way back with great and indeed unexampled attention, and the persons of the suite enjoyed a degree of personal freedom greater than was ever before enjoyed by any foreigners.

The last despatches from Captain Maxwell of the Alceste frigate, at Canton, communicate very important geographical in formation. It appears, that after the ships under his direction quitted the Gulf of Petche-lie, they stood across the Gulf of Leatong, saw the great wall winding up one side of the steep mountains and descending the other, down into the gulf; and instead of meeting with the eastern coast of Corea, in the situation assigned it in the several charts, they fell in with an archipelago, consisting of at least one thousand islands, amongst which were the most commodious and magnificent harbours; and the real coast of the Corean peninsula they found situate at least 120 miles farther to the eastward. Captain Maxwell from hence proceeded with the other ships to the LeiouKicou Islands, where they met with an har bour equally as capacious as that of Port Mahon, in Minorca, experiencing from the poor, but kind-hearted inhabitants of those places, the most friendly reception.

AFRICA.

AFRICAN EXPEDITION.-"Sierra Leone, May 12.-It is feared that all communication between Captain Campbell and Sierra Leone is cut off, by the following circum

stance :-Colonel M'Carthy, governor of Sierra Leone, had received intelligence of two vessels, supposed Americans, under Spanish colours, taking in slaves, up the river Rio Noonez, at the town, whose chief has always been considered as a staunch' friend of the English and the abolition, and the very man by whose means all correspondence between us and the expedition has hitherto been kept up; he is a powerful chief, and a well-informed man, having been educated in England, and always been in the English pay; that is, receiving valuable presents from time to time from the governor. The Colonial brig was sent to ascertain whether it was so. On her arrival, finding it was the case, a message was sent to this chief, requesting his assistance, if necessary, in capturing these vessels (a brig and schooner, well manned and armed,) who apparently seemed determined to make a desperate resistance. He not only refused, but sent word to say, that if attacked, he would protect them to the utmost of his power. Notwithstanding, they were attacked the same evening, and carried in the most gallant manner. On gaining possession, the vessels lying nearly alongside the bank of the river, the commander of the Colonial brig finding himself completely exposed to the natives, who assailed him on all sides with musketry, arrows, &c. was obliged, in his own defence, to turn the guns of the vessels upon them. The consequence was, that in the morning the banks of the river were covered with dead. The vessels have since arrived at Sierra Leone. This unfortunate occurrence taking place before the expedition is out of his territories, he no doubt will avenge himself by annoying them; we are all afraid so.".

clared disabled from holding the office of clerk of the burgh, as if he were naturally dead."

Mr Black defended himself on these and other grounds: 1st, That he was at liberty, and bound to exercise a sound discretion, which he did openly, fairly, and honestly: 2dly, That he could not be subjected in any criminal consequences, in a case where there was obviously no dolus animus, no undue intention: and, 3dly, That as the conclusions were criminal, the charge behoved to be made more precisely, and established in a different manner.

The Court below, though with reluctance, decerned in terms of the prayer of the complaint, and found Mr Black liable also in expenses, considering that they had no alternative under the acts of Parliament. Mr Black appealed; and the Lord Chancellor has now reversed in toto the judgment against Mr Black, whom he considered as having been the worst used of the two parties. His Lordship expressed his decided disapprobation of the terms of the pleadings against Mr Black in the Court of Session, and which would not have been allowed to remain on the record of an English court. He expressed strong doubts of the construction put upon the statute founded on; and was quite clear that the charge had not been made in terms sufficiently precise, nor supported by proper evidence. Lord Redesdale was of the same opinion.

The inhabitants of Inverkeithing, Dunfermline, Culross, and North Queensferry, have demonstrated their joy at this result, by kindling bonfires, ringing bells, and holding convivial meetings, at which the healths of the Lord Chancellor, Lord Redesdale, the Lord Chief Commissioner, Sir Samuel Romilly, John Clerk, Esq. &c. were drank with enthusiasm.

