The Sun.
London, England, 1854-10-21 00:00:00

NEWGATE AND LEADENFIALL.

Turkey poults, 030 d to Os Od ; Geese, 4s Gd to 75 Gd each;
Ducks, 4s Od to Gs Gd ; tame Rabbits, Os Od to Os Od ;
wild do., 10d to is Gd each ; Pigeons, 6s to Ss per doz. ;
largo Surrey Fowls, —s Od to —s Od ; middling, 2s 3d to
4s Od • Chickens, is 6cl to 2s 3d ; Capons, 4s Od
to Gs Od ; Hires 2s Gd to 3s 8d ; grouse, 2s Od to 2s 9d each ;
Leverets, Os Od to Os each. Ostend fresh butter, 103 Od
to 12s Od, and English lls 6d to 14s Od per dozen lbs.
Engish Eggs, 8s 6d to Os 34 French ditto, 5s 6d to 7s Od
per 120.

NEWPORT.
Beef from 3s 4d to 43 6d ; mutton, 3s 6d to 4s 8d
♦eal, 3s 4d to 4s 4d ; pork, 3s 6d to 5s Od por Slbs.

WIIITECHATEL.
Beef, 3s 2d to 41 6d ; mutton, 3s 4d to 48 6d ; voal, 3a 4d
to 4s td; pork, 3s 4d to 5s Oil per Blbs. by the carcase.

BILLINGSGATE.
Turbots, 5s Od to 21s ; Brills, 3s to 108 each; Salmon
Is 6d to is 7d per lb; Cod Fish, 5s to 17s each ; Soles,
3d to 2s 6tl per pair; Eels, 8d to 1s 0 I per 1b;. Lobsters, 6d to
is 6d ; Crabs, 4(1 to is 6d ; Whitings, 3s to lls per doz.;
Common Oysters, lOs to 16s ; Natives, 40s to .50s per
bsh; Mackerel, Od to Od each ; smelts, is to 3s 6(1 per doz.;
Skate, 6d. to Od per lb; Shrimps, Os Pd to 2s Gd per gallon;
Bloaters, is 6d. to 2s Od per doz. ,• Fresh Herrings, Od to
Os Od per doz. ; Scotch do., 6d to is 3d.

BREAD.
The prices of wheaten bread in the metropolis are from
9d to 10d; of household ditto, 7p. to Sid per 41b loaf.

HIDES AND SKINS.
Market hides, 561 b to 641 b, 30 to Od; 641 b to 721 b,
to 30 ; 721 b to 801 b, 30 to Od ; 801 b to 881 b, 30 to 3ia ;
881 b to 961 b, 3Ad to 4d • 961 b to 1041 b 4d to 40; 10411)
to 1121 b 4id to Horse' hides, Gs 0.1 to' Os Od; calf skins,
2a Od to 3s Od; ditto full, Gs Od to Os Od; polled
sheep, 3s 9d to 4s 6d ; Kents, 38 4d to 3s 10d ; Flalf-breds,
3g 4d to 33 10d ; Downs, 2a 9(1 to 3s 4j ; Lambs, 2s 9d to
ad.

HAY MARKETS.
SMITIIFTELD.—Meadow hay 2/ 15s to 4/ 102 ; clover
ditto, 4/ Os to 6/ Cs ; and straw, 1/ Os to 1/ 12s per load.
Supply good and trade rather dull.
UUMBERLAND.—Meadow hay, 2115 s to
1
s to 41
1145
ditto, 3/ lOs to 5/ 15s; and straw
11
Trade steady, at our quotations.
WIIITECIIAPIM.--laeadow hay, 2/ 12s to 41 103; clover
ditto, 3t 5s to 6/ Os ; and straw 1/ 6s to 1/ 12s per load.
A full average supply and a sluggish demand. ssp;ercrovaedr.

