The Sun.
London, England, 1854-09-18 00:00:00

SHIP LAUNCH BY MOONLIGHT.—An incident, unpre-
cedented in the annals of shipbuilding, we believe, oc-
curred at Maryport on Saturday night, or rather at an
early hour on Sunday morning, in the launch by moon-
light of a splendidly built merchant vessel from the yard
of the Messrs. Ritson, ship-builders of that town. An
unforeseen accident prevented th 3 launch of the vessel
on the Saturday, and after a brief consultation the
builders determined to postpone it till the midnight
tide.—Carlisle Patriot.

ROBBERY BY A LETTER-CARRIER AT MANCHESTER.—
In consequence of several letters addressed to Manches-
ter, containing money and valuable property, having
recently been stolen, a police-officer searched the house
of a letter-carrier at Manchester, named Thomas Perci-
♦al, and found four pawn-tickets relating to three signet
rings and one diamond ring. On the 3d of August a
letter was addressed from Bristol to a Mr. Pope, of 44,
Cannon-street, Manchester, containing three signet and
three diamond rings ; but Mr. Pope never received it,
and it is supposed that the rings found in the prisoner's
house have been abstracted from it. On Friday Perci-
val was brought before the magistrates at the city police
court, and remanded until Wednesday.
FIRE IN ST. LUKE'S.—On Saturday night, between
the hours of eight and nine, a fire, attended with the
destruction of several thousand pounds' worth of pro-
perty, broke out in a range of premises belonging to Mr.
Hooker, engineer and printing-machine maker, and Mr.
Compaigne, patent pianoforte maker, carrying on busi-
ness in Old-street-road, St. Luke's, nearly facing St.
Mark's Church. The premises were of great extent,
having a depth of 150 feet and rising three floors in
height. The engines of the London brigade, parish, and
West of England office, as well as the Royal Society's
escapes, were promptly in attendance, but, in spite of
the most strenuous exertions of all present, the firemen
were unable to get the flames arrest, d until every part
of the property was destroyed. The total loss must be
very considerable ; and Mr. Hooker, who was insured
in the Defender Fire-office, will lose about 1,0001. above
the amount he was insured for. Mr. Tucker was in-
sured in the Phcenix Fire-office.
TILE NEW RIVER COMPANY IN HERTFORDSHIRE.--A
correspondent of the Hertford Mercury says that the
Hertford Board of Guardians are directicg a ditch in St.
Andrew's-street, in that town, to be converted into a
barrel drain, and emptying it into the river Lea near the
Town Mill, in the very pond from which the water is
pumped up by the Corporation Waterworks for the
supply of the town. Although the Legislature, he adds,
has given powers to the New River Company for puri-
fying the river whence it draws five-sixths of its quan-
tity, it has allowed three months to pass without taking
any steps for carrying out the provisions of the act ; on
the contrary, the " monster nuisance" of St. Andrew's
ditch in the town is being diverted at a considerable ex-
pense into the river. A great portion of this outlay will
be useless so soon as the system of sewerage is adopted,
and instead of the river being purified a large additional
drainage will be added at a point hem which both the
town of Hertford and the metropolis (through the New
River Company) are supplied with water for drinking
and culinary purposes.
CHEAP BREAD AND CHEAP CHEESE AT BUCKINGHAM.
—On Saturday last, Mr. Gardner, of Banbury, brought
into Buckingham market a quantity of bread, cheese,
and bacon, and sold all in a very short time—the bread
at 6d. and sd. the 41b. loaf, and good bacon and cheese
at 6d. p'er lb. This had the desired effect of causing
the prices in our shops to be lowered. The tradesmen
of Buckingham seemed determined not to be outdone by
their Banbury neighbour. Mr. Harris, grocer,
had bills distributed through the town to this effect.
This is as it should be, and we sincerely believe that
the inhabitants of Buckingham have no wish to send
ready cash out of the town if they can purchase the
necessaries of life as cheap and good in the town as they
can elsewhere.—Bucks Advertiber.

