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

REPORTED DEATH OF MR. PETHERICK.

Travellers (writes an officer of the 2d Life
Guards, in the _Field of Saturday), sportsmen,
naturalists, geographers, all know the name of
John Petherick, a kind-hearted, plucky, powerfully
built specimen of a true John Bull, who both in
his private and in his official capacity as her
Majesty's Consul at Khartum, White Nile, has
rendered much good service and protection to Bri-
tish interests in this out-of-way and distant region
of Upper Egypt. His contributions to the natural
history of the rude and savage men, and of the
wild beasts among which they live, are well known
through the medium of the book (" Egypt, Soudan,
and Central Africa") Mr. Petherick has himself
published, and also through the columns of the
Field.

Not many days ago the news appeared, by tele-
gram, in the London papers, that Mr. Petherick
and his wife were drowned in the White Nile. Of
course we were all very grieved to hear this, and
we anxiously wait further particulars. I have,
however, just received a letter from my friend Dr.
Genezik, who lived for many years next door to
Petherick, at Khartum, and held the appointment
of physician and sanitary inspector at this town
under the Egyptian Government, and who knows
the White Nile and the rude inhabitants of these
districts from long practical experience.
He writes from Prague, in Bohemia, to me
thus :—" I see, from the newspapers, that
Petherick, with all his family, wife, and ser-
vants, have been drowned on the White Nile. I
don't believe this version ; he was murdered, with
all his party, either by the negroes or by his own
people, and the news of his having been drowned
spread by them. I know the White Nile, its visi-
tors, its ivory and ebony borders, better than any-
body else."
Immediately I received this, I took the liberty of
submitting it to Sir Roderick Murchison, President
of the Royal Geographical Society, as I had read a
report of a meeting of the society, wherePetherick's
death was officially announced. I have done this in
the hope that the circumstances under which our
good friend met his death may be immediately ft lly
inquired into by the authorities. If the poor fellow
was really drowned, no harm can cone of the in-
quiry ; but if he, with his good lady (to whom he
was tra-
was married just before he bade us farewell) was
knocked on the bead and basely murdered by any
samwoilniglowohkoaelt he was
of the savage vagabond
velling—and if the reader ,
book be wilesee what style of savages
quietly down
they are it
is our duty Englishmen not to sit
and accept for the truth the news of his having been
drowned, but to call the murderers, er those who
have power over them, to strict account; and this
not only because Petheriek
was
because
efine brave fel-
low we all knew him to he, but he was the
emissary of the .
Briti'
Khartum,
as
well a - Government, as consul at
to rendert 1,11
4e commander of an expedi-
tionassistance to Captains Grant and
Speke in their arduous, dangerous, but important
explorations.

ALLEGED CAPTURE OF A CALIFORNIAN SPECIE
STEAMER BY THE ALABAMA.—LIVERPOOL, Jan.
31.—A letter was received in Liverpool, to-day, by the
West India mail-steamer Tasmania, Captain Sawyer, mak-
ing the important statement that the Alabama had captured
one of the Californian mail-steamers, and seized upwards of
1,500,000 dole. in specie. The same letter also states that
the Alabama captured two American whalers, which she
burnt, and afterwards landed the crews at one of the West
India islands. Should this statement proved correct, 70 may
no doubt look for details by the Cunard steamer Africa.