The Sun.
London, England, 1846-12-29 00:00:00

ADELAIDE GALLERY.

The spirited proprietor of this establishment coinma
menced, on Saturday, a series of morning performances
(commencing at three and ending at five), which are
more especially adapted for the amusement of the juve-
nile branches of families who are at home for the holi-
days. In the getting up of these performances, the
manager has catered most judiciously for juvenile tastes.
Children delight to witness the performances of children,
and the witnessing of such performances creates in the
children who are the audience a degree of emulation
which makes them pursue their studies with tenfold
vigour, in order, if possible, to equal those whose efforts
are rewarded by the greatest of all guerdons to children,
approbation and fame: therefore has the manager acted
most judiciously in securing the services of the talented
Turner family, whose performances last season at the St.
James's Theatre, created such a sensation in the fashion-
ble world, and who have during the recess beon con-
stantly performing at the parties of the nobility in town
and country. These wonderful little musicians are three
in number, Miss C. S. Turner, eight years of age, and
Miss R. P. Turner six years of age, harpists, and Miss
S. 0. Turner, a beautiful child only four years of age,
a violinist, and a violinist whose taste, precision, accu-
racy, and firmness, might put many a full grown
performer to the blush. Her fantasie, on the
favourite waltz of the Due de Reichstadt was
exquisitely given, as was her duet for the violin and harp
from Norma, in which she was admirably supported by
her elder sister the harpist. The most wonderful per-
formances, however, were the trios, the two elder sisters
performing on one harp, and the younger on the violin.
Exquisitely beautiful as musical performances, these trios
were also most interesting as tableaux. The two sisters
playing on one harp, the one leaning over the other, and
the younger sister at their side playing on her violin,
formed the most tasteful group imaginable. It was a
beautiful picture. The intervals between the performances
of the Turner's were amusingly filled up by the Nigger
melodies of the Lantum Ethiopian Serenaders. They
are merely imitators it is true, but it is equally true that
they approach nearer the originals than any imitators
who have yet appeared. With children who have a taste
for music, the morning performance at the Adelaide
Gallery will be an especial favourite.

DUTCH AND HAMBURGH MAILS.
AMSTERDAM, DEC. 23.—8 y a royal resolution of the
22d September, and another of 25th November, the
estates of the province of Drouthe are authorised to
negotiate a loan for account of the province of Drouthe
to the amount of 20,000 florins, to defray part of the
expenses of constructing a road from Rolde to the
frontiers of the province of Groningen, according to a
plan approved of by his Majesty. The estates of the
province have given notice that the loan shall consist of
40 shares of 500 florins each, bearhig interest of 4 per
cent. per annum. His Royal Highnees Prince Alexander,
accompanied by his Aide-de-Camp, has returned from
the Loo to this city.
EINDHOVEN, DEe. 20.—The diligence which left this
place yesterday morning at half-past eight o'clock, to
proceed to 13ois le Duc, was obliged, after going two
leagues on its road, to turn back, it not being possible
to go any further on account cf the great quantity of
snow, which had drifted to a vast height, and had en-
tirely blocked up the road.
The mail from Holland, which ought to have arrived
on Friday, did not reach here till the morning, being
brought by a man on horseback. The Belgian mail,
which should have arrived yesterday, did not reach here
till to-day. Thus the mails are stopped or considerably
delayed in all directions to Eindhoven.
VIENNA, DEC. 14.—A melancholy event had lately
nearly cost the life of our Archbishop, Milde. The
Chamberlain of the Archbishop, who for some days had
evidently been labouring under a fit of melancholy, en-
tered his master's bed-room early in the morning, and
announced to him, that he came by order of a vision that
had appeared to him in a dream, and commanded him to
cut his Excellency's throat. in this extremity
the Archbishop retained his presence of mind,
notwithstanding the danger, and answered that
such commands were not to be resisted ; but
that it was the duty of a Christian to set about every-
thing with prayer. His Excellency profited by the time
which he had gained, to escape into an adjoining apart-
ment, and to lock the door, after which, the madman
was taken and lodged in safe custody.
BERLIN. DEC. 18.—We find in aliamst every journal
very different accounts of the arrests -which have taken
place here. The most fabulous rep( tis that commu-
nicated to the Breslau Gazitte, which pretends to have
got scent of a communis conspiracy , propagated by
Emisaries from France. There appear s to be no other
foundation for this, than that the inform cation which was
received by the police was written in the French language.
It is said there is no ground for th e assertion that
those who were arrested had formed a society com-
pletely organised. Mr. Beheends, th( young clergy-
man, who was asked at his fir st examination,
whether he had not chiefly reckoned on meet-
ings of mechanics, positively demi° d this, declar-
ing that he had merely spoken in a public place
with several persons whom he accider itally met. The
person whom the authorities announced to be most
deeply implicated is a young merchar it's clerk named
Ottensosser, who is accused of having read prohibited
poems in a public place, though many !persons deny this.
We understand that the greater pla rt of the persons
arrested here at Berlin on the 9th o4' this month, on
suspicion of seditious intrigues, have b een already set at
liberty, and only six more remain urtt ter arrest.
HAMBUROH, DEC. 20.—The mails- of the 15th and
16th from Paris are still due.

