view. Exposed as the men were to a powerful sun,
their sufferings from thirst became most intense, and as
days passed by without there seeming the least chance
of being observed, a terrible fate appeared to await
them all. The boisterous weather tried the boats
severely, and the fear of their foundering kept the poor
people in a most painful state of suspense. Several
became much exhausted. At length, on the evening
of the 16th of August, they espied a sail in view.
Happily, they were perceived by a vessel, the Jordeson,
the master of whom promptly bore down to their
aid, and picked them up near the island of Bermuda.
Their sufferings, however, did not altogether end
on their being got on board the Jordeson. The
latter's provisions owing to the addition of the Helen's
men, and a somewhat protracted voyage, ran short, and
all on board were put on a very small allowance at one time,
almost next to nothing; indeed, but for a supply which
was obtained from the Ocean Wave, homeward bound,
they would have been all starved before they reached
the Channel. Some rats were caught on board, and
being cooked, were devoured with much relish. The
contents of the grease pot were also consumed, and
indeed anything that could sustain life.

Mr. Gibson, a well-known portrait-painter in
Edinburgh, has been Killed by a shocking accident. Mr.
Gibson had been actively engaged on the committee
superintending the hanging of the pictures in the West
of Scotland Academy's Exhibition, previous to its
opening. It appears that after he had gone home, he
returned to the exhibition-rooms in Buchanan Street
for some purpose or other. Nothing is known of his
subsequent movements till the watchman on the station,
between ten and eleven o'clock, found him lying at. the
foot of the stair, leading to the Academy's rooms, in a
dreadful mutilated condition. He was conveyed home,
where he lingered in a state of insensibility till the
following night, when death terminated his sufferings.
It is supposed that he had missed his footing on the
dark stairs, and been precipitated to the bottom. He
was frightfully injured about the head and face.

A large quantity of agricultural produce, with barns,
implements, and some live stock, has been Destroyed by
Fire on the premises of Mr. Petley, at Ash, near Sandwich.
The farmer's loss is estimated at £1500, only £800 of
which is covered by insurance. There seems reason to
believe that the fire was wilfully caused; though
Mr. Petley is acknowledged to be a good master.

An English vessel, the Enchantress, Captain Buckland
of Yarmouth, has been Lost, on her passage from
Pernambuco for Falmouth. The Enchantress struck
on a sunken reef three days after leaving that port, and
immediately went to pieces. The captain, two mates,
one man, and a boy, were washed off the reef and
drowned. The remainder of the crew, six in number,
succeeded in constructing a raft out of the bowsprit of
the wrecked vessel and another which they found on
the reef, by which means they reached a small
uninhabited island some distance off, called Lass Island,
where they remained for 25 days, enduring the worst of
privations, the only thing they had to subsist upon
being the eggs of sea birds. There seeming to be no
hopes of their being taken off the island, they again put
to sea on the raft, when they were fortunately fallen in
with by the brig Richard, and were taken on board,
most of them in a dying state. The Richard has
arrived at Liverpool, and brought the intelligence.

SOCIAL, SANITARY, AND MUNICIPAL
PROGRESS.

This is the season of Agricultural Meetings. The
prevailing feature of those held recently has been the
abandonment of Protection by its former supporters.
The meeting of the Worcestershire Society was attended
by four members connected with the County. General
Lygon, Captain Rushout, Mr. Wynn Knight, and
Colonel Clive, attended the annual meeting of the
Worcestershire Agricultural Society. They all gave up
Protection as hopeless, complained of the slack supply
of labour, and recommended the farmer to imitate the
manufacturer and betake himself to machinery.

The Duke of Buccleuch and Lord Drumlanrig acted
as chairman and vice chairman at the dinner given after
the Dumfries and Kircudbright Agricultural show.
The Duke of Buccleuch especially urged the farmers to
an unresisting effort to improve their stocks, their
methods, and their crops. The man, said the Duke,
who thinks himself at the top of the tree is sure to fall:
"the right way was for a man always to think he
was getting up—never that he had got up." The
Exhibition was admitted to be very good in all
points.

The Surrey meeting and ploughing match was held
at Epsom on the 5th instant. At the dinner, Mr.
Gadesden, the chairman, warmly urged the farmers to
meet their difficulties by increased energy, by adopting
scientific improvements, and using machinery. The
toasts of the County Members brought out Mr.
Alcock, Mr. Drummond, and Mr. Evelyn. Mr. Alcock
proposed to "wipe off the malt-tax," and substitute for
it an increased income-tax, not by raising the percentage,
but by abolishing exemptions. Mr. Drummond echoed
the judicious advice of the Chairman. Mr. Evelyn
dwelt upon the prospective difficulties of the fanner,
which he thought would arise out of a scanty supply of
labour; and he proposed machinery as a remedy.
Colonel Challoner told the farmers they must trust to
themselves, and not suppose that any Government
could or would in future pass any law exclusively for
their benefit.

At the nineteenth annual dinner of the South
Buckinghamshire Agricultural Association, given at
Slough on the 5th, the farmers were told that they
must trust to themselves; and when Mr. Trumper, a
large and intelligent farmer, said he had the "utmost
confidence in the honesty and talent of Mr. Disraeli,"
and ventured to hope that "there was something good
looming in the distance," he was met by a loud burst
of laughter, and loud cries of derision.

At the meetings of the Waltham, the Herefordshire,
the Chertsey, the Cranbrook Associations, in like
manner, the topic of protection was either passed over
altogether, or slightly and evasively noticed; the object
of the speakers being chiefly to advocate agricultural
improvements.

The Manchester Free Library promises to be of
immense utility. At night, when the hours of labour are
over, the place is crowded, and in both reference library
and the room below—in which the books for lending are
kept—its greatest use, however, being as a reading-room
for newspapers—young men and boys are frequently
seen sitting on the floor in corners, because there is no
room at the tables, or chairs for them to sit in. Most
excellent order prevails, and the demeanour of the
readers, in most instances, equals in seriousness and
intent that of the frequenters of the reading room of the
British Museum. A point of considerable moment was
recently discussed at a final meeting of the general
committee of subscribers. Under the Free Libraries
Act, the burden of providing for the care and service of
the institution alone devolves upon the corporation, and
for that the halfpenny rate is available, but no
portion of it can be spent in the purchase of books.
Hence, unless the original subscribers exert a paternal
care, in the course of years the library must become
deficient in current literature, though not more than
one-half the amount which the rate will raise (£1700)
will be required for maintenance; and it is suggested
that the corporation shall raise a fund with which to
purchase books, and keep up the completeness of the
library, or perhaps, what will be more legitimate, that
they shall spend the whole amount that the rate realised.
A project is on foot for having two courses of lectures
delivered in the reference library, one by the Rev. Dr.
Vaughan, on modern or English history, and another by
Mr. A. J. Scott, principal ol Owen's College, on modern
poetry and fictitious literature.

The Duke of Sutherland has ordered an announcement
to be made to the entire tenantry of his estates,
authorising them to Kill all the Hares and Rabbits on
their farms.

The following statement of the Annual Growth of