The Sun.
London, England, 1852-09-27 00:00:00


(From the Liverpool Albion.)
PLYMOUTH, FRIDAY.—The Forerunner, Captain J.
B. Atkins, a new and beautiful vessel, belonging to
the African Steam Navigation Company, arrived
here, yesterday morning, from the Thames, after a
speedy passage of thirty-four hours, in weather well
calculated to try her capabilities as a sea boat. Several
of the directors :came round 83 passengers, and,
amongst them, Mr. Macgregor Laird, the founder of
the company, and whose practical acquaintance with
that country and its coasts and harbours has imparted
a spirit of confidence to this undertaking which augurs
well for its future success. The construction of the
Forerunner having been already described, we feel it
unnecessary to go into particulars further than to state
that she is an iron steamer, propelled by the screw, of
400 tons, and 50-horse power. Her extreme length
over all is 170 feet, and breadth of beam 22 feet, draw-
ing, with full cargo and coals for fifteen days, nine feet
water fore and aft. The saloons and private cabins
are designed with every view to comfort and ele-
gance, and her great length, tapering masts, and ex-
ternal colour, which is entirely green, gave her a
light and graceful appearance. Finally, when we
learn that the contract for the conveyance of the
mails was only completed in March last, and the
vessel built and made ready for sea within six months,
the public will recognise the activity
.of those who
have been able to achieve so much in so short a
period.
The Forerunner takes out a full cargo of miscella-
neous goods and a large amount in specie. She also
carries a number of passengers, amongst whom are
Captain A. E. Kennedy, Governor of Sierra Leone,
Mrs. Kennedy and servant, James C. Fitzpatrick, Esq.,
Chief Justice of the Gold Coast, Mr. and Mrs. Pratt,
Miss Campbell, Rev. M. Reichardt, Mr. E. Watacoll,
Rev. Mr. Reay, Rev. Mr. Cornwall, Colonial Chap.
lain, and Mrs. Cornwall, Mr. J. W. Thompson, Lieut.
Cave, Mr. Cox, and Mr. Brocket, for Sierra
Leone; also, Staff-Surgeon Daniel, Rev. Mr. Mon-
serratt, colonial chaplain, Madame Chevreille, Mr.
accommodation,
h3e
mxopdraetsi sod
l,
and
Malliotte, andothershhiigghh lhighly
pleasedipr iftosr more
with the
tGambia.the
ec
Allo
themselves
especially the old voy-
agers, prospect of a speedy passage. In eraet in
the
con-
nexion with the internal arrangements of the vessel,
it may be interesting to state that her berths, though
comparatively small, are well lighted and ventilated,
and this company have, we believe, the merit of intro-
ducing for the first time in a mail packet-ship Silver's
water-proof and floatable mattresses, each of which is
said to be capable of sustaining the weight of eight
persons in the water. She also carries powerful hose,
to be worked by the ship's engine, in case of fire, and
two capacious life- boats, each with full room for 30
persons. The latter have been imported from Ame-
rica, and are similar to those now generally employed
in the United States navy. They are constructed of
galvanised iron, have air-chambers fore and aft, and
are considered peculiarly adapted for vessels trading
in hot climates, the material of which they are con-
structed not being likely to deteriorate by exposure.
Captain Atkins, who commands the Foreruner, is a
seaman of much experience, and was, until recently,
in the employment of Messrs. Wigram, in one of
their East Indiamen, and, therefore, well acquainted
with the passenger trade. His crew consists of first
and second officers, ten able seamen, three engineers,
and six firemen. The cuddy servants are also ap-
pointed by himself and under his implicit control,
and, looking to recent examples, the most rigid regu-
lations are prescribed with respect to lights, smoking,
and other practices involving danger by fire. A
novel expedient has also been adopted by the direc-
tors, at Mr. Laird's suggestion, with a view at once
to preserve discipline and encourage propriety
of behaviour. A certain per centage is allowed
upon the passage-money and freight each voyage,
which is called good-conduct money, and divided
amongst the officers and crew; the former getting
two-thirds and the latter one-third each. This is
much on the system of " lays" in the whaling ser-
vice, and gives all on board an interest in the euccess
of the voyage, and, as the captain has the power of
withholding these gratuities in cases of misconduct, a
salutary means of punishment is thus provided.
We are told that the Forerunner is specially de-
signed by draft of water to enter the harbour of
Lagos, it being expected, as a consequence of the
friendly relations which we have latterly established
with the chiefs and other inhabitants of that part
of the coast, that an extensive trade will soon be in
operation. Already it has exhibited itself in an ex-
traordinary degree at the Gambia, and there can be
no doubt it will be further encouraged by the facili-
ties afforded to commercial enterprise by the active
directors of the African Steam Navigation Company.
The Forerunner will be succeeded by four other
steamers of a much larger class, two of 900 and two
of 1,060 tons burden, to sail every month, and a
steamer will shortly be laid on to Madrid and Tene-
rife, which, from the beauty of its climate and pic-
turesque scenery, is likely to rival the former place as
a sanatorium. Hitherto, however, Teneriffe has
not been much resorted to by Europeans for pur-
poses of health, owing to the want of opportunities of
reaching or leaving it at convenient intervals, such
opportunities depending solely upon the chance visit
of eligible vessels. Under all circumstances we feel
that great public advanteges will be derived from the
efforts of the company to which we now allude, the
harmonizing influence of legitimate commerce must
sooner or later show its effects in superseding a bar-
barous traffic, the way of the missionary opened up,
and the efforts of those at home, be they religionists
or mere philanthropists, having in view the reclama-
tion of the negro race, will be promoted and fostered
by a means of communication at once frequent and
certain. Already we find that two missionary clergy-
men have gone out in the Forerunner, one from the
Church of England Society, the other from the Wes-
leyan body, and we are told that a number of others
are expected to follow.

