The Sun.
London, England, 1863-04-02 00:00:00

Running th

Charleston.

CHARLESTON, S.C., Feb. 23, 1563.
As the ruunioa• of the blockade is now a matter of very
frequent occurrence, your readers may like to know the
particulars of such a trip, which I therefore give from my
Own

_ experience.
On Sunray, 25th January, at six P.m, the Bri ish
steamer T -e, left Nassau, and at six P.M. on
Tuesday she was in soundings off the American
coast. As she was then still too far distant from
the port of Charleston, which was her destination,
for her to reach it between three and five A.M. (the
interval between moonset and sunrise), she was kept offend
on about 30 miles from land fll that night (Tuesday) and
the following day, and was again headed for land on Wed-
nesday afternoon, making it about sunset.
The sighting of the land, though dangerous from the
risk of meeting the American cruisers, is a necessary step,
for all lights and beacons along the seaboard of the Southern
States having been destroyed by the American navy, there
is no other way by which a mariner can ascertain his exact
position, a mat ter of the most vital importance in such a case
as that of running the blockade, where the difference of half

a mile means capture or escape.
The pilot having ascertained the position of the vessel,
she was headed towards Charleston about 8 p.m., distant
about 30 miles, and with the engines at "slow" she was
allowed seven hours to be off the bar. As the morning ad-
vanced the moon sank, but the night being clear and starlit
was a very unfavourable one on which to elude the vigi-
lance of the blockading squadron. By the time the rayon
had sunk, the T-0 was ascertained by soundings to
be off Charleston Entrance, and she was accordingly
steered right for the bar, and consequently for the fleet also.
Every light was now carefully extinguished or concealed,
and every tongue was hu, hed ; while every eye was strained
to its utmost as each vied with the other rn being the first
to see the vessels of the Yankee squadron In about half an
hour (3.45 a.m.) the leek out reported a vessel on the star-
board bow. She was only Distant about 200 or 300 yards,
and the outline of her mats, See, showed plain against the
..ky. She did not notice the I'---3. which in a similarly quiet
manner passed two more, and was at length fairly in the
" lion's j aws." Hopes now began to be entertained on
board the T-e that the vessel would be able to run the
gauntlet unseen; but these levee were doomed to disap-
pointment, when a blinding flash and stunning retort,
followed by the peculiar half scream, half roar of a shell
as it flew overhead, broke upon the stillness of the night.
This shell had been fired from a gunboat ahead, and
directly in the track of the whose presence
had been betrayed by the escape of some sparks
from her funnel. In a moment the surface of the sea
was illumined by the meteor like flash of innumerable
rockets, while as many blue lights cast a sickly glare over
the scene. It rendered for a moment almost every vessel of
the blockading fleet clearly visible, as did it, too, the help-
less little T-e in their midst. While this had been tak-
ing place, however, those on board bad not been idle. The
enaineers had weighted down the safety-valve, shut off the
feed pipe, and piled up the furnaces with rosin, oil,
and turpentine, and the captain and pilot having,
thanks to the Yankee illumination, discerned their enehey's
whereabouts, had headed the "f -e clear of them, and she
quivered in every plate as she fairly flew on her way under
an immense pressure of steam. All this time shot and
shell had been plunging over and around her, but, thanks
to her rate of speed, they began to fall astern, or where
the Yankees reckoned she should have been. A
large and very fast paddle-steamer, the Quaker
City, of eleven guns, was now in pursuit, firing her
bow gun at her chase as fast as it could be loaded. At this
juncture a vessel was seen nearly ahead, and though
painted of the blockade. running colour (a dirty whitish
gree), the T-e's course was altered, though not a moment
too soon, for ae she passed across the stranger's stern, the
latter bumped hard and fast against a sandbank. A little
twinkling light ahead of the T-e now again showed
another Yankee, and again was the T---ee-e's course
altered. The Quaker City, though now far behind, still
maintained her harmless fire and her pursuit, and so matters
continued till the lead announced that the T-e had
crossed the bar, and was within range of Fort Sumter's
guns. The e held on towards Charleston up the
narrow and intricate channel, and had got abreast of
Fort Beauregard when she grounded. There was now
no alternative but to wait patiently for sunrise, which was
already heralded by the first faint streaks of morning
light. As the morning grew, the Quaker City was seen
about a mile from the bar, and she slowly went about, and
returned to her station, a movement which was considerably
accelerated by a shot from the guns of Fort Beauregard.
The steamer that had grounded could now be distinctly seen,
some five miles off, surrounded by a little fleet of armed
Yankee schooners. She was reeognised as the Princess
Royal, of Glasgow, laden with arms and steam machinery
for the Southern Government, to whom her loss is a
very great one, though even for it they have since been
amply revenged in kind. The Yankees got her off later in
the afternoon, and took her alongside of the flagship Pow-
hattan, whence it is believed she eailed with a prize crew
for New York.
Soon after daylight several batteries of artillery were
posted along the shores of Sullivan's Island, so as to covet
the T-e in the event of the Yankees attempting a cut-
ting out expedition; but they seemed too much engrossed
with their prize to molest the prey that had escaped them.
At high water the T---e floated safely off, and proceeded
on her way up to Charleston, where she anchored at
four p.m.
Out of six vessels that attempted to run the blockade on
the 27th and 28th January, three are row in Charleston,
one (the Princtss-Roe al) has been captured, and two are
missing.
On Saturday 31st January, the blockading fl, et, baying
been dispersed by the Contederate rams, which destroyed
and disabled several vessels, had quite disappeared, and the
blockade was declared broken in the presence of the foreign
Consuls by the military and naval authorities. This morn-
ing, however, the Yankees appear to have returned in
treble force. S. M. UNDERHILL.

