The Sun.
London, England, 1852-09-18 00:00:00

LONDON, SATURDAY EVENING,

OVERLAND MAIL

DEATH

OF THE

DUKE OF WELLINGTON.

Jgahmt
etstsEgauralreof
fDroeturbßy
nalinrroirvnecil.
at
Her Majesty and Prince Albert had received, with des p
Ahti,anilaatneshioonurinlasst
St.
D.
concern,d,,a
tloath,
and the Noble Premier had at once, compli-
ance
the announcement of the Duke of Wellington's
with the command of, her Majesty, returned to
town.
At noon yesterday the new Duke of Wellington ar-
rived at Walmer Castle. Ho was at Baden Baden when
the news of his father's death reached him, and hastening
back, without an hour's delay, landed at Dover yester-
day morning by the Ostend boat. His presence removes
the chief cause for delay in the arrangements for the fu-
neral, but, as already announced, they will not be de-
finitively settled until her,Majesty's will has been declared
by her constitutional ,advisers. In the meantime steps
are being taken for removing the body of the illus-
trious deceased to Apsley house, where it will remain
until the preparations for the interment are com-
pleted. A leaden coffin was set down to Walmer Castle
last night from Messrs. Dowbiggan, Holland, and
Co., of Mount-street, Grosvenor-square, and it is ex-
' petted that the removal to town will take place to-night
or on Monday. The Duchess, it is thought, will arrive
at Walmer Castle in time to have a parsing look at the
well-remembered features of the departed. It is said
that these have been little changed in expression by the
hand of death, a circumstance the less surprising from
their singularly marked character.
Most great men have had striking ends. The Duke of
Wellington, having compressed within the space of his
existence the interest of many lives, died as a lamp ex-
pires, the oil of which is exhausted. The Spartan
simplicity of his habits was maintained to the
last, and the only relaxation which he permitted
himself was an occasional extra hour's rest at
Walmer. In his 84th year he was still the same ab-
stemious, active, self-denying man he had ever been,
rising early, never latterly tasting wine or spirits,
taking regular exercise on foot and on horseback, sleep-
ing on a hard uncurtained couch, and rejecting even the
luxury of a downy pillow. The Duke used a pillow,
but it was an exceedingly hard one, stuffed with horse-
hair and lined with washloather, and he carried it about
with him wherever he went. His life had for years been
a steady system of defensive warfare against the ap-
proach of disease, and death overtook him at last from
sheer exhaustion, without being preceded by a single
day's illness. On the very morning of his fatal attack
mwheeetnLsnaffdyeriWngesftrnaornorealasnevderaot
eDolodv,erh,eaenoduldnont
not
tonbe long it was much feared that he would persist in going to
per-
,
suaded to keep his room, but joined the dinner circle in
his great coat. His habits certainly throw a striking
light on his whole character; and when we learn that
actedwthae slightest lei
dug
phttoteos
ht
aaa
vfsaes
vi saotnnayrnitethee
n motto
anything
to the last his daily toilet was performed without
n
e properly e ao
his own—thatappreciatedone
i ob
on
awiufsfullydo
ni ahent
himself. It took him from half-past six o'clock till nine
every morning to dress; but even to the operation of
shaving he did all himself; and at his age that must
have been nearly as difficult a feat as winning a battle
in early life. Though in his 84th year, he still wrote a
firm hand and carried on a large
correspondence—cu-
rious confirmations of the Strength of ' nerve require • d to
furm a great commander.
The Duke was a most diligent and indefatigable
reader of the newspapers. Nothing was too minute to
escape his notice, but the advertisement columns had
his special attention; and if, in glancing over them, he
found an announcement of a new patent pen, to which
were assigned some peculiar virtues, or any thing else
which struck his fancy, forthwith a dispatch was sent
off for the article.
His great mental activity has often been a theme of
conversation; but there was an illustration of it shortly
before his death which is no less interesting on account
of its relation, than astounding in itself. Shortly before
his decease, his Grace was engaged in the task of read-
ing a ponderous document, which has excited a good deal
of public attention, being no other than the report of the
