The Sun.
London, England, 1851-11-11 00:00:00

STRAIN GE CASE,

On Saturday last the police authorities of Inverness
were engaged in the investigation of a case of a
character somewhat novel here, and about which
the most extraordinary and contradictory reports
flaw about during the day. According to one
rumour a party of London thieves had been arrested
on board the steamer which had just arrived
from London—it was said that they had been con-
cerned in some great robbery, and the rumour
went so far as to assert confidently that some of
the stolen property had been found in the baggage of
the party ! Another report went that a forgery had
been attempted upon one of the banks in town to a
very considerable amount. The true particulars
are as follow :—ln the course of last week Mr.
Anderson, superintendent of the local police, re-
ceived information that a forged cheque for 1501.,
purporting to be signed by the Duke of Buccleuch,
had been passed at the Bank of Mona, at Douglas,
in the Isle of Man, by a lady, who was supposed
to be concerned in some other fraudulent transactions.
A French brigantine, called La Force, the master of
which does not speak our language, had put into the
Isle of Man, ostensibly wind bound, on her voyage
from Liverpool to Ostend with pearl-shells, and at a
bay a few miles distant from the town received on
board the lady in question, who was accompanied by
her son and daughter-in-law, a daughter, about
twelve years of age, and an aged female domestic.
The vessel left the island on the 21st October, and
it had been ascertained that the night before sail-
ing the master had purchased a chart of the west
coast of Scotland, and bad made particular inquiries
respecting the route by the Caledonial Canal. From
this circumstance it was conjectured that the vessel
would proceed on her voyage by way of the canal,
and the supposition proved correct. On Friday the
ship came to Muirtown locks, and on Saturday the
whole party was apprehended on the warrant of the
sheriff. The lady gives the name of Madame Bruce,
but refuses further information ; and, in the mean-
time, they are detained until the arrival of further
instructions from the Island of Man. The party
have the appearance of high respectability ; and
1.13, seem to be English people who have long re-
sided in France.--Inverness Courier.

N ENGLISH CLIPPER.
WhileA all the world is loud in its praise of the
America and her builders, we forget to look at home.
We feel it but
snrwdueto to
ace.ll attention to the per-
formance of the
y,Castain John Robertson
ohn o' Gaunt), from
(formerly in command of the
a conviction that it deserves :placeians bthueilt last year
records of
mect model
November
ex-
vmsbher
naval excellence. The Stornwa y w
by Messrs. Hall of Aberdeen, and is
em a
trpers
of 7 if s not of naval architecture, and for sy
celled. She left Gravesend on the 9th c
last, for Bombay, laden with iron, copper, &c.
took in a heavy cargo, and contrived to make
between that port and Hung-Kong the quickest pad.
sage known. She left Whampoa laden with tea on
the sth of July, pa'sed Auger on the 2d of August,
reached St. Helena on the 16th September, lett the
next day, and made the Start Point on the 14th
October, thus performing the run in the unprece-
dented time of 29 days. 'We believe we are correct
in saying that no sailing vessel has ever surpassed
thisav very performance. The American ship Oriental made
y remarkable passage
August,nip startedjll just as
e liviig-liong
from China to England
last
,year, but it should he borne in mind that this
,on the 27Lh of
asandthe monsoon was losing all
its strength,
she contrived to reach

LO N DON,

' down the China seas without making a single tack ;
whereas the Storn Nay had to contend with a strong
powerful head wind, which she did not lose till she
entered the Straits of Gaspar. Navigators accus-
tomed to these seas will not fail to see the great advan-
tage gained by the Oriental on this occasion. The
Stornway was also peculiarly unfortunate in losing, to
the southward of the Cape, her miaen top-gallant
mast, her main and fore topmasts, by a species of I
whirlwind, the weather being perfectly calm
on deck, and the water smooth at the time,
while all this mischief was done aloft. The
accident happened about sunset, and all that
could be done that night, owing to the extreme dark-
ness that had set in, was to secure the wreck along-
side. In the meantime the wind was quite favour-
able, but under the circumstances no advantage could
be taken, and thus the arrival of the ship in England
was delayed in all probability a week or ten days. The
tonnage of the Stornway is about one-half of that of
the Oriental. She, however, shows some 180 tons more
than that for which she is registered, while the Oriental
can scarcely cram in 40 tons more than her re-
gister shows. The Stornway spoke to some 28
vessels on her voyage home, as her log testifies.
She is now again taking in her lading for Bombay,
and is expected to leave the West India Dock o❑ the
25th instant. Captain Robertson does not " let the
grass grow under his feet," and we have the best reasons
for knowing that every officer on board, from the
captain downwards, has entitled himself to unequi-
vocal praise—such men and such a ship are rarely to
be met with. To our aquatic friends we would re-
commend a peep at the Stornway before she sails,
persuaded as we are that in her next voyage she will,
with fair play, surpass her maiden effort. While we
have such ships, such officers, and such builders as
Messrs. Hall, we may defy competition with all the
world.—Sunday Paper.