The Sun. — London, England, 1859-09-23 00:00:00

. . BENSON'S WATCHES.' " Perfection of mechanise." —Morning Post. Gold Watches 4 to 100 guineas. Silver Watches U and 34, Ludgate - hill , London, B.C. end 2 stamps for Benson's Illustrated Pamphlet on Watches. ____.------ ROYAL COVENT- ENG H UIS OPERA, GARDEN. Under the management of Miss LOUISA PINE and Mr. HARRISON, will Open for the Season on MONDAY, 3d. Acting Manager—Mr. E. Murray. Stage 'Manager Mr. E. Stirling. THEATRE -ROYAL, HAYMARKET. Lessee, Mr. J. B. Buckstone. THIS EVENING the performances will commence with WIVES AS THEY WERE AND MAIDS AS THEY ARE. 'Messrs. Chippendale, Howe,W. Farrel], Mrs. B. White, Mrs. lirilldns, and Miss Amy Sedgwick. After which, a new Farce, entitled THE RIFLE, AND NOW TO USE IT. Messrs. Buckstone, Compton, Rogers, Stirs. B. White, Mrs. Wilkins, and Mrs. E. Fitzwilliam. And 111,.LLOWE'EN. Commence at 7. --------- __ ____ ROYAL PRINCESS'S THEATRE. —This Theatre will OPEN on SATURDAY next, September 24, with a new Drama, by J. Oxenford, Esq., entitled IVY MALL ; the scenery by Messrs. T. Grieve and W. Telbin. To eronclude with a dramatic tableau in Watteau colours, by J. P.. Planche, Esq., entitled LOVE AND FORTUNE ; the acenery by Mr. W. R. Beverley. During the recess the Thea tre has been redecorated. ---------- -MEW. THEATRE - ROYAL, ADELPHI. s o l e Proprietor and Manager, Mr. Benj. Webster. This splendid New Theatre, replete with every corafort, WILL OPEN for the Season on MONDAY, Sept. 26, 1559. — &DELPHI DRAMA, COMEDY, FARCE, and BUR LESQUE, and ADELPHI EFFECTS !! !—On which occa sion Mr. Benjamin Webster, Mr. J. L. Toole, Mr. David Fisher (his first appearance at this theatre), Mr. Paul Bedford, Miss Woolgar (Mrs. Alfred Mellon), Miss Henrietta Simms, &a, &c., will appear. The performances will consist of a DRAMA. (2d time), of the highly successful piee,e of ONE TOUCH or NATURE ; a new Fame, by J. M. M r Esq., called LOVE AND HUNGER ; and the popular Burlesque of THE BABES IN THE WOOD. The Box-office will be opened on Thursday, Sept. 22, and every day after, from 10 to 5. No charge to tor securing seats this , nor ter bills of perform ance. A ted. ll fees servants of esta bli s hment are strictly prohibi -------- ROYAL STRAND THEATRE. Lessee and Directress, Miss Swanborough THIS EVENING, THE GOOSE WITH THE GOLDEN _ __ Eek 44: After which, A SCHOOL FOR COQUETTES. Mines SVaaborongh. Oliver, and Lavine. Followed by THE 'VERY LATEST EDITION OF T HE LADY OF LYONS. Commence at 7 o'clock; OANTERBUR Y HALL CONCERT EVERY EVENING.—The Itusic of Verdi's Opera of MACBETH (now first made public in England at these Con feria), the extraorainary Violin Performances of the cele !gated Infant DE LEPIERRE FAMILY, and the usu al Yecal Concert. Lome Vocalists —Messrs. George E on Hods the Irish Come au, and Mimic), W. T. Critchfield, and Wackney. Seferal interesting Pictures ars added to the Fine Arts Gallery. The suite of Halls have been re-decorated and beautified, and constitute one of the most unique and brilliant eights of the metropolis. Will shortly be produced, a Grand Selection; from Meyer beer's new opera of DINNORA. —____,----_ THE WEATHER.--Strx OFFICE, SEPTEMBER 23, TMERMOYETEE., IN THE SHADE. 4—highest since noon yesterday. 58--loweat this morning and during the night. 57—this day at loon. BenomETEn-29.78. Wniitn, south-Westerly; fresh, with dull cloudy weather. HIGH WATER AT LONDON BRIDGE. Tins DAY. —Morning, 10h. 50m.—Afternoon, 11h. 30*. To-htmutow-Morning, Oh. Om.—Afternoon, 12h. int. THE SUN. FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 1859. The story of the last Great Arctic Expedition is now as a tale that is told. There is an end, at length, to all this protracted and agonised suspense in regard to the fate of FRANKLIN and his Com panions. We know but too distinctly now that we may never hope more to look upon the face of one —not even of one of that heroic band. Yesterday the tardy tidings came to us, all too late for aught save a heartfelt yet bootless sympathy. Fourteen years, three months, and twenty-seven days have elapsed since the sailing from Woolwich, on the 26th of May, 18t5, of the Erebus and the Terror, with their gallant crews, under the command of Sir JOHN FRANKLIN. Not until the 22d of Sep tember, 1859, do we learn in England the actual fate of the enterprise. And now, when the news does finally come to us—the news as to the fate of these brave seamen—lo and behold! it is news absolutely more than ten years old! Upwards of ten years, in effect, proves to have slipped by since the doom of that glorious little band was in a manner thus definitively pronounced. We know now for certain—for the record is under the handwriting and authenticated by the signature of the dauntless old chief's second in command and successor, Captain CROZIER —We know now at last for certain that Sir JOHN FRANKLIN is dead—and more than that, we know the very day upon which he breathed his last tranquilly, surrounded by his companions. It was on the 11th of June, 1847—as long ago as twelve years and more from this pre sent date—that poor Lady FRANKLIN was widowed. It is some solace at least, now that the hoping against hope down to the very last has been .crushed out of our hearts for ever—it is some consolation, at any rate, to learn that the true-hearted, dauntless old tar died thus peacefully in the midst of his little band : not crushed to death by some sudden and agonising catastrophe among the eternal icebergs, not slowly tortured to death by frost and starvation. Nearly two months after FRANKLIN'S death, namely, on the 22d of April, 1848, her MAJESTY'S ships Erebus and Terror were abandoned by—the " Survivors." That one word tells its tale of endurance and suffering. During those two months between the death of FRANKLIN and the final abandonment of the two ships, others besides the heroic old commander had expired. The survivors, however, amounting in all to 105 souls, took their leave of the Erebus and Terror — names of evil omen to send forth upon an expedi tion full of Terror—to a fate dark as Erebus They took their leave of their two ice-bound vessels thus on the 22d of April, 1848, and, under the command of Capt. CROZIER, set forth across the blinding snows in quest of the Great Fish River—in prosecution of their grand design—and in the hope of finding assistance among the Esquimaux. We have the statement of all this under the hand of Captain CROZIER. The record has been brought home at l ength, though dated as far back as the 25th of April, 1848, and it is duly signed by Captain CROZIE R himself; and by his second, Captain FITZJAMEs. It was discovered at last but very recently on the N.W. coast of King William's Island, at a spot, called Point Victory. The dauntless seaman who has won this precious but Engl an d, an d b roug ht it h ome melancholy priz e fo r to terminate, by one poi g nat goant certainty, a long agony of doubt and hope deferred, is no other than the leader of th e last and concluding Forlorn Hope in search of Sir JOHN FRANKLIN'S Expedition. Captain INPCLINTocK, chosen by Lady F RANKLIN herself to conduct thi s her final searching expedi tion, has, with the most brilliant success, completed his daring and perilous undertaking. He has carried his little yacht, the Fox, further than any Arctic voyager has ever y.,-t ventured, into those everlasting realms of winter. He has, by sledge journies during this expedition with the little Fox, added eight hundred miles of coast line to previous discoveries. He has in effect contrived, as he himself writes, " to unite the explorations of the former searching expeditions to the north and west of our position, with those of JAMES Ross, DBASE, and RAE to the south." He has thus trium phantly completed and perfected the discovery of the .Vorth.