The Sun.
London, England, 1865-06-07 00:00:00

Her Majesty's Ship Donegal.

It is only within the last few years that the people of
Liverpool have had the permanent opportunity of culti-
vating friendly relations with the royal navy, as the visits
of her Majesty's ships to our port were few and far between.
Since, however, a man-of-war has been stationed in the
Mersey a very sincere entente cordiale has been established
between them, owing to the happy selection made by the
Admiralty in their appointments to the guardship here.
We think it was Capt. Mends who first inaugurated the
good feeling, which was further cemented by Capt. Ingle-
field. We have now a most worthy successor in Capt.
Paynter, who is equally successful in maintaining those
friendly relations which render the navy so popular. On
Saturday afternoon, by invitation of Capt. Paynter, the
commodore, Rear Commodore of the Royal Mersey Yacht
Club, and a large number of the members, embarked on
board the gunboat Goshawk, Lieut. Cheek, which was
gaily decorated with flags, and were conveyed on board the
Donegal, where they received a courteous welcome from
Capt. and Mrs. Paynter. After the company had assembled
on the poop, a portion of which was made into a cheerful
and commodious luncheon room by means of bunting, a
number of the blue jackets were put through the cutlass
exercise on the main deck; they displayed admirable pro-
ficiency, and .the flash of the steel in the sunlight was
particularly striking. Next followed bayonet exercise by
the marines, a particularly effective performance, which
did credit to their officers. At the close of this the company
perambulated the vessel, diving down into the deepest re-
ceases of the vast ship, the various parts of which were
explained to them by their guides. Nothing could exceed
the order and cleanliness which prevailed everywhere, and
the ventilation is perfect. The Donegal is, we believe,
the finest and fastest ship of , her class, and it was pleasant
to stroll along her well-lighted and roomy decks, where
there is a place for everything and everything in its place.
After luncheon, Capt. Paynter said they would all remem-
ber when the Channel Fleet visited the port two or three
years ago, the most magnificent banquet ever given to the
petty officers, seamen, and marines, was the one given by
the members of the Club. Ho had, therefore, taken the
opportunity of inviting Commodore Graves, Roar-Commo-
doreTetley, and other members on board the ship that day,
in order that they might witness the great gun exercise as
performed by the men to whom they gave the magnificent
entertainment. It was impossible to read the descriptions
in the papers of the magnificent banquets given to the fleet
' without being convinced that the port of Liverpool out-
shone every other in the kingdom. The crewof the Donegal
does not at present exceed 300 men, consequently only a
certain number of guns on ono side were manned by blue
jackets, marines, and a detachment of the Royal Naval
Reserve. It was a sight to see these fine stalwart men,
most of them with bare feet or in stockings, dressed in
flannels, and with handkerchiefs round their heads,
standing silent and ready at a word of command to handle
the immense 68-pounders like playthings. Previously to
commencing, Captain Paynter called the captain of each
gun round him, introduced them to Commodore Graves
with an allusion to the reception of the seamen of the
Channel Fleet, and stated that the best crew of the
blue jackets and the marines would compete for a prize
given by himself, and that the Royal Naval Reserve
detachment, under Captain Fisher, would have the option
of tackling tho winners, an opportunity which they ac-
cepted with alacrity and apparent confidence. Commodore
Graves announced an additional prize. The guns at this
time were secured on board for sea. Tho exercises then
commenced by Lieut. Cay giving the words of command,
"Cast loose the guns ; run in ; search ; load with reduced
charges, and run out. Enemy supposed to be passing from
the bow along the beam. Three rounds of independent
firing." In a moment all was activity and excitement, the
various detachments working with heart and soul, inspired
by a spirit of rivalry. In a few seconds the guns were
cast loose, sponged, loaded, run out, trailed right, beam,
and left, and three rounds were fired in a wonderfully short
time. All this time the powder monkeys were as active as
cats. The detachments were then ordered to man the guns
on the port side, and in a moment swarmed across the
deck and were ready for firing. Changing again to the
starboard side, they received the order from Lieutenant
Boyle, "Secure guns and crews from a raking fire." In an
instant the guns were secured, and the men were silent
and crouching down between the guns, so that a storm of
shot entering from the bow or stern would have been com-
partively harmless. On the caution, " Enemy supposed
to be close alongside and abeam," the crews sprang up
and commenced quick firing with reduced charges. The
next order was "Arm bow and stern." Instantly a gun
from each side was run back, trailed round, and the captain
of each mounting on the carriage, one was dragged rapidly
off to the stern, where the bulkheads had been removed, and
the other to the bow port. They were replaced with equal
rapidity. An interval of rest then took place preparatory
to the prize contest beginning. Tho following were the
conditions of the match, which excited great interest on
board :—" Exercise against time. Two prize crews, 14 men
each. Seamen Ist, 68-pounder ; Marines 2d, 68-pounder.
Fire one round with reduced charge. Gun disabled. Dis-
mount the gun. Mount and fire one round from the gun ;
reduced charge. The best of three trials wins the prize
given by Capt. Paynter." The blue jackets went in first,
and fine lot of men they were. After a very exciting con-
test the marines won, and were then tackled by the men of
the Royal Naval Reserve, in whom the spirit of emulation
was strikingly displayed. And well they did their work,
although not with the rapidity of their opponents. It could
scarcely be expected that they should, considering that
they were at strange quarters. At the termination of the
prize contest the guests took their departure under a salute
of seven guns, the mon manning the rigging. And so ter-
minated one of the pleasantest fetes, thanks to Capt. Payn-
ter, we have ever attended, and which was thoroughly
appreciated by all the yachtsmen present, and also, we are
sure, by the men of the Donegal.—Liverpool Albion.

