The Sun.
London, England, 1833-09-26 00:00:00

THE LOSS OF THE AMPHITRITE,

I have, &c.,
H. D. CHADS, Captain, 11. N,
The Koti• George Elliot, C. 8., &e., Admiralty.
A

ri ,1' lew nights ago forty-three houses, with
tteinliall their contents, in the village of Celles, near
43-
I,4ltBPe• in the Vosges, were consumed by fire from
a6b104,,e,",.er9 which had been dried in an oven. A child
ova
Ore years cld was burnt to death, and another, ae
1 ,:te°oBl3ed a similar fate only by throwing himself out
of ,;':4dn'iv, by which he broke his thigh. Several head
-•tfe were destroyed. French Paper.
betB,4°,llE DUTIES.—At Fraserburgh, in 1808,
Mating° fie harbour was improved, and the Act for regu-
its
dues i new schedule of dues was obtained, the shore
114 let at from 451. to 46/. per annum ; but the revenuet
I,2:',ce gradually increased, and in 1832 it amounted o
426/'-'l. At Peterhead, in 1810, the harbour dues yielded LelVe.' 'jut in 1832 they amounted to 1,9011.. Stone-
Lad it) before the improvement of its harbour in 1826,
Stone-
bad Itnreienne from 40/. to 601. ; in 1831 the shore dues
Inerh,crewied to 5591. 9s. 4d. At Burghead, where for-
the g I. regular quays existed and no revenue was drawn,
sianum
''"ut due now yield from 2001. to 230/. per
i A ...."46erdseenHerald.
( at CI, ,rl.leeting of the medical profession was held
' to b;e'l'eld on Thursday, at which an address was adoptedl
gstelPr"ented to the late medical officers of theaAmierras:
tio4 nlititution, as a tribute of their respect and
dd
they°f their conduct in resigning their appointments
when
arldtb:uld no longer hold them with honour to themselves
1,11 profession.
ter CAVERNS IN TIPPERARy.—In a let-
t 1 Kingsborough, by a correspondent of the
1 %ice 'l,:- 4'l/ -Free Press, it is stated that there is a prac-
' etv,,4ned by some of the visiters to tLe stupendous
ill '4 °II the Alichelstown estate, which, if persisted in,
1 ( ttondeerveentually ruin the beauty of these subterranean..
Yes on 4, Many persons, not content with feasting their
'loss "'c scenes presented by the unparalleled cot-mea-
..4lv4;l4a,e:' Which at once delight and astonish them, take
Ittiro,:,'Re quantities of the spar, and thereby spoil the.
4113,, rY uf these splendid pillars, which rise so inajesti-
ttiza:d Prop the arches of this palace.
eeka ,th•CCWERY OF A C A VE.—AbOUt three
'Nut f,"' sonle workmen on the lime-stone works at
Illeiliii 'easant, near Pontypool, discovered a natural
1 ,eulavg'„,hich led into the interior of the rocks, forming
$ h 4 %I°ot
approach to an extensive apartment, of the
I ith 61;
.ahout 18 feet, most magnificently ornamented
%sit ett-ritig crystals and petrifactions, and a variety of
st4l4rltehae:reditialltecitil'i From this apartment several passages
ffteierBent directions, and, it is supposed, extend.
Lance of three miles from the entrance. It is to
tltitsure
d. that
the beauty of the cave has been, in some
• thanessitnselv'-","°Yed by the anxiety of visiters to possess
7 °' Portions of the petrifactions, Sm.—Mon•
i th eillzire Aterzin.
of' itlit,bl:;.'l.The Chinese at one time measured
I it ,!,llin, broke_eings of the English nation by the quantity
i ,iti'l.he fr,erchiZ to a Year. A Chinese historian observes,
chants of Canton make the sale of their brittle
;it I:le4e_barometer of European passions, and as often as
,;60,„:_ngtu.ents they say, 4 The last year has been a
iittitent it
W": in England.' China is not imported to the
Oatles am 1. B°ole years ago; our own manufactured
oiti for4.,those. of the continent have superseded the
.Q,ltst.
,ine brittle ware of Asia, and the wise men of
t Ott kt 44 Empire now say the English have subdued all
Illit
cope
ter
;antdllyituhcaevriel.no nastrimionial strife, and seldom

---
OFFICIAL REPORT OF THE INVESTIGATION INTO TILE CON-
DUCT OF THE CONSUL AT BOULOGNE ON THE AFFAIR
OF THE AMPHITRITE.

