The Sun.
London, England, 1852-05-14 00:00:00

SEPTEMBER.

Currag. 7 Jubn3town 2l
Limerick

OCTOBER.
Curragh l2 I Carlow
Down Royal Corp 2O

MORAYSHIRE.—The saltiton-fishing in the river
Flndhorn, in this vicinity, has been remarkably productive
within the last few weeks. Every other morning, 40, 50, 60,
apd 100 fine fish are caught betwixt the Sluy Pool and Find-
horn. In five days last week, after the rain, 700 were taken,
of which no fewer than 300 were captured on Saturday morn-
ing ! We learn that the fish in the water of Nairn has been
likewise very aburriant.— Scotch Paper.
THE FIRE AT 11.11LNVELL.—Tne bay named George
Murrell, who was taken up on suspicion of havilg caused
this fire, which destroyed hi one night (April '2 0 no less
than twenty. one dwelling-houses, and nine farm hour:steads
at Harwell, was breuzlit again taore the magistrates yes-
terday at Abingdon, when he confessed that he committed
the act which involved so in ;ny poor families in the utmost
distress. He stated that he went into Mr. Isaac Ruby's
rickyerd, ignited a lacifer- match, which he put on a tile, and
then placed both in a straw rick. The boy, who is seven-
teen years of age, and of weak intellect, added that be
committed the act for the sake of some apples which were
promised him, but it did not appear that there is any truth
in that representation. He was fully committed to take his
trial at the next assizes.
COUNTY ELECTIONS Pou.s.—There is a Bill in the
House of Commons (yesterday printed) to limit the time of
taking the poll in counties at contested elections for knights
of
one day. the shire to serve in Parliament, in England and Wales,
to
• By the Reform Act two days were allowed,
but now it
it proposed to limit the time, as in borough elec-
tions,ilisito one day, from eight o'clock to four o'clock. The
Hill
brought forward by Lord Robert Grosvenor and Mr. IL
Denison.

FOREIGN THEATRICALS. 1
The annual meeting of the As .oetadon of Dramatic
Authors has just taken place in Paris. The twactnt of
the droits d'auteur levied during the year was stated to
be 917,531 f., viz., 705.364 f. from Paris, 195,450?, from
the departments, and 16,717 f. from the banlieue. In
1850-1 the total amount was 895,368 E, and iu 1849-50,
723,982 f. The general receipts of the Parisian theatres
during the year was 6,771 0231. In consequence of the
recent treaties for the protection of literary property,
the Society had been able to obtain some sums for the
performance of French plays at Chambery, Nice, and
Turin; and it expects to obtain more in a few months
from Sardinia, Portugal, Hanover, and especially Eng-
land.

GRAND OPERA.—Subsequent performances of Le Juif
Errant have considerably ameliorated its execution,
and the opera goes off at present far more smoothly
than on the first representation. Le Jeif Errant eon-
bins beauties which must ever place it in tho foremost
rank of the French school of opera. The music of the
incidental ballet, illustrative of the Virgilian episode
of Ari.stria is and his bees, i 3 among the most popular
in the pi,,ce; it is distinguished by fanci ul elegance,
and with the dancing, has a dash of imagination and
poesy about it, that wins the applause of every spectator.
The beauty of the scenery, wel the pieture•que splen-
dour of the costumes, which vie with, if they do not un-
ease, every display of the tried heretofore seen, even at
this theatre, speaking to the eye of the multitude, inde-
pendent of any question of art, nightly draw down
unanirnoua and enthusiastic marks of admiration, and
this attraction alone would suffice to confer on the opera
a long and successful reign, for no stranger will come to
Paris this summer without paying at least one visit to
the marvellous spectacle of Le Juif Errant,
FRANCAIS.—A brilliant and crowded auditory as-
semeled here on Thursday, to witness Mdlle. Rachel's
new impersonation of Louis de Lignerolles, in the drama
of that name. Mdlle. Rachel could, of course, not fail
to create in this, as in every other part, a profound im-
pression—yet, never, perhaps, was it more apparent
that the domestic drama of modern days is unsuited
to her loftier style and talents. Her strong emotions
require the stola and peplum of antiquity to be dis-
played to advantage. As Flue Ira and Camilla, Made-
moiselle Rachel stands unrivalled ; but in all the
characters of the modern repertoire she does not
realise the expectation raised by her classical impersona-
tions. She was applauded to the echo, however, and
must be said to have achieved a success. The other
characters were well performed by Mmes. Thenard and
Rebecca, and a child's part, which is incidentally intro-
duced, was given very remarkably by Mdlle. Melanie, a
rising artiste, who does not appear more than ten years
old. MM. Maillart, Greifroy, Maubant, and Cheri's per-
, formanee is also to be commended.

