The Sun.
London, England, 1852-08-30 00:00:00

THE SUN,

Governor-General's body guard, the climate of Ran-
goon had not been the cause of the sufferings which
our ill-fated army endured. " Viewing the Delta of
the Irawaddy," wrote Mr. J. R. Martin, in an official
report, which I believe has not been published,
-" In connexion with its own known medical topo-
graphy, its latitude, and, in short, its general climate, it
stands in favourable comparison with that of any known
river. Such I believe to be the general opinion enter-
tained of it by professional men; and its salubrity, toge-
ther with the superior physical character of its inhabit-
ants, was early noticed by that distinguished writer and
observer, Dr. Francis Buchanan Hamilton, who I believe
visited the country twice, and who ascribed the general
comparative healthfulness of Lower Pegu to the geolo-
gical nature of the soil and its undulating surface,
which left no room for stagnation in the numerous com-
municating branches of the Irawaddy. An evil im-
pression of the climate, of Rangoon especially, has arisen
from the enormous loss of European life daring the
last war; but I believe that I am correct in stating that
general or local climate formed one of the least of the
causes of the excessive mortality spoken of, and that, be-
yond a heavier fall of rain during the south-west mon-
soon, and a consequently greater degree of humidity in
the atmosphere than generally occurs in Bengal, the cli-
mate contributed little or nothing to the result. It was
scorbutic disease that destroyed so large a portion of the
European force, and as the powerful causes which led
to its developmeat are so well understood I need not
dwell upon them."
What those causes were the reader may gather
from the following passage in Professor Wilson's
narrative of the war :
"Relying upon the reported facility of obtaining
cattle and vegetables at Rangoon, it had not been thought
necessary to embark stores for protracted consumption
on board the transports for Calcutta, and the Madras
troops had a still more limited stock. As soon as the
deficiency was ascertained arrangements were made to
remedy it; but in the meantime, before supplies could
reach Rangoon, the troops were dependent for food upon
salt meat, much of which was in a state of putrescence,
and biscuit in an equally repulsive condition, under the
decomposing influence of heat and moisture."
Another lesson of the same grievous kind, but not
so terrible in its extent, was taught us 15 years after-
wards, when our British troops occupied Chusan.
Then, too, the climate was said to be the destroying
agent. But it was not the climate; it was the com-
missariat. Tnohtesbeeeln thessonroswwne may hope—we may be-
away. Another army is
not likely to be poisoned wholesale with putrid moat.
The last accounts represent that provisions of all
kinds, and of the best quality, were plentiful at Ran-
goon, and that the people were cheerfully supplying
us with the produce of the country.
There was something else, too, to be learnt from
the terrible history of our occupation of Rangoon and
Chusan. Swamps are not, at best, conducive to health ;
but houses properly constructed will go a long way
towards the counteraction of their destroying effects.
Now, Colonel Bogle, the Commissioner, an officer
of great energy, ability, and experience, one who
knows the countries of Arracan and Pegu
and who for many years contemplating the pro-
bability of a second Burmese war, has been
acquiring every description of detailed informa-
tion most likely to be serviceable in such a
conjuncture, has been exerting himself to provide
fitting house accommodation at Rangoon for the
troops during the rainy season, and his success is
described as complete. The natives are expert
house builders. Their services are always at our
disposal. Materials are easy procurable ; and
money, en such occasions, is never withheld. And
so under Colonel Bogle's superintendence a wooden
camp has risen up; and thus comfortably limited
and protected, neither the falling rains nor the rising
damps can do our troops any grievous injury. There
are months of both, it is true, yet before them, and the
close of the rainy season is most to be dreaded ; but
so fortified against the climate, well housed, and well
fed, our fighting men may bear up against the in-
activity of half a year of rain at the mouth of the
Irawaddy. _ _

With -regard, then, to the past and present of the
Burmese war, what I have said amounts to this :
It was expedient that the war should have been brought
to a conclusion in a single campaign. But it could
not be brought to a conclusion in a single cam-
paign, unless commenced at the right mo-
ment, i. e.—at the beginning of the fight-
ing season. Lord Dalhousie could not com-
mence the war at the beginning of the fight-
ing season of 1851-52; it would have been impolitic
to defer the commencement of operations until
the beginning of the cold season of 1852-53 and,
therefore, the war, under the circumstances of which
I have spoken, could not be concluded in a single
campaign. But although the war has not been, ani
could not be, concluded in a single campaign, the
interval between the two campaigns is not likely
to be (as it was a quarter of a century ago) a disas-
trous one, because our troops at Rangoon are well
fed and well housed, and there is nothing in the
climate itself of the place to destroy our people by
thousands.