A Miser starved to death.-Friday the 16th, Mr Omer, of Great Castle Street, Oxford Market, not having seen James Alexander, a man who rented the back garret in his house, for several days, broke open the door of his room, and found him quite dead. The officers searched the place, and in a remote corner found bills, &c. to the amount of £2000, which will all fall to a distant relation at Edinburgh. The deceased was by trade a journeyman carpenter, and had worked for Messrs Nichols and Ralph, in Well Street, for near twenty years. About twelve years ago they fined him a guinea for being detected stealing the workmen's victuals from a cupboard appropriated to their use: on that occasion he would have hung himself, but was rather unwilling to purchase a rope! About a year ago he was discharged for committing similar depredations. He never had a fire if he was to pay for it; but his business as a carpenter enabled him to get plenty of shavings. His diet consisted principally of a twopenny loaf per day, and a pint of small beer; but since his discharge from VOL. I.

Messrs Nichols and Ralph's, he had even dispensed with the latter. He literally starved himself to death.

23.-Suicide. This day a hackney-coach drove up to the eastern gate of Carleton House, in Pall Mall. At the moment a pistol was discharged, and it was discovered that the gentleman in the coach had shot himself. He was conveyed to the house of Mr Phillips, two doors from Carleton House, where medical assistance was procured, but in vain, as he expired in about five minutes, the contents of the pistol having entered his chest, and lodged in his right side. The Duke of Cumberland, and one or two other distinguished characters, were on the spot. His Royal Highness recognised him as Captain D'Aacken of the German Legion. The unfortunate gentleman, it is said, had of late been making applications for promotion, but had been unsuccessful. Captain D'Aacken has been for some time in the British service, and distinguished himself in the battle of Waterloo.

26.-Trial for Sedition.This day came on, before the High Court of Justiciary, the trial of Niel Douglas, Universalist preacher in Glasgow, accused of uttering seditious expressions in his discourses from the pulpit; when, after the examination of a number of witnesses on the part of the prosecution, and in exculpation, the jury returned a verdict of Not Guilty. The principal witnesses against the pannel were two townofficers of Glasgow, who acknowledged that they had been sent by their superiors to hear his, discourses, but whose evidence seemed to be less conclusive than that of the pannel's witnesses.

30.-Wreck of the Royal George.-The first survey was made on the 24th inst. by means of the diving-bell, of the wreck of the Royal George, which sunk off Spithead about thirty-five years since. She lies nearly east and west, with her head to the westward, and, with a trifling inclination, on her larboard bilge. The whole of her decks have fallen in, and the starboard broadside upon them: there are, in fact, no traces whatever of her original formation, her remains appearing as a piece of ruinous timber-work. The surface of her timbers is decayed, but the heart of them is sound. It is fully expected the Navy Board will give directions immediately for the breaking up and removal of her remains.

31.-Early potatoes made their first appearance in the Edinburgh market this morning. The quantity was about two Scots pints. They were sold at four shillings per pint.

About the middle of this month accounts were received at Lloyd's of the appearance of several Moorish pirates in the north seas. One of them was captured by the Alert sloop of war, Captain J. Smith, who states the following particulars in a letter, dated Margate Roads, May 18.—“I have conducted into this anchorage a piratical ship of 18 3 K

