The Sun.
London, England, 1863-04-18 00:00:00

THE LOSS OF THE ORPHEUS.

The following despatch, addressed to the Duke of
Newcastle, has been received from Sir G. Grey, Go-
vernor of New Zealand :

New Zealand.—No. 10.

" Government•house, Auckland, Feb. 9, 1863.

My Lord Duke,—l have the honour to report to your
grace the total loss of her Majesty's ship Orpheus on the
bar of the harbour of Manukau, on the west coast of the
North Island, nearly opposite to the harbour of Auckland,
which is on the east coast.
2. Eight officers and 61 men have been saved from the
wreck. The names of the officers who have been saved are
given in the enclosure of this despatch. Twenty-three offi-
cers and 158 men, it is believed, have perished, as the vessel
has entirely gone to pieces, and nothing has been seen of
them. The names of the missing officers are also given in
the list transmitted herewith.

3, It is positively known that many of these officers and
men have perished, as they were killed in the presence of
the survivors by spars and ropes. There is but slight hope
that any of them can be alive; they can only have escaped
by having been first washed out to sea on some spar, and
then washed up on some other part of the island.
4. The ship, as far as I can collect, was rather to the
southward of the port, and was, about half-past 1 o'clock in
the day, with beautiful weather and a fair wind, making
the harbour under steam and sail, going about 12 knots.
Running thus from the southward, she was intending to make
the passage across the bar as laid down in the chart of 1853.
Since that time the bar has shifted about three-quarters of
a mile to the northward. She was thus rather more than
that distance too far to the southward, and touched first on
a small shoal off the middle banks, and in a few minutes
ran directly on to them, where there is always a very heavy
sea, and where her position (about four miles out at sea)
was hopeless.
5. At between 4 and 5 o'clock a small coasting steamer
the IVonga Wonga, which was going out of the harbour,
seeing her peril, went to her assistance, but, from the heavy
sea and breakers, was unable to get very near her; but the
boats of the Orpheus, and those of the men who were saved
under the shelter of the steamer, managed from time to
time to pick up others. They were aided in the most gal-
lant and determined manner by three Maories from the
pilot-station, who steered the boats.
"6. The conduct of Commodore Burnett, his officers, and
men, was perfectly heroic. I have never heard instances of
greater courage, carelessness of self, and efforts to save the
ship and others than have been detailed to me, At about
9 at night the mainmast went overboard ; the other two
masts went in less than 20 minutes afterwards. Those of
he crew (and they were a great number) who had not yet
been washed overboard or killed by spars and ropes were
on the masts and rigging, and the poor fellows, as these
went, gave three parting cheered and then perished. lam
told that not a murmur or cry was heard from the wounded
and dying, and yet the manner of some of their deaths was
terrible. Altogether it is one of the most affecting events
that I have ever heard of, and yet one that excites admira-
tion from the courage, self-devotion, and energetic resigna-
tion both of the many who perished and the few who were
saved. " I have, &c., "G, GREY.
" His Grace the Duke of Newcastle, K.G."

CHEAP DINING Rooms FOR THE WORKING
CLASSES.—It is with great satisfaction we hear that
the arrangements for carrying out the objects of the Asso-
ciation for the Establishment of Dining and Refreshment
Rooms for the Working Classes are progressing very satis-
factory. The executive committee have invited proposals
for premises in Lambeth, Westminster, Marylebone, Fins •
bury, Tower Hamlets, and Southwark, so that on completion
of the necessary alterations the working men will be
enabled every day to enjoy the luxury of a good, wholesome,
and substantial dinner for 41d. The possibility of doing so
was most indisputably proved on the occasion a short time
ago, when an experimental dinner was given at the Work-
ing Mens' Club, St. Clements Danes; and as the movement
is purely a philanthropic one, it is to be hoped than, all who
have the means will help on the good work. Mr. Warriner,
the instructor of cookery in the army, Dr. Letheby, and
others, have lent their assistance, and the fullest informa-
tion can be obtained of Mr. Carpenter, the honorary secre-
tary, at his residence, 6, Brunswick. square. _ _

SUICIDE IN THE THAMES. Yesterday, Mr.
Langham, the deputy coroner for Westminster, held
an inquest at St. Martin's Vestry-room, Charing-cross,
touching the death of Ro3,' Jane Pratt, aged 21 years,
whose body was found in the Thames on Tuesday evening
last. James Pratt of 2, Phillips cottages, Hammersmith,
said deceased was his niece. the was a servant, but was
out of place. She resided with him. He last saw her alive
on Thursday, three weeks, when she went out but did not
say where she was going. On the following morning a
policeman brought her bonnet, shawl, and brooch to him,
which he said had been found on Westminster-bridge on
the previous evening. There was a card pinned inside the
bonnet, by which means deceased's residence was found out.
He knew of nothing particularly preying upon her mind,
excepting that she had been crossed in love about twelve
months since. She had once gone to the Serpentine with
the intention of destroying herself, but seeing some one
standing by, she ran away, and purchased some poison, but
she did not take it. She was very much depressed at times.
She was not without money, and she had a situation to go
to on the following Monday. The jury returned a verdict
that "Deceased destroyed her own life by drowning whilst
in, a state of temporary iasauity,"

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HER MAJESTY.