HEALTH OF LONDON,

(From the Registrar-General's Weekly Report.)

In the week that ended on Saturday, June 3, tho births
in London and 10 other large towns of the United Kingdom
wore 3,839, the deaths, 2,542. The annual rate of mortality
in the week in those 11 towns was 23 per 1,000 persons
living.

In London the births of 969 boys and 891 girls, in all
1,860 children, were registered in the week. In the corres-
ponding weeks of 10 years 1855-64 the average number,
corrected for increase of population, was 1,871.
The deaths registered in London were 1,187. Tho average
number for the 22d, that is the corresponding week in 10
years corrected for increase of population, is 1,183. There
is a very close agreement, therefore, between the actual
result and that obtained by calculation.

The mortality from diarrhoea increases, as is usual with
that disease under summer heat ; but the increase is not
rapid, the deaths from it in the last four weeks having been
22, 25, 27, and 38. Its development assumes more formidable
dimensions at a more advanced period of the summer, but
at any time it may be controlled by duo regard to the whole-
some condition of houses and localities, and by the judicious
management of young children, to whom the complaint is
chiefly fatal. The deaths from typhus in the week were 44.
This disease has been less fatal since April.
The following fatal carriage accidents were registered in
the week :

A labourer aged 63 yoal s was killed by a waggon at
Southond, Eltham. On tho 26th May, a labourer's widow,
aged 65, died in St. Thomas's Hospital from injury by a
waggon. On the 12th of May, in London Hospital, tho
daughter of a wino cooper, aged 4 years, from the same
cause.

A man was poisoned by bad mackerel, a woman was
burnt by her crinoline taking fire, and a labourer died on
the 24th ult. in St. Thomas's Hospital, after three days'
illness, from hydrophobia caused by the bite of a dog.
The rate of mortality last week was 21 per 1,000 in
London, 28 in Edinburgh, and 28 in Dublin, 28 in Liver-
pool, 30 in Manchester, 20 in Salford, 20 in Birming-
ham, 24 in Leeds, 21 in Bristol, 21 in Hull, and 31
in Glasgow. The rate in Vienna was 39 per 1,000 during
the week ending the 20th ult., when the temperature was
10 deg. Fahrenheit higher than in the same week in Lon-
don, where the rate was 21 per 1,000.
In Liverpool the births were 380, the deaths 252; in
Manchester the births, 232, the deaths 206; in Salford the
births 82, the deaths 43 ; in Birmingham the births 239,
the deaths 126 ; in Leeds the births 144, the deaths 104 ;
in Bristol the births 110, the deaths 64 ; in Hull, the births
78, the deaths 42 ; in Edinburgh the births 128, the deaths
94 ; in Glasgow the births 375, the deaths 255 ; and in
Dublin the births 211, the deaths 169. There wore 415
deaths in Vienna during the week ending the 20th ult.
At the Royal Observatory, Greenwich, the mean height
of the barometer in the week was 29.707 in. Tho barome-
trical readingdell to 29.44 in. on Friday, and rose to 29.90 in.
on Saturday. The mean temperature of the air in the week
was 58.3 deg., which is 1.7 deg. above the average of the
same week in 50 years (as determined by Mr. Glaisher.)
Tho highest day temperature was 73.8 deg and occurred on
Monday—the lowest night temperature was 47.2 dog., and
occurred on Thursday. Tho range of the week was there-
fore 26.6 deg. The moan of the highest temperatures of the
water of the Thames was 64.7 deg. ; that of the lowest was
634 deg, The mean degree of humidity of the air was 76,
complete saturation being represented by 100. On Tues-
day the humidity was as low as 55. Tho wind blow gone-
rally from the south-west. The rainfall was Hi in., nearly
all of which occurred on Thursday and Friday.

BOLDNESS OF THE ROBIN.—In a summer-house
or arbour in the rear of Mr. Tuffill's, wine merchant,
Rochester, a couple of robins commenced to build their
nest in the early part of April last on the ledge of the
framework. Mr. Turn 11, seeing there was not sufficient
room, placed a cigar-box at the spot, in which they built
their nest, and brought forth young ones. During the
time the house-painters wore at work, and painted the
arbour inside and out without the birds being the least
disturbed. But the most wonderful part of the story is yet
to come : Mr. Tuffill Was advised to remove the old nest
as soon as the young ones had flown, which he did, when
the old birds built another nest, which soon contained four
eggs. The pair went in and out of the arbour without
taking the slightest notice of any one who might be there.
-7-Chatham News.