(From the office of the liamburgh and • Altana Telegraph.)
Yesterday, during a south wind, Al tih rain, and a rapid
thaw, the ice in the Elbe became moi •e and more unsafe,
and if the weather continues the sa► rt, e, it is intended to
break up the ice in the harbour. Ye st erday the ice was
firm at Blankenese and Schule, bu to-day it is all
drifting again.

DEC. 21.—The ice is still firm at -the Devil's Bridge,
and the Elbe was still passable thi 9 morning in hand-
sledges. The workmen are busy in th e harbour break-
ing up the ice. At Blankenese and I3runshausen there
is much floating ice.
GLUCHEITADT, DEC. 20.—Yestercha, y we had a thaw
with a high west-south-west wind a nd drifting snow.
The Elbe is covered with flakes of icc and the weather
allows ships to unload only a few ho. tu •s in the afternoon.
DEC. 21.—The south-west wind al id rain have pre-
vailed since yesterday, and the ice • has already disap-
peared. The Marshal steam-boat is unloading, and will
probably have finished to-day.
CUXHAVEN, DEC. 19.—There beis ig much drift ice in
the channel of Cuxhaven, the ships • ready for sea have
come from the road into port. 1 ey have all been
obliged to take extra hands to bi ng them into the
harbour.

VIENNA, DEC. 15.—Lord Ponson- b 3 r still remains in
the hotel, and, except official vis it a to Prince Met-
ternich, has neither paid nor receiv ei I any visits. The
diplomatic relations seem, notwithst a Kling, to assume a
more amicable appearance. On I b e other hand, t he
pecuniary crisis becomes more and more threatening,
and the prospects in this respect are fl pry gloomy. Mer-
chants of the middle class, not ape ci 4lators on change,
but some of the real manufacturi a g and mercantile
classes are daily stopping payment E w 're and in the pro-
vinces,a greater number of b nkruptcies may be
eanxdpected. These are the c, ansequences of the
b our national be .nk.
DEc. 19. e ita ry Journals of this
that the Grand I) laliie Constantine of
appointed Chief of t/ se 9th regiment of
shortlylimitd credit Oven y
Th
.1.
n
Hussars.
t By
RussiaE RLhINa: announcebe e
app
DRESDEN, DEC. 14.—The incori ration of Cracow
onarchy seems - to have a very
with the the Austrian
Typowski, for it is
nd provide. I with passports.
voneable effect on
positivelyrathesituaatisoanerot f,t
Itthheatlhaetewdililcbtaetsoert,
at liberty in the spring, s
netomhmaserrcaetiafinedd
STOCKHOLM, DEC. 15. T hrreh Go
tor:
ies rtnymoef
the following conventions:
navigation between Sweden and
burgh Schwerin; the portal conyde _
0 n the 29th of July;
Nont rii I,:nayb, etawnedenMsetldeenn-
and Norway and Russia, concluded
and the postal convention, concluder I on the Bth of Octo-
ber, between Norway and Denmark.-
Hamburgh Papers,
Dec. 22.
ST. PETERSBURG'', DEC. 12.-0 n Saturday night his
Majesty the Emperor set out for W A raaw, and returned
to St. Petersburgh yesterday mornir
THORN, DEC. 15.—While nothin of political infiu
ence is passing on this side of the ft.( ltiers, the accounts
from Poland are very melancholy. Domiciliary visit-
s
and arrests still continue, and we ll .-informed persons
affirm that the number of persons i mprisoned in con-
sequence of the attempted revolutit N 1 amounts to 300,
many of whom, after a vexatious it a 4 luisitorial proceed-
ing, have been banished to Siberia, • and others hanged
in the citadel of Warsaw the noblemen, Wing
themselves suspected by the GI rs, nrimiant, and be-
lieving that their ruin is mded and the
more so, because the late half measures
relative to the emancipation of the • peasants seem to
threaten their property and their pei F 3 onal safety. It has
frequently happened that the pea se tints endeavour to
realise by violence the promises whi 01 i have been mach
by the Government to grant them 1 a nded property, and
attack the estates of their lords, w ho, on their part.
complain that the Government d oe s not sufficiently
protect them against the violence of f he peasants. Under
these circumstances, it is easily ace of anted for that a re-
port that a part of Poland, from P. !uk, will be added
to Prussia, has arisen in Poland, ai id is now even ex•
pressed as a wish in many quarterf likely to be ful-
filled. Travellers are treated witl R a lore civility tha,
hitherto by the Custom-house offi zera, however, ever.)
traveller, whether a foreigner or a nazi 'ye of Poland,
obliged to sign a paper in th.Q Polisl 1, German, anct
French languages, in which hg, declares , that he has no

letters, books, notes, &c., with him, otherwise he is to be
punished with all the rieour of the law.
‘V!tii
•L,,,,1
l'oland, we learn that there are to be oily four gyinuasia
in all Poland, in connexion with which there are to be
establishments where all the scholars are to be hoarded
and lodged, and that they will be secured against any
sinister influence.