. _
THE CROWN OF ENGLAND.—The following is an
estimate. of the value of the jewels in this magnificent
diadem :—Twenty diamonds, round the circle, 1,5001.
each, 30.000/. ; two large entire diamonds, 2,0001. each,
4,000/. ; fifty-four smaller diamonds, placed at the angle
of the former, 1001. ; four crosses, each composed of
twenty-five diamonds, 12,0001. ; four large diamonds on
the top of the crosses, 4,0001. ; twelve diamonds con-
tained in fleurs de-lis, 10,0001. ; eighteen smaller dia-
monds contained in the same, 2,0001. ; pearls, diamonds,
&c., upon the arches and crosses, 10,000/. ; also 1411
small diamonds, 5,000/. ; twenty-six eiamonds in the
upper cross, 3,0001. ; two circles of pearls about the
rim, 3001. Cost of the stones in the crown, exclusive
of the metal, 111,9001.
A. CIDER DISPUTE.—A singular dispute was tried in
the Wells county court last week. An agricultural la-
bourer, named Appleby, brought an action against a
farmer, named Fry, to recover Vai sum of 21. ss. for
cutting fifteen acres of grass, less Os. 6d. already paid.
Plaintiff stated that he consented to mow the defen-
dant's grass at 3s. per acre, and a gallon of good cider
per day ; and to enable him to get over the ground as
soon as possible, he hired men to assist him. After
some portion of the grass had been cut, the cider be-
gan to deteriorate in quality, and even to cause illness.
On this circumstance being represented to the defen-
dant, he admitted that he had, by the advice of his
'site, diluted the liquor with water, considering it to
be a great improvement to the palate. Hearing this,
the plaintiff refused to work any longer, and went away
and engaged with another farmer, whereupon defendant
refused to pay for the mowing according to the agree-
ment. The defendant admitted having put water in the
cider, as he thought it too strong to drink " neat." The
judge considered that the defendant had himself first
' broken the contract, by supplying his harvesters with
cider and water, after agreeing to give them the best
cider ; and, with regard to the liquor being too strong
for their drink, he considered that the men themselves
were the best judges of that matter, and they, no doubt,
would have dispensed with this solicitude about their
healths, by diluting the liquor according to their own
taste. Verdict for the plaintiff fur the full amount.—
Bath Chronicle.
Tau MOORS AND FORESTS.—The notes from the
moors are becoming more scanty. The fact is, the birds
are so very strong that he is a fortunate sportsman in-
deed who can manage to make a fair day's bag in double
the usual time. The sport is, accordingly, very harass-
ing. This is the general tenor of the reports from the
moors in this quarter. In Ross-shire, better success has
been had. From that county our correspondent, writing
on Saturday, says :—" During the last week we have
had most favourable weather for following the sports of
the moors ; the birds,, to be sure, are becoming very
wild, but, considering the advanced period of the season
sportsmen are bagging daily up to their expectations.
The Fannich ehootings are, as usual, keeping up their
character. Mr. Windham and Colonel Stratford, in
company, on Monday, killed 45 brace grouse ; on Tues-
day, 47i brace. On Wednesday, the same gentlemen
went out deer-stalking, when three noble stags fell vic-
tims to their unerring rifles—one of them a royal stag,
one with ten points, and one with eight points, this last
said to be nearly as heavy as the royal. On Thursday
and Friday the same gentlemen bagged upwards of 60
brace grouse. Mr. Millnraine was out deer-stalking on
Thursday in Lochluiehart, and was very successful, kill-
ing one stag and a roe buck. The following day Lord
Ashburton killed a very fine roe buck. On the Strath•
vaich shootings, F. Pryor, Esq., is getting on an aver-
age to his own gun from 30 to 40 brace. E. Vaughan,
Esq., on Wyvie, on Wednesday, killed 200 mountain
hares, besides grouse and other game. Capt. M'Kenzie
Ord, and CoL Campbell, had a day's grouse shooting on
the Corrymuhe shootings, and bagged 17 brace grouse
and 5 hares. S. M. Boulderson, Esq., and Col. Todden-
ham, in the Ord Covers, on Wednesday last, brought
down two stags and one doe. The Marquis of Bath,
and party of three guns, killed 300 mountain hares on
Tuesday last. The Marquis is getting excellent sport
among the deer. Partridges are said to be uncommonly
numerous, and strong.—Bang' Journal.
DETECTION OF A NOTORIOUS MALE AND FEMALE
MEMBER OF THE SWELL MOB.—Last week it was stated
that Spital, one of the City detectives, had effected a
clever capture of swell seamen at Margate, on a charge
of robbing a lady of her gold watch ; and we have now
to record another instance of the vigilance and activity
of the London police, through whose exertions two no-
torious members of the same fraternity will, in all pro-
bability, leave this country "for their country's good."
The delinquents in question are James Utting (better
known as James Burke) and Mary Mack. The former
is about 30, and the latter only 21 years of age,
and their dashing exterior was calculated to disarm
their victims of all suspicion. The charge against them
is for picking the pocket of a lady of her purse and two
guineas while she was awaiting the arrival of a train upon
the platform of the Ely station, Cambridgeshire. They were
brought before the Ely magistrates, who were induced by
the appearance and manners of the prisoners to consent
to accept bail. The names of Mr. —, represented to
be a highly respectable. farmer and grazier of Lincoln,
and Mr. G----, of Market-street, Finsbury, were handed
to the bench, and now the efficient working of the police
system began to display itself. Huggett the detective
officer of the city, and Sergeant Richards of the metro-
politan police force, traced out the antecedents of the
London bail, while the superintendent of Lincoln insti-
tuted a rigid inquiry into the " character" of the farmer
and grazier. The result was, that neither of the bail
dared to show themselves, and the magistrates committed
both the prisoners for trial. The prisoners are both well
known as frequenters of Epsom races, railway stations,
and steam-boats and were identified by Huggett and
Richards as having been several times convicted of pick-
ing pockets during the last ten years. Between 14/
and 151. were found on them, besides other valuables.
The husband of the " lady thief " Mack was convicted
of stealing a watch at the last Guildford Assizes, and
sentenced to five months' imprisonment and hard labour-
CRICIIET.—THE UNITED ALL ENGLAND V. TWENTY-
TWO OP SCOTLAND.-- This match commenced at Glas-
gow, on Thursday, Sept. 14. At the end of the second
day's play the score stood thus .—Scotland, first innings,
51 ; All England, first innings, 122.
STEAM BETWEEN LIVERPOOL AND FRANCE.—It is in-
tended to establish a line of iron screw-steamers between
the Mersey and the river Loire in the west of France.
A commencemdrat was made en Saturday by the launch
of a new iron screw steamer, named the Loire, from the
building yard of Messrs. Thomas Vernon and Son, at
the south-east end of Brunswick Dock, Liverpool. It
is intended that she shall call at Bordeaux, Charente,
and Nantes, and that the object of the projectors is to
avail themselves of the good understanding which now'
exists between this country and France in order to
realise the full advantages of commercial intercourse.
THE WEATHER AND THE CROPS.—The weather for
the last week has been most propitious for cutting down
and gathering in the harvest. Some heavy showers fell
on Tuesday night,
but while they did not materially in-
terfere with the harvest operations, they were most
timeous for the turnip crops. The crops in every direc-
tion, especially the oats, are the finest that have been
known for very many years, not obi) for r uik of straw,
but for yield and for quality of grain. We have heard
fanners say that their produce this year will be, mere
than double that of last year.--Fifeakire Journal.