guns and 130 Moors, under Tunisian colours. I have also taken possession of two of his prizes captured by him off the Galloper a few days since, viz. the ship Ocean of Hamburgh, from Charlestown to Hamburgh, with cotton and rice; and the galliot Christina of Oldenburgh, from Lubeck to France with wheat. I do not think our Government would allow these pirates to cruise in the narrow seas, to the interruption of our trade and that of other peaceable nations; he denied having any knowledge of these vessels when I questioned him about them, but on my boarding them I was surprised to find them in his possession. I do not think that any vessels, whatever colours, they might be under, would be safe while these pirates are cruising hereabouts, for all the world knows they are not very delicate. I expected a broadside from him when I came down to him, but he saw we were perfectly prepared for him, and in consequence he did not fire; his people were at quarters. He told us he was in search of his Admiral, who had parted company in a gale of wind off the isle of Wight, some days before; but we know they both passed the Straits of Dover in company, and said they were bound to Copenhagen to some-to Amsterdam to others. He says his Admiral is in a corvette of 26 guns and 150 men. Captain M'Culloch is gone in search of the other in the Ganymede; I hope he may fall in with him and bring him in. I shall remain in the Downs with the corsair and prizes until I receive instructions from the Admiralty how to act. Is it to be endured that these monsters should be allowed to cruise in the very mouth of the Thames, intercepting the trade of all nations, and placing every thing they board in quarantine? No ships belonging to Hamburgh, Bremen, Lubeck, Oldenburgh, or any of these small defenceless states, can be safe till the other corvette is accounted for. I of course am in quarantine, having some of the Moors on board."-A letter from Deal, dated the 31st instant, says, "The Tunisian corvette, and a schooner which had been also captured, sailed from the Downs this morning, accompanied by his Majesty's sloop Alert, and the Stork cutter. The commanders of these vessels, we understand, are under orders to see the Tunisians quite out of the channel."

During the present month, disturbances have prevailed in different parts of Ireland, occasioned by the high price of provisions, but not to such an extent as to be productive of any very alarming consequences. The present appearance of the crops on the ground leads us to hope, that the distress which has been felt so generally, in almost every quarter of the world, owing to the failure of the last crop, will soon be succeeded by abundance and cheapness.

General Assembly of the Church of Scotland. This Court met here on the 22d instant, William, Earl of Errol, being his

Majesty's High Commissioner. The Prince Regent's letter, and the warrant for £2000 to be employed in propagating Christian, knowledge in the Highlands of Scotland being read, the Assembly was opened by a speech from the throne by his Grace the Commissioner, to which the Moderator made a suitable reply. An address to the Prince Regent was moved by Dr Cooke, seconded by Dr Francis Nicoll, and unanimously agreed to. Dr Nicoll, after a neat and appropriate speech, then moved that the Moderator be instructed to write to the Right Honourable Lord Napier, who, had for so many years filled the office of his Majesty's Commissioner, a respectful letter in the name of the Assembly, expressive of their gratitude for his kindness to this Church, their deep regret at the impaired state of his health, and of the lively interest which they took in his prosperity and happiness.On the 28th, the overture, relating to the union of offices was read, and it appearing that fifty-five presbyteries, constituting a great majority, approved of the overture, the Assembly therefore enacted it as a law of the Church.-On the 31st, the Assembly took into consideration the petition of Mr James Bryce, presbyterian minister of Calcutta, East Indies, praying the Assembly to remove the injunction laid on their chaplains in India, by the reverend the presbytery of Edinburgh, of date the 27th day of March, and to favour the petitioner with such other advice or instructions in the premises, as to them in their great wis dom might seem meet; and there was also transmitted a petition of Dr T. Macknight, clerk to the presbytery of Edinburgh. Both petitions were read, and also an extract of the minutes of the presbytery of Edinburgh, stating the procedure of that presbytery in the affair now brought under the considera tion of the Assembly by the petition of Mr Bryce. Mr Francis Jeffrey, advocate, was heard in support of Mr Bryce's petition, and Dr John Inglis in defence of the presbytery of Edinburgh. After a debate of some length, in which several members took a part, the following motion was made by Dr Nicoll, and unanimously agreed to, viz." The General Assembly find, that no blame whatever can be imputed to the presbytery of Edinburgh, who have acted according to the best of their judgment in circumstances of peculiar difficulty and delicacy. But the Assembly see no reason why Mr Bryce should not be permitted to solemnize marriages, when called upon to do so in the ordinary exercise of his ministerial duty, and therefore did, and hereby do remove the injunction of the presbytery of Edinburgh upon that subject; satisfied that in this and every question connected with civil rights, he will conduct himself, as he is hereby required to do, with that perfect respect and deference towards the local autho rities to which they are entitled, and which are, in a particular manner, due to the most