The Sun.
London, England, 1854-10-16 00:00:00

WRECK OF THE AJAX STEAM-SHIP.

P.l•vmouni, SIINDAY.—This splendid vessel has 'Le
come a total wreck. The Ajax belonged to the Cork
Steam Company. She was a paddlewheel steamer of
800 tens register, with engines of 400-horse power, by
Berry, Curtis, and Co., of Liverpool. She was built at
that port nine years ago by Messrs. Vernon and Co.,
and has since been engaged running from London to
this port and Ireland, and was considered the fastest
steamer on the line. The circumstances of her loss call
for the strictest investigation. The Ajax left Gravesend
on Thursday- morning with about 350 passengers, 400
chests'of . tea, al tons of guano, about 140 casks of salt
provisions, and.a full valuable cargo, worth many thou-
sand pounds. She experienced no bad weather in the
passage, and when she struck the weather was beau-
tifully fine. If the weather had been otherwise, the con•
sequences are too fearful to contemplate. About a
quarter of an hour before she struck, the captain and
first and second mates were on the bridge, as they ought
to be, when about to enter a port. The second mate at
this time, as he himself informed us, observed the ship
was hugging the land too much ; and he informed the
captain of it. The.ship struck on a rock at half-past four
o'clock on Friday afternoon. The rock is situated about
eight miles south-east of Plymouth, and about 200 yards
from the Mewstone Island, and is faithfully set down in
the charts. The ship first struck about ten feet from
her bow, and proceeded onwards a little beyond amid-
ships, when she was stopped. Four of the ship's
boats were immediately lowered, and two boat-loads
of passengers succeeded in landing on the island
above mentioned before any assistanc3 from the
shore could be rendered. The sal occurrence was
observed by the look-out then at the Government
station, and reported to the Port-Admiral, who
ordered the Confiance, steam tug, to proceed with
all possible speed to render assistance. Boats from her
Majesty's ship Calcutta were soon alongside the unfor•
tunate ship, as were also a Government hoy, several
fishing smacks, and the Monarch river steamer. Mr. T.
Nicholson, the company's agent at Plymouth was on
board soon after the event, and was indefatigable in his
endeavours to provide for the safety of the passengers as
well as for that of the ship. At about 8 o'clock the
Passengers were out of the ship, and were properly pro-
vided for. The captain and crew remained alongside
during the night, and the ship's plate was taken out and
secured. At this time it was hoped that in the morning
she might be got off from her perilous and exposed situ-
ation ; but at early dawn this hope was dispelled. It
was then found that she was firmly settled down on the
rock, and all her divided compartments were full of water:
On Friday night water was only in her forward compart-
ment. About noon yesterday the foremost funnel and
standing rigging went over, and shortly afterwards she
parted in two. on the foreside of the paddle boxes. The
two midship parts arenow buoyant, consequently higher
• out of the water than her stern and bow. A portion of
her cargo is floating about, and some has been picked
up, but it is comparatively worthless. Capt. Rochford,
who:was in command of the Ajax, was the master olthe
company's steamer Minerva, which it will be remembered
went on a rock between Holyhead and Liverpool about
two months ago, and became a total wreck. He only, we
believe, took the command of the Ajax during the ill-
ness of Captain Tooker. Both the east and westerly
entrances to the port of Plymouth are unquestionably
as fine as any in the world, and for an accident of this
kind to occur is unaccountable. Captain Rochford has
been employed in steamers trading between this port and
London for years, and therefore ought to know the whole
coast well. Notwithstanding that, this mishap occurred
at broad day, and, comparatively speaking, near the
shore, for it was net more than a quarter of a mile from
the island. Had the weather been boisterous there
must have been a great sacrifice of life, for that part of
the coast is much exposed. The Irish passengers, in
number more than 150, are at present accommodated in
the Plymouth old workhouse, at the expense of the
company.

BITTING IN CALIFORNIA.—Two bets have been made
recently at the Union, one of which exceeds in amount
anything of the kind ever made in California. Mr. W.
L. Chrysler bet Mr. Joshua P. Haven, the Whig no-
minee f 0 mayor, 100 dol. that he could overeheck
him. The bet was accepted. Mr. Chrysler drew his
check on Page, Bacon, and Co. for 100,000 dol.,
and Mr. Haven for 50,000 del. Beth checks were
immediately honoured by the cashier, who was pre
sent, and Chyrsler won the bet. Mr. Haven then pro-
posed to bet Chrysler 50,000 dols. that he would beat
Major C. K. Garrison for the mayoralty, at the ensuing
election. The bet was promptly taken, checks drawn and
honoured by the cashier of Page, Bacon, and Co., and put
up. This is one of the largest bets ever made within our
knowledge on a local election. The facts were stated to
us by a gentleman who was present at the time.—Cali-
fornia Placer and Times.

