The Sun.
London, England, 1864-07-21 00:00:00

CAPE OF GOOD HOPE MAIL,

WARLIKE PREPARATIONS BY THE
GOVERNMEN T.
PLYMOUTH, JULY 21.

The Union Company's steamer Saxon left Table
Bay on the 20th ult., St. Helena on the 28th,
and Ascension on the 2d inst.

She brings 76 passengers, among whom is Dr.
Alexander Duff, the veteran missionary.
No active hostilities had yet taken place on the
frontiers, but Sir Walter Currie, in a despatch to
Ind reported that as ho had found
theth e Government,
difficulties
n the Transkei increasing, he re•
commended that the 2d battalion of the 11th Re.
giment should be retained on the frontier.
Every preparation was also being made for war
by the Cape authorities. The sth Fusiliers are left
in readiness at Eat London.

SPAIN.

MADRID, JULY 20.

The statement that the Spanish official corree■
pondence had been stolen at Panama is unfounded,
the Government having received Admiral Piezon's
despatches. Communications have also been re-
ceived from Chili expressing the desire for friendly
relations with Spain.

FRANCE.

PARIS, JULY 27.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs has been sum.
moned for a few days to Vichy to confer with the
Emperor. His Majcsty is in perfect health.
The King of the Bolgiaxs is expected to-morrow
at Vichy.
BOURSE, July 20.—The market has been rather
firmer, but without any material improvement in
prices. Threes, for the Account, are now at 66f.
25e., and Mobilier at 1,003 f. 75. In Railway
Shares little doing, but previous quotations in
general well maintained, The market closed as
follows :

4i per Cents 04 '25
Do. end month...,
3 per Cents CG 20
Do. end month Cr) 25
Credit Mobilier 1007 50
Do. end month...JOH 75
Bank Shares —
Credit Foncier 1220
Roman 7O -
11A IL I

Italian Loan 68 10
Do. end month 68 20
Ditto Threes
New Mexican 57
Russian
Austrian .. B2 60
Spanish Threes _
Efome Debt .. 484
Deferred
rare.

Cash. Account.
873 75 .. 875
978 75 .. 977 50
900 .. 900

Orleans
Northern
Lyons and Mediterranean
New ditto
Southern
Western
Eastern ....
Sardinian
Austrian
Lombard
North of Spain
Saragossa
Ditto to Barcelona

610 - .. 641 25
511 2;5 .. 510 -

477 50 . 477 50
352 50 .. 351 25
402 50 .. 403 75
530 - .. 530 -
435 - .. 433 75
527 50 .. 528 75

LATEST FROM RICHMOND.

An English gentleman who left Richmond on the
Ist instant, having a few days previously visited
Petersburg, and who, passing uninterrupted into
the Federal territory, accomplished the journey
between Richmond and Queenstown in the remark-
ably short time of 16 days, gives the following par•
titulars of the military situation in and around the
Confederate capita: :
The troops detached by way of the Shenandoah Valley
towards Maryl And consisted of the whole of Ewell's corps
(late Stonewall Jackson's), under the personal command of
that General, and numbered 26,000 men.

It was believed that another smaller detachment with
heavy artillery would be, or had already been, directed
towards Acquia Creek, with a view of erecting powerful
batteries on the Potomac, blockading that river, and thus
interrupting the water communication with Washington at
the same tine that Ewell's corps would destroy tho Balti-
m :ear em
and
c aOt ihoi
no Railroad,
withthe
eapital.
and thus cut the main line of
c
Ewell's corps was considered amply strong enough to
cope with any troops which the North in its present de-
nuded condition could oppose to it, and it was believed that
as soon as the offensive movement of the Confederates be-
came developed in its true proportions, the Federal Govern.
ment would recall Grant's whole army. No corps of obser-
vation which Grant might leave behind on embarking could
hold its ground against a combined land and naval attack
from Richmond.