Royal Commission appointed to examine into the manage-
ment and condition of Oxford University. This he
doubtless did with the view of mastering the details, so
as to be able to form a sound judgment on a question of
so much national interest, and possibly to take part in
the discussion of the subject in the next session. The
Duke was, like the late Sir Robert Peel, one who would
take no opinion second hand, and in this instance he
laboured hard to understand the subject in all its bear-
ings. It is a striking, and, all things considered, a
most interesting fact, that before his death he had nearly
concluded his gigantic task, and, up to a certain point, it
is believed, had read every word of the report.
The Duke's diet was as simple as his habits, or as the
architecture of Walmer Castle, consisting of the very
plainest dishes. Ile had, indeed, a French cook, but had
his Grace always lived alone, the office would have a
perfect sinecure. The cook, who no doubt partakes of
the enthusiasm of his art, was even chagrinned at times
at having so little opportunity of displaying his artistic
powers. The bill of faro was duly placed before his
master, but was nearly always returned with, in addition
to a plain joint of meat, some such words as "Pudding
and tart." n0r,..;,,,-..nybyiise [transposition of the
words into " tart and pudding," as if by way of joke at
the baffled ingenuity of the gastronomist. Another source
of disquiet to the cook was positively that the Duke
never complained. "If I cook a good dinner," the de-
sponding artist would say, "the Duke remarks It is
well;' and if I cook a bad dinner he says It is well."
No complaint ever evinced dissatisfaction, or marked a
ruffled temper; and the reason doubtless was, that the
dinner and the stomach were as well regulated and at-
tempered as the mind.
Of all his Grace's peculiarities none, perhaps, was
more remarkable than the tenacity and accuracy of his
memory. Ile had a clear recollection of many minute
facts connected with Mr. Pitt and his times. Some
allusion being made ono day to an approaching Lord
Mayor's dinner, the Duke remarked that the last public
dinner attended by Mr. Pitt was on such an occasion,
and that he happened to be present, and heard Mr. Pitt
make an excellent speech. A speaker at the dinner, in
proposing Mr. Pitt's health, spoke of that statesman as "
the saviour of his country,' and in his reply to the
toast,
Mr. Pitt denied that he was the saviour of his
country,
observing, The country saved
itself
by its
own exertions, and other countries would be equally for.
tunate if they would follow its example." This speech
the Duke greatly admired: it was after his own
heart,
The Duke bad many aphoristic
rules for his guidance
in the common affairs of life. One of his maxims was,
that" He who wishes to have anything done well must do
it himself."
A pleasing trait in the Duke's character is the long
period during which a large proportion of his dependents
hits, and the have been connected with or served
un-
varying testimony which they bear to his good and kind
qualities as an employer, a landlord, and a master.
Exact and punctual in the management of his private
affairs, up to the last moment his weekly bills were dis-
charged by him as usual; and this precision, which he
carried into everything, made him easily dealt with.
Amid the splendour of his public achievements his con-
duct as a landed proprietor is apt to be forgotten. Yet
was he one of the most liberal and improving landlords
in the country. The estate of Strathfieldsaye, which he
used to say would have ruined any man but himself, has
had more done for it in the shape of permanent improve..
ments—of draining, of chalking, of substantial farm pre-
mises and such like, than perhaps any other single pro-
perty in the south of England. It was a wretched in-
vestment of the public money; but the Duke, true to his
usual maxim, did the best he could with it, and the an-
nual income for a long series of years has been regularly
laid out upon it.
Tho announcement will certainly be received with
immense satisfaction by the whole nation that a cast of
the Duke's head was taken yesterday afternoon by a
gentleman perfectly qualified to perform the task well,
namely, Mr. Adams, a pupil of Mr. Wyon, the eminent
medaller, and himself well known as the artist who suc-
cessfully computed for the juror's prize medal in the
Great Exhibition.

