1827.] Notes for the Month. 67 



soil away in parts even from the crown of the tunnel altogether ? No 

 danger to human life, probably, could result from such an event, because the 

 symptoms of mischief would shew themselves long enough beforehand in an 

 increasing and gradual leakage. But there can be little doubt unless the 

 cause which has occasioned the flimsiness of the soil in that part of the 

 river at which the work has now arrived has been of human production or 

 origin (and no evidence to that effect appears) that the same state of things 

 which has arisen may arise again ; and although the measures which have 

 been takon lately to strengthen the bed of the river, may have answered 

 the purpose so far as to enable the cutting of the tunnel for the present to 

 proceed, yet a far more operose and costly process would be necessary, we 

 suspect, to give it anything like soundness and security of a permanent 

 description. 



We noticed in our last number an account, given in the French Globe j 

 of the death of a man of the name of Drake (an exhibitor of serpents, 

 wild beasts, &c.) by the bite of a rattlesnake. It is singular that a 

 second accident, nearly of the same fatal description, has occurred within 

 the last fortnight, in the collection formerly belonging to the same indi- 

 vidual. A young man, belonging to the caravan, holding a small rattle- 

 snake in water, to assist it in casting its skin, the venomous monster sud- 

 denly turned round, and bit him in the fore finger. The lad had suffi- 

 cient presence of mind to prevent the immediate escape of the serpent ; 

 and, twisting a ligature round his wounded finger, snatched up a cleaver, 

 and desired two by-stauders to strike it off upon the spot. Both the men 

 who were present though partners, we believe, or assistants, in the con- 

 cern hung back, and were unwilling to strike the necessary blow ; but 

 Mrs. Drake, who had arrested the offending reptile in its attempt to make 

 off, and succeeded in confining him again in his cage, with great presence 

 of mind, took the cleaver, and as a Morning Paper expresses it " per- 

 formed the operation.'* The wounded man lived, and has done well. 



The theatres, " summer," or " winter," have presented nothing 

 very striking within the last month. New books have been abundant, and 

 more interesting. Robins has published a second series of " Mornings at 

 Bow-street," with illustrations by Cruikshank ; the plates of which are 

 among the very best that this very ingenious artist has produced, Lady 

 Morgan has a new novel, called " The O'Briens and the O' Flaherty s/' 

 forthcoming, by Colburn ; the latter novels of this lady have been second in 

 merit to none but those of Sir Walter Scott ; and no one who has read 

 " O'Donnel," and ' Florence M'Carthy," but will look for her production 

 with curiosity and interest. Miss Emma Roberts's work the " Memoirs 

 of the Houses of York and Lancaster" is out, and a more detailed notice 

 of it will be found in our Review Department. The subject of the 

 book reminds us of what used to be done by Miss Benger ; but Miss 

 Roberts is the more pleasing writer of the two ; her style is purer and more 

 simple ; and she deserves equal praise for the caution with which she has 

 examined her facts, and the activity and patience with which she has 

 elicited them. Altogether fruitful as the history or legends of the time in 

 question are in romantic incident and recollections we scarcely expected 

 that Miss Roberts could have produced a book so well calculated to interest 

 all classes of readers. Her work deserves to be, and will be, popular : 

 it conveys considerable knowledge and instruction, at the same time that 

 it cannot fail to afford amusement. 



K 2 



