able, now extreme heat, now rain, now fair, and now signs as if of a storm. On Tuesday, again, there was another shock, and since then, says the Patriote, "it seems to us that we walk upon a quaking earth."

"Port-au-Prince, May 12.

"The Cape Hayti (town) is de stroyed by an earthquake. We have no letters in this place as yet, and we much fear the reason of this is, that all the inhabitants, or the greater part of them, are buried in the ruins. Our Mr. Dupuy, who left us last night for the scene of misery, is in despair about the fate of his mother, brothers, sisters, friends, and relations. Gonaives has suffered very severely, and some lives were lost; and to add to their misery, the shock caused some lucifer matches in a druggist's shop to ignite, and burn down a whole square of houses. Mr. J. B. Dupuy's house is one of the number, but we hope he would be able to save a good deal. Port-au-Prince has suffered also, but only as regarded breakage of glass, &c., ware, and the walls (of two feet thick bricks) cracked in many places half an inch wide; at one place a brick pillar fell down also. Even here we could hardly keep on our legs, and the vessels rolled about very much. All this happened on Saturday last (the 7th), and the earth has been in motion ever since. Yesterday we had a severe shock, and we can still, every now and then, feel the ground shake. We do not feel at all at our ease, but we hope we have passed over the worst part of it. The Cape affair is indeed awful to think of!"

and perseverance, which succeeded in saving human life, took place in the Regent's Canal, near Camden-town. About six o'clock a boy named Lodgett, residing with his parents at No. 1, Pear-treecourt, Clerkenwell-close, had been bathing in the canal near the bridge, at the back of St. Pancras Workhouse, when suddenly he got out of his depth into six feet of water, and sank. The screams of his companions brought a little boy only eleven years of age, named Joseph Lague, living with his mother, a poor widow, at No. 4, Oxford-terrace, King's-road, to the spot; on hearing what had happened, the gallant little fellow, who could swim only tolerably, regardless of consequences, threw off his jacket and cap, and at once dived into the water. In half a minute he made his appearance with the boy Lodgett above the surface; but the latter being nearly double his size, the strength of the poor little fellow was unable to sustain him, and he again sank. Lague again went down after him, and was successful in again bringing him to the surface, but his strength failed him, and he was forced to let the elder boy go. After recovering himself for about a minute, the poor little fellow, who was scarcely three and a half feet high, dived down for the third time, and, making a desperate effort, brought the body of Lodgett again up with the head under his arm, and managed to reach the wood-work passing along the canal at this part, against which he rested the body till some of the boys caught hold of it, and they were both with the greatest difficulty then got out, and conveyed to the St. Pancras Workhouse. Lague being very much exhausted, was

placed in the infirmary, and stimulants were administered, but the boy Lodgett being to all appearance lifeless, was placed in the dead house, and was about to be left, when the gate-porter, seeing as he thought the body move, instantly ran for Dr. Escott, the parish surgeon, who promptly attended, and for two hours used every endeavour to suspend animation, which at the end of that period proved entirely successful.

16. OUTRAGE ON THE MILITARY OFFICERS AT CHATHAM.-To-day the county magistrates assembled at the office, College-green, Rochester, for the purpose of investigating an assault case of a most atrocious character committed on several military officers, particularly on the person of Ensign George Noble Bradin, of the 26th Regiment of Foot. It appears that for several weeks past some illfeeling had existed between the officers of the garrison and the seamen belonging to the different colliers lying in the river Medway, and on Saturday night, the 4th of June, the parties met in the Highstreet of Chatham, when a general row ensued, and several officers were wounded. Some of the ringleaders of the party being known, two of them were captured, and were placed in the dock. The two prisoners were brothers, and they gave their names George and Thomas Langford, both mariners. The former appeared about twentyeight years of age, and the other twenty-one. Ensign Bradin sworn, said, that on the night of Saturday, the 4th of June, about half-past eleven o'clock, he arrived with a friend, a barrister, at the Sun Hotel, when his attention was called to a mob of persons collected in the High-street, and hearing a

