The Sun.
London, England, 1848-07-26 00:00:00

THE RIVER PLATE.

The following' are extracts of letters from the
River Plate received Ly the Roland, arrived at An-
twerp :
BUENOS AIRES, APRIL 27, 1848. Considerable
alarm and distrust respecting the result of the negotia-
tions now pending; nothing known thereof. It is ge-
nerally believed that General Rosas will not accept any-
thing less than Mr. Hood's arrangement, and as it seerns
pretty plain that this will not be granted, the natural
inference is that no settlement will be made, although
hopes are entertained that the blockade will be raised.
APRIL 29.—H.M.5. Harpy, which arrived on the
25th, is still detained here, and we have nothing to re-
port regarding the negotiations, or the reply to be given
by this Government to the dispatches of General Oribe,
brought by the above-named vessel. The same unfa-
vourable impression exists, and there appears to be no
hope now but the withdrawal of the French blockade, as
it is reported that General Rosas disapproves of the pro-
posals sent to him.
APRIL 28.—Dates from Monte Video to the 25th inst.
News of the suspension there of individual security and
the investment of the Government with extraordinary
powers; also of a contract with the Government for five
months' provisions. There is a general mistrust and
conviction here that unless the intervention is withdrawn
no settlement can take place. General Rosas will not
admit the Ministers of England and France as mediators,
as he considers them belligerents; and he will not treat
with the authorities at Monte Video, whom he has never
considered as a Government.

----..,.
MAY 1, 1848.—A report was current yesterday that
the commander of the French blockading vessels had
stated to an officer of the American brig of war
Perry, now lying here, that the French had orders not
to impede the entry or departure of vessels to or from
this port. In consequence of this, the American com-
mander has written to the French to know the truth;
but we have not heard if a reply has been received.
The steamer Harpy is still detained here.
All sorts-of rumours are in circulation. It seems
that an arritttro„em(lit has been concluded with General
Oribe at ltlente Video, subject to the approval of this
Government, which, it is said, this Government will
not sanction; and in the event of General Oribe car-
rying out the same alone, people talk of a rupture of
the alliance between him and this Government; and in
the event of the blockade being raised without any
settlement, an interdiction to the English and French
trade is to be the consequence. We give you these as
reports, without attaching any present importance to
them.

Doubloons have declined to 355. Exchange is
625. 6d.

POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTION

Another novelty has just been added to the many which
were already collected together in this distinguished
establishment. List evening we attended the first deli-
very'of a new and striking lecture by Mr. Isham Baggs,
elucidative of the physiology and characteristics of that
extraordinary creature the electric eel. The lecturer, it
will be remembered, was already favourably known to
the frequenters of the institution by the ingenious hypo-
thesis as to the phenomena of thunder storms and the
cause of lightning, which he has now for the last few
weeks been explaining in a series of discourses, aided
by a number of beautiful and scientific experiments.
His popularity as an instructor in some of the more ab-
struse marvels of natural philosophy—those marvels which
are not patent to the public intelligence—will certainly
not be diminished by his novel lecture on the wonderful
fish which yesterday formed the subjeot of the expo-
sition. Mr. Baggs commenced by observing, that
although other living things were capable of eliminating
a certain amount of electric force—such, for instance,
as the torpedo—there was a peculiar interest attached
to the possession of this eccentric power on the part of
the electric eel, inasmuch as that animal is only dis-
covered in one locality, as well as from the circumstance
of the two specimens which may be seen any day float-
ing about in a reservoir in the great room of the Poly
technic Institution being the only specimens in England,
perhaps even in Europe. Before the researches of John
Hunter, said the lecturer, nothing, comparatively speaking,
was known respecting the structure of the electric eel—
since the investigation of that immortal anatomist, how-
ever, the extraordinary contrivance of what may, be
called its internal mechanism has been thoroughly re-
vealed. Insomuch so that the electric force evolved by,
the fish when in a state of agitation is actually traced
to a particlar lobe of the brain. One of the most sin-
gular features in the anatomy of the electric eel, as
explained by Mr. Baggs, is the compactness with which
all the organs of deghitition, digestion, and respiration,
are packed together in the vicinity of the head—
leaving the rest of the elongated form of the fish
as a receptacle for an infinite number of cells analogous
to the divisions of an artificial battery. He recounted
moreover the mode by which' these formidable creatures
are captured by the Indians, illustrating the practice by
an anecdote related by the celebrated Humboldt. At
present we have only leisure and space to observe
that the interest of the lecture was enhanced by a num•
ber of clever and remarkable experiments, not the leas
wonderful of which was the last, namely, the display o
the electric light. The theatre was crowded by an in•
telligent and attentive audience.

AERIAL WARFARE IN PRUSSIA.
Mr. Coxwell, the English aeronaut, whose exploits on
the Continent we have already noticed, is at present de-
monstrating his novel system of aerial warfare at Elber-
feld, in Prussia. On the I7th instant he ascended, in
company with a German gentleman, and when the bal-
loon had attained a considerable altitude Mr. Coxwell
descended from the car to the aerostatic battery, and
commenced a sham bombardment of the town beneath
him. This performance in mid air at once amazed and
amused the spectators; whilst a party of scientific
gentlemen decided that the ingenious plans of Mr. Cox.,
well might prove available for immensely useful pur,
poses in actual warfare. The day atter his ascent Mr.
Coxwell was invited to the Literary and Scientific In-
stitution of Elberfeld, where a lecture from the pen of
the scientific aeronaut was read to the gentlemen pre-
sent. Mr. Coxwell was then appointed a member of the
society, and solicited to make another ascent, which
will take place this week.