T.HE

,EE,

The Secretary of the Admiralty presents his cc,srapli-
month to the editor of the Times, and a statement having
appeared in the Times' correspondence in that journal
on the 18th inst. relative to the ill-treatment of a Itussian
officer, a prisoner of war on hoard the Belleisle, a report
on the whole circumstances was immediately called for
from the commander of that ship ; and the Secretary of
the Admiralty now begs to forward to the editor of the
Times copies of the explanation, which has been received
this day.
Admiralty, Oct. 20.
" Her Majesty's ship Belleisle, Hamoaze, Oct. 19.
to
18ytohu
uisnt e.,ml
erfae nr
rdi un ign
tow
ai t h their
paragraphLo r
id
Lord-
ships' n-
‘ilet—te*lrnorfeptlhye
the Times of the same date, I beg leave to enclose a state-
ment of facts from Dr. M'kechnie, connected with the
Russian prisoners while in hospital on board this ship,
every word of which, as far as came under my observation,
I can fully corroborate, were it necessary. All the prisoners
expressed perfect satisfaction at their really kind treat-
ment while in hospital, and, I believe, left the ship with
regret.
" It was after the prisoners had left that the wounded
Russian officer complained of his loss, and Sir Charles
Napier called my attention to it. Immediately I took the
officer on board again with the interpreter, and in their
presence searched every bag and bed beionging to the crew
thoroughly ; the ship at the same time w as well overhauled
by several officers, the sergeant of marines, and ship's cor-
poral.
" The wounded Russians from one fort, Notich,' were
brought on board this ship at daylight the morning after it
was taken, under the directions of Mr. Martin, the surgeon,
and myself. Mr. Martin went to the larger fort of Bomar-
sund, and was told at the gate that the wounded there
were taken care of by French medical officers. It was the
evening of the following day before the last wounded
Russians, of which number Gessaiff was one, were brought
to us by one of the Arrogant's boats.
" Trusting that the report now made will be satisfactory
te their Lordships,
"I have, ko.,
"JAMES HOSKEN, Commander.
"Admiral Sir W. Parker, G.O B." •

" H.M.S. Belleisle, Hameaze, Oct. 19.
" Sir,—The correspondent in the Times of the 18th Oct.
appears to allade to a wounded Russian prisoner, named
Gessaiff, who was received on board this ship with 12 others,
at Bomarsund, on the 18th August. These wounded men
were brought on board in one of the boats of her Majesty's
ship Arrogant, under the charge of the surgeon of that ship,
having been found in different parts of the principal fort,
where they had been lying for three days, without appa-
rently much attention having been shown them.
" On admission, this man was found to have several scalp
wounds, and lying in a drowsy, semi comatose state, which
continued for several days. No one on board here was aware
that this or any other wounded Russians were officers, all
being similarly attired in their long coarse great-coats.
They were all undressed under the superintendence of the
medical officers, and placed in their respective beds, in a
part of the hospital deck appropriated to themselves.
" The clothing °Mese men was found in a most wretched
condition, being covered with filth, blood, and vermin, in
consequence of which it was necessary to purily, wash, and
air it in the rigging. All the woollen clothing, with the
great-coats, were sprinkled with chloride of zinc, and hung
in the rigging for several days.
"No one belonging to this ship ever saw the medals
which are said to have been stolen, and no one could have
been aware that paper money was stitched between the
lining of the great-coat.
"Not during the whole period that Gessaiff, was on
board the ship—viz., from the 18th of August to the 11th
of September—did he ever make any statement about the
loss of his money or any article belonging to him, although
he had been visited several times by the interpreter be-
longing to the Duke of Wellington, and was aware that
two of his countrymen had given up their money to one
of the medical officers, which money they had returned to

them on leaving.
"On the morning of the 11th of September the signal
was made to send all the Russian prisoners (patients) on
board the Zephyr for passage to Abo. The clothes of ail
the Russians on board were brought upfrorn the storeroom,
from which each man selected his own garment, as, from
their similarity and our total ignorance of the language, it
was impossible to aid them.
" With regard to the charge. of unkindness which is
alluded to, I will not do more than say that one and all,
on hearing that they were to be returned to their own
country, in a most fervent manner expressed their regret,
and begged to be permitted to accompany the ship to Eng-
land, and through the interpreter, gratefully acknowledged
the kindness and attention which had been shown them by
the whole hospital staff. This can be substantiated by ono
Russian prisoner discharged, cured, to Mill bay, and another,
convalescent, to Stonehouse hospital.—l am, &c.,
" A. .11'KEcHNIE, Inspector.
"Commander Hosken, Belleisle.."

THE ARCTIC SEARCH.