HYBRID EUGENIAS —This elegant myrtaceous
plant has rarely made a figure at the shows, and
very rarely have we heard of the fruit being applied to any
such use as was predicated of it when it was first introduced.
One great drawback to its cultivation was the complete
proof obtained in the winters of 1859 and 1860 that it is too
tender to bravo the vicissitudes of this climate. But another
cause of its decline in popularity was the lack of any
knowledge of the use to which the plant might be put.
Eugenia promises to rise in favour ; the fruit has been
used as a material for flavouring, and Eugenia ices have
acquired some fame. Another help has been found in hy-
bridising, which has been skilfully conducted by J. A.
Henry, Esq., and the result is a series of large-fruited varie-
ties, one of the best of which was shown at the Interna-
tional Fruit Show. This plant has a more vigorous habit
than either of its parents, Eugenia-ugni and Myrtus Ame-
ricana, and, grown as a standard, is a most beautiful object
when loaded with its large red fruit, of the size and colour
of skimmia berries, set amongst elegant and odoriferous
myrtle-like foliage. This hybrid will, we believe, be sent
out by Messrs. Veitch, and will be prized for culture in
orchard-houses and graperies as both useful and ornamen-
tal—Garden Oracle for 1863.
SUICIDE OF A YOUNG LADY FROM LONDON•
BRlDGE.—Yesterday morning, between 12 and 1
o'clock, a suicide was committed at London-bridge by a
Miss Eliza Phillips, aged 19, who had resided at Hometton.
She was observed by a policeman to be loitering on the
bridge. Suddenly she crossed the road, ran into the fourth
s h a ' ' ' edt
yso ranch
last lin. edaeit
8:
sd ink,t:
recess on the Surrey side, and jumped over. When too late
an alarm was raised, and a boat and drags of the 11..y,,1
Humane Soci,ty were obtained. The body was soon found,
and wes convey ed to Guy's Hospital, but life was ex, lam.
On searching the body several letters from a gentleman
were found. Ihe following is from the description isbu.d
by the policy :—Age 19, five feet two inches in height.
Dark brown hair, plaited. Brown eyes, fair complexion.
Dressed in a black and red poplin dress, black cloth cloak.
Petticoat marked in ink " E Phillips." White stockings,
marked "E. F."
WHAT FAITH WILL D3.—Thue, through all the
mythologies and symbol images of the old world,
the green things continually peep out, adding to the wild
beauty of these aboriginal forms, which, begot in.the
infancy of the world, are full of that freshness
of feteenog,
that love of allegory at d symbol, which chtritornac.
there
infancy in the individual men. In these :devo 1
:t:i:s:y'
is a largeness of character which
piety of our day and generation,. andfa,hs,
, and shr,
hrilere a home. Th
dread the features of tht se ancient .
y one hundred flowers to the
. rt,hl3 min, exhibits, in a power -
legend horrorstruck,
leastfrom
c 0
nt hfeesi rs
th a details
ttb sa: ot:fg had
eof,
.. . . . e
ret eo:0 tf
rYteor °dfa
proveil
legend of Rawana the gooa
e one of the flowers, and then com-
fwuolnitigohft,Rathweansain:
e'was too small. Rawana counted the
god
place; when the god, convinced of his piety,
potoaokpinpeifrydoimt:t
flowers, end finding only 89, offered one of his eyes to
restored the flower, and blessed him for his confiding faith.
—lslibberd's " Brambles and Bay Leaves."