The Sun.
London, England, 1865-01-11 00:00:00

WEST COAST OF AFRICA.

The Royal Mail steamer Armenian, Ca iptain
Leamon, arrived at Liverpool yesterday ma ruing,
with the West African mails, 50 passengers, 1,000
bales of African cotton, 1,308 ounces of gold dust,
9,029 dols., 1,900 fr., and 2,472 sovereigns.. Her
dates are—Benin, Dec. 7 ; Fernando Po, Dec. 2
Brass River, 4th ; New Calabar, 6th ; Bonny, 7th ;
Lagos, 10th ; Accra, 11th ; Cape Coast Castle,
14th Sierra Leone, 21st ; Bathurst, 25th ; Tene-
rife, 31st ; and Madeira, Jan. 2d. The Armenian
brings 27 passengers in the cabin, and 25 distressed
seamen, being portions of the crews of the wrecked
vessels Laughing Water, Governor Elias, and Bag-
dad Packet.

Trade was brisk at Fernando Po, notwithstanding
the smallpox still prevailed to a great extent among
the native population. The screw steamer St.
Patrick, with convicts on board for the south coast,
had put into Fernando Po in a disabled condition—
her machinery damaged. The vessel would be de-
tained at least a month for repairs.
There is nothing of importance to report from
the Cameroons. The river was healthy, but busi-
ness was at a complete stand-still.

A slight improvement has occurred in trade at
Old Calabar since the sailing of the last steamer.
The ship Moult= sailed for Glasgow on the 28th
of November. When off the bar, her commander,
Captain Kiddie, committed suicide by jumping over-
board. His body came up alongside the vessel the
next day. The chief officer of the ship Golden Age
was put in charge, and the vessel sailed from the bar
on the 30th. The Navigator arrived from Glasgow
on the 28th of November.

Trade has much improve 4 at Bonny during the
month of December, oil being freely brought down
from the interior. The ship Flora M'lvor arrived
on the 27th of November, and the Rattler on the
same day. The Elizabeth Tatham entered the
Bonny river on the 2d of December. The captain
and part of the crew of the ship Laughing Water,
wrecked on Bonny bar, came home in the Armenian.
Brass was healthy, but there was very little busi-
ness doing in oil.
Trade at Benin still stopped in consequence of the
fine imposed by Commodore Wilmott on the natives
for outrages committed on Dr. Henny's establish-
ment not being paid. There is a balance of 30
puncheons of oil still owing, which the traders were
n hopes would be settled during the month of
January.
Trade very brisk at Lagos since the roads from
Abeokuta had been opened. A great quantity of
cotton was daily arriving. There were at least
4,500 bales in the town when the Armenian sailed;
she brought 1,200 bales.
There were 1,500 slaves in irons at Wydah ready
for shipment. Her Majesty's ship Zebra was sta-
tioned off the port, and had her boats cruising in
search of the vessel, which is said to be a large
steamet, the same that has made several voyages
with large cargoes so successfully, and the one that
has given our cruisers upon more than one occasion
such annoyance. The schooner Commodore, from
London to Lagos, passed Addah on the 11th of
December.

At Accra trade had slightly improved, and several
lots of cotton had arrived from the Volga. The brig
Governor Elias was totally wrecked on the 27th
December. The crew were saved and landed at
Accra.

An average amount of business was doing at
Cape Coast Castle during December, and a good
trade is looked for in the coming season. Her
Majesty's ship was to sail on the 16th for Lagos.

The mail steamer M'Gregor Laird arrived from
England and sailed for the leeward on the 16th
December. The barque Manners Sutton passed the
Cape on the 15th.
Business was very dull at Sierra Leone. Great
preparations were being made for the races and
the Exhibition. Lieut. Hawkins, of her Majesty's
ship Pandora, died on the 24th of November.
There is not much of importance to report from
Bathurst. Several small lots of cotton of a very
superior staple had arrived from the interior. The
brigantine Monarch, laden with cotton, had been
towed in by the steamer Saxon to Teneriffe, dis-
masted, and mate washed overboard.
The mail steamer Calabar arrived from England
on the 30th ult., and sailed same day from Teneriffe.
The steamer Bagdad Packet, from Liverpool for
Matamoras; put into Madeira, was surveyed and
condemned, and the crew sent home in the Armenian.
Not less than eight blockade runners had arrived,
en route for Bermuda, from England during one
week.
On the afternoon of the 6th January the Armenian
fell in with the new ship Phyrne, abandoned at sea.
The ship is 1,300 tons register, and was bound from
St. John's, N. 8., to Liverpool, with a car so of
timber. The Phyrne was abandoned about the 10th
December, off the Portuguese coast, with .10Ss of

PRICE 4d.
STAMPED 5d

rudder, and the insurance effected on her by her
owners in Liverpool amounted on last Monday to
about 20,0041. Capt. Leamon, of the Armenian,
sent a boat alongside the derelict, which on exa-
mination proved to be perfectly tight and sea-
worthy, as she had only 19 inches of water in her
hold. He at once put on board a volunteer crew,
under the command of Capt. M'Kenzie, who
was returning on leave of absence from the
coast, where he commanded the African Com-
pany's ship William Money. Capt. M'Kenzie,
after receiving a supply of provisions, water, rope,
and some sails, was directed to steer north, as the
weather was fine, and the wind fresh from the
south-west. When boarded the Phryne's hull was
in very good order, as were also her masts and
yards. She had four sails bent, but, beyond this,
the ship was stripped of all her running gear.
By this arrival we learn the death of the well..
known African traveller, Dr. Baikie, who expired,
after a very short attack of fever and dysentery, at
Sierra Leone, on the 30th November last. By the
previous mail we announced that Dr. Baikie, after
travelling for six years in the interior of Africa, and
after having established a native . colony some dis-
tance from the confluence of the Niger, had re-
turned to Lagos on the 21st Oct. in her Majesty's
ship Investigator, which had been up the Niger
400 miles on a cruise. Dr. Baikie intended re-
turning to Liverpool by the last mail, but in con-
sequence of being obliged to assort and re-arrange
the accumulations of over six years' travel in an
uncivilised country, he was compelled to postpone
his voyage. The deceased gentleman was born at
Arbroath, Scotland, and was educated for the me-
dical profession in Edinburgh. He would at the
time of his death be ab9ut 40 years of age.

