful moment Campbell was preserved. The eager tiger, by overleaping him, encountered the gripe of the amphibious monster. A conflict then ensued—the water was covered with the blood of the tiger, whose efforts to tear the scaly covering of the alligator were unavail- ing, while the latter had also the advantage of keeping his adversary under the water, by which the victory was presently obtained, for the tiger's death was now effected. Thej both sunk to the bottom, and we saw no more of the alligator.— Campbell vas recovered, and instantly conveyed on board. He spoke not a word while in the boat, though his danger had completely sobered him; but the moment he leaped on the deck, fell on his knees, and returned thanks to the Providence who had so protected him, and what is most singular, from that moment to the time I am writing, has never been since the least intoxicated, nor has been heard to utter a single oath. If ever there was a perfectly reformed being in the universe, Campbell is the man.

The Richmond Inquirer, an American Journal, states some curious facts respecting rattle-snakes. —A Frenchman, M. Neale, being in North Ca- rolina,endeavoure I to procure some rattle-snakes, with a view of forming a collection. Several observations induced him to believe that this animal was capable of being tamed. The means which he employed to effect this object are un- known. He ascribes his success entirely to the power of music, and pretends that a tender melody i. sufficient to tranquillize the greatest irritation on the part of the animal. M. Neale is now at Richmond (Virginia). He has two rattle-snakes. —The male is four feet eight inches long, and has eight rattles in his tail, which shows that he is nine years old. The female is smaller, and has but five. Their docility is so great that hav- ing talked to them a little, and stroked them with his hand he takes them as iflhey were rope's-ends, and puts them up his breast until they wind round his neck and kiss him. Far from injuring, these dreadful reptiles seem to emulate one another in evincing their attachment to him. Besides the education of these snakes, M. Neale reposes his security in another cause; for he has a remedy for their bite, of which he makes no secret. The first thing, lie says, is to wsh one's mouth with warm oil, then suck the wound, afterwards to drink plentifully of a decoction of snake root, which operates as an emetic. M. Neale opens the mouths of his snakes, and shows their fangs. —They are in the upper jaw, two on each side; and i fextracteclllre removed. They are pointed and bent; behind, and lie fiat towards the throat when the animal does not want to make use of them. The venom exudes from a little bladder which is at the root of the tooth. These animals change their skin, in summer, once every two months. Every year, except the first, they acquire a new horn rattle, whence they derive theirname. —Tliey seldom shake them, and only when they are irritated, or rather when they want to fix the attention of their prey that is to say, of the most lively animals, such as birds and squirrels. M. Neale maintains the truth of Charming-power I which these snakes have been said to possess, having observed an instance of it in his garden, oil the part of his own snakes; the victim, con- quered by his fears, falling from branch to branch and rock to rock, until his enemy darted upon him. But he denies that there is any thing offen- sive in the breath of these animals, having fre- quently received their close caresses on the c tnlrary, he is convinced that it is soft & agreoa-

THE MAUNDY. THE term Maundy, applied to the annual bene- volence immemorially made by the English So- vereigns to the poor on the Thursday in Passion week (and which will be this day distributed at Whitehall, according to ancient custom), is by seme derived from mawdatuih, command, but others," says Be well, and I think more proba- bly, from maund, a kind of great basket or ham- per, containing eight bales or two fats." And Maundy Thursday, the same author describes as "the day preceding Good Friday, when theu com- mands of OUt SAVIOLU, in washing the feet of the poor, &c. as our Kinas of England^ave long oVac- tised the good old efts torn on jnat washing the feet of pooi' snen, in number equal to the years Cf their reign, anc giving them shoes, stockings, an(i "(iney." So ip. Laugley's Polydore Virgil (p. '1 ,,we read the Kynges and Queens of Eng 1-ai. Of that day washe the reete of so many poore men and women as they be yeeres olde, and geve to every of them so many pence, with a gowne, and another ordinary almes of meate, and kysse their fete; and afterwards geve their gownes off their backes to them that they see most redy of al the nomber." Another writer says, Maunday Thursday is the poor people's Thursday, from the French maund let-, to beg. The King's liberality to the poor, on that Thursday in Lent, is at a season when they are supposed to have lived very low. Maundiant is at this day in French, a beggar." Lambarde, the historian gives the following curious account of Queen Elizabeth's perfor- mance of this ceremony at the Royal Palace of Greenwich, March 19, 1572, of which he was him- self an eye-witness, First, the hall was prepared with a long table on each side, and forms, set by them on the edges of which tables, and under those forms, were laid carpet, and cushions, for her Majesty ■JnJCllee when she would wash thern (the poor). 