The Sun.
London, England, 1855-03-14 00:00:00

r PRICE SD.

saw at Portsmouth, at least to our mercantile steamers.
Certainly a misgiving, almost superstitious, did occa-
sionally obtrude, whether any human contrivance
was to have its weight in human affairs. Were
we not worshipping our tools, as some barbarous
tribes do.? It must be confessed that there was some
ground for the misgiving. While England was
thinking of the Himalaya, she forgot that the
noble ship, even though she might carry an army,
yet must he under the orlers of a man. She
f trget that a sword in the hand of a child is only a dao-
gerou-i plaything, and that a gun in the hands of an idiot
may kill friend or foe, just as it happens. Iu fact, Eng-
land forgot that there were Boxers and Christies in the
world ; that they abounded in her service, and were high
in favour. So this noble ship, of 3,00 ton and 750-
horse power, having arrived at Constantinople, and hav-
ing fallen under the orders of Admiral Boxer, was there
first detained, by his orders, for three weeks, unem-
ployed, useless, helpless, like a giant asleep. There she
lay stranded, as it were ; or " at an idle end," as young
people say, or old people say of them. Having at length
taken some Lancers and Hussars to the Crimea, she
took the Ambulance Corps, of which an interesting
account is given, and the unhappy conclusion of which
corresponded too well with the character and habits of
the men selected for -this much despised service. The
next employment of the finest ship in the world is thus
described by the captain :
"The Himalaya also took charcoal from Constantinople
to Balaklava. There were about 650 sacks. It was ranch
wanted by the army, and was pressed for the service of the
Government. When he arrived with it at Balaklava it
was not lauded, because Captain Christie would not re-
oeive it, and he took it back to Constantinople again.
Witness was extremely anxious about the charcoal, and
offered Captain Christie, if he would receive it, to land it
by his own boats and with his own crew. It was not re-
ceived, and witness carried it back to Constantinople again.
There he delivered it to Admiral Boxer, who sentglighters
to land it."
The charcoal, it appears was consigned to Captain
Christie, as agent of transports, and, as the consignment
was irregular, the captain determined that a few hun-
dred men should perish from frostbites, or dysentery
consequent on a diet of raw salt pork, rather than do
violence to his own dignity by admitting the
charcoal into his port, even though Captain gel-
lock would gladly have landed it in his own boats,
and with his own men ! But there was this co-
lossal fabric, this gigantic power, a mere shuttlecock
between the official battledores of Constantinople and
Balaklava—knocked here and there on a fool's errand,
or left for days and weeks like a.log on the water, at the
caprice of either dcapot. What wonder that our Esti-
mates are more than double, and that nothing is done !
Millions are playthings in the hands of such men. Yet
are they recalled ? What security is there against the
employment of men equally destitute of common sense
and common feeling ? We cannot yet answer that
question.