female state as she was passing that some officers would be murdered, he was induced to go and see what was the matter, when he saw several military officers being beaten and otherwise ill-treated. Witness did his utmost to get the officers away, when one of the men made an effort to strike him (witness). Witness assured the men they were mistaken in him, for he was a stranger. Witness seeing no reason for staying in such a mob, was about to return to the hotel, when he was instantly surrounded by about fifteen men, who knocked him down and kicked him on the body. His head and face were dreadfully cut, and both his eyes were closed; the party swearing that they would kill him. Witness had his military cap on, and wore his undress uniform. The blows and kicks deprived him of his recollection. Some of the officers were laid up for several days after the outrage. Constable Bines stated to the bench that he saw the officer's (Mr. Bradin's) head next morning; it was bruised like a mummy. Charles Harrison, a carpenter, distinctly swore that he saw the prisoner George Langford strike Ensign Bradin, and swore that he would pay the by soldiers out. Ensign Bradin was taken away by a young man, and a general fight then ensued. William Kent, shopman to Mr. Thomas, saw the prisoner George Langford very active in the row on the night in question, and strike some of the officers. Witness saw Mr. Bradin cross the road; he was followed by several persons; and seeing him fall from a blow given by the elder prisoner, witness interfered, when eight to ten of the party attacked witness; he fought his way, and succeeded

in rescuing the officer from them; the officer was covered with blood. The magistrates were unanimous in opinion that a more atrocious case never came before them, and therefore inflicted a penalty of 40s., with 16s. 6d. costs. This seems a very inadequate fine for such a case; but the prisoner not being able to pay, was committed to the House of Correction for six weeks. Thomas Langford was discharged.

17. TRIAL OF FRANCIS FOR HIS ATTEMPT ON THE QUEEN'S LIFE. -The trial of John Francis for his attack upon the Queen, came on to-day. The court was full, but not over-crowded. Chief Justice Tindal, Mr. Baron Gurney, and Justice Patteson, took their seats at ten o'clock. The AttorneyGeneral, the Solicitor-General, Mr. Adolphus, and Mr. Waddington, were counsel for the Crown; Mr. Clarkson for the prisoner. Col. Arbuthnot, Col. Wylde, and some other officers of the Household, had seats on the bench. Francis was respectably dressed in a dark frock-coat and trowsers. He was dejected, and much altered since his examination at the Home Office. The indictment charged him with shooting at the Queen with a pistol loaded with gunpowder and a bullet; and other counts put the charge in various ways,such as, that the pistol was loaded with gunpowder and certain other destructive materials unknown, and simply that the pistol was discharged in an attempt on the life of the Queen. He pleaded "Not Guilty," in a very feeble voice.

The Attorney-General opened the case, laying down the law on the subject, and briefly stating the facts to be proved in evidence. He understood that no plea of insanity would be set up; but the prisoner

would be admitted to have been in the full possession of his faculties at the time. The purchase of the pistol, and a previous intention of employing it, would be proved: but the Attorney-General acknowledged that he could not prove the purchase of a bullet: nor, as it had been fired towards an open space, could it be found. But there were thousands of substanees that would serve the purpose of a bullet -as a pebble, a child's marble, or any irregular piece of lead. If it were argued that that gave the prisoner the benefit of a doubt, neither the life of the Sovereign nor that of any one else would be safe. It was, he understood, to be alleged in defence, that the act was a mere frolic; but the prisoner was admitted to be sane; and no sane person could be guilty of such heartless wickedness for the sake of a joke; while to admit the plea would destroy all safety for people's lives.

The first witness called was Colonel Charles James Arbuthnot, one of the Queen's Equerries. He gave the most distinct account that has yet appeared of the event of May 30th

"My general position is about five yards in the rear of Her Majesty. Before we left the Palace on Monday, I had received an intimation which induced me to ride as close to Her Majesty as I could; and Colonel Wylde, Prince Albert's Equerry, rode in the same position on the other side. Between six and seven o'clock, we were coming down Constitution Hill; when, about half-way down the hill, I observed the prisoner; and on the carriage reaching him, he took a pistol from his side, and fired it in the direc tion of the Queen. As quickly as I could, I pulled up my horse and

gave the prisoner into custody. The prisoner had before this caught my attention, as appearing anxious to see Her Majesty." The Colonel went on to say, that the utmost distance from the carriage when Francis fired was seven feet. The pistol was fired just as the carriage was passing. The cortège had been going at the rate of eleven miles an hour; but the Colonel had given instructions at this spot to go faster, and the postillions were driving as fast as the horses could go, and he should say at the rate of twelve or thirteen miles an hour. The Queen was sitting on the backseat of the carriage, on the side nearest to the prisoner. The pistol seemed to the witness to be pointed in the direct line of Her Majesty; he heard the report, and saw the smoke and fire emitted from the pistol. A policeman stood within three yards of Francis; the Colonel exclaimed, "Secure him!" which was done; and he galloped on and resumed his post at the Queen's side.