Etaimau.—We have here a piece Le Memorial de Ste.
Helene, upon the melancholy exile and deatn of the
Emperor. Devoid of literary merit of any kind, and
mixed up, as usual in these things, with some prepos-
terous love plot, the affair is not without a certain
effect on the spectator, as everything relative to
the history of that most extraordinary man must
needs be ; but until some great anatomist of
the human mind, another Shakspere or Eschy las,
no drama upon Napoleon, properly so called, can be
written. The vulgar trash of a melodrama is a positive
sacrilege on such a subject. Neither the time nor the
man has yet come for writing even the history of NA-
PolPon, the grandeur of whose genius can only receive
justice at the hands of posterity. The affair at the
Ambigu closely resembles several other pieces
of the same description; the luckless Sir
Hudson Lowe is terribly mauled by the authors, and
the actor (Ernest) who represents the Emperor con-
trives to mould his plain features into an extraordinary
likeness of the fine Italian countenance of hie Imperial
prototype. Needless to add that the Memorial de Ste.
/lane, is nightly received by crowded houses and over-
whviming applause.
M. Morelli has been re-engaged for three years at the
Grand Opera, a most judicious step on the part of the
management, but much to be regretted by the dilettanti
of the Italian school of singing, in which this excellent
artiste was peculiarly at home.
Letters from Florence announce that the health of the
celebrated pianist M. Dobler has latterly undergone a
notable amelioration. _ _

Mina. Gazziniga and Finetti-Batocchi are said to
to have excited a perfect feirore at Modena in Norma.
Mdlle. Fuoco, the ballerina, had also appeared, and with
great success.
The Italian Opera season at Constantinople has been
brought to a brilliant close with Linda, Mine. Ita,moni
and a tenor named Palmieri sustaining the principal parts.
At Vienns Mme. Medori has achieved a success in
Ernani. Mdlle. Ferraris, the dancer, is a universal

favabrite.
The rondo, at Naples, has opened for the season with
Doniz :tire Gianni di Parigi, Mme. and M. Rossi sus-
taining the principal parts.
A new opera, La Fiorina, by M. Pedrotti, has been
received with favour at Venice.
At Konigsberg, in Prus6ia, Mme, Persiani, Tanaburini
and Pozultni have been singing L'Elisire and Il Bar-
biere with great success.

HEALTHOF LONDON DURING THE WEER'

(From the Registrar-General's Report.)
In the week that ended last Saturday, the number of
deaths registered in the metropoli▪
tan districts was 972.
In the 10 corresponding weeks of 1842-51 the average
cumber of deaths was 898, which, i▪ f raised in proportion
to increase of population, becomes 988. The rate of
mortality now prevailing, therefore, differs little from
the average amount.

