HOME AND FOREIGN NOTES.

Grey River Argus, Volume XI, Issue 1001, 11 October 1871, Page 2

HOME AND FOREIGN NOTES.

■ Advices state that Sir William Logan and his party, who left St John's (N. B.) on a geological surveying expedition on the 12th instant, were entirely cut off on their route by a severe storm on the 34th, which swept away the bridges* and flooded the principal parts of the only road they had to travel on. It U probable that the horses and baggage attached to the expedition have been either lost or bodily.injured, but the party are believed to be Bafe, inasmuch as they were provided with portable gutta percha boats, and one canoe. The storm has done considerable damage in and around the town of Top--sail and Holyeard, of Newfoundland. It is said to be a continuation of the hurricane which blew over the coost of Lab* rador some weekß ago, destroying 325 fishing smacks, 23 " dwellings, over 40 stores, and about 300,000d01s worth of diied fish,, fishing flukes, and other* pro* perty. The number of lires already ascertained to have been lost is 93, while many are expected to be added to the ■ records.

In this era of crime and bloodshed, when homicide and suicide are robbed of their legitimate terrors tlrough . their frequent occurrence, tragedes of ijJe most startling character seldom attract more than transient attention. Suicides have been remarkably frequent, and the victims have often resorted to strange and unnatural means for accomplishing setf-de* struction. But how we hate to record a case which outranks all of is predecessors in point of desperateness. A convict at San Quentin, named Franks Smith, sentenced to a term of ten yea*, climbed to the top of a huge copper v* full of boiling water, and then flang hinuelf backwards into it. He was removed f run the seething cauldron with all possiblj dispatch, and received medical attendant. He suffered terrible agony for two hnirs, and then died. Deceased was an ilnglishman by birth. We are not advßed as to the crime for which he was jentenced, but learn that he had three years more to serve. The suicide andfits attendant horrors caused a profound sensation among the prisoners. Spith was buried in the prison cemetery, oiijthe high bluff, several hundred yards fom the prison wall.

The Pall Matt Gazetteiaya :—" There is a general impression tpong those who

are not Freemasons that brother Masons are bound to Help each other out of difficulties on every occasion when, by a wink of the eye or some mysterious gesticulation, the brother who is in trouble appeals for aid to the brother, who happens to be out of trouble. It appears, however, that this is not always the case, for we learn from the Calcutta Englishman that some degenerate Freemasons of that place have been attempting to work on the brotherly feelings of Mr J. B. Roberts by making the " signs" when they appeared as defendants in his court. Instead, however, of their obtaining the sympathy they claimed, they only received a brotherly rebuke. "Now, with what object it is done," said Mr Roberts, "I do not know, but .1 feel it necessary to inform those whom it may concern that it is highly improper for any person to attempt to influence the bench in that way. It is most objectionable, and I may Bay it amounts to a contempt of court. If they think that it will benefit them in any way, all that I can say is that they are very much mistaken." It is certainly as well there should be no misunderstanding on this point, for if a suspicion prevailed that magistrates or judges who are Freemasons look with a kindly eye on their brethren under any circumstances, there are many, persons in the neighborhood of Whitechapel and elsewhere contemplating the commencement or continuance of a career inconvenient to the general community who would use every exertion to gain admission to that honorable fraternity, and avail themselves largely of the benefits supposed to be deriw*. f««» i^tr^i^ 1 * cdmnwp**'" 4 * ol1 *