The Sun.
London, England, 1862-07-15 00:00:00

THE SUN LONDON, T ETES!) V EVE NINE JULY 15, 1862.

obtaining another. A gentleman of Switzerland,
one M. DE GENDRE, as became a countryman of
the apple-shooting TELL, obtained one of the £5O
prizes for a hit at 600 yards distance. The presen-
- -7, prize to the keen-eyed, steady-handed
:antioned being an especially appro-
priate and gr..oeful incident in this year of the In-
ternational Exhibition. Altogether the festivities
of yesterday were of the most exhilarating charac-
ter imngible, and augur admirably for the main-
tenance of that Volunteer Movement which has
already within so brief an interval since its in-
auguration led to the enrolment of fully 150,000
Volunteer Riflemen.

.~

THE LUDGATE-HILL TRAGEDY.—Mrs. Vyse still
remains in the custody of the governor of Newgate, the
Secretary of State's order for her transmission to Bethle
hem Hospital, where she will be kept in confinement as a
criminal lunatic during her Majesty's pleasure, not yet
having arrived. The unfortunate woman since her trial
has been, and still continues, overwhelmed with grief. Miss
Saunders had an interview with her sister this afternoon,
but the usual rules of the gaol were maintained,
THE NEW AMERICAN TARIFF.—For the conve-
nience of shippers an extra steamer of the Inman line will
be despatched for New York on Thursday next, July 17th.
THE MIDDLESEX ‘S' ESTERN CORONERSHIP.—
Yesterday the polling for coroner of the western district of
Middlesex took place, and considerable excitement pre-
vailed, At the close of the poll at four o'clock it was stated
that the majority in favour of Mr. Bird was between 200
and SOO. The official declaration of the poll will be made on
Wednesday.
ROYAL PAVILION HOTEL, FOLKESTONE.—Arri-
vaIs : Major Gallon, Mr. and Mrs. Dalbiac, Mr. and Mrs.
Fenwick, Mr. Marlay, Dr. Parsons, Admiral Sir A. Arbuth-
not, Captain Grindall, Mr. Round, Mr. Twining, Colonel
Wyndham and family, &c.
THE BOMBAY MAIL.—SOUTHAMPTON, July 14.
—The Peninsular and Oriental Company's steam-ship
Mooltan, with the heavy portion of the above mails, has
arrived. She brings 75 passengers, £ll4 in specie, pearls
to the value of 71.600 rupees, and 2,831 packages of general
cargo, including 927 bales of raw silk,valued at 90,0001. At
Gibraltar on the 9th instant, exchange on London, 90 days,
was quoted 49i ; on Paris, sf. 26c. ; Marseilles, sf, 28c. ;
Genoa, sf. 28c. ; on Madrid, at eight days' sight, 1 prem.
Freights were unaltered.
A Shanghae steam packet company has been
started in China to run steamers to and from Shanghae,
Chufoo, Tientsin, the ports of Japan, Foochow, Amoy,
S watow, and Canton. The capital is £240,000. About ten
or twelve steamers will be employed, which will be built