1 here was also another table laid across the .up- per end of the hall, somewhat above the footpace, for the chappelan to stand at. A little beneath the midst whereof, and beneath the footpace, a stool and cushion of estate was pitched, for her Ma- jesty to kneel at during service time. This done the holy water, basons, alms, and other things, being broght into the hall; and the chappelan and I'"01" J.°'ks having taken their said places, the •. ndry' armed with a fair towel, and takin, a silver bason, filled with warm wa- ter, and sweet flowers, washed their feet, all. one after another, wiped the same with his towel and so, making a cross a little above the toes, kissed them, After him, within a while followed the subahnoner, doing likewise, and after him the almoner himself also then lastly, her Majesty came into the hall, and after some singing and prayers made, and the gospel of CiittlsT"S wash- ing his disciples feet read, thirty-nine ladies and gentlewomen (for so many were the poor folks, ac- cording to the number of the years complete of her Majesty's age) dressed themselves, with aprons .and towels, to wait upon her Majesty; and she, kneeling down upon the cushions and carpets under the feet of the poor women, first washed one foot of every of them, in so many se- veral basons of warm water and sweet flowers, brought to her severally by the said ladies and gentlewomen, then wiped, crossed, and kiss ed them, as the almoner and others had done before. When her Majesty had thus gone through the whole number of thirty-nine (of which twenty sat on the one side of the hall, and nineteen on the other), she resorted to the first again and gave to each one certain yards o f broad cloth to make a gown. Thirdly, she began at the first, and gave to each of them a pair of shoes. Fourthly, to each of them a wooden platter, wherein was half a side of salmon, as much ling, six red her- rings, and two cheat loaves of bread. Fifthly, she began with the first again, and gave to each of them a white wooden dish with claret wine. Sixthly, she received of each waiting ladv their towel and apron, and gave to each poor woman one of the same. And after this, the ladies and gentlewomen waited no longer, nor served as they had done throughout the courses before; but then the Treasurer of the Chamber (Mr. Hennea"-e) came to her Majesty with thirty-nine white purses wherein were thirty-nine pence (as they say), after the number of the years of her Majesty's age, and of him she received and distributed them severally, which done, she received of him so many several red leather purses, each containing twenty shillings for the redemption of her Majesty's gown, which (as men say) by ancient order she ought to give to some one of them at her pleasure, but she, to avoid the trouble of suit, which ac- customably was made for that preference, had changed that reward into money, to be equally divided amongst them ail-namely. 20s. a piece, and those she also delivered particular to each one of the whole company, and so taking her ease upon the cushion of state, and hearing the choir a little while, her Majesty withdrew herself and company departed, for it was by that time the sun-setting. Nor was this ellstoin entirely confined to Royalty being practised in the Catholic times by the Monks and others, as we are informed in the ancient sa- tirical poem, called the Popish Kingdom And here the monks their maundie make with sundne solemn rights. And signes of great humilitie, and wonderous plea- sant sights. Each one the others feete doth wash, and wipe them cleane and drie. With hatefull miede, and secret fraude, that in the heartes doth lye, As if that CHRIST, with his examples, did these things require, And not to helpe our brethren here with zeal and free desire; Each one supplying others wants, in all things that they may, As he himselfe a servaunte made, to serve us ex ei* way, Then strait the loaves doe walke, and pottes too they skinke, AY herewith the holy fathers oft to pleasaunt damsels drinke, p On Maunday Thursday hath bene the manner from the beginning of the church to have a general drinkyng, as appeareth by St. Paul's writing to the Corinthians, and Tertulmuirf to his wife. "-I,aii-'ICY'S Polydore Viigil. INCK'A E OF POPULATION-. — As lately as the year 17bu, t'ie p-irish of at. Paucrascontained little more the n GOO inhabitants. It now comprises up- wards of 80,000, and is every year increasing in a still greater piopoitioii,