Hoping soon to have your permission to say some-
thing further regarding the " future of the Burmese
war," I am, Sir, your obedient servant, M.

EMIGRATION FROM PLYMOUTH.

During the last f Air or five days no less tcan ten
ships, of very considerable tonnage, and with nearly 3,000
emigrants, have been in tee port of Plymouth, all bound
for Australia or Van Diemen's Land. The following
aro the names, destinations, &c.:—
Sea Park, Captain Spedding, Port Philip, Government
emigrants, in charge of Dr. R utter, with 325 souls on
board, sailed on Saturday.
Australasia, Captain M`Pherson, Hobart Town, Go-
vernment emigrants, in charge of Dr. King, Mr. and
Mrs. Tucker, of Stonehouse, teacher and matron, 200
souls, sailed on Saturday.
Posthumous, Captain Heard, for Port Philip, pawn.
ger-ship, in charge of Dr. Hunt, 190 souls, sailed on
Sunday. This is one of Messrs. Marshall and Edridge's
ships.
Eliza, Captain Pain, for Port Philip, Passenger-ship,
in charge of Dr. Cleeve, 300 souls, sailed on Sunday.
One of Messrs. Marshall and Edridge's ships.
Prince Alfred, Captain Smith, for Port Philip and
Sydney, passenger-ship, in charge of Dr. Maxwell, with
230 souls. This fine vessel, the property of Mr. Pope,
has not yet sailed.
Blackwell, Captain M‘lierlie, for Port Philip, pas-
senger-ship, in charge of Dr. Field, 200 souls. This
ship takes 25 needlewomen, sent out under Mr. Sidney
Herbert's plan, Mrs. Thomas matron. Sailed on Tues-
day. One of Messrs. Green's splendid ships.
Windermere, Captain Ross, for Port Philip, passenger-
ship, in charge of Dr. Hooper. Among the passengers
in this ship is Mr. Carlyon, son of Colonel Carlyon, of
Cornwall. 180 souls.
General Hewett, Captain Gatenby, for Sydney, pas-
senger-ship, in charge of Dr. Casterton. 190 souls.
Belonging to Messrs. Tindall.
Hydaspes, 800 tens, Captain Reid commander, Dr.
Silver surgeon superintendent, taking about 270 souls,
Government emigrants for Sydney.
Northumberland, 900 tons register, Captain J. W.
Gell, belonging to R. Greco, Esq., of Blackwell, sailed
from Plymouth on the 16th instant for Melbourne. She
has upwards of 160 passengers, many of them for the
gold diggings, and nearly 40 needlewomen, sent out
under the auspices of the Hon. Sidney Herbert's com-
mittee. Among the chief cabin passengers are Mr.
Octavins Phillpotts, son of the Bishop of Exeter, and
Mr. Noel, son of the Hon. and Rev. Baptist Noel. The
ship is in excellent order, her management and dispatch
was in the hands of Mr. Wilcocks, of the Barbican.
Bombay, one of the largest emigrant ships that ever
1::5.t....b0is port, is now in the Sound, and will sail in a day
innaLwed.toetTnheisrovyeaslsnelaviys.a two-decker, and formerly be-
All
Mr. eis,i7c4esit:re vessels aro under the management of
The influx.
mmeadneinthteh: tof shipping of this particular class has
emigratio;al4;ttllenp
yb
t:yh
Devonport,
theeerav
Port
emigrants
nogßn
prrdteao vnriwtt
Philip,s
hT in
et. hr
eveCi
end Cave i veet:-.
oorft_eSauvtyton Harbour and the trades-
It has also irepoYs:l theh
eci;tikvisitiesunagr more than usually busy.
the voluntary one 3
Childs, the incumbent of
ing the several ships and°
nefit of his counsels and duties upon the officers of
incumbent
upon few harder duties than
t on of books.
ym tili.h l'is
and will take passen-
gers the Cleopatra, a
among the vessels now load
quired the advantage of "
s cl i:t rrioentlt on
fur
horse power. She
Plymouth Paper.
sydney, from London and Plymouth
:cehtternderb,opf
rilv,saoteo
etonntesr,parnidie,
e at ", 5a,40,
screw-rdsisp:
g- and 35 guineas.--
..--...,....._—___