in America.
SOUTH KENSINGTON MUSEUM.—During the
week ending July 12 the visitors have been as follows :—On
Monday, Tuesday, and Saturday, free days, open from 10
a.m. to 10 p.m., 28,115 ; on Wednesday, Thursday, and
Friday, students' days (admission to the public, 6d.), open
from 10 a.m. till 6 p.m., 10,980; total, 39,095. From the
opening of the Museum, 2,936,108.
THE HARVEST IN FRANCE.—The accounts of
the harvest, which has already begun in the south of
France, are not satisfactory. The hopes of a superabun-
dant and even a precocious harvest have vanished, and it
will be fortunate if we have a very ordinary yield. The
accounts from foreign countries do not seem to be much
better, and though, according to present appearances, there
is little reason to apprehend a scarcity, still any serious re-
duction in prices is faintly expected. The cold and wet
weather so prevalent,with little interruption, for more than
a month, which retarded the ripening of the crops, will be
felt when they come to be gathered in. Cold nights fol-
lowing sunless days, and frequent and heavy falls of rain
and strong winds, have retarded and laid the corn ; and
the quality of the grain, if not the quantity, will be far
from realizing the hopes which the agriculturist cherished
in May last.
ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOClETY.—Yesterday
being a fine day, the gardens wore their holiday aspect,
being crowded with a large influx of fashionable visitors
who attended to hear the bands of the Zouaves and of the
gendarmerie of the Imperial Guard. Among those present
were their Royal Highnesses the Duchess of Cambridge,
the Princess Mary, and the Duchess of Mecklenburgh
Strelitz, who paid marked attention to the music of these
excellent bands. They are to perform again to-day and
to-morrow (Wednesday).
THE VICEROY OF EGYPT.—In preparation for
the banquet announced to take place on board his High-
ness's steam yacht, the Faid Gehaad, at Woolwich to-mor-
row (Wednesday) evening, and to facilitate the arrival of
the Royal and distinguished guests free from inconveni-
ence, arrangements have been made for the entrance of a
special train through the lower gate of the Arsenal, from
London, to pass without interruption to the head of the
pier, and, if necessary, over the turntables, discharging its
freight on the platform at a covered gangway leading on
board. During the preparations, which are on the most
magnificent scale, the yacht has been besieged with claim-
ants for admission to view the interior, but all demands for
that purpose have been refused.
BANQUET TO THE VICEROY OF EGYPT AT THE
UNITED SERVICE CLUB.—Last evening the members of
the United Service Club gave a splendid banquet to his
Highness the Viceroy of Egypt at the club-house, in Pall-
mall. The entertainment reflected much credit on all con-
cerned. It was served up in a style of princely elegance, in
the spacious and elegant breakfast-room of the club.
INDICATORS FOR TARGET PRACTICE ---Mr.
Dempster, inventor of the eroblem yacht ; new trawl net ;
and a flag telegraphic signal for ship use, handy and perfect
for communicating in light winds and calm weather, now
proposes the adaptability of his flag signal for the purpose
of indicating the exact spot where a ball hits the target.
Mr. Dempster's plan is to divide the Government service
target (of 6 feet high, 4 feet wide) into 24 equal squares,
and represent each square by a letter of the alphabet ; then,
with his system of signalling, or rather his alphabet in
colours, the marker at the butt could immediately point
out the exact square where the ball hit. One great ad-
vantage of Mr. Dempster's indicator is, the whole affair,
both flags and frame, stows away in a case that need be no
thicker than a soldier's halbert, a ship's boarding-pike, or
a gentleman's walking stick. For private practice in shoot-
ing Mr. Dempster has got other ideas on the subject of
target practice to enable our riflemen being good shots.
One of his suggestions are to shape the target in the form
of a man 6 feet high and 2 feet broad across the shoulders.
This figure to be divided into 300 equal squares, or
hexigens. Each division to be represented by a letter
or letters of the alphabet suitable for being in-
dicated to by the eighteen consonant letters, now
used for the Government Commercial Code of Signals.
By permutation with 18 consonant letters of the alphabet,
which might be made of pasteboard or tin, the marker at
the butt could indicate to upwards of 300 different divi-
sions on the target, and never require to show more than
two litters at a time. By having all the divisions on a
target of small dimensions, it must be of the utmost im-
portance to crack shots whilst sighting their rifles to know
exactly within an inch on the target where his last ball
hit. For private practice Mr. Dempster suggests the
" man-shaped target" might be printed on stout paper and
pasted on boards. After one target is riddled another can
easily be stuck on the boards. The expense of getting up
paper (fac-simile) targets would not be much; nor would
the indicators be very expensive. Riflemen, after a day's
shooting at the man shaped target, might have some fine
fun while speaking over their successful aiming and de-
cided hits. One might be able to say, "Ohl my first ball
hit the fellow in B C right in the eye." Another, " And
mine hit B L right on the shoulder blade." And another
might say, " The second shot I fired hit the letter D,
which is right in the breadbasket." In fact a regular
anatomical discussion might go on about target-practice.
AN EXPERIMENTAL STEAMER.--NEW METHOD
of PROPULSION.—On Friday morning, a little steamer,
tspthetusteered—and
et s
Clyde,erimeasuringpedordof—a opnareandl
anl
dnitwelvemonth,sg about twelve tons, and fully 50 feet long, with
only a chimney standing amidships, entered our harbour .
d
She is the property of a military gentleman from the
steering.
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vessel
weiassi
nsaepagni
padatpheananrrstaeee
tasdnuvd
osi invention,
iuvde
steered—byfind methodxte i
reo,dno ,abf tupp
ttrrhooi
es--
ops stern, eoer nj
each
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dipping
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attachedtthe
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water,r
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hwehi
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blade, working
in the same way as the blade of a pa-
tent paddle—namely, turning its " feather edge" to the
water as it goes forward, but the full flat face when mov-
ing in the direction necessary for propelling the vessel.
These spokes are made to revolve with the wheel with
which they are connected ; and this wheel, by an eccentric
motion which it possesses, is made to remain fairly amid-
ships, or is moved from port to starboard by means of a
lever connected with the internal machinery. She answers
to the least touch of this lever ; and another remarkable
property of the litte craft is that she goes as well, and steers
as truly stern first as stem foremost. There is one draw-
back at once visible on seeing the vessel sailing ; the hori-
'rental wheel is fully a foot above the surface of the water,
and the bars of the s'x blades being uncovered, would, in
revolving, be very liable to become entangled with drift
wood or other floating matter. However, a protecting cover
might be made to obviate this. The vessel is chiefly occu-
pied with the furnace and boiler and engine. Her deck is
flush, and the only bulwark is a rope netting. She came
from the Clyde, bound for Aberdeen, She passed through
the Clyde and Forth Canal, and in a mist early on Friday
morning went half- wa-y up the Tay without discovering her
error, having lost reckoning after making the East Neuk
of Fife. We are told that she has neither anchor or
compass on board. Three blades of her paddle were broken
in coming through the canal, which, of course, much re-
duced her speed, but notwithstanding this, her gallant
veteran owner, with Lis crew one seaman, a stoker, and an
engineer, steamed smartly out of the harbour in the after.
noon, standing gaily away to the north; the little craft, not
much larger tban a large fishing boat, sitting lightly and
steadily on the water,—selebroatis Guide.