-west Passage. And while incidentally solv- ::::., i N ..; 1 0 .... 61e1. A . 4. ~, ' k r" , ..• :I 4,,,;, •, ',, : ... s 4 - 7 IC• ',;?. - APu-- -4i , , , :0, ~-' ~ ( 1,„; : - rOk''- .ft !' , .. - A . .. -, ~... ,WI , •-.1.,- --' 40cipiitt - t- ing the last geographical problems left for solution in those wild and scarcely penetrable regions round the northern pole, Captain M'CLINTOCK has brought back to us not only positive and reliable facts and dates as to the FRANKLIN expedition, so -.... . __ long missing, and so long left alone entirely to our conjectures ; but with these written records he carries home to us in England —ah ! such mournful relics of those long dead and heroic navigators. It is scarcely pos sible to read with eyes undimmed by sym pathy the catalogue of some of these poor little awful relics ! Beside a boat that was found, for example, in lat. 69 deg. 08.43 N., long. 90 deg. 24.42 W., upon the west coast of King William's Island, May 30, 1859—beside this boat "Two double-barrelled guns—one barrel in each loaded, found standing up against the side of the boat." In the boat some clothing and two human skeletons ! One of these skeletons undis• turbed—the other disordered, in the fore part of the boat, as if by animals ! A small Prayer-book-- " The Vicar of Wakefield"—the cover of a small book of Family Prayers—" Christian Melodies,' with an inscription on the cover to G. G.—a small Bible, " interlined in many places, and with nume rous references written in the margin "—a New Testament in the French language. What an elo quence there is in these few items ! What a true and simply pathos!! Again —turning to Captain M'CLINTOCK'S own 11;+Riled narrative of the proceed ings of his little party of aci,-,Tnturers—we read at one part—" Re-crossing the Strait to King William's Island we continued the examination of its southern shore without success until the 24th of May, when about 10 miles eastward of Cape Herschel a bleached skeleton was found, around which lay fragments of European clothing. Upon carefully removing the snow a small pocket-book was found containing a few letter ; these, though much decayed, may yet be deciphered. Judging from the remains of his dress this unfortunate young man was a steward or officer's servant, and 1 his position exactly verified the Esquimaux's asser tion [previously given in the narrative], that they dropped as they walked along." There are two or three anomalies, and one or two contradictions no ticeable in the few documents yet given to the public by Captain APCLINTOCK. These it is but fair and right that we should notice—though they may be each of them, it is possible, very easily explained. For example, among the original papers stated to have been found by Captain M'CLINTocK on Prince of Wales' Island, there is one under date—" May, 1847," and signed " Sir JOHN FRANKLIN." The question naturally arises, would Sir JOHN FRANK LIN have signed himself " Sir JOHN FRANKLIN ?" A signature all the more curious when in the docu ment to which it is appended we read : " Having wintered in 1846-7 at Beechey Island." A circum stance so bewildering, coupled with the previous account given as to the fate of the Expedition, that we find it noted at the Admiralty yesterday, through this little Mem. :—" The words ' Having continued in 1846-47 at Beechey Island,' should be ' in 1845-46,' as in 1846-47 they were beset in the ice, and the ships abandoned in April, 1848." Still anomalies and inaccuracies may have crept in thus in the copying. Spurious signatures would be in stantly recognisable. The veritable autographs will, at a glance, put an end to all uncertainty. Having thus completely accomplished the end of his heroic enterprise, the brave Captain M'CLINTOCK and his hardy seamen of the little Fox will be now recognised assuredly as having won a right to claim evidence of the national gratitude, no less than earnest as surances (like these heartfelt assurances of our own) of the popular admiration. The red ribbon of a Companion of the Bath would suit well the sea-blue of that gallant sailor's uniform. The Victoria Cross might shine, and shine deservedly, upon a less dauntless breast than that of M'CLINToCK ! ____ One good result may follow from the Chinese disaster. It will surely revive, and at an opportune juncture, the practical alliance between France and England. While two nations, or Governments, like two individuals, have no pursuit in common, they are ever liable to the influence of small dis t'irbing causes; but let some object of great im portance, and especially some common danger re quire joint action; and trifles are soon brushed aside. Even parties in the House of Commons can merge their minor differences, when the question is which shall occupy the Treasury benches. The Chinese treachery has presented such a uniting object to both Governments. They were jointly insulted, and their representatives murderously attacked. The treaties they had jointly obtained were refused ratification, though not a word of accusation, as to anything unfair in them, had been heard. Before all the East, almost within hearing of the newly opened commercial kingdom of Japan, the vessels of the Western Powers have been assailed by over whelming force, and with such success that nothing but the thorough humiliation of the traitors to all international law, can restore to us, in the eyes of barbarians, the position necessary to our safety. Though nothing official has yet transpired, it cannot be doubted that Louis NAPOLEON will fully do his part. The proportion of ships and men which he would have to send to China, of men espe cially, would be hardly missed by him. And pro bably, as there is no demand for his navy in Europe at present, he may be pleased, rather to show that he does not need our aid in conveying his soldiers, than to accept it as he did in taking them to the Baltic. He will most likely also prefer to be will represented in naval force, also, in the Chinese waters. He will desire to show his naval equality with England, not only at Cherbourg or Toulon, but on the waters of distant oceans. We, of course, cannot fail to do our part. Men we have ready in the East, if we can but catch them. Men coming home from where they are wanted, and whom we could have made sure of, but for the foolish govern mental parsimony, which has failed to regard elec tric telegraphs to the East as a national affair. However, if the discharged Europeans do return, we shall not be in want of soldiers acclimatised to the tropics ; We have Sikhs in abundance —too many of them, indeed; ten of them would, if led by a British officer, thrash a hundred Chinese led by a mandarin, and laugh at their task. With the most ordinary good management we might send to China even tweity thousand of these fine fellows, who with a third of their number of Europeans could march through China from north to south and east to west without an enemy which would dare to face them. But while the two Governments are thus en gaged, they will of course be brought into that Practically f r i en dly as sociation which must increase their r ea l friendship. From this we may hope for well that our some good to Go ltaly vern . 