from time1V
of
t" TOAD.
Popular tradition
EXPERIMENT'S onh the POISON
toad, but no well-
having been c
marked case of severe injury caused by this
taehed a poisonous influencellsto.theinnera°rial at..
animal, modern enlightenment repudiated the notion
of the toad being a poisonous creature, and referred
the traditional account to prejudice against the toad
simply because of its ungraceful aspect. Neverthe-
less, unlucky dogs who might chance to bite a toad
demonstrated by the rapidity wherewith the unsavoury
mouthful was dropped, that popular rumour originated
in something better founded than mere prejudice or
aversion. 'All doubts as to the poisonous nature of tho
contents of the skin pustules of the toad and salaman-
der lizard are set at rest by the recent experiments of
with
two French philosophers, MM. Gratiolet and S. Cloeg,
who have demonstrated by inoculating various animals
eirths
the cutaneous poison of toads and salaman-
ders,
, that the substances in question are en-
dowed
with . well-marked and exceedingly dan-
gerous
qualities. The
these gentlemen was prosecutedfirston eaxpleartilme eAntfrimoof
0 f e 0 t
nl supervened, onn
and
do f
stillit .1
ebinderxisexisted
feet,paralysis
he
tortoise, which,
the to,a_poiB
the limb
whether .. having been inoculated with some of
th,,ing by the agent. Inorder to expiration
local poisorths, thus demonstrating the possibility of
mer ious material spoiled by keeping,
grains of the po above mentioned procured about 9)
determine
the gentle
having placed it's"
on the 25th of April, 1851, and
cu!ated a goldfinchside until March 16, 1852,
Wdth
The bird almost imme i a little of this material.theyi"
i
from ed in eliminating the
in thet inert
the investigators imeeeaetedly died. Subsequently
poisonous principle
which it is assmiated matters with
1' kin-pustules, and

LONDON,

I they found that when thus purified its effects
are greatly more intense than before. Like most of
the known very strong organic poisons, the active
principle of toad-venom is alkaline in its character ;
almost insoluble in water, slightly soluble id ether,
and very soluble in alcohol. MM. Gratiolet and S.
Cloez are at this time occupied in collecting a large
amount of toad-venom, and will shortly make known
the result of their further investigations, which are
calculated, in the opinion of the investigators, to
throw considerable light upon the nature and action
of the poisons of hydrophobia, of serpents, of conta-
gious diseases, and animal poisons generally.

LONDON, BRIGHTON, AND SOUTH-COAST
RAILWAY.
Traffic—Week ending Aug. 28, 1852 ... £13,358 5 S
Traffic—Week endinglAug.l39, 1851 ... 14,480 [2 1
Total of the half-year, to this date, 1852 ... 126,552 2 0
Total of the half-year, to this date, 1851 ... 134,663 17 6
Total number of Passengers—Week ending
Aug. 28,1882 98,533
Passengers ...
...X11,014 11 9
Goods ... 2,373 13 11

Total... • £13,388 5 8
Total !miles open, 1852, 1734; ditto, 1851, 173%.
London Terminus, Aug. 30, 1852.

POST.OFFICE NOTICE.—Minor Money Order offices
will be opened at the undermentioned places on the respective
dates named :—Kidlington, Oxfordshire, Sept. 1 ; Saltash,
Cornwall, Sept. 1. N.B. Postmasters are informed that
Callington is now served from Plymouth instead of Tavistock.
The list of Money Order offices must be corrected ac-
cordingly.
OFF BRIGHTON.—GeeIong, Shanghai.
PORTSMOUTH, AUG. 28.—Wind S. to S.W.; 29th,
W.S.W.—Acrd. Prince of Wales, London for Calcutta.
OFF PORTSMOUTH.—Dudbrook, Demerara.
OFF TORBAY.—Nancy, Vera Cruz, for Hamburgh.
GLOUCESTER, AUG. 26.—Arrd. Louisa, St. Andrew'e,
New Brunswick.

RAILWAY INTELLIGENCE.

CHESTER AND HOLYHEAD.

