The Sun.
London, England, 1863-11-11 00:00:00

WHITECHAPEL.

The supply of meat on sale if moderate; on the whole,
,he trade is steady, as follows :

Bed; from 2s 6d to 4s Od; mutton, 3s 2d to 4s 4d ; veal,
3s 6d to 4s 4d; and pork, as 4d to 4s 4d per Sibs by.the
carcase.

VARIATIONS OF THE COMPASS.—The Revue 111 a•
ritime et Coloniale publishes a letter on the devia-
tions to which the needle is liable in consequence of the sub-
stitution of iron for wood in ships. One of the latest contri-
vances for diminishing this serious inconvenience is the

correcting compass, which affords the means of taking the
sun's position, whereby the doviation may be corrected. Rhea
sometimes been supposed that fogs and certain other states of
the atmosphere could influence the needle ; but this has not
been borne out by observation. Lightning alone exercises
a decided influence on the needle by reversing its points, so
that north becomes south, and conversely. When a vessel
is nearing land, the needle is said to be affected :
and certain rocks there are that exercise a decided magnetic
influence on the compass, volcanic rocks especially, but this
influence is not felt on board ships. But the action of the
iron forming the ship's sides is far different ; nothing, not
even the interposition of a thick non-magnetic body, will
stop its influence—far less, as some have believed, a copper
coating or thick paint. But the real danger proceeds from
another course, since the ship herself, under her weight of
canvas, may increase the deviation of the needle, From ex-
periments made on board an iron-built sailing vessel, pro-
vided with iron rigging and lower yards of steel, and with
two binnacle compasses on her poops, and a third placed
between the mizen and mainmasts, the lower part of which
was all of iron, the deviations of the needle were respectively
56 deg., 24 deg., and 35 deg. Without entering into further
details on this matter, the writer of the article concludes
with condemning the imprudence of those who freight an
iron vessel before she has been at sea for a considerable
time, in order to ascertain how her compass behaves. More-
over, a captain undertaking the command of an iron ship
should be called upon to show that he has previously been
on board such a vessel on a long voyage, so that he may
know how to deal with the deviations observable on board
the vessel to be commanded.—Galignani.

ALLEGED ARSON IN SPITALFIELDS,—A man
named Joshua Nash was brought before the magis-
trates at Manchester yesterday, having given himself up to
Superintendent Anderton, on a confession of having set
fire to premises in Spitalfields in 1861. According to his
statement, he and a Mr. Bateman opened a shop as drapers
in Brick-lane, Bacon-street, Spite Melds. They "La-
mowed business with about £5O, and insured for £2OO in
the Sun-office. After that ho remained ono night and, set
fire to the premises, which were burnt down.
The fire
also destroyed several cottages. They obtained from the
Sun-office £lOO. Ile had lately been wandering about the
country, and had longed to give himself up to justice. In
answer to the magistrates, Superintendent Anderton said
he had written to London, and in answer Mr. Shaw, super-
intendent of the London Fire Brigade, informed him that
the premises of a firm named Bateman Sc. Nash were burnt
down on the 23d of July, 1851. The cause of the fire was
unknown at the time. The prisoner having said that his
statement was correct, he was remanded.
THE GALWAY MAIL STEAMER ANGLIA. ASHORE.
--Another of the steamers belonging to the Galway
Mail Pecket line has met with an accident, which, however,
so far as our knowledge of the affair at present extends, will
not be of a very serious nature. The Anglia, under the
command of Captain Prowse, sailed from the Mersey on
Saturday morning last for Galway, en route to America.
From a telegram received yesterday we learn that the
Anglia went ashore near Gali.vay on Monday last whilst at-
tempting to make the harbour, and that the position of the
ship, when the telegram was despatched, was one of safety.
The weather was moderate, and it was expected that the
ship would be eased off during the following tide. So far
as appearances at present go the Anglia has received no
damage of any consequence, although it will be necessary,
before resuming her voyage, that she should undergo a
rigid examination. A later telegram states that at four
o'clock yesterday afternoon the Anglia was got off Black
Rock. It was not yet known whether she was much in-
jured. She was to sail today for America.