Henry Allen, a private in the Scots Fusileer Guards, said that he was twelve or fifteen paces behind the carriage. He had seen the prisoner leaning on the pump just before; and as the carriage came up he saw him step forward and present a pistol at the carriage: he heard the report and saw the flash. He had been in the army eighteen months, and had experience in firing with ball and blank cartridge; and he should say that the pistol was loaded with ball-it makes a sharper sound than a blank cartridge.

Here Colonel Arbuthnot was recalled and examined by the bench as to the sound of the report. He said:

"The report was sharp and loud, VOL. LXXXIV.

but I did not hear the whiz of a ball, in consequence of the noise of the carriage and eight horses. My opinion is that the pistol was loaded with something more than the powder and wadding, from the sharpness and loudness of the report. That is a mere matter of opinion. I do not think that powder only would have made such a sound: a blank-cartridge is a mere evaporation of powder, This was the report of a pistol well rammed down and charged.

Mr. Patrick Fitzgerald, who had served in the Spanish and Portuguese armies, stated that he seized Francis on the left as the policeman seized him on the right. Just as the carriage came up, he saw the prisoner raise his right arm, point a pistol at the open part of the carriage, and fire: he saw the flash and heard the report.

Colonel Wylde, Equerry to Prince Albert, corroborated Colonel Arbuthnot's statement. He stated that the Queen always sits on the same, the right side of the carriage. He stopped his horse when Francis fired, and alighted; saw him in custody, and

ordered him to be taken to the Palace Lodge.

William Trounce, a police-constable of the A division, had seen Francis loitering about for half an hour before the occurrence. He observed that as he looked at him, Francis went behind a tree. Trounce was not more than one yard from the prisoner when he heard the report of a pistol: he looked round and saw Francis in the act of presenting it. He seized him at

once.

Other evidence related to the previous movements of the prisoner. George Pearson, a wood-engraver, I

saw him present the pistol at the Queen on the Sunday, as she was returning from the Chapel Royal: he exclaimed, "They may take me if they like I don't care-I was a fool I did not shoot her!" Joseph Robert Street, shopman to Mr. Ravener, a pawnbroker in Tothillstreet, sold to the prisoner the pistol that had been produced in court, on the 27th May, for 3s. He paid for it with three fourpenny pieces, a sixpence, and the rest in copper. Richard Pritchard, an oilman in Lower Eaton-street, Pimlico, sold him a flint on the same day. Thomas Gould, of York-street, Westminster, sold him a halfpenny-worth of gunpowder on the 27th; and Anne Briggs sold him an ounce on the 30th, in Brewer-street; he paid twopence for it without asking the price. Cecilia Forster, said that Francis had had half a bed in her house, 106, Great Tichfield-street, for 3s. a week; he left her lodging on the 27th May; having been out of work for some time before.

William Gore, one of the Queen's grooms, who had been summoned but not examined by the counsel for the Crown, was cross-examined by Mr. Clarkson; he said that he was riding six or seven yards behind Colonel Arbuthnot. The pistol was discharged between them; and it seemed to him to be pointed at the hind-wheel of the carriage.

For the defence, Mr. Clarkson commented on the evidence with a view to prove it inconclusive of the charge. He expressed some indignation, that he should have been supposed capable of suggesting that the pistol had been fired as a mere feu-de-joie was not the case disgusting and abhorrent enough without that? Francis's

previous distress, and his courting detection after the attempt, would prove his intent. Had the pistol been loaded with any destructive missile, it was impossible that it could have been discharged without injuring the Queen, Colonel Arbuthnot, or his horse. Two years ago the morbid feeling and vanity of another person had induced him to commit the desperate act of firing two loaded pistols; he had been taken care of and provided for; and was it impossible that the prisoner, in the distressed state in which he was proved to be, unable to

pay his lodging, with only a penny in his pocket, should have committed the act in the hope of being provided for in a similar manner? He relied on the clemency and mercy of the jury.

The Solicitor-general replied; contending that though there was no direct proof of the pistol's having been loaded, the jury could come to no other conclusion; and whatever Francis's motive, he must have had a criminal design.

Chief Justice Tindal summed up. He told the jury that, if they were satisfied that the pistol was loaded with a bullet, that would be proof of the criminal design; or even if it was loaded only with wadding, but fired so close to the Queen as to do her severe bodily harm, an overt act of high treason would be made out.

The jury retired at twenty minutes to four o'clock. They returned into court at five minutes past five; and the foreman stated that they found the prisoner "Guilty" on the second and third counts; not that the pistol was loaded with a bullet, but that it was loaded with some destructive substance besides the wadding and powder.