AFFAIR IN HIGH LIFE.—An event, neither very novel nor very
unprecedented in a certain class of society, but most extraordinary and most unlooked for, when we consider the present public and private condition of the parties, has formed the chief subject of conversation for the last two days among the fashionable circles at the west end of the town. That which had been hinted at, or vaguely insinuated for a day or two, assumed a shape tangible enough for relation ; and it was pretty broadly stated that an Illustrious Personage, whose attentions for sonic time, ex- cited suspicion, had been detected in a most unequivocal situation in the dressing- room of the lady of a nobleman holding a situation in the Royal Household. The lady alluded to is the sister of a distinguished peer, and the mother of eight or nine Children. WO give thci awry as we rtceived it; with9ut attemptinL farther to signate the individuals alluded to. We may, however, add, that the wife of the principal offender is excited to an unusual degree of violence; and that one of his relatives, in whom the nation is much interested, has been more agitated by the discovery of this criminal indulgence than might have been expected.— Morning Chronicle, Jan. 30. THE SHOPKEEPING NATION.—NO fewer than fifteen vessels were driven ashore near Hull during the gales of last week. In some instances the crews were in imminent danger. While the shrieks of distress were heard from a vessel called the Charlotte, there were about one hundred and fifty watermen on the pier, whose only answer to the repeated entreaties of their brethren of the land, that they would proceed in the lifeboat to the rescue of the perishing seamen, was, " who is to pay us ?" It was not until after along delay, and on the most earnest and repeated exhortation, that six young men were found who were willing to encounter some small risk to save the lives of the crew. The wrecks of the vessels that came on shore were plundered without scruple or measure. Generous and moral England. THE BLAKENEY Prtors.—The City of Edinburgh steamboat was compelled to come to an anchor off Blakeney last week. She had ferty passengers on board. The weather was not so rough that any well-formed boat might not have reached the vessel,—yet the pilots, notwithstanding her signals and a reward of 50/. offered by the gentlemen of the town, refused for two days to go to her assistance either with the lifeboat or any other ; during all which time, the passengers, many of them ladies, were kept in the utmost distress and alarm. At last they did venture out, and the vessel was brought into harbour. It is said these pretty gentlemen ask 500/. for their labour. If we mistake not, pilots have a licence of some kind from the Trinity House : we hope the Masters will examine into the scandalous conduct of these rascals, and punish them according to their deserts, ,—..WATER IN PARIS.—AI length the French Government have taken up the im- portant subject of- procuring for the inhabitants of Paris a supply of water in ' their houses. It may well be a matter of wonder to the inhabitants of this coun- try to see the Parisians supplied with water by carts, the porters of which carry it up on their backs to the inhabitants of the upper floors. The Government have now fixed on a plan, and will offer the contract for its execution to public icompetition in the manner of a loan. It is computed that 700 tons of iron will
be required to complete the different works. .
k" Epi'lliiis OF THE PassioNs.—When the remains of the late Queen of Portugal were borne forth for interment, Don Miguel, we are told, allayed his grief by gulp- ing down a bumper of brandy. When the Queen of Brazils was introduced to her spouse, after gazing on her beauty in mute adoration, Don Pedro threw himself into the arms—of the Marquis of Babacena ! No wonder that the younger brother outwitted his elder. The man who had the good sense to drown this tears in a glass, would have thrown himself into the arms of his young wife, not his old mi- nister.
THE SMALLEST STEAM-ENGINE:A few evenings ago, we were exceedingly gratified by the sight of a steam-engine, the smallest ever made, the workmanship of an ingenious artisan named Charles Swift, who is employed in the Rutland foundry. In size it is no larger than might with ease be put into the coat-pocket ; the principle is the high pressure in miniature, the pressure being two pounds to the square inch; the cylinder is only 1-12th of an inch in diameter, and it makes 600 strokes in a minute ; half a pint of water will keep it in constant action for more than three hours. It has been constructed for no specific purpose, but has sufficient power to wind the bobbins for a twist net-lace machine. The work- manship is at once highly finished and compact.—Nottingham Review. VERY LIKE A WHALE.—A woodman in the vicinity of Stuttgard, whilst felling wood in a forest, had the misfortune to have his arm caught in a cleft, whilst split- ting a tree. He found himself out of the reach of all assistance, and being unable to disentangle himself, whilst he was exposed to 12 degrees of cold, he formed , the horrid resolution of hewing off his own arm with his axe, and by this means saved his life.—Journal du Commerce. If he could cut the arm, why could he not cut the tree?] LEVITY OF THE Mitmost—During the horrors of the French Revolution, some of the mob seriously proposed to murder the boys at the colleges, lest, like their fathers, they should prove Aristocrats when they grew up. The proposal was re- ceived with shouts of applause; and it was in vain that a few, more sensible and humane than the rest, endeavoured to expose its absurdity and cruelty. At length one fellow bawled out, " Odds bobs ! but we must take care, when we are about it, that we don't kill any of our own." This joke upon the known or suspected frailty of some noble dames created a roar of laughter among the mob, and the whole quietly dispersed, and left the boys unhurt. BREAKING UP OF THE FROST AT PARIS.—An express arrived in Paris on Mon- day with the intelligence that the ice had moved down the river, and had been arrested in its progress by the bridge of Choisy (five miles above Paris) where a wall of ice, fifteen feet high, had been formed. About four the ice cracked above the bridge of theJardin des Plants ; a quarter of an hour afterwards it was heard to crack again. A cannon was fired, and horsemen sent forward, to announce the debacle. All the bells were rung, in order that the persons re- siding near the river might be prepared for the danger. At five o'clock the depth of the river increased from four metres (16 feet) to seven metres (28 feet.) In consequence, the current ran like a mill-stream, but owing to the precautions taken, no very serious accidents occurred. Several boats and barges have been destroyed, but it does not appear that any lives have been lost. Much damage has been done to the ranges of baths, washing establishments, and other craft, with which the river is encumbered. The great embankment op- posite the plains of Grenelle has been partially carried away, and the bridge of Grenelle itself has been seriously injured.—Gazette de France.
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