POSEN, DEC. 16.—The latest news that we have to
communicate is, that, for some days past, a report has
been spread among the Poles here that the abolition of
the kingdom of Poland was to take place on the 13th of
January next year (the Russian New Year's-day) is ad-
journed by a later resolution sine die. On the
other hand, a Berlin correspondent of the Bremen
Gazette writes on the 20th of this month—" The
fate of the kingdom of Poland is decided, and if the
accounts received here are correct, even the name of
Poland will be obliterated at the beginning of the new
year
(From the Office of the Hamburgh and Altona Telegraph.)
HAMBURGIT, DEC. 22, p.m.—The Elbe up here is still
traversed with ice• boats, but it is expected to break up
very shortly. The harbour is cleared of ice, and com-
munication with the vessels is carried on by means of
barges.

At Blankenese masses of ice collected together this
morning. At Schalau also, and lower down, consider-
able masses are collecting.
GLUCKSTADT, DEC. 22.—The ice is dispersing more
and more. The large flakes of ice are breaking up.
HABIBURGII, DEC. 25.—There is much floating ice at
Schalau and Blankenese, yet the boat Wilhelmina, which
left Altona yesterday, arrived safely in the evening at
Schalau.

GLUCHSTADT, DEC. 25.--The ice is rather increasing
in the channel, yet the Fredericka Johanna, Captain
Dewall, from Newcastle, arrived in the harbbur yester-
day. The whole outer harbour is free from ice.
DUTCH FUNDS.—AsisnaDem, DEc. 24.
Money. Bills
Actual Debt, 234 per Cent ...... •• •• • 591 i 6014
Ditto, 3 per Cent .... _ _ ~ 71% 72%
Ditto, 4 per Cent.—
Amort Syndic, 3% per Cent•• •••• • • • • _
Commercial Company, 4% per Cent • . 174% 17434
East India Loan, 4 per Cent ••••• • •• '•
Exchange on London, at sight •••• • • •• 11 97
Two months. ..,$ •
On Hamburgh, at sight • • • •35 63
Two mouths... —..•••• • "• 35 25
ZOn Paris ... ...• •• •• • • , 50
Twomouths. •••••••• •• •• '' '.l n'". 12
—Dutch Papers, Dec. 26.
HAMBURGH BORSENHALLE, DEc. 22.
Bills. Money.
Austrian 5 per Cents . ...... . , lOB
Bank Shares •
Anglo-Russian Loan .•• • ........ 105% 10554
Russian 5 per Cent., Hamb, Certificate. 100% 100%
Ditto let serieslnscription.... .... 10154
Ditto,Nope and Co., 3d and 4th series.. 96%
Ditto, in Certificate• ••••••• • • • • • • .... 9634
New 4 per Cent., Hope and Co. ...... 8834
Ditto Stieglitz —— . ..... .. ......, _ _ 87%
Spanish New 5 per Cent •••••• • • • •. 19 18%
Ditto 3 per Cent ..... ......... 30%
Anglo-Portuguese Loan, 23% per Cent • •
Dutch Actual Debt, 2% per Cent . • • 59
Ditto 3 per Cent. ............ _ _
Polish New 4 per Cent. Loan, 1844.... 78
Anglo-Danish Loaa, 3 per Cent ...... 843 843(
National Bank Shares •••• • • • ......„

FLANDERS MAIL.
BRUSSELS, DEC. 24.—The Chamber of Representa-
tives voted, to-day, the budget of the Department of the
Interior, and the project of law relative to the duties of
Custom on leather and hides, and on hemp. The
Chamber then adjourned until the 12th of January next.
In this sitting the Minister for Foreign Affairs pre-
sented a project of law relative to granting two millions,
to permit the Government to participate in the founda-
tion of a society for the exportation of linen and manu-
factures. The project of law enacts, that this expense
shall be met by an issue of Treasury bonds. The sta-
tutes of the society are added to the project of law, the
examination of which is referred to the sections.
In the debate on that part of the budget of the Inte-
rior, which took place to-day, M. Verhaegen found fault
with a chapter of belles lettres, science, and art, parti-
cularly the grant allowed for the publication of the
" National Library." The Minister of the Interior and
M. Therode replied. The reduction of 10,000 f. in the
articles of belles lettres and science, proposed by the
central section, was adopted. A considerable discussion
arose on the article " Archives of the Kingdom." The
Minister of the Interior declared that the Government
hoped soon to be able to assign a suitable locality for the
" Archives of the Kingdom?' On the article " Fine
Arts," M. Northcomb invited the attention of the Le-
gislature and the Government to the necessity of re-
storing the celebrated " Descent from the Cross," by
Rubens, which will soon peel off from the pannels, sin-
less measures are taken to prevent so deplorable an acci-
dent. The Deputies of Antwerp, and the Minister of
the Interior, inquired who was to be blamed for the
delay in the restoration of this masterpiece ? May the
observations of M. Northcomb stimulate the zeal of
those whose duty it is to preserve that sublime produc-
tion of a great master, our glory and our pride. May
the city of Antwerp show itself worthy of the title of
" metropolis of the arts in Belgium," by preserving, by
a skilful reparation, this " Descent from the Cross,"
which, in the opinion of the director of the Berlin Mu-
seum, will not exist more than a year, unless the re-
storation is immediately undertaken. The budget of
the Department of the Interior was voted by a majority
of 59 to 5.

