The Sun.
London, England, 1856-10-03 00:00:00

THE AUSTRALIAN MAILS.

The Royal Mail ship Donald M'Kay, Captain Henry
Warner, belonging to the Black Ball line of Austra-
lian packets, will sail at noon en the sth instant for
Melbourne, with the usual bi-monthly mails for the
Australian colonies. She is quite full of passengers
and cargo. The Donald M'Kay has already made a
very successful voyage to and from Melbourne, land.
ing her Majesty's mails both in Melbourne and Liver-
pool in capital time. Her commander has had large
experience in the Australian trade, and as his ship is
in capital sailing trim there is little doubt he will make
a rapid voyage.
The Donald M'Kay is the last ship taking her de-
parture from the Mersey with the Australian mails, the
European and Australian Steam Navigation Company,
who have obtained the contract, being obliged by the
Board of Trade to start their vessels from Southamp-
ton, although that company represented that Liver-
pool possessed greater facilities for the despatch of
such vessels as the trade required. But this port being
at present out of favour with the Board of Trade
Southampton has been selected. The new screw
steamer Oneida, Captain Hyde—the pioneer of the new
line—will, accordingly, start from Southampton on the
18th instant, for Melbourne and Sydney, with mails,
passengers, and light cargo.— Tfillmer and Smith's
European, Times.

The New Australian Mail Company have chartered
the Simla, one of the fastest steamers belonging to the
Peninsular and Oriental Company.
THE LIVERPOOL AND AUSTRALIAN SCREW STEAM-
SHIP ROYAL CHARTER.—LIVERPOOL, October 2.—This
beautiful ship sailed from the Mersey to-day at two
o'clock on her second voyage hence to Melbourne. She
takes out 462 passengers, of whom 53 are saloon, the
remainder being second and third class passengers. She
is also full of cargo, and is said to have refused upwards
of 100 passengers from want of room. Since her return
from her former voyage her spirited owners have had her
overhauled, with a view to increase, if possible, her effi-
ciency, great as that bad previously been proved to be.
Two courses of stringers, each 240 feet long, have been
placed in the vessel, and the bow compartments have
been filled with strongly riveted breastplates. By this
process of tension she is rendered nearly twice as strong
as she was before it. The screw has also been more
adapted to the ship's use, and it now lifts completely out
of the water. A very unfortunate accident took place
last night on board this noble vessel. It appears that the
crew, some of the riggers, were engaged in
raisingw, assanchor.isted by
From some cause or other the check
tshiested
had been taken out of the ratch of the patent capstau,and
the weight of the anchor being suddenly brought into
action, caused such a recoil as to throw the capstan bars
about in a terrific manner. Four men were struck over-
board, two of whom were soon picked up. Six others
were very severely injured, one it is feared fatally. The
sufferers were brought ashore as quickly as possible, and
at once conveyed to the hospital. One, a labourer, bad
his jaw broken, and received a compound fracture of the
skull. Ite is not expected to survive. A seaman had his
nasal bones broken, and also received a very severe con-
tusion of the leg. Another seaman received severe contu-
sions of the back and shoulder. The other three, who
were labourers, were very seriously injured—one having
his arm broken.
At a meeting of the Hungarian Land Company, held
to-day, the statement of the committee, which included
an epitome of the report of Mr. Caird on the purchase of
the Gross-Wardein estato, in Eastern Hungary, win
received and ordered to be entered on the minutes. A.
lengthened discussion took place with regard to the pro-
priety of carrying ont the undertaking, and a motion for
its dissolution was negatived by a majority of 190, the
respective number of votes being 1,370 and 1,560.