The Sun.
London, England, 1862-10-29 00:00:00

FRAN CE.

BOTJRSE, October 28.—The arrival of the Eng-
lish funds with lower prices has had a rather de-
pressing effect, and the limited amount of business
done has been at a deeline on the closing rates of
yesterday. Threes, for the Account, are now at
71f. 20c. Other securities have also receded.
The Railway Share Market has been maintained
rather better, but some few of the lines are quoted
a shade lower. The market left off as followe :
tt per Cents .. 98 15 Bank Shares 3250
Do. end month.... Credit koncier 1250
3 per Cents
Do. end month 7O 85 Italian Loan 72 75
New 3 per Cents .. Roman
Do, end month.... Austrian
Credit Mobilier...3l2oo Spanish Threes 52
Do, end m0nth....1185 Home Debt

7HE DREADFUL WRECK OF 7HE
BENCOOLEN, EAST INDIANAN.

An inquiry into the circumstances attending the
dreadful loss of this ship in Bude Haven, during
the storm of Wednesday last, took place on Monday
at Bideford, before the Receiver of Wrecks for that
port, as provided in the Merchant Shipping Act,
when the depositions of the survivors were taken on
oath.

Thomas Aspinwall, boatswain of the Bencoolen,
stated that the ship sailed from Liverpool for Bom-
bay, at ten a.m. on the 13th inst. She was 1,415
tons burden, ship-rigged, with three iron masts,
built at St. John's, New Brunswick, in 1855, and
owned by Messrs. Edward Bates and Co., of Liver-
poo , and the crew numbered on leaving that port
31 hands, including the officers and the master,
Captain Chambers, She was laden with a
general cargo, amongst which was a large
quantity of iron. When they sailed the weather
was very fine, the wind WSW, moderate breeze,
but in a short time the weather became bad and I he
wind increased, It soon blew a strong gale from the
SW to NW, and on the 16th and 17th the mainsail
was carried away. On Sunday, the 19th, at 530 p.m.
wind blowing a whole gale from SW, ship about 40
miles to the westward of Tuskar, under three lower
topsails and fortopmast-staysail, when the foretop-
mast gave way, and immediately afterwards the fore-
mast broke away, parting between decks. In fall-
ing it caused the main and mizenmast to give way
close to the deck. The masts were of iron and the
main rigging of wire. When the mizen went it
carried away two men who were aloft shifting the
preventer brace, and they fell overboard and were
drowned. On sounding the pumps found three feet
of water in the well. This was about 8 p.m. on the
Sunday. Ship rolling and pitching tremendously.
The captain then gave orders to look after the boats,
but they found them all stove, the masts having
fallen upon them. During Sunday night Mr. Powell,
the chief officer, got injured in the back, by part of
the mast striking him. All Monday and Monday
night they were employed at the pumps, and some
of the hands assisted the second mate in making a
raft of the spare spars and studdingaail booms. At
daylight on Tuesday saw land to leeward, and
thought it might be Milford. Hoisted a studding-
sail boom with a sail upon it and steered for the
land, and 3 45 p.m. the ship struck on the sends on
the Cornwall coast, at the entrance of Bude Haven.
The captain went below to his cabin half an hour
before the ship struck, and was not seen again on
deck, though two messages were sent to him begging
him to come on deck to the raft. After the ship
struck a rocket was fired from the shore which
struck the ship's aide. A second rocket was thrown,
and the line fell across the vessel ; but the second
mate, in making an attempt to secure it, was
washed overboard with the line and drowned.
A third rocket was fired with success, the line
falling over the wreck; but at this moment a tre-
mendous sea broke over the ship, and she com-
menced to break up. In a short time the fore-
castle was carried completely away, the raft, which
had been constructed upon it, being washed away
with it. About 27 of the crew were on the raft
when it was, carried away. Just before the car-
penter jumped overboard with the intention of
swimming ashore with a line, but he was drowned
in the attempt. He could not tell how long they
were drifting about on the raft. The sea carried it
backwards and forwards, and it was eventually
driven on a ridge of rocks to the eastward of the
haven, where it broke up, and only witness and five
others were saved. Their names were Andrew Holl-
man, Thomas Smith, William Strange, John White-
side, George Walsh, and himself. Saw a life boat
coming towards the raft, but it could not approach
them nearer than 50 yards, owing to the heavy sea
that was running.

