The Sun.
London, England, 1862-10-21 00:00:00

7HE ARllll'.

On Friday his Royal Highness the General Com-
manding-in-Chief made an unexpected visit to the
camp at Colchester. His Royal Highness, attended
by Major•Generai Airey and one or two other staff
officers, inspected the new cavalry barracks in course
of erection, and then proceeded to the camp proper,
the various departments 'of which he examined
with attention. He nezt -vent over the recently-
acquired Middlewick Farm. In the course of the
afternoon the troops in camp were drawn up on the
Government parade-ground, where they were re-
ceived by his Royal Highness, who was accom-
panied by his suite and Col. Guy, commandant of
the camp. His Royal Highness, on coming on the
ground, was received with a general salute, and, a
series of evolutions having been executed, the com-
manding officers were called to the front and com-
plimented on the manner in which they had been
performed. The 9th battalion was under the com-
mand of Col. Laye, and the 10th under the direc-
tion of Col, Street. His Royal Highness returned
to town in the evening.
The authorities at the War-office have decided on
erecting a hospital at Chatham for the exclusive
reception of the sick wives and children of the
troops belonging to the various branches of the
service at that garrison. The contract for the erec-
tion of the hospital has been taken by Mr. Stump,
the Government contractor at Chatham, and the
building is to be completed as speedily as possible.
The want of such an institution has been long felt.
The 6th Regiment was officially inspected yester-
day at Gosport by Major-Gen. Lord W. Paulet,
C. 8., the General officer commanding Portsmouth
garrison and the south-west district.

The 26th (Capt. Smith's) company of Royal Engi-
neers, which has been placed under orders to move
from Chatham to Aldershott, underwent the usual
official inspection at hem:. quarters yesterday. The
company will leave Chatham this morning 100
strong, with upwards of 30 women and children,and
on arriving at Aldershott will relieve the 24th
company,which is ordered to proceed to Portsmouth.
The baggage and stores belonging
to the 26th com-
pany were forwarded from Brompton barracks yes-
terday.
Forty men of the Royal Artillery, under the com-
mand of Lieut. Scott and Lieut. Nash, who have
been engaged in re-arming the Harwich redoubt,
have left that port for Woolwich. They are under
orders to sail for Barbadoes.

Lieut. Stafford, 97th Regiment, has been ordered
to join the depot companies of his corps.

V lOLEN7 S 7 ORM, SHIPTV RECKS, AND

LOSS OF LIFE.

GREAT LOSS ON THE COAST.—SEVERAL 4
VESSELS FOUNDERED IN THE DOWNS AND .
IN THE CHANNEL.
The equinoctial gales have set in with more than
usual severity. The changeable state of the weather
in the course of last week indicated the approach of
a storm, and on Saturday, about noon, the wind
gradually got up from the south-west, with heavy
rain, and continued to increase untii late in the
evening. There was then a lull, but on Sunday
afternoon the gale again burst forth with increased
fury, and as dusk set in it raged with the force of
almost a hurricane, accompanied by torrents of rain.
fhe greatest pressure was between 9 and 11 o'clock
p.m. on Sunday, as registered by the anemometer 1
of the meteorological department of the Board of
Trade.
The gale bas told with very disastrous effect upon ,
the shipping on various points of the coast, and se-
veral heavy and fatal losses are reported. In the
Downs, where a large fleet was anchored, the storm
is described to have been most destructive. The
wind blew with apparently overwhelming force,
and drove ships from their moorings in great con-
fusion. Lloyd's agent reports two ships to have
sunk at their anchors and the fate of the crews un-
certain. The ship Elizabeth, bound to Belize from
London, is also stated to have foundered, and it
is feared with some of her crew on board. She
broke adrift during the height of the gale on
Sunday night, and came in violent collision with
two ships called the Wellington and Ambrosine,
which were lying at anchor at her stern.
Such was the confusion on board each ship, conse-
quent on a belief that their vessels would founder,
that it is thought that some of the men must have
jumped on board the Elizabeth, and so probably
have perished. The barque Trio, from Saffi for
London, suffered so severely from the fury of the
storm and the sea breaking over her that she went
down at her anchors, but providentially the crew
are reported to have been able to save themselves
in the boats. A large fleet of disabled vessels have
put back ; some have gone into Ramsgate, and
others have returned to the Thames ; but by the
latest telegram received last evening from the agent
of Lloyd's the real extent of the havoc occasioned
in this roadstead has not yet been correctly ascer-
tained.
Below the South Foreland the same fearful
weather was encountered. The schooner Charlotte,
from Oporto to London, in coming up Channel had
her commander washed overboard, The Cupid, be
longing to Goole, was in collision with the ship
City of Pekin, of Folkemtone, and foundered. Off
Beachy Head, the Wesleyan, schooner, laden with
stone from Portland to London, was struck by a
heavy sea, and had to be abanboned.
At the back of the Isle of Wight, in Chale Bay,
a few miles to the westward of St. Catherine Point,
a dreadful shipwreck is reported to have happened
during the terrific weather of Sunday night. The
barque Lotus, from Demerara, was making her way
up Channel for London, when she was driven on
shore on the rocks in Chale Bay, and the cap-
tain, mate, and ten of the crew, were drowned.
The Ellen Horsfall was totally wrecked off
the Isle of Wight. Most of the western
ports are thronged with shipping which either had
been disabled, or had run in for shelter.
The eastern coast has suffered severely. The col-
lier brig Good Intent, bound to Teignmouth, with
coals from the Tyne, was blown on the shore at
Aldboroughness, and became a wreck ; and only the
master, mate, and ore man, were saved. Several
vessels are reported to have been lost on Sizewell
Bank. The Port Glasgow, for Boulogne, from the
North, and the London, Captain Taylor, bound to
Rochester, land the brig Hugh, for London, from
the Tyne, went upon the bank and were lost, three
of the crew of the latter ship perishing. A fine
brig called the Hippocampi, Capt. Johnson, from
Azzew for London, was driven from her anchor
and went on the Girdler Sand. Another vessel with
a valuable cargo from Archangel, was wrecked on
the Gunfleet. A long and disastrous list of casual-
ties has been sent up from Yarmouth and. Lowes-
toft, Several coasters have been wrecked. The Sea
Nymph, of Blyth, went upon the Scroby and sunk.
The Integrity, for Portsmouth, was driven on the
Barbar Sand, and the Two Brothers, from New-
-1 castle for London, foundered near the Dudgeon.
i