0 r s Loins cannot, g if k knows they v Iwere so disposed, change their position in regard to Italy. He knows that it would be fatal to any English Government to assent to the restoration of the Dukes in opposition to their people, to refuse the annexation of the Duchies to Piedmont, when all parties concerned desired it, and much more, to place over them a _French viceroy instead of Austrian ligatenants. English statesmeri might LATEST NEWS. not go to war or even break off diplomatic int,sr- course if any of these iniquities were perpetrated ; but no English statesmen dare sanction these The following telegrams have been received at M r. i t :-uteK'3 office : :hings. Other great Powers would follow England PARIS, SEPT. 23. in refusing their sanction to such wrongs, and the accomplishment of some or any of them The of last evening states that it is the intention of the C4overnment to suppress the 4th battalion in tl ie 102 regiments of the line, the form ing of which t , attalion had been decided on during the war. would therefore be no European settlement. It would be a mere temporary arrangement, for which Louis NAPOLEON could hardly wish. When English Ministers press these considera tions upon him, he must feel that he at least is not in a PARMA, SEPT. 22. In contradict ion to the assertions that have been made, that Parma, under the Government of the Duchies, maintained neutrality during the war, the Gazetta di Pawnta publishes a despatch from the late Minister of Foreign Affairs to the representa tive of Parma at Vienna, dated May 26th, 1859, which proves the contrary, The same journal promises the publication of other documents of equal and even more im portance, concerning the rule of the Bourbons in the Duchies, saying that such publications are rendered necessary for the refutation of statements made by their defenders. position which pledges him to anything. Cleverly enough he has kept out of all pledges. The Dukes were to come back if they could, but he is not pledged that they shall. He is supposed to wish — indeed, no one pretends to doubt it—that his cousin should be an Italian King rather than a Paris trouble to him ; and he would, therefore, be but too happy had his Counts, RETSET and PONIATOWSRI, but pleaded unsuccessfully for Grand Dukes, and whispered successfully for his cousin ; but he is not pledged—his honour or reputation in no way involved. On the contrary, glory and honour in Italy, in his case, are in conflict with selfish and dynastic ambition. His personal aggrandisement is concerned in filching from Italy a kingdom for his cousin, but his reputation will be better secured by listening to the wishes of England. Italian Liberty would be a far more noble monument to his honour than a King of Etruria who might, in a few years, be a beggar for shelter at Brighton. May we not hope, therefore, that the closer con tact iiit9 which the Governments will now be brought, and their common interest in an important military and naval expedition, will give to Eng lish counsels the ascendancy which their in trinsic excellence deserves. - Atr.-,-,tatesmen cannot fail, we imagine, to do their duty in the way of representation ; and, if the Italians do but steadily maintain their pre sent course, it seems impossible they should fail of their object. Their moral position is so unassail able, the conscience of all civilisation must be so strongly on their side, that bad as Rulers may be, we can hardly believe them to have lost all sense of decency. Legitimacy may be a darling idea, but there are such things as the rights of nations ; and if it be not one of them for nations to be ruled and governed by whom they wish and how they wish, it is hard to say what their rights are at all. Our HAPSBURGS and ROMANOFFS, and HOLTEN ZOLLERNS are hardly got so far, yet, as to affirm that nations are made for Royal Families, and not Monarchs for nations. One thing is cer tain, the two greatest thrones of Europe ought to be vacated, if the right of peoples to do what the Duchies have just done be not admitted. How little thought the Emperor of CHINA and her Mandarins that they might be securing the cause of Italian liberty ! TRIESTE, SEPT. 22. The Austrian Lloyd's steamer, just arrived, brings advices from Constantinople to the 17th inst. Dervish Pasha and Riza Bey are appointed ambassadors to St. Petersburg and Teheran. Two steam frigates have taken fresh draughts of troops to Crete. The statutes of the now bank have been sanc tioned by the Government. Two cases of pest had occurred at Beyrout, and have caused strict sanitary measures of precaution to be taken. The concession for the railway to Varna and Rustschuk has been granted to the Turkish Con sul at Antwerp. The telegraph cable between Chios and Smyrna is broken. MUNICH, SEPT. 22. The conferences between the Ministers for Fo reign Affairs of Bavaria, Saxony, and Wurtemburg are ended, The Ministers are completely agreed upon the question of the Reform of the Diet. It is also supposed that the question of the llesse Cassel constitution was one of the subjects dis cussed at the conferences. FRANCE. PARIS, THURSDAY. SARDINIA. yam SUN, LONDON, FRIDAY EVENING, SEPTE ,ries." The Minister of War has addressed a circular to the marshals and generals of the different corps of the army of Italy, directing them to draw up alphabetical lists of all the officers and men who, from having taken part in the campaign of Italy, are entitled to the medal which is about to be dis tributed. " We are assured," says the Toulonnaise, " that six transports have received orders to be in readi ness to sail for China. These vessels are to carry out, it is said, an expeditionary corps." " An English journal," says the Constitutionnel, " has published a somewhat inaccurate state ment as to what took place between the English snd French consuls at Canea, in Candia. The English consul was returning home, accompanied by his two attendants, when he ordered the latter to arrest a Mussulman, who was consi sidered a suspicious character. The man imme diately exclaimed that he was a Frenchman, and protested against the execution of the consul's order. Ile was taken into custody, however, but was allowed to communicate with the representa tive of France. The French Consul at once di rected that an inquiry should be instituted, and it was proved that the individual arrested was a na tive of Algiers, and had been falsely denounced. The English 'consul immediately set him at liberty, and addressed a most courteous letter of explana• tion to the French consul. Such is the truth of this occurrence. The conduct of the two consuls in , this case has been throughout of the most conci- liatory and friendly description." BOURSE, Sept. 22.—The market has been more buoyant. Threes have been done at 69f. 10c. to 69f. 15c. ; Mobilier varied from 800 f. to 810 f.; Lyons, 890 f. to 897 f. 50c. ; Orleans, 1,385 f. to 1,390 f. ; Northern, 922 f. 50c. to 925 f.; Southern, 510 f. to 512 f. 50c.; Eastern, 662 f. 50c. to 665 f.; Austrian, 550 f. to 552 f. 50c. ; Lombard, 552 f. 50c. to 555 f. ex. div. The following were the last quotations :- 41 per Cents. .. • . 95 75 Credit Fonder 670 Do. end montl I Belgian 41 3 per Cent 5....... Piedmonteso (5) Do. end month • 69 10 Roman B5 50 Bank Shares...... 2850 Austrian Credit Mobilier 797 50 Spanish Threes Do. Account ..... 796 25 Home Debt 44 - RAILWAYS. Cash. Account. Orleans ...... Northern 927 50 .. 930 New ditto BlO .. 817 50 Lyons and Moditerranean 893 75 .. 892 50 Geneva 531 .. 527 50 Southern Western 585 .. 