Orders wereilued yesterday from the Horse Guards
to all the commanding officers of regiments in the United
Kingdom to go into full mourning.
A general and very erroneous impression has existed
in the public mind that the Duke of Wollingtion was
extremely parsimonious in his contributions to the
l e
different benevolent institutions with which London
abounds. Such was not the case; but when he gave dona-
tions,he always requested that it might not be blazoned
before the public; and (that his private benevolence
whonc ewas
extensive, we have only to instance the late prosecution of
the female Stanley and her male accomplice,
ob-
tained from the Duke above 5001. at various periods
extending over seven years. Of the hospitals and
charitable institutions he was connected with, we may
mention that his Grace was President of the Royal
Westminster Ophthalmic hospital, President of the
Royal Maternity Charity, President of the Eastern
Dispensary (Great Alie-street), Patron(
efceptthineg tShte.
George's and St. Jamo's Dispensary, Patron of the
of Musicians, President of the Society of
In'roiyeanldeSocoifetyForeigners in Distress, besides being a
also
liberal
charitable
ias
tiunostentatioustoti
s o c
th e
e supportertrop o li
so. f many
as of
,t,hegoevhearartoerr-hoofuisihiows
College, a
13tgnuoeveclIelreununocrthe3rifan Collection, aad President of th®
theputrtrustee
skioldestttoee de
oosffervice Institution.

PEDESTRIANISM.--A
man
nßorough
named
ti
eng
Gardens, Manchester, in fulfilling the arduous task of
walking 1,500 miles in 1000 hours, commencing in the first
jamEexsTA O
Jonestirs I:t 11 ler
present
quarter in each hour, day ands, night continuously. lie
commenced at seven o'clock on the evening of Saturday,
the 14th of August, and his task will be completed, if his
strength do not fail, on the 25th instant, at eleven o'clock in
the forenoon. On Monday next, at seven in the evening,
ho will have accomplished 1,333 miles. The man has suf-
fered considerably. At one time his feet were covered
with blisters, and his toes were exceedingly sore, but by
constant attention and judicious application they ate nearly
restored, while his bodily health is good. He is temperate
in respect to drink, taking only a pint of porter per day, but
consumes flesh meat to the extent of six pounds per diem.
If he succeed in going through his excessive exertion—and
at present there is every reason to believe that he will, on
Saturday, the 25th, he will be presented with a purse con-
taining 1001., the amount promised him when he started.
He will then commence to walk 1,000 quarter miles in 1,000
quarter hours, starting in the first live minutes in each
quarter.
SINGULAR OCCURRENCE. —On the evening of Mon-
day week, two little boys were flying a kite in Glasgow-
green; the kite had obtained a very considerable elevation,
when a vivid flash of the electric fluid struck the kite, and in
the twinkling of an eye the kite, tail, and paper appended
thereto, MO the greater part of the twine, were consumed,
leaving the poor little fellows staring in utter amazement at
the disappearance of their ftiyourite...Edinburgh Advertiser.

INDIA AND CHINA,
(From the Chronicle.)
We have received by extraordinary express, in
anticipation of the Overland Mail, our private cor-
respondence and journals from Bombay of the, 6'll
August, Calcutta 7th, Madras 14th, and llong-Kong
23d July.

