The Sun.
London, England, 1856-01-25 00:00:00

THE PENINSULAR MAILS.

The Peninsular and Oriental Company's steam-
packet Tagus arrived at Southampton yesterday,
with the Peninsular mails. Her dates were Gib-
raltar Jan. 16, Cadiz 17, Lisbon 19, Vigo 20. She
did not communicate with Oporto.
The Tagus brought 36 passengers.
The Peta left Lisbon with the India and China
mails on the 19th inst., having been detained there
in quarantine and to make repairs ten days.
This month has been of a very stormy descrip-
tion along the Peninsular coast, involving much
loss of life and property. There were 14 vessels
on shore when the packet left Gibraltar, and some
20 more wrecks were reported at the telegraph sta-
tion at Cadiz, having chiefly occurred on the 9th
inst., along the south-west coast. On entering the
latter port the wrecks of two vessels appear above
water, nearly in mid-channel. Found and left all
the ports filled with weather-bound vessels, and
some damaged ones. An unprecedented quantity
of rain had fallen. Thick rainy weather was pre-
vailing, and variable winds, chiefly from the south-
west. The Tagus left Vigo with a strong westerly
gale and threatening weather, which continued to
the Channel.

At Vigo, on Jan. 11, was H.M.S. Transit ; Gib-
raltar, on the 16th, H.M.S. Transit left Gibraltar
for the eastward ; at Lisbon, on the 19th, was
H.M.S. St. George.
Shortly before the packet left Lisbon the British
ship Ben Muick Dhui, after clearing from London
for Bolivia, had occasion to put into Lisbon in dis-
tress, three men having been washed overboard in
a gale. She was ordered into quarantine ground ;
there was no sickness on board ; but being short-
handed, the vessel broke from the exposed situa-
tion, was driven on shore off Belem, and but for
timely assistance from H.M.S. St. George and a
steamer must have been lost. The word of the
doctor and captain was insufficient. A vessel may
be wrecked or lives lost—what matter ? A few
Portuguese authorities get enriched. This, too,
from a nation which owes its existence to us. It
is surely high time for British interference.
The following vessels had lately put into Lisbon
damaged :—The Canada, from London for Madras ;
Lel va, from Newcastle for Havana ; Guillelmo, from
Messina, for Bristol ; Greyhound, from Gibraltar
for Newfoundland ; Louise, from Swansea for Bom-
bay ; George (French brig), from Monte Video for
Havre.

In foreign exchanges the following are the last
quotations :—London at 30 days 544-; 90 days, 54i.
Hamburg at 3 months' date, 43it049. Amsterdam,
at 3 months' date, 43k. Genoa, at 2 months' date,
512. Paris, at 100 days, 521. The operations on
London were of a very limited amount, both paper
and money being scarce, owing in a great measure
to the stoppage of all business from the very bad
weather. On the continent business is also very dull.

In the stock market a considerable decline has
occurred both in government securities and bank
shares, having all fallen about 1 per cent, since last
mail. They are now as follows :—Three per Cent.
Inscriptions, 421 to 421. Coupons, 42 to 1. Bank of
Portugal shares from par to 1 per cent. premium.
Bank of Oporto shares from 15 to 17 per cent. pre-
mium. Bank of Lisbon notes 1 per cent. premium.