The Sun.
London, England, 1864-06-20 00:00:00

(TO THE EDITOR OF THE TIMES.)

of my log re-
specting
Sir—Hew
tehreeitnhgalgBeemced Ynt"a
betweencopy the Confede•
rate steamer Alabama and the Federal steamer

Keareage :

" Sunday, June 19, 9 a.m.—Got up steam and
proceeded out of Cherbourg harbour.

"10 30.—Observedtthe Alabama steaming out of
the harbour towards the Federal steamer Kearsage..
"11 10.--The Alabama commenced firing with
her starboard battery, the distance besween the
contending vessels being about one mile. The
Kearsage immediately replied with her starboard
guns; a very sharp, spirited firing was then taken
up, shot sometimes being varied by shells. In
manoeuvring both vessels made seven complete
circles at a distance of from a quarter to half a
mile.

At 12 a slight intermission was observed in the
Alabama's firing, the Alabama making bead sail,
and shaping her coarse for the land, distant about

nine miles.

"At 12.30 observed the Alabama to be disabled
and in a sinking state. We immediately made to-
wards her, and on passing the Kearsage were re+
quested to assist in saving the Alabama's crew.
" At 12.50, when within a distance of 200 yards,
the Alabama sunk. We then lowered our two
boats, and, with the assistance of the Alabama's
whale boat and dingy, succeeded in saving about 40
men, including Captain Semmes and 13 officers. At
1 p.m. we steered for Southampton."
I may state that, before leaving, the Kearsage
was apparently much disabled. The Alabama's
loss, so far as at present ascertained, in killed and
wounded, &c., was as follows—viz., one officer and
one man drowned, six men killed, and one officer
and 16 men wounded. Captain Semmes received a
slight wound in the right hand.

The Kearsage's boats were, after some delay,
lowered, and, with the assistance of a French pilot
boat, succeeded in picking up the remaining sur-

vivors.

JOHN LANCASTER.

Steam Yacht Deerhound, off Cowes, June 19.

PARIS, JUNE 20.

The Moniteur of this morning gives the follow-
ing account of the destruction of the Alabama. The
Alabama left the port of Cherbourg at 11.30 a.m.
The engagement with the Kearsage commenced at
noon, when a violent cannonade was heard. The
Alabama, being pursued by the Kearsage, made
all her speed to reach Cherbourg, but shortly after
one o'c ock she sunk_

The Germano-Danish War,

_♦.___.

The following letter was received by the secretcry
of the ecmmittee of Lloyd's on Saturriay

" Foreig:L Ofrico, J:ln‘, IS.

" Sir—l am directed by Earl Russell !o acqul.nt you,
for the information of the Committee of Lk.yd's, that Her
Majesty's Minister at Copenhagen hes reported that the
Danish Government has not yet deter:: !!-led upon the length
of notice to be given to British shi lis L, in the event o
the re-establishment of a blockade of the German ports, but
that some delay will certainly he allowed.—l am, Sir, yours
&c., " E. HAMMOND,"

TAMBURINI has been singing is Florence at a
concert of the " Societa Filarmonica Florentine.' He was
received with immense applause.

A DISGRACEFUL INSINUATION.—The escape of
the Government with a majority of seven, in a
house of 459 members, on Friday evening, will not relegate
to oblivion the crimes of its policy or the proofs of its ad-
ministrative impotence on the Gold Coast. The infamous
levity with which the question was treated by Ministers
must still demand a censure from the country. If the Le-
gislature failed in its duty, and a desperate whip" gathered
in the Whig lobby at least 50 Whig parasites who had not
heard the debate, and perhaps were not in a condition to
know how they were voting, public opinion will redress the
bitter wrong, the murderous injury inflicted upon British
soldiers by a Cabinet whose orators find an excuse for mirth
in an act of wholesale homicide.—Standard.

