The Sun.
London, England, 1852-01-15 00:00:00

Mr. Atherton, Mr. Field, and Mr. Maudslay, •un.,
being present on the occasion.

FOR MAIL STEAMERS.
FIRE BILL,*
TO PREVENT CONFUSION, SAVE LIFE, AND PRESERVE

THE MAIL.

At the sound of the fire-bell—Ease the engine.
The Captain to command on quarter-deck,
Attended by Mr. , aid, Mr.
Two intelligent lads as aids.
Chief Officer, Mr. —To repair to the fire.
Second Officer, Mr. , in charge of hose
and fire engines; attended by second engineer and
watch below of enginemen of all denominations—To
work fire-engines, clear lumber, and use fire-buckets.
Third Officer, r. , with first parts of top-
men or seamen of both watches—To clear lumber,
and use fire-buckets.

, aid.

Fourth Oflicer,iir. , in charge of boats first
ordered to be lowered—To see all ready ; and when
lowered to be dropped astern. Two men, at least, to
be kept in each boat. Bread, water, compass, musket,
quadrant, Norie, oars, tackle.

- Chief Enginnr, Mr. , in engine-room, with
the watch on deck, of enginemen of all denominations
—To ease the engine at the sound of fire-bell, and
use buckets.

Second Engineer, Mr. —To attend hoses,
fire-engine, and fire-buckets, and clear lumber.

The Carpenter and his crew—To screw on hoses,
rig fire-engine, loose hatches ; attend with blankets
to smother fire.

The Boatswain—To attend on deck, prepare
paddle-pox boats, to sce each boat with a slip rope,
painter to the foremast slings or rings ; then to
smother fire,

The Mail Agent with the mail-boats' crew—To
prepare the mail life-boat on the quarter • each mail-
bag or package to have a lanyard, if practicable,
to be made fast to boat-thwarts. I also suggest that
in the mail-room a compass, quadrant, and navigation
book be kept • and that the mail ought to be kept on
after part of ;hip, at hand.
The Surgeon—To take command of the passengers,
to get them ready to be placed in boats, in woollen
dresses if practicable.

The Stewards—To call passengers, light lamps,
shut doors to prevent drafts, to get packages of
bread ready for each boat (small oval breakers might
be kept always ready with a square opening) ; to take
a chronometer, quadrant, compass, chart, and Norie
into each boat with them, or all, if practicable.
The Gunner and crow—To be ready to destroy
with water the magazine, if practicable; then to see
that the boats are supplied with breakers.
The Cook and all his men—To fill water-breakers
for boats, and place them aft ready for use.
A Quartermaster and three men—To see each
paddle-boat rea for getting out.
A trustworthy Coxswain and one man to each
boat—To see boat ready, slip painter past falls, clear
boats, compass ready, oars lashed.
(See Boat's Crew List.)

SUGGESTIONS TO MAKE THE FIRE-BILL MORE

INTELLIGIBLE.

Every person to dress in woollen, as far as practi-
cable, even in the tropics.
Never to throw water on a fire, except in quan-

titles. Men to be instructed to stoop as low as pos-
sible when employed in dense smoke. A silk hand-
kerchief tied over the head round the neck, is an
assistance, as it will contain air to support life for an
increased time. _ _

Boat-slings to be fitted with hooka not in the tackle.
All boats' falls to be stopped up to davits not used
for lashings.
Baat's water-breakers to be kept near the boats.
Boats without water and provisions is only adding
to misery.
Boats, when lowered, to be dropped astern.
The engine to be eased, without orders, on sound
of the fire-bell.
The coxswain of each boat to see his boat ready at
each watch.

Every officer in charge to report to captain at sun-
set that his department is clear and fit for service, as
far as practicable.
Boats' oars to be lashed on them.
Every man to be stationed to a boat, a due propor-
tion of seamen in each, an officer to each.
Smoke is more effective than a small quantity of
water to put out fire ' • consequently stop drafts.
Seamen not particularly stationed to assemble on
deck under charge of an officer.
Too many only create confusion.
No boat to be lowered without orders.

To LADIES (I beg their pardon).—Ladies should
take to sea a loose flannel dressing-gown, with bathing
drawers attached. It would be a very great assistance
to them if they could keep in their pocket or purse a
pebble ; if put into the mouth it reduces thirst.

The seamen use tobacco to reduce hunger.
Gentlemen are requested to assist to get the bread
and water, and as many nautical instruments into
boats as can be got at.

P. A. HELPMAN, R.A.
Commander, R.N.
15, Alfred .street, Plymouth, Jan. 14,1852.

* This Bill is applicable for either fire or wreck. If
for wreck, the men not stationed to boats to obey orders,
to got hawsers, anchors, and warps ready.

CHINA.
We have received advicea from Hceg-Kong to the
28th November.

We extract the following from the Overland Friend
of China:—

" We have no important intelligence regarding the
still-continued rebellion. The Canton Mandarins are
purchasing warlike stores in great quantities; we know
of one particular commission for a hundred barrels of
powder and one two and three pounder guns, with cor-
responding shot; besides hand grenades, rockets, and
rocket tubes, which have been duly supplied. A party,
who has excellent means of ascertaining the real state of
affairs, writes:—' Mutters are truly alarming—l feel
certain that Teen-teh will be in Canton before the
Chinese new year. Lately we had some conversation
with a person who, three months ago, was in Peking,
and who reached Canton by the way of liwang-si. He
says that at the capital every attempt was being
made to keep the people in the dark as to the progress
of the southern rebels (the absence of allusion to them
in the Peking gazettes is corroborative of this); Teen-
lob, he says, is no myth; he saw him, and spoke to se-
veral of his officers; he is of the clan Le, not of the clan
Fong as reported. Our informant did not think that
Teeu-teh cared much about reaching Peking yet, being
content if ho succeeds in dividing the empire into two
parts, of which he rules the southern. Teen-teh, he
added, is now only waiting until he gains more friends
in and about the city of Canton, and he depends a good
deal on what the Toong-koon mon will do for him.
" Governor Yeh has been more than usually cruel
during the last month, and one unfortunate rebel leader
was, horrible to relate, flayed alive, as a warning to
others of what they may expect should they fall into his
hands.

" The Yellow River has sgain burst its banks, and
has given some check to trade at the northern ports,
goods intended for the interior having to be conveyed
by other and circuitous routes, with additional transit
dues, equalling nearly 10 per cent. on foreign manufac-
tures. Freebootery is as rife as ever, but the robbers
(some call them Teen-teh rebels) having managed mat-
ters to their perfect satisfaction below 35 degrees north
latitude, have now proceeded further up the coast, and
hang about the mouth of the Yellow River and the
Grand Canal."