The Sun.
London, England, 1862-12-24 00:00:00

7HE AIZIII.I.

The reinforcements of Royal Engineers, selected
from the depot and other companies at headquar-
ters, Brompton barracks, to augment the companies
of Royal Engineers serving at Gibraltar, Malta, and
Corfu, left Chatham garrison yesterday for Wool-
wich, under the command of Lieut. R. G. Thorold.
The detachments will embark on board the iron
troopship Megrera, 6, 350 horse power, which also
takes out reinforcements of Royal Artillery, troops
of the Line, and a large quantity of naval and mili-
tary stores. The Royal Engineers despatched from
Chatham are skilled mechanics and handicraftsmen,
W-hi) will be employed on the engineering works
now in progress at the various stations to which
they proceed.

Arrangements for building a new hospital for the
reception of the wives and families of soldiers serv-
ing in Woolwich garrison have been commenced
near the Royal Artillery barracks and the quarters
of the Royal Engineers, on Government ground,
the old soldiers' library and reading rooms, near
the Marine barracks, now used as a female hospital,
having been found inadequate for the purpose. An
additional range of married men's quarters, for the
Royal Artillery, to accommodate 40 families, has
also been commenced. The brickwork foundation
for both establishments was laid down yesterday,the
contract for which has been granted to Mr. Tongue,
builder, of Plumstead. The contract sum is stated
to be £lO,OOO. They are to be completed by the
end of 1863.

The following promotions in the corps of Royal
Marines Light Infantry were announced at head
quarters, Chatham, yesterday :—Second Lieut. R.
P. Acker, of the Woolwich division, to be first
Lieut., and appointed to the Chatham division ;
Second Lieut. H. A. Thomas, of the Chatham divi-
sion, to be First Lieut., and appointed to the same
division.

7HE LATE GALES.

MORE SHIPWRECKS AND LOSS OF LIFE.

The most disastrous accounts keep coming in of
the effect of the recent heavy gale. The advices re-
ceived yesterday from the outporta speak of the loss
of several vessels with all hands. The east coast has
been the scene of many sad shipwrecks, and it is
doubtful whether the full extent of the havoc will
ever be ascertained. The loss of several coasters in
the river has already been recorded. The smack
Jane, which put into Harwich, reports that during
the fearful weather on Sunday morning, between
10 and 11 o'clock, a large barque and a schooner
were seen to have been driven on the Sunk sands,
and that both crews perished. The heavy sea that
was running prevented any other particulars being
ascertained. About the same time a fine brig, sup-
posed to be an Austrian, was seen to founder about
20 W.N.W. of the Galloper Light vessel. The Ame-
rican barque Evangeline, for Bremen, which has
put back to the Downs, saw the ill-fated vessel, but
was unable to render assistance, Her sails were all
blown away, and she had the Austrian ensign
set in the fore rigging. Another barque, Undine, of
Whitby, was wrecked on the Sunk. The loss or
stranding of some 12 other vessels on this range of
coast is announced, while the various ports are
crowded with shipping which have run in to repair.
A large ship called the T. H. Parson, Capt, Ellis,
bound to New York from Liverpool, was cast on
Innishadde Island, and soon went to pieces. The
chief and second officer and five seamen were lost.
The storm was also severely felt on the French
coast. On Sunday afternoon a boat containing eight
men was endeavouring to reach the shore, four or
five miles from Calais, when a heavy roller caught
the boat and upset it, and the whole of them unfor-
tunately perished. During the height of the gale a
brig was trying to make Dunkirk harbour, when
she stuck on the Brack Bank, and it h feared the
crew are drowned. The telegraph account from the
Dutch coast and other ports in the north of Europe,
also furnish a long list of casualties.
HAUXLEY, NORTHUMBERLAND,
MONDAY NIGHT.

Yesterday morning (writes Mr. E. Whitfield, of
Amble), during a fearful gale from N.N.E., and a
very heavy sea, the schooner Little Aggie, of Ber-
wick, from Bangor to Berwick, with slates, came
ashoro off Hauxley. The lifeboat of the National
Lifeboat Institution was immediately launched, and
proceeded to the rescue of the crew. Owing to the
terrific force of the wind and sea, the lifeboat had to
encounter unusual difficulties in reaching the ship-
wrecked crew of four men. However, they were res-
cued and safely brought on shore by the lifeboat.
Shortly afterwards the vessel went to pieces. The
fishermen acted nobly on the occasion, and the life-
boat behaved admirably, as she always does.
SCARBOROUGH, MONDAY NIGHT.

