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

WEST COAST OF AFRICA•

The Royal Mail steamer Armenian, Captain
Leamon, arrived at Liverpool yesterday morning,
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. Tier
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-
riffe, 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 serew-„.steasner 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 he de-

,wined at least a month for repairs.

There is nothing of importance to report from

she 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
lon the 30th. The Navigator arrived from Glasgow

on the 28th of November.
Trade has much improved 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 estsblish-
ment not being paid. There is a balance of 30
pinicheons 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 dads 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
steamer, 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 looi:01 for in the coming season. Her
Majesty's ship was tiv sail on the 16th for Lagos.
The mail steamer McGregor Laird arrived from
England and sailed for the leoVard on the 16th
December: The barque Manners Suttak passed the
Cape on thelsth.
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 diiring 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 cargo of
timber. The Phyrne was abandoned about the 10th
December, off the rortuguese coast, with loss of

Mr. MACLAURIN 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 bankers 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. Thebridge 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 1,000,000/.
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. RosiNsoN 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 IVEIGHTON. I
A special train ran over this line last week, con-
istrates and others to the East
veying the mag
Riding Sessions ,at Beverley. The line will soon
pecbe ready for the ins
of the Government
ed that it will be opened for
officer, and it is expect
public traffic in March next.