The Sun.
London, England, 1856-06-14 00:00:00

THE PENINSULAR MAILS.

SOUTHAMPTON, SATURDAY MORNING.
By the Peninsular and Oriental Company's
steamer Sultan, C iptain Cook, with the Peninsular
mails, we have dates from Gibraltar, June &1 ;
Cadiz, 4th ; Lisbon, 9th ; Oporto, 10th ; Vigo,
11th.
The Sultan brings 82 passengers, 1,3331. in specie,
and a cargo of fruit, &c.
During the homeward voyage the Sultan was
detained 12 hours at Vigo owing to a dense fog.
On the. sth instant, off Cape St. Vincent, she spoke
the steam transport Orinoco. Oa the 9th passed
Her Majesty's storeship Industry, steering north.
On the 11th also spoke the mail steamer Tagus,
steaming into Vigo Bay.
The Ministerial crisis was over, and a new
Ministry formed, as already announced by tele-
graph.

The country was tranquil, and likely to continue
so.

The English steamer-of-war Industry, Captain
G. Bar, out 39 days, from Sebastopol, for Ports-
mouth, put into Lisbon on the 7th instant with
machinery damagd.
The exchanges for bills at three months, on this
packet, 54a on Loudon, with small supply of bills
and scarcity of money ; Paris, 5.20 ; Amsterdam,
421 ; Hamhnig, 4%1 ; and Genoa, 5.17.
The stock market had been at a grant during
the Ministerial crisis, but Three per Cents. were
again firm and in demand at 411 to 42/ when the
packet left ; Bank of Portugal shares 495 to 502
milreis each ; and Oporto Bank Stock, 172 to 20
per cent, premium.
At Gibraltar were Her Majesty's ships Dragon,
Industry, Conflict, Desp!‘rate, Ariel, and Vulcan,
and several transports. Her Majesty's ship Ariel
had arrived from the Riff coast with four of the
crew belonging to the plundered ship Hymen. Her
Majesty's ship Retribation was off Cape Tres Torres
with some Moorish authorities on board. Hopes
were entertained that the remaining 11 of the crew
of the Hymen would be recovered.

DEATH OF CAPTAIN THOMPSON, ONE
OF THE _HEROES OF KARS.

While Sir Fen wick Williams and his comrades are en-
joying the honours which it is the delight of a brave na-
tion to lavish on brave men the sad intellizenca ha•
reached them that their gallant friend and brother it,
tams, Henry Lai.ghorne Th impson, after surviving in
safety the perils of the field, the hardships of a pr
tracted siew.e, and constant exposure to the inclemency
of a severe climate, has suddenly died in his own home,
amid those nearest and dearest to him; the bitterness of
whose bereavement, if it can admit of assuagement,
should be mitigated by the fact that the object of
sorrow receive l at their hands the last offices of duty
and affection, and lived to rea, at least an instalment of
that public respect and admiration wbich chivalrou-
aon.luct will always command.