xT
CI N E
_l4 A t 1-4 IS.

IMPORTANT BATTLES

BEFORE RICHMOND.

(Per Jura, by telegraph to Father Point and from

Londonderry.)

NEW YORK, JULY 5 (AFTERNOON).

Official despatches from General M'Clellan of
Friday, the 4th, say that no fighting has occurred
since Tuesday, when the rebels were repulsed with
heavy slaughter.

The Federal army moved into the position now
occupied because it affords greatly superior advan-
tages for the operations of the gunboats, 17 of which
are now in James River, protecting the flank of
the Federal army.

The Federal forces were not beaten in any con-
flict, nor could they be driven from the field by the
utmost efforts of the rebels. No guns have been
lost since the 27th ult., when General M'Clellan's
division was at first overwhelmed, and 25 pieces of
artillery fell into the hands of the Confederates.

Vicksburg is reported to have been captured by
the Federals ; but no particulars have been received.
A much more favourable impression has been
created to-day by the news of the safety of General
M'Clelian's army, and the arrival of reinforcements.

COMMERCIAL INTELLIGENCE.

NEW YORK, JULY 5 (Afternoon).

Money abundant ; gold 9; prem. Exchange on
London excited and unsettled, at 1211. Stocks
better ; New York Centrals, 901 ; Illinois, 58i;
Erie, 34.71. Cotton steady. Flour dull. Wheat
quiet. Corn very firm. Provisions very firm.
The Jura brings £13,700 in specie.

The Hibernia and Kangaroo passed Cape Race
on the sth, and the Europaon the 6th. The Great
Eastern passed St. Andrew's on the Bth. The
Anglo-Saxon has arrived out.

(LATEST BY TELEGRAPH TO CAPE RACE.)
NEW YORK, JULY 7, Evening.

The Confederate General Magruder has been
captured, and the report of General Jackson's death
is not confirmed.