585 Eastern Sardinian 415 ~ 415 Austrian Lombard .. .......... Exchange on London, at sight, paper, 25f. 121 c. ; money, 25f 10e. ; three months, paper, 24f. 971 c.; money, 24f. 921 c. The Opinione of Turin publishes an artiole signed by M. Maximo d'Azeglio, under the title of " Pied mont and Central Italy," in which we find the fol- lowing : " The difficulties of the present day are all caused by the conflict which exists between public feeling and the public law of the treaties of 1815. The mo ment has arrived for Piedmont to decide for one side or the other, and the time is also come when great characters save states. Let the advisers of the crown ponder well on that fact. The King's language proves that they have comprehendedin part the importance of the present opportunity. I say in part, because an answer still remains to be given to Bologna. The journals express doubts and fears as to Romagna. Can any doubts exist as to her right ? Is not her situation the same as that of other parts of Italy ? Has she suffered less than the Tuscans from her old gwernmout, or less than the Parmesans and the Modenese ? Was not a commissioner from the King sent to Romagna as well as to the other States to ask for the blood of her sons, and when the Royal commissioner was obliged to leave, did he not, in accordance with his instructions, tell the people to express their wishes freely ? Every one besides knows that the situation of the people of Romagna has been worse than that of any other; that her sovereign abdicated in favour of Austrian generals all rights, even that of pardon ; that on their de parture his delegate abdicated a second time, and voluntarily allowed the country to remain without any government. Every one has wit nessed the regular conduct of the Romag nese, their political prudence, and their legal and dignified manner of voting. Their wish, like Tus cany, is to unite themselves to the monarchy of Savoy. Why should they not obtain the same reply as Tuscany ? Is it because their position is de fended by a conspiracy of mundane interests co vered over with the cloak of religion , an d which extends like a net over the whole of Europe ? Or is it because it is a great danger for Piedmont to . defend Romagna against Jesuitic al affiliations? If t hat is the reason, I say that to abandon those who came at your call to assist you in the day of danger, a nd to do so because it is dang erous to aid them in their turn, is a a phrase which does not accord with the Piedmontese dictionary. For us and for our princes duty calls where danger exists, therefore the Romagnese must not be abandoned by Pied mont." IR 23, 18b9 of the Peiho has caused here general dissatisfaction. China, which it was hoped could be opened to civilisation, appears obstinately determined to re main isolated. With her nothing can be dons by pacific means ; the resistance made to the English forces is a new proof of the bad faith of the Chinese, and of the fact that though they readily sign treaties, they arc never disposed to execute the stipulations of them. It is, perhaps, to be desired that the four Powers which were lately engaged in negotiations with the Court of Pekin should unite their forces to give a decisive blow to that Government, the existence of which is an anomaly and an obstacle to the progress of civilisation. China cannot be of advantage to Eu rope until she shall be freely opened to all coun- The Czas publishes a letter from Poland which states that the Emperor of Russia has given orders for the enlargement of the arsenal in the citadel of Warsaw, in order to receive the administration of the various depots of arms and stores in the western provinces of the empire. The establishment in question is to be removed there from Modlin, in order to allow an enlargement of the artillery workshops at the last-mentioned fortress. HAYMARKET THEATRE. Last night Miss Amy Sedgwick personated Miss Dorillon, in Mrs. Inchbald's comedy of " Wives as they were, and Maids as they are," for the first time in the metropolis. Her performance was throughout characterised by consummate ability. Carefully seizing on every opportunity, she gave a most elaborate and effective rendering of the part. It is a part extremely well suited to Miss Sedg wick's mingled apd melodramatic style, and she represented alternately the gay and frivolous por tion of the character with spirit, and the sadder part with much pathos. She looked the cha racter remarkably well, and obtained much ap plause from a very crowded house. The comedy was followed by a new and original farce, entitled " The Rifle, and how to use it." The prevailing passion for forming volunteer corps is appropriated as the vehicle for an admirably con structed farce, which kept the audience in a cease less roar of laughter from its commencement to its termination. The plot turns, as may be supposed, upon the prevailing taste for the volunteer rifle eorps, and the incidents are neither strong nor new ; but the poverty of story is amply compensated by abun dance of smart dialogue and a good deal of practical fun. Mr. Percival Floff (Mr. Buckstone) and Mr. Sidney Jubkins (Mr. Rogers) are members of a rifle corps. On the evening antecedent to the rising of the curtain they have dined at their mess, taken too much wine, and are returning home in the small hours, when Mr. Floff spies outside a tailor's shop a dummy, which has been placed there by the workmen whitewashing within. Mili • tary ardour seizes on the rifleman ; he lets fly at long range, and knocks the figure over. He is in de spair, for he fancies he has killed a man. Home he cannot go. He flies from suburb to suburb — from Battersea to Whitechapel—and finally reaches his Claphamian domicile and his bed at 5.30 a.m., and here only to toss and tumble, not to sleep. If conscience makes cowards of us all, it certainly re duces Mr. Floff to the lowest state of poltroon erv, He prepares for immediate flight to America ; but, seeing a policeman reconnoitring the house, he calls him in with a view of bribing him to connive at his escape. The policeman Mutton (Mr. Compton) is in reality after the maid-servant, and cannot un derstand the motive of Floff's hospitality, which presses on him lunch and unlimited sherry. Finally, Mutton gets drunk, kisses Mrs. Floff (Mrs. B. White) and Mrs. Jubkins (Mrs. Wilkins), and is generally offensive. The mistake is cx plained by the foreman of the tailor, who brings the head of the dummy in a bag, and demands compensation. The dialogue is smart and terse, while the situa tions are novel and amusing. Mr. Buckstone's personation of the panic-stricken Floff was one of the most diverting assumptions of this versatile actor. To use a very common-place term, the police man of Mr. Compton " must be seen to be appre ciated." It is worthy to be ranked with the im personation of the affected valet, which contributed so much to the success of the " Unequal Match." The author is Mr. F. V. Bridgeman, a gentleman well known iY literary circles. Her Majesty the Queen Marie Amelie, their Royal Highnesses the Prince de Joinville, the Count d'Eu, the Duke d'Alencon, and a numerous suite, left Grillon's Clarendon Hotel yesterday morning for Bournemouth, The Duke and Duchess of Richmond have a se lect circle of friends assembled at Gordon Castle, N.B. His grace and party continue to have capital sport in the deer forests in the vicinity of Fochabers. We have reason to believe that the definitive treaty of peace will soon be concluded at Zurich. It will, however, bear the signatures of only two Powers—France and Austria. The preliminaries of Villafranca will be strictly maintained. As to the relations between Austria and Sardinia, we learn from Vienna that the preliminaries of Villafranca will serve as a guide for the conduct of Aus tria.—Morning Herald. BIRKENHEAD DOCK WORES.—The Mersey Har bour and Docks Board at their meeting on Thursday ac cepted tenders for the supply of 300,000 cubic feet of Baltic timber and 15 standards of spruce deals, required in the construction of the large low-water basin at Birkenhead. THE GALWAY . PACKET STATION.