The Sun.
London, England, 1841-07-21 00:00:00

INSURRECTION IN CANDIA.

M. Eynard, of Geneva, has addressed a letter to the members
of the former Greek Committees of Switzerland, Germany,
France, and other eountrie., in which, after recapitulating the
general grievances of the Christian inhabitants of Candia since
1821, and pointing out the grounds upon which they are now
making their stand against the Turks, he claims sympathy for
the Candiotes, and he says that a service would be rendered,
not only to them, but even to the Porte, if Candia could be
united to the kingdsm of Greece, under condition of paying an
annuli tribute to the Porte, and that at all events the mas-
sacres of the inhabitants should cease. " The last news I have
received from Candia," M. Eynard adds, " mention several
combats ' • blood has been shed on both sides ; the Christians
have had the upper hand, they have taken some cannons, and,
though there are as yet no positive results, it is an immense
advantage to have resisted with such small means against
troops numerous and well armed." The same gentle-
man has published a letter addressed to the Debats, which
contains some observations upon an article given by that
journal a short time since in favour of the Christians
in the East. The purport of this communication is to state
that M. Eynard coincides with the Debats in recommending
that France, in common with the other powers of Europe,
should not take the part of the Christian insurgents against the
Porte, but should use all her influence to induce, and, if need
be, forcc'the Porte to treat the Christian populations, subjected
to its authority, with justice and kindness, to grant to them
better conditions of government than they now enjoy, toge-
ther with a more liberal system of administration, and the real
enjoyment of civil rights. This journal also inserts a Erman,
addressed by the Porte to all Pachas Governors of provinces,
which is to the sane effect as the circular issued after the grant-
ing of the hatti-scheriff of Gulhane, strictly enjoining them to
show the strictest impartiality towards all the Christian subjects
of the Sultan, and protect them from all insults.
" The Paris Assocatlion," says the Gazette de France,
" formed in December last, for watching the progress of affairs
in the East, and for aiding the Christians, held a general meet-
ing on Thursday, and resolved that a deputation should be
sent to M. de Chateaubriand, (President of the Central Com-
mittee, urging him to call another meeting, and also to wait
upon M. Laffitte and M. Lasteyrie, members of the old Greek
Committee, and entreat them to become part of the new Central
Committee. In addition to the personages whose names we
have already given, Messrs. Arago, Odilon Barrot, and Masi-
guin, the Duke de Fitzjames, the Illarquis de Laroche-
Jacquelin, and Admiral Lalande, have become members of this
Association."

The Candian Committee at Athens has circulated the follow-
ing statements, dated 3f)th ult.:—
" For nearly two months, active hostilities have been car-
ried on between the Turks and the Greeks of Candia. In
every conflict. the Turks have been compelled to retreat, but
have avenged themselves on the peaceable and helpless pea-
santry. Thus, after being beaten by a detachment of insur-
gents under the brave Basilacogiorgi, they set fire to three
villages in the defile of Heraclium, massacred all the men,
women, and children, and committed other atrocities. Many
of the victims were killed in the churches to which they had fled
for refuge, and which were profaned by the unbridled ex-
cesses of the soldiery. Ten years ago, the high Powers had
just cause for delivering Candia from the yoke of the barba-
rians, but a certain-good will towards the Paella of Egypt,
and a reliance upon the spirit of civilisation and tolerance
falsely attributed to him, probably induced the diplomatist',
who raised Greece once more into a kingdom, to have Candia
under Ottoman domination. We are astonished at seeing
Christian powers maintain the Turks, those labourers for the
brutalization of mankind, in possession of one of the great
Islands of Europe, when they might be driven out by a single
line of a protocol. Will they now suffer this Christian people
to be crushed under the enormous weight of their enemies,
because they cannot resign themselves to an odious slavery ?
Will Europe, who sends her missionaries with copies of the
Holy Gospel of Christ into all parts of the world, suffer the
churches within her own circle to be thrown down, and
thousands of Christians to perish under the barbarities of the
Turks? Certainly not !or justice, national religion, huma-
nity, and the Christian virtues, will become vain and empty
words."

A letter from Candia, says the Constitutionn el, states that
the insurgent directory has issued an order prohibiting the
Christians from cutting off the heads or otherwise mutilating
the bodies of their enemies left on the field of battle. It is
added, that the prisoners are humanely treated by the Chris•
tians, and employed on fortifications in the mountains. The
insurgent Candiotes, according to a Constantinople corre-
spondent of the Semaphore, have bought seventeen merchant
vessels, which they intend to fit out to act against the Turks.

EXPERIMENTS WITH PERCUS-

SION SHELLS.

Wootwich, JULY 20.—At half-past one o'clock to-day,
notwithstanding the unfavourable state of the weather, the rain
occassionally descending in torrents, a detachment of the Royal
Artillery, under the command of Major Belson, attended in
the marshes to make further experiments with the percussions
invented by Mr. Wilkinson, Mr. Napier and Mr. Reece.
Major-General Drummond, C. 8., Director-General of the
Royal Artillery, and Lieut.-Colonel Dundas, C. 8., and Major
Chalmer were present. Captain Belson hiving charge of the
guns, Lieutenant Dalton was directed to see that the river
was clear, and to report on the effeet of the shells at the bulwark.
No. 1. A 32-pounder shell, invented by Mr. Wilkinson,
struck the bulwark, and went through the second erection, ex-
ploding and entering the earth of the butt, immediately behind
the object aimed at.
No. 2. A 68-pounder shell, invented by Mr. Napier, on the
word of command being given, and the hammer being pulled.
missed fire. Mr. Reece 's 32-pounder shell was then fired, and
entered as No. 1. On this occasion the shell appeared to ex.
plode about 80 yards before it reached the bulwark, and it was
the opinion of Lieut.-Col. Dundas that the shell burst in the
air, and of Mr. Reece, and others, that the shell had grazed the
ground before it exploded.
No. 3. Mr. Napier's 68-pounder shell, on being fired, struck
Ithe bulwark and exploded betwixt the two erections, scattering
the fragments eastward and westwards to an extent of several
hundred yards.