Vicksburg has not been taken.
The Federals have captured the Confederate gun-
boat Teaser in James river.
Richmond has been illuminated.

The Southern newspapers claim that the Confe-
derates have captured 12,000 prisoners, all M'Clel-
lan's siege guns, and supplies sufficient to last the
Confederate army for three months.
The Federal War Department has ordered all
returned prisoners liberated on parole by the Con-
federates to report themselves immediately, and
they will be appointed to some duty compatible
with their parole.

The newspapers urge recourse to drafting.
General M'Clellan has issued an address to the
army, declaring that the Federals shall enter
Richmond, and that the Union shall be preserved,
no matter what the coat of time, of treasure, and of
blood.

The correspondent of the New York TIMIS states
that, since the evacuation of James Island, the
Confederates are threatening Port Royal, in South
Carolin a.

The Governors of all the Union States have
issued proclamations for more troops.
The Federal Commander before Vicksburg is
employing his troops to cut a canal across the land
opposite the city, so as to change the course of the
Mississippi, and render Vicksburg for ever an
inland town.

General M'Cleilan has had another skirmish
with the Confederates, being the third, which has
resulted in the latter being forced to retreat.
The Bavaria and Glasgow took two •and-a-half
minion dollars in specie on freight for Europe on
the sth.

Money abundant. Exchange and gold rising.
Stocks depressed. Cotton quiet, but unchanged.
Breadstuff lower.

NEW YORK, JULY 3 (Evening).
(Per Jura, via Quebec and Londonderry.)
Events of the highest importance have taken
place before Richmond.

A series of severe and bloody battles, extending
over seven days, have been fought before that place,
resulting in the defeat of General 111‘Clellan's army,
with heavy loss during four days' fighting.
The Federal army retreated 17 miles.
The accounts received are very confused, only one
official report having been published.
The correspondents state that General M'Clellan's
army consisted of 95,000 effective troops, and that
the Confederates, with their reinforcements, num-
bered 135,000.

The Confederates must have suffered very heavily,
but appear to have continued to press on in over-
whelming numbers.

No estimate of loss can be made on either side
with accuracy. The estimates given vary from
10,000 to 30,000.

General M'Clellan with his army has fallen back
under cover of the gun-boats on the James River,
and is throwing up entrenchments.

The war department has received despatches from
General APCiellan, dated Berkeley, Harrison's Bar,
July 2, 5.30 p.m., stating that he had succeeded
in getting his army to that place on the banks of
the James River, and that he had lost but one
gun and one waggon. He further states that
he had. fought a severe battle upon the first, and
had beaten the enemy upon the second ; that the
men were In good spirits, and that reinforcements
from Washington had arrived.
This is the only official despatch published.
The correspondents of various newspapers men-
tion the loss of several Federal batteries and siege
guns.

It is reported that the Confederate generals,
Jackson and Rhett (?) were killed, and that Magru-
der was captured.

It is also reported that two Federal generals are
captured.

The news from Richmond caused great glocm,
and a great deal of popular newspaper indignation
that General M'Clellan was outnumbered.
General M‘Clellan's despatch from Berkeley
caused more cheerful feelings.

Some newspapers attack General 111‘Clellan ;
others blame the members of the Federal Cabinet.
Thare does not, however, appear to be a shadow
of feeling on the part of the press or the people in
favour of relinquishing the struggle.
The new levy of 300,000 men is urged on as of
more importance than ever, and a more energetic
prosecution of the war is demanded.
The New York Chamber of Commerce has passed
resolutions that it would by its influence continue
to sustain the Government in the determined effort
to put down the rebellion, and to maintain the
Union.

The Count of Paris and the Duke of Chartres
since the late battles have quitted the Federal army
and returned to Europe.
The editor of the Baltinzore Anzerican is released

from prison.

General Hunter, in reply to an inquiry from
Congress, acknowledges that he has drilled and
armed negroes, and hopes by the end Df the fall to

present to the Government 40,000 negro soldiers.
His reply will be debated in Congress.
The 11) ow York Ilerald says that instructions
have been sent to General Butler to cease all fur-
ther correspondence with the foreign diplomatic
agents, and to leave such matters to the State de-
partment.