The result of the late court-martial on Sir Edward
Belcher pains rather than surprises us. The commander
of the finest Arctic expedition that ever left our shores
—that in which the hopes of hundreds were. centred as
their last ark of safety—has abandoned his ships and re-
turned home. He shelters himself under the ample dis-
cretionary power given him by the Admiralty instruc-
tions, and the Court had no alternative but to acquithim
on this plea.
In the official orders of Sir Edward Belcher the desire
of the Board to put an end to the long-protracted search
is palpable ; but under a sense of duty and high respon-
sibility, their instructions to this effect are accompanied
by conditions, exceptions, and powers which would have
enabled a zealous and single-minded cotnnAnder to effect
almost anything that was required for the discovery and
rescue of those whom he was sent to save. The real
discretionary power giver! to Sir Edward Belcher, and of
which he boasts so much., was to do that which the Ad-
miralty hoped it might be unnecessary to do—to pro-
long what they desired to put a stop to.
Sir Edward Belcher turns away frotn this aspect of
the trust reposed in him, and limits the exercise of his
discretionary functions to a disregard of all these preg-
nant provisions. His conduct has met with its meed
of
justice ; his sword has been returned to him, but it is
not wreathed with laurels.
In justice to the Admiralty, however, it should be
remembered that, if their words were in any degree
equivocal or loose as applied to the prolonging of the
search, their measures for making it practicable were
not to be mistaken. Sir Edward Belcher might have
read the meaning of his instructions by the light of that
heavily laden steamer and those two store-ships which
loomed through the fog as he was• leaving the depot
and harbour of rendezvous, under sail for England, the
whole of the crews of his six ships (Assistance, Pifineer,
Resolute, Intrepid, North Star, Investigator), crowded
into one, so that not a soul was left behind to do
any portion of the work which he had abandoned.
Those ships from England were laden with
fresh stores, fuel, provisions of every description, but,
above all, with fresh men, ready and able to work, and
prepared to take their turn in the hardships of an arctic
campaign, and relieve their debilitated and invalided
comrades. Bat it was of no avail. Sir Edward Bel-
cher had made up his mind—lie made a re-distribution
of officers and men in the three ships now afloat under
his command, and straightway sailed for Englaad. Well,
indeed, may it be said, in the sad prophetic words of
one of those the most deeply interested ie these arctic
expeditions, that "the glory which once invested them
is about to set in clouds and darkness."
We deplore the fate of poor Franklin and his com-
panions, left to perish, perhaps, on those identical
northern shores to which the late commander has given
a name, and'has marked upon his chart, but which have
not been explored. The gallant Collin Son; also, has
been left to his fate, but it is not a hopeless one. Sir
Edward Belcher informs us that a record has been left
behind, advising Captain Collinson to return by the
way that he came ; but he . forgets that Captain
Collinson was pushing forward and eastward, and would
struggle long and bard before lie betook himself to any
retrograde movement, and that, if at last lie found it
necessary to resolve upon such a step, 'it would be quite
independent of any " recorded" advice in a paper left in
a channel obstructed by ice. We hope for a better -re-
sult to the persevering exertions of Captain Collinson
than that ho should be forced to retrace his passage to
Behring Strait. Perhaps it may be reserved for him to
bring home in triumph that deserted ship, the Resolute
--sound, we are told, as ever she was—with her pen-
dant flying, which was reluctantly abandoned by the
noble Kellett, in obedience to his chief. Another win-
ter, however, must in all probability pass over the heads
of the devoted Collinson and his crew before this or any
other mode of deliverance can be erected ; and this
delay, fraught with so much gratuitous risk, might have
been avoided, had he been timely sought for this sum-
mer, by exploring parties from the Resolute and Intre-
pid, which are stationed exactly in that part of Barrow's
Strait, whence they could have been despatched with
'he greatest facility.—Morning Chronicle.

OAK VERSUS PINE.-With regard to the loss of the
Arctic, our readers will he surprised to learn that she is
reported to have been planked with pine instead of oak.
Every ene at all conversant with shipbuilding is well
aware that pine is exceedingly brittle, and has little or
no elasticity in it ; whereas there is a rebound in oak
plank, which nearly fills up a hole made by the passage
of a cannon-ball through it. Besides, the strength of
oak far exceeds that of pine. It is, therefore, probable
that if the Arctic had been planked with oak she might
not hare received such serious injury from the collision
with the Vesta as to have caused her loss. At any rate,
it is probable that much more time would have been
afforded to the passengers to effect their escape in the
boats had the Arctic been planked with oak. We ob-
serve that the ship's boat which arrived at Renews bad
no compass in it. Surely there was great neglect in not
having a small compass permanently attached to each of
the ship's boats, so that, in case of need, there should be
no necessity for running about a sinking ship in search
of compasses for the boats.—Shipping Gazette.
I TILE NEWCASTLE FIRES. —The subscription for the
relief of the sufferers by this sad calamity promises to be
among the most magnificent ever collected in this coun-
try. Up to Friday morning it amounted to 7,0001., and
among the subscriptions sent in we observed the Earl of
Carlisle, 2001. ; the Duke of Northumberland, 1051. ;
and subscriptions from working men in all parts of the
country. 357 families have been relieved by. the com-
mittee, who are also exerting themselves in providing
furniture and dwellings for the poor creatures burnt out.
We are informed that the claims sent in for losses are
of the most modest description, and the gratitude of the
poor for the timely relief afforded thew is most affecting.
TDB 'FRENCH AND ENGLISH 111 AILS.—Owing to the
tempestuous state of the weather the French mail packet
did not leave Calais with the mails on Wednesday at the
usual time.. The next mail train from Paris was very
much behind, but, on arrival, the Royal mail steamer
started in the teeth of a gale of wind, and crossed the
Channel in safety, and the mail came op to London by
the eight o'clock train. The French steamer came over
after. So that the mail that left Paris at a quarter to 12
on Wednesday noon did not reach London until some
hours after the mail that left Paris by the 7.30 p.m.
train the same day.