The Sun.
London, England, 1863-09-04 00:00:00

—..4d.
STAMPED ....sd.

harbour channel. The cost of the construction is
estimated at 3:450,000 only, and this also includes
the construction of wharfs over the piling 200 ft.
wide, with lines of railway on the inner and outer
faces, a coaling depot for ships of war ou each side
of the apex of the work, each capable of boiling
50,000 tons, with a lighthouse over each.

In addition to the immense tidal and floating basins
which would t hue be added to the resources of Ports-
mouth as a naval arsenal, the adoption of this plan
would have the effect of throwing the inmost circle
of Portsmouth defences from their present position
at the harbour's mouth to the extreme edge of the
outer shoals, the 200 feet outer quay room, or as we
have termed it, wharf room, affording magnificent
space for the erection of any number of guns of the
largest calibre. This measure would effectually ren-
der impassible the holding of Spithead anchorage by
an enemy even supposing ouch enemy had forced
successfully the channels of entrance, and for this
cause alone, leaving out of the question its other
advantages, will doubtless receive the serious atten-
tion it deserves at the hands of the authorities.
Whether the fort be eventually erected on the
Sturbridge or on the Warner it is evident from what
has been here stated that the shore batteries on the
sea faces of Portsmouth required altering altogether
both in design and in their powers oi„ offence; and
this is now being done at the two extreme points of
the base line of the triangle referred to—Southsea
Castle and Fort Monckton. Southsea Castle had a
short time since erected on either flank two earthen
auxiliary batteries, at a cost of £15,000. These are
now, of course, useless against iron ships, and new
works have been commenced of a very different cha-
racter. They consist of a long arm connected with the
Castle, extended out on either flank, the Castle being
made the centre of the work, but it will be altered
altogether in its character. These flank works will
be curvilinear in all their outlines, and will be fitted
with platforms to sustain 22-ton or even heavier
guns. They will be iron-faeed, and each embrasure
will be of iron on the Thorncroft plan, and shielded,
On the right flank of Fort Moncton is being con-
structed a very extensive mortar battery, which will
be also corvilinear in all its outlines : and a similar
battery is now completing on a low bluff
adjoining the seabeach at Puekpool, a short dis-
tance east of Ityde. What is required now to arm
these two last-named butteries with is an improved
mortar for throwing monster shells, for the vulner-
able part of an iron ship is her upper deck, and all
we are as yet endeavouring to do is to smash in her
armour-plated sides.
_ _

Thus far we have endeavoured to describe what
is being actually done, and what has been proposed
for the defence of Spithead from attack by the
south-east channel. There is, however, a side
entrance for iron-clads to reach Spithead existing
in the Needles channel, and here measures are being
taken to close, if possible, the passage against them,
and Hurst Castle is the point selected. The
earthern auxiliary batteries which flanked the
Castle in a similar manner to the old flanking sup-
ports of Southsea have been removed, and precisely
similar iron•faced and embrasured works to those
Southsea is receiving are being stretched along the beach
from either flank of the Castle, with this addition. that in
the case of Hurst, the guns will all be mounted in bomb
proof easemates, and it will be, therefore, of a stronger and
more extensive character than Southsea. It is certainly
to be hoped that the new work at Hurst may be found
sufficient to close the passage between the main and the
Needles against an enemy. Thousands upon thousands
sterling have been lavished during recent years upon the
Needles passage, and yet the latest, or one of the latest,
works of the Royal Engineers—Fort Victoria—stands a
monument of their folly, a shell-trap at the base of a cliff,
a thing that has been spoken of with derision by even naval
and military officers, and in the presence, too, of the
Defence Commission:

