The Express.
London, England, 1863-01-26 00:00:00

CAPE OF GOOD HOPE.

The Union Company's Cape Royal Mail steame
Cambrian, Captain Wm. Stratt, arrived at Soathampiot
yesterday, from Table Bay, Dee. 21 ; Si. Helena, Dee. 25;
Ascension, Jan. 2. She beings the usual saanthly mails, 45
passengers, and a mixed cargo. Her voyage has been per-
formed in eight days lee than the contract time allowed by
government.
At the Cape, Governor Wodehouse returned to Cape
Town on Dec. 22, from his tour through the Western Pro-
vince. The Colonial Secretary had also returned from his
tour through the Eastern Province, and it was rumoured
that the Governor contemplated another tour through some
other pelt of the colony. It was penally felt that there
was a great deal of work to be doom to meet the condition of
the country, and the results of his Exoelleocy's inquiries
were anxiously looked forward to. Government bad been
practising the most rigid economy in all departments, but it
was believed that, notwithstanding this, a deficiency of at
lest 40,0001. bad unavoidably occurred in the revenue of
the year as compered with the expenditure ; sad that
parliament, when it re-assembles in April next, would
be called upon to provide, probably by a lean,
for this serious deficiency. Drought still prevailed
throughout the inland portions of the Patera Pro-
vince, rain having fallen only on the sea onset.
Provisions were at famine prises is those districts, trans-
port almost inipawille, rivers had ceased to now, cattle and
sheep were dying by thousands, and great suffering pm-
veiled amongst the poorer classes. The drought had
Greeted a new clue, viz., beggars, formerly quite unknown
in the Eastern Province. Sickly looking cabbages were being
sold at a ld. a leaf. In the western provisos matters had
been very different; there the weather had been very doe and
cool, with 000ssiorial showers until within the last fartatight.
sins which it had grown unusually hot for the emeeoe, and
a great deal of sickness prevailed in Cape Town, especially
amongst children. Oa the frontier all was quiet. In
Natal the apprehension that had been excited by the atti-
tude of the Zulus had subsided; it was mid they luicrauffmed
so much from the long drought that they were almost power-
less. The difficulty between the Fres State end the
Bunton, in consequence of the murder of a Kafir by a Boar,
had blown over, t►e Bunton appearing to be satisfied
when they had slain a brother of the murderer.
The only disquieting rumours current were from Kaffraria.
The King William's Torn Gazette feared a combination im-
pending there between the tribes under Krell and Joey, for
the purpose of resuming their claims upon their forfeited
country. A new prophet was mid to have arisen at Keehn
great place, who condescended to prophesy that be wee
killed by the chief Heidi eight years before, and bad since
arisen from the dead, which statement we. supported by
Kreli himself. The worthy prophet had also stated that
all the cattle killed during Umlakasa's time will arise from
beneath the earth during the present summer. Teekelm
one of the sons of Moshesh, had fled from Basutoland, and
taken refuge in the colony, where be had been appointed a
sergeant in the frontier police. It was rumoured that his
exodus erase from his Laving twice attempted to murder
his father—once by means of poison, then by gunpowder-
Another report, however, myna that thew rumours are in-
correct, and th►t the tawny oon-commissioned is a spy from
Moeheeli.

OTTICIAL ATPOWTHENTH.—MT. R. B. Lytton has 1
bees appointed secretary of legation at Copenhagen ; Mr.
Pekeobem has been promoted second secretary from Oopeo.
bairn to Vienna ; Mr. Plunkett, secood 'scream, from St.
Petersburg to Copenhagen ; Mr. St. Clair, wood secretary,
from Vienna to St. Petersburg.
BLEEHINH THE WATERN OP THE Nil/A.—A oorre-
spookirot of the Nord, writing from St. Petersburg on the
o
. ceremony of blaming the watersplace. As
18th. says :—'• This being the Ruesiau
fthe Neva Twelfth-day, the
Imaul, the character of the erranony was as much Ill&itilL1 Oa
religious. The Imperial Guard mustered in full force, sod
Ithe military schools were present. The Boise of drums was
mingled with chants from the church. The Emperor com-
manded its person, the whole of the palace square betag
covered with cavalry. The clergy left the HAM feu the
river by the grand estrum, and pads of cameos frees the
fortress announced the moment when the holy emu wee
pleased into that part of the stream where the lee was
broken for the purpose. Three sights before the Empower
I
and Empress gave their animal grand tall at the Whiter
Palace. Twelve hundred persona were present. Diaries
took place io the Nicholas saloon, the windows of which
Ilook out opoo the Neva, whose froma waters relented hie
in immense miner the *seal illureinaties et the lie,"

