The Sun.
London, England, 1853-09-28 00:00:00

A TRIP TO BOULOGNE.

The General Steam Navigation Company's ship Al-
bion, Captain Payne, left London-bridge wharf at five
o'clock on Sunday morning, for Boulogne, having on
board 140 passengers. 25 horses, and 2 carriages. The
weather was very fine, and there appeared every Fos-
pect of a fair run across Channel ; but after passingthe
Nore it became thick and hazy, with rain, and the brreze
freshened strong from the southward. The ship boreup
bravely, but on making the South Foreland the captan,
finding he should not be able to save the tide into Ber-
logne harbour, deemed it prudent to put back, and rut
round into Margate Roads, where he came to anclur
immediately under the North Foreland about 2 p.m,
intending to proceed on his course with the next tide.
The ship laboured considerably during the afternoon,
owing to the heavy sea and the great deck load slim
was carrying. At dusk, the wind, which had nov
got round to the north-west, increased to a perfect
gale, and every sea washed over the vessel. The
passengers became very much alarmed, and some of
them expressed a fear that they should never see
terra firma again. The captain and crew behaved very
gallantly, and the cool conduct of the former, as well as
of his chief mate, under the trying circumstances, had
an admirable effect in quieting the fears of those on
board. The ship was anchored about a mile from the
beach, and at nine p.m., in consequence of the gale and
heavy sea, it was deemed advisable to give her 50 fathoms
more chain, after which she rode with greater ease until
midnight. AL Lwo a.m., the gale still blowing hard,
the ship parted from her best bower anchor, which was
lost, with five fathoms of chain. The steam was soon
got up, and the head of the ship being pointed off the
land, Captain Payne with some difficulty got round
under Broadstairs, where, in some degree sheltered
from the wind, he came to anchor at three a.m. in com-
paratively still water. The sea outside was still run-
ning very high, and the gale continuing, a fresh difficulty
arose in consequence of an emeute or mutiny among
the passengers, the majority of whom insisted upon
the captain going into Ramsgate, and allowing them
to land at that port. Captain Payne vainly assured
them of the absence of all danger, and of the certainty of
his landing them safely at Boulogne during Monday
night, in sufficient time to welcome the Emperor and Em-
press. It was all of no avail. They had had one night of it,
and another they refused to encounter. While the argu-
ment pro and con was pending, some of the passengers,
more anxious than the rest, found among their number
a stout lady in an "interesting situation," whose suf-
ferings had no doubt been very severe. Armed with
this lady's case, they proceeded in a body to the captain,
whose seamanship at length gave way to his politeness,
under the pressing remonstrances to which he was sub-
jected. The anchor was again weighed, and, at half-
past two o'clock on Monday afternoon, the Albion ran
into Ramsgate harbour, where about 100 passengers left
the ship, and either returned to London or came on by
way of Folkestone. At half-past five o'clock cis Monday
afternoon, the Albion left Ramsgate and came to an
anchor at half-past six under Walmer Castle, near to
which the French squadron were then lying. Sh•
weighed again at half-past one o'clock yesterday morn-
ing, and made the run across Channel in VI hours, en-
termg Boulogne harbour at four o'clock—making 47
hours from port to port. At one period of the gale on
Sunday night, the captain was actually urged by some
of the passengers to lighten his deck load, by throwing
over the horses and carriages. His conduct throughout
was most seamanlike, and those passengers who remained
with him, and who are consequently best able to form
an opinion, express themselves highly satisfied with his
judgment and energy. There can be no doubt the ship
was too heavily deck-laden, in consequence of which
she rolled arid pitched with much greater violence than
she would otherwise have done. While the Albion was
in Ramsgate harbour, upwards of 20 anchors were sent
off to ships in the Downs, which had either parted or
been compelled to slip their cables. The City of Paris,
which was to have left Boulogne on Sunday, for London,
did not go out of harbour until yesterday morning, in
consequence of the violence of the gale. The Folke-
stone traffic has not been t nteriupted since Tuesday,
when the departure of the steamer was delayed for a
few hours. The Princess Clementine, Captain Mortte-
man, made an excellent passage from that port on Mon-
day afternoon, with 160 passengers and six horses. The
captain might have brought many more horses and two
carriages ; but, in the exercise of a discretion allowed
to the commanders of the vessels on this line, he declined
to do so in the then state of the weather.—Morning
Post.

THE NEEDLEWOMEN AND THE SEWING MACHINES.

—ln consequence of the utter impossibility of obtaining
workwomen, at the present scale of wages, to complete
many heavy orders for exportation, several of the mid-
dle people, who take the work out from warehouses,
have notified that it is their intention, should the strike
continue longer, to substitute the sewing machines,
which can be obtained at a cost of from 301. to 401. each,
and will seam or sew at the rate of a yard and a quarter
a minute for manual labour. Notwithstanding this
threat, few, if any of the good workwomen have applied
for employment, there being at present several hundreds
who are determined not to return to work until an ad-
vance in their wages is given.
ANTIQUITIES.-A number of stone coffins, containing
human remains in a more or less state of decomposition,
have been recently discovered in the grounds of Brae-
head House, in the neighbourhood of Kirkaldy. The
coffins and their inhabitants are no doubt old, but they
do not seem to point to a period of very great antiquity.
Similar remains have been discovered in different parts
of the country, also large standing stones, some of them
probably memorials of victory or defeat, gained or sus-
tained by our rude ancestors in their conflicts with the
Roman power, or the numerous migatory invading
armies which came at a later period from the shores of
the Baltic, or the sterile wilds of Scandinavia.—Fife-
shire Journal.
WOODS, FORESTS, AND LAND REVENUES.- Yester-
day a Parliamentary paper was printed containing the
accounts of the receipt and expenditure of the Woods
&c., for the year, to March 81, 1852, with the audit of
the Commissioner of Audit to the Treasury. The
Woods are now separated from the Public Buildings.
The receipts, with the balance in hand, of the land
revenues were, in cash, 53,8511. 25., and in stock and
other securities, 173,2641. 7s. 10d. On the other side
the expediture was considerable, and the balances were
4,2931. 6s. cash, and 110,299/. 13s. 7d. securities. The
general abstract shows that in the receipts the securi-
ties purchased were 195,2641. 7s. 10d., and in cash
563,7951. 19s. 2d. There were various payments, and
the net balances on the 31st of March, 1852:were
138,7161. 2s. 7d.
THE SCOTCH BENCH.--It is rumoured at present that
previous to the commencement of the winter session of
the Court in November next, one of the Inner House
Judges, who is in rather a delicate state of health, is to
tender his resignation, and that in consequence the
Lord Advocate will be elevated to the Bench.—Edin-
burgh Witness.