The Sun. — London, England, 1859-06-06 00:00:00

THE NAVY. Another addition was made to the British navy on Saturday afternoon, by the launch from Dept ford Dockyard of the 26-gun screw frig ate Ariadne, in the presence of many thousands of spectators. The Ariadne was afterwards brought up in the river, and it is expected she will proceed this day to Woolwich, to receive her machinery, manufac tured by Messrs. Maudslay and. Co. The following are her principal dimensions :—Extreme length, 318 feet; ditto between perpendiculars, 280 feet ; ditto of keel for tonnage, 245 feet 8 inches ; breadth (extreme), 50 feet ; ditto for tonnage , 49 feet 6 inches ; ditto, moulded, 48 feet 8 inches ; depth in hold, 19 feet 4 inches ; and burden in tons, 3,202. The Charybdis, 21, screw corvette, has been taken alongside the sheer-hulk at Chatham Dock yard, and placed under the sheers for the purpose of receiving her boilers and machinery on board, and to prepare her for being fitted for the second division of the steam ordinary in reserve at Chatham. A new first-class 51-gun screw frigate, to be called the Undaunted , is ordered to be laid down on the same slip as that from which the Charybdis, 21, was recently launched. The screw frigate Amphion, 36, having com pleted her alterations and repairs at Chatham, will be undocked during the approaching spring tides, when the Victor, steam gun-boat, will be taken into the same dock to have her defects made good. The advices of our Malta correspondent reach to the 31st May, and report the following as the dis tribution under that date of the Mediterranean steam fleet :—At Malta, the Marlborough, 131, bearing the flag of Vice-Admiral Fanshawe, the Commander-in-Chief; the Hibernia, receiving ship, bearing the flag of Rear-Admiral Codrington, Superintendent of Malta Dockyard ; the Orion, 91; Euryalus, 51; the Scourge, 6 ; the Lapwing, 4 ; the Gannet, 6 ; the Caradoc, 2 ; the Boxer, tender ; the Hearty, tug ; and the Kertch and the Azov, & Cling g un -boats. In the offing of Malta, the St. Jean D'Acre, 101; the Princess Royal, 91; the Renown,9l; the Vict or E mmanue l, 91; and ie Brunswick, 80. On their way to M a lta, the Hannibal, 91, bearing the flag of Rear- Admiral Mundy, second in command, and the Ban shee, 2. At Naples, the Centurion, 80 ' • at Leg horn, the Conqueror, 101 ; at Genoa, the Terrible, 21 ; at Gibraltar, the Vulture, 6, the Growler and the Quail gunboats, and the Bustler steam tug. At Corfu, the Racoon, 21; at Candia, the Argus, 5, the Medina and the Tartarus, surveying vessels. On her way to the Levant to collect ancient marbles, the Supply storeship. At the Piraeus of Athens, the Osprey, 4, at Constantinople, the Wanderer, 4, in the Danube, the Recruit, 6 ; at Marseilles, the Coquette, 4. The Vigilant left Malta, destination unknown, on the 24th of May. The whole make a total of 36 pendants. Two prizes to the Eylau, French screw steamship of the line—namely, the Austrian brig Giovanni, Capt. Martinolich, coal laden, for the British fir m of Malcolm Brothers, of Trieste, from Liverpool, bound to Trieste and Venice, and the Austrian brig Dobra Costrenjka, Captain Randich, with a general cargo, for Trieste from Antwerp, have been carried into Malta by . prize crews, on their way to Marseilles for adjudi cation. These vessels leftithe ports of loading before the declaration of war, and were taken on the 15th of May, in lat. 44 42 N., and long. 14 50 E. Capt. J. E.Katon and Commander W. J. Pollard have taken up their commissions to the new screw steam ship Edgar, at Sheerness. A rendezvous has been opened at the Swan Inn, Bluetown, Sheerness, for the entry of seamen for her. She has received her complement of marines from Woolwich. Tue gunboat Magnet, Lieut. Edward S. Meara, after having undergone heavy repairs in her ma chinery, boilers, &c., at Sheerness, left on' Saturday at nine a.m. for Harwich, there to resume her duties as tender to the Pembroke. The gunboat Ruby, Limit. W. Vicary, tender to the Cornwallis, has h ad her defects made good, and will proceed on a trial trip from Sheerness this day. The Flying Fish, 6, screw steamer despatch ves sel, was on Saturday mustered and inspected by Flag Capt. Farquhar and Commander Mackenzie, at Spithead. The crew were exercised at general quarters, &c. At the close the inspecting officers passed high encomiums on the appearance of the ship, and the state and discipline of the crew. The Emerald, 51, screw frigate, Capt. Arthur Cumming, arrived at Spithead on Saturday from the eastward. The Cadmus, 21, screw corvette, Capt. Hillier, arrived at Spithead from the eastward yesterday morning. The Russian three-decked ship Sinope, Captain Endogorouff, arrived at Spithead yesterday from the Mediterranean, bound to Cronstadt. She is pierced for 131 guns, but has only four on board, as she will receive her armament at Crdnstadt. The series of screw trials concluded by the Doris are the most important that have yet taken place since the introduction of the screw for the propul sion of our steamships of war. These trials were designed 'to test the relative qualities of the Admi ralty or common screw and Griffiths's patent pro peller. Similar trials were carried out in 1853 on board the Conflict and Fury, resulting in favour of the Griffiths patent propeller, since which time the Griffiths has been constantly used by the Fairy when under way. The immense power of the engines now in use by our steamships of war has given an opportunity of testing the merits ef the two screws with the certainty of obtaining more practical results, more especially as affecting the vibration and steering of the ship, than could be arrived at with vessels of the Conflict and Fairy's class, hence the present trials. The forms of the screws may be thus described :—The blades of the Admiralty screw consist of a sixth part of the whole screw or helix ; the centre of the Griffiths propeller is a sphere of one-third the diameter of the screw, with the blades made tapering. The driving surface of the Admiralty lies at the extreme ends of the blades ; in the Griffiths it lies at the centre nearest the sphere. The first trial with the Admiralty screw was with a diameter of eighteen feet, her speed being 11.823 knits. - On the second trial, with the diameter increased to 20 feet, the speed realised was 1P826 knots, with a great increase of vibration. On the third trial the "leading' corner of each blade was cut. off, and in this form the common screw attained its greatest speed, giving a result of 12.032. On the-fourth trial both the corners of each blade were cut off, when, with a greater number of revolutions, less speed was made, being 12.012 knots. Its last trial, with the " following" corner of each blade cut off, but the screw restored to its perfect form in every other respect, gave a result of 11'815 knots. The first trial with the Griffiths propeller-20 feet diameter aid 32 feet pitch —gave -11.981 knots. The second trial, with a 26 feet 5 inch pitch, gave 12.296 knots ; and the third trial, with a medium pitch, which concluded the series, gave 12.158 knots with 531 revolutions of the engines, and less vibra tion than on any former trial. Several important features connected with the screw propeller have been proved by these trials. First, that the leading edge of the screw is the part that mos tl y a ff ects t he steerage of the ship, and also causes the greater part of the vibration. Secondly, that increased diameter of the screw is better than increased pitch to reduce the speed of the engines,, but it considerably in - - creaseg the vibration with the common screw, whereas with the Griffiths it did not produce that effect,- in consequence of its chief propelling surface being towards the centre. The common screw, when its blades are cut to the form of Griffiths's, is not so effective as when the centre sphere is applied to them ; the power required to obtain the same speed is considerably reduced by its application. The power requiredto obtain 12 knots without the sphere was 2,920.32 indicated horse power, while the same form of blade and pitch with the sphere took only 2,825 . 