The Sun.
London, England, 1854-06-16 00:00:00

REPORTED BURNING OF THE EUROPA
'ITANSPJRT SHIP AND 1.-.493 Ulf' LIFE.

The announcement of this catastrophe, which was com-
municated to Lloyd's yesterday, at noon, by telegraph
from Liverpool, created muck sensation throughout the
shipping interest. It took place on the night of the 31st
ult., in' the Chops of the Channel, not far from the spot
where the ill-fated Amazon steamer was destroyed, and
there is too much reason to fear that it was attended with
very lamentable consequences. The Europa was a fine
ship of nearly 800 tons burthen. She was built on
the river in 1851, classed A 1 at Lloyd's for six years,
and was the property of Mr. Somes, the shipowner,
of Blackwell. She was taken up by Government for the
conveyance of troops to the East, and, having under-
gone the necessary survey and equipment for the service,
she left the river for Plymouth, her number as a transport
being 92 We are informed that she was originally in-
tended to take out 300 troops, but on reaching Plymouth,
on the 23d of last month, the order was given for her to
convey cavalry horses and men, and she accordingly
received on board the Ist division of the Inniskillen
Dragoons, 50 in number. Colonel Moore went out in
the ship, and two women belonging to the troop. It is
also stated that a quantity of ammunition, powder, and
shot was shipped in her. The troop having safely em-
barked on the 29th, the staff and remainder of the regi-
ment going on in the Lord Raglan and other trans-
port ships, the Europa, on the following day, was
towed out of the Sound into the Channel, the men
and officers in the yard, and Admiral Parker with
them, cheering loudly, and the soldiers replying with
hearty buzzes. She then sailed for the Mediter-
ranean, the wind being westerly. Nothing more was
heard of her until yesterday, when the Arno screw-
steamer arrived at Liverpool from Marseilles, which
place she left on Friday last, and reported that when off
Cape St. Mary she fell in with ELM, steam-frigate Tri-
bune, the commander of which, the Hon. Capt. Car-
negie, communicated the total loss by fire of the Europa,
which took place on the night of the 31st of May, about
two hundred miles from Plymouth, and that the Tribune
had on board a part of the survivors. The frigate was
on her way from Portsmouth to the Mediterranean, to
join the allied fleets in the Black Sea; By this it will
be seen that the disaster occurred on the night after the
ill-fated ship left Plymouth. With a view of learning
more particulars, if possible, of the catastrophe, the
number, and who were the survivors, the captain of the
Arno was telegraphed to, but he knew no more of the
facts than had been given. The Europa was commanded
by Captain Warton, and the reporter was informed by
Mr. Somes that the ship was efficiently supplied with
boats, her crew numbering, including officers, 35.

SOLDIERS' EQUIPMENTS.

TO TFIE EDITOR OF THE SUN.

SlR,—The very just complaints made against the
dress and equipment of our soldiers by the press in
general, ably assisted by our pioneer Punch,, induces
me to offer a few remarks on that subject. So unwarrior-
like is the costume of our soldiers, that fault might be
found with it " from head to foot"—aye, " from top to
toe," for we can begin with the head-dress, and a more
absurd or useless affair never was invented. Why
should the man be furnished with a heavy cap
many inches higher than his head, with a chain
under his chin to keep it on, so that when he is exerting
himself, or if it is windy he is obliged to open his mouth
to tighten the chin-strap, and prevent it falling off. If
the men do not make the required alteration before this
campaign is over, by depositing their shakos on the march
through the Balkan, and substituting their forage caps,
I am very much out of my mark.
The " rough and ready appearance of the Zouaves
and other foreign soldiers has c tused that vile garotte, the
stock, to be discontinued. And Punch's illustration of
the chest of drawers ought to be sufficient to cause au
alteration in the soldier's kit and knapsack. If not,
depend on it the contents will dwindle away, so that by
the end of the summer they will have become " small by
degrees and beautifully less."
But there is another alteration necessary—'tis the
doing away with that salt-box of a thing called a pouch.
Any one who has witnessed a field-day Must have noticed
the light infantry, when skirmishing or running fast,
steadying with his left hand that box with 60 rounds of
ball cartridge. To prevent it banging against his rear,
he is compelled to lean forward to counterbalance its
weight, the cross-belts pressing his chest enough to choke
him, and making him feel anything but comfortable. But
"obedience being the first duty of a soldier," he wears,
or carries anything without complaining. It is bad
enough for him to suffer thus much on home service ;
but as he is about to " rough it " in front of the enemy;
let us see if we cannot suggest something to add to his
comfort, and make him more efficient.

