The Sun.
London, England, 1849-11-26 00:00:00

CAPE OF GOOD HOPE.

PORTSMOUTU, SUNDAY.—The Indiaman ➢Minerva,
Captain Muir, from Madras, Calcutta, and the Cape,
passed this port this morning, and sent in passengers
and mails by a pilot- boat.
The Minerva's news from the Cape is six days later
than our last advices, viz., to the 28th of September,
and, although of a gloomy character, is somewhat more
promising than the former.
The Governor, Sir H, Smith, was at Cape-town.
The excitement relative to the arrival of the convicts
off the colony continued unabated. The Anti-
Convict Association had addressed powerful appeals
to the Governor to induce him to take upon
himself the responsibility of sending the convict-
ship and her freight to Ascension, or any other
place, but he steadily refused to embroil himself
or his authority in the matter, and in a manifesto
returned to the association a day or two prior to
the sailing of the Minerva, Sir Harry expressed
his deep sympathy wit'i the cause of the colonists,
but objected to act without orders from the Hume
Government, and set forth the extreme danger of any
interference with the destination of convicts, as a
measure fraught with the most fatal consequences—
as, in the event of their being legally transferred to
any other port than to that one to which the consti-
tuted authority consigned them, they could rise and
massacre the whole crew of the ship, and set them-
selves free, as a justifiable act under such circum-
stances.

The colonists had prohibited supplies to the army,
navy, and all Government establishments, and no sup-
plies accordingly were granted. The Governor was
compelled, in this state of things, to make bread in
his own house, a situation in which Commodore
Wyvill was also placed. As such a state of siege
cannot last long, we anxiously look for the next
advices.

Her Majesty's ships Castor and Geyser and the
btoreship Seringapatam were in Simon's-bay. Her
Majesty's ship Eurydice had sailed thence for Eng-
land, and the Orestes for the Mozambique.
The Minerva encountered an awful gale off the
Cape.

CALIFORNIA AND THE BRAZILS.
PORTSMOUTH, NOV. 24.—Her Majesty's ship Con-
stance, 50, Captain Courtenay, arrived this afternoon
from Brazil, with four days' later news. She sailed
from Mazatlan on the 26th of June; San Blas, sth
of July ; Valparaiso, 28th of August ; passed Cape
Horn the 14th of September; arrived at Rio de Ja-
neiro on the 7th of October ; and sailed on the 13th
with a mail, the Express packet having sailed three
days before her.
Emigration on a large scale flowed to California
from the United States, by way of Mazatlan and San
Blas, during the Constance's stay on the coast of
Mexico, and vessels under all flags were reaping rich
harvests by passenger traffic thence to San Pranciace,
notwithstanding the enormous wages exacted by sea-
men, varying from 150 to 250 dollars a month. Many
persons, however, were returning thence, particularly
South Americans, broken down in health and fortune,
for, although gold is still plentiful, it is only to be
ob`ained by a vast amount of hard labour and priva-
tion, under which all but the strong and hardy even-
tually succumb.
The Constance has brought a freight of about
2,000,000 dollars, partly in placer gold, which is
probably the last freight of such an amount
that will be sent from the west coast of Mexico by
way of Cape Horn ; in future the remittances will
go by steamers to Panama, and thence across the
Isthmus.
The Republic of Chili is prospering under a wise
and pacific Government, and the town and port of
Valparaiso improving in an extraordinary manner,
under the able and energetic intendency of Admiral
Blanco. The other republics are quiet, with the ex-
ception of Bolivia, which is constantly convulsed by
revolutionary movements.
Emigration to California by way of Cape Horn was
greater than through Mexico. Ships
.were daily
touching at Valparaiso for supplies, freighted with
passengers of all descriptions, as well from Europe as
from the United States.
Rear-Admiral Reynolds arrived at Rio from the
Cape of Good Hope on the 9th of October, and sailed
on the 13th for the River Plate to take the command,
and sent home Commodore Sir Thomas Herbert.
Affairs in the River Plate s emain in statu quo, wait-
ing the return of a treaty sent to England for ac-
ceptance.

THE HUNGARIAN AND ITALIAN

QUESTION.

It is not too much to say that the great meeting
held in this town on Monday last was of national
importance. The sentiments expressed on that
occasion are, we believe, no less generally prevalent
than genuinely English. The moral of the proceed-
ings was, that the people love peace much, but justice
more.