6 indicated horse power. At the conclusion of the last trial on board the Doris the two systems of boat-lowering invented by Mr. Clifford ' and Capt. Kynaston were displayed, 7 the s hi p go i ng a b out six knots. Capt. Kynaston s disengaging hooks appear to require four men for the operation, the success of which depends on the simultaneous working of the men. By Clifford's method the whole appeared to be safely performed by one man, who by slacking off a rope insures the boat being lowerd on an even keel. Letters dated April 30 have been received at Plymouth from the screw steam ship Caesar, 90, Captain C. Frederick. On leaving Greytown it was expected that her stay at Vera Cruz would have been only for a few days, but she has been there nearly a month. Between her officers and those of the various ships of war in port there has been a constant interchange of hospitalities. The city of Very Cruz is almost ruined and deserted. The coun try is convulsed with civil war, and a battle has been fought inland since the arrival of the Caesar. She calls at Havannah on the voyage, and may be ex pected at- Plymouth ab ou t th e b eginn i ng o f J u l y. A seaman on b oar d the- Orion, 91, Capt. W. Hous ton, writes that she will probably be detained two months at where she will be put in dry do c k. The paddlewheel steam surveyi ng vesse l B ann, Sc Capill t. 'Williams, ft Plymouth on Wed nes d ay f or y. The crew of the serew steamship Royal Alb er t, 121, flag of Rear-Admiral Sir C. Fremantle, Com- Cuhnaannel Fleet, Capt. E. B. mander-m-Chief of th s e o leave e ere paid Rice in Plymouth wages on Wednesday, and obtained of absence for four days. The steam tender Avon, 3, s econd master J. H. Lawrence,_from Portsmouth with supernumeraries, arrived at Plymouth on Friday. When passing she .observed the Exmouth, 90 , Hero , 90 , James al, Blenheim, 60, and Mersey, 40, in Portland -roads. The screw steam gunboat Hind (tender to the B:nssell, 60, at Falmouth), which has been two months at Plymouth, made an experimeital trip outside the Sound on Friday. Her engines of 60- horse power by . Mosely and Son, have been thoroughly repaired, and the boilers retubed and bottom renewed. At the measured mile she made 8- 1 - 4 k n ots with 144 revolutions at a pressure of 601 b. The Hind returned to Hamoaze. She will probably leave on Saturday next, 11th inst., for Truro, to obtain volunteers. The screw , steamship Donegal, 101, received her coal at Plymouth on Friday. Thirty-seven men arrived by train at Plymouth on Thursday evening for the Aboukir, 90, and 20 on Friday morning for the guardship Impregable, 104. The screw steam gunvessel; Intrepid, 6, Com mander Marryatt, got up steam at ,Plymouth on Friday, and left for the Mediterranean. The lighter Duck, J. Weal, master, sailed from Plymouth on Friday with stores for Portsmouth. The lighter Devon, Rowatt,master, sailed on Satur day for Sheerness and Chatham. The Ordnance lighter Inkerman, f rom Woolwich, arrived at Ply mouth on Saturd ay. The screw steamship Falcon, 17, Commander Fitzroy, from Portsmouth, arrived at Plymouth on Saturday, and saluted the flag of Port Admiral Sir B. Reynolds, K.C.B. THE ARMY. Capt. Gabbett's battery of Royal Artillery will arrive in Portsmouth this morning from Woolwich, where they will embark on board the Magnet steamer for Guernsey and Jersey. The new members appointed to serve on the Royal Ordnance Select Committee assembled in their office, in Woolwich Arsenal, on Friday, and concluded their arrangements for transacting the business of the, department, which is henceforth to be distinct from and unconnected with any other department, nor is it intended, according to present stipulations, that any of the members shall reside in the Arsenal. By a memorandum from the Horse Guards, of June 2, the members composing the committee approved by the Secretary of State for War, on the recom mendation of the General Commanding-in-Chief, are as follows :—President--Col. St. George, C. 8., Royal Artillery; and the members—Lieut.-Col. and Brevet-Col. Robinson, Royal Engineers; Lieut.-Col. and Brevet-Col. Greathead, C. 8., Bth Foot ; and Lient.-Col. W. J. Smythe, Royal Artillery. Col. Pickering, who has been attached for some years past to the committee as secretary, has received per mission to retire, and, as stated, will be succeeded by Lieut.-Col. J. H. Lefroy, Royal Artillery. His Royal Highness the Commander-in-Chief, according to general regimental orders, has approved the appointment of Second Capt. and Brevet-Major C. C. Teesdale (Equerry to the Prince of Wales) to be Aide-de-Camp to Major-Gen. Bloomfield, Inspec tor-General of Artillery. Capt. Lewis, Lieuts. Sterling and Toms, two sergeants, two corporals, two drummers, and 117 privates of the Royal Marines, left Woolwich on Saturday for service on board her Majesty's ship Edgar. The numerous draughts recently despatched to the various ships in preparation for sea have re duced the Woolwich division to about 50 efficient men, exclusive of officers' servants, prisoners, recruits, &c. Notwithstanding the reduction of the standard for admission to the corps, and the increase of the bounty, and other emoluments obtainable, the num ber of recruits admitted to the division is inconsi derable. Twelve able-bodied young men were re ceived on Friday from Manchester, and six from Pontefract, one of whom measured 6ft. 4-lin. About 600 of the West York Militia have arrived in Newcastle-on-Tyne, and about 250 at Sunderland. The Northumberland Militia Artillery, under command of Lieut.-Col. Clementson, left Hexham on Friday in three divisions; the headquarters and two companies to man batteries at Tynemouth, and two companies to Liverpool and Carlisle. A small detachment is also doing duty in Hull citadel. The Royal South Gloucester Light Infantry Regt. of Militia is called out, and will muster at Gloucester on the 14th inst. for 21 days' training. THE FRENCH NAVY. (From a Correspondent of the Times.) MARSEILLES, Thursday, June 2, 8.30 p.m. The opening of the Marseilles and Toulon Rail way to the public afforded an opportunity, of which I have availed myself, to endeavour to test, by per sonal observation, the truth of the various rumours that have been circulated from time to time as to the strength of the Mediterranean fleet, and the resources of the naval yard and arsenal at Toulon for its equipment and maintenance. The result is a belief that the naval force of France, in ships and materiel, has been considerably exaggerated, unless we are to suppose that all the strengthof the country has been put forth at Brest and Cherbourg. But it is impossible not to foresee that in a few years' time, were there to be no naval war, and were the same rate of expenditure to be kept up as has been during the last ten years, Toulon will become a very formidable place, not only for the construction and repair of ships, but also for the construction and repair of steam machinery_ _ _ The line of country followed by the railway seems to have been selected rather with a view to satisfy the exigencies of military defence as a coast line, than to fulfil the wants of ordinary trade by keeping as near as possible to the high road, which passes througk the principal towns and villages; for, after running nearly parallel to the highway from Marseilles to Aubagne, it dips down and bends back towards the west, to pass by La Ciotat, and, after followinc , the line of coast for some time, it crosses the high road below 011i oules, and comes in at the back of Toulon, just at the foot of the mountains. The railway has the reputation of having been the most difficult to con struct in France. The tunnels are numerous, there being two very long ones near (Mollies and so are the cuttings, which are both deep and long. The district traversed is wild and desolate—no manu factures, no trade, and but little agriculture, con sisting chiefly of the cultivation of the olive, with here and there a patch of vineyard. At 011ioules, protected from the mistral by the rocks against which it is built, and where the orange tree re lieves the sad monotony of the tawny olive, the principal objects of cultivation and trade are the immortelles, which are sent to all parts of France and the Continent, even to Russia. The whole of the permanent way is admirably constructed, the nissonry of the bridges and crossings of the most substantial description. The only exceptions are the stations, which are slight, that at Toulon not being yet finished. That the line can ever pay from local and through traffic, so long as it stops short at Toulon, appears very doubtful. On the steep limestone mountains which screen the coasts from the interior, and have only a few patches here and there thinly dotted with a scrubby vegetation, not even goats could find sufficient food for their sus tenance. Where the olive is cultivated, on the spurs of the hills, the ground has to be broken up in terraces, with 'revetments of loose stones, to pre vent the little blood red soil that lies upon the sur face from being washed down into the sea when the rains set in. The habitations are poor and scattered wide