The greduel decline of mortality which at this season
accompanies an increasing temperature is shown as
tollowsr—ln the third week of March the deaths rose
to 1 208; in the second week of April they fell to
1,051; end in the first week of May to 972. The
mean weekly temperatures that marked these several
periods were 40.5 deg., 44 deg., and 48.1 deg.
Of 972 persens enumerated in the present return, 498
were males and 474 females; 451 died under 15 years
of age, 339 at 15 years and uder CO, and 176 at 60 years
and upwards. As compared with the results of the
previous week there is a decrease both in the deaths
caused by epidemics taken altogether, and those by dis-
eases of the respiratory organs, the former having de-
clined from 232 to 193, the latter from 187 to 106. In
the respective weeks dropsy was fatal to 17 and 14 per-
sons, cancer to 16 and 22, scrofula to 9 and 15, tabes
mesenterica to 16 and 17, phthisis to 131 and 130, bron
chitis to 86 and 74, pneumonia to 67 and 62. Last
week 6 women died of puerperal fever, besides 12 others
who suuk under other diseases incidental to childbearing.
Small-pox, to judge from its weekly mortality, seems to
prevail in London to about the same extent that it has
now done fur a lengthened period. In the first week of
the present soar the deaths registered from this disease
were 33; last week they were 31; and in the 17 weeks
that intervened the lowest number was 22, and occurred
in March,
totalth numberebiilet of cases in which small pox
has '
which occurred in January,
was
been 3 e
during the 19 weeks is 591, and the
average of a week is 31. In the first sse7els of the year
searlatine was fatal in 41 cases, it declined 18 in the se-
cond week of March, and last week the number was 37;
4Thec
fatal
typhus carried off 50 persons in the first week of the
year, it declined to 32 in the third week of March, rose
to 47 in the third week of April, and last week the
number was 33.
tour deaths, of which tho following are the particu-
lars, occurred in the Small-pox Hospital:—
On 3d May, a manservant from Lower-grove-street,
CoMmercial-road, aged 17 years. died of ‘. small-pox,
confluent, unprotected (13 days)."
On 3d May a porter, aged 20 years' " small-pox, con-
fluent, unmodified (13 da) s); believed to have been vac-
cinated Wick; no cicatrix."
a boy from Little Marlborough-street,
on sth
bn infancymay at
J
aged 9 years, "small-pox, confluent,
unprotected (35 days)."
boy from John-street, East-lane, New-
ago one
nsB:Western,
agedll
Maya
y lla
tected (24 days)." years, "small-pox, confluent, unpro-
Seven deaths occurred in the London Fever Hospital
between the Ist and Bth of Mee? inclusive, all of females
except oae; two were caused by scarlatina, one by
typhus, two by "fever," one by phthisis, and one by
pneumonia. At 19, Wellington-street, Camden-town, on
the 27th and 30th April and Ist May respectively, two
daughters and a son of a carpenter died of scarlatina et
years.
the ages of 12, 5, and 3 Mr. Spong makes the
following observationi:—" These were the childrenof
a journeyman carpenter who resides in a kitchen of to I
small- dimensions; the length of illness- was from t
the
o
6 days; one of .the medical attendants states tha
Hospital, place is very unhealthy; application was made t,o. thed
Fever
but admission could not ba obtained
from want of room. Two other children of the family
are ill of the same complaint."
The following are selected frem the returns of the
Somers-town a woman, aged 23 yearn, died
of a boil on the chin.(7 days), erysipelas (one day),"
on 29th April; and in St. Mary Axe a porter, aged 43
years, died on 30th April of "carbuncle." Ia C m den-
town a girl, aged one year, died of "nrevus, operation;
dentition, convulsions (7 days)'" In-Camberwell a lady,
aged 74 years, died of " tic-douloureux, apoplexy (9
hours);" and in Clapham, another lady, aged 69 years,
died of "general atrophy, neuralgia (many years). A
boy, aged 18 months, died of tabes mesenterica, which
(according to the medical attendant) was induced and
acceleiated by his having been suckled nearly seventeen
54 years, was accideatally
months. A labourer, aged
choked whilst eating mast.

