The Sun.
London, England, 1854-06-17 00:00:00

LETTER FROM AN OFFICER ON BOARD.

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The following letter has been received from an officer
of the 6th Dragoons, saved from the wreck of the trans-
port ship Europa :

Her Majesty's ship Tribune, June 8, 1854.
Sir, —I have the honour to report, for the information of his
lordship the Commander-in-Chief, the loss of the troop-ship
Europa, No. 92, by fire, on the night of the 31st of May, 1854,
about 200 miles from Plymouth, having on board the head-
quarters of the 6th Dragoons, bound for the East, under the
command of Lieut.-Colouel W. Moore. The strength was as
follows :—One field officer, ono subaltern, three staff—five ;
five sergeants, 54 rank and file, two women, one private ser-
vant-62. Horses-13 officers', 44 troop-57.
In stating the circumstances of the case, I regret to record
the loss of Lieut.-Colonel W. Moore, Veterinary Surgeon Kelly,
4 sergeants, 12 rank and file, and ono woman, with the whole
of the horses, accoutrements, baggage, &e. We weighed an-
chor about 11 a.m. in Plymouth Sound, on Tuesday, the 30th
May, 1854, and after being towed by a steamer a few miles,
made sail, every arrangement having been made for the com-
fort of both men and horses, and precaution taken to guard
against accident by fire. We continued our way until about
10 p.m. of the 31st, when the alarm was given that the ship
was en fire iu the fore hatchway. The ammunition was ins-
' meditately thrown overboard, and the crew and men tried to
extinguish the fire, but without success. In less than half
au hour the flames were coming up the main hatch-
- I wa3" and the whole rigging forward ; indeed, in a few
minutes, the whole ship, from the poop forward, was
in flames. The men then rushed to the boats, but
were restrained by Lieutenant-Colonel Moore and the officers
under his command. IA boat was filled with men and lowered
by some of the crew, and I regret much to sav that a num-
' ber of them perished at this time. The life-boat was then
lowered by the men, with 25 in it, and was taken up during
the night by the barque Maranon, of Dundee, who approached
the burning ship. We had still two boats on board, but were
unable to launch the larger one (horse-boat). The lashings
of the other boat were cut (Mr. Black, agent, and Cornet
Timson being in it), and was immediately filled with men,
Dr. Macgregor and myself having to swim to the boat, as I
was run off by a rope by one of the crew who trying to get on
board. We drifted by the ship, and were made fast by a rope
until we had 26 on board, when one of the crew cut us adrift
to prevent tho boat from swamping. We were carried cut to
sea, leaving the captain and some men still on board. After
about an hour's suffering from cold and rain (the sea running
very high at the time), we were taken in tow by the mate and
four of the crew, who had left the vessel in the Government
gig, and then made for a light, which proved to be the Prus-
sian schooner Kennett Kinsford, bound for Port-au-Prince,
and which was then about three miles distant, as I was in-

formed by the captain. We mustered on board this vessel 3
officers, 16 men, one woman, and about 26 of the crew; and
reocived every comfort and attention it was in their power
to give until Sunday, the 4th of Juue, when we were taken
on beard her Majesty's ship Tribune. The eight men who
were picked up by the brig Clementhe were transferred to
the troop ship Sir Robert Sale, on her way to the East with
a division of the 4th Dragoon Guards, and are to be landed
at Gibraltar. The men who were saved by the barque Mara-
non are also on board the Tribune, having lost all their regi-
mental necessaries except canvas trousers and frocks.
I cannot conclude this letter without observing that the con-
duct of both officers and men under these trying circum-
stances was most exemplary, and doubtless prevented a much
greater loss of life. All others on board the Europa were
saved.

I have the honour to be, sir, your most obedient, humble
servant,
A. WEnt, Lieutenant and Adjutant, 6th Dragoons.

BLOCKADE OF RUSSIAN PORTS.

FOREIGN-OFFICE, JUNE 16.