apart, with only few exceptions. The last thing a traveller would imagine the railway was constructed for would be the requirements of trade. When, however, we arrived at the Toulon station, the motive of the works was explained at once. Trains of short, shallow, open waggons, built expressly for the conveyance of shot and shell, stood in the sidings, and their contents, 13-inch shell and idro-conical shot for rifled 30-pounders, were piled up ready for shipment. There was no mis taking the purposes of the line. It seemed no more a railway in the ordinary acceptation of the term thltn did the short line that went from Balaklava to the "front." The harbour of Toulon ha e s e o n f fi l o. ate years suffered A glance Con Isiderable change in its configuration oan chart from ex tension of the arsenal. on north, north-west, and sho my that it is nearly land-locked. The mountains ro sides, tect i s t tr oe stretching h t g nor as they do down to the shore protect b en 6b, on either side of the harbour, and cradling it as f t t were in their arms. From the east it i s shel teroil by - the promontory. which run s out into the sea , almost opposite the island of Porquerolles, and for rag the roadstead of Hyeres. On the west it is she dtered by Cape Cepet, which thrusts out a head , lan (St. Mandrier) to shelter the harbour from the sou th-west, so that the anchorage ila the outer roads mu ,st be secure in all winds except those from the sou th, and then it is probable pallor s would not con sider it dangerous. The military defences of Tou. lon c, independently of the men-of-war, are very for inidable. The crests of the lills• inland are crc rwned with detached forts, to command the road fro m Italy by which Prince Eugene and the Duke of Savoy, at the head of the allied forges of Austria an d Piedmont, advanced to besiege the town in 17 , D 7, while Admiral Sir Cloudesley Shovel, at the he ad of the Anglo-Dutch fleets, blockaded it at sea, an 'd assisted in the bombardment. A strong fort— Fc Pharon, built on the break of one of the hills co mmands the road from 011ioules, which, when th e British occupied the town in 1793, was igno ra atly left undefended, and allowed the sans culottes fr( mm Marseillei and Lyons to penetrate the natural de fences of the town, the range of hills, and in vest it. As far as could be counted, there ap peared to be six of these mountain or detached forts. TI tey did not seem very formidable from the sea w; Ord, although, no doubt, they could direct a to rrible plunging fire upon the two lines of ap pr ouches to the town. From their lofty position, pc =lied in the clouds, they are not likely to be to ken by assault. But they may not be so secure fr em vertical fire as it was imagined they would be w hen first designed. The real defences of the town at 41 harbour are to seaward. The most important of all, which commands the roads and harbour, is Fort Lamalge, the last evacuated by -the English in 1793. It is built on a rising ground, east of the town on the land side and opposite the healand St. Man drier, previously mentioned as stretching out from Cape Cepet. Between these two points is the en trance to the inner roads. Fort Lamalgue is built after Vauban's system, but the stone work, 30 feet high, exhibits considerable wear and tear. A bat talion of the 86th Regiment of the line garrisons it, which is about as many as it could contain. The g uns were all in store yesterday and the embrasures empty. I was told they numbered about 200. Probably one-half would be nearer the mark. To the west of the fort Lamalgue, on the angle where the roads open on the harbour, was a flagstaff bat tery with about 24 guns, which, it may be presumed, were kept in position for saluting. Opposite Fort Lamalgue, and crossing fire with it, are the two forts of Eguillette and Ballagnier, which stand at the edge of the water, and would prove very ugly customers to any enemy's ships seeking an entrance. They are said to mount 50 guns each towards the water, and above them, crowning the heights of Caire, is Fort Napoleon, which commands the en trance, crossing fire with Fort Lamalgue also, and which commands the approaches from the seaward on the south, Fort Napoleon is " le petit Gibraltar,". extended and consolidated, which was the key I of the British position in 1793, and it may also • be said to the empire of France for the Sub Lieutenant of Artillery who first discovered its importance and prepared the means for its cap ture. Other forts and batteries stud the hills and shores commanding the harbour, and are said to,have, with the forts above named, 500 pieces of artillery in store relay to be mounted. In the roads were lying the following ships in commission, and ready to put to sea:—The Bre tagne, the Ville de Paris, the Redoubtable, the Arcole, the Alexandre, the Donauwerth, liners; the heavy frigates Isly and Cyclope ; the floating batteries Lave, Tonnante, and Devastation ; and one gun sloop. These were all that could be said to be ready for sea. As the author of " All the Navies of the World" undertook to inform your readers that I had misstated the strength in guns of the Toulon fleet, affirming that there was no 140 gun ship in the French navy, and that the Bretagne only carried 130, it may be as well if I state what I saw and what I counted, in company with others, so that no error is possible. La Bretagne showed the muzzles of 20 guns on a broadside on each of her three decks, and the muzzles of 12 guns along the gangway. These, therefore, give a broadside of 74 guns, and make the number she carries 144. As four of the guns she showed through the ports may have been boat guns, her regular armament would become 140 guns, at which she is rated. She carried on each bow a large gun, probably Paixhan's 80 shell guns, and six of the same calibre amid ships on each broadside. The Redoubtable showed 44 guns on a broadside, the Arcole 46 guns, the Alexandre 46 guns, the Donauwerth 39 guns, the Ville de Paris 53 guns, the Isly 22 guns, and the Cyclope 22, but the latter appeared a very ineffi cient ship. These figures would therefore make the Isly and Cyclope 44 gun frigates, the Redoutable an 88 gun ship, the Arcole and Alexandre 92 gun ships, the Donauwerth a 78 gun ship, and the Ville de Paris a 106 gun ship. In the last official list printed by the French Government these ships are classed according to their rates. Thus the Bretagne is called a 140 gun ship, although she carries 144 guns and is pierced for 160 guns. The Ville de Paris is called a 120 gun ship, although she now only shows 106 guns, but to-morrow may have her full rating ; the Arcole and Alexandre are both rated as 90's, although they have 92 guns shown through the ports, and may any day carry more or less, as circumstances may dictate. The French line of battle ships number so far as can be made out from the amount of information which is allowed to transpire, as follows :—The Bretagne, 140 guns, 1,200 horse power ; the Ville de Paris 120 guns, 600 horse power; the Friedland, 120 guns; 600 horsepower; the Montebello, 120 guns, 600 horse power ; the Souverain, 120 guns, 600 horse power ; the Redoutable, 100 guns, 900 horse power; the Algesiras, 100 guns, 900 horse power; the Fleurus, 100 guns, 650 horse power; the Navarin, 100 guns, 650 horse power • the Prince Jerome, 100 guns, 650 horse power ; power; Castig lione, 100 guns, 900 horse power ; the Ulm, 100 guns, 650 horse power.; the Austerlitz, 100 guns, 650 horse power ; the Duguay Tronin, 100 guns, 650 horse power; the Turenne, 100 guns, 650 horse power ; the Eylau, 90 guns, 900 horse power ; the Arcole, 90 guns, 900 horse power ; the Alexandre, 90 guns, 900 horse power ; the Massena, 90 guns, 900 horse power ; the Fontenoy, 90 guns, 650 horse power ; the Charlemagne, 90 guns, 650 horse power ; the Duguescelin, 80 guns, 450 horse power ; the Jean Bart, 80 guns, 450 horse power. The following liners are either building or being fitted with screws, or were so a short time back :—The Valmy, the Louis XIV., the Desaix, the Tage, the In trepide, the Ville de Bordeaux, the Imperial, the Breslau, the Vile de Lyons, the Jena, the Bayard, the Inflexible, the Hercule, the Ville de Nantes, the St. Louis, the Gemappes. This :list, which is necessarily incomplete, shows 41 liners, of which many are on the stock s acid cannot be sent to sea for years to come. FRIDAY, JUNE 3, 8.30 P.M. _ . From the statement I sent you yesterday it would appear that the French fleet at Toulon ready for sea. consists of six liners—Bretagne, Ville de Paris, Redoutable, Arcole, Alexandre, and Donauwerth ; two heavy frigates Isly and Cyclope ; three floating batteries—Lave, Tonnante, and Devastation, with three steam gunboats. The Ville de Paris is undergoing some slight repairs, and is painted a slate colour. 