SSTI i
gAt
iTt EOF
showers
Trsti
SLY,T.DAY.---The sky was covered with cloud till evening..
shoEf
rain.i VE DURING THE PAST WEEK.
ATEIER
and clear afterwards; cumuli, cirrocumuli, and cirrostrati,
liloanAY.—The sky was one-half covered with cloud
till noon, three-fourths were covered till f3h. I' M., and clear
afterwards; cumuli and cumulostrati.
TURSDAY.—The sky was generally three-fourths covered
with cloud throughout the day ; cumuli, cumulostrati, and
cirrostrati. A solar halo, deeply coloured, was visible during
the morning.
W RDNIESDAY.—Three-fourtbs of the sky were covered
an}d'iti generally n-IT—
throughout the day; cumulostrati and cirrostrati.
THURSDAY.—The sky was, with slight exceptions, covered
with cloud till 911. p.m., and clear afterwards; cumulostrati,
cirrostrati, and fleecy clouds.
Onev-elaraelefetofdthhteinsgk
cumulostrati and cirrostrati.
SATURDA.Y.—The sky was for the most part covered with
ythwearco remainderver e d till
of near
the noon,dy
day;
cloud throughout the day; cumulostratus and cirrostratus.
FLacruterrr.—Nothing was shown daring the week.
The mean reading of a thermometer placed on the main-
mast, and read each day at 9h. A.M. was 53.7° ; and the mean
reading at 96. P.m. was 48.2° ' • the mean readings at the
Royal Observatory for the same times were 52.24 and 46.6°
respectively.
The reading of the barometer increased from 29.72 in.
at the beginning of the week to 30"12 in. on the 6th at
911' A•M ; decreased to 29.92 in. by 3b. P.M. on the 7th' •
at about which value it continued to the oud of the week.

THE WAR AT THE CAPE.

The f ik.t;er, written by a :7eung otile,r serving
in the Kitir war, has been forwarded to U 3 for publiea-

fion: --

" CAMP, WATERKLOOF, MARCH 12.

"I received your letter just as I was starting on a
three days' patrol into the Waterkloof. I have just re-
turne3, and, as I are to start again to•morrov, I lose no
time in writing to you, as I only pitched my tent at two
o'clock this aiternoon, and we march again at six
o'clock to-morrow morning.
" When I wrote to you last I was just starting en a
patrol, the object of which was to destroy crops in the
Amatola mountains, and, as many supposed, to finish
the war. I forget how long we were there, and, as I
lost my diary the other day, I am unable to tell you;
but I think we worked for about a month. We had no
fighting, but most tremendous work, and many risks.
We were not strong enough to force our way through
some parts of the country that we had to reap; we were
obliged to climb over hills in the night surreptitiously;
we were very nearly caught once; the Kefirs followed
us up in the daylight, and one Hottentot fired at my
company (who were skirmishing o❑ the left of the co•
'tune) from behind a tree at about 16 yards, but he was in
a fright, and the bill passed over us. Another time we
started at 11.30 PX , and marched up an awful hill; our
regiment formed the rear-guerd. When we were near
the top a Szotchinan C 31,10 up to the commanding atii,2er
to whom I was talking, and said " Eb, Sir, the amu-
nictioa paich-hoorse has just rumpled doon the hill, ye
ken,' grinning at the time as if ho had told a good story.
• This horse had 1,000 rounds of ball cartridge on his
back; we had to wait for two hours for him; if the
Kafir& had been on the alert they would have got him,
and shot lots of us. They used to fire on us occ:►sionally
when reaping, hut killed nobody. I had a great deal of
trouble with some Hottentots one day, when I was sent
in command of 100 men to reap a nasty corner sur-
rounded by bush. I was obliged to leave off reaping,
and fire upon them a good Coal before they would let
us alone, but I managed to finish my work in spite of
them. They did not hit any of us, as we were all be-
hind stones. I cannot tell whether we hit auy of them,
as they were in the dense bush, but, at all events, we
drove them off. Oae of them talked a good deal to me
in English out of the bush. He said they did not want
to fight the Tortoises (the name they give us on account
of the squares in our tartan) or the 73d, bat that he
should like to show anybody else, and the Cape Corps
in particular, what they would get if they would come
on. I intended to get up a political argument with
him, but the men would fire on him, and he left off. We
returned to Beaufort on the 26th of February, marched
on the 28th for Haddon, and arrived there on the Ist
of March.