I would do away with the cartouch-box at once, and
instead adopt a pouch-belt similar to that worn by the
Cazadores and guerillas in the late Spanish War (and
admirable light Infantry they were). It is a belt round
the waist, buckled behind, and supported by two straps,
passing over theshoulders like braces. The cartridges are
placed in a single row round the body in sockets and
at each end is a small pocket, to hold ten rounds in
packet. The number of cartridges round the body is
about 30, which, with the two packets, would make 50
rounds. Thus the weight is equally distributed, and
the man has the free use of his limbs to asist him in
scrambling through woods, and over broken ground.
The cartridge can be handled more readily, and the
bayonet hangs on his left rear as at present; but it
appears that little attention has been paid to the im-
provement of our soldiers' accoutrements, and when we
consider what is expected of them, and what they will
have to perform on active service, it is the duty of those
in authority to turn their attention to it immediately.
If I have not trespassed too much on your valuable space,
and you should be pleased to insert this, you will much
oblige your humble servant, _

ROUGH AND READY.

SHIPPING INT ELLIGENCE.

LIVERPOOL, June 15.—The new clipper Lightning,
Captain J. N. Forbes, hence for Melbourne, was spoken in
lat. 12 13, long. 26 50, by the Great Western, arrived at
Southampton.
WEXFORD, June 12.—The Niagara, of and for New
York, from Liverpool, which was on the rocks off Greenore,
Dec. 19, was got off yesterday.
FISITGUARD, June 12.—The Sinbad (brigantine), Barrow
to Port Talbot, put into Goodwick Sands to endeavour to
stop a leak ; not succeeding, she put into the roads, where
she remains in a very leaky condition.
MADEIRA, June 2. —The Fanny, of Sunderland, Leghorn
to New York, arrived off this island, May 30, on the even-
ing of which day, when about 12 miles S.W. off Funchal,
her cargo, consisting of rags, wool, oil, soap, etc., was
found to be on fire, and next morning she was abandoned,
but afterwards towed to the beach by boats from the
shore, where she filled; the wreck, with its contents,
which are almost all destroyed, are to be sold.
MALTA, June I.—The Lechina and the Graphonokite,
Russian prizes, have arrived here to-day from Constan-
tinople. _ _ _

Rio JANEIRO, May 15.—A boat, bottom up, marked on
her stern in yellow letters, " Bella, of Liverpool," was
picked up in lat. 22 S., long. 38 W., by the Kent, arrived
here from Baltimore, which vessel fell in with, near the
same place, a round-house, water cask, chest of drawers,
some straw bedding, several pieces of a vessel's cabir, &c.
The boat, house, and water cask wore painted buff colour.
BAHIA, May o.—The Marie Emilie during a gale, 11th
instant, came in collision with the barque Gratitude, of
Shields—the latter lost bowsprit, cutwater, &c., and
the former is also severely damaged. The Elizabeth
(barque), of London, from the Clyde to Ceylon and Madras,
put in here May 11, leaky, and is discharging.
GRENADA, May 26.—The Palestine (barque), from Har-
tlepool, in entering the careenage, grounded on a sandbank,
but was got off slowly afterwards apparently without
damage.