BOMBAY, AUG. 6.
• (FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)
t We are hourly looking for the English mail of the
Bth July, but as yet the steamer conveying the pre-
cious freight has not been signalled. My present
letter will take a longer time in reaching you than
usual, owing to the circumstance of no overland mail
leaving BAnbay direct during the present month ;
and consequently we denizens of Western India are
obliged to transmit our letters by the roundabout
route of Madras. Why the authorities :here do not
dispatch a steamer to Suez during August is a mys-
tery to the public; for August is generally a less
tempestuous month than July, in the course of which
two mails are dispatched direct from Bombay. The
anomaly must speedily be rectified, for it is too ab-
surd to last. I have just heard, however, that the
Government have it under contemplation.
Nothing of much importance has occurred in India
since the date of my last communication. In Burmah
warlike operations are at a stand-still, and will doubt-
less continue so during the monsoons, to be recom-
menced in November, when the rains shall have
ceased, and fit campaigning weather set in. At pre-
sent everything appears to be as quiet in Rangoon as
in one of our provincial cantonments. The troops
have been comfortably housed, and are well provided
with supplies—an admirable contrast to their condi-
tion during the former Burmese war. General God-
win seems chiefly occupied in administering the in-
ternal economy of his army. lie has issued stringent
orders regarding the landing or sale of spirituous
liquors, and has threatened offending parties with the
punishment of martial law, which, to use his
own words, "involves corporal punishment on the
spot by the provost marshal, and without respect
to persons." A very proper order it is, in my
opinion, and it must be so indeed in the opinion
of all acquainted with the circumstances of an
Indo-European army, placed in an unhealthy
climate at its unhealthiest season, during a cessation
of hostilities. The general has also issued a notice
permitting Burmese who have private property buried
within the stockade of Rangoon to take it away on
the production of a pass from the quartermas-
ter's department ; and another notice, which is
important enough to be quoted entire :—" The
lieutenant-general is afraid, from the anxiety shown
by the Burmese to obtain passes of safety from
British officers, that they believe the annexa-
tion of this country is probable, but of which, at
present, there is not the least prospect. It is there-
fore requested that no passes of any kind be given to
any native of Burmah, since it may be construed into
an authority which may hereafter cost the holder his
life." From this assertion of the general, that at pre-
sent there is not the least prospect of annexation, no
inference as to the results of the overthrow of the Bur-
mese military strength can be drawn. It is probable
enough that Lord Dalhousie himself has not decided on
his future policy touching territorial aggrandizement,
but will be guided according to the current of
events and instructions from home ; but at all events
the military commander of our troops in Burmah
will have little to do with the ultimate political de-
cision, and at the date of his issuing that order he was
probably as much unacquainted with what has been
passing in Lord Dalhousie's mind on the subject as
any subaltern of his army. The Governor-General
has himself proceeded from Calcutta to Rangoon, to
ascertain the state of matters by personal conference
and observation. His Lordship's visit to Burmab,
like that of Lord Wellesley to Madras during the
second war with Tippoo Sultan, and that of Lord
Minto to the straits at the time of the capture of
Java, will no doubt be advantageous in removing
difficulties, facilitating operations, and confirming
the prospects of success. Lord Dalhousie will now
be able instantly to order every deficiency to be sup-
plied, and to arrange with General God win for the
assemblage of the army in winter to march upon
the capital. He will also be able to learn in some
degree the state of Burmese resources, the feelings
of the people, and other matters necessary to be
known, before coming to a conclusion as to ulterior
measures—which ulterior measures will, I have very
little doubt, consist in the annexation of the richest
and most convenient provinces of the Burmese em-
pire. These barbarians must be made to feel that
they are inferior in every way to the civilised power
edllol.il MU), LIU( ell lv laJjs.4".. rasa
that Burmese strength and valour were irresistible.
The expenses of the campaign also must be paid for
in some way or other. The expenses for the forces
from Bengal alone have been, up to the Ist of July,
above twenty-three lacs of rupees ; and if to this be
added the expenses of the Madras contingent, the
Bombay navy, marching allowances, and so forth,
the total expenditure for the present Burmese cam-
paign, up to the Ist of July, will probably not be less
than fifty lacs of rupees, or half a million sterling.
At length tranquillity is announced on the north-
west frontier. According to the latest intelligence
from Peshawur (July 21) everything was quiet on
the frontier, and several chiefs of the turbulent tribes
with whom we have been warring so long were on
their way to that cantonment to tender their submis-
sion to Colonel Mackeson, the British political agent.
It is therefore probable that no expedition will be
necessary against the borderers in the cold weather.
But it is impossible to foresee the manceuvres of these
fellows, or what these may lead to ' • and the Afreedee
mountaineers are stated to be still rather turbulent.
Sir Colin Campbell has been succeeded in command
on the frontier by Brigadier-General Roberts. It is
gratifying to the former gallant officer to resign his
command to his successor when all disturbances have
been tranquillized. Peshawur, by last accounts, was
extremely unhealthy owing to the excessive hest, and
soldiers were daily dying from apoplexy, ociP de
soled, and fever.