This morning a schooner, name unknown, was
seen in a critical position off Scarborough during a
heavy gale from the N. The National Institution's
lifeboat was at once manned and despatched to her
assistance. The schooner, however, managed, owing
to a change of wind, aided by the set of the tide, to
get off to sea, and was last seen running for Bur-
lington Bay. Nearly all her sails were blown out of
the bolt ropes, and she burnt two lights before
daybreak.

On Sunday afternoon, while watching the schooner
Colestone, whose crew were afterwards saved by the
ocket apparatus, one of the crew of the lifeboat was
knocked out of her, but was soon got in again. The
crew expressed great confidence in the boat.
HOLYHEAD, DEC. 22.
"It has been blowing," writes Captain Priest,
R.N., a heavy gale here from N.N.W. At day-
light on the 20th inst. the brigantine Effort, of
Liverpool, was discovered on the rocks under Pen-
rhos Point. The lifeboat of the National Lifeboat
Institution stationed at Holyhead was instantly
manned and despatched to her assistance; but on
reaching the wreck it was discovered that the crew
had abandoned her. It was afterwards found that
the vessel had parted both chains while riding far
out in the outer roads, and the crew then took to
their boat, which was soon swamped, and all hands
save one had unhappily perished. The remaining
man was brought safely on shore by the lifeboat.
Had the vessel's crew remained on board, the life-
boat would have most probably saved them. The
vessel began to break up soon after the lifeboat re•
turned to the shore, and is now in pieces.

" Again, on Saturday afternoon, the barque High-
land Brigade, of Whitehaven, anchored off the
mouth of the Old Harbour, and afterwards drifted
and took the ground, which she struck heavily, The
captiin, thinking his vessel in great danger, sig-
nalled for the lifeboat, which went off and landed
the personal baggage of the crew, and lay by the
ship until she had floated, and been taken in tow
by a steam-tug. The lifeboat behaved well on both
occasions, in a very heavy sea and broken water."
THURSO, SATURDAY NIGHT.
The schooner Sisters, of Wick, whose crew the

PRICK .... -..4d.
STAMPED ....sd.

lifeboat of the National Lifeboat Institution provi-
dentially saved yesterday, parted from her anchors
this afternoon, and has become a total wreck. If
the crew had not been rescued by the lifeboat, it is
probable that the whole of them would have per-
ished, for the storm and sea have very much in-
creased, and have raged with much fury during the
past 48 hours.

THE GREEK RF,VOLUTION:

(From 'the limes' Special Correspondent.)

ATHENS, DEC. 13, AFTERNOON.

A telegram from London of the 10th inst. informs
the Government, and consequently the public, that
Mr. Elliot is coming out here on a special mission,
and that the purport of his missim is to propose on
the part of England the ex-King Ferdinand of Por-
tugal as the most suitable candidate far the throne
of Greece. According to the telegram, France has
acquiesced in this proposal, and such is the confidence
of her Majesty's Government in him that if he were
accepted all objections to the union of the lonian
Islands with Greece would cease at once.
In the frame of mind in which the Greeks are just
now, the impression produced by this telegram was
something like an offer of 10,000 pence to cne who
thinks himself entitled to 10,000 pounds. "He is
a German," " He is a Catholic," " We know nothing
about him,"" The people will not accept him"--such
were the remarks which the proposal elicited. Even,
the offer of the lonian Islands carried little weight.
They are here looked upon as a reversion which will
fall in in the natural course of time, but which just
at present is not so very much desiied„ and wllichno
one would'think of buyitik by-giving- up -the hopes
of an English Prince. The agitation for a union of
the lonian Islands was always much greater in the
Islands themselves than here, where it is looked
upon as the acquisition of a very small amount of
territory and power with a large number of
claimants for offices and salaries.