No. 4.. Mr. Wilkinson's struck the bulwark and went through
both erection., and burst on entering the earth of the butt after
it had gone some depth.
No. 5. Mr. Napier's struck the bulwark and went through
both erections, and entered the earth of the butt, but did not
'burst.

No. 6. Mr. Reece's gun, in compliance with his request,
was elevated considerably in its range, to such a degree, in the
opinion of Major Chalmer, as would cause the shell to go over
the butt altogether, and proceed onwards into the river. On
being fired the shell went through the first bulwark, exploding
immediately afterwards, and scattering the fragments in the
interior betwixt the two, tearing the wood to pieces, and lodg-
ing deeply in the erection in the rear, exhibiting a very satis-
factory proof of the force of the explosion and certainty of effect.
No. 7. Mr. Wilkinson's shell went through both bulwarks
and exploded in the butt.
No. 8. Mr. Napier's shell went through the bulwark and
exploded betwixt the erections.
No. 9. Mr. Reece's shell exploded in the butt after having
passed through both erections.
No. 10. Mr. Wilkinson's shell exploded almost immediately
on emerging from the mouth of the gun, the pieces spreading
over an immense range, several fragments having passed
within about five or six yards of the spot where Lieutenant
Dalton and the gunners and drivers who attended tonotice the
effect of the shot were standing, and the distance could not
have been less than from 180 to 200 yards to the eastward in
front of the bulwark.

No. 11. Mr. Napier's shell passed through both erections
and entered the earth of the butt without exploding.
Mr. Reeve having no more shells, did not fire at this round.
The experiments with percussion shells having been con-
cluded for the present, the result has been such as, to afford
this country great cause of satisfaction, so far as our su-
periority as a nation possessing the most powerful engines
of destruction in a military point of view is concerned, as
it has been proved that we have the means of defence or
punishment to those who might attack us. When the experi-
ments with percussion shells were made last year in France, it
was ascertained that, under the most favourable circumstances,
not one in four exploded ; but, by the experiments made in
Woolwich Marshes, it has been demonstrated that under every
circumstance the hells invented by Mr. Reece have ex,
ploded without fail, although they have been about eight
months lying in the Royal Arsenal, the same period as Mr.
Napier's and Mr. Wilkinson's. Out of Mr. Napier's seven
five exploded, and out of Mr. Wilkinson's seven, three or
four exploded, one being doubtful on the previous occasion.
The result of the experiments to-day render it probable that
from some variation in the marking of the degrees of the ele-
vation of the guns from which Mr. Wilkinson's shells were
fired, they might have grazed the ground, and caused the ex-
plosions as they have been reported.

TILE WEATHER.—Since St. Swithin's day, on
which rain fell in torrents, the weather has been warm,
dry, and beautiful, and yesterday tie thermometer stood
at 70 degrees in the shade. The effect of these three
days of warmth, acting upon the earth, which was al-
ready sufficiently watered, is already beneficially ap-
parent ; the pastures are rough and abundant ; the wheat
in many parts is assuming the autumn tinge, and more
has been done in this short space to forward and com-
viously.—Gl
plete the hay
asgor He harvest,
rald. than for nearly three weeks pre-
• SALE OF TILE LIBRARY OF THOMAS
THOMSON, ESQ., ADVOCATE.--The Bibliognostes and
Bibliophiles of Edinburgh have recently had a banquet
of delicacies spread before them, by the dispersion of
this, the most complete historical library ever sold in
Scotland. The sale commenced on the 28th ult., and
flourished under the venditorial sceptre of Mr. C. B.
Tait, during the space of thirteen days. The collection
was rich in rare and privately-printed volumes, and the
books, for the greater part, were in the "most desirable
condition, f.,Parmented in all the splendour of russia and
many-coloured filorocco bindings bravely gilt. e
prices which they produced were proportionably smart,
and the entire library realised nearly 3,oool.—Glasg°w
Herald.

CURIOUS, IF
Ro-
chelle has a TRUE.—The Plante of La Ito-
Sur• communication from a correspondent at
sirs in that country, that being in the 'fields, a short
timnce, he observed a weasel conic repeatedly to a
plant called
rub bouillon Mane (the :mullein or torchweed:,
himself. against it, and then run oil again. The m
oh-
server,•-
older to see the effect, pulled up the weed,
and threw it to a distance. The weasel came again, and
viper,
missing the plant, was greatly agitated, and soon became
s)vollen, and died. Following the direction the little
animal had come from, the person soon descried a large
which, at hearing his footstep, erected itself as if
-expecting the return of the weasel, with whom, no doubt,
he had had a battle. The conclusion come to vhs, that
the plant mentioned is an antidote to the bite of veno-
mous creatures.
The former Earl of Shrewsbury's brother, Hugh
Talbot, a Catholic priest, is a very prominent character
in the new and very striking historical romance called
" The Old Earl and his Young Wife." This persecuted
gentleman underwent strange adventures—suffered more
from flagitious oppression—and, in his flight from the
myrmidons of the heartless and crafty Minister, Lord
Salisbury, had more curious and hairbreadth escapes than
can be narrated of any other fugitive. In its lavish dis-
play of historical and invented character, and in the
richness niul contrast of its incidents, this new work of
thefic bestti‘m aoCill " give the world assurance of a nordist," in
I eptatiga of that viva