Sinde is now and has long been as tranquil as our
oldest provinces. The dethroned chief of Khyrpore
bears his misfortunes, to all appearance, submissively;
he lives quite in seclusion, seldom indulges in his
former sports, and occasionally still expresses a hope
that Government will reconsider their measures
towards him. Two annual commercial fairs are
about to be established by the British Government, in
accordance with the wish of the principal traders of
the country; one at Kurrachee, in Lower Sinde, to
last for sixty days ; and the other at Sukkur, in Upper
Sinde, to last for forty-five days. Government is to
provide shelter for those frequenting these fairs, and
to afford them all practicable facilities for trading pur-
poses. The Indus is rising so rapidly, and to such a
height, that the cultivation near its banks begins to
he endangered, and the town of Gorabarree was so
encircled by the inundation that fears for its safety
were entertained.
The monsoons have been very heavy this year in
Bombay as yet. Tip to the evening of the Ist of this
month 51 inches of rain had fallen in the island, but
the weather has been moderating since. Sickness is
prevalent.
The Bombay Railway is progressing so rapidly,
despite the rains, that it is probable a part of the
line will be open before the close of the year.
The success of the electric telegraph at Calcutta is
making us ask here why there should not be a
telegraph line from this to Poonab, the second
most important city of the Presidency. The expense
is computed at no more than 3,0001., and it would
bring Bombay into immediate communication with
the capital of the Deccan, the principal depot for
troops in Western India, and the residence of the
Governor during four months in the year. It is to
be hoped that the Court of Directors will sanction the
establishment of lines of electric telegraph between
the principal cities and military stations throughout
India, which it is estimated would not cost more than
25 lees of rupees, or one quarter of a million sterling.
The Commercial Bank of India have announced a
dividend of rupees 17 8 per share, being at the rate of
seven per cent. per annum on the paid-up capital of
the bank, for the half-year ending on the 30th June.
At the recent meeting of the shareholders the utmost
satisfaction was expressed with the state of the bank.
At a recent meeting of the Bank of Bombay it was
announced that the net profits of the half-year ending
30th June, after paying all current expenses of the
bank, was 147,031-14.2 rupees.
The Governor of Bombay, Lord Falkland, is at
Poonah, and, I regret to say, in very bad health.
General Staveley, commander of the forces, and the
Right Rev. Dr. Harding, Bishop of Bombay, are also
there, enjoying the fine and comparatively dry cli-
mate of the Deccan. Our new Commander-in-Chief,
Lord Frederick Fitzclarence, is not expected here
until November. His good name as an efficient and
considerate military ruler has preceded him; and it
will be his own fault if he does not find himself highly
popular with the army under his command.
The Zenobia steam-frigate, which was on her way
from Burmah to Madras, and whose non-arrival had
excited fears of her safety, is, I am glad to see, safe.
She broke her shaft in her passage, and was obliged
to put back. I make this communication with more
pleasure, as a local journalist, with most culpable in-
difference, inserted a statement in his last Overland
Summary to the effect that the vessel had most likely
perished. The grief of the relatives of the numerous
persons on beard the Zenobia will now be turned to
gladness at hearing that the vessel, with all on board
of her, has reached port safe and sound.
One of the Celcu3a papers has been favoured with
a letter from the vicinity
of Hooghly, dated the 23d
instant, wherein the writer with great confidence
states that the East India Railway Company will be
obliged to break up the line which runs through