The Express.
London, England, 1848-01-08 00:00:00

usouraiog they had, or at least appeared with black ribbons
or black gloves. Fram the windows ef a great many shops,
hotels, and private houses in the line of the procession, tri-
color flags were displayed, with eaream. rs in black crape;
and similar marks of respect were profusely exhibited in
different parts of the town.
" Shortly after twelve o'clock, the mournful eort.,ge en-
tered Dreux, the hearse being followed by their Itoyal High
now the Duke do Nemours, the Prince de Joinville, and the
Duke de ?dente. naier. lu the course of a few minutes the
troops, officials, ,aagiitratee, and clergy, funned themselves
into procession, and proceeded through thetown to the royal
burial place. The hells of the royal chapel and of the town
churches tolled mournfully as the fun. red cort,,ge wended
its way with " sulemn step and slow" to its destination.
The crowds the, ugh which it pissed regarded it with
reverential sympathy, and without any of that vulgar
curiosity which is too often exhibited on such melancholy
occasions.
"The preparations made in the royal chapel were of a
remarkably simple character. The pillars, near the princi-
pal altar, were merely covered with black velvet, orna-
mental with silver, and the places set apart for spectators
were only &emitted with plain black cloth. The walls were
not covered. In the centre of the chapel, facing the great
altar, was a catafalque, of simple yet elegant construction.
It was la black velvet, with dettorations in silver, and the
initials A. 0. were inscribed on different+ pens of it. At
the top was the coronet of a royal princess, from which hung
a veil of black crape. The whole was surmounted by a
canopy in royal edict and ermine, and surrounded by a
multitude of wax lights. Facirm the altar chairs and
cushions were placed for the royal family. The outside of
the chapel had no decorations at all, unless two black hang-
ings on each side of the entrance, with Vie princess's initial,
on them, can be called so.
When the procession was within about a hundred yards
of the chap I, toe Queen, the Queen of the Belgians (who
only arrived at Dreux a few Lours before), the Duchess
d'Orleans, the Dachess de Nemours, and the Duct en of
Saxe-Cuburg.Gatha (Princes+ Cienientine) entered the
chapel. They were all habited in the deepest mouraing,with
long black radii. It was remarked that the Queen appeared
as if she had been wCA
" A few minutes afar the hcerso arrived within a short
distance of the chapel. The Xing, who had been waiting
in the vestibule c f the residence, then advanced towards it,
accompanied by his Royal Ilighness the Duke of Saxe-Co-
burg-Gotlet, and when the cotiin way renewed preceded it
into the chapel, the princes joiaing Lim Ili. Majesty was in a
plain bleak suit, with a black paletot. The King appeared in
good health. notwithstanding the bitter sorrow which he baa
felt, and still feels, at the lust of his beloved sister. His Ma-
jesty, thaug a he mutt have suffer. d actrely, was enabled to
maintain perfect calmness. The King, Queen, princes, and
princess.% having t %ken their phem in front of the altar, and
their respective suites., the different MLA ds and other per-
sons having occepied the holy of the ehal.el and the reserved
sent', the solemn service of the dead was commenced. The
Archbishop of Paris and the Bishops of Evercux, Versailles,
and Mau took part in different portion+ of the service,
which was throughout of that thrilling, affecting, and awe-
inspiring character for which the Cath• lit Church has en-
deavoured to make it remarkable. The royal party seemed
borne down by etiliation, and it was observed that the King
scarcely removed his eyes from his prayer-book daring the
whole lime. . . .

".liter a consilerabla portion t the religious ceremony
had been Cone through, the body was rern,red to the vaults
beneath the chapel. The lie n., the Duke de Nemours, the
Trines de Joins'lle, the Duke ;le Mentpensier, and Duke of
Sace.Coburg.Goths, followed it with every outward mark of
the moat profound respect, end they were accompanied by
most of the eminent personages of their suites (tern the bAy
of the chapel. The Queen and the Princesses remained in
prefer before the alto. When in the vault the remaining
prayer. ut the church were said over the body, the usual
psalms were chaunted, and the ceremony of casting earth on
the collie and sprinkling it with holy water was gone
through. When the earth was thrown on the coffin the
King appeared to feel great emotion, but succeeded in
quickly recovering himself. iiis Majesty then bent over the
coffin, and with great solemnity kissed it.
" On the return from the vaults of the King and the
princes, who were accompanied by the clergy, some more
prayers were said, and the .mournful ceremony was then
brought to a close, after having occupied about two hours."

TILE LOSS OP THE AVENGER AND HER

CREW.