The only portion, therefore, of the telegram which
had a cheering effect was the special mission of Mr.
Elliot. It meant " England has not abandoned us ;
she is anxious for our welfare, and all may still end
well." It would be useless to disguise that the " end-
ing well" conceals the thought " We shall still have
Prince Alfred ;" for, in spite of every discourage-
ment and refusal, there is no wavering in this respect.
Telegrams are but imperfect means of conveying a
true idea of the state of things, and letters takes so
long to arrive that England can scarcely yet know to
the full extent the unanimity and ardour with which
the pretensions of Prince Alfred have been taken
up. Now they flatter themselves, if all this be
known, and if they persevere, they will ultimately
succeed. The song, "Chi dura, vince," has become
the song of the day. It may be madness, but with
popular sentiments there is no reasoning anywhere,
and less here than anywhere else. It isnot by scold-
ing and rebuking that this can be cured, but by
showing sympathy, and assisting in finding another
solution; and it is above all in this respect that the
arrival of a special Envoy, who has had opportuni-
ties to know the mind of his government fully, may
be of great importance and use.
As I told you, the French and Russian Ministers
have given in notes to the Provisional Government
concerning the election of Prince Alfred. They are
entirely different in tenour. The French note,
couched in strong language, notifies that the three
Powers have reviewed the protocol of the 3d of
February, 1830, which excludes the members of the
three reigning families from the throne of Greece,
and demands in peremptory terms the notification of
this fact all through the kingdom. The Russian
note simply states that Russia has withdrawn
Prince Leuchtenberg, and England Prince Alfred.

The answer of the Provisional Government to the
French note was that it could not comply with the
request, not having received either the tenour of the
new protocol or identic notes from the two other
Powers.

The French Minister, therefore, took steps to
notify the fact himself. Telegrams were sent to the
Consuls all over Greece, and men-of-war despatched
to spread the news along the coast. The result was
only greater activity in signing for Prince Alfred.
At Missolonghi a considerable body of people col-
lected, and paraded before the French Consulate on
their way to vote. From Nauplia people telegraphed
to this place to ascertain whether the thing was
true, and, the answer being "No," continued to
inscribe their names.

There is a rumour of the Minister for Foreign
Affairs having given in his resignation. This re-
signation is said to be caused by a disappointment
in the elections. The Minister had asked for the
support of Government influence to return his
father-in-law for Livadia. The latter has not been
returned, and the Minister complains that it was
on account of the want of support on the part of
his colleagues. It is by no means certain that they
deserve the reproach, for even with the best will
they were defeated in several instances. Thus the
President was, it is true, returned for his native
island of Hydra, but the rest of his combination
was thrown out. The Minister of Finance was de-
feated in his native province of Acarnania. Rouffos,
the member of the Provisional Government who left
his native place, Patras, to his two sons, and tried
to get in at Thebes, was likewise defeated, and will
have no seat in the Assembly; Thus you see Greece
this time took advantage of the freedom of election.
You will scarcely be surprised to hear that there
is a stress for money in the Treasury ; indeed, the
surprising thing!is that it was not felt sooner. The
revolution in October could scarcely be expected to
mend matters. Soldiers received gratuities, officers
were placed on half-pay, and replaced by others on
full pay. There were extraordinary expenses com-
manded by circumstances and stoppages in the col-
lection of the taxes. In all the advices from the
Greek communites abroad a readiness was expressed
to assist the Government, so as to tide over the
interregnum until the Assembly meets. The com-
munity at Constantinople offered £lOO,OOO, at 3 per
cent., and the interest to be applied to useful insti-
tutions of the country. Every one was therefore
taken by surprise when one fine morning a decree
of the Provisional Government appeared which,
under the plea of regulating these voluntary offers,
and giving an opportunity for every one to contri-
bute without losing by the transaction, calls for a
loan of 6,000,000 drachmas (francs). I send you
the decree itself, which is considered as one of the
greatest faults the Provisional Government has com-
mitted. In ten days the Assembly meets, the Pro-
visional Government ceases naturally, and must be
replaced by one chosen by the Assembly. How,
then, can they issue decrees which even a regular
Government could not venture to issue without the
previous consent of the Assembly ? The decree may
therefore be considered for the rr oment as a dead
letter. It will be for the Assembly to consider the
best means of remedying thestraits of the Treasury,
when it may be confidently expected that the rich
Greek communities abroad will make good their
promises.

