The Sun.
London, England, 1855-04-20 00:00:00

SICKNESS IN THE CRI3IEA, 1839.

[Extracted from the Times newspaper, of Sept. 25, 1839.]
" Accounts from Constantinople state that the Rus-
sian troops in Sebastopol and its neighbourhood were
sadly suffering from illne. s, particularly from the
ophthalrnin, which presented all the appearance of the
Egyptian disease.
" Upwards of 7,000 sick were lying in the hospitals."

An accident of a serious nature occurred to Lord Stan•
hope, son of the Earl of Chesterfield, yesterday morning.
His lordship, a lieutenant in the Royal Horse Guards,
was mounted on it spirited charger ; when in St. Paul's
_ _

churchyard, opposite Mr. Fred. Goodyear's, his horse
slipped on the side, and fell on its rider, breaking his
leg. Lord Stanhop, wa- immediately carried into Mr.
Goodyear's house, where the greatest attention was
promptly paid. Mr. Smith, surgeon, of Bow-lane, was
at once summoned to his assistance, and set the fracture.

After remaining about two hours his lordship was con•
veyed to his barracks at Regent's-park.
EAST INDIA COMPANY'S CIVIL SERVICE.—The prospee.
tus which has been issued of the preliminary exarnina•

tion (to take place in July, though the list of candidates
will be closed on the Ist of May) comprises only such
subjects as those with which any graduate of the uni-
versities may fairly be supposed to be conversant.
Toe duties that devolve upon a civil servant of the East
India Company comprise a most extensive sphere of
action —the administration of the laws, the financial dis-
position and regulation of the revenues, and the im-
provement of the moral and phy,ical condition of the
people. Much has been said of late in favour of the dis-
tribution of appointments by merit, as tested by exami-
nations, over the ordinary course of patronage. These
important posts have hitherto been in the exclusive pa-
tronaize of the Court of Directors.
THE CHINA PEA.—Experiments are about to he made
in several departments of France t naturalise a species
of pea pecu.iar to China, which yields both oil and flour.
The oil scarcely differs from that of colza or rapeseed,
and the Chinese use it largely in their culinary prepara-
tions. The flsur is made into a paste, which, after hav-
ing been left to ferment, is seasoned with oil, pepper,
salt, or other ingredients. It becomes, in a few days, of
a brownish colour, and posses-es excellent digestive qua-
lities. So prepared, it is rather dear, but the poorer
classes merely fry the paste in oil, and it is sold to them
in slices in the markets The preparations of the nil a d
paste of the pea in question is a branch of' indristry in
several provinces ; but it is at Ning-Po, capital of Cite-
Kiang, that it is chiefly carried on. Every year, in fact,
thousands of junks, freighted with the piste and nii,
leave Nine-pe for the different poets of the Celestial Em-
pire.—Ga/iejnani.
FoLSESToNE IMPROVEMENT BILL.--Yesterday a Par-
liamentary paper was printed containing a copy of the
Admiralty report on the Folkestone Improvement 13;11.
It appears that the objects of the bill are to extend the
limits of the borough, to enable the corporation to con-
struct a market-house, to make new streets, and other
improvements. The Lords of the Admiralty call the
attention of Parliament to clauses in the bill to levy coal
dues, and, in failure of payment, the vessel, tackle, &c.,
to be detained. "Their lordships are of opinion that
duties so collected would operate as a tax on shippirg
for the benefit of the town, improvements, and that the
collector of customs, or other officer in her Majesty's
service, should not be employed in such a service ; that
no duties on coal or merchandise whatever should be col-
teeter] at Folkestone until the same have been landed,
and that municipal dues, which the commissioners may
think proper to demand, shall only be payable by
the importers or purchasers, and that no detention of
vessels, or interference with them, be sanctioned on ac-
c-oint of town revenue."
SOUTHAMPTON, April 19.—The new shears which have
for some months past been in the course of erection to
supply those which were destroyed by the accident
last year are now neerly completed, and will be tested
in the course of afc .v days. Their proof strength is
50 tons. They consist of three immense sticks of yel-
low pine, the two front legs being 88 feet long and
3, inches in diameter, strengthened by iron hoops
placed at a distance of nine feet from each other.
Tile back leg measures 102 feet in length, and 33
inches in diameter, and is strengthened at the top by
what are called " fishing pieces," so as to make it uni-
form throughout. Each of the sticks or legs.is the pro-
duction of a single tree. The plan of these shears differs
materially from that usually adopted, inasmuch as a
weight can be lifted from a vessel 30 feet from the dock
wall and deposited on the quay, whereas ordinary
shears are only capable of lifting great weights with-
out being .able to carry them them ashore. This addi-
tional facility is afforded by the third leg, which forming
a triangle, Is made to traverse in and out from the
dock quay. The machinery connected can be worked
either by hand or steam, a small steam-engine and
house having been erected adjacent to tho position of
intrusted tlwhole
placed erail ,
executedr oak n d b
teb hinyge am
the shears. This great addition to the port was designed
aed
wof Seaward Seaward and Cape!, time
Messrs.undertimb the Ferguson,
of
wsuperintend-
ence of Mr. A. Giles, the Dock Company's engineer.
This is another proof that the Southampton Dock Corte
pany do not spare either trouble or expense in making
their appliances for the use of the marine world as per-
fect as possible.
THE MARINE SOCIETY'S DINNER. —The annual
festival of the Marine Society was celebrated on Wed-
nesday evening at the London Tavern. Sir Charles
Wood, M. P., First Lord of the Admiralty, was to have
presided, but the right hon. gentleman's detention at.
Windsor rendered it impossible for him to do so. The
chair was accordingly taken by Admiral Thornton,
supported by Captain J. Shepherd, Deputy-Master
of the Trinity-house ; Captain Richards, Captain
ET. T. Austin, Captain T. P. Cla,ke, Mr. Sykes
Thornton, Mr., Astell, Mr. R. Grant, &c. :re
proposing the toast of the evening the gallant
chairman stated that 99 years had elapsed since the in -
s'itution of the Marine Society, with a view of rescuing
from misery and reclaiming as many as possible of tie
class of reelected youths ft om idleness and infamy ; and
that during that period 90,000 persons had been rescued,
through the medium of the society, from destitution,
degradation, and crime. The annual report shows that
total of 590, in addition b d he
to those already on ear t
e 21 were sent to the Royal Navy, 40
during the year 1854 460 boys were received, making a
society's ship, Of these
Society" was
The toast of " Prosperity to the Marined
and subscriptions were raise
drunk With all the honours,
to the Indian Navy, and 394 into
the merchant service.
to the amount of about 250/. In the course of the evening
nd fifes, and
a
the boys were introduced with their drums
cheering Time
gave their accustomed salvo of hearty
musical arrangements were under the direction
of Mr.
G. Gen_ge, whose selection was very appropriate to
_
occasion, on account of its nautical character.. Mre.
Genge was assisted by Mr. Perrin, Mr. Sboubrid Mr.
ge,
t_h
Sreythson, and Masters Williams anti Smythson. The
, . _ -
toastmaster was Mr. Higgs.