It is hereby notified, that a communication has been re-
ceived by the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty, from
Vice-Admiral Sir Charles Napier, commanding her Ma-
jesty's naval forces in the Baltic, dated Haug° Bay, 28th
May, 1854, informing their Lordships that the ports of
Liban and Windau, on the coast of Courland, and other
ports, roads, havens, or creeks, from lat. 55° 53' north, to
as far north as Cape Dagger Ort, including the ports of
Riga, Pernau, and all other ports, roads, havens, or creeks
in the Gulf of Riga were then in a state of blockade by a
competent force :
That all ports, roads, havens, or creeks, eastward from
Cape Lager Ort, including Hapsal, Wormso Island, Port
Baltic, Revel, and other intermediate ports on the coast of
Esthonia, as far as Ekholm Light [situated in let. 59° 43'
north, long. 25° 48' east]; and from thence in a north-
west direction as far as Helsingfors and Sveaborg, on the
coast of Finland ; continuing westward, Baro Sound,
Hango Head, Oro, and Abo, including the Aland Archi-
pelago and intermediate ports ; from thence north, includ-
ing Nystad, Biorneborg, Christinestadt, Vasa, Walgrund
Islands, Little Carleby, lacobstad, Great Carleby, Lahts,
Kalawki, Brahestad, Uleaborg, Katie Island, Tio, Ges-
tila, Tornea, Ned. Tornea, [situated in lat. (about) 65° 50'
north, long. 24° 15' east,] and all intermediate Russian
ports, havens, and creeks in the Gulf of Bothnia, and all
the before-mentioned ports and places, are and wore then
in a state of strict blockade by a competent force.
And it is hereby further notified that all the measures
authorised by the laws of nations and the respective trea-
ties between her Majesty and the different neutral powers,
will be adopted and executed with respect to all vessels
which may attempt to violate the same blockade.

MOUSTACHES AND LADIES' BONNETS.—Amongst the
social follies of the day the moustache movement is ex-
tending to all ranks and conditions of men, to which
no inconsiderable number add beards, some actually
covering three-fourths of their faces with hair. Me-
chanics are nearly all adopting the moustache, and it is
spreading to cabmen, cads of omnibuses, carmen, and
all the onvnion gatherunt of the lower class of society.
It seems that the clerks of the Bank of England caught
the infection, whereon each young gentleman so affected
received a circular from head-quarters, politely inti-
mating that unless he appeared next morning with the
objectionable appendage removed, ho would be kind
enough to send in his resignation. There was some
grumbling, but, of course, every upper-lip appeared next
day as clean as a lady's. The differences between the
different styles of adorning the upper-lip is striking—some
gentlemen curl up the ends, some curl them down, and
some who are in the happy possession of good whiskers
unite them with the upper lip. Others go to the ex-
tent of a beard, some are short and bristly, some are
long, and cultivated with much care • but the most
miserable things are the downy and hardly distinguish-
able emanations issuing from the upper-lips of gentle-
men with excessively light hair ! These belong to the
class of the strivers after the impossible. Scarcely less
curious is it to see the condition of the ladies' bonnets not
much bigger than tidy little caps, which the Parisian
grisettes wear on the back of their heads. The nea.tli ttle net
or perchance lace border, just coming over the crown, were
introduced by the Empress of France. In a week they
were all over Paris ;in a month all over France. Of
course, they crossed the Channel in about twenty-four
hours after their first debut in the windows of the
Boulevard modistes ; and at this moment there is only,
say, one woman in fifty through all London who have
bonnets on their heads, that has not rushed to the bon-
netmaker's, and imperatively demanded bonnets to De
perched on the back of them. Vain is all the satire—
vain are all the jokes—vain even are the labour
the
nd
Punch—the mania seems spreading day by day,
bonnets getting smaller than ever. There may ba e,lr-
haps, some slight shadow of an excuse for young ladies .
who possess beautiful black or fair locks, ut there is
none for old maids, whose locks are beginning to ex-
hibit a palpable tinge of grey ; and there is no excuse
for respectable married ladies from thirty to forty-five
setting a bad example to their daughters. But every
lady and every woman in London will have the tiny
bonnet, and servants slip out on the sly with them, and
the veriest carroty-headed damsels will insist on ex-
posing the beauty of their locks to mankind.—London
Correspondent of Inverness Courier.
THE RUSSIAN PRIESTHOOD.—" The following fact,"
says the Pays, " will give an idea of the state of degra-
dation into which the lower class of the Muscovite
clergy has fallen. A Russian gentleman relates that
when passing one day through a village, he saw a num-
ber of peasants assembled, and stopped to inquire the
cause. Oh, replied one of them, it is only the priest
whom we are going to lock up in thel barn.' And why
do you do that?' Because it is Saturday. The priest
is a drunkard, and we always lock him up on a Satur-
day, in order that he may be in a condition to perform
Divine service on Sunday. On the Monday he is free to
drink as he likes for the other days in the week.'
ELOPEMENT AND CAPTURE.— John M. Goff, one of the
Irish Constabulary, eloped during the past week with a
young woman, named Ann Curran, whose parents reside
near Bushaltown, county Carlow, Ireland. The lady,
on leaving her father's house, took with her upwards of
2001. Information of the robbery having been for-
warded to Liverpool, the lady and her lover were taken
into custody on their arrival here, en route for Australia,
6 on Wednesday morning. —Liverpool Mercury.

