The Sun.
London, England, 1862-08-21 00:00:00

QUEENSTOWN, WEDNESDAY MORNING.

The Inman steamer Etna, from New York the
9th, has arrived. She brings the United States
mails, 83 cabin and 478 steerage passengers, She
landed 244 steerage passengers, the majority of
whom were able-bodied men of the labouring class.
The Etna has 186,000 dols. in specie on freight.
She was detained eight hours at New York waiting
for Government despatches. On Aug. 11 she passed
the Bremen ship Adler, the screw steamer Bavaria,
and the British ship Dundonald, all bound west.
On Aug. 13 she called off Cape Race, and received
telegrams from New York to that date. The Etna
was in company for several days with the Hamburg
steamer Sasonia.

From the head-quarters of the army of the
Potomac the following is the latest despatch :

" AUGUST 8.

" General Hooker remained at Malvern Hill until
12 o'clock on Wednesday night, when he fell back
to his encampment,. leaving strong guards at
Moran's. •The rebels moved down from Richmond
on three roads, concentrating their forces near Mal-
vern. They thought our whole army was moving
towards Richmond, when our movement was merely
a reconnaissance in force. The gunboat Southfield,
which has been aground for some days above City
Point, was got off yesterday. The rebels are re-
ported as having appeared in considerable force.
They made no further demonstration than to drive
our men a short distance."

A despatch of the 6th, from General Crawford's
head-quarters, near Culpepper, describes the army
of Virginia as on the point of making a forward
movement :

" Nearly the whole army of Virginia is now on
the move forward in the direction of the enemy.
General MiDowell arrived here to-day, and fixed
his Lead-quarters at the fine residence of Mr. Wal-
lack, of the Washington Star. General Rickett's,
Hartsuff's, and Duryea's commands came with him.
General Banks's army, the portion that remained
near Little Washington, is on the march.

" On which point our first
will be made, is not yet to be made public. At
Madison Court-house there is now a considerable
force of —one of Sigel's brigades, and yes-
terday evening General Bufort, cruel ~.-ralry,
With a portion of his command. A little later,
Colonel De Forrest left for the same point with
the now veteran Fifth New York. The First
Vermont did not return here from Racoon Ford,
but were ordered directly to Madison Court-housa,
where they arrived last evening. The well-drilled
force of General Sigel is moving forward in
sections, occupying important points on the way.
General Burnside is not resting, as might be sup-
posed probable, and King and the others are
acting, we believe, in accordance with a well-
conceived plan for early offensive operations. The
force now at Culpepper, under General Crawford,
will not, lam sure, remain here much longer. Its
position is in the advance, and it must now
move on.'"

Reports from the blockading fleet off Fort Royal
state that the Confederates have two rams in
Charleston Harbour, nearly ready for service.
These, it is said, will be used mainly to protect the
harbour, and convoy vessels out and in through the
blockading fleet. They are small, however, though
formidable, and can hardly be used to advantage
or with safety at any great distance from shore.
They have conical revolving turrets, an improve-
ment on the Monitor, and these turrets and their
sides are cased with railroad iron, mainly sent down
from the railroads which the rebels have destroyed
in their different retreats through Virginia.
These are considered of small importance com-
pared with a ram at Savannah, which has been
formed from the Scotch steamer Fingal, razeed,
thoroughly mailed with railroad iron, and said to
be shot-proof against the heaviest guns. The cor-
responcent of the New York Times, writing on
board the Vermont, says :

" It is claimed for her that she is peifectly sea-
worthy, her heavy guns being mounted on elevating
platforms, which can be lowered to the bottom of
her hold, 7 feet below her water line, when she is
at sea. These guns. are raised by means of screws
when she is prepared for action, and are said to
number 14—two 120-pounders rifled, four 50-
pounders rifled, six 10-inch columbiads, made at the
Tredegar Ironworks, and two brass 24-pounder
howitzers to sweep the after and fore parts of her
deck in case of her being boarded, and to be used
with grape and canister against any vessel that may
attempt to grapple with this marine destroyer."