Nearly 3,000 prisoners had been brought in from Wilson's
corps, so that his entire loss could not be less than between
4,000 and 5,000, He had lost all his artillery, trains, and
stores—in fact, only just escaped total destruction. About
20 miles of the track of the Danville Railroad was destroyed
by him, but as there are no important bridges on that por-
tion cf the track, the Corps of Construction, a corps of
railway engineers and labourers specially formed for such
purpsses, would be able to repair the damage in less than
two weeks.
The balance of prisoners in favour of the Confederates
during the Virginia campaign alone was estimated at no
less than 10,000. A great portion of the prisoners are
stragglers who voluntarily came into the Confederate lines
and surrendered themselves. They report that in Grant's
aamy so frequent had become the practice of self-mutilation,
generally by shooting or cutting off a finger, that an order
nista:sdidiens g
mta them
riou n
ss
labourers under guard into the
eheaisbe ean
uni punishing
trenches.th
the
men so soon as their
13
f,rad ewounds and then se
fevers, very malignant bowel complaints,
ea
water and the pulverized sand with which the atmosphere
is surcharged, had appeared, and threatened to become
epidemic in the Federal army.
Grant was leisurely shelling Petersburg
at se
a d
dby thence bad
of
about two miles, but doing little damage-
Communications
between that city and Richmond were perfect and not in
the least disturbed. No scarcity was apprehended of pro-
visions. The army was healthy and in excellent spirits.
re emd p tl ao
t be d.
s
At no time had the Confederates been more sanguine. I;
was generally considered that General Lee was indisputably
master of the situation, and that the war could not be pro. Confederate Congress had, in view
the of
war the contemplated
declared
at
longed much beyond the present campaign.
offensive movements, issued a m
Previous to its adjournment on the 14th ultimo, the
Gil intentionsdevelopm development
te conquest
or though not
is set forth in eloquent language,an
in express terms, addressed to the people of the North. In
one only of self-prezervation, andaanl
this the earnest desire of the Confederate States for peace
or of impeding the happiness
Northern States is most distinctly disclaimed.
There was no distress, but, also, no excitement in Rich-
mond. A solemn earnestness and calm confidence pervaded
all classes. The theatres had been closed. The churches
were constantly open for prayer, and thronged day and
night with soldiers and civilians. The houses of the
wealthier cit:zens were BO many open private hospitals, and
the ladies were unremitting in their care of the sick and
wounded. Mr Davis's health was good. Foreign exchange
had fallen to 1,500, but was little in demand. The prices
of most of commodities had declined, owing to the gradual
absorption of the, redundant currency by taxes and the
funding system.
—,...-----.

llarket—This Day,
Liverpool Cotton
Market opens steady, but Viet' Sales probably
8,000 hales or more,

er the Holy Pather a degree
NAPOLEON TIIE GRE
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or ApNuph l i cl)rni Ui
s )r1 It
uilne s—c
Toni: de
miture of admiration and awe,
gratitude,—Cardinal Gon •
oEf Emperorl
al'il'i :
np o lwe ohni
cehi o
lir cr ii svcadt
eo v
nofe=pmartetrenrarni itneantdee.rnlestswaansdop
lolls
saki' 8 newly publisbc Mina) s,
LONDON, BRIQIITONI ANP SOUTII COAST RAILS
d
WAY.—Tho accounts for the past half-year having been
submitted to the board of directors,
year of £2 10s. per cent. oil
upon recommending. the a dividend for the half
they yesterday decided
the Consolidated stock of the
payment of
company.

