The Sun.
London, England, 1864-06-24 00:00:00

THE ALABAMA,

The brilliant career of the Alabama is over.
Pirate or not, she lies fathoms deep in the strip of
ocean which divides Fra2co from England. N'.-tver
again shall she terrify the merchantmen of the
Northern States. But her gallant captain livEs,
and of the brave men whom he led the greater part
are left; and it will be strango, indeed, if we do not
hear more of Semmes upon the sea.

Captain Semmes knew his fate beforehand. He
gave to an English friend at Cherbourg. pipers aud
other articles of importance, not easy to be saved in
hurriedly taking to the boats. Toe Alabama was
pretty 'well worn out by long and active cruises in
all waters. To refit her, as the usage of English
dockyards teaches, would have been scarcely if at
all less costly than to build another craft. For
some inexplicable reason, the repair of a ship—at
any rate in the Admiralty establishments—is un•
reasonably expensive : sharp critics might suggest
that it offers an opportunity especially favourable
to the waste of public money—which is nobody's
money in particular, £0 that it is unnecessary to ho
conscientious about it. Cap:zin Semmes, who found
that his ship could not long continue her victorious
career—and who may possibly have known (though
we don't say so) that a ship would in good time be
found for a Semmes—deemed it as wise as it was
certainly brave to end the Alabama'scareer in fierce
contest with an overwhelming force. So he came
out of Cherbourg ready to fight, and struck the
first blow right manfully; ay, and fought on till
his last shot was fired from a ship already sinking.
Sunday is very often desecrated by men of diploa
macy and men of war. A calm Sunday morning in
Jane saw the great fight between the Alabama and
the Kearsege. The battle lasted from an hour to
an hour and a quarter. By good hap an English
yachtsman was close by to record his impressions
of the affair, and to pick up drowning men—one
more instance of the well-known fact that English•
men are to be encountered in places the most un.
expected. The fighting was all at long distances ;
there was no attempt at the hand-to•hand business
which English captains loved in the days be ore
iron ships and guns of long range; and the greater
speed and better artillery of the Norther❑ vessel
made the combat throughout unequal. How it
ended we all know, though no accurate (stimate has
yet been formed of the heavy itjuries which the
Alabama must have inflicted en the Kearsage. All
we know is that th 3 latter never came to close
quarters, and that Captain Semmes and the chief
part of his crew took to the boats without being
interrupted.

There will be jubilation in the North when news
arrives that Semmes's flag floats no longer. Ini.
partial observers see no reason for such rejoicing.
As on land, so on sea, the gallantry, the daring, of
the weaker party—strengthened by the belief that
right is on their side—suffice to keep their arrogant
in!'aders at bay. We suspect that the Federais
have not heard the last of Captain Semmes. At
any rate, not only has he, as ho designed, avoided
the expensive refitment of a worn-out ship, but also
done a great amount of damage to the new vessel
of the enemy. Yankees, who admire clever ca/cu-
latiqns, will have to admit that he acted with a
prompt sagacity, amounting to smartness, which in
the gamut of Transatlantic eulogy stands several
notes higher than mere heroism.

SHIPPING INTELLIGENCE—This Day,

LONDON, Jane 24.—Wind this day at noon—South-
West; moderate breeze and fine weather, but cloudy at
intervals.
FALMOUTH, June 23.—Wind S.W.—Arrived—Minnie,
from Trinidad de Cuba.
SALCOMBE, Juno 22.—Wind S.W.—Arrived—Cieeodile,
from Nassau.

PLYMOUTH, June 23,—Wind W.—Sailed—Mauritius,
steamer, for Madras.

CARDIFF, June 23.—Wind S.W.--Sailed—Melody, for
Havanuah.

FORTS-MOUTH, J111:10 23. Wind N.W.—Arx!ved—Her
Majesty's ship Supply, from Co:fa.
(Br 31A.GNETIC TEAGRAPH.)

GRAVESEND, Friday Morning:
Arrived, June 23—Ramburg, from Quebec—Round, from
Prince Edward's Island—Scotia, from New York—Urania,
from Quebec, _ _

Arrived, Jule 24 -- Classina Ardavla, from Smyrna—
Sarah, from Cacn—Otto Olof, from Foport—Flora, from
Hohend--Christiane Maria, from Thistad.
Sailed—Tartar, steamer, for Lisbon—Rhine, steamer, for
Boulogne—Fleeha, steomor, for Ghent—Sir Robert Peel,
steamer, for Dunkirk—Hanover, steamer, for Calais—Cor-
coera, steamer, for Alexandria,
DZIL, Friday Morning.
Passed— palette, from Madras, for London ; Montezuma,
screw steamer, from Oporto for London; Bonnie Belle,
from the west, for London; Pr?eursa, from London, for
Otago; Cassandra, from London for Sierra Leone; Nauti-
line, front London for Liverpool ; Prrneobe loyal!, from
Vancouver's Island, for London.

LONDON SCOTTISH RIFLE VOLUNTEERS.—CoI.
I\l'llturdo, C. 8., Inspector• General cf Volunteers, Will in-
spect this regiment to-morrow afternoon at Fix o'clock in
Regent s-park. The corps will march from Wellington
Barracks at half-past five, under the eQuunagd of Lieut.-
Colonel Lord Elcho,