'The Cyclope would probably not prove very efficient. To these must be, added the three liners, Napoleon Algesiras, and Eylau, besides the heavy frigate Impetueuse, rated at 56 guns, and 800 horse power, which are up ,the Adriatic. The French Mediterranean fleet, actually in commission and ready for sea, would therefore appear to consist of nine line-of-battle ships, and three heavy first-class frigates. The reserve or advance squadron consists of five liners, Prince Jerome, Charlemagne, Fleurus, Jena, and Friedland, and three first-class frigates, the Imperatice Eugenie, Foudre,. and Dryade. The Fleurus is in dry dock, with her topmasts struck and rigging removed. • She appeared to have all her guns on board, and was . having her stern post repaired. The Prince Jerome was afloat in the inner harbour without her topmasts and rigging. The Jena was in like condition. The Charlemagne, which has one of the earliest round sterns, has her masts and rigging set up, and so have the two steam frigates between which she is moored. These —lmperatrice Eugenie and Foudre—are rated at 56 guns and 800-horse power each. The Dryade is called a 60-gun frigate, and is provided with 450- horse power. Judging from the state of the yard it is not probable that the Fleurus, Prince Jerome, and Jena could be got ready for sea under a couple of months at least. The others are in a more for ward state. I noted, moreover, the following liners laid up in ordinary alongside the quays, and which might perhaps, by dint of hard labour, be sent to sea in three months :—The Montebello, the Sou verain, and the Navarin, so that probably we should not err in estimating that in three months or so the Toulon fleet could be raised to 17 liners and six first-class frigates. .... . . . _ . . Several of - the paddlewheel steam frigates that have hitherto been armed en flute, and have been employed as transports, have received orders to take on board their full armaments. These are, for the present, the Gamer, the Mogador, and the Descartes. They are all provided with engines of the same force, 450-horse power, and are to carry, so it is stated, 22 guns. They are expected to be followed with others selected from the following list :—Panama, Sane, Eldorado, Magellan, Darien, Caffarelli, Canada, Oronoque, Ulloa, Christophe Colombe, and Asmodee. These paddle wheel vessels, with engines of 450-horse power each, are admir ably adapted for transport purposes, and have doubtless done good service in the conveyance of troops, but as ships of war they are not likely to be so efficient. The gunboats are, with the exception of those in the outer harbour, undergoing alterations for their adaptation to a new system of naval warfare. They are the Eclair, the Flamme, the Fleche. the Grenade, the Alerte, the Mutine, and the Tirailleuse. The first four are provided with engines of 110-horse power, and with two guns, 50-pounders. Only one of them, a three-masted fore and aft schooner rigged, can be compared with. the English steam gun sloops, of which the Coquette, that has been here, is a noble specimen. The French boat carries four 30- pounders amidships in addition to her two long guns forward ; but, besides being inferior in engine power, her build and lines would lead one to believe that her speed must. he greatly inferior to our steam sloops. The mode in which the heavy guns forward are mounted and are to be worked is a novelty. Whether it is likely to prove successful, naval men will be most competent Russian into he Balticwar the t odeci de that During w er were theentwere F r e p n r c o h gunboats - vided with moveable bulwarks, which, in action, were made to fall down and forman inclined plane, having on the exposed surface thick iron plates. The object of this arrangement w as th a t if an enemy's shot struck the inclined surface it might receive an upward direction at a sufficient angle to pass over the guns and clear the ship. In • the place of this arrangement, more ingenious than practical perhaps, a new system has been adopted. The stem and bulwarks are cut down level with the deck to a point just before the foremast.. At thi s point a stout bulwark of oak is built across the deck from one side to the other and before the foremast. The bulwark is inclined backwards at a slight angle, and is to be faced with shotproof iron plates. It is pierced with two embrasures, circular headed and straight-sided ; and through these the guns are to be fired, the bowsprit being made moveable to allow of it. From this arrangement it inevitably follows that the guns cannot be trained, the embrasures being much too narrow to allow it, and that they must be fired in a line with the ship's keel. The vessel would, consequently, be obliged in action to always present her bows to the enemy,—that is, to offer the greatest facilities for being raked. Even if the iron-plated bulwark did prove an effectual shield, which may be doubted, the enemy's shot could penetrate other portions, and rake just the same. Moreover, sup pose the shot struck the bulwark near the top, the inclination of its surface would carry the shot over, and land it probably among the machinery. The result would be the effectual disabling of the vessel until .@he had been refitted in a home port. It has been reserved - for modern French naval artillerists to discover that the best position for fighting a ship is that in which she is exposed to be constantly raked. The three last named gunboats—Alerte, Mutine, and Tirailleuse—are each fitted with one gun, 50- pounder, mounted on the same principle, the shield being lower, not much higher than a man's waist, land curved inwards. Their engines are 25 horse power for each boat. The floating batteries are much more formidable-looking things, provided their crews are not stifled from the smoke of their own guns. I only counted nine ports on a broad side, but was informed that they carried 18 50- pounders, all of which could be fought on the same side. These floating batteries have a further ar rangement which appears ingenious; they are provided with gratings outside the bulwarks, which can be let down so as to form a kind of balcony for riflemen to stand upon. Thus, supposing the bat tery to be fighting her port broadside, the balcony to starboard would be let down outside the bul warks, and the riflemen who stood upon it would be protected by the whole breadth of the vessel. The Coquette left Marseilles the first thing this morning, with the Hon. Mr. Elliot and the attaches to the Neapolitan Embassy= board. She also took with her eight seamen, volunteers from - the mer chant shipping here for her Majesty's navy, mak ing 15 entered by Captain Foley within the last ten days—since the Queen's proclamation was received here. It is much to be regretted that the English Admiralty should have, sent the Coquette away at this time, for entering into the navy is growing very popular. The men are, in fact, quite enthu siastic about it, and the ice having once been broken, there was every prospect of the scheme being eminently successful. As it is, there is no ship to receive the men, however desirous they may be to enter the service, and the term allotted will have expired before a ship can be sent out to replace the Coquette, whose crew have been unusually steady and well-conducted—so much so as to make one proud of hailing them as countrymen. VOLUNTEER CORPS. ST. GEORGE'S, HAT OVER SQUARE. A public meetin g of the inhabitants of St. George's, Hanover-square, was held on Saturday night, at the Hanover-square Rooms, for the purpose of deter mining on measures for the formation of a volunteer rifle corps. The attendance, especially of persons willing to become members f such a body, and be tween the ages of 18 and 45, was invited, and a large number assembled. The room was well filled before the hour named for commencing the proceedings, eight o'clock, and was crowded when the chair was taken. Lieut.-Gen. Sir DE LACY EVANS, M.P., presided. In opening the business the hon. and gallant chair man said he never felt more gratified in his life than by the movement he now saw going on for the establishment of some means of national defence in the present extraordinary condition of affairs. He would not occupy time by entering into details, upon which other gentlemen would address them. There was scarcely a part of the country where this movement had not been taken up, and with great intelligence and patriotic spirit. They could not decide on all the details now. Parliament was about to assemble, and the Government had indicated their approval of the movement.