The Press.
London, England, 1854-01-21 00:00:00

IN TFIE BLACK SEA.

. .
SHIPS OF VIE LlXE.—Briiannia, 120, Captain Carter,
with the flag of the Commander-in-Chief; Agamemnon, 111,
screw, Captain Simonds, flag-ship of Hear-Admiral Sir E.
Lyons, second in command ; Rodney, 00, Captain Charles
Graham, C.li. ; Vengeance, 84, Captain Lo►d Edward
Russell ; Satt.pareil, 71, screw, Captain It. C. Dacreti.
PADDLE STEAM-FRIO ITY.S.—Terrible,'22,t'apt.M`tleverty
Ferioas, 10, Captain Loring ; Tiger, 10, Captain Giffard ;
Firebrand, 0, Captain Hyde Parker; Sampson, 0, Captain
Jones.
AT SEBASTOPOL.
Retribution, 28, paddle-frigate, Captain Hon. J. R.
Drummond (accompanied by the French steam ftigate
euire), bad been sent to Sebastopol with the warning of
the British Ambassador that it would he dangercus for the
heroes of Sinope to show their noses out of port.
AT SINOPR.

Infirsihlr, paddlo:sioo ILeen vent to Bloolw to
warn the Russians off from a second visit.

AT CONSTANTINOPLE.
Tin, following force remained at Constantinople on
Jan. 1 :—Trafulgar, P.IO, Captain Oreville ; Queen, 118,
Captain Michell ; London, 90, Captain Eden; Alliftin. 90,
Captain Lushington ; Bellerophon, 78, Captain Lord
Paulet ; Leander, 00, Captain King: Arelhafea, 00, Captain
Mends ; Niger (screw 1, Id, Commander Heath ; Fury
paddle ), 8, Commander Tatham. The latter vessel was
waiting the arrival of the mails, when she would overtake
the admiral in the Black Sea.

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EXTINCTION OF INFANTICIDE IN INDIA.
THE order of the Governor-General abolishing in-
fanticide throughout India was read at a grand
gathering of the natives held at Umritsir on the 14th
of November last. In a letter f: om the spot the
following details of this interesting solemnity are
given :

" Umritsir, Nov. 15, 1553.
" The Umritsir meeting was most splendid. Every
civilian in the Punjaub was there. The street of the camp
was nearly a quarter of a mile long, and composed entirely
of civilians' double-polled tents. It was calculated that
more than 20,000 natives, independent of the usual inhabi-
tants, were assembled at the Holy City to listen to the
Governor-General's order on the subject of infanticide.
On Monday, the 14th of November, all were invited to
come to the durbar at eleven o'clock. A small apartment with
a fine bamboo screen was provided for the few ladies who
were present, that they might witness the scene. It was
most magnificent.. There were 3,000 natives inside the
grand shemeana-300 were of sufficient rank to have chairs
allowed them, which were placed in a semicircle at the end
of the tent: at the end of this semicircle stood all the as-
sembled civilians. All the old Sikh generals and rulers
were there, and among them many hill chiefs who had
never before been tempted out of their native mountains.
All those who were not entitled to chairs were seated on
the ground, and presented one large compact mass .of
human heads.
" There was the most profound silence in this brilliant
assembly when Mr. Edmunstone, on whom devolved the
duty of opening and explaining the object of this important
meeting, rose to speak. He made an excellent Hiudostanee
a tdreas, denouncing female infanticide as barbarous, cruel,
aid unholy ; and so powerfully did that address influence
his hearers, that every native present signed a solemn
agreement on oath never again to allow female infanticide
within the circle of his acquaintance without denouncing
the perpetrators.
" Hitherto the hill chiefs, and many of the Sikh tribes,
have adopted the cruel practice of murdering their female
children, rather than bear the great expense of their foolish
marriage ceremonies. Government has now limited those
e Tenses to certain sums proportioned to the rank of the
parents, which just now is viewed as a blessing to all
parties; and all the chiefs expressed their satisfaction and
delight at the new law.
"You cannot imagine a more splendid scene of Oriental
magnificence than the breaking up and separation of this
vast assemblage, the chiefs mounted on their splendid ele-
phants, and attended by their numerous followers.
"In the evening the whole city, together with the far-
famed holy tank of Umiitair, was splendidly illuminated.
" At sunset we all assembled in the camp-street, and
formed so large a party that twelve elephants were borrowed
from the chiefs for our accommodation : they all stood
ready, in a line, laden with scarlet and gold, their heads
and trunks painted with different devices. The scene in
every direction was strange and interesting. The city was
as light as day, and was literally crammed with people. As
our twelve elephants, with their glittering trappings, fol-
lowed each other' in stately procession, it was curious to
look back upon the long narrow streets and the tall and
irregular houses, blazing with rows of lamps in long lines,
until almost lost in the distance.
"At the entrance of the holy tank the crowd was so
dense that they looked like one solid mass. We were con-
ducted to a position from which we could see the whole
square, and where carpets and seats were prepared for us.
I cannot attempt to describe the magnificent spectacle that
met us there. The golden temple, the steps round the
tank, the very water itself seemed on fire ; around the edge
were packed 20,000 people, and the murmur of their voices
came up like the roar of the sea in a storm.
" At the signal of a cannon, fireworks broke out on every
side ; fountains of fire fell from the roofs and rose from
boats in the middle of the tank, rockets pierced the air and
fell again in showers, and fire balloons in great numbers
had the appearance of so many new stars.
" This period was chosen for the meeting because it is a
great Hindoo festival, which always collects crowds at
Uniritair, being connected with the worship of fire."

THE FUSION.
THE Duchess of Orleans has definitively refused to
join in the fusion between the elder and younger
branches of the Bourbon race. This decision is
communicated in a letter, of which the following is
a translation, addressed to the Duc de Nemours, and
dated Eisenach, Dec. 10, 1853:
" My Royal and Dear Brother-in-Law.—l have received
your last despatch, by which you engage me again to enter
frankly into the ' fusion ' which you have concluded by
your visit at Frohadorf.
" If I enter it at all I should surely enter it frankly, and
I would by the principle of peace, which is the basis of the
Christian religion, agree at once with the proposition
which you make me this time with so much energy ; but
the same motives which have hindered my consent when
that question was debated in presence of our august and
very dear mother at Claremont must again engage me to
persist in my reflections, and thus to retard my entry, or
rather that of my sons, into this union.
" I will again and concisely explain myself.
" I well know that you, my dear brother-in-law, as well
as others, will tax me with obstinacy. If I and the family
peace were the only questions here I should at once con-
sent: I have not sown discord, and it would thence be easy
to me to co-operate to the peace. But here the question
is that of the sacred rights of my sons : they are orphans,
they have oaly myself for their maintenance, and in de-
fending their rights as much as possible I defend in them
the principle of elective royalty, which took its birth in the
revolution of 1830—a principle which was the guide of
Ferdinand, my poor husband, whose memory will always
be dear to me, and by the maintenance of which he knew,