Railway and other Companies,

LONDON AND GREENWICH.

The half-yearly meeting of this company was
held yesterday at the office, Gresham-house, Old
Broad-street ; Mr. T. Corney in the chair.
Mr. APRON, the secretary, read the notice con-
vening the meeting.
The CHAIRMAN read the financial statement,
which showed that the balance from the preced-
ing account amounted to 2991., the half-year's
rent from the South Eastern Company to
22,5001., and the transfer fees to 31., making to-
gether 22,8021. From this was deducted 4,428/., for
interest on bonds, 5,5681. for interest on preference
shares, 3381. for income-tax, 3981. for expenses, and
100/. for interest on loans, leaving a balance of
11,9701. for dividend on 861,5401. ordinary stock,
which at ii. 7s. Id. per cent. would absorb 11,6661.
and leave a balance of 3041. He concluded by pro-
posing that the accounts be approved, and that a
dividend at the rate of 11. 7s. Id. per cent. or ss. sd.
per old share, be declared for the half-year ending
31st of December last, payable by warrant on and
after the 16th inst.

Mr. MAcLAuniN suggested that the bankers' book
should be made up in future to the day previous to
the half-yearly meetings, so that the balance in the
accounts and at the banker& might agree. He had
no doubt the accounts were all right, but thought it
would be more satisfactory.

The SECRETARY said it should be so in future,
and the motion was carried unanimously.

The retiring directors, Mr. T. Barker and Mr. T.
Corney, were re-elected.

On the motion of Mr. MACLAURIN, seconded by
Mr. LETCHWORTH, a vote of thanks to the chair-
man concluded the proceedings.

SOUTH WALES JUNCTION

A meeting of merchants, traders, and others was
held on Friday at Bristol, to consider the proposal
for constructing a railway and tunnel under the
river Severn at New Passage—the Mayor presided.
Mr. G. WILLS stated that several projects were
proposed some, time ago for crossing the Severn ;
one was for a bridge at a place about two miles
above the Old Passage, to carry a railway aceoss in
the direction of Chepstow, and on the other side
from the banks of the Severn to the Great Western
Railway at Wootton Bassett. It was proposed to
build that bridge at a high level over the Severn, in
connection with a railway 35 miles in length, at an
expense of 1,800,0001. The bridge would, he thought,
prove inconvenient to the navigation of the river,
although it was proposed to give a seaway of 650 ft.
between the main piers for the passage of large ships
to the port of Glocester. If they could effect the
crossing of the river by a tunnel under it, as pro-
posed by Mr. Richardson, who had had great expe-
rience in constructing tunnels, they would have a
means of communication for all time. There would
be no obstruction to the navigation, and no risk to
passengers or ships, and, as compared with the pro-
posed bridge, there would be a saving in distance of
10 miles between Bristol and the important district
of South Wales. The cost of the tunnel line was
estimated at 750,0001. The gradients of the tunnel
scheme were not quite so good as those connected
with the bridge line. He believed that the tunnel
scheme would answer the purpose for railway com-
munication just as well as the bridge scheme, par-
ticularly for Bristol ; but in another respect it would
carry the traffic for London eight miles round if
brought by the tunnel scheme to Bristol. That
would be the only disadvantage, while there
would be a saving in the cost of about 1,000,0001.
He concluded by moving a resolution that in the
opinion of the meeting the construction of a tunnel
under the Severn, near the New Passage, connect-
ing the railway system of South Wales with that of
the English side of the Severn, was a work of the
greatest importance and advantage in a national
point of view, especially as to the trade and com-
merce of Bristol and the west and (south-west of
England, and that the meeting, being satisfied with
the report of the engineer and the practicability of
the scheme before Parliament of a South Wales
Junction Railway, approved and adopted the pro-
spectus.

Mr. E. S. ROBINSON seconded the motion, which
after some discussion was adopted.
Mr. RICHARDSON said he was completely satis-
fied as to the practicability of the work, and stated
that the contractor was perfectly confident that the
works could be done for the amount estimated. The
tunnel, passing through rock, would occupy five
years in construction, and he believed the railway
would carry the largest traffic of any railway in the
kingdom, with the exception of the Metropolitan
Railway. It should be constructed as a double
line, with broad and narrow gauge rails upon it, to
accommodate the traffic.

Mr. M. WHITWILL proposed a resolution to the
effect that it was expedient that snbscriptions
should be entered into to meet the expenses to be
incurred in promoting the South Wales Junction
Railway and Tunnel.
Mr .RAVENHILL seconded the motion, and it was
carried.
A vote of thanks to the Mayor of Bristol for pre-
siding 'Concluded the proceedings•

BEVERLEY AND MARKET WEIGHTON.
A special train ran over this line last week, con..
veying the magistrates and others to the East
Riding Sessions at Beverley. The line win soon
be rea
and it is x
ready for thethat
peinspection it
will
the
be openedeGonin ent
officer,for
public traffic in March next.