— The first object would be to promote the enrolment of those who wera favourable to the object. With regard to arms, he had no doubt that the weapon in use by the general body of troops should be adopted by the volunteer corps. The uniform, he conceived, ought to be of the most economical description, in order to enable as great a number as possible to assist. (Hear.) All finery, gaiety, gold lace, and that sort of thing, he thought would be out of place. That was very much given up even in the regular army of late. The Government circular left it open to all persons between the ages of 18 and 45 to enter these corps. He did not see why persons of more than 45 should be excluded ; many men were younger at 60 than others at 40, and every man endowed with the high feeling of desiring to defend his country should be,eligible. Probably some clerk at the War-office had copied the circular from an old form, and he hoped the Government would yet be more liberal on that point. He did not think the offer to supply the arms at first cost so liberal as it might be, particularly as there was already a body of volunteers called Yeomanry Cavalry, num bering about 14,000, to which a good deal more assistance was given. That body generally con sisted of the tenantry and followers of the landed gentry. He did not look upon it with the jealousy that some people did, but seeing that Government had been rather liberal to that corps, which, all over the country, was ranged under the guidance of the wealthy portion of society, some measure of the same liberality ought to be extended to this great. opular movement. (Cheers.) Each member of the Yeomanry Corps received £3 a year for his clothing, and in the last Army Estimates the amount of charge for these 14,000 men was £BB,OOO. The Yeomanry volunteer had also his arms pro vided free of cost, and pay for the period during which in each year he was called out for exercise. He hoped, therefore, to see some more effective and decided assistance given to the present move ment. It seemed almost a mockery only to- offer targets for practice and ammunition at first cost, and looked like a reluctance to trust the people with arms, or the power of familiarising themselves with their use. (Hear.) This, however, was no party movement, and it ought not to be a class concern. He was not a supporter of the present Government, bat he must admit they had gone further on this question than their predecessors. He was one of those who, when a movement of this character was made a few years ago, endeavoured to support it in the House of Commons, and it was then pooh poohed by the Government. The second circular issued by the present Government was an improve ment on the first, which was encumbered with vari ous restrictions. His Opinion was that there had not been so important and so menacing a conjuncture as the present for the past half century. They knew what occurrrd after the old French Revolution, and there were indications that some persons and some great powers had a notion of repeatiug the same course of policy. (Hear.) But if those great military Governments were innocent of all ambitious views, they might not be always able to re strain their armies or their people. But this volunteer rifle movement was one calculated only for defence, and no foreign Government could take umbrage - at it. He was much struck by a speech made the other day by an eminent and eloquent member of the House of Commons, of whose commercial policy he had been a humble fol lower—he meant the member for Birmingham. That hon. member had an unfortunate crotchet, which he thought he had modified. His crotchet was, all the world was peaceably disposed, and that it was non sense to take any means for the national defence. He was himself a friend of peace, but he could not imagine how those gentlemen who belonged to the Peace Society could be so profoundly convinced of the innocence of foreign powers. They locked their doors every night to protect themselves from robbers, but were there any greater robbers than those who marched with great armies to overrun neighbouring countries, anddictate to them what form of Go vernment they should adopt ? (Cheers). Mr. Bright, in his speech the other day, of course dis approved of the regular army, the militia he thought a nuisance, and the volunteer movement a perfect farce. It was difficult to please gentlemen of that kind, but he still hoped they would modify their notions upon reconsidering the matter. He had long seen the necessity of taking defensive measures. They could not rely upon their rulers. The inten tions of Russia were made known to them two years before the outbreak of the Crimean war, and they neglected to make any preparations. When at last they declared war, they accompanied it with a proposal to add 10,000 men to the army. 10,000 men ! And that was their idea of what would be required to go to war with one of the greatest mili tary Powers. (Hear.) Lord Macaulay, in one cf his works, said Pitt, thoughthe greatest orator and most powerful man of his day, only devoted the dregs of his abilities to war affairs ; and that he was affraid was the case with some men holding the highest places now in both Houses of Parliament. Europe was now in a state of war, and it was admitted that there was a written understanding between, France and Russia, the natu re o f w hi c h was con cealed, but they knew that Russia was moving five army corps towards the German frontier. He could not help thinking we were on the verge of the most momentous struggle that had been seen in our time, and it was on that account he felt so much gratifica tion at the present defensive movement. (Cheers.) Sir HAMILTON SEYMOUR, late Amassador to St. Petersburg and to Vienna, next addressed the meet ing. He said nothing but the great importance of the ctisis as he viewed it would have impelled him to break silence, or leave his obscurity to do that for which he was little qualified. He agreed with Sir De Lacy Evans, that if the signs of the times merited credence, they stood on the brink of one of the greatest crises the world had known in modern times. The difficulty was increased by the confu sion that prevailed. If he saw peoples rising to obtain liberties which had been withheld from them he should understand it ; but when, he saw the movement commenced by those from whom they had not been accustomed to expect a great measure of liberality it baffled comprehension. He. had no doubt the more they exercised their judgment, and the less they gave way to feeling at this time, the better it would be. The object of this meeting he believed to be perfectly legitimate. If he passed the shops at night he saw them guarded with iron shutters; in their own houses they secured the door with good bolts and locks, and policemen patrolled the streets. All he wished was that they should take the same care for the protection of this dear little island as they each took for their own streets and dwellings. (Cheers.) He was told by a great authority that if they would sit quiet no harm would happen to them ; but he should not regard that advice. He did not think, with Mr. Bright, that the fact of carrying a rifle upon their shoulders would make them quarrel some. He never walked without a stick, but it never occurred to him to lay it about the shoulders of the people he met. (A laugh.) They should take a hint from the game 'preservers, who filled their 'woods with spring guns and man traps, not that they thirsted for the poacher's life, or even for his leg, but to deter him from attempting to enter. (Cheers.) If this had been a class movement he should have not felt called upon to assist it. He was 62 years old, and could not offer himself as a very lively recruit, but he thought he could learn the goose-step, and as he shot at the partridge in September, he supposed he could shoot at a target, or, if needs must be, at an invader. (Cheers.) General Sir D. IVI'DouGALL said he had taken great interest in this question since 1852, and had constantly endeavoured to impress on the Govern ment the necessity of giving the people such an organisation and training as would render it im possible fur the world combined to assail this country with success. (Cheers.) He had had considerable experience in organising young troops, and was sent out to organise 15,000 militia in Nova Scotia. Every man in Nova Scotia, from 18 to 45, was required to assemble for four days' training, and in those four days they learnt to move in brigade