John Whiteside, seaman on board the Bencoolen,
confirmed the statement of the previous witness. He
added that he Lever saw the captain drunk during
the voyage until after Sunday, the 19th, though
oftentimes he seemed to be in liquor. Could not say
whether the ship might have been saved by letting
go the anchotE.. He was washed off the raft on to
the shore.

George Walsh, another seaman, said that when
the ship left Liverpool she was making 18 inches of
water in 24 hours. The rigging at the time of sail-
ing had not been properly set up, mad the crew were
obliged to be employed in setting up the lower rig-
ging and back stays. He attributed the catastrophe
to the mast having given way ; and had the rigging
been in good order this would not have occurred.
Immediately after the mast gave way the captain
came on deck. He soon, however, went down again
and got drunk. He came up and fell down several
times on the poop, and at last went down again and
got into bed. The captain was drunk at other
times during the voyage.

The result has been forwarded to the Marine
Department of the Board of Trade for the infor-
mation of the Lords of the Committee of Privy
Council for Trade.

HEALTH OF LONDON DURING TH E

117. EEK.

(From the Registrar-General's Weekly Return.)
The weekly return issued by authority of the
Registrar-General states that in the week that
ended on Saturday the deaths registerej in Loudon
were 1,224, and showed an increase on those of the
two previous weeks. The average numbcr of deaths
obtained from the weeks (in 1852-61) correspond-
ing with that to which the present return relates,
is, after correction for population, 1,173. Therefore
a rate of mortality prevailed last week that produced
an excess of 51 deaths above the estimated number•
The deaths in the last three weeks were 1,121,
1,181, and 1,224. The mean weekly temperature of
the air bas been falling within the same period. It
was successively 56.3 deg., 53.9 deg., and 47.4 deg-
The births exceeded the deaths in the same time b 7
666.

The main feature to be noticed in the returns is
he increase of scarlatina. An increase was apparent
n the beginning of Sept., since which time the
weekly number of deaths from scarlatina
has not
been lower than 75. It rose last week to 104. The
disease appears to be common in most parts of the
metropolis. The sub-districts may be specified in
which it was most fatal. St. Mary Paddington re-
turned 5 deaths from it, Long-acre 5, Somers-town
s
5, Christchurch (Southwark) 4, St.
(Ber-
mondsey) 4, and Kennington,
were also 17 deaths in the week
from diphtheria,
which is stated to have been fatal
in four cases in a
family in Salisbury-street, Maryleb one,in the course
of a month. first part, 4. There
years, died of catalepsy. A.
ears
the London Hospital
labourer, aged 20 y,
d amputation of the leg.
A spinster, aged 52
ied i
990 boys and 900 girls,
under chloroform, duringof
in Lastalil
ding weeks of the years 1852 61 the
the 10 correspon
average number
(corrected) was 1,835.
Observatory, Greenwich, the mean
At the Royal
in the week
height of the barometer e Was 29.416 in.
,wB9eoekchtihlderebni,rtw:hre
registered in London. In
The reading fell to 28 96 in. on Sunday, and rose to
29 80 in. on Saturday. The mean temperature of
the air in the week was 47'4 deg , which is 1 deg'
below the average of the same week in 43 years (30
determined by Mr. Glaisher). The highest (133 r
temperature was 60 deg. on Wednesday. The lowest
night temperature Was 33 4 deg. on Saturday. The,
range of temperature in the week was therefore 26'u
deg. The mean daily range was 15.9 deg. The
difference between the mean dew-point temperatur
:
a
and air temperature Was 4.3 deg. , The mean degree
of of the air was 87, complete saturation
being represented by 100. The air was humid_ al-
most to saturation on Saturday. The mean of the
highest temperature of the water of the Thames.:,,
53.3 deg.; that of the lowest was 49.8 deg. The wind
blew daily from the south-west or west.
u
Seven-
tenths of an inch of rain fell; most of thatt%
wind
quantity
on Sunday. The maximum pressure of
foot. °l3
on Thursday was 221bs. on the square
There
were
the preceding Sunday it was 181bs.
gales on four days.

DESTRUCTION OF THE NEW BRIGHTON COI".
LEGE EY FIRE.--On Monday evening New Brighton Col-
lege, near Birgenhead, was destroyed by fire. The fire Is
supposed to have been occasioned by an explosion of gas.
Fortunately the pupils had not gone to bed, and tlaerefore
escaped.