COURT OF COMMON PLEAS, JUNE 16.
(Sittings at Nisi Prius, after Term, before Lord Chief
Justice Jervis.)
This was the first day of the sittings after term. The
cause list contains an entry of 62 causes, 21 of which are
remanets, and 24 are marked for special juries,
DISDALE V. BUCKINGHAM.
This was an action brought by Mary Ann I e, the
plaintiff, far a breach of promise of marriageit Am -
brose Buckingham, the defendant. The daniaLksin were
laid at 2001.
Mr. Serjeant Shea and Mr. Joseph Brown appeared for
the plaintiff, and Mr. Macaulay, Q.C., for the defendant.
It appeared from the evidence that the plaintiff and the
defendant in 1847 had been fellow-servants at Sir Joseph
Bayley's, in Belgrave-square, the plaintiff as house.
maid, and the defendant as footman, when, as the Lord
Chief Justice said in summing up, " being highly fed,
and shaving little to do, courting was a natural conse-
quence." Ambrose proposed to Mary Ann, and became her
accepted lover. The interesting fact was made known in
the servants' hall, and "all the other servants" treated
them as an engaged couple. One of the plaintiff's fellow-
servants stated that in July, 1850, the plaintiff was in service
at Lord Alfords's, at Ashridge-park, near Berkhampstead,
when the defendant called to see her, and was observed to
kiss her as she entered one of the rooms, and said " he
hoped it was the last time she would go into service." He
also, •n one occasion, gave her some suds for a habitshirt,
took her to Cremorne, and introduced her sister to the
lady's maids as his sister-in-law. In May, 1852, he told
the sister the plaintiff was going to leave her place to be
married, and that ho had got a first-rate business in an
hotel, he having ceased to be a footman and become the
proprietor of th Lansdowne Hotel at Leamington, in con-
sequence of the death of his brother. In July of that year
the defendant wrote the following letter to the plaintiff :
" Leamington, July 17, 1852.
"My dear Polley,-1 tack the Omir of riten hopen to
find you quit well as thank God It leaves me at this time.
I Dear say you thought I must have been Ded as I have
not wrote to you before, but I have been so bissey that my
time has been quit tacken up and when I have had an
sper time It slipt my memeary but I often think of you I
think that I shall be in London Next Week but Dont no
for sertin I want to get sum cerkelers for the Hotel if I
should I shall send for you to meet me In London I hope
you got the Paper all right.
" This Is all at this time from your affecnt,
" A. BUOKINQUAM.
" M. A. Disdell, Market Weston,
East Harling, Norfolk."
The plaintiff becoming tired of this long courtship, sad
learning that the defendant's position was much improved,
became, naturally enough, as the Lord Chief Justice said.
" anxious to be doing something," and wrote to timivdTo
fondant in September, inquiring the cause of his long delay
in the marriage, and stating her intention of going to
Leamington to see him unless he explained himself satis-
factorily by letter. The defendant then wrote to her the
following letter in answer :
" Leamington, Sept. 15, 1852.
"My dear Polley,—l send you with mutch plesur the
Soverring and If It wos ten I weld do so but wot you
Aquse me of is quit rong but It is not the first time you
have don so and with hout any Corse wotbever this is all
at this that I shall say Aney think of the Subject till I see
you If you had the Money that I menched to you it would
not Set me agenst you as the way that you Aquae me of