with troops of the line. They took a pride in practising the use of their arms, and the Militia Artillery were equal to the Royal Artillery, and the infantry were excellent shots. He trusted this would also be the case in England. (Cheers.) General PRINGLE TAYLOR also spoke in support of the object of the meeting. Mr!OLLIvIER, - of Bond-street, who has taken an active part in promoting the movement in St. George's, said it was intended to apply to Govern ment for leave to exercise in the gardens of Burlington-house, and it was hoped that an ar rangement would be made with the Victoria Rifle Club to be allowed to exercise in ball practice at their grounds at Kilburn. They intended to adopt a simple uniform, of such a colour that the trowsers might be worn as a part of their ordinary dress. Their object would be not to make themselves lines men, but to learn to be good marksmen. Names of persons willing to join would be taken down, and it was intended to h ave an en t rance f ee of one guinea, and an annual subscription of the same amount. Those who gave their names would after ; wards be called together to decide on all the details. The formal proceedings closed with a vote of thanks to the chairman, and a considerable num ber of persons then came to the tables provided for the purpose of registering their names. BRIDPOR'r. A numerously attended meeting was held on Wednesday, presided over by the mayor. Resolutions were unanimously adopted for the enrolment of a rifle corps. The enrolment is taken up by all classes with enthusiasm. The subscrip tion list, including the names of the Duke of Bedford, the borough members, and many of the landed proprietors and merchants has already reached £7OO. CHELMSFORD. A crowded meeting of the inhabitants of Chelms ford and the'distriet was held at the Shire-hall in that town on Friday evening, the Hon. Mr. Mild may in the chair, for the purpose of taking measures to establish a rifle corps, and also a rifle club in connection with it. The CIIAIRMAN dwelt at some length on the necessity for an organization of this kind. It was determined that both a corps and a club should be formed, and a resolution was passed ex pressing a strong opinion that the Government ought to furnish the rifles. DERBY. Energetic measures are being adopted in this town for the adoption of a rifle corps. A handsome subscription has been raised, and the townsmen express their willingness to give more if required. EDINBURGIC Several bodies of the citizens have made a tender of their services to the Lord Provost in the forma tion of a volunteer rifle regiment for the city of Edinburgh. Of these the Faculty of Advocates has made the most distinct progress towards organiza tion, having tendered to the Lord Provost 95 names of gentlemen of the bar to form a company of the proposed reoiment. About £650 have been already subscribed for the purchase of uniforms and arms for the company—each of the 13judges of the court of session having contributed £2O. NEWCASTLE-ON-TYNE. The committee appointed by the public meeting met in the Mayor's Chamber, in this town, last week, Sir John Fife presiding, when it was an nounced that 47 gentlemen had inscribed their names on the list openedfor volunteers undertaking to find their own uniforms, arms, and equipments. , NORFOLK. The movement proceeds here with unabated spirit. At Great Yarmouth about 60 volunteers have en rolled their names, and the list includes Sir E. H. Lacon, M.P., Sir H. Stracey, M.P., and most of the leading inhabitants of the town. It is' expected that Lieut.-Colonel Beckham will be lieutenant colonel of the corps, and a fund is being raised with a view of reducing the expense of joining in the movement to thosewho might otherwise be deterred from taking part in it. At Norwich the fund raised to defray the preliminary expenses of the proposed corps now amounts to £265, and the mayor has convened a meeting for to-day (Monday) for the purpose of arranging details as regards the organi zation of the regiment. In the country districts much enthusiasm has been displayed. ROMFORD. A rifle corps has been formed in this district, under the title of the " Royal Havering Volunteer Rifles." SUFFOLK. The Attorney-General has contributed £25 to the fund being raised for the formation of a rifle club at Ipswich, and about £125 has now been collected in the shape of donations, entrance fees, and annual subscriptions. The committee propose to commence the formation of companies to-day (Monday). On Friday afternoon a meeting was held at Bury St. Edmund's for the purpose of forming a rifle club, out of which a volunteer corps may hereafter be formed. The Mayor (Mr. G. P. Clay) presided. Several gentlemen having addressed the meeting it was resolved that steps should be taken to obtain the sanction of the Lord-Lieutenant to the esta blishment of a rifle corps, and an influential pro visional committee was appointed for the purpose. TYNEMOUTH. The Tynemouth Volunteer Rifle and Artillery Corps musters now nearly 200 strong, and have a drill twice a week. They have adopted the smaller Enfield as their rifle. WIS BEACH. - - A town's meeting, convened by requisition to the mayor, was held here, and resolutions were adopted in favour of the formation of a corps. A committee was appointed to make the necessary arrangements and Mr. Shelford was chosen secretary. WOLVERHAMPTON. A town's meeting, presided over by the mayor, was held here onFriday, w'hen a resolution approv ing the establishment of volunteer rifle corps gene rally and of one for that particular neighbourhood, to act under the direction of the Lord-Lieutenant, was agreed to. YORK. A numerous meeting was held on Friday, in the Guildhall, York, for the purpose of taking into consideration the propriety of forming a volunteer rifle corps for that city and neighbourhood. The Lord Mayor presided. A resolution in conformity with the object of the meeting having been proposed and seconded, Mr. BEAUMONT opposed the movement, which, he said, had originated with Lord Derby and his Cabinet. - kr. R. SNOWDEN contended there was no reason why they should not place confidence in the faith fulness of the. Emperor of the French. Dlr. S. W. Noßn.dealed that this was o, political movement, and he energetically supported the for mation of a rifle corps. After observations from other speakers, the reso lution was put and declared to be carried, although there was a large ncinber of hands held up against it, the amendment which was proposed, to the effect that no rifle corps be formed, having been lost. The LORD MAYOR said he had had offers from men of high station and position —men who had served in our armies with glory to themselves and to their country—offers from men of all ranks, who said they believed the time had come when they ought to do something for the protection of their country. (Applause.) A committee was appointed to carry out the ob ject in view. LORD JOHN RUSSELL UPON CHURCH ARCHITECTURE. On Saturday the annual meeting of the City Auxiliary Society to the London Missions was held at the City of Lon don Tavern, to receive the report of the committee, and on other business. Lord J. Russell was called to the chair. Mr. J. Ho..A.RE, M.P., said that, as there was no regular report, he begged to state a few facts in connection with the auxiliary society. Last year there were only 18 city missionaries within the city boundaries, and the amount subscribed for their support was £546, being about £3O a year for each missionary. It was trailer these circumstances that this auxiliary society had been established, the object of which, among other things, was to supply the other 11 districts within the city boundaries not already supplied with missionaries with teachers of the Word of God, and also to supply the districts bordering on the city with missionaries to teach the Gospel to those who would not otherwise receive its benefits. Well, the auxiliary society had during the past year raised £1,200, which sum was not only equal to the payment of the salaries of the existing city missionaries, but also to enable the society to add five missionaries to the number al ready in existence, in the confident belief that the whole of the missionaries would do much to pro mote the knowledge of God among the poor living within the boundaries of the city. The hon. gentle man referred to the districts of Shoreditch and St. George's-in-the-East, and said it was a fact that very few of the inhabitants of those localities went to church on either the morning or the evening of the Sabbath-day, as was proved by the statistics of the census Sunday. He might add that