The Sun.
London, England, 1864-05-13 00:00:00

galvanic action action was found to have been at
work. This result could not be well surprising to
any One, foi on and through the lower row of
vitreous plates is nailed the upper edge of the metal
sheathing, and both being submerged below the
water line, a galvanic battery has been formed round
the ship, and, as a matter of course, has produced
the usual results. An official present pointed out
that the action Which had been at work upon the
vitreous plates was not galvanic, but electric, but
he omitted to state the difference between the two
definitions as relating to the platea under survey.
These plates are made under a patented process, but
it would be unfair to condemn the principle because
the hull of the Royal Sovereign at the water line
has been accidentally converted into a galvanic bat-
tery.

Her Majesty's paddle-yacht Victoria and Albert,
Capt. the Prince Leiningen, K.C.8., was taken out
of Portsmouth harbour yesterday, and tested her
engines and her now boilers. She is expected to
proceed to Antwerp to bring over to England the
Prince and Princess Louis of Hesse on a visit to her
Majesty.
The screw steamship Bombay, 67, Capt. Colin
A. Campbell, flag of Admiral the Hon. Geo. 'Trey,
left Plymouth Sound on Tuesday evening for her
station in South America.
It has been annnounced at Chatham that the
ironcased frigate Enterprise, 4, 160 horse power, is
to be despatched, as soon as she can be got ready
for that service, to join the Channel squadron in the
German Ocean, and orders have been issued for the
officers and men belonging to that vessel, and now
absent on leave, to join her forthwith.
The following appointments have been made at
the Admiralty :—Robert G. Webber, paymaster, to
the Dauntless; Beaver Van Homrigh, master's
assist., to the Duncan ; E. J. T. Behenna and C. F.
Barnard, master's assist., to the Wolverene; Lieut.
Sir Lambton Loraine to be flag lieut. to Rear Ad-
miral Hon. Josh. Denman ; W. E. L. Veale, pay-
master, to be secretary to Rear Admiral J. Den-
man; Thos. F. Hall, chief engineer, to the Wol-
verene ; G. L. D. P. Keeling, engineer, to the Wol-
vereae ; John Smethers, first class assist. engineer,
to the Wolverene; Edward Holmes and Nicholas
H. Rowe, acting second class assist, engineers, to
the Cumberland; Richard Irwin, acting second
class assist. engineer, to the Wolverene ; and Lieut.
D. T. J. Macnamara to her Majesty's ship As-
surance, fitting out at Devonport.

The Rhine Bridge at Coblenz,

COBLENZ, May 10.

There have been grand doings here this last week
on the occasion of the opening the new bridge across
the Rhine, connecting the Cologne and Mayence
with the Nassau State line. The bridge itself is a
light and elegant structure of three iron arches
resting on stone piers, highly creditable to the taste
of the joint designers, Geheim-Rath Hartwig and
Ban-Rath Schwarz. In England, where the open.
ing of a railway bridge is of such common occur-
rence that the very mention of it is probably con-
fined to the columns of a local paper, it is difficult
to understand how such an event can be made
the occasion of a fete of such magnitude, to be
graced by such august presence ;—but they do things
differently in Prussia. The Queen arrived a week
ago. Coblenz is her favourite residence, and is
deeply indebted to her for varied acts of considerate
munificence. Tne beautiful gardens, extending
more than a mile along the banks of the Rhine,
and with which no other Rhenish town can com-
pete, originated in her liberality and taste. The
king arrived on Sunday night. Coblenz was illu-
minated in honour of the august arrival. To say
it was a spontaneous ebullition of loyalty would be
simply ridiculous. The good citizens were " ine
vited" by circular to light up their houses, and
everybody knows what an " invitation" means nu-
der a despotism. Many houses, however, owners
of which had nothing to dread from official
frowns, were conspicuous by their darkness. Of
course, in a town where every other inhabitant
is a functionary of some kind or other, and where
the illuminating power is a small tin saucer of fat
with a wick stuck into it, such a demonstration is
to be got up at any time at a few hours' notice,
especially where the Burgomaster is subservient to
the powers that be. On Monday the day's proceed-
ings were, of course, inaugurated by a grand parade,
in which every available soldier in the garrison
took part. The rain which had fallen all night
subsided at the right moment, and the whole affair
was very effective.
The Queen was present in an open carriage with
her daughter, the Grand Duchess of Baden, the
consort of the most liberal and therefore the most
popular of the smaller German sovereigns.
After the parade the event of the day was ac-
ccomplished in the usual way by the King and
Queen in person, accompanied by the Duke of
Nassau, who, as the proprietor of one of the lines
now united, had a kind of vested interest in the
proceedings, but between whom and his powerful
neighbours there seemed to be no sort of cordiality
whatsoever.