TRLICIL
(room on am commereneled
PAB!, Beenbir Emmen.
It is now admitted on all hands that Puebla is
not taken. Advice& from Vera Cruz to December
24th merely speak of General Forey's army having
occupied several positions on the march towards it.
Admiral Julien de is Gravike's flag captain, the
Commander Russell, has died alVera Cram. He was
distinguished officer, sad was on the list of pro-
posals for the rank GI admiral. Tbe Emperor, as an
acknowledgment of his services, has given the cross
of the Legion of Homer to his ion, a midehipten,
just arrived from Mexico. Some of the
government papers speak seriously of
a new and presmag offer of the~perola medi-
Mien in America. According to the France, the
scheme on foot is one spoken of some days since,
namely, that the North and South should same
commissioner' to beat of peace, but without
putting a stop to °setter in the meantime.
The new Architect of Pixie, in his first public
act Mace his promotion, has thought it neoessary to
mile a very offensive and wildness's attack upon
riloccl Aussie far not agreeing to the French
laterfarenas in America. In • piece
=re clergy of Naomi and Tool (of which
ikons he is Mill bishop, the formalities for his
tramilatioo not having been yet row plied), order-
f ing charity sermons for the diemesed cotton opera-
-1 ems, he is pleased to say :
Yea know, kf maw le Curi, it is no feat of oar genot
ne-
rous oosiatrylt the drisadly meillatim el Monne has
, pat stop to the war in Ammies,and the dem dfdl ealami-
:rower c:etwisly ollow tim:sties did siwbiTislir:r lelhworeildlthtt
think that the lime was come to pot • stop M. tide horrible
*Maio, of hided, and to show Mart is a question which
so largely warmer their intreset.
Many may think that the archbiebot met oat of
his way in eepeemingualy opinion at al/ upon a tree
and complicated political. question whisk divider
the rulers of the world ; but, at all even* be rens
quite out of the rail when he claims a. moaopoly of.
for those who approve whatever the ism--
peror proposes.
The opinion that the Duke of SM. Cobesg: •
Gotha has not positively refused to beanie a ma- •
didate for the throne of Greece is tionfissead by the •
Patric, which has heard from London that be con-
sents, " subject to certain conditions, which are
now under the consideration of the cabinets in-
terested." It is stated that Baron Gros,in his con-
versations with Lord Russell, has abstained, as the
Marquis de Cadore had done before his arrived,
from offering any opinion ; it 'rejig the wish of
France to exercise no measure, not even a mieral
one, upon the free choice of Greece. I may observe
that, notwithstanding these &fleeted scruples about
"free choice," the officious journals have received
instructions to write against the nomination of
the Duke of Saxe Coburg Gotha, who there is
no doubt would be disagreeable to France. It is
believed that Menial Massa, who has just re-
turned from a special menace to Brussels, com-
municated to King Leopold the Emperor's views on
this subject
The Nation says that when the Emperor
asked the late Pasha of Egypt for the loan of some
black soldiers for Maxie, his Majesty, with supere-
rogatory courtesy, informed the Cabinet of London
of his intention, although, is point of fact, the
transaction was a mere natter-of-coarse proceeding
between Sovereign and Sovereign, with which no third
party had anything to do. M. Granier de Came-
gees journal bitterly complains that the English
Consul-General at Alexandria solemnly and bois-
terously protected against the embarkation of the
first battalion of Shaw Imps, and that y far as
that gentleman's opinios is concerned France is put
out of the pale of civilization for having simply de-
manded from the Viceroy of Erupt a regiment
which he had the " right to give us. It seems to
me that the word ht" is here rather wrongly
used. The Pectin of Egypt, if considered as an
independent sovereign, and nut hampered by the
suzerainty of the Sulam, had no doubt a "right"
to declare war upon Mexico. But that was evi-
dently in no wise his intention. He neither knew
nor cared anything about the quarrel between
Napoleon 111. and President Juarez. The Em-
peror, in making the extraordinary request for the
loan of a regiment, treated him as a vassal. He
goaded him into an act which was, if not a breach
of the law of nations, at least an irregular mode of
entering into a war, and one very contrary to civi-
lized usages. That neither the interests nor con-
venience of Egypt were consulted in the matter is
apparent, from the admission of the Matite e? that
whereas the Emperor demanded 1,200 men, the
Pasha excused himself from furnishing, for the
moment more than 450. The transaction was kept
secret as long as possible, and when the rumour of
it was first bruited in Paris, the official journals
treated it as an absurd calumny. The Nation does
not state whether the British consul at Alexandria
acted without instructions from his government,
but leaves it to be inferred that he will not be dis-
avowed, and there I suspect the Nation is right
The relations of the European with the Eastern
Powers are delicate and peculiar, and the French
government must have well known that in taking
this very strange step it was challenging censure.
The cool assumption of the Moaileat that the affair
" abovecritienn," will not, I think, stand it in stead
many hours. M. Grimier de Caniagnac (a Gaston
by the way), says that the French government will
laugh at the English consul, and ship another
cargo of Egyptian soldiers for Vera Cruz very
shortly. I doubt that fact much. The new Peen
of Egypt, guided by the public opinion of Europe,
will not, I venture to predict, let out his subject&
to take part in war with which nationally he has no
concern.
It is currently reported that the Emperor will
pay a vfcit of 48 hours to Rouen next week, with-
out prejudice to his intention to make a tour of
several days in the northern provisoss two or three
motths later.
At the Bourse, which opened feebly, a rumour
was spread that an armistice had been agreed upon,
and upon the strength of this very hazardous news
the market became animated, and the rente-cloried
with a rise of Sc. and 10c. at 69.90 and 69.26.
Mobilier rose 6.25. In railway shares there is
little change.