STABBING A SCHOOLFELLOW.—William Home-
wood, a boy apparently under eleven years of age, was
charged at the Ashford Petty Sessions last Tuesday with
assaulting a lad named James Wallis by stabbing him
with a pocket-knife. The lads are schoolfellows at Hothfield
school, and, according to complainant's statement, defendant
ealed him names. Ho thereupon boxed his ears, when the
defendant drew a pocket-knife and stabbed him in the wrist.
According to what was said by the defendant and his father,
the complainant for a long time had been in the habit of
bullying the little fellow and calling him names, and when
the latter attempted to retaliate, he took advantage of his
superior size and knocked him about, until the boy, rendered
his persecution, and hopeless of the result of
a
replied to the tormentor's blows by stabbing him
desperate
struggles by
in the wrist. The defendant was ordered to pay a fine of £1
and 8s 6d costs, or seven days' imprisonment in default.
The fine was paid, the mother of Wallis receiving £1 as
compensation for the expense she had been put to by the
injuries to her son,—Maidstone Journal.

NEvirs,pApEß
s_s
(From the Regiatt,
The total deaths in Lo_ n
. ,
,1,2 wisK that
ended on Saturday were 1,419. Ire mintier is
almost the same as that of the previous week, but
it exhibits an important decrease on the heavy re-
turns that were made in the latter half of Nov. and
in the first week of the present month. The mean
temperature of the air has been six degrees higher
in the three weeks of December that have now
elapsed than it was in the last three weeks of the
previous month.
Eut though the mortality has decreased it is still
rather high, for last week 78 deaths occurred al; sae
the number that would have been returned if tho
average rate of mortality for a week near the winter
solstice had prevailed.. - •
Small-pox- decidedly appears on the increase ;
the deaths frcm it io the last three weeks were re-
spectively 10. 22, 34. Nine of the 34 were returned
as having occurred in the Small-pox Hospital.
Measles was fatal to 79 children, the corrected
aver,ge being 36.- Four cases of this latter cam-
plaint occurred is the sub-district Belgrave. 8 in
Islington, 5 in the sub-district of 81-. Peter, Viral-
worth. There-were 69 deaths from scarlatina and
20 from diphtheria. There were 70 from typhu,
26 of which cases were returned as " fever," 16 as
typhus, 14 as, typhoid fever ; the reminder us
gastric fever, &e.

Bronchitis carried off 181 persons, 69 of whom
were 60 years old or upwards; whilst the deaths
referred to pneumonia, which is fatal chiefly to chil-
dren, were not more than 80. Bronchitis has de-
clined slowly since the weather became warmer ;
pneumonia fell rapidly when the cold ceased. The,
mortality under bronchitis has greatly exceeded
that which was referred to pneumonia.
Eight nonagenarians died in the week, the oldest
having attained the age of-98 years.
A child died from spasm of the glottis, in Bruns-
wick Mews, St. George, BlOomsbury. It was found
byby
th
aceoriomnpeurr'sejury that
atmospheredeath h: mews."
d ebees.,,n" accelerated
Last week the births 0f,973 boys tired 9.40 girls, in
all 1,923 children,
"14"egiateted-idbiondon. In
the ten corresponding weeks of the years 1852-61
the average number (corrected) was 1,753.
At the Royal Observatory, Greenwich, the mean
height of the barometer in the week was 29.977 in.
The mean daily reading was above 30 in. on every
day of the week, except the last two. The baro-
meter rose to 30.27 in. on Sunday, and fell to 29.37
on Saturday. The mean temperature of the air in
the week was 42.1 deg., which is 2.3 deg. above the
average of the same week in 43 years (as determined
by Mr. Glaisher). The lowest night temperature
was 33.7 deg. on Sunday, and it was almost as low
on Monday and Thursday. The highest day tern-
perature was 52 deg. on Wednesday. The range in
the week was therefore 18.3 deg. The mean daily
range was 11.1 deg. The difference between the
mean dew-point temperature and air temperature
was 4.3 deg. The mean degree of humidity of the air
was 86, complete saturation being represented by
100, which point was nearly approached on Tuesday
and two subsequent days. The wind blew from
the south-west till Friday, when it turned to north-
west. On Friday and Saturday it blew with a
pressure which reached 121 b to the square foot on
the former day, and 171 b on the latter. Rain fell
on Wednesday and Thursday to the amount of 0.22
in, being the whole that was measured in the week.
A fine aurora was seen on Sunday night. The mean
of the highest temperature of the Thames was 43.9
deg., that of the lowest 40.9 deg

DESTRUC7IVEIT.RE A 7 DAVIS'S WHARF.