The Senate, in its sitting of to-day, voted the budget
for Foreign Affairs, the project of law for exempting
from import duty salt destined for feeding cattle and for
manure, and the provisional vote of credit of five mil-
lions for the War Department.
A deputation of a dozen respectable inhabitants of the
town of Renaix was received to-day by the Minister of
the Interior. These gentlemen stated the melancholy
state of distress which prevails at Renaix and the envi-
rons, and solicited M. de Theux to afford speedy assist-
ance, to relieve the sufferings of the indigent. This
deputation had a long conference, also, with the Go-
vernor of East Flanders.

The Monituer of this day published the convention
concluded between Belgium and the German Zollve-
rein, signed at Brussels on the 26th of June, 1846, to
secure the suppression of smuggling on the frontier be-
tween Belgium and the Zollverein.
The heavy snow which has fallen within these few days
in the environs of Brussels, has caused the death of four
persons, who were buried in it on one day.
The water of the Meuse again rose very considerably
during the night, and is now beginning to overflow the
banks.
A melancholy accident has just taken place in the coal
mine of Donchy. Six miners are said to have been
killed on Monday last, in consequence of an explosion,
the cause and particulars of which are not known.
BELGIAN FUNDS.—Bsusans, Duc. 22.
Actual Debt, 2% per Cent • • •••••• • •• • •
Rothschild's Loan, Five per Cent •••• •• •"
Loan of Thirty Millions, Four par Cent •• ••
Ditto Three per Cent— ••• •" " '''' • •
Ditto Thirty-seven Millions, ditto ••• • • •
Ditto, ditto, 1840 .. ..... 100%
Di t,,8 1907114
Ditto, 1836...... .... ••••" •• •• 95jyt
Ditto, 1838 ••
..... ••••• • • • •
Ditto of the City, 1832 ••
• •
•• • • •••• •• • ••
•
Ditto, 1843 .... 98%
p pere r CC ce nn tt
dittole t a .
. u. .q 1 1 le.s
.• ••
.•
.•
. .
....... • .
Bank ofßelgium...... 925
—Brussels Papers, Dec. 22.
AUSTRIAN FUNDS.—VIENNA, DEC. 12.
910798 f
45
3 per Cent. ditto ..........•••• • • •• • •• • '
Loan, 1834 • • • • 15. is
Ditto, 1839 ... .
Bank Shares .••• • • • ' '• 1585
Esterhuy's Loan ........ • •••'• " •• "
RAILWAYS.
The Northern, or Ferdinand • • •••• • • • • • 17534
Vienna—Milan •• ....... ....... • 110%
Sienna .......... . . 75
Pestoja ... ••"• • • •
..
Apenninen •
• • • • • • •
—Allgemeine Zeitung. Dec. 16. • • •

INDIAN CORN.--Since yesterday morning the ves-
sels enumerated below have arrived at Cove. These are
all laden with Indian Corn. The tonnage given is the
register tonnage, and as they bring, of course, much more
than the weight mentioned, there cannot be under 7,000
quarters of maize introduced in these six vessels. We
mentioned in our last the probability of the Manchester
(American vessel) discharging here. Since then we have
heard she goes round to Limerick to unload. The cap-
tain of this ship states that he left as many as seventy
vessels loading with Indian Corn at New York, and des-
tined for Ireland. As spring approaches we calculate
on large supplies of this grain from that port and New
Orleans.

Cadiz Packet 151 tons from Leghorn.
Newport
31396 ... ...oiesstta e
n.
161 ... ... Genoa.
George Deane
Ambroye
Zante Packet 3 ... ... Tcrn
Quicksilver l6l ... ... Vienna.
tinople.

Total 1152 tons.—Cork Examiner.
Two " GENTLEMEN."—A very brutal and black-
guard assault was committed at the Devonport theatre,
on Wednesday evening. Two naval officers, whose
names, we regret to say, have not been communicated to
us, for they have not been sufficiently identified, fel
disposed, in a very larkish and gentlemanly spirit, to
disturb the harmony of the audience by endeavouring to
interrupt the performances. A sailor who was paid oft
from the Sappho remonstrated with them, when one
officer with a stick struck the poor fellow and knocked
off his hat, and another immediately inflicted a terrible
blow on his head, with what is called a life-preserver,
and cut it open. The life preserver was taken possession
of, but, unfortunately, these " gentlemen " did not
meet with the chastisement they deserved. We hope
they are not done with yet.—Devonport Independent.
ASTRONOMY 1N FRANCE.-111. Le Verrier, whose
name has lately become European by the discovery o
the new planet, and who has, within the last fortnight,
been appainted, by royal ordonnance, to one of the new
professorships, founded on the Faculty of Sciences, corn
menced on Wednesday, at the Sorbonne, his course of
lectures on astronomy. Upwards of 1,200 persons,
amongst whom might be remarked most of the scientific
men of Paris, were closely packed together on this occa-
sion. M. Le Verrier took for the subject of his opening
address the pre-eminence of mathematical astronomy
over that of simple observation, which latter it was
generally considered he treated somewhat too lightly.
The following sentence gives a tolerably fair idea of the
learned lecturer's view of the subject :—" When," said
he, " armed with your instruments, you observe the hea-
vens, you advance with difficulty towards the mountain,
and at last you climb it slowly ; whereas, by the omni-
potence of mathematical analysis, you tell the mountain
to come to you, and it comes and bonds with humility at
your feet."
The munificent sum of 3001. was collected in aid
of the starving Irish, after service on Sunday last, at Dr.
Raifies's chapel, Liverpool. The sermon was preached by
6
the learned doctor himself.