MURDER AT SEA.—Yesterday information was
received at Lloyd's that the second mate of the Gustavus
Adolphus from London to Callao, was on the 23th of last
month handed over to the custody of the autlaoritiesof Per-
nambuco, for shooting Captain Bruck through the head,
on the
the hut mail,
high semi Ir.: will be sent to England for trial by

The National Rifle Association at Wimbledon

The weather, yesterday morning, was one con-
tinual sunshine, and, although there was a nice
breeze, still the heat was very intense, and once
more the furze on the Common at two o'clock in
the afternoon was discovered to be on fire. The
engine stationed near the windmill, which had been
filled with water, in readiness for an emergency,
was rapidly drawn to the place, followed by a
number of the Guards, armed with spades and bill-
hooks, but as no danger was apprehended to the
encampment, they were not called upon, the fire
Was allowed to burn itself out, and they all re-
turned to their quarters.

The Comte:on yesterday morning presented a
marked contrast to that of the previous day. Then
all was bustle and excitement, the great feature
then being the final struggle in prospective for the
Queen's prize, which was last evening set at rest ;
conequently-, although some important matters had
yet to be disposed of, they were quite of a secondary
nature to that above referred to, and the atten-
dance was almost confined to those who were taking
part in them or have an interest in the result.
The principal items in this day's programme were
the second stage of the Albert prize at 1,000 yards,
Mr. Dillwyn's prize, Earl Do Grey's prizes, the
Daily Telegraph prize, Mr. Bass's prize, the Rifle
Oaks, the Any Rifle Association Cup, the City of
London prizes, Mr. Mont Storm's prizes, Lord
Vernon's prize, pool sweepstakes, running deer, &c.
On Tuesday night there was some further practice
for the Owl prize, and as usual there were many
competitors, but it is to be regretted that an acci-
dent of a serious nature occurred. The Count de
Gendre was preparing to shoot for the prize, and
in doing so had recourse to an experiment of a very
dangerous nature. To give him a better aim at the
owl's eyes he resorted to the expedient of rubbing
the sight of his rifle with a piece of phosphorus to
produce a blue flame, and'from which he could ob-
tain an aim at the object, when the piece of phos-
phorus he was using broke in two, and he put out
his hand to catch it and rather firmly grasped it.
The consequence of this was that his hand was
much burned. Ho was conveyed to Lord Elcho's
cottage, where his hand was dressed. By the ac-
counts received up to yesterday evening the count
is progressing favourably.
A new contest was commenced to-day, being a
series of prizes, given by Mr Mont Storm, open to
all, comers, to be competed for with any muzzle or
breech-loading rifle taking Government ammunition
as sold by the National Rifle Association on the
ground. The prizes of £lOO to be divided amongst
the competitors who made the highest number of
marks in two and four consecutive minutes. There
were many competitors for this prize, but in the
course of the day a gentleman was about to fire with
a breech loader which he had been using. when the
cartridge exploded, but fortunately no damage was
done. There was a similar explosion on Saturday
last.

The Albert prizes, which have occupied so large
a portion of the meeting, having been brought to a
close in regard to the first stage, the winners of the
different prizes had this day to enter into a new
cmpetition amongst themselves, the best to be en-
titled to a prize of £lOO, seven shots each, at 800,
900, and 1,000 yards. The shooting was of a very
superior order, Lieut. Burt, of the Ist Warwick,
making 28 points at 800, 24 at 900, and 24 at 1000
yards; Lieut. Peterkin, of the Cambridge Univer-
sity, made 25 at 800, 21 at 900, and 20 at 1,000
yards; Lieut. Banting, 11th Middlesex (one of the
(elected eight for the International Competition),
made 25 points at 800, 19 at 900, and 23 at 1,000
yards. These were the highest scores for some
time, until Hercules Ross, Kincardine, began to
emulate the reputation of his brother, Capt. Edward
Ross, who made the extraordinary score of 73
points, and thus became the winner of the 2d stage
prize of £lOO. Mr Hercules Ross is one of the
eight who will compete in the International Match
on behalf of Scotland, and if his shooting is equal
to what it has been for other prizes, he will prove a
most valuable acquisition to the Scotch team. This
prize was won last year by Mr Martin Smith, of
the Victorias, with a similar number.