the parent society of this auxiliary had received during the past year £35,798, and in connection with the parent society there were 363 missionaries, all of whom were usefully employed in promoting the knowledge of God among the poor at their own homes. Lord J. RUS3ELL said it was not his intention to intrude upon their attention to explain the ob jects of this society—that was before the world in the proceedings of the society—but what he wished to say was that of all the objects they could have in view that now under consideration was most preseworthy. It was all very well to raise charities in connexion with the established religion and places of worship for Dissenters ; but still they would fall short of the purpose contemplated by their erection, if they had not such means as that proposed by this auxiliary society to induce the poor to visit them. They had recently erected splendid churches —one, he understood, cost no less than £60,000, and they had also Dissenting places of worship, ample and commodious, to suit the require. ments of all desirous of visiting them ; but still it was, he believed, a fact that the poor were not seen in any very great numbers in these places of wor ship. (Hear, hear.) He had often discussed with clergymen of the Church of England and with Dis senting ministers this question of the absence of the poor from places of worship, and the conclusion that seemed to be arrived at was that the poor did not like to come into contact with the luxury that was to be met with in places of worship. (Hear, hear.) He wished they could resort to the simplicity of early times. They were told by an early writer, a Pagan, that when the early Christians were brought up charged with certain crimes the answer they gave to these charges was that they sung hymns to Christ, that they met together, and inculcated among each other religious and moral virtue, 'and read good books to one another. (Hear.) Nothing could be more simple or more likely to lead to a belief in the doctrines of the Gospel than such a course of proceeding as this ; but now the persons who resorted to churches seemed to be dressed in such a manner as to shame, as it were, the rags of the poor. (Hear, hear.) A Dissenting Minister at Brighton adopted a very good proceeding to attract the attention of the poor in a locality in that town to the preaching of the Gospel. He read the Scrip tures, and exhorted the people on religious subjects, and the poor people were seen to put their heads out of the window to listen to the rev. gentleman's exhortations. Well, now, as the poor would not go to the churches to hear the word of God, it was desirable that they should have the Gospel preached to them in places where they could hear it. This necessity was supplied by the London City Mission. That is to say, the missionaries visited the poor at their dwellings, and exhorted them to attend places of worship, and that they did in a most impartial manner, for they advised them to attend those places of worship to which they belonged. (Hear.) It must be confessed that, not withstanding the freedom which all persons enjoyed in respect to religion in this country, there were great masses of people who were wholly unac quainted with the elementary truths of religion. (Hear, hear.) Now, if there were rooms or build. in gs where the people might meet and have the Gospel preached to them, much could be done for their benefit. Mr. BEVAN moved a resolution to the effect that the success that had attended the operations of the society was highly gratifying to its friends. , The Rev. Dr. M'CAUL seconded the resolution, which was supported by Mr. S. GURNEY, and the resolution was agreed• to. Mr. R. CHARLES moved the next resolution, which stated that, while the meeting approved the efforts made for the religious instruction of the poor in the city, they were of opinion that the labours of the missionaries ought to be extended to the poor a short distance from the boundaries of the city. Mr. Charles referred to the state of the poor in the Tower Hamlets, and said that missionary labours were much required in that district. Mr. CHAMBERS, the Common Sergeant, in sup porting the resolution, said that it was only by the teaching of the poor in the way proposed by the society that they could reach their hearts and un derstandings. Mr. J. PAYNE supported the resolution, which was unanimously adopted. On the motion of Mr. G. MOORE, seconded by Mr. COLE, the thanks of the meeting were given to the noble chairman, who subscribed £lO towards the funds of the society, and the meeting then separated. FATAL ASHIPWRECK-TWENTY-THREE LIVES LOST. The ship Lady Head, 850 tons burthen, homeward bound, from Rangoon to Liverpool, has been totally lost near the mouth of the Kroome River, in the neigh bourhood of the Cape of Good Hope, we regret to say . all hands, with the exception of and three seamen, n peshed with the ship. A letter sent to Lloyd's b y the magistrate at Numansdorp, giving the intelligence, states that the catastrophe took place on the 20th of April. The ship, it appears, was laden with rice. She left Rangoon on the 24 th of February, her crew numbering twenty-six. The captain had on board his wife and child. About the 18th of April they sighted land, when they stood off, and soon lost sight of i wit he next day it came on to blow a heavy gale, hazy thick weather, which continued the following . day, when about four a.m. the captain discovered he was fast driving on to a lee shore. All hands were called to wear ship, butshe refused, and about five o'clock, the ship struck the rocks, and almost immediately bec ame a total wreck. The captain was seen on the poop, endeayouri o n c : rz to r,ese s h, a a v nr e at h e i da s wife and child, when the ship broke up, and they were d ro wned. The re e s x t ee o p f tie t n he Gray, and another, who fate, with H th e e nry ssCiuhnicacirealeerdsed in reaching the rocks in safety, although they were much bruised and injured. The only bodies found were theicaain, s wife and child, mwhagieihstrwateerreeainterred h n thesands, the resident burial service. The ship and cargo were only partially insured. [ADvEirrisEmENT-We have read with -) much pleasure Du Barry's report on the cure of diseases without medicine by Du Barry's Food of indigestion (dyspepsia), flatulency, constipation, nervous, bilious and liver complaints, cough, asthma, consumption, and debility. The following are a few extracts which appear to merit the attention of many : Cure Ne. 47,121.—"Mi5s Elizabeth Jacobs, of Nazing Viaarage, Waltham-cross, Herts, a cure of extreme nervour ness, indigestion, gatherings, low spirits, and nervous fancies." Cure No. 52,612.—The Dowager Countess of Castlestuart, of many years nervous irritability, bile, and indigestion. Cure No. 54,812. —Miss Virginia Zeguers cured of consumption, after her medical adviser had abv.- doned all hopes of recovery. Cure No. 180.—" Twenty-five years' nervousness, constipation, indigestion, and debility, from which I have suffered great misery, been which no medicine could remove or relieve, have time.—W. B. Reeves, 181, Fleet-street,. effectually cured by Du Barry's Food in a v L er e y nd s o h n o . rS free, on recop o pos - 265. The lffib. and 121 b. tins c,arriagee In tins, at ls. 6d. ; 11b., 3s. ; 21b., ss. 9d. , 51b., Regent-street, London. office order. Du Barry and Co., g 182, Piccadilly; Abbis, 60, I . 