),
r•: torsi/Cu ;aiWn
THE GREAT BRITAIN.
, BRISTOL, DFC. 28.—The following report from Mr.
rirturs
ro
Irdit
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mtaeetfenvisitt.t.DlßECTOßSh eteoAsb these opinions
siteop
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lr:yTkaTWeneancidEn.
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STEAM-
SHIP COMPANY.
soon as my engagements would allow of my leaving Lon-
hmd
eoyrn".
report to you the state in which I found the vessel, and
the largest possible amount of the property invested in
qualifications, you will not suppose that I have the pre-
sumption to think them infallible, but merely that I am
compelled, by the shortness of the time left me to write
to you, to avoid all circumlocution, and to give you as
simply and briefly as possible, the opinions I have
formed. At the same time I am bound to say that I
have not formed them hastily, and that my convictions
upon the several points on which I may express my
feelings are very strong.
" First, as regards the present state of the vessel. I
was agreeably disappointed, after the reports which had
reached me, to find her, as a whole, and independently of
the mere local damages, of which I will speak presently,
perfectly sound, and as strong and as perfect in form as
the day she was launched.
"In receiving this statement, you must bear in mind
the great difference between an iron vessel and a timber-
built ship. In the former, parts may be considerably
damaged, or even destroyed, and the remainder may not
only be untouched, but may be left unstrained and un-
injured. In a timber ship this can hardly be the case.
If any considerable portion of a ship's bottom is stove
in, the timbers or ribs completely across the ship, and
the planking longitudinally, cannot fail to be strained to
a very considerable distance in both directions.
" You must therefore remove from your minds all im-
pressions derived from your experience of damages sus-
tained by timber-built-ships, in order to understand my
statement, which is strictly correct ; that, except the
parts actually damaged, the extent of which is compara-
tively small, the ship is perfectly sound, and as good as
the hour when she struck. This soundness and freedom
from any damage extends from about the five-foot water
line to the top (with the exception of the injury sustained
by the knocking away of the rudder post, and a blow
under the stern) ; nearly the whole of the vessel is
therefore sound. The principal injury is in her
bottom, under the boiler and engines. The vessel
has evidently been thumping upon the rocks, and
almost entirely upon this part of the bottom,
from the first few days after she grounded, and at
present, in all probability, her whole weight is resting
on this part; yet, notwithstanding this, she is perfectly
straight, and has not broken or even sprung an inch in
the whole length. The boilers have been forced up
about fifteen inches, and one of the condensers has
been lifted about eight :inches, breaking the air-
pump. At present this is nearly the extent of damage
done, all of which could easily be repaired if the vessel
were in dock.
"I will now state my opinion of the best means of re-
covering the largest possible amount of the property
which has been invested in her.
"In this view I can only imagine two alternatives;
the one to break her up on the spot, and make the most
of her materials; the other to get her afloat, and into
port, and restore her into good condition, or sell her to
those who would so restore her. The first alternative
may, I think, be discarded at once. The plates and ribs
of an iron vessel are difficult enough to convert into
useful materials for any other purposes, even in the
midst of workshops, and with tools and appliances at
hand. In such a place as Dundrum Bay, I do not be-
lieve the materials would pay the expense of cutting up.
The masts, spars, chains, &c., in fact, the stores, and,
perhaps, a few of the lighter parts of the engine, might
repay the cost of removal; but the whole would cer-
tainly not amount to many thousands—probably
hundreds would be a safer estimate of the amount
to be realized, clear of all expenses. To remove the
vessel and take her into port, and either restore her or
sell her, is then the only means of recovering any part
of the whole of the capital invested in this ship. If she
is so brought into port, sho may be worth, unrepaired,
40,0001., 50,0001., or 60,0001., according to the opportu-
nities that may offer themselves of employing her use-
fully or of selling her. The only question is, then, how,
at the least expense and at the smallest risk, is the vessel
to be got into port? But as I will now endeavour to
prove to you the mode of getting the vessel off the shore
and into port is again quite second. ary to the considera-
tion of how to preserve it where it is, so that it may be
in a condition to be removed, and to be worth removing
when the means of doing this are ready, and the proper
time is arrived for attempting it.
" In the first place, I assert, unhesitatingly, that no
man in his senses, and who thoroughly understands the
circumstances of the case—the weight and position of
the vessel—the amount of the rise and fall of the
tide, and draught of water around her—and the ex-
traordinarily exposed situation—would dream of Cal-
culating upon completing the requisite means for float-
ing her under three months. In the mean time the ship
must be protected. Even if it were practicable to
construct the necessary apparatus, and to float the
vessel to-morrow, it would be little short of madness to
go to sea with it at this time of the year. But I am
doing wrong to discuss a case which cannot arise. The
vessel cannot, according to any rational calculation of
chances, be got off under three months; and it is equally
against ull probability that, if left unprotected, there
would be anything worth taking off at that time. It is
useless, therefore, at this moment discussing the best mode
of floating the vessel, and I think, under the circum-
stances, would be most unwise hastily to determine upon
any plan. The first thing is, to know whether there are
any means of preserving the vessel, and whether any such
plans can be carried into effect at some reasonable cost,
which it may be worth incurring. I have looked at
the vessel, and considered the very exposed situation
in which she is placed (and a more exposed one could
hardly be found), and I am convinced that no fixed break-
water of ordinary construction could be made at any
reasonable expense, or in time to prevent mischief.
There is no depth of sand into which to drive piles, and
the rock is too uneven and broken to allow of any fram-
ing being constructed and secured to it ; and any frame-
work would be liable to be destroyed during the pro-
gress of its construction,as that already attempted has
been, and the timber might be the cause of serious da-
mage to the ship. The plan I should recommend would,
at least, be free from these objections, would bo compa-
ratively inexpensive, and, I am firmly convinced, would
be perfectly effectual as a protection. At the same
time, few persons who have not seen the effect of a sea
beating against fagots will share in that conviction.
" What I recommend is, to form, under the stern and
along the exposed side of the vessel, a mass of fagots,
made of strong and long sticks, and used in the manner
which has been so successfully practised in Holland and
elsewhere, for the repair and protection of banks against
the sea, the fagots being packed closely, and, for a con-
siderable thickness, against the ship's side, and up to the
level of the deck, secured with rods run vertically
through the mass, and chains laid horizontally, and bind-
ing the whole tightly to the ship. The heaviest sea has
no effect upon such a mass; and I believe that the vessel
would remain as uninjured, and indeed as unaffected by
the sea, as if in dock.
" 8,000 or 10,000 fagots-300 or 400 fathoms of 1-inch
or 1-inch second hand chain cable, none of which need
be lost-300 or 400 rods, sharpened at the ends-1,000
bags to fill with sand, with what stores you have on
board, would suffice; end if next coming springs, and
the gales which have hitherto accompanied them, are
safely passed, I cannot foresee any difficulty whatever in
completing the protection I purpose. Of course, in all
works dependent upon wind, weather, and tide, certainty
cannot be attained; but of one thing I am quite certain,
that no other plan offers the same chance of success, or
at so small a cost.
" I have commmunicated to Captain Claxton the steps
which I took in conjunction with Captain Hosken for
procuring the fagots beforo I left Dundrum. I have also
communicated to him the directions which I gave with
respect to the engines, &c., and it is unnecessary, there-
fore, that I should repeat them. I will only recapitulate
in a few words, the substance of the advice I have above
given, and of my reasoning.
" You have a valuable piece of property lying on a
most exposed shore. If preserved for a few months
that property will, in all probability, be worth 40,000/.
or 50,000/. ; if neglected for a few weeks it will probably
be worth nothing. Can you, as men of business, under
such circumstances, waste your time at this moment in
discussing what 3ou will do three months hence, and
which plan you will then adopt to take your property to
market? But will you not rather first, and immediately,
adopt decisive steps for preserving that property, and i
then consider what you had best do with t ?
" I have no wish to escape the responsibility of ad-
vising you, as you request me to do so, as to my opinion
of the best plan to bo adopted hereafter for removingthe ship ; but, adhering to the principle I have laid
down, I should decline to do so at present did I not
see reason to fear that you might I
be losing time and
wouldwhi strongly
urge convinced,
urge upon you not to place your reliance upon any
plan which depends upon floating the vessel by
would n
camels, and taking her to sea unrepaired, and,
monye,
relying be disappointed.p on
expectations
therefore, entirely dependent upon those camels. The
immense breadth of these floating camels, and the risk
of taking such an unmanageable floating ill-connected
mass to sea, cannot have been correctly and sufficiently
estimated ; and the certainty of the whole going to the
bottom, in the event of even a very moderate gale of
wind or a slight swell, has been apparently quite lost
Sight of. I am also of opinion that the difficulty of lift-
, ing the vessel at all by auxiliary floats has been under-
' rated. The vessel has worked herself about five or six
feet into the solid rock and sand, and may very probably
get a little deeper before the time for lifting arrives.
She must, therefore, be lifted say, at least, four feet to
four feet six inches before she could be got out of the
dock she has made ; and the floating power must there-
fore be calculated at least to raise her five feet six inches
so to be qu:te sure of moving her. Now, there is not
more than 10 feet of water around the vessel, even at high
water of ordinary springs, and it would be impossible to
calculate upon more than nine feet as a certainty. No
floating power worth having can be got in the vessel, and
the floating vessels must therefore be capable of sustain-
ing the whole weight, with a draught, when the vessel
is lifted, of only about four feet. The weight
to be sustained is 2,000 tons, and to do this with ves-
sels drawing only four feet, would require that they
should be upwards of 30 feet in breadth on each
side, forming with the ship a total width of upwards of
100 to 120 feet, and upwards of 300 feet in length. I do
not say that this operation is impracticable, but it is at
least a very difficult one, and must be almost entirely de-
pendent upon weather; and, unless in perfectly smooth
water, a very hazardons one. My belief and conviction
is, that the safe mode of proceeding, and by far the
cheapest, will be to lift the vessel by mechanical means
—to lay ways under her—and to haul her up sufficiently
far to be safe from the sea to repair her just sufficiently