Boulogne, Sept. IS.
Sir,—Having closed a most diligent and patient inquiry
into the conduct of William Hamilton, Esq., his Majesty's
consul at this place, connected with the wreck of the
Amphitrite transport, I beg to report my opinion thereon
for the information of my Lords Commissionersof the Ad-
miralty.
The charges brought against the Consul may be classed
as follows :-
1. An indifference as to the commercial interests of Eng-
land, by not looking to the state of the weather on the day of
the wreck, inasmuch as he made no inquiries as to the fate of
a steam-vessel that left the port the evening previously, and
by net establishing the means of having information given him
When any British vessels might be in distress.
2. In not being present to offer rewards to any person who
would carry an order off to the captain of the ship to land with
his erew.
a That although he was made acquainted that a British
ship was on shore at twenty minutes after seven o'clock, he did
not appear on the spot till a quarter before eleven, and then
was dressed as for an evening party.
4. That if he had been present, and used his best efforts,
he might have been able to have saved the whole of the crew
and the convicts; or, at any rate, to have rescued a great num-
ber from drowning. Upon these charges upwards of fifty wit_
busses have been examined, and I shall endeavour to give a
'l,l"nniary of their evidence as it bears upon each separate charge.
Upon the first, it is proved that the Consul was down
at the port early in the morning on the dsy of the wreck,
tusking very anxious inquiries as to the probability of the
safety of the steamer that had sailed the previous night.
It ill also proved that on all occasions of foreign ves-
sels being in distress, the French authorities send
notice to the respective Consuls. Upon this ores-
aion it was net known till the return of Henin
and the pilot-boat, at near seven o'clock, that it was a
British ship. The Coinmissaire de la Marine was very ill,
confined to his house, and the Lieuten .nt du Port, who
was on the beach opposite to the ship, forgot to do so in
the anxieties of the moment, and the feeling that no further
aid could he given. Also, that the house of Adams and
Couch, who are the agents for Lloyd's. and who generally
obtain the earliest intelligence, always give information to
the Consul, and did so upon this occasion, one of the part-
. ners going up with it himself, and reached the Consul's
house in less than a quarter of an hour after a note sent by
11Ir. Wilks, and when he found the Consul dressing him-
self to go down to the beach.
(Upon the second, it was never doubted that the crew
who were known to be in such imminent danger by
everybody on shore) would have been too happy to have
ftecepted the assistance offered, and no person would have
thought it necessary to send an order off for the crew to
lands and that, too, when it was not known to what nation
the belonged ; and when it did become known, it was then
tOO late, the time for all human aid had passed, and no
reward would have tempted any persons to have made the
trial,l7, Rewards were offered by Mr. Hawes and Mr.
but in vain.
qUpon the third, it is proved that it was about a
uarter beforb eight o'clock a note from Mr. Willis arrived
two the Consul's house, situate nearly in the centre of the
had t°„wns, which was the first intimation that the Consul
ol a ship being on shore. It should here be ob•erved,
that although there are about 50 British naval and mili-
ttiwY officers residing at Boulogne, in all parts of the
tote I have not been abie to discover a single individual
is ° knew of the circumstance at the time it occurred. It
a,"° proved the Consul dressed himself in a rough
°:over his coat and cloak, with strong boots, and a cravat
'cehis face, as Le usually did when he went on similar
ssions ; that he lost no time, although informed by
lbeagent fur Lloyd's that he could be of no use for two
hours, but quitted the house for the beach at a quarter-
the Past eight o'clock, and that he was on the beach before
vessel went to pieces, and before any of the bodies
Were washed on shore, and attended there till past two
oclock in the morning, rendering such assistance as he
could on so distressing an occasion.
Upon the fourth, it was not known, till the bodies
Were washed on shore, that the ship had convicts or pas-
sengers on board. Every preparation was made for the
ocrew at the Humane Society's house, as the destruction
the ship was inevitable. Everything was done by the
eneh authorities that is usual on such occasions, and all
frame it would have been impossible to have used torches
"'RI the state of the weather, it blowing a tremendous
gale
of wind, and also that the loss of a single life cannot
be attributed to the want of conduct in the Consul.
hFrom the foregoing established facts, I beg to state, as
ieAelen.seientious opinion, that William Hamilton, Esq.,
from lest Y's Consul, is most fully and entirely exonerated
rill:;All and every charge and imputation made against
wn
er to add, that the testi-
credit on ° of his conduct, as a public officer, reflect great
con
leave elusion of this most melancholy subject, I beg
4r
.leuredtoalladd, as some consolation to the relatives and
Irst nda of the unfortunate sufferers, that they may be
was done to save and to restore life ; that me-
ere aid was not wanting, there having been (to the
r;dit of the gentlemen of that profession in this place)
"
endless than seven giving their assistance ; the conveni •
and mf o the Marne Hotel ere i
throw
44,1 no co ortspen by the open-hearteid proprietor, Mr.mme
Barrydiately ;
Ati there were some of our own countrywomen, Mrs.
beBtin, Mrs. Curtis, Mrs. Jeffery, and Miss Hawes, with
servants, who, setting aside that which would have
of 4,4.1a15e delicacy on such an occasion, and with firmness
scene °d, notwithstanding the horror and heartrending
th that had so suddenly burst upon them, undertook all
e offices of most
kind and tender nurses.