The half-yearly meeting of the proprietors was held
at the Euston-square terminus of the London and North-
Western Railway, on Saturday. Mr. S. M. Peto, M.P.,
was in the chair. The advertisement by which the
meeting was convened having been read, the following
report of the directors was submitted :
" The statomont of the accouu to of the half-year cutt-
ing the 30th June last exhibits a gross increase of re-
ceipts from traffic to the amount of 8,2581. ss. 10d., of
which sum 5,6541. Os. Bd. have been derived from the
railway, and 2,6041. ss. 2d. from the steam-boats. rA
tabular statement is then given, from which it appears
that the net earnings of the railway in the half-year end-
ing June, 1850, was 21,8431. 15s. 4d.; in June, 1851,
287477/.195. ld.; andin June,lBs2, 27,8971.145. Bd.; while
the losses en the steam-boats had decreased from
5,816/. ls. 6d. in June, 1850, to 211. 3e. sd. in June,
1852.] From these comparative statements it appears
that traffic, both of the railway and the steam-boats, is
steadily on the increase ; and although the results of
the half-year's working certainly fall short of the ex-
pectations of your directors, there is sufficient proof
that the prospects of the undertaking are gra-
dually improving. The increase of expenditure has
been occasioned by the measures which your directors
have taken, after careful consideration, with a view to
the eventual advantage of the company, from the in-
creased traffic which those measures are calculated to
secure. The accounts show a net balance of 7,9511. 17s.
11d. to the credit of revenue, from which your directors
recommend the payment of a dividend of 35. 6d. per
in consequence
share on the first preference shares. The developmeEt
of the slate traffic has been partly delayed
' of the alterations necessary to afford to the quarries at
Port Penrhya and:Port Dinorwic the desired facilities
of communication between the tramways and the rail-
way. The tramways at Carnarvon are not, as yet, Con-
nected with your line. The depot for storing the slate
and thus maintaining the means of constant supply, are
in course of construction. This arrangement will, it is
believed, materially tend to secure to your railway this
important branch of traffic. The heads of an agreement
with the London and North-Western Railway and the
City of Dublin Steam-boat Company have been arranged,
and have passed under the seals of these companies re-
spectively. In consequence of this settlement the traffic
in goods and cattle from Ireland, via Holyhead, will com-
mence immediately. Your directors have the satisfaction
of stating that,with one exception, the several disputed
accounts with contractors and other persons have been
settled on terms which must, on the whole, be consi-
dered favourable to the company. In the matter of the
purchase of the Mold Railway, authorised at a meeting
of the proprietors held on the 30th of March, 1849, Mr.
Stephenson, the referee in respect of the terms of pur-
chase, has given his award, fixing the rats of conversion
at ten shares of 151. each, in the Mold Railway Com-
pany, for three shares of 501. each in the Chester and
Holyhead Company. Your directors deemed it to be their
duty to withdraw the Bill before Parliament last session,
in consequence of the Shrewsbury and Chester Com-
pany having succeeded, when the Bill was in Committee
of the House of Lords, in obtaining the insertion of a
clauee, giving that company a power of interference with
the rates on your line, calculated to affect your interests
injuriously. This disappointment of their reasonable
expectations, arising from a cause entirely beyond
their control, has prevented your directors from
carry ing into effect those financial arrangements for
the diminution of the burtheu of your debenture debt,
to which they alluded in their last report; but it
is satisfactory to them to be able to state that, although
the course which they proposed to take has been thus
impeded, they have been enabled to renew all the de-
bente.res that have recently fallen due, at a rate of inte-
rest nor° favourable than heretofore. The annexed re-
port of the resident engineer is most satisfactory as re-
garde the general condition of the railway and progress
of the works:—
" RESIDENT ENGINEER'S REPORT.

" Gentlemeu,—l have the satisfaction of reporting
that the permanent way and works of the railway are in
good order and condition. The branches to the slate
wharl's at Port Penrhyn and Port Dinorwic, with the
necessary communications with the tramways, are com-
pleted and in good working order. The slate depot at
Salteney is progressing, and will, I expect, bo finished
in the course of two months. The cattle-sheds, yards,
and loading places at Holyhead, necessary for the full
development of the Irish traffic, aro completed and
ready for use. The railway from Bangor to Carnarvon
is now open, both for passenger and goods traffic.—l
remain, gentlemen, your obedient servant,

