_hard-bake_ houses in the metropolis. The firm had been speculating
considerably in "Prince Albert's Rock," and this is said to have
been the rock they have ultimately split upon. The boys will be the
greatest sufferers. One of them had stripped his jacket of all its
buttons as a deposit on some _tom-trot_, which the house had promised
to supply on the following day; and we regret to say, there are
whispers of other transactions of a similar character.

Money has been abundant all day, and we saw a half-crown piece and
some halfpence lying absolutely idle in the hands of an individual,
who, if he had only chosen to walk with it into the market, might
have produced a very alarming effect on some minor description of
securities. Cherries were taken very freely at twopence a pound, and
Spanish (liquorice) at a shade lower than yesterday. There has been a
most disgusting glut of tallow all the week, which has had an alarming
effect on dips, and thrown a still further gloom upon rushlights.

The late discussions on the timber duties have brought the match
market into a very unsettled state, and Congreve lights seem destined
to undergo a still further depression. This state of things was
rendered worse towards the close of the day, by a large holder of the
last-named article unexpectedly throwing an immense quantity into the
market, which went off rapidly.

* * * * *

SOMETHING WARLIKE.

Many of our readers must be aware, that in pantomimic pieces, the
usual mode of making the audience acquainted with anything that cannot