—Sir Cusack Roney has addressed the following letter to the editor of some Dublin newspaper :—" I pledge myself to the com plete accuracy of what lan now about to st , .te to you. It is the intention of the present Government to endeavour to set aside the contract with the Lever Company for the con veyance of the American mails through Ireland, and the effort is to be made next session of Parliament, by means of the re-appointment of the committee on packet contracts, of which Mr. Cobden was chairman. The probability is that this statement will, in the usual course, be denied by the organs of the Government. If it be, I shall be I..ady to give the proofs upon which I found it. My fellow-coun trymen will, I am sure, take prompt measures to repel thie attempt at repudiating a contract which, if efficiently car ried out, will not only confer lasting benefit upon Ireland, but will, beyond doubt, give to all Europe and to all Aim - rice the shortest, the quickest, and the safest communica tion between the two continents." TIIE GREAT EASTERN.—It is understood," :ays our Liverpool correspondent, that the directors of the. Great Eastern have given up the idea of sending her to sea durin..; the ensuing twelve months. The delay in her voyage will enable the directors to exhibit her most profitably in diffe rent ports of the kingdom—the principal railway companies being willing, it is said, to allco.! the Great Eastern direc tors a per tentage of the excursion fares to different ports of the country.—Daily Aews. MUNIFICENT BEQUEST. —The committee of the King's College Hospital, Lincoln's Inn, have received in timation from the executors of the late Mrs. Mary Anne Worley of a bequest of £l,OOO for the benefit of the hos pital. RUSSIA. A St. Petersburg letter in the Nord says The news of the engagement between the Anglo- French squadron and the Chinese at the entrance BELGRADE. A letter from Belgrade of the 14th says :—" Mat ters are still going on badly here. Prince Milosch was really popular at the moment of his election, but here the sympathy of the people is as change able as in France, and, besides, on ascending the throne he committed the great blunder of promising too much, and the still greater one of performing nothing, or almost nothing, of what he promised. It was thought that the Prince would abandon his civil list to the Pablic Treasury, but, on the con trary, he has obtained an augmentation to it of 85,000 f. The alms which he distributed to the poor wore taken from a supplementary credit of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and not given by him self. The Public Treasury, instead of becoming filled, is more empty than ever." ELECTRIC TELEGRAPHS IN FRANCE. The Constitutionnel gives an interesting sum mary of the career and progress of the electric telegraph in France, based on statistics of the sub ject lately published. The first credit opened for the first line was by a Royal order at the end of 1844. The line was from Paris to Rouen, and was intended as an experiment. Next came that from Paiis to Lille and the Belgian frontier. The advan tages of the system being ascertained, rapid pro gress was made, especially since the establishment of the Empire, and in 1855 all the chief towns of departments were connected by wires with the ca pital. In 1857 the number of stations in activity was 178 ;in 1858 they increased to 193. The whole of the network desirable and contemplated is not, however, complete. Up to last year, there were 13,030 kilometres of telegraph wire working in France, but many secondary lines remained to be constructed. The French railways for which con cessions have been granted form an aggregate dis tance of more than 16,000kilometres, and there are more than 35,000 kilometres of Imperial roads in France. Hence it is inferred that a great deal more telegraph line remains to be made. The French lines were first opened for private correspondence on the Ist of March, 1851. There were then but 17 working stations, and the num ber of the messages sent by the public that year was little more than 9,000. In 1856 there were 360,000 ; in 1857, 413,000 ; and in 1858, 463,000 ; showing an increase of 50,000 in each of the last two yeaas. Some rather curious details are given as to whence and whither the messages were sent, and their nature. The last quarter of 1858, during which were sent, in round numbers, 156,000 mes sages, has been chosen for this investigation. Out of that number, 98,000 were sent between the 193 French stations, and 58,000 between those stations, and about 2,000 foreign stations. Thus it is seen that the telegraphic correspondence with foreign countries was nearly two-fifths of the whole. Out of the 98,000 messages in France, 74,000 were between provincial towns, and 24,000 between Paris and the provinces one-fourth of the whole to Paris. Out of these 24,000, 15,000 were exchanged with the 30 principal towns of the empire, at their head Lyons, Marseilles, Bordeaux, Havre, Lille, Rouen, Toulouse. In investigating the nature of the messages, the statician has con fined himself to these 15,000, and has found that 40 per cent. were for commercial and manufacturing affairs, 34 per cent. for Bourse affairs, 20 per cent. for private affairs and family interests, 4 per cent. for newspapers and publicity, and 2 per cent. for sundries. The international telegraph shows rather different results ; 25,000 messages, exchanged between Paris and the 30 largest foreign towns in the last quarter of 1858, have been taken for study. Bourse affairs constitute the largest class, and are 48 per cent. of the whole. Private affairs are 20 per cent., trade and manufactures show the same per tentage, publicity and newspapers 9 per cent., sundries 3 per cent. The order of importance in which the different foreign cities come for each class of correspondence is as follows : —For Bourse affairs (public - funds, &c.) Vienna, Geneva, Frank fort, London, Berlin, Amsterdam; trade and manu factures, London, Madrid, St. Petersburg, Brussels, Liverpool; private affairs and family interests, Lon don, Brussels, Madrid, St. Petersburg, Geneva, and Vienna. The important place occupied by Mad rid in these last two categories will, doubtless, sur prise many. The proportion of single despatches (one to 15 words) in the 98,000 sent in the interior of France in the last three months of 1858 is 63 per cent. ; it is still larger in the messages sent to and received from abroad, because, of course, the greater the distance and expense the more the care taken to diminish the number of words. It is asked whether it would not be good policy to in crease the number of words allowed for a single despatch, and also for the post-office to augment the weight allowed for a single letter. The Constitu tionnel urges that such facilities given to the public would be likely to increase the receipts of the admi nistration, and concludes its article as follows : "The produce of the despatches, which was but 1,500,000 f. in • 1853, rose successively to 3,333,000 f. in 1857, and to 3,516,000 f. in 1858. It is but the commencement of a branch of receipts which we believe destined to take a-pretty important rank in the table of the public revenue. It must not be lost sight of that, besides the private despatches, the State employs the electric telegraph for Government de spatches. Formerly, the service of the aerial telegraph was a charge upon the State. Now, the private despatches pay the expenses of the electric' telegraph ; they even leave a profit, which is destined notably to increase, and they pro cure, besides, to the State the gratuitous use of the most admirable instrument of Government that ever existed." LOSS OF AN AMERICAN SHIP, LIVERPOOL, THURSDAY. By the arrival of the Eddystone, from Digdig nash, N. 8., at this port to-day, we have received Captain Sprague's report of the loss of his ship, the Josiah Quency, of Providence, N.J. The captain and crew were taken off the wreck and brought to this port by the Eddystone. Tie captain says : We left Leghorn on the 6th July, and experienced calm and light weather till the 2d September. At nine p.m. on that day it came on cloudy, with