The Sun.
London, England, 1849-09-06 00:00:00

LONDON, THURSDAY EVENING, SEPTEMBER 6, 1849

mersmith that would be accommodated, but other
equally important districts. This, gentlemen, is not
a question affecting our-elves oily, but the public
residing in the districts I have referred to have great
cause to complain of not having that accommodation
given to them which the line was intended to afford;
and we are somewhat surprised that they have not
already taken some decided steps in the matter. It
was asserted by Captain Huish, at the late conference,
that every encouragement has been given to the in-
crease of the goods traffic upon the line ; but we are
unable to discover in what way this has been done.
It was admitted by Captain Huish that a saving of
more than 2s. a ton is effected to the London and
North-Western Company by every ton of goods sent
over the West London Railway, and intended for
the river,—why then are a larger amount of goods
not sent by that route ? The North-Western Com-
pany are the sole carriers upon their own line, and
can send the goods by whatever route they please—at
all events the small quantity of 1,905 tons having
be( n sent over the line, from the North- Western
Railway during the last half-year, does not look much
like encouragement.
Mr. LOVELESS, in seconding the adoption of the re-
port, addressed the meeting at considerable length,
and after adverting to the negotiations that had taken
place between the company and the London and
North-Western Company, deprecated in strong
terms the course that had been adopted by the latter
company.
After some discussion the report was received and
adopted, and ordered to be printed and circulated
among the proprietary.
A resolution was then moved and adopted requesting
the directors to call a special meeting, for the purpose
of considering the terms of the lease with the North-
Western Railway Company, with a view to obtain
a performance of the covenants of it. There was also
a resolution that in future the accounts should be
printed, and circulated among the proprietors, ten
days before the half-yearly meeting.
Thanks were then voted to the Chairman and direc-
tors, and the meeting adjourned at a late hour.

THE CHOLERA.
RETURN OF CASES, SEPT. 5.
THE METROPOLIS.
SUPERINTENDING REGISTRAR'S DISTRICT.

Deaths.
Attacks. Cholera. Diarrh.
Holborn Union ••• ••• 2 0
St. Giles and St. George ... 2 1
St. George, Southwark ••• 16 0
West London ... •••
3 1
Greenwich ... 10 4
... ...
Bethnal-green ••• •.• --- 11 1
Bermondsey ... ••• ••• 4 0
St. Olave ... ••• 8 0
Lambeth ••• . . ••• 41 4
Whitechapel ... ••• ... 9 2
Stepney ••• ••• ". -- 1 1
St. George-in-the-East ". 2 0
Newington ... ... ••• 33 1
Irlarylebone ... ... ••• 2 2
St. Pancras ... ... .•• 4 1
Poplar - •.• ••• ••• - 6 2
Strand ... ••• ••• ... -- 5 1
St. George, Hanover-square ... 3 3
St. James, Westminster ... 1 0
Clerkenwell ... ... —.— 0 1
St. Luke ... ••• ... --- 3 1
Caniterwell ... ••• ••• ..... 4 0
St. Saviour, Southwark —•— 5 0
Hackney ... ... ••• 1 0
Iblington ••• ••• ... 6 2
Kensington ... ... ••• 6 1
Wandsworth ... ... ..• 9 2
Lewisham ...
"lb ”O .... 1 1
East London ... ••• ". -- 5 1
Shoreditch ...
••• ••• ..... 10 2
Rotherhithe ... ••• ... -- 6 2
Chelsea... ••• ... ••• 2 0
City of London ••• ". -- 2 0
Westminster ... ••• ••• --- 9 1

Total ...

232 38

THE QUEEN AT BALMORAL.

BALLATER, MONDAY.—Her Majesty and Prince
Albert again attended worship yesterday in the parish
church of Crathie, notwithstanding heavy showers of
rain which fell during the whole day. The unfavour-
able weather had the effect of lessening the crowd of
strangers who have repaired to this place of worship
since the arrival of the royal party ; but still the
congregation was a numerous one. The Rev. Mr.
Anderson, minister of the parish, occupied the pulpit,
and delivered a very excellent discourse, with more
fluency and energy than on the previous occasions
on which the Queen and her Royal Consort were
auditors.