PORTS OF NEWCASTLE AND SHIELDS.

Mr. How, one of the Surveyors-General of the
Board of Customs, is at present on a visit of inspec-
tion to these northern ports, and a few days ago
received a deputation, consisting of the mayor and ,
corporation, and many of the leading merchants
of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, with reference to certain
alterations proposed to be made in the existing mode
of conducting the customs' business, and the proposed
enlargement of the port of Shields with that object,
by a proportionate curtailment of the port of New-
castle, which arrangement the merchants and inha-
bitants of Newcastle considered would be highly
inconvenient to them, and detrimental to their in-
terests. Mr. Clayton, the town-clerk, addressed the
inspector at great length, explaining the circumstances.
A project has been lately sanctioned for the construc-
tion of a spacious dock at Hay Hole for the shipment
of coal, under the patronage of his Grace the Duke of
Northumberland. The site of this dock is within the
port of Newcastle, but adjacent to the western limit
of that of Shields, and the inhabitants of Shields
propose to enlarge the boundary so as to include the
intended dock, thereby adding greatly to the revenue
of the port. They also propose to compel all
vessels that take in the whole or any part of their
cargo in the deep water at Shielda to clear out from
that port, notwithstanding that the owner and char-
tetorer
Lamb, wohothies
of the vessel may reside in Newcastle, and wish
transact his business there. Mr. Alderman
vtoienws an agent for the shipment of 400,000
of coals annually on the Tyne, supported the
inconvenient:tut!.
deputation,oe and described the great
which the merchants of Newcastle
understood would be
wAhichlieltheuegtiteshidnenzerdeiscuthsesihnprofoplolosewded,changes
closeeffected.
of
traortoiondtimated that he should
report the result of his
inquiries toththteBoard of Co.rn-
a the alterations
inhabitants of Shields have
received the sanction of the
wrnbisiscili°11aerres.proposed by the
Duke of Northumber-
land.

THE RAPE ON BEDMINsTI:sppecoti:NtSh..
live gleaned the
following additional particulars
Since our last publgicea:t—ionRobert -E- au, the m Is
most atrocious outrage
who, in company with a Mrs. Allen, a an
neigh-
bour, first heard the girl's screams and went to her
assistance, states that it was about a quarter
totwelve o'clock at night when he was awoke b
the screams of a female in distress. He heard, in
addition to the screams, the exclamations "Oh
don't serve me so. Mother, mother, pray come.
Murder, murder," &c. On hearing these cries he
called out at his window, "Mrs. Allen, here is some
one insulting your daughter." Mrs. Allen, who it
seems, has several daughters, stated it could not be
one of them, as they were all in bed. While she
was dressing, Hall also put on some of his clothes,
and when both were ready they sallied forth in
company, Hall carrying his loaded gun. On cross-
ing the road in the direction of the screams, which
at that time bad become somewhat stifled, Mrs. Allen
called out loudly, " You villain, you are ill-using a
girl." At that moment Hall saw one of the men
rising from the ditch and nettles in which the girl
was then lying. The other man stood in the ditch in
a stooping posture, and on hearing Mrs. Allen call out,
, Rave the watchword " Chee2ey " to his companion.
\ Both men then decamped rapidly, and on getting over
\il tl 1... e five barred gate, behind theieservoir, one Gf them
'avil fell. Hall could only distinguish the figures at
drawn biro he
t adiddiltonoliandwould have fired, but was fearful, if he
might shoot the girl whose screams had
forward, an _o the spot. He and Mrs. Allen then went
of and found the girl, whose name is Martha
Fear,
essisted her to
rise,
still lying in the ditch. They
agitation as to base\ when she was in such a state of
most frantic. The man and woman
I did all they eouldata sooth her, and ultimately she in-
I sisted upongoin •
gdirect home, under
that her mother was under the full impression
r ee on before, and that she
:,t would find her disabled
on the road. Hall then 08W

her;safe as far as Dundrey- hill, and said he would wait
there while she went on, and if again molested would
go to her assistance. The girl, however, got safe
home, and having informed her father, who is a labour-
ing man, they went at once to the constable of the
village (Chew Magna) and gave information of
the outrage that had been committed upon her.
Four days afterwards, Martha Fear was again on
her way to Bristol, and on crossing Bedminster
Down, in a different dress from the one she had worn
on the night of the outrage, saw and identified both
the men who had assaulted her. A warrant was imme-
diately taken out against the men, and its execution
fixed for yesterday morning, but on the constable call-
ing at the men's houses, to execute the warrant, both of
them had gone off at five o'clock in the morning,
politely leaving word that they would wait upon the
magistrates who were to hear the case, and contra-
dict the report that had been published in this journal
last week. It is needless to add that they did not
make their appearance, but there is little doubt that
they will soon be in the hands of the law, and made
to answer for their
villany.—Bristol Journal of
Saturday.