Munney Huntin never entered my Head but praps you
have Sum won Hels I yew you would Lick better wetch I
have not nor Did I heaver think of Heaney won heals but
you witch your one Sence mite of told you but this is all
that I Shall Say on the Subect now If you will send me
word wear you are I will mack it my Bisness to cons and
see you and put all strat as for the money that you have
had you are quit welcome and I romean your devoted
" A BUCKINGHAM.
4` M. A. Disdoll, 23, Queen-street, Brompton, London.'
About this time the defendant in one of his interviews
with the plaintiff wished her to take another situation, as
she was then at home, telling her be had 400/. to raise to
pay off his brother's share of the business, and that it
would be many years before he could be married. The
plaintiff then got another situation at St. Alban's, and
wrote several letters to the defendant complaining of his
neglect, and his not marrying her because she had no
money, and the following letter in answer was put in and
read :
" Leamington, October 8, 1852.
" Dear Mary Ann—l tack the plesur of Tighten to yen,
as praps It may be the Last time but I wish you well with
all my Hart I Can Call god to Witness that all the time t
wos keep Company with you I neaver thought of aney won
eals but you and It wos alwiss my Intenchion to have mar•
red you at sum time when I thought I could a done so and
as I Have alwiss told you to bring to my one house, but
wot you have aqused me of I think I neave could be happy
with you nor you withliae, for in the first place you rote
to me and said that you thought we had bean keep Company
Long anuf and that you wanted to be doing something for
Yor Self I told you when in London that as my brouther
and we wos in Pardnerships to gether that on Less you had
3 Hundred Pounds I could not marry you and when you
sed that you had not got that sum witch I noad that you
had not I then told you that I could not marry on Less I
could pay him to clear out not that I wos a Money Hunter.
" M. A. Disdell, Lamer Park, St. Alban's, Herts."
The effect of this communication, it was said, so preyed on
the plaintiff's mind that she was unable to remain in ger•
vice, and had gone into lodgings, when she ascertained that,
in October last the defendant had married Miss Edwards,
of Leamington, whose father was alleged to be a prosperous
butcher in that town. This having put it out of the de.
fondant's power to perform his promise to the plaintiff, the
present action was brought.
Mr. Macaulay, for the defence, contended that the time
to have brought the action was after the last letter in Oce
tober, 1852, was written, when the engagement had °iris
dently been broken off ; but the defendant preferred lying
by until the defendant had married, and then bringing her
action vindictively for revenge. He submitted she was
entitled to the smallest possible damages.
His Lordship, in summing up, told the jury to disregard
the speeches of the learned council on both sides, which in
these cases were steorotyped. The plaintiff was always at
one time " raised to the pinnacle of hope," and at another
" sunk in the abyss of despair," by the defendant's con-
duct ; and on the other side, it was usual to say " theemall-
est coin in tho realm would satisfy the damage she had
sustained." The jury must form their judgment from the
facts proved, and give such damages as they thought the
case required.
The jury found a verdict for the plaintiff—damages 501.