The regularity with which her Majesty attends
public worship in all sorts of weather is a subject of
frequent remark among the country people, and has
added largely to the admiration which her numerous
virtues have excited in the breasts of her Scottish
subjects.
It has been arranged that the Braemar gathering
shall take place cn Thursday first. The turn-out of
clansmen is expected to be much larger than last
year ; and as they will be equipped in a superior
style, and headed by several of the chiefs who are at
present in the district, a rather brilliant display may
be anticipated. At all events, the occasion is looked
forward to with great eagerness.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.
SlR,—When men totally unfitted for high stations
are placed in offices of responsibility and authority
they often act so strangely that even a child becomes
astonished at their conduct. A most extraordinary
instance of this nature has recently occurred in the
Gambia, and has given rise to many reports that tend
to throw unmitigated contempt on the highest per-
sonage of the colony.
The Governor of the Gambia Settlements, Mr.
Richard Graves Mac Donnell, in February last, very
imprudently paid a visit to the native King of Koon-
dung, about sixty miles from Bathurst. During the
interview the former is reported to have so far in-
sulted the King and people of Koondung that some of
the persons present actually struck and severely beat
the Governor, before the King was able to afford him
the slightest protection. It is likely the Governor
would have been torn to pieces had not the King's Chief
Minister, with his attendants, hurried him off, and
shut him up in a hut for safety. Que (liable allait-il
faire dans cette galeze.
The Governor was decidedly wrong in going him-
self to seek satisfaction and reparation for an alleged
injury, which he accused the King of being privy to
and conniving at, but which the King declared he
knew nothing of, viz., " a robbery committed by some
person or persons unknown on a store situated within
the Koondung jurisdiction, which contained British
goods, left therein for sale, under charge of a native
trader." The Governor was also wrong in threaten-
ing to make war on Koondung if the goods were not
speedily given up by the King ; and this threat, with
various other breaches of courtesy and etiquette, on
the part of the Governor, so incensed the natives at
the time that his Excellency got a severe beating, and
narrowly escaped with his life.
About three months after the occurrence referred
to, viz., sth May, 1849, Governor Mac Donnell caused
a military expedition to invade Koondung, for the
purpose of destroying the King's town, and severely
punishing the natives.
Governor Mac Donnell accompanied the expedition
as a subordinate officer, receiving the pay and allow-
ances of a captain, and taking the nominal command
of the Gambia militia. In this capacity he was pre-
sent at the attack on Koondung. He was posted with
the militia at some distance from the town, and out
of the range of native musketry, under shelter of a
cluster of very large trees. While here he was ob-
served to divest himself of his epaulettes, and was
heard to tell the men under his command to take care
of themselves and keep out of danger!
A wag here observed that the epaulettes must have
been of a very peculiar description, when the broad
shoulders and gigantic frame of Captain Mac Donnell
were not sufficiently powerful to support their weight.
He observed that all the other officers were exposed
to the fire of the enemy without being sheltered by
trees, and he concluded, that although they were of
smaller stature, they must really be much stronger
men than Captain and Governor Mac Donnell, from
the simple fact that they were all able to carry their
epaulettes on their shoulders; but, on the other hand,
he was soon convinced of their hardness of heart by
their not ordering their men either to " keep out of
danger," or "to take care of themselves." Ahl the
unfeeling fellows.
I must not omit to tell you that Lieut. Degrigny,
a militia officer of known bravery, seeing his com-
manding officer doff the epaulettes, and feeling it
would be no distinction or honour to be mistaken for
Captain and Governor Mac Donnell, very wisely
followed the example set him by his superior, and put
his epaulettes aside also By these means it would
have been difficult to distinguish the Captain and
Governor from one of the privates of the Royal
Gambia Militia.

During the retreat from Koondung, for as such it
must be designated, as our forces did not take that
place, the natives followed the expedition for several
miles, firing upon it from time to time without doing
any injury from the too great distance at which they
were. It was during the retreat that Captain
Mac Donnell was observed to dismount and walk
with the militiamen. This apparently strange pro-
ceeding excited considerable attention at the time,
and afforded room for our facetious friend to remark,
that, although at Koondung the epaulettes were too
heavy for the Gallant Captain, the Gallant Captain
found himself when returning homewards too heavy
for the horse, and, therefore, suddenly became a
pedestrian. "A. fellow feeling makes us wondrous
kind."

In corroboration of the statements regarding the
epaulettes and the horse, I beg to refer you to all
the officers and men of the 2d and 3d West India
Regiments, to the militia officers and their men, to
the old pensioners, and all other persons present at
Koondung on the occasion of the recent attack on
that place.
If all British officers who go into action found
their epaulettes " too heavy," and their horses " too
weak," what would become of our gallant soldiers and
brave defenders throughout the world ? Fortu-
nately, there are very few Captains AlacDonnell
among them.—l am, Sir, &c.,
JUSTICE.
Bathurst, Gambia, June 10, 1849,