a While we were destroying crops, the Kafiri, and
Sandiili in particular, were very anxious for peace, never
firing on us unless fired on first, and sending many mes-
sages to the Governor. However, he would not listen
to them, and we were ordered to march to Haddon (an
old post at the foot of the Kroome range), to form part
of a combined movement on the Waterkloof, now swarm-
ing with Kafirs driven out of the Amatolas. Oa the 4th
of March Sir Harry, who would not believe that the
Kafirs were there in any force, ordered a small patrol
to be sent out as a feeler. General Somerset, who had
been informed by spies that there was a Hottentot camp
about 10 miles from Haddon, in the heart of the Water-
kloco, sent 150 of the 74th, 50 of the Cape Corps, and
350 of the 91st, to attack it, uader the command of
Colonel Yarborough, of the 91st. We started at twelve
o'clock (midnight) on the 7th, and were to have reached
it at daybreak on the Bth, but it was too far, and we did
not reach it till about an hour after. We destroyed the
camp, and took 30 horses and 100 head of cattle, driving
the enemy before us. Now, having finished our work,
we should have retreated as fast as possible, but, unfor-
tunately, some time was lost in a fruitless attempt to
get more cattle, and during this time the
enemy were pouring_ down in thousands from the sides
and end of the kloof. At the foot of the camp
there was a small stream, fordable only in one part.
This my company bad to guard till the whole division
had crossed; and, while doing so, I shot a fellow who
was pressing on the rear of the 91st with your rifle; he
was a long way off, and I had to fire over their heads to
do it. They saw me, and mistook me for a Kafir, and
about ten of them fired at me; their ballets knocking the
dirt into my face, and whistling over my head. My men
came running out of cover, and were going to fire on the
91st, thinking that they were Kafirs. Shortly after this
the 9 lat crossed the ford, the Kafirs were mixed up with
their rear men, and we and the last company of the 91st
had a tremendous fight in the ford. We drove off the
Kafirs, killing, I should say, about ten of them; some
with our bayonets. We did not stop to count the bodies,
as the rest of the column was in full retreat, but made off
as quickly as possible. The Kafirs had assagaied two
of the 91st, and wounded another, and had wounded
two of my company. We brought them all away. Ms-
mediately after this the Kafira, in far greater force,
crowded on our rear and flanks as we retreated, and, as
we had to retreat through a perfect pass, as described by
Sir W. Scott in "Rob Roy," you may imagine our con-
fusion--74th and 91st, men and officere, all fighting and
mixed up, when there was the least opening in the bush.
At last we came to, a ruined farm, and here we in,cle a
stand to enable the many wounded to be carried to the
rear, out of danger. Just as we arrived here Colonel
Yarborough was shot through the thigh; and when the
enemy sew him fall they opened a very heavy fire.
" Colonel Yarborough was taken off, and the greater
part of the two regiments, myself among the number,
retired with him. At the time we thought that every-
body had dorm so. On gaining an opening about two
miles from this we rallied, and found that Captain Pat-
ton, of ours, had remained in the house with about five
or six of the 91st and three or four of our men, and
that some of the C ipo Corps were with him. Whits
talking about it to Major Somerset (commanding them)
a note came from Patton to say that he was surrounded
by the enemy, and thet he was unehle to force his way
through, as be Ives hampered by wounded. Oa reading
the note-, the Major seid that ho could not help him, and
that he must fight his way through, and asked for a vo-
lunteer to c :Try the message. I went with four of the
Cape Corps; we rode at full gallop, and when we got near
the house I sent the Cape Corps behind a small precipice,
out of fire (intending to return with them as soon as I
had given the message), and galloped on. Just then the
Kafirs saw use, and a pretty smartish fire was opened upon
me. I seemed to bear nothing but the' which, which'
of the balls as they passed, an l just as I got to the
door of the house, while I was jumping off, over rolled
my horse with a ball through the small of his
back. How I got into the house I don't know. On en-
tering the first thin.; that I stumbled over was the body
of a 91st man, shot through the heart, and on looking
about I found myself in the midst of a lot of soldiers,
of whom four were wounded. I gave Patton the mas-
sage, but it was so evident that ho would have been
obliged to leave the wounded to the mercy of the enemy
(who always torture them), that I advised him to send
another message for some horses or some stretchers to
carry the wounded. This he managed to do with diffi-
culty, as no one was game enough to carry the message
from the house to the Cape Corps behind the rocks. I
wished to go back myself; but on making a dash out to
ermine my horse, who bad regained his legs, I found
that he was useless; added to which, I was shot at, and
the ball struck so close to me that I was determined not
to give them the, pleasure of shooting me, and regained
the house instantly, which I determined not to leave till
I got a better opportunity; accordingly, I commenced
a steady fire with your rift) from the window
Uf tho house at any place from which I saw
a pia of smoke proceed ; some of the men who
could shoot well followed my example, and after
about an hour, during which I fired ten shots, I had
the satisfaction of seeing many Kafira leave the bushes
and run up the hill. These were speedily followed by
more, and, a strong body of the Cape Corps arriving
about the same time, pursued them till they saw them
turning and collecting. During this time we were get-
ting the wounded on horses, and, when the Cape Corps
returned, we had got well past all danger. We got
home that afternoon at 5 o'clock, having been on the
march for 15 hours, taken 30 horses and 80 head of cat-
tle, and destroyed two villager, shooting about 30
gages; our casualties were three officers and 26 men
wounded, fire killed, and my horse. This was, at times,
a moat desperate fight. At first I thought that our
company would have been surrounded and cut to pieces.
I was so close among the Kefirs that 1 did Rot like to
fire off my rifle for fear I should want it to save my life
before I could reload it. However, I gave the ball to
One fellow before we retired; I sighted him somewhere
about the belt (he had nothing on but a pouch-belt, and
carried a firelock and an assegai), and he dropped and
turned over. I almost felt sorry, he was such a magnifi-
cent wild beast.