COURT CIRCULAR.

WINDSOR, FRIDAY.
The King of Portugal and his Royal Highness Prins.
Albert inspected the Royal Horse Guards in Windsor
Great Park this morning, attended by Colonel Wykle„
Baron de Sarmento, and Captain the Hon. D. de nos.
The King and Prince afterwards proceeded to the
Cavalry Barracks, and went over the stables of the Regi-
ment.
The Queen accompanied by the Duchess of of Cambridge
and the Princess Mary, Prince Arthur, and the Duke of
Oporto, was present, in a pony carriage and four, at the
inspection.
The Prince of Wales and Prince Alfred were present
also on horseback.
On the return of the royal party to the Castle the four
companies of the 46th Regiment, doing duty in Windsor,
paraded in the Quadrangle, and were also inspected.
The Duchess of Cambridge and the Princess Mary took
leave of her Majesty, and returned to London.
The following visitors also left the Castle to-day :—The
French Ambassador and the Countess Walewaki, the
Countess de Lavradio, the Austrian Minister, Count Col-
loredo ; the Duke and Duchess of Beaufort, the Earl and
Countess of Clarendon, the Earl and Countess of Bess-
borough, and the Earl and Countess Granville.
The Duchess of Wellington, and the Ladies Harriet and
Louisa Hamilton, remain on a visit.
The Earl of Aberdeen and the Right Hon. Sidney Her-
bert are invited, and expected this afternoon.
Her Majesty gave a concert this evening in the Castle.
The following was the programme :
Overture (Die lustigon IVeiber von
0. Nicolai.
Winsor)
Terzetto, " Guai so ti sfugge un
moto," Madlle. Anna Buckoltz
Falerni, Signori Gardoni e La-
blache (Lucrezia Borgia) Donizetti.
Aria, " Non piu andrai," Signor
Lablache (Le Nozze di Figaro) Mozart.
Air ala Tirolienne avec Varia-
tions, Madlle. Anna Buckoltz
Falorni Hummel.
Romance, " Rappelle toi" (MS.),
Signor Gardoni Blumenthal.
Duetto, " Crudel, perche finora,"
Madlle. Anna Buckoltz Falerni
o Signor Lablache (Le Nozze di
Figaro) Mozart. •
Canzone, Tedosca di Primavera,
Signor Gardoni Mendelssohn Bartholdy.
Recit. and Aria, " 0 welch' ein 1 H.R.H. the DOe or
Anbliek," Madlle. Anna Buck- SaxeCoburg andaotho
oltz Falerni (Santa Chiara)
Taranto's. Napolitana, "La Dan-
za," Signor Lablache Rossini.
Terzetto, " Quel Volutts. Trascor-
rere," Mdlle. Anna Buckoltz
Falerni Signori Gardoni e La-
blache (I Lombardi) Verdi.
Mrs. Anderson presided at the pianoforte.

A deputation of the Council of the P
i Pharmaceutical So-
cet had an interview with Viscount Palmerston yestsr.
day, the Home-office. The deputation consisted of Mr.
Dja'ne (the President), Mr. Davenport (the Vice-President),
and Mr. Jacob Bell, with Messrs. Brace and Colt, solid.
tors.
The Bishop of London had an interview with the Earl of
Aberdeen yesterday, at hie official residence in Downing•
street. _

The Mayor of Swansea had an interview with Viscount
Palmerston yesterday, at the Home-office, relative to the
defences of that part of the coast, and also on the subject
of the Police Bill.

Mr. John Wood, Chairman of the Board of Inland Re-
venue, had an interview with the Chancellor of the Ex-
chequer yesterday, at his official residence in Downing.
street.
The Earl of Aberdeen loft town for Windsor Castle) yet•
terday afternoon.
Mr. Wakley had an interview with Viscount Palmerston
yesterday.
Islands, Despatchesaiad ofiobrrathl
tea
rG, owveerer n oserns
to
yf
eCsatenrda Canada, thefro mWtei West Icnoc iso
, nial-office.

REPRESENTATION or CAMBRIDGE .--Lord
.--Lord Maidston
and Mr. William Slade, Q.C., are, it is believed, to be
the Conservative candidates for the representation of
Cambridge whenever a writ for the election is issued.
Mr. Slade is one of the leaders of the Western circuit,
eldest son of Lieutenant-General Sir John Slade, and
brother of the admiral in the Turkish navy of that name.
THE CIVIL SERvicx.--Ordnance-office, Pall-mall, Cash
Account-office.—Mr. A. L. Brander has been promoted
to be a senior clerk, vice Mr. W. Lees, retired on sm.-
perannuation ; Mr. J. Purbrick has been promoted from
the second class junior, to be clerk of the first class
junior, vice Mr. A. L. Brander, promoted. Customs.
Mr. Edwards, controller at Wexford, has been ap-
pointed to the controllership at Grimsby ; Mr. Hughes,
controller at Fowey, has been promoted to be con-
troller at Wexford ; Mr. Scott, sub-controller at
Blyth, has been promoted to be controller at Fowey.
Mr. J. Anderson, collector of Argyll south 001.
lection, has been appointed to Montrose collection, at
his own request, vice Mr. J. Corbett, deceased. A.
second class tide-surveyorsliip at Hull is vacant, salary
1751. per annum. Devonport Dockyard.—The situation
of measurer, salary 1501., is vacant by the superannuao
tion of Mr. P. Peek.,--Oivi/ Service Gatettc.

k\Q,

174 ".4i