to make her water-tight, then to launch and bring her
Ito Liverpool or Bristol. Bet as I have before stated, we
have time to consaitar thcm) pints, if in the mean time
we take steps to preserve the ship. If the property
is not even now worth proteeting, it will indeed be
waste of money to be preparing, at some considerahlj
expense, to remove what will, in all probability, he only
then a valueless carcass.
"If the directors should determine upon adopting
the course I have recommended, I must remind them
that the plan is one depending entirely on the skill, the
vigour, the aptitude for expedients, and possibly—if bad
eather should come on, and day after day the work be
destroyed—on the unwearying perseverance and deter.
mined confidence in the plan of the party directing it, ,
and the sufficiency of the means at his command.
" I cannot conclude without doing justice to Mr.
Bremner, whom I met on board, and acknowledging the
friendly and liberal manner in which he discussed the
various means to be adopted, and assisted me with his
valuable advice ; and although I may have somewhat
differed with him as to the advisability of attempting to
float the vessel away to sea without first repairing her,
yet upon most points we were perfectly agreed ; and I
firmly believe that if any man could take her off (and if
it would be prudent to let him do so), that Mr. Bremner's
great experience and sound practical knowledge and
good sense in devising any plan, and his energy and skill
in carrying it out, would ensure every chance of success
which the circumstances admit of.—l am, gentlemen,
your obedient servant, "I. K. BRUNEL.
" 18, Duke-street, Westminster, Dec. 14."

