98 



ANNUAL REGISTER, J816. 



They slept together on the flof)r, 

 and in cold weather laid their 

 heads so close to the embers in 

 the fire-place, that the linen 

 which served to cover them in 

 lieu of night-caps was frequently 

 burnt. In the month of Decem- 

 ber the brother died, and as the 

 entrance to the house was gene- 

 rally interdicted, it was long be- 

 fore his decease was known. The 

 collector of the taxes, however, 

 now finding when he called only 

 the two sisters, began to enter- 

 tain some suspicions, which he 

 communicated to the Mayor of 

 the Commune, who on his part 

 transmitted the information to 

 the superior authorities. Accord- 

 ingly, on the '24th of June, M. 

 Havey,the substitute of the King's 

 attorney, visited the commune. 

 On asking one of the women what 

 was become of her brother, she 

 coolly replied, pointing to a corner 

 of the apartment — he is there. 

 Some straw, which covered the 

 place pointed out, being carefully 

 removed, there appeared the dead 

 body of the man in a state of pu- 

 trefaction, and which had been 

 lying in the same spot for about 

 6 months. The two sisters de- 

 clared that their brother died of 

 old age and himger, and that 

 they lay down every night close 

 to his corpse, in the hope, by 

 prayer and fasting, to obtain from 

 Heaven his resurrection, which 

 they confidently expected. The 

 result of the investigation showed 

 that the two sisters tenderly loved 

 their brotlier, and that it was as 

 much from a desire of not sepa- 

 rating from him, as from the 

 hope of seeing nira return to life, 

 that they had so long preserved 

 the dead body, without dreading 



the danger which might have 

 been the consequence of such a 

 proceeding. Besides the super- 

 stitions practised by these strange 

 beings, they had the most singu- 

 lar habits and notions : for ex- 

 ample, they had laid it down as a 

 principle, that whatever God sent 

 them ought to be preserved with 

 care. On that account they kept 

 numerous generations of dogs, 

 pigs, bullocks, asses, &c. because 

 they believed they should offend 

 Heaven if they killed one of these 

 animals. Their garden exhibited 

 the effects of the same system : 

 all the young shoots of trees were 

 preserved, and also every thing- 

 produced by seed. These facts 

 are authenticated by regular exa- 

 minations, and it was necessary 

 they should have been thus proved 

 before credit could be given to the 

 existence of so extraordinary a 

 family so near us and in a civilized 

 country. — French paper. 



The example set by the Bilston- 

 moor colliers, in dragging their 

 waggons and petitions through 

 the country, has had many imi- 

 tators. On Saturday week a 

 waggon load of coals, drawn by 

 80 men, with ropes, arrived in 

 Leicester. A strong sensation of 

 compunction for their sufferings 

 was excited, and they collected a 

 considerable sum of money. A 

 second load arrived on Monday, 

 but the collection was of course 

 to a smaller amount. The men 

 behaved remarkably weJIl. They 

 had a certificate of their necessi- 

 ties, signed by the minister of 

 the parish. Another team of col- 

 liers passed through Leicester on 

 Thursday last, begging their way 

 northwards. 



The coals which the colliers 



were 



