The Sun.
London, England, 1854-09-26 00:00:00

BURNING OF BOULOGNE THEATRE.

BOULOGNE, Sunday Evening.—The return of the Em-
peror on Saturday evening to the Hotel Brighton put all
Boulogne on the qui rive for a new round of festivities,
especially as it was for some time thought that he had
brought the Empress with him. The people, however,
were again disappointed, as her Majesty had postponed
her visit until Tuesday. As on this day week, the
solemnisation of a grarad high mass at the camp at Am-
bleteuse drew to that locality an immense number of
visitors. Meanwhile another scene was taking place in
the low town, the result of which has been to throw more
than 100 persons out of employment, and materially to
curtail the programme of the public amusements in
honour of the visit of the Empress. This was nothing
else than the total destruction of the Theatre by fire.
About half-past twelve o'clock the bells of the Hotel
Ville, St. Joseph's, and St. Nicholas rang the alarm of
fire, and the rappel summoned the military to duty.
Every one was soon on the alert, and a general rush
took place in the direction of the Rue Neuve Chaussde.
whence the smoke and flames seemed to proceed, which
circumstance gave rise to the opinion that it was the
Hotel Windsor which was on fire, for the theatre being
at the top of the Rue Monsigny almost faces that cele-
brated establishment. As they arrived on the ground
they were, however, made aware of the real state of the
case, and were called on to form the chain and pass the
buckets of water from hand to hand to be thrown on the
blazing pile by the firemen, who were mounted on lad-
ders placed against its sides. The alarm no sooner
reached the Emperor than he ordered his carriage, arid,
accompanied by his staff; drove to the scene of destruc-
tion. The moment hediscovered whatstructure it was that
was in flames, he alighted, and leaving his carriage in the
Rue Neuve Chausde, walked up the Rue Monsigny, and
directed the efforts of those who were struggling to extin-
guish the conflagration, and was as active as any other
man there in forwarding the water-buckets to the fire-
men, in which service he was zealously aided by the
officers of his staff. There is a law in France that all
persons present on such an occasion should aid in extin•
guisbing the flames ; but an ignorance of its existence
was well nigh bringing a few of our countrymen into
trouble, as they crowded the ground merely in the cha-
racter of spectators, and did not understand the lan
guage or brook the manner in which the military called
on them to help. Indeed, one of them who, in attempt-
ing to pass onward, was prevented by a soldier, imme-
diately wrested the musket from his grasp, and to pre-
vent any injury being inflicted in the scuffle, unscrewed
the bayonet. This latter manoeuvre was altogether mis
understand by the bystanders, who, under the impres-
sion that he was going to use the bayonet for the pur-
pose of stabbing his antagonist, became fearfully excited
against bins. He was immediately surrounded and
placed in the bands of two of the police, who unceremo-
niously dragged him to prison, one holding by the
necktie and the collar of his coat, and the other
impelling him with his hand pressed against the back of
his neck. This was an episode to the main act, which
might have been avoided by a ►ittle forbearance. The
fire still raged in despite of all the efforts made to ex-
tinguish it, and, indeed, it would have been a miracle
if they had succeeded, for the scanty supply of water,
scanty when compared with the magnitude of the con-
flagration, must have had the effect of increasing rather
than of allaying the flames, and the fire engines would
have brought a broad grin on the face of Superintendent
Braidwood. All soon became convinced of the futility
of trying to subdue such a body of fire by means so in-
adequate, and accordingly the build►ng was left to its
fate. The fire, it is said, originated in an actor having
incautiously brought a lighted cigar into the costume
room, the burning ashes of which having fallen on a dry
portion of the properties ignited them, and they spread
the flames to the scenery and stage, where the company
were at the time rehearsing. It is said that the loss is
amply covered by insurance.

A HORSE RACE IN THE SANDWICH
ISLANDS.