light rain, and light and baffling winds. We took in all the light sails. At ten p.m. the ship was struck by a water6pout or w hirlwind, and dismasted. The whirlwind gave no warning of its approach, but seemed to have formed directly over the ship. When it struck the ship had no headway, as it had been calm for a short time ' • and after the squall , which la,,ted but a few seconds, it became dead calm again. A large swell was making from the N.W. The bow sprit was broken off at the knjghtheads, and fell in on deck. The forem ast broe short by the deck, and fell aft upon the forward-house breaking the mast in two places, smashing two boats, and stav ing the house to pieces. The mainmast also broke short by the deck, damaging the pumps and tearing up the deck The mizentopmast went over the side with the head of the mizenmast. We cut away all the rigging to get the spars elemr of the side. During the night the ship made a considerable quantity of water, but the weather was moderate. The next day there were strong breezes from the north-west, with squalls of rain, which continued during the night, the ship lying broadside to the sea, and rolling and labouring hard, making much water at the pumps, and the leak increasing. Next morning the weather was more moderate, but with a large swell. At seven p.m., the Eddystone, of Bueksport, came alongside, and took us all off, the ship at the time making water fast, and having four feet in her hold, and there being no spars, sails, or rigging with which to endeavour to take the ship into port. KEW GARD ENS.—Nrext Friday, the 30th instant, will be the last day this year of the Royal Palace Pleasure Grounds and new Arboretum being open to the public, as they close for the season on that day. These extensive and magnificent gardens are now in all their autumnal beauty and splendour ; the foliage of the immense variety of plants, shrubs, and trees, from the great diversity of tints and shades of colour displayed by each separate group or clump, is beautiful beyond description, forcibly reminding visitors of the exquisite grandour and beauty of the woods and forests of North America during the fall of the leaf or In dian summer of that locality. All the conservatories, the palm house, and the two museums in the botanical gardens, close at six o'clock ; the gardens at half-past six, 'TH OF THE REPULSE T TH, PE. MO - 1 - 10. (Frew the 11Lieward " In a war which the Emperor waged in Thibet, his army suffered greater losses than were foreseen. Some of the Chinese officers immediately fancied that they perceived European troops and the effect of European discipline in opposition to them. They discovered hate, as well as turbans among their enemies. The former, it was concluded, could be only English." These words of the historian of Lord Macartney's embassy offer a curious coinci dence with the remarks of some of the English journals of the present day in recording the late dis aster in China. The intelligence that a British force had been repulsed by the much-ridiculed Chinese was received at first iu Europe with an astonish ment almost amounting to incredulity. This feel ing of surprise has suggested the interposition of European skill and courage in behalf of our ene mies. For our own part, although of course it is possible, perhaps even probable, that the Russians may have sent a few officers in disguise to direct the efforts of the enemy, we nevertheless believe that the successful defence of the entrance into the Peiho is quite explicable in another way. The Chinese have now been carrying on a war against us for a considerable period ; and it is not to be sup posed a nation of so imitative as well as inventive a turn will not improve in war as well as in other things. It is also to be remembered that from Pekin northwards the population is increasingly Tatar, and that the Tatars are more warlike, more robust, and more hostile to us than the Chinese. But there are other circumstances which render it a matter of great difficulty to force the entrance of the Peiho, and call for the sustained and careful operations of a powerful force beforce leforce it can be reasonably expected that they will be overcome. Although the Peiho River is one-third of a mile in width, and three fathoms deep at low water in the main channel within the bar, yet the bar itself is a most formidable obstacle. At low tide there is not more than three or four feet water upon it, and in many places it is almost dry. The deep-water channel within is difficult to find, the river being full of shoals. It is, of course, easy to increase the obstacles to the passage artificially, so as to render the ascent of the river almost impossible. But even were the obstructions at the mouth of the river overcome, and the forts in that locality taken, im- mense difficulties would still remain w to be van quishcd.. After eighty miles of such meanderings as render the passage by water twice that by land, the city of Tien-Sing is reached, the port of Pekin, and itself not much smaller than Liverpool. This city, which has a strong garrison of Tatars, would have to be taken and held, or burned ; another ad vance must then be made to Tong-ehoo, a consider able place twenty miles from Pekin and sixty from Tien-Sing. Here vessels of war would have to stop, for there is no communication by water, for yachts even, between Tong-choo and Pekin. But sup posing all these difficulties surmounted, Pekin would have to be taken, a city with three millions of in habitants, with walls thirty feet high, and with a strong garrison of Tatars. Even here success would be of no avail unless the road to Zhehol was occupied in force by the English troops. At this place, which is a hundred and forty miles north of Pekin, and forty miles north of the Great Wall, the Emperor has his summer quarters, and thither he would be sure to retreat if danger appeared im minent. Zhehol is situated in a mountainous coun try, and there are some difficult defiles to be passed, over the worst of which the Great Wall is carried. It was the consideration of these difficulties which made us so long as April of last year write as fol lows :—" The rights of foreigners will never be duly respected in China, and the trade with that country never be put on a fair footing, until the representatives of the European States are suffered to reside in the Imperial capital, and to confer per sonally with the great officers immediately about the Emperor. Such privileges will never be ob tainad without an armed demonstration at Pekin itself, which shall teach the Son of Heaven his utter inability to resist the Western Powers. To us it seems that it would be greater economy in the end, real mercy to the unoffending Chinese population, and more in accordance with the dignity of Eng land, to despatch a powerful armament to the Gulf of Pe-chi-lih ; and, having a strong detachment of light vessels up the river from Peiho, proceed to land a division of troops still more to the north, so as to command the great road to Mantchouria." To the scheme of operations proposed so long ago in the above extract we still adhere. It is pos sible, indeed, that the mere appearance of an imposing force may induce the Chinese again to pretend submission, but it does not appear to us at all likely that there will be any satisfactory peace until the Emperor has been convinced of his inability to maintain the struggle against us. This can only be done by occupying his capital, and cutting off his retreat. Supposing, therefore, the plan suggested above to be followed, it is evident that the expedition to the northward of the Peiho would be still more important than that intended for forcing a passage up the river. Indeed, this latter might be merely a false attack