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

POBTLAND BREAKWATER.

" The seuree of our national strergdf tied eiel,neas
(the Nave) has given us commerce, and the severcigury
of the sea, and created the wealth and the grandeur of
England." The Government Breakwater is progress-
itig very satisfactorily, and has attracted the notice of
those whose interest led them to set a due estimation
on the maritime concerns of Dorseeshire. But this is a
very limited consideration when compared with those
national results, which so obviously attach to this
important national suejeet, and to which the kingdom
at large is daily growing more alive. It will ultimately
present a noble specimen of the riches, the strength, the
commerce, and the beauty of every thing connected
with British teemanship, and thereby Weymouth and
Portland will be able to assert their title to be ranked
among the first maritime stations in the world—worthy
the renown of England and the august presence of her
monarchs. The celebrated Sir John Sinclair Long felt
a deep interest in the subject, he was the first who
brought over to this country the plans of the cones at
Cherbourg, and roused the attention of the Government
to that important undertaking; he also very wisely ob-
'serval in reference to the Portland Breakwater, that
perhaps the tuture safety of England may depend on its
creation. The late Mr. John Hervey observed, "This
is no job; it stands on its own intrinsic merits." In no
country is the power of capital more prominently
brought to view than in Britain, whero its wondertul
eff eta are every where apparent.

Railway companies have now the certainty of the
Portland Breakwater, and from its central position by
lend and sea, most prove of immense importance as an
auxiliary to their li ies. It is pleasing to enumerate
some of the important ben, fits te be derived from this
stupendous work; it is nearly equidistant from Scilly
and the Downs; opposite to Guernsey and the Caskets;
between which and the Thames are those dangers and
intricacies which have produced that serious loss of We
end property continually experienced. ludeed the ex-
cellence of its p-sitien for an asylum from gales, and
us a general rendezvous is admitted, and the adv intage
the commerce will derive by protecting it against south-
east winds is all that is required. The Breakwater
abuts on the land close to the railroad, and the stone is
at once deposited into the sea. In addition to the be-
nefit this Breakwater will offer as a refuge from gales
and hostile cruizers, as a rendezvous for the milt (glen of
convoys, and as an effective station for her Majesty's
ships, to be in readiness to protect the trade and follow
the movements of an enemy's squadron, will amply
afford to the merchants and shipowners of London, &c.,
assistance for the voyages of their ships. The south-
westerly winds blow eight months out of twelve, and the
consequent delay averages four weeks on every southern
export voyage from the Thames. The detention arises
chiefly inehe Downs, and at the anchorage within the
' Isle of Wight, not from the impossibility cf getting
from either, for in in, derate weather they can always
get from thence, but from the impracticability of getting
into the safe sea-room of the Channel, without exposure
to those serious dangers which present so melancholy a
picture in our daily and weekly journals. Tao distance
from the Isle of Wight to that part of the Channel in
which ships may be said to be in safety, is about ninety
miles, and as Portland is fifty to the westward of the Isle
of Wight, and may be reached in a tide time, ships will
not only be safe when caught there with a south-east
wind, but be enabled to get to sea without difficulty
with the wind from any point of tbe compass. They
will now get from the Downs to Spithead, from Spithead
to Portland, and from thence into the safe sea-room of
the Channel! The tides turn three hours sooner on the
shore than the offing, and the wiod near the shore is
generally influenced by the land. With the assistance
of nine hours tide with them out of twelve, and the fa-
vourable slants of the wind, the skill and perseverance
of shipmasters when having this harbour to run to in
the event of a gale, will materially decrease the deten-
tion they have hitherto been subject to.
The south-east wind rises rapidly and blows strongly,
and is the wind on which the outward bound ships de-
pend to effect a quick voyage. Those from the other
eastera points are generally of short duration, end the
benefit of being adyanced a few leagues to the westward
on their springing up is frequently equal to the time oc-
cupied in a West India voyage; while others, which
sailed at the same time from the Downs, had been com•
polled to put back again in consequence of the wind
shifting to the westward before they could get below
Guernsey. Although the south-west wind prevails two-
thirds of the year, yet on an average it does not blow
strong above a third of that time, and hence shelter and
assistance will enable the ships to be making progress
on their voyage 160 days of the time they have been
detained at the eastern anchorages. If then the pay
and the victualling of the crews, and the loss of, interest
on the invested capital during that period will be saved,
it is important; but if we take into consideration the
consequence of a late arrival of cargoes at the foreign
markets, and ask, if by so far ensuring an early arrival,
a material benefit is not conferred? English manufac-
turers have to compete with the prodacts of other coun-
tries, which, though of inferior qualities, supply the
demand in the absence of British merchandise, even in
our own colonies the seasons as at home have their
peculiar requirements, and an expeditious voyage is alike
essential to profit and a quick return of investment.
The merchants, shipowners, and commercial companies,
the public and the Legislature, are aware of the im-
mense value of the trade of London, and appreciate the
protection and aid that will arise from this harbour of
refuge, the value, of property saved from wreck, and
the impetus given to property, will annually produce
millions.