The women and girls are decidedly the best riders.
With them, not as with the ladies of our Atlantic cities,
Ride-saddles are out of the question. Iu their loose, flow-
ing drapery, Lair streaming in the wind, their beautifully
erect position, and their horses careering along like the
march of the whirlwind, they look majestically dangerous,
and yet they are never thrown from the saddle. There is
many a lady in civilised nations who would envy the eques-
trian skill of these Hawaiian women. There is many a
finished artist that would he glad to have one of them as
a subject for his pencil. It may be owing to this mode of
exercise that they, in part, acquire such on exquisite de-
velopment of form. I wish I could fully portray tli-se
Saturday afternoon sports. Yonder, on the plain, some
forty or fifty women are speeding almost with the ra-
pidity of light toward some well-selected goal. Every
nerve and muscle of both horses and riders is stretched
to the utmost tension—the former from sheer instinct
to gain the victory, the latter from a spirit of almost
matchless daring, mirthfulness, and excitement. Now
comes along a party of men and boys, many of them
clinging, with their naked limbs, like leeches to the
flicks of their foaming steeds, while their restless hands
and arms are describing all sorts of circles in the
air, as if under pain of dismemberment, but, in reality,
to cheer along their animals to a swifter speed. Ciouds
of choking dust follow their wake. Here and there may
be seen a mounted foreigner, quietly looking on, or
sharing in their mirth and sports. But yonder is a
scene that defies all attempts at description. A few
horses and donkeys, not under immediate use, but
which, a few minutes since, were quietly feeding on
the ever-living pasture, have caught the spirit
of that fiery locomotion by which their compeers
are impelled over the plain. Unable any longer
to control their nature, away they speed, in the utmost
confusion, as though their powers of a life-endurance
were all concentrated in this single moment. Now they
have mingled with the mounted animals, sharing their
foam, and madly plunging through the clouds of dust,
and endangering the life and limbs of any pedestrian who
fails to get out of the way in time. On, on they speed,
like fiery Arabians over their native sands, all and each
one struggling for the mastery in the well-contested rate
for glory.—Sandwich Island Notes.

NEW YORE.—The specie brought by the New York
steamers yesterday amounts to 180,0001., of which a por-
tion is for the continent. The accounts on this occasion
show that the anticipated reaction in the stock-market,
which had partially commenced a week previously,
is likely to be sustained. Erie Railroad shares have
advanced from about 324 to 44, and there has likewise
been a decided improvement in almost all other specu-
lative descriptions. Commercial matters generally pre-
sented a more healthy appearance than for months past,
and the dealers in the interior were making their pay-
ments to the New York importers with unexpected
promptitude. The pressure for money, however, was
still considerable, and 12 percent. was the ordinary rate
for good bills. With regard to'the supply of breadstuff&
the opinion now was that in the absence of any foreign
demand the quantity in the country would be sufficient
to remove all apprehensions of scarcity, and that the
prices which farm produce had recently attained during
the panic in relation to the Indian corn crop would
not!be permanent. The shares of the Nicaragua Transit
Company had risen in consequence of an arrange-
ment with the rival line vift Panama by which the
steamers of each company, instead' of running in
opposition, will depart from every alternate week, their respective ports
News from Clifornia will consequently be received for the future ata more regular
and frequent intervals. According to the last accounts
from that State, the production of gold continues with
undimini,hed steadiness and will be fully equal this year
to that of 1853. At the port of San Francisco an extra-
ordinary decision had just been arrived at in an action
against the Customs' authorities, which requires to b
mentioned as a caution to foreign merchants shipping to
that port. A bonded warehouse was so insecureiyhu
built
of
or overloaded that it fell and destroyed a
goods,
ed an
butd
uponthe a trial judgment claim f theud owners indemnity
quantitye rthe Go-
vernment.
wa.4re:
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vernmea.
ment forwas given

AMSTERDAM AND ROTTERDAM PRODUCE MARKETS.—
The weekly reviews from the Amsterdam and Rotter-
dam produce-markets allude to a slight increase of acti-
vity. Purchases of tea had been made at rather better
prices, black descriptions especially having been in de-
mand. Sugar, raw and refined, also exhibited a ten-
dency to further improvement, but coffee was without
alteration. Indigo was on the average well supported.
The traneactiona in rice had beta at former quotationc