WINDSOR CASTLE, April 17.
The Queen, accompanied by her Royal Highness
Princess Beatrice and attended by the Marchioness
of Ely, Lady in Waiting, and Baroness von Schenck,
drove out yesterday afternoon.

Major-General Seymour, Equerry in Waiting,
attended on horseback.

Their Royal Highnesses Princess Helena and
Princess Louise, attended by Lady Caroline Bar-
rington and Captain Sir W. Hoste, went to London
and remained for the night at Buckingham Palace.
His Royal Highness Prince Alfred, attended by
Major Cowell, and Prince Louis of Hesse, attended
by Captain Westerweller, also went to London and
were present in the House of Commons to hear the
financial statement of the Chancellor of the Ex-
chequer.
Her Majesty the Queen, attended by the Mar-
chioness of Ely, Lady Augusta Bruce, and the Mas-
ter of the Household, went to Buckingham Palace
this morning, and returned to Windsor at two
o'clock.

Their Royal Highnesses Princess Helena and
Princess Louise, attended by Lady Caroline Bar-
rington and Sir W. Hoste, returned with the
Queen.

Departure of the Prince and Princess of
Wales for Windsor (This Day). _

SANDRINGHAM, Saturday.

Their Royal Highnesses the Prince and Princess of
Wales, accompanied by the members of the Prince's house-
hold, took their departure this morning at 10 o'clock from
Sandringham Hail for Windsor.
The Royal party reached Wolverton etation of the Great
Eastern Railway at about 10 o'clock, when a special train
was in waiting, and, on alighting from their carriages, Mr
Love, the chairman of the company, and several of the direc-
tors, conducted their Royal Highnesses to the saloon-car-
riage, and immediately the train started on its journey,
Mr. Robertson, the superintendent of the line, and Mr.
Kitson, of the locomotive, department having charge of the
engine.

The route taken by the royal train was by Wisbeach,
where great preparations had been made by the corporation
and inhabitants to give their Royal highnesses a hearty
reception, the mayor presenting a loyal address on the occa-
sion. From Wisbeach the train proceeded on to March
and Ely, and thence to Cambridge and London.
It was arranged that the royal train should arrive at
Stratford about 20 minutes past two o'clock, where the offi-
cials of the Great Eastern Railway will deliver it over to
the care of the safe custody of the representatives of the
North London Railway Company, namely, Mr. Mansell,
the manager; Mr. Adams, the locomotive superintendent;
and Mr. Hitch, the superintendent. A North London
engine then takes the train across the marches to Hackney
Wick junction, and, reaching Camden Town station, leaves
the main line and proceeds along the Hampstead Junction
for Acton and Kew, where the officials of the South-Western
Railway take charge of the train till its arrival at Windsor,
which it is expected to reach about four o'clock this after-
noon.

THE PRINCE AND PRINCESS OF WALES.—Their
Royal Highnesses the Prince and Princess of Wales
leave Sandringham today for town. They will return via
Wisbeach, where for more than ten days past active prepa-
rations have been made to give them a suitable welcome.
The Mayor (Mr. R. Young) went down to Ssndringhara
on Wednesday, and it is now understood to have been posi-
tively determined that to-day (Saturday) the Wiftbeachians
shall have an opportunity of displaying their loyalty and
devotion to the Royal pair. From Wisbeach the train con-
veying the Prince and Princess will proceed to town via
March. Wisbeach has not been visited by any member of
the Royal family since 1836, when her Majesty, then Prin-
cess Victoria, passed through the town in returning from a
visit to the Marquis of Exeter, at Burghley. The Prince
and Princess have passed the three weeks which they have
spent at Sandringham in almost complete retirement. The
county press bas respected the privacy which their Royal
Highnesses sought, but one or two morning papers have
persisted, as far as possible, in dogging their footsteps. It
is not expected that they will again visit Sandringham till
the commencement of the shooting season, but during the
autumn and winter they will probably pass some time in
Norfolk. Preparations for extending and improving the
Hall are to be commenced next week.

We are authorised to state that his Royal High-
ness the Prince of Wales will receive addresses t.f congra-
tulation from corporations and other public bodies on Wed-
nesday, the 29th inst., at Marlborough House. Regulations
will shortly be published in the Gazette.

Their Roy al Higlane sses the Duchess of Cambridge
and the Princess Mary will honour the Duchess of Inver-
ness with their company at dinner this evening at Kensing-
on Palace. There is a select party invited to meet their
it oyal Highnesses.

The Duke and Duchess of Argyll and their
youthful family arrived at their house at Campdenll,
Kensington, on Wednesday, from Roseneath Castle, Dum-
bartonshire.