The works are proceeding in a most satisfactory man-
ner, and extend 1,900 feet from the shore, the stage
erected, for the purpose of dep isiting the stone has a
frontage of 240 feet, the piles composing it are 82 feet
la length, and the iron shoes affixed to the end for
screw,ug them into the place 3 weigh upwards of half a
ton each. The piles are required of this length, the
depth of water at the part now reached teing 10
fathoms; !he stoneis deposited at the rate of 1,200 tons
per day. Such is the stupendous nature of the work in
progress and a !al now actively displayed in their
execution.

NAVAL INTELLIGENCE.
PORTSMOUTH, MAY 13.—The Sampson steamer is
expected to come into this harboLt to embark troops
for the Channel Islands.
Wind westerly; strong gales and Equally, with light
rain.

DEVONPORT MAY 12.—Commodore Seymour re-
turned from leave on Tuesday evr,ning, and re-hoisted
his flag on board tho St. George this morning, and the
Commodore resumed his duties.
Preparations are making to-day for a holiday to•mor-
row, on a grand scale for this part of the country. All
the public departments will have a holiday. There will
be a review on Mount Wise. Tee railway managers are
going to start trains at reduced fares for the day, and
every accommodation is to be afforded to the pleasure-
takers; but at present the weather does not seem favour-
able. We have had some beautiful showers to-day, and
at present it looks likely for a continuance of them.
PLYMOUTII, MAY 13.—Her Mjesty's screw steam-
frig3te Dauntless, Captain Halsted, lett the Sound yes-
terday, for Queenstown.

ThoHighflyer ateam•vesssl, Capt. Matson, made her
number off this port yesterday. She is out
.on a trial
oruisp exercising engines.
Her Majesty's ttesra-'hip Retribution, Capt. Warden,
Prrived on Monday, from Portsmouth, and tailed on
Wednesday for Lisbon.

Her Majesty's steam-ship Horatio, Captain Carnegie,
arrived in the Sound on Saturday evening, from a cruiae
in the Channel, and saluted the flag Gf Admiral Sir John
Ommannay, which was returned by her Majesty's ship
Impregnable, in Ramona She sailed again on Tuesday
fur the ealtward.

Her Majesty's frigate Amazon, 26, Captain Charles
Barker, was nnmasted on Saturday, and on Tuesday she
was paid off into ordinary.
Her Majesty's steam-sloop Buzzard, having bad her
copper cleaned and examined, was taken out of dock
on Satuniay, and commissioned the same day by Lieu•
tenant, Richard Moore, for Commander W. H. nobble.
Her compliment is to be 160 officers and men.
Her Majesty's steam-ship Calcutta was unmasted on
Tuesday, previous to being docked.
The Goodwill lighter sailed on Tuesday with Moils
for Sheerness and Chatham.