A WITTY SENTINEL.--A lieutenant of the 10th
United States Infantry recently met with a sad rebuff at
Fort Kearney. The lieutenant was promenading in full
uniform one day, and approached a volunteer on sentry,
who challenged him with " Halt I who comes there ?" The
lieutenant, with contempt in every lineament of his face,
The
Advance, Ass, end
expressed his feeling with an indignant "Ass 1,,
senTtriy:E's reply, apt
Ban:
oquai:kT,mcasnLe—t;ip
give the countersign."—New York Sun,
to the present
time the prospects of harvest in the agricultural
rasdhistihrtreeircatroepfraeWletiooporitecatehtsetederrsfhtahivreoe
'll laa bye lree.hf oarrdTvsehhseitr, el,ownahgn
idedhGr luoi
gnu
he et
es
atherarl y-s
situations is now progressing, and some few ricks have
been made, In other places it will be delayed until
the effects of the rains in the last few days shall have
been felt, The corn is looking well, almost universally
wheat, barley, beans, and oats. The wheat is coming into
ear, and the critical time of blossoming is at hand, during
which fine calm weather is very desirable. At present the
weather is rather unsettled. Beans are promising, although
the winter beans were destroyed by the frost in many places,
and had to be replanted, The hops in *Worcestershire and
Herefordshire are in a very forward and promising state,
and, uncertain as this crop is, at present the chances are in
favour of a good return. Potatoes and peas are early and
prolific. The fruit crops promise to be the most abundant
ever known. The smaller fruit—gooseberries, currants,
kc.—are remarkably prolific, plums are abundant, and
apples and pears—especially the former—hang thickly on
the trees, and promise a rare produce of perry and cider.
Altogether the season promises to be on the whole a more
abundant one than the bountiful season of 1863.

THE 1311ITISR I;;ITCHOUSE.—See how, in these
days, the publican is constantly leading the human
horse (and ass) to the gin and water, and compelling him to
drink, whether he will or no, He plants his house at a
corner with swing-doors on all sides,like so many man-traps,
aean syr den in
while he blazons his wall with golden legends which tell of
allr thatted
a is
v, e
rp
old
us
shirt-sleeves on this gilded rock, and regards all mankind as
appetite—thirst;nd
and one organ—throat. Enter
crested
and r
o pure,of
dnn.dnk. double
H diamonds,tsmo liked s
a , an
having one,
this glittering temple 'of the one sense, and you leave all
liberty of action behind, Suppose you are weary, and seat
yourself on an empty barrel for a little while without imme-
diately ordering refreshment. The publican looks at you
reproachfully, as much as to say " You are a pretty fellow
to come into my house and sit there without having anything
to drink." If you are slow to take the hint in looks, he
will soon remind you of your duty in words, " Now, sir,
what can I serve you with ?" Order an Abernethy
biscuit and a glass of water, and see how he will look
at you ? lie keeps biscuits merely to oblige his cus-
tomers, to accommodate the women chiefly; and heart-
cakes to beguile the children while father remains to have
another glass. Biscuits, as a transaction per ee, he regards
as an irregularity, only to be permitted o n rare and special
occasions, and only then under protest. As to water in its
native purity, without the admixture of something strong
—something that is worthy of exact measurement and can
be charged for—that is altogether out of the question.
Monstrous I He can scarcely bring himself to administer
to the weary urchin who comes in to beg a drink of water
in the name of charity. He feels it baneath his dignity to
dispense such poor stuff. Throughout all the branches of
the trade there is a mad dog's horror of water as such. If
you go to a brewery and mention the word " water," you
are immediately fined for the offence in gin ; if you go to a
distillery and mention the word "water," you are fined for
the offence in beer. Say " liquor," and you are safe. The
publican has no objection to aqua vitae, or eau de vie ; but
call it the water of life, and he will be more shocked than
if you used bad language.—Dtckens's "All the rear
Rated,"

RIGS WATER. AT LONDON BRIDGE.
rHIBI DAY.—Morning, lh. 59m.—Afternoon, 2t. 21m.
ro-ituksow.-Morning, 2h. 47m,—Afternoon, h. ]Om.