to divert the attention of the enemy while the main force was penetrating into the interior. And here it must be added that it is very desirable some cavalry should be sent. The country round Pekin can supply good strong horses, and forage is abundant. The great difficulty, however, remains to be men tioned. The Gulf of Pe-chi-lih is a bad place for a rendezvous in winter. There is no known port where the expedition could rssemble. Storms are frequent from September to January, and dense fogs not uncommon. The islands of Sha-lu-tion, fifty miles from the mouth of the Peiho, offer but little shelter, being little better than sandbanks. The water shoals near them suddenly from seventeen fathoms to six. The coast of the main land is so low that it cannot be seen two miles off. Near Tung-coo "it is low and swampy, and covered in great measure with the long and not useless reed called arundo phragmites, generally found in grounds liable to be inundated." On the whole, the locality is by no means promising as a place for a fleet to assemble. There will be ample room for the exhibition of naval tactics; and we have no doubt, that our officers will prove themselves fully equal to the occasion. LINCO. IL 'TIC, Lord R. Cecil, M.P., Sir S. Northcote, M.P., and the Right Hon. Sir J. Trollope, MT, were present at a grand ba n q uet given at the Town-hall, Stamford, on - Wednesday evening, 11. the mayor of that town. Upwa rds of 200 invita tions were issued. After the usual lo y al toasts, The MAY on., in terms of high eu lo g ium, proposed "The Members for the Borough." Bart., Lord R. CECIL, the first to respond, said he was stating merely a historical fact when lie said t his hon. colleage and himself were sent to Parlia old a ment to support a certain cause, and to uph _ certain Ministry ; and he was again only stating a historical fact when he said that they and that they appeared as defeated men with br4ee arms and standards soiled. But since that time party warfare had fallen a good deal into abey a ii , e o; and he must confess that he was not very sorry it. He valued party feeling as a means of carrry: ing on the Government of a country, and fully .. e_ cognised the benefits it had conferred upon the State ; but he was bound to say that during the te,l_v_ had failed, last years we had seen the worst side of its work last ing, for in a period of nine years no less than sev r had been wasted in Ministerial crises, which we.° o f leg? .. neither valuable nor useful for the purpose lation. (Hear.) After alluding to various poll_ tical topics, and reading and replying to som e of the charges of Mr. Bright again st aristocracy, said that his belief in reference to 8.1! former wars was that the English people .might sometimes have been enthusiastic, 01117, times over hasty ; but he thought the records ?L history would show that they would spend their_ last farthing, and give up the last man, rather than suffer a foreign enemy to pollute these shores; rat her than suffer any one to injure an emPi re . h which they were proud to belong, or to diminis the value of the institutions which they loved so well. (Applause.) a said Sir STAFFORD NORTIICOTE , wh o followed ' —I must differ with my noble f r iend upon sue point. He spoke of our party mus t dissent from a defeated part.y, which no doubt it is ; bufrom either as to our arms being broken or our banner s soiled. I deny either one or the other. (Cheers.) I say that though we can no longer claim to exe ve r cise the privileges of government , y et that we ha to duties imposed upon us, and we have privileges We exercise as an Opposition. (Hear, hear.) have a duty to perform to the country w hilst we, are on the Opposition benches, which I hope an trust we shall perforni just as conscientiously as 11- we were on the other side of the house. (Cheers.) How is it, I would ask, that progress takes place in England ? How is it that any measure whieh wo n carried through Parliament is regarded by corarne ll consent as one which must be maintained ? It 19 because, prior to any measure being carried, it is thoroughly well discussed and fought by both per ties, and having been so fought, it is adopted Per haps TA ith certain modifications, or after difficulties which might have presented themselves to the minds of its opponents had been explained away' And if you look to the history of England for the last 30 years, during which we have been m akin f great progress of all kinds, you will s ee that hmuc— ch' good has come out of the party struggles much good been going on ; those who have been in opPo: sition forming, as it were, the balance o f the consti tution, and thus rendering great service to the collo,- try. At the present time it is of great importance that we should, if possible, support the Government' (Hear, hear.) It is very true that it may become. our duty to take strong measures to oppose tint! Government upon matters which may be of re al ' and vital importance ; but at the same time, lookini ' to the general interests of the country, to the state which is such that there must be very of affairs in the East, to our financial condition! financial measures introduced ; looking to that great question of the defence of the country, 48 0 , to the necessity for adopting measures for ourselves upon an independent footing which r: h render us free from those degrading panic. to sval .e . we are from time to time subject, and at the sametit command the respect of foreign nations; looking importae all these questicrns,l say that it is particularly imP°L tant that we should adopt a line of conduct whicL:, at once firm and not factious, which should sill " e have a policy of our own, and prepared to enfo rce it; but that as long as we see those measures carve which we consider to be for the good of the count i ll we will abstain from all factious proceedings. (iinue cheers.) That is peculiarly important , because w_ number nearly one-half of the House o f Common! and because it is in our power—there would be no difficulty whatever, by taking advantage of C o o opportunities—to embarrass and defeat the Gv erl an ment. But this ought not to be the object of Opposition. Until you can command an absolul7 and clear majority you should not thu s disturb the Government. What the Opposition should do 1 0 0 to take care that the Government goes straight". to take care that those feelings, which there are in the present as in other Governments , shall hare fair play, so that when urged on by their mor e „ ° ,t treme supporters to measures of which they di d as a body approve, they should be able to turn round and say, "We will not do these things." ( 14° 1 0 cheers.) If that is the spirit which animates oho Opposition, I believe all will go well. TWENTY-SIX YEARS AMONG INDIANS. One of the most extraordinary narrat ives tha t coin he we have had the fortune to relate has j ust hero hi under our notice. It was told us by the w mself, and the most searching investiFat fails to shake the truth of the story, astonishl as it may seem to be. If there is any decepttuut in the case, we fail to see its object. About in the case, we fail to see its object. wer° twenty-six years ago some Canada Indians W t e he in Cleveland, and did Acne trading With,.., i s people. In the course of the trade the 1 110 -w — e . fancied they had been cheated, and in order to r ot venge themselves stole a three year old hoi e fr i . ° 9 , o the city, and carried him off to Canada. As ' -a ^ s is can be learned, the child was stolen from a ° o brown house, but in what part of the cit y , or a I • further particulars of the theft, cannot be learn° The captors kept the boy in Canada for a few dal, and then, fearing his recovery by the whitest sblita him to a party of Pottawotamies, who