The Sun.
London, England, 1846-04-06 00:00:00

MATCH BETWEEN AN ENGLISH

AND A FRENCH STEAMER.

The following is an account of a match in the Gulf of
Guinea, between the French frigate Caraibe and the English
frigate Penelope :
" Rear-Admiral Montagnies, commanding the squadron on
the western coast of Africa, has just returned to Goree on
board the steam-frigate Caraibe, who made a most rapid run
of the fourteen hundred leagues from Senegal to Fernando
Po and back again ; one month was sufficient for this double
trip, and to confer with the English Commodore relative to
the right of search and the execution of the treaty of the
29th May. The commanders decided on a trial of speed be-
tween their two vessels, and the English Commodore was
glad of the occasion to measure his frigate with an adver-
sary worthy of her. The Caraibe is only of 450 h.-p., the
Penelope of 670. This inferiority of 220 h.-p. was the more
to the disadvantage of the Caraibe, as she is a longer boat,
and was built for 1,748 tons, the Penelope not exceeding
1,616. Commander Jones was therefore confidieat of suc-
cess. On the other side the French Commander, Count
Bouet Willaumez, trusted to the good qualifications of his
vessel, and did not share in the good opinion the English
Commodore had of the Penelope, as she was faulty in her
construction, and he was confident of gaining on her con-
siderably or he should not have deemed a slight advantage
as flattering to the Caraibe ; he therefore increased his steam-
power by adding a supplementary weight of 20 kilograms of
lead on each safety valve. The trial commenced out at sea
on the 6th of February, at it A AL, weather squally, the
thermometer marking 33 deg. of heat. The signal was
given by Rear-Admiral Montagnies. The vessels started
under a stiff breeze, both engines plying at full speed. An
hour after starting the Caraibe slackened her pace to wait
for her adversary, being three miles a head, that is to say,
two-thirds of a league in the hour; in ten minutes the
Penelope was alongside. The log of the Caraibe marked ten
knots an hour. in coming alongside the Penelope hoisted
the French colours in compliment to the Caraibe. The
second trial was to be with only three boilers. The French
frigate again took the lead, leaving the English vessel far
behind. She again slackened, having gained two miles and
a half within the hour. The leg of the Caraibe still marked
ten knots, a stiff breeze at the time. The Penelope came
alongside in fifteen minutes, and again hoisted the French
colours The third trial was with only two boilers, which is
usual during the passage across the Atlantic, and saves feel.
The Penelope, which has tubular boilers, was in hopes of
taking her revenge. At the end of the hour the Caraibe
was one mile and nine-tenths ahead. The Penelope took
twelve minutes to come up, and not only hoisted the tricolor,
but gave three lusty cheers, which were responded to by
three cheers from the crew of the Caraibe, assembled in the
shrouds. Commodore Jones, a worthy and brave old officer,
was not sorry, he said, to have found so good an occasion for
testing his vessel ; and said to the French admiral "This
must be, the happiest day of your life, Captain Bouit.'
You mean, commodore, a happy day for M. Schneider, who
made the engines.' The Penelope gave a parting salute of
fifteen guns, which was replied to immediately by the Caraibe.
The right of search falls to the ground on the 6th March,
when the cruizers of either nation inspect their own flag."—
Journal des Debats.

THREATENED ATTACK BY
INDIANS.

MAY s.—On account of our animals, it was necessary
to remain to-day at this place. Indians crowded nume-
rously around us in the morning ; and we were obliged
to keep arms in hand all day, to keep them out of the
camp. They began to surround the horses, which, for
the convenience of grass, we were guarding
.a little
above, on the river. These were unwed:at( ly driven in,
and kept close to the camp. In the darkness of the night,
we had made a very bad encampment, our fires being c( m-
mended by a rocky bluff within fifty yards; but, notwith-
standing, we had the river and small thickets of willows
on the other side. Several times during the day the camp
was insulted by the Indians ; but, peace being our object,
I kept simply on the defensive. Some of the Indians
were on the bottoms, and others haranguing us from the
bluffs ; and they were scattered in every direction over
the hills. Their language being probably a dialect of
the Utah, with the aid of signs some of cur people could
comprehend them very well. They were the same people
who had murdered the Mexicans ; and towards us their
disposition was evidently hostile, nor were we well dis-
posed towards them. They were barefooted, and nearly
naked ; their hair gathered up in a knot behind ; and
with his bow, each man carried a quiver with thirty or
forty arrows partially drawn out. Besides these, each
held in his hand two or three arrows for instant service.
Their arrows are barbed, with a very clear, translucent
stone, a species of opal, nearly as hard as the
diamond ; and, shot from their long bow, are almost
as effective as a gunshot. In these Indians, I was
forcibly struck by an expression of countenance resem-
bling that in a beast of prey ; and all their actions are
those of wild animals. Joined to the restless motion of
the eye, there is a want of mind—an absence of thought
—and an action wholly by impulse, strongly expressed,
and which constantly recalls the similarity. A man
who appeared to be a chief, with two or three others,
forced him'elf into the camp, bringing with him his
arms, in spite of my order; to the contrary. When
shown our weapons, ill-' bored his ears with his fingers,
and said he could not bear. " Why," said he, there are
.none of you." Counthig the
including in the number a mule which
whaoswieiliggthe nu' m -
made out 22. "So many," said he,
people
.arounditlhencasihnrja
hel
5,, nd he pointed
if you have
ber, " and we—we are a great manyb ;t
to the hills aed mountains roun.d
ntshiihslekihnedinaos much,, as
the people, particu-
your arms," said he,
I had some difficulty in restraining
twanging
.hibaol,ou,;' we have
if it had been given, by.a more d e• Don't
said he ; on t you, say that—your
larly Carson, who felt an
insult
res ie.
''speaking in good. English ; and pro-
lbsiaafyeblstel,i'natitiaeaoonlldgdeninar'lln was nearer. to his end than he will be
befoie he meets it. Several alansitmanlisghhtad;
abnedenenareicyesisnartihl.,ev
left behind near the camp
morning, before the Indians made their appearance several
men were sent to bring them in. When I was begin-
ning to be uneasy at their absence, they returned with
information that they had been driven off from the
trail by Indians ; having followed the tucks, in a
short distance they found the animals cut up and spread
out upon bushes. In the evening I gave a fatigued horse
to some of. the Indians for a feast; and the village which
carried him off refused to share with the others, who
made loud complaints from the rocks of the partial dis-
tribution. Many of these Indians had long sticks,
hooked at the end, which they used in hauling out
lizards, and other small animals, from their holes. These
belong to the people who are generally known under the
name of Diggers ; and to these I have more particularly
had reference, when occasionally speaking of a people
whose sole occupation is to procure food sufficient to sup-
port existence.—Captaia Freenwnt's United States' Ex-
ploring Expedition in Oregon and California.

THE ARMY OF THE SUTLEJ.—Tht:re is one little cir-
cumstance connected with a portion of this gallant army of
so touching a character, that we cannot forgo the delight in
recording it in our colums. Amidst the din of battles and
the wild hurrahs of victory, the wail of distress from his native
land reached the Irish soldier on the remote banks of the
Sutlej. His heart responded to the call, and within a few
days the Irish soldiers subscribed no less than 8401. to the re-
lief of their suffering fellow-countrymen, and this sum they
placed in the hands of their veteran commander, Sir Hugh
Gough, himself an Irishman, for transfni-,.s;ori to the scene of
distress Having thus discharged their duty to the Gad of
Charity, they went with lighter spirits to the stern per-
formance of their military (Wiwi to tboir 60yereiga And thar I
COWltrylm•Ohorver,