Your readers roust have heard of his heroic conduct
at Kars, when, wit,h the most loyal obedience to he-
general, a high military skill, and a talent for command
which gave an earnest of even greater ti.inga here
after, he assisted in holding that fortress against one of
the ablest commanders in the world. With wha,
sorrow will they learn that he only landed in his owu
country to receive the welcome and congratulation-
of his friends, and reached his own hearth to die there !
When he and his friend) and superior officer, Colonel
Lake, reached Hull on Saturday last amid the cheers
and ovation of its' citizens Captain Thompson was suffer-
ing from a severe throat attack, which threatened no
dangerous results, but was sufficient to prevent his mak
ing that full and hearty reply to the good wishes expressed
to him which his natural kindliness of heart would have
induced him to do. On reaching London his sore throat
increased, and it was succeeded on Monday morning bs
a bilious attack, accompanied with some fever. No
fears, however, were entertained by his relations, and
those who on the evenieg of that day shook the hand
which hal done such good service for his country little
thought that it would so soon be cold in death. That
night he grew somewhat worse, but the following day,
though his medical man was in attendance, there wa
no apprehension of danger. On Wednesday, and even
up to Thursday there was, I believe, no ground for se
rious alarm ; but bronchitis came on rapidily, and yes-
terday morning (Friday) at 11 a.m., he breathed his last
at the residence of his mother and family in Glocester-
street, Belgrave-road. ft would ill become any to intrude
on the sanctity of domestic sorrow, but there can be no-
thing short of a national sympathy with the grief-op-
pressed heart of a widowed mother, and sisters and bro-
thers, who have so unexpectedly lost one of whom they
were so ju-aly prou i, and who had so lately been " the
theme of honour's tongue."
He was the son of a gentleman who held an important
official appointment as Receiver• General for Crown
rents for the northern counties, was educated at Eton,
and in 1845 entered the military profession, of which he
became so early an ornament. He was appointed to an
ensigncy in the 68th Regiment of Bengal Native In-
fantry in that year. On the 12th February, 1850, he
was promoted to a lieutenancy, and in the secand Bur-
mese war received a wound, from which he had not re-
covered when he returned to England, after nearly 10
years' service, in the autumn of 1854. When the de-
mand was felt for Indian officers to aid in the proposed
campaign in Asia against the Russians, Lieutenant
Thompson, his wounded arm still in a sling, volunteered)
and after visiting the seat of war in the Crimea returned
to Constantinople and proceeded to Erzeroum and Kars.
In consequence of his gallant behaviour at Kars he was
appointed in the winter of la-t year a captain (unat-
tached) of the Royal army, and it recently pleased her
Majesty to confer on him as well as his valorous com-
rades a Companionship of the Bath.

His condu-ct under the command of Gen. Sir Fenwick
Williams is ma't r for hi,tory, and must command the
eulogiks which even history is -low to pronounce on those
not holtlng high command. It is perhaps fortunate for
the memory of this brave young officer cut off in his
early prime—for he had only reached his 27th year—
that he was one of "a small band of heroes." His
name will be for ever associa•ed with those of Williams
and Lake, and Teesdale and Sandwith, and other gal-
lant men. This is no time, while his family and friends
are weeping fir him, to enumerate his vigilant defence
of the heights of the Karadagh, or to speak cf the tact
and strategy by which he, on the memorable 29th of
September, got a heavy gun into position, and mate-
rially assisted in winning that victory by the deadly fire
which he poured into the Russian ranks. We would
rather call to mind at this moment his excellent social
qualities, his kindness and cheerfulness and thorough
goodness of heart. Between him and his brother
officers there seems to have existed a feeling of more
than fraternal friendship. It vas but a day or two ago
that I heard his brave friend and fellow-soldier, Colonel
Lake, bear warm testimony to his conspicuous merits as
an officer and a man. •
The admiration which his valour aroused in the minds
of his generous enemy the wor'd may some day learn,
for the progress of himself and his brother captives
through Russia was an ovation throughout.
The sword that Mouravieff returned to him, "in ad-
miration of noble and devoted courage, as a mark of
honour and respect," will be cherished in his bereaved
and now sorrowing family as a precious heirloom. In
what victorious fields be might have hereafter worn it
had Heaven spared his life
The following letter from Gen. Williams will show the
estimation in which he was held by his gallant chief :
"Tiflis, Sunday, March 24.
" My dear Thompson,—One little line to beg you to
give my love to Lake, and to thank you for your letter
written en route.
I am, thank God,
quite well again, and start for Ria-
son on Tuesday morning at 10 o'clock, having every
hope that—peace or war—we shall all meet at Moscow
as soon as I report myself from Riazon to Petersburg.
Teesdale sends love to you both. Wherever my fortunes
may fall there I hope to see you by my side.—Affec-
tionately yours, "F. W. WILLIAM!!."

CRYSTAL PALACE.— Concert day, Friday, June 13
::
Admissions on payment, 1,479; ditto by veasoli tickets,
3,122; total visitors, 4,601.