The Sun.
London, England, 1852-10-12 00:00:00

THE AUSTRALIAN MAIL PACKETS.

PLYMOUTH, OCT. 9.—The Australian Royal Mail
Steam Navigation Company's iron screw-steam
.ship
Melbourne, Commander James Arthur Cox, which
left Gravesend on Friday, the Ist inst., arrived here
on Friday, the Bth. She was appointed to sail from
Plymouth with the mails on Sunday, ,the 4th.
Her detention has caused some anxiety to a con-
siderable number of passengers, who have been
waiting her arrival at this port. It appears
that the Melbourne left Gravesend at 5 P.m. on Fri-
day, getting through the Queen's Channel the same
night. On Saturday she passed the Downs as far as
Beachy Head, where she met a fearful gale from
S S.W. to W., the barometer being at 29.6. The
misen topsail was set with difficulty, the steam was
kept going easy, and the vessel's head brought up
to the wind on the starboard tack. In this position
a heavy squall rolled her main and mizen top-
gallant-masts over the side. About 5 or 6
P.M. it was reported to Captain Cox that
a large quantity of water was on the gun-deck, and
all the pumps were put to work. At 10 P.m., by
a sudden lurch, the deck spars were set adrift; and at
12, there being no decrease in the water, the ship, after
a consultation, bore up for the Downs, where she an-
chored with 120 fathoms of chain, the barometer
being at 29 10. It was not until Sunday, about 4 P.M.,
that the water was got out of her. The leakage came
in through the lower ports and the waterclosets ; the
lower ports are each fitted with two half-doors, one
opening upwards, the other down ; the latter were
said to be caulked at Woolwich, but it will be
readily perceived that any attempt to caulk one-half
the ports must be insufficient, especially in a ship
constructed like the Melbourne. When the ship
plunged in heavy weather the sea was forced up
through the soil pipes of the two closets on either
side of the bow, and of the two on the larboard
quarter. These closets will be removed, and other
accommodations adopted. :The intention, in
caulking the lower halves only of the lower
ports, was to give extra ventilation in the tropics, but
the ports will now be fastened, and caulked above
and below, and ventilation will be attained by brass
scuttles and by cowl pipes from the deck. The en-
gines of the Melbourne are new, by Rennie; the
crank shaft bearings got heated coming down Chan-
nel, and it was also found that the wooden cogs of
one of the wheels were rather thrown out of
order by the water used in lubricating the iron
work. With these exceptions the engines are in capital
order, and perfect throughout. It is understood that
the directors are prepared to make every reasonable
allowance for the inconvenience to passengers caused
by the detention of the ship. On Saturday morning
she was placed alongside the Vigo hulk, in liatnosze,
and instructions from the Admiralty having preceded
her, the Port- Admiral, the Commodore Superintendent,
Mr. Eiye, the Twister builder, Mr. Mills, master-
attendant, and Mr. Stuart, engineer, made every ar-
rangement for the prompt repairs of the ship, which,
it is hoped, will be ready for sea by Tuesday evening.
The Australian, belonging to the same company,
which left Plymouth on the sth June, was due at
Sydney on the 14th Septernhar, and should be now on
her homeward passage, between S. George's Sound
and the Cape. The Sydney, which left on the 3d of
August, will be near St. George's Sound on her out-
ward passage. It, is understood that the,directors are
negotiating with the Government for the establish-
ment of a monthly,instead of a bi- monthly, postal
communication with the Australian colonies
most desirable measure, now that the traffic is so
much increased. By the agreement with the di-
rectors the commanders of these steamers can, in the
event of losing seamen at the colonies, obtain hands
from any of the ships belonging to her Majesty's
navy. At seven o'clock this evening a meeting
of dissatisfied passengers, convened by public adver-
tisement, was held in the Royal Hotel, Mr. Robert
Mellor, second cabin passenger, in the chair. Mr.
Marshall, secretary to the company, Captain Cox,
Mr. Walcot, jun., shipping agent in London, and Mr.
Wilcocks, the company's agent here, were present,
and gave such explanations as induced the proposer
of a condemna'cory resolution to withdraw it, and
caused an expression of satisfaction from all assembled.