Dances which continue to excite surprise that more
London vessels donor tit and refit at this port. The
loss of lives and property which so frequently occur
in the channel, by the wreck of large homeward and
outward bound merchantmen, miuht he etrirely pre-
vented, and the owners not be subjected to so great
an expense i►► tendering goods to the trade. Six
weeks' to two months' provisions and wages, besides
wear and tear, may not 'infrequently be saved, if
the voyages to the E,►st or West Indies were to
commence from, and end at Plymouth. The few
ideas that I have endeavoured to put together are
of every day comment in this part of the country,
and lam certain it will give great satisfaction to
the community if you will permit your columns to
be made the medium of their representation.
I am, Sir, your obedient Servant,
Rymouth, Sept. 21. PLYMOUTHIENSIS.

STEAM CARRIAGES.

Steam travelling on common roads appe (rs to be making
rapid progress. We had scarcely recovered from our sur-
prise at witnessing Mr. Hancock's exhibition of his car-
riage a short time back, when our attention was called to
the arrival of another, the property of Lieut.-Colonel Sir
Charles Dance. This gentleman has spared neither trouble
nor expense in his endeavours to perfect the machine in
which he arrived here on Friday last, accompanied by se-
veral passengers, among whom were Mr. Gordon (author
of a Treatise on Steam Travelling), and Mr. Field, of
the house of Maudesley and Field, whose name as an
engineer would give sanction to any undertaking i❑
which he was concerned. This engine diff:rs materially
from Mr. Hancock's. It is composed of two separate
carriages, the one containing the passengers, the other the
engine and machinery. This latter acts as a drag, and
can readily be detached. On their arrival at the•
Gloucester Hotel, the vehicles were separated, and
the steam carriage was removed to .Messrs. Palmer,
Green, and Co.'s Foundry, where it was examined by
-everal persons, some of whom conversant with machinery
admired the simplicity of its construction, and the pre-
caution that is taken in the formation of the boiler against
the possibility of any accident occurring from that quarter.
It is difficult to divest people's minds of fear where high
pressure engines are used ; but here the steam is generated
in tubes, and any one at all conversant with the subject
must know, that whilst there is small probability of a
part of the tube bursting, yet were it to take place, it
would be attended with no mischief whatever. Sir Charles
Dance had determined to return to town the following
day; and at ten o'clock on Saturday morning everything
was ready. The carriages were linked together, and the
passengers, among whom were one or two gentlemen of
this town, took their seats. The party took a turn round
the enclosures of the Grand Parade, intending to hay,
proc(eded further into the town ; but the crowds of boy.
and children that accompanied and surrounded the car-
riage made the gentlemen in the inside fear that from
(heir heedlessness seine accident might happen, notwith-
standing all the precautions taken by the steersman; and
they, therefore, deter mined to proceed on their journey at
once, and Sir Charles gave orders to that effect. The
carriage proceeded at a moderate pace till it got beyond
Preston, when the speed was increased. Nothing could ex-
ceed the ease with which it passe.] along ; it ascended
and descended the hills without the smallest interruption,
and the steersman seemed to have the most perfect corn-
tnand of it, guiding it with the greatest readiness and
facility, and checking or accelerating it at his pleasure.
The rate of travelling was carefully timed, and varied
between 10 and 12 miles an hour. The first stage was
about 10 miles, when they stopped to take in a fresh
supply of fuel and water; and here our informant left
the carriage. Accounts, however, were received on the
following day from one of the gentlemen who travelled
with it to London, that they performed the journey i❑
five hours and fifty-five minutes, including fifty-six mi-
nutes for stoppages, so that the time occupied in tra-
velling was within 5 hours. When the steersman becomes
better acquainted with the road, so as to know when 1
to put on the full steam and when to husband it—also,
when better arrangements are made for supplying fuel
and water at the different stations, even with the car-
riage in its present state, the actual time of travel-
ling will be much shorter; and it may he made to ac-
complish the journey in litss time than the fastest stage-
coach. With the improvements which may be reasonably
expected for this mode of travelling is quite in its
infancy—a sufficient speed may be given to answer the
expectations of the most rapid traveller on common roads ;
but it certainly will never be able to compete saith that
effected on railroads. We understand that a prospectus
is issued for forming a Company to travel by steam on
common roads; and it is well known that active measures
are taking to establish a railroad. It is impossible that
both can succeed ; and it may therefore be a question
which should be adopted. The railroad would no doubt
carry the day ; but the capital required for the one is a
million, while the other might be carried into execution
for about 20,000/.—Brighton Guardian.

LISBON AQUEDUCT.

SPIRIT OF THE PUBLIC JOURNAL;