The Sun.
London, England, 1841-06-05 00:00:00

LAUNCH OF THE FORTH WAR
STEAMER.

On the day appointed for the launch of this
magnificent vessel, from the building-yard of Mes,:rs.
Menzies, Leith, a vast concourse of spectators assembled,
greater we believe than on any occasion since the land-
ing of George IV. at Leith; in 1822. At an early hour
in the forenoon all the roads and avenues Were thronged
with a dense mass of pedestrians, while vehicles of every
description crowded along the road. Every place from
which a view of this grand and truly interesting spec-
tacle could be obtained, was covered with well-dressed
persons ; while the decks of three large steamers, the
Royal William, the Royal Victoria, and the Pegasus,
were crowded with ladies and gentlemen. besides
these, the harbour was studded with boats and vessels
of all sizes, each decorated with flags, and present-
ing a gay assemblage on their decks ; while the
pier, and the sea-wall of the docks, were also
covered with a dense throng, all cheerful and animated,
apparently enjoying the anticipated scene. In the build-
ing-yard a stage was erected by the Messrs. Menzies,
who, with great liberality, issued numerous tickets, so
that the place was crowded in every part ; and who, by
their obliging conduct, and the judicious arrangements
the had provided for the accommodation of the speo-
tatqs, merit the acknowledgments of all present. The
day was fine ; and the vast throng of spectators arranged
on all the elevated positions adjoining, together with the
appearance of the ships in the harbour, presented an ap-
pearance that was singularly-interesting and picturesque.
The workmen began to make their preparations about
two o'clock, and proceeded with extraordinary alacrity
to remove the various holdings by which the immense
mass was detained ; and about three o'clock, everything
ingbe ready, the majestic vessel glided with singular fa-
cility and grace into the water, amidst the firing of can-
non, and the enthusiastic acclamations of the assem.
bled thousands. So skilfully were all the arrangements
combined, that not the smallest obstacle occurred to re-
tard the graceful movement by which she made her way
into the element which was hereafter to be her home.
As soon as she began to move, Miss Colville, daught. r
of the Deputy Chairman of the West India Royal Mail
Steam Company, to whom the vessel belongs, by the
usual ceremonial of breaking a bottle of wine on the
figure-head, named.her the Forth, in compliment to the
locality where she was built. Notwithstanding the im-
mense crowd of people, and the danger to which many
of them were exposed by being so near the water, in o
which they might have been plunged had any squabb'e
arisen, or rush taken place—no accident of the slightest
nature occurred. The greatest decorum prevailed in
every quarter, and- the mass of people retired from the
pier with an order and regularity which was in the
highest degree becoming.—Edinburgh Evening Courant.

EXTRAORDINARY ESCAPE.—On Friday M .
Jackson, upholsterer, of Piccadilly, was much alarmed
by the sudden rushing in of a very large ox through his
warerooms. It appeared to have been over-driven, and
t'ok refuge there ; the animal passed though the two
front shops, then entered up two steps to the show-room
behind, in which there were some very large looking-
glass plates reaching from the floor to the ceiling, and
the greatest fears were entertained for their safety, for
the beast was seen to approach one of them, but a large
table happened to be before it, otherwise no doubt existed
of its destruction. Fortunately Mr. Jackson prevented
any one following or attempting to turn the animal, and
sent for a body of police, who, to the number of twelve,
promptly came and did great service by keeping
everything quiet, and the doors clear from the large
crowd collected, otherwise it would have been impossible
to have got the animal out. After remaining near a
quarter of an hour the drover was able to entice it out,
and strange to say, without doing the least damage, al-
though the avenues it had passed through were very nar-
row, and the shops filled with chairs, tables, cheffoniers,
Look-cases, sofas, and such-life articles.
APPROACHING MARRIAGE IN HIGH LIFE.
—We have refrained, from motives of delicacy, announc-
ing a forthcoming marriage, which has excited the
greatest curiosity and interest in the highest circles of
society. It is now generally known in those regions that
the young Prince Nicholas Esterhazy is to be married at
the beginning of the ensuing year tb the lovely daughter
of Lady Jersey. This proniessa sposa is twenty-eight
years of age—the future bridegroom twenty-four. The
young Prince it was generally"thought was to be married
to the daughter of one of the Sovereign Princes of G er-
many, a marriage' to which his exalted rank and im-
mense territorial possessions fully entitle him. The
Prince's mother, we need not remind our readers, is
niece to the Queen of Hanover. The Prince Nicholas
Esterhazy is of the Catholic, whilst his future lady, we
need not say, is of the Protestant, persuasion. This
alliance will be a source of gratification to the friends of
the parties on both sides of the Channel, and, we trust,
of permanent happiness to the parties immediately in-
terested.—Morning Post.
ELLESMERE.--A number of boys were amusing
themselves on Saturday at the Gadlyss, near this town,
at the game of chuckstone, when one of them having lost
his chuckstone, was pulling another from the root of a
hedge, when he laid bare a nest of silver half-crowns,
amounting to 71. lon and three sovereigns and a half in
gold. The joy of the lads at the discovery was unbounded,
but it did not destroy their sense of justice, for they im-
mediately divided the whole of the treasure in equal lots
amongst each other.—Shrewsbury Chronicle.
His Excellency the Count Bjornstjerna, Envoy
Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary from the
King of Sweden and Norway, with his suite, embarked
this morning at the Customhouse, on board the General
Steani.Navigation Company's 'steam ship Neptune, Cap-
tain Whittingham, for Ilamburgh