The arrival of the Malta mail adds some informa-
tion to the scanty intelligence already received respecting I
this fearful disaster. It is believed that the Avenger must
have gone to pieces immediately she struck. How she got
in that locality, PO far out of her course to Melte, is one of
the important questions which a statement from a survivor
alone eau solve. Reference to Norie's new chart of the Me- i
diterraneau shows the islaud of Gallia laid down N. by ,
W. S W., 7 leagues from Cape Serrato, on the coat of the
Regency of Tuns., and is in let. 37 deg. 30 min. 50 fee. N.,
and long. 8 deg. 64 min. W. The Soy, lie rocks are 13 miles ;
distant us the W. by S. from the west end of (Wits. They
are two email socks, lying a mile and a half apart, with deep
water all round them. Oa the south-western rock are four
fathom., Lut ou the other there is much leas water; they are,
therefore, extrein.ly dangerous, and any ship striking them
with a heavy sea on would immediately go to pieces, with
little chance of the crew being saved.
A Neapolitan schooner arrived this morning, Dec. 28, from
Tunis, bringing news of the loss of her Majesty's steam-
frigate Avenger, 6-30.h.,r5., power, at 10 o'clock p.m. of the '
evening of tie 20tb inst., on the Oalita rocks. The most I
melancholy part of the story is the supposed loss of all the
crew except Lieut. Ronk.* and three seamen. These arrived
safely in Tunis on the? ith lust., in the launch, which, when it
left the ship. had sia men, the lieutenant, and doctor. She was, ,
however, capsized near Biz ertaw n the doctor and three men '
out of the six sunk to rise no more. The Arabs gave the sue. '
vivors every paysible assistance. Faint hopes are, however,
yet entertained that more of the ill-fated crew may be ulti- !
stately saved by boats or on spars, but at present the above is
all the news that has reached this island. On the news of ,1
the accident reaching Tunis, the pacha immediately sent out
ships to afford assistance to the distressed seamen ; and the
French consul despatched a steamer which plied between '
Tunis and Store. On the news of the disaster reaching
Malta, Rear-Admiral Sir Lucius Curtis, Bart., immediately
despatched the Hecate steam-ship to the scone of the melan-
choly event."
The following is from the Malta Times, 28th of De-
cember :—" When the vessel struck upon the rocks laid
down ou the chart two boats were instantly lowered, one con-
tainicg Lieut.itooke, the surgeon, eecond master and 5 others,
who hoped to be in a situation to render assistance to their
companions; but the sea runn:og high, they were driven
out to a hopeless distance, from which they saw the vessel
thrown upon her beam ends, with the sea making clear
breaches over her. Tho violence of the weather drove the
boat ashore at Bizerte, and, in the attempt to land, she was
swamped, and only four persoas beside Lit ut. Rooke reached
the land. Some friendly Arabi rushed through the surf to
rescue the poor fellows and, carrying them on their backs,
provided them with refreshments and the means of getting
to Tunis, from whence the news wag despatched to this place.
The French authorities lost no time in despatching aid to the
scene of the wreck, and it in to be hoped that the remaining
boats' crews are in safety. The melancholy news was brought
by a Tuscan brig schooner, the Bella Maria, which arrived
this morning with Lespatches for the admiral.
The following letter from our Malta correspondent,
though little differing from other accounts, will be
found interesting:
MALTA, Dec. 29.
In consequence of the strong southerly winds which have
blown f some days, the French direct steamer from Mar-
seilles did not arrive until the 28th. Early the same morn-
ing a schooner arrived from Tunis, bringing us the melan-
choly intelligence of the total loss of her Majesty's steam
frigate Avenger, and all her officers and crew except three
seamen and the third lieutenant, who were saved in a boat.
From a letter written by Lieut. Rooke to Admiral Sir Lucius
Curtis, it appears that the Avenger, whilst going upwards of
11 knots an hour, struck at 10 P.M. on the night of the
20th on a reef of rocks to the south-eastward of the island
of Oalita. Orders were immediately given to lower away
the quarter-boats. In one of these were the third lieu-
tenant Rooke, the surgeon, purser, second master, gun-
ner, and three seamen. The wind at the time blew a
heavy gale from the S.W., end the sea ran so high that the
found it impossible to approach the vessel, over which
the sea was breaking tremendously. After great exertion,and
finding their endeavours fruitless, they bore up for Galita, but
in an hour or so the wind shifted to the N.N.W. and blew so
hard that they were driven on the Biserta shore, where
in attempting to land the boat got into the surf, upset, and
only Lieutenant Hooke and the three seamen were saved, and
they owe their existence to some Arabs, whe rushed into
the waves and drew them on shore. The Arabs took them
to their hut, dried their clothes, and gave them some milk.
As soon se they could walk they act out for Biserta, where
they were kindly received by the authorities, and the English
vice-consul procured them a boat of the country, in which
they embarked for Tunis' and arrived on the night of the 23rd.
A report being made to Sir T. Beide, he applied to the Bey
for assistance. A Tunisian brig of war and several small
vessels started instantly for the scene of the ship-,
wreck, and the French consul promised to send
the Lavoisier, French steamer, immediately she arrived,
which was hourly expected, from Algiers. Sir Thee. Reade
immediately chartered the Tuscan schooner Bella Maria'
for Malta, with the news. At noon on the 28th, H.M.S.
Hecate, having taken on beard such hawsers and stores
as may probably be required, started for the wreck. The
rocks on which the Avenger struck are supposed to be the
" Cani," or Dog rocks, the highest of which are about ten or
twelve feet above the level of me sea. In heavy N.W.
gales the sea breaks all over them. If the ship held together
many may yet be saved. Otherwise there is but little hopes.
The last view that Lieut. Rooks had of her, through the
darkness of the night, she appeared to be high on the rocks,
and on her broadside. By the French steamer, which
arrived this morning from France, Leghorn, and Naples, we
learn that Admiral Parker left Borne on the 14th, and
Leghorn, with the fleet, on the 21st, supposed for the Gulf
of Spezia. Naples was quiet. His excellency, the governor,
will hold a levee on the Ist January.

MR. MACREADY AND TUE READING OF " ANTI-
GONE" AT WINDSOR CASTLE.—This eminent tragedian was
first applied to to reed the tragedy of " Antigone " before
tier Majesty and the Court at Windsor Castle on New Year's
Day. Mr:Macready, however, having very respectfully de-
clined the task, Mr. Bartley was next applied to, and con-
sented to undertake it. We understand that Mr. Maeready
would have had no objection to have read before her Majesty
any drama which might have been selected, of a tragic
character, provided it was not interspersed, as in the case of
`Antigone," with music and choruses.