LONDON, SATUIIDAY, APRIL 17. THE London Gazette of Tuesday nigbt announces that the Port of Algiers is placed in a state of blockade. This tedious and mortifying mode of annoyance is much less costly of money or lives than an assault or bombardment; and it will probably chastise the barbarians even more effectually than an actual conflict, with all its enthusiasm and its stimulating, recollections. MADRID, MAIlCit 30.——The French garrison which occupied Madrid is to repair, to the number of 5000, to the banks of the Tagus, where it will be can- toned, so as to surround Aranjuez, extend ing its lines towards Toledo. This forma- tion of a kind of camp has been the subject of many observations; but persons who are well informed know that by the Treaty of Occupation, lately concluded between France and Spain, the City of Madrid is not to have a French garrison, except when the King and the Hoyal Family re- side in it, and that the guarding of them is intrusted to 5,000 French, under the immediate command of General Bourmont consequently the) cannot see, in the can- tonments which the French troops are going to occupy on the banks of t he Tagus, any thing more than a natural result of the Treaty of Occupation. Lettees from Corfu of the 18th of March give an important piece of news, but which needs confirmation— it is the surrender of Aria, by a particular convention, to the Greek General Bozzaria. ft is added, that the Albanian troops had joined with the insurgents, who immediately advanced towards Joanina, whi-h they hope likewise soon to bring to a capitulatioi).-Wheii the Greeks are once masters of these two fortresses, they may consider themselves as finally established in Epirns-Augsburg Gazette. Paris Papers of Monday contain authen- tic accounts of the horrible massacres and excesses which have taken place in several cities of Spain. The DJ ARlO of Madrid tells us that in Seville the prisons have been broken into, and a score of per- sons, detained for their political opinions, have been sacrificed." At Cordova only 61 about ten,s have been massacred, for the plot succeeded only in part. At Valencia the Exaltes have contented themselves with throwing a great number into prison. All these three French gar- risons were relieved by Spanish troops from Madrid on the 31st March but it was found the very next day that this experi- ment was dangerous and the French troops were re-instated. Several Numbers of a Itomaic Journal published at Missolonghi, under the title of, the Greek Chronicle have reached Eng- land. The last of the series extends on- ly to the 9th of February, and therefore- supplies us with little information on the state of Greece which had not previously reached us through other channels. The* very appearance, however, of a Newspa- per in such a time, and in such a language it not without its interest-recording, as it does, the noble exploits of a people re- covering their independence after ages of oppression,—addressed to the descend- ants of those whose journalists were Thucydides and Xenophon,—and com- posed in a dialect which, with some va- riations in grammar and construction, was spoken by Homer and Plato. The contents of the two last numbers, like- wise, are somewhat curious. That of the 9th of February gives an eloquent address of the Government of the three islands, Hydra, Spezzia, and Ipsara, to all the Greeks. vw \Ve know well," say these brave men," that when a Christian is called to fight for his faith-wheu a pa- triot struggles for his country, every thing else is regarded as insignificant." They then call to mind, that in the last three years they sacrificed their property-ex- posed their lives—and shed their blood for the general freedom, without meeting with adequate support from the rest of the nations. This address is so curious, thai we regret our limits will not alloiv us to give it entire. With some discussions by the Editor on a criminal code, and an ac- count of the sudden illness and rapid re- covery of Lord Byron, this Nunber of 9th of February contains an extract from the Speech of the American President, where the part which refers to the Greek contijt and cause is particularly pointed out to the sympathy and gratitude of the Greek patiiots. This Paper conclude with an account of the proceedings of Meeting at Cambridge, to recq¡¡v sup- scriplioui for Uiu