FASHIONABLE DISPLAY.—The chief source for
employment of labour i❑ the metropolis has this season
been crippled more from the effects of cold damp
weather than from political excitement or any other
cause commonly assigned. But happily, during the
last few days, the July sun has shone forth with its
usual intensity, acceptable to agriculturists, as tend-
ing to ripen the crops, as also to London manufac-
turers and tradesmen, who are encouraged to pro-
duce such novelties as may be considered suitable to
the season and the tastes of their patrons. One corro-
borative instance can be cited whereby employment must
have been given to many hundreds, in the production of
an entirely new fabric made into a new form of Paletot.
" A garment now become almost general in the several
substances adapted for each season; but a patent has
been secured for this new specimen of manufacture by a
firm whose transactions are of very considerable extent,
having large warehouses in the West End as well as in
the City, and whether it be considered as being only ap-
plicable to India and other such climates, the consump-
tion of the article must be immense, besides recommend-
ing itself by an elegant appearance and agreeable
lightness to the visitor of the sea-side, the tourist, or the
man of fashion in this country."—The Globe. This high
encomium evidently referring to Messrs. Nicoll, of 114,
116, and 120, Regent-street, and 22, Cornhill, they re-
spectfully beg permission to give further publicity to the
same, and to state that the Paletot particularly alluded
to is by them charged One Guinea. The New Regis-
tered Paletot, retaining predecessor's moderate price,
viz., two guineas, or lined with silk two-and-a-half. His
Royal Highness Prince. Albert, Prince George of Cam-
bridge, and the elite of rank and fashion have already
liberally patronised,the above.

HER kiJEST THEATRE.—Among the audience
we observed his Royal Highness the Prince Leopold of
Naples, Msgitlick.tlhce:Duke of Wellington, the Duchess
of Leeds and Miss Lane Fox, the Duke of Cleveland,
the Duke of Leeds, the Princess Metternich, Prince
Richard Metternich, the Princess Melanie of Metternich,
tihe Count Kalowrath and party (who occupied tb4 Queen
Dowager's box), the• Baroness Brunow, the Viseountess
Dungannon, Miss .Irving and Mademoiselle Olga de
Lechner, his Excellency the Sardinian Minister, his
Excellency the Hanoverian Minister, his Excellency the
Swedish Minister, Baron Charles Hugel, Baron Nico-
lay, Count de Barke, Count Arthur de Courcy, the
Marquis of Hertford, the Marquis and Marchioness of.
Sligo and the Ladies Browne, the Marquis of Granby,
the Marquis of Donegal, the Earl of Lonsdale, Viscount
Ranelagh, Viscount Anson, Lord Redesdale, Lord Ed-
disbury, Lady Augusta Paulett, Lord Ernest Bruce,
Lady Foulis, Lady Willoughby d'Eresby, the Hon.
p.
Byng, General the Hon. H. Cavendish, Sir T. Retford,
Sir T. Barrett Leonard and Lady Leonard, Sir George
Wombwell, Bart.. Sir `Thomas Leonard, Sir H. Wil-
loughby, Bart., Sir Benjamin T. Hall, Bart., M.P., Sir
J. Flower, Bart., and Lady Flower, Colonel Fludyer,
M. C. Kondratisky; Lieutenant-General Sir Alexander
Woodford, Bart., Mr. Towneley, Mr. C.W. Packe,
and Mt% Packe 'Reading, Major Buckley, Mr. Rose,
Mr. Welby Pugin, Mr. G. Cornwall, Captain R. Burton,
Mrs. Dennistouii, Mr. and Mrs. Hobson, &c.
ROYAL ITALIAN OPERA, COVENT-GARDEN.—Her
Majesty's box was occupied last evening by her Royal
Highness.
Her
essthe DnuocyhaelssHoifgllibelensts was attendedandthePrincessbylaLryadoyf
Baden
Augusta Bruce, General Upton, and Sir G. Cooper.
Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Cambridge and the
Princess Mary also honoured the performance with
their presence. Their Royal Highm sses were attended
by Baroness Bose, Lady Augusta Cadogan, Lady
Honora Cadogan, Baron Koller, and Mr. Edmond Mild-
may. The general audience included a distinguished
circle of the nobility.
NOVEL WAGER.—A correspondent says that two
gentlemen in high life have arranged a wager for one
thousand guineas, that one of them shall sell one million
boxes of lucifer matches in the space of two years, and
not sell more than four boxes for one penny, and not
exceed more than sixpenny-worth to any one individual;
to commence on the 24th day of July, 1848, at York,
and finish in Hull, 24th of July, 1850.—York Herald.
SOUTH-WESTERN RAlLWAY.—Yesterday the Rail-
way Commissioners granted to this company, under
their Act of 1846, an extension of two years to complete
the line from the Waterloo bridge station to London-
bridge.

DEATH OF SIR JOHN BATSMAN.—This venerable
Knight, who was for many years connected with the
Corps of Artillery Drivers, now disbanded, died on the
23d instant, at Thetbury, near Hungerford, Berks, in the
87th year of his age.

IMPORTATION OF I3RANDY.—A vessel arrived from
the Mauritius has brought, in addition to a large cargo
of sugar and 75 casks of rum, the produce of the Isle
of ENALICO, 10 cases of brnudy, consigned to order.