The Sun.
London, England, 1849-04-09 00:00:00

The prisoner, when taken into custody, had concealed
within his breast an open knife.

VISIT TO THE CHINESE JUNK
- We experienced a gratification of no common kind
on Saturday afternoon, in being permitted to visit
and minutely inspect the Chinese Junk, called
" Keying," now lying in the East India Docks, at.
Blackwell, having been included in a select party of
gentlemen, whom the owners of the vessel invited to
see her, previously to her being exhibited to the public
for the seeson. Nothing can throw more authentic
or interesting light upon the manners and customs of
a people, their religion, the degree in which the arts
and sciences were cultivated and flourished among
them, or to which civilization had attained, than those
material structures or edifices, which exist among or
survive them, such as a mutilated column, a dis•
mantled temple, or ivy-covered ruin, or a stray
hieroglyphic written iiwerishable marble, whether
they belong to a nation which has been swept from
the face of the earth, or, as in the case of the Chinese,
of one of whom comparatively little or nothing is
known to the rest of mankind. The pyramids of ancient
Egypt, the dilapidated cities and palaces of storied
Greece and Rome, the grave of buried Pompeii, crtnnb-
ling,
,though ithey ibe before the touch of " Decay s
treeing finger," speak a language more irmistake-
eble and intelligible than the doubtful voice of tra-
ditionary story and often of the recods of contem-
porary history itself. Viewed in this light, and as
a specimen of ship-building-and navigation among
a people almost, until recent years, as unknown to
the rest of the world as if they bad been the denizens
of another planet of our solar system, this Chinese
vessel is a thing of unusual and extraordinary in-
terest. We shall proceed to notice a few of her
characteristics for the benefit of those whose resi-
dence in remote parts of the kingdom may preclude
their visiting her. On our entering on board the
vessel we were received with much politeness by Mr.
Thomas Lane, one of her spirited proprietors, who
assisted in navigating her from China to this country,
who conducted us over the vessel, and was at great
pains to explain to us the various peculiarities
of her structure. The most conspicuous feature
in the ship is her stern, or poop, which
rises to the height of 38 feet above the surface of the
water on which she swims. Standing on this point,
we command a complete view of what is going on in
every other part of the vessel, and an extensive pros-
pect far ahead. The next thing that attracts atten-
tion is the rudder of the vessel, which, with our no-
tions of what a rudder is or ought to be, strikes one
as being a clumsy and certainly a ponderous appara-
tus. It is made of a wood indigenous to the country,
called iron-wood—and rightly so, for it resembles
both—and is of the extraordinary weight of eight
tons. It is not attached to the vessel by means of
hinges, as in European ships, but is suspended by
huge ropes composed of split cane and grass or rattan,
and hoisted up and down by a windlass. Ropes
made of the same materials attached to the foot of
the rudder, and traversing the bottom of the vessel to
the stem, serve to secure the rudder, and to keep it in
its place. When the rudder is let down into the water
it is immersed 12 or 13 feet below the keel of the vessel
and serves the double purpose of steering and of
steadying her ; in other words, it acts as a kind of
ballast. A huge tiller, also made of iron-wood, is
attached to the top of the rudder, for the purpose of
turning it in the water. Immediately behind the
tiller a shrine is placed containing the Josh, or idol,
worshipped by the sailors when at sea, with lamps
kept burning within it the while. A Chinese com-
pass was next shown to us, which struck us as being
a beautiful specimen of art. It was set in a
piece of wood resembling our box-wood, on which
was carved in characters, exquisitely beautiful, a se-
ries of astronomical observations, whilst the needle,
differing from our compass, pointed to the south.
The vessel is wholly built of teak and camphor wood,
and the most extraordinary thing about her is the
mode in which her seams are caulked. She is not
caulked like our vessels with oakum and tar, but
with a sort of lime, called " chinam," com-
posed of calcined oyster-shells and bamboo shav-
ings, and beat up into a fine cement with
oil, which when dry is as hard as enamel and wholly
impervious to water. Considering that the vessel
was built only to sail the China seas, and that pro-
bably never out of the sight of land, it was an enter-
prise of considerable daring and hazard to attempt to
navigate her to England, and especially to brave the
dangers of the Cape, reflecting credit on the courage
of Captain Kellett and the Messrs. Lane, by whom,
with the assistance of a Chinese crew, she was brought
hither. Another peculiarity about her is the way in
which her planks are joined together by means of iron
dowells between the joints. There is not a single
trenail or bolt used in her whole construction, and, to
use the expression of Mr. Thomas Lane, she may be
said to be " sewn" together by those iron dowells.
The anchor, too, is a curiosity in its way, being made
of iron-wood, and having the points of the flukes
shod with iron. Space will not admit of our describ-
ing minutely the shields and matchlocks on
board used in Chinese warfare, the coffin
and the superstitions connected with it, the
beautiful tables made of petrified wood and
polished, the opium couches, the temple and deities,
the musical instruments, the variegated lanterns used
on board, and the thousand other interesting curi-
osities to which the obliging Mr. Lane pointed our
attention, all which combine to render the vessel,which
Royalty itself has deigned to visit, an object of pecu-
liar attraction. Before leaving, the whole party, in-
cluding the representatives of the press, were regaled
by a champagne luncheon, which the owners of the
vessel had munificently provided for their visitors, at
which Captain Kellett, assisted by the Messrs. Lane,
presided and dispensed their hospitalities with no nig-
gard hand. The mandarin Ilesing, and the artist
Samsing, eech in full costume, were also present at
the repast, and the remainder of the crew, at inter-
vals, sung some of the peculiar songs of their country,
accompanying the voice with drums and cymbals.