The Paris papers of Saturday evening publiab a
telegram from Lisboa, stating that the sews el the Marquis
do Louie Dein about to relinquish the Preadosey of the
Council in favour of the Duke of Saldaub► is msfourslad,
and that the duke will remain at Roma as Portuguere
Ambassador.

•---•
THREE SHIPS LOST WITH NEARLY ALL HANDS.
—Os Saturday, amongst the frail louse reputed at
Lloyd's were the wrecks of three shMs, and surly
the whole of the crews, vie., the ship William
691 tons, on her homeward voyage from Singapore,
to England. with general cargo, foundered oa the
22114 December last, all erupt two boys drowned;
the second is the ship F. W. Bailey, of Portland, from San
Francisco to Liverpool. struck one shoal and went to pieces,
fifteen of her crew drowned ; the third I. the ship Meg
Joekina, from Beata, to Cardiff. totally wrecked off Nadi
Point on Friday night, during the heavy gale, all on board
perished.
LAUNCH OP • NEW LIFEBOAT ON THE MERSEY.
—Os Saturday • new Mahout ealled the Rescue wee
paraded in the streets of Liverpool, accompanied by • pro-
-00011100 formed by a detachment of the Royal Marius, •
body of local volutem», and some noun of her Majesty's
ship Maintia, together with • 'lumber of gentlemen eon-
\ Ilectell with the local committee of the Royal National 'de-
test Isstitutiou. The processioa started from tit. George's.
ball and ultimately rested at the Sermoralie slip, where the
boat war launched and christened by the mayoress. Mrs.
Garda». The boat is built upon the tabular prim:anis, and
• , its patellar appearance &ad the prawn= attracted a crowd
. 1 Amos fifty or, slaty thousand persons to witness the
; launch. Mr. It. C. Gardner, the Mayor. gave a humid is
i beaux of the measles at the Tura-ball ia the evening.
I iThe sus lifeboat will be stationed at New Brithton, and
pupportad by Um Nslionsl Ldtbiont Ingitatinin.