The Duke and Duchees of Northumberland bay'
arrived at Northumberland House, from Alnwick Castle,
for the seascn.

The Duke of Leinster has arrived at Kilke(
Castle, on a visit to the Marquis and Marchioness of Kil.
dare, from Carlton House, near Mayncoth.
The Earl Cathcart has returned to Maurigy'b
Hotel, from Thornton-le-Street, near Thirsk, Yorkshire.
The Earl of Essex has arrived in town, from
Caehiobury Pa, k, Herts.
The Earl and Countess Grey have returned to
town from visiting Lord and Lady Lovaine at Albury Park
near Guildford.
The Earl and Countess of Durham have arrived
in town from their seat, Lambton Castle, Durham. His
lordship has taken a residence in Upper Grosvenor-street
for the season.

Lord Llanover has arrived at his residence :n
Great Stanhope-street from his seat in Wales. Lady Mau-
over is not expected until the middle of May.
Lord and Lady Rendleshem have arrived at the
Clarendon Hotel, from Paris.
Lord and Lady Blantyre and family have arrived
at their residence in Grosvenor-place, from Erskine House,
Renfrewshire.

Lord Broughton has returned to town from
passing the parliamentary recess at Tidworth Park, Wilts.
The Rigtt Hon. K. Hamilton Nisbet came to
town on Tuesday, from Paris, and has since gone to Blox
holm Hall, near Sleaford. Lady Mary and Miss H. Nisbet
are still in Paris.

Lady Farquhar has left Brighton for Petworth,
on a visit to Lord and Lady Leaconfield.

Lady Caroline Lane Fox has arxived at her house
in Chesham-place. _

Sir Charles Grey has arrived at the Clarendon
Hotel, from Tonbridgo Wells.

LITERARY AND SCIENTIFIC MEETINGS FOR THE
ENSUING WEEK,—Monday—Asiatic, at 3; Archi-
tects, at 8, Tuesday—Statistical Society, at 8—" Direct
Imperial Expenditure, Colonies," Mr. Purdy ; Engineers,
at 8—" Scinde Railway," Mr, Brunton ; " St. German's
Sluice of the Middle Level Drainage, Dr. Hawkshaw ;
Royal Institution, at 3—" Animal Mechanics," Mr. Mar-
shall; Zoological, at 9—" Pheasants" Dr. Sclater ; "Birds,
East Africa," Dr. Hautlaub. 'Wednesday—Geological, at
8—" Gneiss and other Azoic Rocks, Bavaria and Bohe-
mia," Sir I. Murchison; " Section at Mocktree, near Lud-
low," Mr. Lightbody ; Society of Arts, at 8—" Construc•
tion of Twin Screw Steamships," Captain Symonds ;
Archaeological Association, at 81—" Roman Villa, Berke,"
Dr. Palmer; "Roman Antiquities, Corinium," Professor
Buckman ; " Peaked H'tts," Mr. Cumming. Thursday--
Antiquaries, at 2—Anniversary; Royal, at Si; Royal In-
stitution, at 3—" Geology," Professor Ansted. Friday—
Horticultural, at 2—Election of Fellows ; Royal Institu •
tion, at 8—" Luminous Meteors," Mr. Herschel. Saturday
—Royal Institution, at 3—" Language," Professor Max
Nluller.—Athefueunr.
THE BABRAHAM HERD.—The first sale of short-
horns from the herd of the late Mr. Jonas Webb
took place on Wednesday, when 82 animals realised £55 15s,
a piece, or £1,571 14s. in all. Six families were named in
our notice of the herd last Saturday, descendants respec-
tively of cows named Celia, Dodona, Sylph, Beauty, Bodice,
and Gwynne. Thirty-nine from the first
of them fetched
£2,019 35,, or £5l 16s. 6d. each • 15 from Dodona realised
£5O ss. 2d. each ; 11 from Sylph made £55 7s. 3d. a
piece; seven" Beauties" averaged no less than £lO2 18s.,
,even from Bodice fetched £44 ss. a piece ; and three
Gw ynnes made £53 4s, each, Among the more noteworthy
prices were 100 guineas ter Beauty, the mother of one
of the above families, now a 10 -year old cow, bought by Mr.
Hales, of North Frith ; 160 guineas given by Mr. Betts for
her daughter, Red Rose, and no less than 225 for Drawing-
room Rose, another daughter, just 11 months old, given by
Mr. Irving, of Sydney. In several instances 100 guineas and
upwards were given for cows of the Celia, the
Dodona, and Sylph families; and the average price of the
whole sale is very high, considering the number disposed of.
A good many of these cattle were bought to go into Ger-
many; several will be despatched to Australia; others are
bought for Scotland, Ireland, and distant English counties,
and many remain near home in the eastern counties, where
improved stock is much needed. The second and final sale
takes place on the 24th of June, the day having been
altered from the 15th of July, for which it was originally
announced, because that falls ,in the week of the Inter-
national Agricultural Exhibition at Hamburg,