SCENE IN A COURT OF JUSTICE.—A man named Ar•'
mand appeared on Saturday before the Imperial Court
at Amiens as appellant from a condemnation to fifteen
months' imprisonment for rupture de ban, passed' on him
some time before by the Tribunal of CorrectiOnal Police.
As he had been condemned eight or ten times for the
like offence, the Court, instead. of reducing the punish-
ment, raised it to five years' imprisonment. No sooner
had the, president pronounced the sentence than the pri-
soner hurled -at him, with great violence, a stone as
large as his fist, which he had secreted beneath his
blouse. "There," cried he, " take that for your
five years." The president turned his head aside,
and fortunately the stone only struck him on the
left shoulder. Some gendarmes immediately rushed
on the man, and bound him; As they did so he
cried, " I have kept that stone secreted fifteen days ex-
pressly to throw it at him, and I deeply regret it did
not hit him on the head and kill him." For this out-
rage the Court at once condemned the man to seven
years' hard labour... It might have imposed the sentence
of death or hard labour for life. It does not appear the
man had any perional animosity against the president,
but had determined to be avenged on the judge who
should condemn him, whoever he might be.—Galig-
nara.

QUEEN ELIZABETH AND SIR PHILIP SIDNEY. —Among
the objects of interest exhibited at the Museum of the
Wilts Archaeological Society at Salisbury last week,
was a lock of hair of Queen Elizabeth's, which was
found some time since at Wilton-house, between the
leaves of "The Arcaida." The hair is light brown, ap-
proaching to auburn, certainly not red; although with a
reddish tinge. Its authenticity is set forth in a paper
in an early hand, which states—" This Lock of Queen
Elizabeth's own Hair was presented to Sir Philip Sid-
ney by Her Majesty's owne faire hands, on which He
made these verses and gave them-to the Queen, on his
bended knee. Anno Domini 1573." And pinned to
this is another paper, on which, written in a different
hand, said to be Sidney's own, we have the verses—
" Her inward worth all outward *show transcends,
Envy her merits with regret commends ;
Like sparkling Gems her Virtues draw the Sight,
And in her Conduct she is alwaies Bright.
When She imparts her thoughts her words have force,
And Sense and Wisdom flow in sweet discourse."
—Notes and Queries.

[ADVERTISEMENT.]—Medicine always aggravates chronic
diseases, such as dyspepsia (indigestion), habitual constipa-
tion, nervous, bilious, and liver complaints, consumption,
kc., but Du Barry's Delicious Revalenta Arabica Food
invariably cures them in a very short time. We extract
a few out of 50,000 testimonials of cures, which had
resisted all medicines. Cure No. 180. " Twenty-five
years' nervousness, constipation, indigestion, and debility,
from which I had suffered great misery, and which
no medicine could . remove or relieve, have been effec-
tually cured by Du Barry's food in a very short time.
—W. B. Reeve, Pool Anthony, Tiverton." Cure No.
4,208.—" Eight years' dyspepsia, nervousness, debility,
with cramps, spasms. and nausea, have been effec-
tually removed by Du Barry's delicious food in a very
short time.—Rev. John W. Flavell, Ridlington Rectory,
Norfolk." Cure No. 51,416.—" Fifty years' indescribable
agony from dyspepsia, nervousness, asthma, cough, consti-
pation, flatulency, spasms, sickness at the stomach and vo-
mitings, have been removed by Du Barry's excellent Food.
—Maria Jolly, Wortham, Ling, near Diss, Norfolk." Cure
No. 3,9oo.—Thirteen years' cough, indigestion, and gene-
ral debility have been removed by Du Barry's excellent
Food.—James Potter, Athol-street, Perth." Cure
No. 81.—" Twenty years' liver complaint, with
disorders of the stomach and nerves, have been
perfectly cured by Du Barry's Revalenta Arabica.—
Andrew Frazer, Haddington, East Lothian." " Trevagler,
Galva!, near Penzance. Feb. 20th, 1851.—Eighteen years
nervous debility, violent palpitation of the heart, throb-
bing of the temples, violent pains in the left side and back,
shortness of breath, coughs, numbness of the extremities,
cramps, spasms, flatulency, retching, and such genera
weakness, that I was constantly fearful of falling when on
my legs; all .these symptoms have been removed by Du
Barry's excellent Food.—Mary Gilbert."—ln canisters,
suitably packed for all climates, and with full inetk•nctions
—llb., 2s. 9d. ; 21b., 4s. 6d. • 51b., lls. ; 121 b., 225. ;
super-refined, lib., 6s. ; 21b., l.ls. ; 51b., 225. ; 101 b., 333.
The 101 b. and 121 b., carriage free, on post office order.
Barry du Barry ad Co., 77, Regent-street, London;_
Fortnum, Mason, and Co., purveyors to her Majesty, Pic-
cadilly ; also at 68, Cornhill; 60, Gracechurch-street
no and 451, Strand ; 63 and 150, Oxford-street ; 55,
Charing-cross ; 4, Cheapside ; 49. Bishopsgate-street.
[AnvitausgmENT.l—Holloway's Pills infallible for the
cure of bile and sick headache.—Mr. Patrick Maernan,
formerly of New Ross, no;v of Columbus, Ohio, states
in a letter to Professor Holloway that he suffered for
upwards of three years from a bad stomach, pains in the
head, and a severe nervous debility, during which time
he consulted the most eminent medical men, but all in
vain. He therefore resolved to take no more of their
medicine, and give Holloway's Pills a trial, by taking
them for a short period. They had the desired effect, of
accomplishing a perfect cure, and he strongly recom-
mends emigrants not to leave England without a Supply.
Sold by all vendors of medicine, and at Profesoor livilo•
way's Establishment, 244 Strand, London, _ _

COU.

HADDINGTON COR

MARK

WS.

T-OCT.