Early yesterday afternoon the outbreak of an-
other fire at the extensive waterside premixes
known as Davis's Wharf, Horsleydown, in a line
with Tooley-street and opposite the Tower of Lon-
don, created much excitement amongst the shipping
in the upper part of the Pool, and on both sides of
the river. It appears to have originated from some
unaccountable cause in the jute or D warehouse,
situ ited at the rear of the main buildings, and sepa-
rated from them by a narrow roadway. In this build-
ing were stored some thousand bales of jute stacked
up to the roof, there being no floors. It is reported
that the men had just returned from dinner when tho
alarm was raised that the jute was on fire, and on
some of the principals going to the spot they found
several stacks of jute in fl-,mes. No light being per-
mitted in this part of the building, it is difficult to
account for the origin. As many hands as could be
mustered at the time were instantly set to work to
throw bucketsful of water on the blazing jute, but
unfortunately their services were of little avail, for
the fire travelled so quickly from stack to stack, and
the smoke was so overpowering, that the men had
to retire.

The fact of the outbreak having been communi-
cated to the brigade stations, the steam land and
other engines quickly arrived, as also the two float-
ing engines. As is usually the case at large fires on
this side of the water, there was a laxity of water
to work the land engines. Much alarm prevailed
in case the flames should extend to the large ware-
house of the wharf, which contained a very let ge
stock of oil, tallow, &c., and that a similar catastrophe
to that which happened about 20 years ago might
occur, when the wharf and immediate neighbour-
hood were destroyed. The firemen, however, worked
with their usual zeal, under the direction of Capt.
Shaw, the superintendent of the force, and the con-
flagration was prevented extending beyond that
portion of the warehouse where it originated.
During the height of the fire Capt. Sbaw received.
a serious injury to his hand by a slate falling from
the roof.

The official report states that upwards of 2,000
bales of jute and hemp were destroyed, and also the
roof of the D warehouse. ,The owners of the wharf,
Messrs. Curling and Co., are insured in several
offices. A somewhat similar fire took place in an
adjacent warehouse in the autumn of last year.

7WO PERSONS SHOT-GUN ACCIDEN7.

On Monday morning a gun accident occurred in
Montague-street, Worthing, to the son of Mr. Nor-
ton Smith, of Fairfield-house, whereby two persons
sustained injuries, but which fortunately are not of a
very serious nature. It appears that the youth, who
is spending his holidays (Mr. Piggott's establish-
ment, where he is a pupil, having commenced thn
winter vacation), was passing through Al, n t ague-
street with a loaded gun, and when near Montague
Hall, by some mischance—he says his dog, in pas-
sing, knocked the gun out of his hand—it fell upon
the ground, and immediately exp oded, the dis-
charge, which consisted of small shot, taking
effect partly on the pavement, and partly upon two
individuals, who happened to be about 12 or
18 yards distant at the time. These were a boy
named Knight, errand lad to Mr. Wyatt, and a man
named Tupper, lately a keeper. The shot liberally
besprinkled the former, and penetrated in various
places, inflicting a rather severe wound in the left
cheek, as well as others on the right cheek and the
left hand; the latter was shot, not to such an ex-
tent, however, in the leg and hand. Toe occur-
rence caused considerable alarm in the neighbour-
hood, and particularly to the three parties concerned,
one of whom for a moment evidently fancied himself
" kilt intirely," but was soon assured the case was
not quite so bad as he imagined. The owner of the
gun at once took the injured boy to Dr. Sharpe's,
where his wounds were carefully dressed, and found
to be of no alarming nature. As to the precise
manner in which the misfortune was occasioned,
explanations'were not very satisfactory; nor as to
how a loaded gun, carefully carried—as it ought to
be in the public streets—could have been knocked
out of the hand and dit7charged in the way described.
We trust, however, the occurrence will be a warn-
ing to amateur sportsmen, if obliged to carry we,
pons charged through the thoroughfares, to ne-
glect no precaution to ensure the safety of the pub-
lie and themselves.—Sunex Express.

A letter from Rome, under date of the 16th inst.,
states that the Pontifical government has authorised the
return of such of its subjects as have left the country in
consequence of being compromised by the political events
of the last few years. They will, however, be called upon
to explain to the Pontifical authorities at the frontier the
reasons of their departure and their return,

HIGH WATER AT LONDON BRIDGE.
Tnis DAY.—Morning, 3h. 57m.—Afternoon, 4h. 20m.
To-momeow.-Morning, 4h. 45m.—Afternoon, sh. 6m.