" Wo started two days after this on a three days'
patrol, and had another fight ins nasty pass in a thick
wood, losing ten men of the 91st. From this I have just
returned.

" I will conclude, as it is now 9, P.N., and we march at
6, A 31., to-marrow, with a few remarks upuu firetrnas,
such as I have found them.

" I have seen, I suppose, some 100,000 rounds fired
from one firelock, and I have seen the effect of K-tfir
fire to nearly the same amount; and I say that, first, an
old flint musket, in the hands of a Kafir, who puts in
about six drachms of powder, will kill a man at 800
yards; a regulation firelock, charged with four drachms
and a half (the soldier spills half), ditto ct 550; com-
mon rifle, charged with two and a half drachms ball,
conical, hollowed out at the base, 1,200.
" I always put this charge into your rifle, and will
back myself to hit a man in three shots once at 700, and
to put the ball into the midst of a dozen standing toga.
ther at 1,000. I have had a mould made for the balls,
and a long sight made to fix on to the other.
" All those facetious pistols are useless out here; they
are only fit for an Irish I Indlorcl.
" I always carry a rifle, and a small Hottentot ser-
vant carries a double carbine (which I have borrowed)
for diirmi,hing through the bush. I will explain tt
few terms that -- does not understand:—A kloof
—a ravine, as it applies to Kefirs, generally in the re-
cesses of some mountain range and densely wooded
both sides. The Wat,,,Jkloof is a e 'lleetioa f bn nn
en
of these, through the principal of Which ° --
a small stream
runs. I will send a plan of it by the next
mountains in the heart of which it is Sit.tatcir:lll:e called
e
the Kroorae range. I ant afraid to tell you what I con-
sider the breadth across.

" The Kafirs are of a dark brown colour, of large
stature, averaging six feet. I should say splendid figures.
They ere a very noble, brave set of people, and they are
immensely superior in every way to the colonists for
whom we are spilling our best blood, while they are
cheating the ofLers, men, and Government, and abusing
them at the same time, although they are kept alive by
their money. I would tor sooner fight thew than the
Kafirs. How many Kitirs do you suppose are keeping
the co!ony ald their cntth) gainst 5,000 regularks ch d
about 2,000 levies and lingoes? I
there are 4,000 fighting men in all NAGrlan d
don't
.thtb obt)Laitt
3,000 in Waterkloof, 1,000 in the Areatolas;
the Full River Lull." ;sna 1,000
a