The Sun.
London, England, 1864-08-22 00:00:00

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A tremendous conflagration, more like one
prairie fires of the western continent .than anything
we are accustomed to realise in this country, oc-
curred in Longmoore enclosure on Wednesday
evening, and in its course, which has only just been
arrested, has rendered a belt of country seven miles
in breadth and three in depth a scene of black desoi
lation. Hundreds of acres of fir plantation, the
property of the Government, have been destroyed,
besides several plantations belonging to private in.
dividuals, and an immense quantity of ;h me.
The fire commenced just below Sleaforth gate, to
the right of the Petersfield-road. It was observed
to break out simultaneously in a dozen different
places, and owing to the dryness of the heath and
furze, it spread with alarming rapidity. It was
not long before the plantations became a sheet of
fire, which roared and crackled with ominous fury,
and tinged the any for miles with a lurid glare
which inspired the belief in d;st,int places that a
and other whole town was in flames. At. Guild-
ford, and Aldershott the fire was plainly seen, and
when the authorities of the latter piuct had ascer-
tained its situation and magnitude, a body of troops,
consisting of the 75th and 83d Regimen ts,and a de.
tachmcnt of
the Royal Engineers—in all about
tang
off' 00maenncTswuberdeuindg the
despatched toB: rtohoel mt
time
et
ofo dthigeiar
a trench, and employ other military means for cuts
arrival, however, the flames had extended over a vast
area of fir plantations, and it
wasth evident
reduction of the conflagration would be a work of
some time, if not of difficulty. Great fears were
entertained for the farms er
dwellings that
near,the
the mass of flame was so great and the heat so fear-
ful; and it was a fortunate circumstance that there
was scarcely any wind, as otherwise the flames
must have embraced a still wider area of destrao-
tion, and perhaps have defied every effort for their
extinction. Notwithstanding the active exertions
of the military, the fire continued to rage daring
Thursday, Friday, and a portion of Saturday, lea
ing little but the blackened embers of thousands of
fir trees in once flourishing plantations, and trans-
forming the landscape for a long distance into a
dreary and blighted-looking wilderness. On Friday
the conflagration was a grand though almost ter-
rifying spectacle. For a mile mile beyond New
Inn the fire was burning to Weaver's Hill, a dis-
tance of at least five miles. scaring from the coverts
every living thing that it did not destroy, and
darkening the air as far as the eye could see with
rolling billows of smoke. Several cottages and out-
buildings fell a prey to the flames, and of the
quantity of game destroyed some idea may be
formed from the fact that no less than twelve hares
were taken out of one hole burned to death. On
Saturday the military succeeded in successfully ar-
resting the progress of the fire, and if no fart her
damage is apprehended the force will return to
Aldershot to-morrow morning.

PRICE ...4d.
STAMPED;....Sd.

The fire was evidently the work of incendiaries.
There is no one who ventures a contrary opinion,
and the supposition is strengthened by the fact that
the gipsies and broom sellers, who were allowed to
gather broom and heath, and to depasture their
cattle in the neighbourhood, have this year been
denied those privileges. Some of them were heard
to say that they would be revenged on this accoun%
and the extensive conflagration is pretty generally •
considered as the fulfilment of this threat.
A considerable number of persons visited tt le
neighbourhood of the fire to-day, and gazed wi. th
no small astonishment upon the scene of wide-spry ad
desolation. At least 1,200 acres of timber in vari( Due)
stages of growth have been destroyed, and the
total value of which cannot at present be estim at.
ed, but which must have; represented a lea -ge
sum of money.

The Extraordinary Murder on the High Seas.

COMMITTAL OF THE ACCUSED.
SOUTHAMPTON, Sunday.
_ _

The adjourned examination of Adolphe Bjornsea, the G
er-
man sailor charged with murdering his captain on the High.
Seas on the 21st Juno last, was resumed yesterday morning
at the Guildhall before Mr G. S. Brinton, the mayor of
Southampton, and a bench of borough magistrates.
As on the previous day, the court was crowded with e Ewer
listeners, who manifested the deepest interest in the pro-
ceedings.
Mr B. Mackey was again present to watch the cam for
the accused.