THE LOSS OF THE OSPREY.
PORTBIIIOIITII, DEC. 28.—A court-martial was assem-
bled this day on board her Majesty's ship St. Vincent,
to inquire into the circumstances attending the loss of
her Majesty's late sloop Osprey, on the coast of New
Zealand, in March last, and to try Commander Frederick
Patten, and the surviving officers and ship's company, for
their conduct on the occasion. Present :—Rear-Admiral
Parker, C. 8., President ; Captain John Pasco, her
Majesty's ship Victory ; Captain H. D. Chad; C. 8.,
Excellent • Captain Stephen Lushington, Vengeance ;
Captain W. H. Henderson, C. 8., Sidon ; Captain Alex.
Milne, St. Vincent ; Captain H. W.-Giffard, Penelope ;
Mr. G. L. Greetham, Deputy Judge-Advocate.
The proceedings commenced by the Deputy-Judge-
Advocate reading the report made to Captain Charles
Graham, of her Majesty's ship Castor, the senior officer
on the station, by Commander Patten, of the loss of the
Osprey, and inclosing a narrative of his proceedings.
These, and other papers connected with the affair, were
transmitted by the Secretary of. the Admirrlty to
Admiral Sir Charles Ogle, Bart., who signified their
Lordships' directions for a court-martial to be held to
inquire into the circumstances. After the court bad been
sworn, all the officers and crew of the late brig being pre-
sent, Commander Patten was asked it he had any com plaint
to make against any officer or man belonging to the Osprey
on the occurrence of the wreck, or subsequent, to which
he replied, that' he had not any. A similar question was
then put to the officers and crew, if they had any com-
plaint to make against their commander, to which they
immediately answered " No." The Osprey's people
having then quitted the Court, Commander Patten was
sworn, and identified all the papers, charts, &c., and from
oral testimony and documentary evidence it appeared
that, late in last year, in consequence of the disturbed
state of affairs in New Zealand, the Osprey had been
sent by Rear Admiral Sir Thomas Cochrane, the Com-
mander-in-Chief in India, to augment the naval force,
and she joined the senior officer, Captain Graham, of
her Majesty's ship Castor, early in the present year.
She was then ordered by him to Auckland, and when
near the entrance of the river obtained from a small fish-
ing village a man who pointed out the method to enter
the Holkianga river, and described the marks, bearings,
depth of water in the bar, its position and length, and
the flag-staff inside.

The Osprey stood up, and Commander Patten and the
master observing a red flag exhibited, which denoted
that there was plenty of water on the bar, ran up the
river in safety, and anchored during the night about
twenty-six miles up, and there remained for some time,
co-operating with the Queen's forces. Commander
Patten was afterwards sent by Captain Graham to the
Bay of Islands, and left on the 6th of February. It ap-
peared, in answer to a question from one of the Court,
that from the disturbed state of the country he did not
feel himself justified in employing the master and a
boat's crew to survey the entrance of the river, the direc•
tions being sufficiently plain, and in print, and being fur-
nished by a pilot paid by the Government of Auckland,
and confirmed by a Lieut. Macdonald, a settler at New
Zealand. After executing his orders, Commander Patten
returned, and on the 9th of March made the island, and
on the 10th the entrance of what he, the master, and
the officers and crew, considered the real Hol-
kianga river; but the weather not suiting that day,
they kept under easy sail all the night, and next day, the
11th of March, seeing the marks and the land in every
respect exactly agreed, and observing a red Hag dis-
played on a point of land, the course of the Osprey was
then shaped for the entrance, and she ran in at the rate
of seven or eight knots, sounding with the lead all the
way, a man looking out en the yard-arm, and the officers
and crew on deck to trim sails, work ship, &c. This
was about half-past two o'clock .in the afternoon, and
the weather pretty clear. They got several casts of the
lead from 14, 10, 6, and at last a cast of the lead which
gave them five fathoms, and while the man was hauling
in the line the brig struck. Another cast was made,
which gave them enly two fathoms. The most prompt
measures were then taken to endeavour to save the
vessel, and float her into deep water, by cutting away the
masts, throwing the guns, shot, and other heavy stores
overboard, and at last, by the send of the sea and the
rollers, she was drifted on the shore some distance from