,
" HEDWORTH LEE."
The CHAIRMAN then rose and said—Gentlemen, it
now becomes my duty, in moving the adoption of the
report, to offer to you a few remarks; and I will begin
by stating to you at once candidly that when I took the
presidency of your company, now some fifteen months
since, I then anticipated a more rapid development of
your traffic than the exertions of myself, and my col-
leagues, and the executive have been able to effect.
Perhaps I took somewhat too sangino a view of the pros-
pective progress of our traffic from my not being accus-
tomed, as a director, to deal with such matters, and look-
ing at them, perhaps, more in the light of a man of
business accustomed to direct his own affairs, and not
expecting to meet, in regard to them, with those, impedi-
ments which experience has now shown me must be con-
templated in connexion with an undertaking so situated
as the Chester and Holyhead Railway. Nevertheless,
my opinion with regard to its future prosperity remains
unchanged.—(Hear.) The tragic remains to be deve-
loped.—(Hear.) The reasons why it has not been deve-
loped more rapidly, I will now state to you shortly, and
I hope satisfactorily to yourselves. In the first place,
15 months since, as I stated when I became chairman
of your company, I found your line terminating a mile
and a quarter from Holyhead, having no connexion with
the harbour, without the possibility of loading
,or un-
loading a single ton of goods, and with the means only
of taking our passengers on board the packets by a
number of omnibuses not very well served.—(Hear,
hear.) Your board applied themselves immediately to
the obtaining from the Government the right of carrying
down a railway to the end of the pier. They were met,
after strong representations on their part (I must say in
this instance) more liberally by Government than they
were ever met before, and your company have now a
railway complete to the end of the pier at Holyhead.
Together with that railway you have ample aceeemmo-
dation for the conveyance of goods and cattle; you hare
a station in every way suitable for your traffic; you have
refreshment-rooms, and in fact everything necessary for
the conduct of your traffic at the terminus. I had hoped,
when I last had the pleasure of meeting you, to be able
to report on the present occasion, not only the com-
mencement, but a considerable development of
your goods traffic with Ireland, but I regret
that it is not in my power so to report, and
the reasons simply are these. In the first place we
have had to deal with the City of Dublin Steam-
packet Company and with 16 railway companies in Ire-
land, and to carry out the numerous details connected
with such an arrangement, which those only are able to
understand who are brought into contact with them and
follow them up every day.—(Hear, hear.) It was in-
exonerlyei sayse d
in-
deed only last week that we obtained the seal of the
g;
andtirt3 have.
companies to the agreement, and completed the various
arrangements with the other companies for the tho-
rough working of traffic over our. line.
that I believe your board have in this malttecran
ad
cerotuankdindiscretion.--(Choers.) It is not our fault that I
consider in
—could only
the Legislature granted to us the tail-end of an un-
dertaking; it was, therefore, that your hoard—as I
various interests
is necessarily, I
deaTeircise of a wise and sound discretion
from our
~:u)rinciples of amity with all the
bound to say that in this matter say'
which the welfare of our under-
taking
we meet with the most
friends and allies the London
identified ; and I am
various interchanges powerful support
and North-Western Company;
met—(Hear)—
rawaitttherisn—daiPmleemwaanhtgaieetsofwthheichSarnw:
in the way in which we deserved antd allow me to add_
and after all those ;
aasrisoenc, inmtheeestes
(each trying to obtain a little more or a little less)—we
) transactions
have at last settled down to a fair e —we
end proper agreement,
or 12 days
and I hope that in 10
goods traffic with Ireland.—(llear,
open our , hear, and
ckhntiorwacwteiri l
h I tell you that there are, at present, 27
cheers) when • I besides
erpoo , numerous
steamers from Liverpool, .
merchant
engaged in the trade between Dublin
vessels, constantly n feeling, as we do,
that we are
and that port; and when
not only with the Irish com a- ,
now en tame of amity
greater part of the English tom_
panes, nies but also with
elar indeed if we did not antici-
pam:es, it would be sineal
of that traffic will, in time,
pate that a goodly portion
(Hear.) . I now come to the
come over your railwaY.—. , ~,n I stated to you that
slew traffic. On the Last uccusi,
cost to ourselves, in en.
we had succeeded, without any e.
Bangor. Colonel
taming a line of railway to the Port of
anworks, We
Ind d
Pennant has found the whole of the a
be
I ,
,___ has en opened
providing the rails. ~,That :limy