The prisoner was brought up in the custody of Sup eri n-
tendent Enright, and buying been placed at the bar,
Mr Eldridge, the clerk of the court, called
Heinrich Alten, who deposed—l was steward on board
the vessel Gustav Adolph. On the 21st June last I was
forward with the rest of the crew, I was half asleep. About
9 o'clock in the evening the chief mate ran forward, calif ug
out, " What is the matter with the second mate ? I think he
is mad." We jumped up and ran aft, as we did not know
what was the matter. As we came aft I saw the second
mate walking up and down the quarter deck. By the time
we arrived there the captain came out of the cabin on deck,
with his right hand holding on his left arm. As soon as the
captain came on deck he called out, " Where is the second
mate ? Have you secured him ?" As he said 'those
words the captain went towards the second mate, who said,
" What I secure me I" and I then heard a report and saw
the captain fall. The second mato stopped a moment, and
then walked leisurely towards the companion, and jumped
down the cabin. After that we were busy washing and
laying the body of the captain out. I remained with the
body, and procured fresh water and vinegar, while the
rest of the crew went forward. The body remained by
the skylight, and I, being afraid to remain by
myself, went forward, and begged of the crew to help me to
bring the body of the captain from aft forward. No one
would go with me, and I went back by myself. When I
came back the captain groaned several times, opened his
mouth, but could not speak. Although I called him seve-
ral times he did not answer. I then went again forward to
the crew and begged of them again to come aft, bat they re-
fused. I had to go back again by myself. The captain was
still alive. When I proceeded the third time forward I got
two of the crew to come aft with me, and we carried the
body forward. The captain died about 20 minutes after he
was shot. By that time the chief mate wanted to go down
into the cabin, but the crew would not let him. About an
hour and a half after the captain was dead I proceeded aft
near the skylight and tried to look down the cabin to see
what was going on. I went to the companion and looked
down the staircase, and saw the second mate, and was
frightened and went forward again, and half an hour after-
wards I saw the head of the second mate peeping out of the
staircase companion. The man at the helm then left the
wheel and made signs to us. After this several of the crew
went aft, and then the second mate came on deck. I stood
midships and saw the prisoner standing at the top of the
staircase companion. I saw he had one gun in his hand,
and another he gave to one of the crew. I saw him before
this bring several things on deck, and amongst them one
ham, one case, different clothing made np in a bundle, and
a large tin case containing biscuits. After this he went
over the port side into the boat. The things were put into
the boat by several of the crew. The boat was lowered
and the second mate went away in her. One of the
sailors had two guns and fired two shots at him, but
missed him. One of the guns belonged to the second
mate. He fired several shots, but they hit against the
mast. During this time two of the crew went below and
fetched up several fire-arms, which were kept in the se-
cond cabin, where the chief and second mate had their
berths. After this I and the chief mate went down below
to look for powder and shot. We went into the captain's
cabin, and saw several marks of blood on the table, sofa,
and at the back of the sofa. We found powder and shot.
1 saw a hatchet on the top of the companion which ought
to have been where the second mate slept, On the floor I
saw two rings and the captain's hat. Oat of the captain's
berth was missed his gold watch and chain and his revol-
ver,elled
H
as well as the gold watch of the chief mate. The
in hie
pistol while at tea. e drank his tea but ate nothing. j
showed
theine
a prisoner double-barrelled
Wbaarsr fully
asked him why, and he said he had no appetite. Two
days before this I saw him pack up several things
evening This b
closed
loesfeodr e the
the
he
examination,prisoner fs h
and
clothes bag, and put in a berth under his own.
committed for trial at the next assize;:.

Foreign Mail Packet List.

-- ~---

MAIL* DIJE.
Australia and Mauritius, via. 6truilininpton.......Aug. 18
v;ll\tari,eilies ...... SePt. 12*
ciruzil and Cape Vads, packet.. ....... SePt.4.
Cape of Good Hope, As.ecri,l„,. and st. is.
Peretug,-, end 6:Lgapore via SouthauiP?'"u'Aug'.
,
via 31avieilte, ...Aug. 2/.

......
Nth. (Oitiouttu), and Ceylon, via Southampton... Aug.-1
via Marseilies.. • Aug,
(Bury India (Beay), via Southampton Aug. 25.
via Marseilles Aug. 204
Portugal .... All 18.
..........
.... Sept. 4.
j/L6:1131 Egypt, and Aden,
...... Aug. 18.
Newfoundland .......................... Aug. 31.
Oporto and Vigo ........ ...
U. S. anti British N. Amu:ea, by Brit. .
.6, pacL:et..• •
by Canadian packet. Aug. 26.
vviiat,
..
...... Aug. 18.
All parts of West Indies, including Chili, kern,
California. and British Colombia., et.... Aug. 25.