The Express.
London, England, 1863-09-12 00:00:00

THE SMALLEST CRAFT THAT EVER

CROSSED THE ATLANTIC.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE EXPIIIIBI.

Stn.,—There bag been a great deal of talk lately
about small craft crossing the Atlantic. The kw Captain
Adam Keilock, who commanded the Himalaya when she
belonged to the Peninsular and Oriental Company, not
only aroused the Atlantic, but passed round the stormy
Cape Horn in a small vessel called the Little Henry, am-
idderably under 50 tons burden. This he did in 1820, when
he was hide more than 20 years of age. This was one of
the must daring fasts on record.-1 mu,
Southampton, Sept. 11. Q. P. H.

Her Majeety's yachts Victoria and Albert, Capt.
his Serene Highness the Prince Laininges ; Osborne, Staff
Commander Bower ; and Fairy, Staff Commander Welch,
arrived at Portsmouth yeetenlay from Antwerp and the
Thames. The Osborne made the passage from the Down
to Portsmouth in exactly seven hours, an extraordinary
passim. conidering the yacht's age, tonnage, and eagles
power, and the fact that one of her paddlewheels is all hal
useless, and part of her engine machinery considerably is
want of repair.
It is rumoured that the state of affairs in Japan
has determined the government to incomes the force in
China by one regiment, which will be available for the
protection of British subject. in the dominion of the
Tycoon.
The Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty have
appointed the Rev. Robert Holme, M.A., to be principal
sod chaplain of the Greenwich Hospital Schools, in suns&
pion to the Bee. George Fisher, R, N., who retiree after •
service of thirty years. Mr. Fisher (says the drew and
Nary Gazette) had served essay years iu the royal navy pre-
vious to his appointment, and was the friend and companion
of Parry in his Arctic voyages, and the author of =ay
valuable papers upon navigation.
THE CHANNEL Fiasr.—Bstrosv, THURSDAY.—
Up to a late hour last night • vast assemblage of persons
proceeded down the Belfast Lough by a Dumber of steamers
that had been plying to and from the fleet, to obtain alight
of the magnificent vessels composing the squadron ; bat
with the exception of those on the Prince, which conveyed
the maths for the fleet, none were permitted on board any of
the ships, no order having been issued against admitting the
public until that moraine. Those who were not fortunate
enough in obtaining ado:Bimini were in some degree compen-
sated by the grand spectacle which the fleet presented as the
plosion steamers ran round and through it. The fleet war
moored in two Item—the Edgar, Emerald, Liverpool, and
Resistance forming the starboard or store line, and the
Black Prince, Warrior, Royal Oak, and Defaces °punnet-
log the port or outside line. The officers have bean liberally
feted by the inhabitaots of Belfast, sod it is impacted that
they will stay till Sunday rimming, when the &hips are to
have the lough for Liverpool.—!risk Tiara.
THE ELVIRA.— Benjamin Holman, one of the
men who was supposed to have been lost when this vessel
was run down by the Ocean Kin, off Duogeoesa, was
picked up 18 hours after the accident by a French brig
about five miles south-west of Dover. The poor fellow wee
found clinging to a piece of the wreck.
EMIGRATION TO NEVADA.—The emigration to
Nevada Territory this season is in multitudes. The tide
that started to Califoroie and Oregon is stopping there, and
, filling up the silver region of that progressive young terri-
, tory.—Americas paper.
Tim SUPPLY OF GOAL—Much misapprehension
appears to have been occasioned by that pert of Sir W.
. Arnistron's address at the opening of the British Asap.
I elation meeting at Newcastle regarding the reeourom of our
coalfields. It seems in many quarters to have been sup.
pned that when the president spoke of the probable ex•
haustion in about two centuries, he was referring to the
coal supply of the whole kingdom; whereas he distinctly
limited the remark to the coalfield of Durham and Northum-
berland, in the immediate neighbourhood. As regards the
supply from all our coalfields, the time for exbanstios
demanded was much more extended. "As regards the
absolute quantity of mineral fuel in this island," writes Mr.
Hull, of the Geological Survey, "it may he considered as
emetically inexhaustible. The seams of coal outcrop to ear
coalfields, and descend under the Permian and Triassic
formations to depths exceeding 10,0(10 fat. The question
of the available supply is therefore one depending on the
rapidity of production and the limit of depth. For the pre-
sent however. and for geseratiosa to come, the commerelel
and maritime supremacy of Great Britain Is in DO lung
of being impaired for ray want of end."
BUM GOLD. —A remarkable discovery of this
precious metal ha lately been made in the quiet little tows
of Ruthin, in the Vale of Clwyd. A few wain ago, I.
sinking for the foundations of • new pier, the workmen
: came on mime fragment& ..f quartz Impregnated with gold.
The circumstance occecioned considerable surprise, as the
ground is a mixture of peat, sand, &c., where one would
hardly expect to fiad such a treasure. No attention was,
however. paid—the pier wag built, and the ground restored
to its foresee condition. Since that time, however, a trial
. has been made close to the spot, when within five or six feet
or leas from the surface fragments of pints containing
gold, as well as pore gold dust, were ((Kind mixed op
in white sand. There is no possibility of fraud or de.
minion, or of secret deposits placed to be developed in
due time. The sole machinery is a angle labourer, set to
dig by the owner of the soil, and who in all day long ear-
, rounded by a doses open-mouthed and opsearyed natives
watching the work. Although this discovery may not be
very important its to the amount of gold obtained, yet it is
one of considerable Interest, and as iodinating that the
mountaius to the east and south of this part of the Vale of
Clwyd originally coutaind the metal, which has ben
brought down by the action of water sod deposited in the
sand with or without it. matrix of quart.. It is cot se-
likely, therefore, that these mountalea may be soon added
to the gold-producing districts of North Wales, which hare
lately attracted so am& atteation. Tba exact digging at
Since the Ist of July one thousand Canadian present going oa are la • field to the mat of the 'away
horses have mined from Windsor, opposite Detroit, for statiee, sod immediately below the Lin Hotel, the OM-
the United &stag sank& —Aineslian paper. pier of which hails the laud In viatica—fines.

M. Phelis, a defeated candidate in the Var, baa
instituted a prosecution against a mayor and •
sub-prefect for fraudulent electoral inauceuvres,
illegal threats, and the circulation of false news
touching the elections.

The Nays announces that, contrary to what was
said two days ago, the French government has
given up the five brig►nds taken on board the
Annie to the Italian government, but on condi-
tion that they are only to be tried for ordinary
crimes and not foe any political offences.