ASTONISHING ARRIVALS OF GOLD AT
Tf:iE MELBOURNE TREASURY.
We kistve the pleasure of publishing the tollowing
extract from the Melbourne Morning Herald of June 25,
in confirmation of the startlin- intelligence from private
so.arces, contained in a recent Times money article:—
" The escort from Mount Alexander gold fields came
in yesterday at 3 P.m. with 19,032 oz. of gold, conveyed
by packhorses. We have been accustomed to chronicle
extraordinary events in these exciting times, but never
have we been so completely staggered' as when hearing
from official authority, the immense quantity of gold
collected at the Mount, waiting transit to the city. When
yesterday's escort left the Mount there remained eighty-
six thousand ounces still on hand, which are to come
down early next week, by two escorts, which have been
provided for the express purpose. This amazing quan-
tity, it will be remembered, is altogether distinct and in-
dependent of the ton weight we have already announced,
as waiting the return of Mr. Dieted private company,
and also of the large quantity brought down during the
last few days by private hands. Last week the amount
of gold received at the treasury alone exceeded ninety-
one thousand ounces; and the week before eighty thou-
sand ounces. This week it will exceed one hundred a
five thousand ounces! Where on earth will it all end?"
—Australian and New Zealand Gazette.

ROYAL THAMES YACHT CLUB.—Tile
wrst_aosf
held
winter monthly meetings of this distinguished
on Wednesday evening. Mr. Green, the vice-commodore,
presided, in the absence of Lord Alfred Paget, the gall ant
commodore. Sir Thomas Wbichcote, Bart., and a number of
other gentlemen of position, having been balloted for and duly
elected, Mr. Wheeler,
the treasurer, proceeded through the
receipts and disbursements of the club, from which it ap-
peared that, over and above the 9001. in the Console, the
isfundsi h
haareedA
in so
letterou r i h
recommending inemamcoeneddiintigon that upwards of 270/.
the
de Lareux as the club's agent at Dieppewaasppn
oltm
submittednt of M.
to the
theconsideration
eonft me.
st ne eer sg,
ballot at the next meeting, closed the evening's eanntdieet.t(tiehaLvainregux honoured with
gbe,senhupsrionpeoasse.d for
LOSS BY THE INUNDATIONS OF THE RHINE.—It
has been officially ascertained that 22 communes were more
or less devastated by the recent inundations of the Rhine,
and that the total loss exceeds 2,000,0001. The authorities
of the hospitals of Ileguenau, Wessemburg, and Lauterburg
have ordered the children belonging to families who have
suffered most to be received in those hospitals and tempo-
tardy taken care of.
RAILWAY AMALGAMATION.—An arrangement has
been made by the boards of directors of the York, New_
castle, and Berwick, and York and Notth Midland, and
Leeds Northern Railway Companies, which waits the con-
firmation of the shareholders of the three companies. The
arrangement is of the nature of a traffic amalgamation, each
company taking a certain annualperandeendtagding such nete of the net
traffic receipts of the united concern,
_
e
receipts among the shareholders of theresh called togetherpective companies.
The shareholders of each company will
shortly to consider and determine as to the arrangement pro-
posed.—Bradford Observer.
We are requested to mention that the securities
referred to in the protest of the Bank of Portugal, described
on the Bth inst., had no connexion with the guarantee to be
accorded to Mr. Hislop's proposed railway from Lisbon to
Santarem, and thence to the frontier. The project for which
they are understood to have been taken is the " Northern
Railway "from Santarem to Oporto, which has not yet re-
ceived any Legislative sanction.— Times.
Tun CHANCELLORSHIP.—The declaration in favour
of Lord Darby has been signed by nearly 1,200 members of
convocation, including the Bishops of Oxford, Exeter, Ripon,
Bath and Wells, Salisbury,
Town. Eighteen heads ofyhoCuhseisehhveasteer, Antigua, and Cape
also appended their
names.

A VERITABLE MISER.—Died at Ballaghy, on the
Ist instant, Rachel 24.`Cartney,. aged 67. Through careful
dealing and wretchedly penurious habits she managed to
save a considerable sum of money. A short time before her
death she swallowed 50 notes of I/. each, and also some so-
vereigns. Rarely has there been such an instance of the
aursacra "the ruling passion strong in death." In
bey wretched pallet and on her person Were found, after
i fames,
death, large guns of money.