the place where she struck. It was then pretty evident
that the Osprey would soon be a wreck, and Commander
Patten instantly caused rafts to he made to land all
the crew, the Queen's stores, and everything he
could, and finally, when the weather permitted, he
stripped the copper off the brig, and drew 1,200 copper
bolts out of her hull, and before abandoning her, left
nothing but a mere shell. Intelligence was sent to the
senior officer of the calamity which had happened, and
Captain Graham having an opportunity of a vessel going
to England, sent the particulars of the wreck to the
Admiralty by Captain Hay, of the Racehorse, and soon
after freighted two vessels to convey to England the
officers, men, and stores, they having previously marched
a hundred miles across the country to the Bay of Islands,
and they quitted in May. All the foregoing was detailed
to the court, and also that until the wreck took place,
not a man in the Osprey had ever heard of false Holki-
anga Bay, nor was It marked in the only Admiralty
chart of New Zealand which Commander Patten had in
his possession. The members of the court made the
most particular inquiries of the commander, the officers,
and men, as to the correctness of the statements, and ex-
amined the log, &c.; and Commander Patten having then
been called on to say if he had anything further to offer
for tile information of the court, requested a quarter of
an hour to look over a written statement which he
wished to make. This was accordingly granted, and
the court cleared. On its being re-opened, the Deputy
Jadge-Advocate read Commander Patten's report of the
proceedings, produced his orders, and strong testimonials
from a great number of officers, under whom he had
served for a period of twenty .four years, in which he
was spoken of in high terms, for his ability as an officer
and a seaman. He also took occasion to say that the
officers and crew of the Osprey had behaved in the most
exemplary manner during the whole time they had been
under his command, and had submitted without-repining
to most extraordinary privations from the time of the
wreck until they were embarked for a passage to Eng-
land. On the conclusion of this address, the court was
again cleared for the members to deliberate on and draw
out their sentence, which, as might have been antici-
pated by every one who heard the proceedings, was to
the effect that no blame was attached to Commander
Patten, or the officers and crew of the Osprey, for the
loss of that brig, and that after she struck, and subse-
quently to being a total wreck, every person belonging
to her did their utmost to preserve the Queen's stores ;
and the Court then fully acquited Commander Patten
and the officers and crew, and hzghly commended them
tbr their exertions.
The Court was dissolved at half-past three o'clock.

FARRINGDON WARD (WITHOUT )—ln o-ur report
of the election of common councilmen for the above ward
it will be recollected that, on the presiding alderman (Sir
James Duke) announcing the numbers to_be—for Wal-
ter, 330 • Harding, 330 ; Hodgson, 327, a scrutiny was
demanded on behalf of the latter gentleman. We under-
stand that, at an investigation which has since taken
place, an error has been discovered, the actual numbers
being found to be—for Hodgson, 315 ; Walter, 310 ;
Harding, 309. Mr. Harding consequently loses his elec-
tion by one vote.
At about six o'clock on Saturday morning flames
were seen issuing from the Paris station of the northern
railroad, and considerable alarm prevailed in the neigh-
bourbood. The fire, however, was confined to a small
out-building, and, with the assistance of the firemen and
the military of the neighbouring barracks who were
rapidly on the spot, it was extinguished before much
damage had been done.

NOVEL ImPonzaTioN.—The American line-of-
packet ship Hendrick Hudson, arrived from New York,
has brought, in addition to a very extensive and varied
cargo of provisions of every description, the production
of the United States of America, thirty barrels of pork
suet. Ne are not aware that an importation of the
article so named has before taken place from the United
States, or any other foreign country, and therefore the
mention of it will not be unimportant or devoid of in-
terest in the present instance.
SUPPLIES FROM AMERICA.—An extensive land-
proprietor in the state of Illinois, United States, has
received a letter from his family by the last mail, in
which they tell him that in sending a team of grain to
Chicago, they were detained a day longer than usual in
getting delivery. There was such an influx of grain
into the place, that there was not storage nor shipping
to take it away as fast as it was brought into town,
there being no less than one thousand teams on the road
at one time laden with grain for the market at that
place. Price, 75 cents. per bushel.
The late severe weather has brought a great quan-
tity of wild fowl inland. The marshes round Canter-
bury have been literally inundated with ducks, snipes,
woodcocks, &c. Last week a flock of nearly a hundred
geese were seen at Sandwich. At New Romney, and
other places near the coast, the numbers have also been
very great —Dover Chronicle.

. -
AMUSEMENT AND GENEROSITY.—On Wednesday
Lord Eglinton, with a rink of Kilwinning curlers,
played on Craufurdland Loch, against Reginald H. Crau-
furd, younger of Craufurdland, and an equal number of
Fenwick men, for two loads of meal and a cart of coals,
to be given to the poor of the winners' parish. After a
keenly contested game, victory declared for the Fenwick
rink.—Edinburgh Evening Post.
AQUATICS.—During the past aquatic season there
were sixty five sailing matches, one hundred and thirty-
three rowing matches, and seventy-two regattas.