kep t the about a month. By these he was again sold to th, Rawpaws, in which tribe he remained a W e e a but as there were some fears that he would be tree, u and taken by the whites, he was traded off to ta Winnebagoes of Illinois and Wisconsin. Hew I°n% he remained in the keeping of this trib e has .4,1 been ascertained, but he was eventually tra nsfer ho again sold him to the Sioux Indians of Min from them to the Chippewas of Wisconsin, ee sota. Twenty-five years ago he was sold by the Ch t pewas to the Snakes and Copperheads of loW When this tribe removed to Missouri he see °ll . l l ; panied them, and afterwards went with thein 1 0. their migrations through California and Orer a That portion of the tribe with which he remaine,,.. finally proceeded as far north as the Russian Rol sessions near Behring's Straits, and th ere, portions of the Creeks, Utahs, and other large ha. 11 ,,j,. of Indians, they at present remain. Their pr lll `, e pal point of settlement is about 300 miles from ti_ North Pacific Ocean, and about 2,200 miles to th: north-west of St. Paul. One of the points in visits Russian territory where the tribe occasionally t he val is " Russian Fort," which is laid down on o map as near the Colville River. The hero of t.' t strange adventure says the fort is in the vicini of a small river, the name of which, other than til e given by this tribe, he does not know. The Sn a and Copperhead Indians trade with St. Paul, bacilli a semi-annual train to that place. The train hst. about 2,000 Indians. One party starts from Paul about the same time that the other starts fr°, l 7: their hunting grounds, thus meeting about hala way. The furs are packed on ponies, elks, aeof dogs. On their last semi-annual trip the these adventures received a pass from one of the chiefs (Ma-00-chewa-wa) to seek out his relatife4 and, if found, to remain with them awhile. 111 : t pass requires his presence in St. Paul at their ii . .e7 o , trip in 1860. Seven of the tribe accompanied Of kos-e-que,qua"—for that is the Indian name ca 9 young man—eo Chicago. From that place he oi l footed it most of the way, and arrived here yes i t e b r i ; day. At Freomont his features were recognised a man as bearing a strong resemblance to ono Josep t Todd, who is said to have resided in Cleveland aheatia 30 years since. For some time past the young her has been diligently engaged in tracing up his of tory, and what we have given above is the result' _,, his inquiries. He says he has no desir e to leavirv: his Indian associates, as lie has a wif e and t ll, children among them. He speaks English west, having learnt it, h e says, in his trading a i t thee Paul. He says that hi s hair was cut , and h ue is ee fos s nar ai± changed, to con f orm to white usages ~,o, .leaving St. Paul. We have give n his x s _ as lie told it us thi s morning. It seenni, ordinary, but a c lose and rigid cross-exanuna As tl: r failed to shako his story in the least. 1,2 , far as we can learn, his account of numerous °vie_ details of the country and m anners of the -feat see a t p re motive there is for deception we cannot to his pip. sent, as he only desires information as.al and if' West regions do not differ from the facts. rents, He is slightly made, speaks r o a e P e l aS eed ' 110 at present suffermg:from ophthalmtia blankets. ' mary says, by sleeping without his ous wood. to search for roots, he can cure hunseciwrie light O some of our older settlers c throwbs the Ind ian l He says that as soon as he can gqoint.o_ th° perha pe the subject of the alleged stealing i s Aug. 30. one Joseph Todd.—Cleveland .He 7 and whether this " white Indian is not the eon 0 THE DAMAGED LETTERS OF THE NORTRAM. Mr. Alfred Smee, of the Bank of England, in a letter to a contemporary, says :—" Many letters have been delivered by the Indian mail greatly damaged, and in some cases perfectly illegible from the action of the sea water, at the late injury of the Northam. I have successfully restored the writing of one of these letters by a process I believe to be as old as the hills, though I am assured quite unknown to our merchants and banke rs. Havin g been requested to publish this process for their information, I have only to state that the recovery of writing so obliterated is extremely simple. The letter should be lightly once brushed over with diluted muriatic acid, the strength as sold as such at all chemists' shops. As soon as the paper is thoroughly damped it must be again brushed over with a saturated solution of yellow ferruginate of potash, when immediately the writing appears in Prussian blue. In this latter operation plenty of the liquid should be employed, and care must be taken that the brush be not used so roughly as to tear the surface of the paper. This result is obtained by simple chemical laws, as the iron which existed in the writing ink is retained in the fibre of the paper, and by the action of ferruginate of potash, Prussian blue is formed, the use of the muriatic acid being simply to place the iron under circum stances favourable to the action of the ferruginate of potash. This letter should then be washed in a basin of clean water and dried first between the folds of blotting-paper, and subsequently by holding it before the fire, when the letter is fit for the counting-house. If the letter should be of much permanent value, I recommend it to be carefully sized with a solution of isinglass before being filed, but if the paper has been much rotted the operation requires care, and should not be done until a nota rial copy or photograph has been taken. Where the operation is to be conducted by those having some lo • Nledge of chemistry a little of the solution of the red ferruginate of potash may be added to the yellow, as in some cases it would render the colour more complex." TIIE NEW ZEALAND MAILS.—The fine clipper ship Blue Jacket, belonging to Messrs. Wilson and Cham bers, White Star line of Australian packets, reachad Liver pool yesterday, after a rapid run from Melbourne, which port she left on the 3d of July. She has 36,010 ounces of golddust and £ll,OOO ou freight. The Blue Jacket has brought the New Zealand mails, which were too late for the Juno steamer from Melbourne. THE EMPEROR OF TIIE FRENCH AND THE LIFE BOAT'S CREW.—On the Bth of March last the French br gantine Gonsalvo, of Nantes, got embayed off Padstow, and, on making for the harbour, was caught by the eddy winds at the entrance, and driven by the tide and heavy sea on to the Doonibar Sand, when her crow were immediately placed in extreme danger. The Padstow lifeboat, which belongs to the Royal National Lifeboat Institution, was launched with great promptness, and, through a very heavy sea, which repeatedly broke over and filled the boat, succeeded in rescu ing the crew of seven persons, and conveying them safely to the shore. The vessel shortly after went to pieces. The lifeboat was at the time under the command of Daniel Shea, her coxswain, who is the commissioned boatman of the coast guard. A short time ago the Emperor of the French presented to Shea a large silver medal for his courageous services on the occasion. His Majesty also gave a silver but smaller medal to each of the men who formed the crow of the lifeboat. On the 15th of March this same valuable lifeboat rescued, during a terrific sea, the' crew of four men and a pilot of the Prince Frederick William, of Ipswich. For this awl the previous service, Shea was presented with the silver medal of .he National Lifeboat gociety, in addi tion to the usual pecuniary reward which the lifeboat's crews of the iustitatiou always receive for their services, tati, tnai 'Not quit eel] C o if Plan more COOO Pori aid skit ] prie The Pro., 578. ...._ , it ( di r i althi ao lo to i itoi E N tral bale