After the ceremony there was a banquet. A very
unsightly pavilion had been erected on three enor-
mous barges moored together on the river immedi-
ately contiguous to the bridge, 500 guests were
invited, who did justice to the fare as only Germans
can. The landlord of the Giant Hotel was the pur-
veyor on the occasion, so nothing mo.e need he said
in praise of the repast. Uniforms largely predomi-
nated, but not all military. To the inquiry, " Who
is that General with cocked hat and epaulettes?"
the answer was, "He is an assessor." " That
Field Marshal ? "He is a Regierungsrath." " That
stout functionary resplendent in green and gold'"
"He is Ober-Forstmeister," "And he, above all,
in enormous cocked hats trimmed with feathers and
goid, with rows of decorations on his breast, with
a coat bedizened with lace that it must be irksome
to carry ?" " He, good honest man, is 0 ber-Prasi-
dent of the Rhine province, who though dressed
like a generalissimo, is a civilian and a man of
peace."

At 4 o'clock there was a dinner at the Palace to
the creme de la creme ; at 7 a reception to those not
creme de la creme ; and in order that the reception
might be as comprehensive as possible, the invita-
tions were issued by the Ober-Prasident. At 9
there was a display of fireworks, better than which
may be seen nightly at Cremorne, but Cremorne
lacks the background of Ehrenbreitstein, which
was lit up for the occasion with blue and red fire,
while a fiery shower fell from the entire length of
the new bridge.
Amid the general profusion the town, either nig-
gardly or forgetful, omitted to make the bridge of
boats, from which the spectacle was witnessed by a
great crowd, free to the public, the consequence of
which was some severe injuries in the crush inevi-
table at the toll-gateS. This morning the King
leaves for Berlin; the crowded hotels will soon dis-
gorge themselves, and Coblenz will be left to its
garrison and the English tourists, who generally
make their appearance with the cuckoo.

PRESENTATION TO A CAPTAIN.—At the Sailors'
Home, Liverpool, yesterday, the chairman of the Local
Marine Board presented, on behalf the Portuguese Govern-
ment, an elegant tray of solid silver, bearing a suitable
engraved inscription, to Capt. F. Williams, of the screw
steamer Charente, fur services rendered about 18 months
ago in towing a disabled Portuguese man-of-war to a place
of safety, and reporting the same at Lisbon.
THE HOP CROP IN SUSSEX.—Throughout the
various hop-growing districts in Sussex the mild rains that
have fallen during the past week, followed as they have
been by genial sunshine, have had a very beneficial influence
upon the hop plantations. In a few places the flea had made
its appearance, but the rain has served to clear the plant in
those places where it had been attacked. The bine shoots
out vigorously, and has a very healthy look. The work of
tying is now being actively pushed forward, and it may be
said that everywhere the hop-gardens have a most promis-
ing appearance.
[ADvEnTisEmENT.]—Holloway's Ointment.—Soundness
i
renewed.—Any indolent ulcer or chronic sore should m-
mediately have this excellent unguent applied to it in the
manner pointed out in its accompanying directions. For
thoroughly cleanAing a diseased or broken skin, and for
rousing its poisoned vessels or depressed nerves to healthy
action, nothing can sure ass Holloway's well-known
Ointment. It strikingly shows its power when applied to
the " old man's ulcer" which settles on the leg and often
becomes most intractable under the ordinary treatment,
though no case has yet withstood this cooling and healing
salve. The troublesome swellings preparatory to most
ulcerations of the legs are likewise reduced by the diligent
applications of Holloway's unguent, by giving strength to
the weakened circulation through the capillaried,