We do not undervalue the importance of the Ro-
man question ; and the elaborate, able, and eloquent
speech of Mr. Larkin upon this subject will not soon
be forgotten by those who heard it. lie appeared to
us, however, to deviate somewhat from the immediate
question,, and to address himself rather to what may
be called the Liberal Catholic party in Europe than
to the meeting actually before him. There was, in
consequence, an unwillingness exhibited to hear him
through, (especially as the hour W4S late), over
which no powers inferior to his own could have
achieved the triumph which ho undoubtedly did
achieve.

But the interest of the meeting was in the more
immediately pressing question respecting the Hun-
garian refugees, and the speech of Lord Dudley
Stuart, who has won golden opinions among our
townsmen, was the speech of the evening. Most
sincerely do we trust that the confidence which he
expressed that Kossuth and his companions ►-ill not
be kept captive in Turkey may prove to be well-
founded. His language, in reference to this report,
is undoubtedly most judicious, and the generous
confidence which he has avowed he places in the
Sultan, is snore calculated to have the wholesome effect
at Constantinople than if he had expressed suspicion.
Still, it must not be forgotten that the report alluded
to in the Memorial is, as Lord Dudley Stuart said,
official from Vienna, and has, since Monday, been
confirmed. It cannot, therefore, be disregarded, and
we rejoice that there has been so marked an expres-
sion of public opinion, to the effect that such a solution
of the extradition question, even though peaceful,
will not be accepted as satisfactory.
One thing we feel sure of, namely, that any de-
mands that may he made by the Russian and Austrian
Governments will not be acceded to by the Sultan
without previous communication with the Govern•
ment of this country. To them we confidently look,
and especially to Lord Palmerston, to give their
sanction to no arrangementithat shall in any way
diminish the wholesome moral effect that will be
produced in Europe by the relinquishment, on
the part of Austria and Russia, of their infamous
demand.—Newcastie Guardian.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE' SUN.

Sui,—An occasion has led me to look over the

"Navy Report," one of the Blue Blooks of last
session, and I am surprised, upon the high authority
of my Lords of the Admiralty, to find therein the
phrase " futtock," having always clearly from the
situation of the rope-ladder or shroud under the ts-ps
in a ship recognised it as " foot-hook" shrouds, i. e.,
where good hold must be taken with the "foot."
I am, Sir, &c., Q.
[This is but one of the many corruptions, made
either for brevity or from ignorance, not only in the
navy but in every other department of the ordinary
business of life.—ED. Sun ]

LAUNCH OF AN EXTRAORDINARY PONTOON.—A
pontoon, pr floating landing stage, 400 feet long by 56
wide, and weighing 600 tons, has been constructed by
Messrs. E. B. Wilson and Co., locomotive engine manu•
facturers, of this town, and is to bo launched at Goole
early next month. This vast platform, which is twice
the length of a ship of the line, will be launched broad-
side, and the launch is looked to with great interest by
engineers, as no structure of equal dimensions has ever
been launched in one piece. The pontoon is made of
plate iron, except the deck, which is of wood : it is in-
tended for the pier at New Holland, on the Humber,
opposite Hull, and is for the landing cf passengers from
the steamers, communicating with ono of the Lincoln-
shire railways. The pontoon will rise and fall with the
tide. Two covered ways, called girders, also made at
the same winks, of plate iron, and on the same principle
as the new tubular bridges in Wales, 142 feet in length,
will r:tend from the pontoon to the railway station on
the pier, so as to enable passengers to go and luggage
to be conveyed, under. cover, at all states of the tide,
from the railway carriage to the steamer. Of course
the inclination of the girders will vary with the height
of the tide, as ono end will be attached to the stone
pier and the other to the floating pontoon.—Lccd,
Mercury.
QuEBN, s PRISON.—A saving of 1301. per annum
has been effected in the charge for medical attendance
in the Queen's prison. Mr. Morton, the late surgeon,
had 2001. a yen; and Mr. Hooper, deputy-assistant, 801.
prr annum. The places have been consolidated, and Mr
Hoopc:r aKointed at a salary of 1501.
The Islington Cattl9, Market (says a contemporary)
is now most decidedly on the ascendant. Smithfield is
not only doomed, but the removal of the great metropo-
litan cattle market to Islington will tyke place sooner
than its warmest friends had ever anticipated.
A wise book is a true friend ; its author a public
benefactor.—Eliza Cook's Journal.