Letters from her Majesty's steam-vessel Gladiator, at
the Cape of Good Hope, .'dated March 28, state that
she is to be fitted with cabins for the reception of the
ex- Governor, Sir Harry Smith, and suite ; and that she
may be expected home in June.

The British and• Irish Steam Packet Company's
steam ship Foyle, Captain R. Kamosten, which left
Kingston on Monday evening at eight o'clock, arrived
here on Tuesday night at twelve, and landed the re-
mainder of the 35:h Regiment: about 5,000 men, who
proceeded at once to their quarters at Devonport.
A MUTINY AT SANDY POINT.—From a letter re.
calved at Devonport last week from Valparaiso, under
date Feb. 24, we make the following extracts:—" On
our nay to Callao with the Admiral we met a Liverpool
eteam mail-boat in the Straits of Magellan, which
brought news of a mutiny at Sandy Point, a settlement
which has been formed of convicts and others. One of
the men who escaped was in the steamer (the Lima).
The admiral's ship, the Amphitrite, and the Thetis, were
out cruising, and the Chilian Government wished the
Virago to go in search of the mutineers. We went out
and towed the Portland, 50, in on the 15th January. On
the 22d we arrived at Chloe, and got aground for about
half an hour, not knowing the passage, but we did no
damage. 01 the 28th at sea, a sail was reported from
ll
the masthead at ten A.:it ; guns were leaded, and
bands armed. At twelve we reared, and fireda sbotacross the bow of the stranger, which we supposed off to
con-
tained the rebels. The two cutters were then sent
ever the
the brigantine, and the English crew jumped °board of us
side into our boats, and when they "m""
as.' We
the)' said ' Thank God you are come ton relievenard,
searched
brought every man and woman h
their luggage, and took everything
officers and three seamen were
bay, while we went in
o fromb atrhdemt.helbri-
gantine, which then anchored
or yt h Bay e
s.nt on o
search of the barque.
and sent the boats on
far
aoanGthreeg3°
came to an anchor at Sandyi
and one escaped to the
with the prisoners on ourWe troop ",' etiadt:csc .
shore ; took oil 26
another
woods.
s
o. wards
We w
gatei g h eedhasatichbourl and
e
tot' alb' waaS wreciPi
nothing
ano-of-
twhaer,bahrocui
barque
ed
Ifi:oar
wVearlep ii,a-
and we coneludpd that she must have gone
searcdh
tohfa,
Horn." The writer then gives a detailed ac-
count She had seen
round
of the various movements of the ship up to the 15'h
when she fell in wit the barque at Chiloe,
'nee ihoy proceeded in compan} with the bri-
rhYteo Valparaiso. '' The brigantine was bound to
Ffa
raeo
obi
from
i February,
England with u, cargo of 72 tons of silver ore, many
hundred dollars, at ven bars of gold, 14 inches long, 3
inches wide, and li thick; three smaller bars, and a bag
of gold slugs, amounting in all, together with the value
of the hrigUitillea to Pbott; 6,5001. We took hor.onder no

colner,; the rebels attempted to hoist the Russian flag,
but- ionic) of the+ Englit:hmen cut the halyard, upon
which it wao proposed to murder them, but ss they
Fissured the rebels that we were a Californian vessel,
they became satisfied until Wien."

LAW INTELLIGENCE.
COURT OF EXCHEQUER, May 14. -
ATTORNEY-GENERAL p. BRADS URY AND EVANS.7-*
" ITO USEHOLD NARRATIVE."
The proceedings in this case were withdrawn- this
morning, it being understood that a difficulty had arisen
wi,h re'erence to the terms of a special verdict, and that
it had been arranged that the question of the lisbility of
monthly publications to newspaper s-amps should be
raised upon a bill of exceptions, to be tencLud to he
judgment already given by the Court.