ASTLET'S AMPHITHEATRE.—Mr. Batty has pro-
vided a perfect feat of amusement fur the holiday folks.
In addition to the new Easter piece, th 3 White illaidoz

of California, a title of golden attraction, he has
re-engNged the most daring, yet most graceful
rider that has ever appeared, the St. Leon of
the Arena, young Hernandez, who can at any
time command an overflowing house, and who will now
be supported by M. and Madame Tournaire, and a host
of celebrated equestrians. We rejoice to find that Her-
nand, z is re-engaged. No, a tithe of the admirers of

grad,, strength, and beauty " in the metropolis have
as yet had an opportunity of witnessing the truly clas-
sical pertermanees of this young Apollo of the age.
ROBERT HOUDIN'S FAREWELL PERFORMANCES AT
THE ST. JAMES'S.—During the Easter week the fare-
well rcprestntutions of the Prince of 'Magicians will
take place at the St. James's Theatre, and in order to
perpetuate an agreeable souvenir of his visit all his most
popular experiments will be exhibited, and the distri-
bution of the come d'abondance will be made with ex
tend-d liberality and profusion. Of course all admirers
id blanche magic will hasten to secure a souvenir of the

tnw.t it xterous and most gentlemanlike of necromancers,

The Observer of April 8, and its gratuitous
Supplement of 20 columns, gave 24 folio columns of the
last three days of Rush's trial, comprising his defence,
the judge's charge, the sentence, and other matters
connected with these most awful murders, including an
accurate wood• cut profile likeness of Rush, when at the
bar. A sixpence, or six postage stamps, enclosed to
Mr. Clement, jun., 170, Strand, will insure a copy of the
Observir and gratis Supplement all this week. The ex-
...

tensive publication of the Observer commences at five
o'cl,,ek Sunday mornings; the Monday's Edition (best
far the country and abroad) at four Monday afternoons.
Contents of the Observer and gratis Supplement, of
April B:—Twenty-four folio columns of the last three
days of Rush's trial, with a profile woodcut
ss ; four columns of news from India ; two
columns of an important inquest on three female
servants at Miss Mann's Seminary, St. John's
Wood; a column of the First Report of the Lords' Rail-
way Select Committee; six columns of useful advertise-
merits; a column of Births, Marriages, and Deaths ;

and about 20 columns of Foreign and Domestic News;
in all 60 of the Observer folio columns for sixpence—equal
in quantity to an octavo volume. A sixpence, or six
postage stamps, to Mr. Clement, jun., 170, Strand, will
ensure a copy by return of post all this week.

ELECTIjor4 OF CDURCDIVARp
says--" Churchwardens and otherEN.—spaA correspondent
rishofi officers
sare
generally elected on Easter Tuesday, in vestry, by the
rate. payers. The offices being of a civil nature, all pa-
rishioners (rate-payers)Dissenters and liberaare eligible to fill the same.
Churchmen—friends of religious
freedom—attend the
vest
see to the appointment vestry
meetings next week, and
o me
and other ecclesiastical imposts, adverse to church rates
'A
needful, since Lord Denman decidedhas'ninhois now
l at liberty, in
that,thweitmh orree-
ference to the former, rate-payers are n
legally convened vestries, to consider the
amount' of church-rate.—Netecastle GaardianenceAsspit;Yl 7.
and
`TIE AMERICAN MAILS.—The British and North
American Royal Mail steam ship Europa, Captain Lou,
sailed from Liverpool on Saturday forenoon, for New
York, via Halifax. She had a large number of pas-
sengers, and the usual mails for Canada and the United
States. The Europa is the first of the weekly mails to
America this year, as one of the company's ships will
sad for Boston and New York, via Halifax, each alter-
nate Saturday until the lst of December next. The.
Europa carries out about 9,000/, specie on freight, mostly
cn merchants' account.
THE DEAN OF WESTMINSTER.—We hear from
good authority that the Dean of Westminster, with a
liberality commensurate with his great and well-merited
reputation, has resolved to apply a considerable portion
of his revenue to the restoration or embellishment of the
Abbey, the information and precautions he is taking
will no doubt insure a successful result to his generous
purpose.
ACCIDENT TO BARON ROTHSCHILD.—The Baron
Rothschild met with an accident when out with his
hounds on Thursday last. When taking a fence, in the
neighbourhood of Woburn, he wos thrown, and. the
horse falling on him, he was injured to such an extent
as to be rendered insensible. Immediate assistance was
rendered; and we are pleased to learn that the baron
is not so seriously injured as was at first supposed.