The Sun.
London, England, 1863-08-26 00:00:00

Course of the Exchange—Yesterday.

Amsterdam • Short. 11 17 11 18
Ditto
Rotterdam .. • 11 191 11 191
Antwerp — 25 522 25 60
Brussels — 25 524- 25 60
Hamburgh — 13 Si Li 81
Paris
Ditto
--25 55 25 60
Marseilles
Frankfort on Maine --.. 1191 1 04
Vienna
Trieste
Petersburgh —35 i
Berlin
Madrid
Cadiz
Leghorn
'AI i 1 an
Genoa
Naples
Palermo ..
Messina ............
Lisbon......
0p0rt0........
..............

25 65

25 70

- 25 65 25 70
25 65 25 70
25 65 25 70
- 25 65 25 70
- 25 65 25 70
- 52/ 624
521 52k

DYING STRAINS.—Chopin, feeling the approach
of death, wisheu to bid a last farewell to the instru-
ment which Lad given utterance to his poetic inspirations,
and had been the means of his great success. A piano was
brought to his bedside. With icy hands and clouded vision,
he attempted to draw a few sounds from the instrument. A
sweet and touching melody, deeply expressive of regret, was
whispered forth ; but the musician was unable to complete
his pathetic improvisation. Ile fell back on his bed of suffering
and expired a few hours afterwards. Lablache, the incompar-
able artist, the worthy manparexcellence who is still regretted
by the musical world, attempted to sing upon his deathbed :
in order, as he said, to die as he had always lived, devoted
to his art. " Go," he said to one of his children, "go to
the piano and accompany mi." The son, struggling to
conceal his emotion, obeyed his father's last request.
Lablache then sang the first verse of the English romance
--" Home, Sweet Home." At the second verse, the singer's
throat contracted, and not a note could issue from it.
"Ah I" said Lablache, " I can sing no longer. lam a
lost man I" He died that very night.—biekens's
the Year Round."

YANKEE POLITENESS.—As the Revenue cutter
Victoria, Commander Smith, was taking a cruise
round the Shetland Islands last week, a vessel was observed
about two miles off the land, barque rigged. The Victoria
stood for the vessel and hailed her, but got no response.
As it was very evident that those in charge had very little
respect for her Majesty's "bunting," Commander Smith
ordered out a boat, and at once pulled alongside, when the
following colloquy took place :—Commander Smith : " Why
don't you show your flag ?" Stranger : " I guess I ain't
gotany." Commander Smith: " Where have you come
from ?" Stranger : " What's that to you ?" Commander
Smith : " Will you give us a rope and put your ladder
down ?" Stranger : I shant; you may get up if you can.
I don't want any d—d Britishers in my ship. He, ha,
ha I" Looking over the quarter at Commander Smith
(who weighs at least 16 stone), the captain of the strange
vessel sung out, "I guess that'll fix your flint." Brother
Jonathan was mistaken, however, in the muscular powers of
"old Cock Smith," as Prince Alfred styled him; for before
the Yankee could say Jack Robinson, Commander Smith
stood alongside of him, and though he fumbled about the
butt-end of his six-shooter," he felt it was no go ; the
cool bearing of the "Britisher" soon silenced the bluster
of the Yankee, who had to produce his papers for inspec-
tion, together with his victualling note, after which tho
Victoria left the. barque to pursue her course,—.Tekta
o' Groat Journal.

HORRIBLE DISCOVERY AT VICKSBURG. A
Vicksburg correspondent writes :—" A horrible
discovery has just been made on the rebel line of fortifica-
tions. Quite a number of mon have been engaged in re-
pairing the rebel fort that was blown up on the night of the
3d inst. In the course of their operations they have exhumed
60 or 80 dead bodies found buried in the ruins of the fort. It
seems that while our miners were at work making an entry
into the side of the hill that was crowned by the rebel fort, a
strong working party of rebels were set to work sinking a
counter-mine in the fort. This party, consisting, it is said,
of more than a hundred men, were in the mine when ours
exploded, and those of them who were not killed out-
, right were buried alive. Some of the exhumed bodies
are terribly lacerated and mangled, while others have not a
mark or braise upom them. Two heads, one that of a negro,
have been dug up. They were completely severed from the
bodies, the latter not having yet been found. The bodies
aro found in. • almost every concsivable position—some
standing erect, others sitting or tying, and in one instance
the body was head downward, as if it had been caught in
that position by the crumbling earth while falling headlong
into the pit below."

A I.IIELANCIIOLY DETAIL OF THE AMERICAN
`'STAR.--The following advertisement, dated from
the Chief Assistant-Quartermaster's Office, appears in the
Washington Inteiligencer of the 10th inst. :—" Sealed pro-
posals will be received at this office until Tuesday, August
18, 1863, at 12 o'clock M., for furnishing to the United
States 2,b00 head-boards or tablets for graves of the follow.
ing description, viz.—All to be of good black walnut, clear
of knots and splits, four (4) feet in length, ten (10) inches
wide, and one and three-eighths (ID of an inch thick, with
five-eighths (a) of an inch thick, at least twenty (20) inches
in length, each of said head-boards or tablets to be well
oiled and lettered with the name, rank, regiment,
and Company, with the time of decease of such com-
missioned officers or soldier as the Assistant-Quartermaster
of his agent may direct, and in ail respects to correspond
with a sample to be seen at this office." Among the condi-
tions specified is the following :—" Proposal from disloyal
parties will not be considered, and an oath of allegiance to
the United States Government must accompany each pro.
position."

REMARKABLE PRIZ E.—On Friday mornicg the
fishermen of Cadgwith, near the Lizard, secured
and brought to Falmouth a large whale, commonly known
as a "finner," which they captured near the first-mentioned
place, floating dead. It measured 74 feet in length and 36
feet in girth, and was landed on the gridiron of the Fal-
mouth Docks oh the day of the opening of the Cornwall
Railway, to the great amusement of the folks from the in-
terior of the country.

WHALE HUNT IN ORKNEY.—GREAT CAPTURE.
—At Holm, on Monday evening, all the boats had
a grand whale hunt, when they drove ashore the whole
dock of 79 qr SO, and killed them in a bay at the east end
of Holm. They were sold by roup on WednCsday, and
fetched fair prices, bringing upwards of £2OO to the cap-
tutors. Some 20 boats, with SO men, were engaged in the
capture, and all made a good night's work of it. The chase
lasted five hours before they got the whales stranded.

EFFECT OF THE LIGHTNING AT DEPTFORD.--Last
evening, about half-past 6, the Catholic Church In High-
street, Deptford, was struck by lightning and the cress
carried away, much brickwork in the interior damaged, and
several windows brsken. The electric fluid spread to the
adjoining houses; and Mr. J. Lcuton Pulling, solicitor,
who happened to have a diuner-knife at the time in his
hand, received a slight shoci.. Fortunately, however, no
as further damage w dome, though much alarm was caused
in the ntiglabourhvod.