2s t . ; f l2lb t ., Fortnum, Mason, and Co., s G t r r e a e c t e road. Also at Dublin-, h u 33 r c o h - a s n t r d e e 4 t s ; 1, 4 , Strand. C_h co e u l ap s . (1 4 e 9 ; and 63, and 13 15 i s o h , 0 0 p x s g f Oxford street; street ; 85, Tottenham -c°'-road. Edinburgh, Raimes and Co. ,• Bewley and Drap er rt l a and ra ; sau, . Thew ßal3. ; c r t I%t d I , a n and e h e C s S a h t ag u an th d . Liverpool, y ol n , rdau N k, ix amaStcoLpttitvo;nl THE LATE FRIGHTFUL AND FATAL EXPLOSION AT PORSTMOUTII. PORTSMOUTH, SATURDAY. An inquiry was opened last evening before Mr. Cooper, the borough coroner, at the New York Tavern, on view of he body of one of the sufferers, in the Eastern Monarch, Charles Edward Frickey, a child, son of the bandmaster of the 98th Regt. Captain Morris, the Captain of the Eastern Monarch, was present, and the proceedings excited much interest. The body having been viewed, Stephen Milton, a private in the 70th Regiment of Foot, examined. He said—l was an invalid on board the Eastern Monarch, and embarked at Kurrachee on the 22d of February, for England. The deceased was under the care of myself and wife. Last saw the child about two o'clock that morning. He slept in the after part of the main deck in a hospital cot with my wife. I slept in the fore part of the main deck. About half-past two o'clock this morning I was awoke by a loud report like the shock of an earthquake or the explosion of gun powder. I have felt the shock of an earthquake. I dressed myself and ran to my wife and family to get them on deck. She was in the act of getting out of bed, and she told me the child was nearly dead. There was a strong smell of gunpowder on deck. The child was not conscious. I took him on deck and then found that he was nearly dead. The child died in about two minutes after I got on deck. I showed him to Dr. Kidd, the medical officer. I then attended to my wife and children, lowering them over the side into a boat. By the Coroner—Did not perceive the flames issuing up in the after part of the ship until about three quarters of an hour after I heard the report. Coroner—Did anything particular happen during the voyage to attract your notice ? Witness—On the passage home, when on the other side of the equator, on the fore hatches being opened, some bags of flax or hemp seed (whatever it was) became heated. it was foun d congealed in lumps, and was very hot. It was brought on deck and dried, and afterwards stowed away again in the ship. It was stirred about like malt. It was not thrown overboard. It was on. deck several days. It was stowed in bags made of . cocoa-nut fibre. All the boats of the ship were lowered after the explosion. Coroner—Was captain Morris active in his exertions ? Witness—Yes, I saw him in a small boat round the ship. Mr. Kidd, M. 8., of Trinity College, Dublin, said, I am assistant-surgeon of the 37th Regiment, and had charge of the invalid detachments on board the Eastern Monarch. I remember the heating of the seed. It happened about three weeks after leaving Kurrachee. I saw it on the forecastle; it was in lumps, and when they were broken the, were hot inside. From its appearance I should say it had been wet. I understood it was returned to the hold. It was in cocoa-nut fibre bags. Nothing occurred from that time until the unfortunate catastrophe. I went to bed last night between hal f past nine and 10. I returned on deck between 1. 2 and 1, during the casting of the anchor, and went to my cabin again at one. I fell asleep, and was aroused by an explosion—a smothered explosio a, and shivering of the ship, exactly like an earth quake. I was hurled out of my cot. I went into the cuddy, and felt great distress from the fumes coming up from below, and was almost blinded by the sparks and smoke. Cannot say that tb.e fumes were those of gunpowder. I could root detect any sulphureous smell. The side of nay cabin was driven in, and a piano which stood 11E sr the door was shivered. My first impression was that the ship had been struck with lightning. I perceived sparks,:but:no flames. Did not see anyone smoking. The next time I went into my cabill I observed flames between decks. Saw the deceas ed half an hour after the occurrence. Believed that the child died from suffocation, from the fumes which affected me. I should think an hour elapsed after the explosion before the whole of the aft pi - tzrt of the ship was in flames. It was two hours and. a half before we left the ship. The Coroner inquired of Captain Morris whose duty it was to see that the lights were put out. Captain Morris said they had a strict wat The sergeant-major, sergeants, and, indeed, t he whole of the watch attended to that duty. Ever/ light in the cuddy was put out at 10 o'clock. It would have been impossible for any light to have' been taken into the hold without its being seen. Mr. Ryder, the third mate, had charge of the hold under the direction of the chief mate, during the passage. The Coroner said it was very desirable that they should have the evidence of the several officers of the ship, and other parties who could furnish infor mation. It was a matter which demanded the fullest investigation, and he therefore proposed as adjournment. The proceedings were accordingly adjournady Capt. Morris undertaking to produce the officers. The inquest on the bodies removed to Hasher Hospital had not been held up to this (Saturday) evening. There are several persons in the hospital who were passengers in the ship, and have su.s tained serious injury. The number of persons known to have perished is seven ; but it is feared that that is not the extent of the calamity. A private in the 52d, named Mar an invalid, has lost his wife and infant ; and the latter, it is presumed, was burnt in the veesel. The other sufferers were—H. Foster, a soldier in the 52d; Miss Maher, daughter of the colour sergeant of the 70th ; Ann Smith, daughter of a private in the 87th ; H. Mills, son of a corporal in the 52d r and C. Frickey, son of the bandmaster of the 98th. COUNTRY 111A.RIET8. NOTTINGHAM-JUNE 4. - - - The show of wheat was rather fair, and the demand not active, at about the currencies of the preceding wok. There was not much barley on offer, and little business passing, at about late rates. Oats in limited supply, and made late prices. Beans were scarce,• and no material change in price. White wheat, new, 60s to 62s Barley, grinding.. 288 to 31% Red do. 63s to 568 Oats, old, .. 3os to 35s Old white 66s to 60 s N ew do 28s to 32a Red do.. 50s to 54s Beans.. bN to 523 Barley, malting.... 38s to 43s Beans, new.. 48s to 50s NORWICH—JUNE 4. • • There was a sma ll s h ow o f w heat, and farmers were my willing sellers at is per qr. less money. Thetre.de.ln barley was sl ow a t l as t week's rates. Beans were i n lim i ted supply. Oats were unaltered in value. Flour is per sac lower. White wheat ..64s to 56 Red wheat 49s to 52s ROCHESTER —JUNE 4. At to-day's market there was a liberal show of wheat, w e e k. sold moderately at 2s per qr le er l than last week. White, good, sold from 52s to 56s ; inferior, 48s to 545. Red wheats realised 46s to 545. Foreign steady, but prime lots fetching rather less money. Barley was b,'" no means an active sale, and prices nominally unaltered. Oats quiet. Beans and peas neglected. The millers have lowered the price of flour is to 2s per sack. YORK--MAY 28. There was a fair quantity of wheat, for which there was a slow demand, at previous prices. Little doing in barley, and recent rates being obtained for coarse samples. In oats and beans the trade ruled slow, at about previous rates. Wheat .sos to 52s I White do 52s to 56s I Barley 30s to 32s I Malt, 66s to 68s per qr. ; Oats.. 24s to :160 Beans 44s to 45 5 Peas • •—sto---0 flour, —s per 20 stone. DUBLIN—JUNE 3. We have another very dull market to-day. Wheat vrss easier to buy. Oats 3d to 6d per barrel lower. Barley e dull, at Tuesday's rates. A very limited inquiry for Indite corn. s. d. s. d. Wheat, white 29 0 to 31 0 Do., red 2B 0 to 30 0 Do., new Barley Oats ' l5 0 to 16 3 Do., black l4 0 to 15 0 s. d. s. F't„' Do., new 6 11 6 to 13 v Bere . lO 0 t o 12 Rapeseed 26 oto2o 0' Oatmeal l5 0 to 11 0 Bakers' flour Indian corn BIRTHS. ANDERSON.—On the 2d inst., at 1, Douro-terrace, JerseYl the wife of Lieut.-Colonel Anderson, C. 8., Royal Axtil" lery, of a son. BEAUFOY.—On the 3d inst., at South Lambeth, Mrs' Beaufoy, of a daughter. BEETON.—On the 3d inst., at Woodridings, Pinner, the wife of S. 0. Becton, Esq., of a son. DARLING—On the 6th ult., at King's House, Spanish town Jamaica, the wife of his Excellency C has. Henry Darling, ,of a son. MARRIAGES. PARRY—BARNES.—On the 31st ult., at St. Peter's, Rom square,Eaton- the Rev. William P arr y , M.A., curate of est say, to Amelia Henriet ta, young daughter of the late Lieut.-Gen. Sir E. Barnes, G.C.B. Simms—DAvlsolc.—On the 3d inst., at St. Michael's, Stockwell, James Simms, Esq., son of W. Simms, Esq., F.R.S,, of Carshalton, to Eleanor Georgiana, daughter of T. It. Davison, Esq., of Durham House, Montague place, Clapham-road. DEATHS. BARCLA.Y.—On the 19th ult., at Dungannon, Ireland, Sir Robert Barclay, Bart., aged 40. Buowx.—On the 3d inst., Mr. Thomas Brown, of the firm of T. and M. L. Brown, 47, St. Martin's-lane Charing" Cross. - CLARK.—On the 30th ult., Mr. Thomas Clark, of Canter bury, aged 84. DAWSON.—On the let inst., Edward Dawson, Esq., o f Whatton House, Leicestershire, aged 57. HARRISON.-0a the 3d inst., at Castle-hill, Holywell, the wife of Richard 'Harrison, Esq., solicitor. SINCLAIR.—On the lst inst., at 18, Ch es h a m-place, Cap!*- A. Sinclair, R.N., f our th son of the late Right Hon. Sir John Sinclair, Bart. LONDON : Printed find Published by MURDO YOUNG", of No. 112, Strand, Printer, at The Sun Office, No. 112, Strand, in the Precinct of the Savoy, in to %WAY o f Middlesex, Monday, June 6, 1869.