Mr. Craft's Visit to the King of Dahomey

The only section of the British Association
which possessed any very special interest

yesterday was that which has been through
out the most popular—the section devoted to the
discussion of geographical and enthological ques-
tions. Yesterday it was unusually crowded to hear
Mr. Craft give an account of his recent visit to the
King of Dahomey. Mr. Craft commenced by re-
peating what he stated in the section the other
day,—
" That both his grand-parents were Africans of pure
descent, that they were kidnapped and sent to America,
that he was born there and had lived there as a slave. Ile
was now fortunately out of America. He had been in Eng-
land some 12 or 14 years, and confessed—though he did not
wish to insult any American lady or gentleman who might
be present—that he did not like America, and, of course
all negroes had reason for sharing that feeling of repug-
nance. He now considered himself an Englishman of
African parentage, unfortunately born in America. The
subject for consideration was Dahomey. There was a great
deal of difference with regard to the people of that country.
Some extraordinary accounts had been printed of what took
place there, and those accounts had induced him to go there
and to ascertain whether those accounts were true or false,
and whether anything could be done to change the bad
habits of the people in that part of the world. His friends
were much opposed to his going, and said that the King of
Dahomey would be sure to cut his head off as soon as he
laid hands on him. He felt, however, that it was his duty
to go, and at length a committee was formed for the
purpose of buying presents and making hie mission as suc-
cessful as possible. At that period the Government had
given up Dahomey as a bad job, and felt they could do
nothing in the matter ; and Mr. Layard, the Under-Sec-
retary of State for Foreign Affairs, after informing him of
the opinion held by the Government, and saying that ho
should be glad to see him on his return, told him ho
candidly thought he never would get back again alive.
He gave him, however, a letter of introduction to the Go-
vernor of Lagos, requesting the Governor to give him every
assistance and protection in his power. He sailed from
Liverpool to Lagos about nine months ago, and went to
Dahomey through the lagoons in canoes. They day after
they leached the town where the King was staying, mes-
sengers came saying that his Majesty was ready to receive
his visitors. Here he might observe that, in thus giving a
truthful account of what he saw and heard, he must not be
understood as apologising in any way for the barbarous ells •
toms of the place. He wished simply to state the truth.
The King also sent a rosewood liquor case, furnished with
cut•glass bottles, containing different kinds of spirits. This
was for the purpose of enabling the great men to drink to
the health of Mr. Craft in the name of the King. He then
got into a hammock, and proceeded to the palace. On his
way he saw in the market-place 12 platforms, 40 feet high,
150 ft. apart, and perhaps loft. or 12ft. square. On each side
of the platform was a man in an upright position, and quite
dead. These persons had all been executed the night before.
1 hey were clad in accordance with the fashions of the
country, and in their hands or otherwise attached to their
persons were calabashes filled with native produce, and a
cord, to which were fastened two or three sheep. The
meaning of all this was that one Dahomey tribe held an
anniversary in honour of their victory over a neighbouring
tribe. When he came to the other side of the palace, he
found thousands of natives assembled. As they pagsed
through the crowd of natives saluted them, and when
they came into the palace yard they found thousands of
the principal people of the country. The chiefs stood
on the right hand of the King, while on his left there
were 2,000 or 3,000 Amazons, attired in their gayest
costume. The King himself sat under a large tent, and
was surrounded by his wives and a few officers of the
Amazon regiment. When they approached the King they
bowed to him, and ho returned the salutations. Ho was
was seated on a raised plat form about 10ft. square, covered
with handsome cloth. He immediately rose and shook Mr.
Craft and his companions heartily by the hand, saying that
he was glad to see him, and thanking him for taking the
trouble to pay him a visit. He also inquired very kindly
after his health, and after the health of her Msj€sty the
Queen and of the members of the British Government, to
all which Mr. Craft replied that he believed they were very
well. He then inquired whether the Queen had sent him to
Dahomey, to which Mr. Craft answered ' No,' but that he
came at the request of a number of English friends of the
King's, who desired to promote civilisation in Africa, and
to encourage a legitimate trade between the people of Eng-
land and Dahomey. He also told him that, though they
did not come directly from the British Government, he
knew they had the good wishes of the GJvernment, who
would be very glad if something could be done in the way he
had proposed. The King seemed at once to understand the
matter, and Fgid it was all right; and he proposed succes-
sively the healths of the gentlemen who had sent Mr.
Craft, of Mr. Craft himself, and of her Majesty the Queen-
It was customary at the palace to taste a little of every-
thing that was offered in the way of drink, but visitors