The Sun.
London, England, 1856-09-05 00:00:00

WEST COAST OF AFRICA.

PLYMOUTH, THURSDAY AFTERNOON.

The African Steam Navigation Company's mail
packet Retriever, Commander A. M'lntosh, ar-
rived to-day.
Her homeward dates are Bonny, July 24 ; Old
Calabar, 25th ; Caineroons, 27th ; Fernando Po,
30th ; Lagos, Aug. 2; Accra, 4th ; Cape Coast,
6th 2 • Liberia, 10th ; Sierra Leone, 13th ; althurst,
17th; Qoree, 18th ; Teneriffe, 25. th ; and Madeira,
27th.

She brings 2,020 oz. of gold dust, and her cargo
includes 206 casks of palm oil, 113 pieces and 2
cases of ivory, 5d bags of cochineal, wax, tobacco,
wine, &c.

The rains at Sierra Leone have been unprece-
dentedly heavy, and have had a depressing effect
on trade. Mr. Barlow, Queen's Advocate, died
there on the 13th of August.
The Spanish mission is doing well at Fernando
Po. Trade is brisk at Cameroons and dull at Old
Calabar. It is partially stopped at Bonny, owing
to the unwillingness of the natives to receive the
price of oil ; a quantity lying on the beach at Lagos
could not be got off in consequence of the surf.
The continuance of the drought at Accra would,
it was feared, cause great scarcity of provisions.
Since the abolition of the poll-tax peace had pre-
vailed.

The Government of Gorse continues unpopular,
and trading vessels proceeded on to the Dutch set-
tlements to discharge.
The ship Elvina Owens arrived at Liberia on the
10th of Aug. with 300 emigrants. On the passage
from Savannah 20 died from various causes.

The natives are peaceable at Bathurst.
In consequence of the recent disturbances in
Spain the Militia at Teneriffe are disbanded--a pro-
ceeding highly satisfactory to the men.
The cholera is disappearing from Madeira. 5,000
have fallen victims in a population of 16,000. At
Funchal the cases have been reduced lately to five
or six daily. It is severe at Porto Santo, to which
place the Retriever, at the request of the overnor,
towed a schooner laden with medical stores.

The paddlewheel steam sloop Alecto, 5, Com-
mander James Hunt, left Fernando Po on July
26 for St. Paul de Loando. Commodore Adams,
in the paddlewheel steam ship Scourge, 6, with
the brig Childer, 12, Commodore Victor G. Hick-
ley, and the screw steam gun vessel Teazer, 2,
Commodore Walter J. H. Grubb, and the brigan-
tine Dolphin, 3, Commodore Edmund Webber,
were on the South coast.

At Lagos, on Aug. 2, were the steam sloop
Plumper, 12, Commodore William H. Haswell ;
the paddlewheel steam sloop Prometheus, 5, Com-
modore Charles W. Hope, sailed July 22, for the
Windward coast. Off Accra the Retriever passed
two steamers, supposed to be the Hecla and the
Prometheus; the paddlewheel steam vessel Blood-
hound, Lieut. Commander George B. Williams,
had recently returned to Sierra Leone from a cruise
off the Rio Pongas, where the paddle steam vessel
Myrmidon, 8, Commodore Edward Shaw, had
burnt a large slave, schooner, 19th of May, and
destroyed a barracoon capable of holding 600 slaves.
The paddlewheel steam vessel Firefly, 4, Commo-
dore George F. Day, and the Bloodhound were at
Sierra Leone on the 13th Aug. The paddlewheel
steam vessel Merlin, 6, Commodore Cecil W. Buck-
ley, sailed same day for Rio Pongas to relieve the
Myrmidon, which was to proceed to Fernando Po.
The French war steamer Zelo was at Goree, and
the United States frigate Jamestown at Teneriffe.
The African mail steamer Candace arrived at Sierra
Leone on the 12th August. A steamer, supposed
to be the Niger, was noticed off Madeira on the
night of the 29th August. Several losses of mer-
chant shipping have occurred on the coast. The
barque Brisk, of London, was wrecked off Gland
Btssa on the 13th of July ; crew sated, except
Joseph Ballantyne. Tile British schooner Teazel
was wrecked off Tradetown on the sth of July ;
crew saved ; and the French ship Cepholide was
wrecked at Mellicouri River on the sth of August;
master and part of the crow saved
.; portion of the
remainder unknown. Some fishing-vessels and
boats, with several lives, have been lost near Sierra
Leone in consequence of the severe weather.

The coast and the shipping are in a healthy con
dition.

VISIT OF THE DUKE OF CAATBRIDGE
TO FONT. G.EOIZOE.

die Commander-in-Chief, as our readers are
aware, is at present staying at Gordon Castle.
On Monday last, accompanied by the Duke of
Richmond, and Prince Edward of Sage Weimar,
he drove over from the castle and paid an unex-
pected but most welcome visit to Fort George. A
most minute inspection of the place was made, and
his Royal Highness expressed his determination
to have various improvements made for the comfort
and convenience of the troops.
The barracks are immediately to undergo re-
pairs, and be made available to contain a battalion
consisting of four Highland depots. At present
the 92d depot occupy a portion of the barrack,
and a company of the 79th, the latter consisting
of three officers and under 100 rank and file. The
72d, 79th, and 91st are expected shortly to aug-
ment the present small garrison. His Royal High-
ness found an order existed which prevented the
officers or men from playing cricket or quoits on
the grass in front of the barracks, and with a re-
freshing absence of red tapeism he immediately
cancelled the order, to the great delight of the
officers present. He also made a searching in-
quiry into the number of quarters occupied by
clerks and other officials about the buildings, who
never hesitate to appropriate roomy and large
quarters for themselves, and very frequently leave
but one room for a military officer to exist in as be
can.

AMERICAN AND AUSTRALIAN MAILS.—LIVERPOOL,
Sept. 4.—The Postmaster-General has refused the appli-
cation of Messrs. James Baines and Co. to detain the
Memo Polo till Sunday in order that she might take out
replies to the Kent's advices. The Marco Polo and an-
other vessel, the Acadia, will consequently sail for Mel-
bourne about 'noon to-morrow (Friday). On Saturday
the Cunard mail-steamer Asia will rail with the mails to
New York. Letters will be received at the Liverpool
post•offiee on Saturday morning till 11 a.tn., with late
fees to 12 at coon, and on the landing stage at 1 p.m.
To-day (Thursday) the Arabia, a supplemental stauier,
sailed for Halifax and Boston with the mails and 113
pa sengers.
THE3TAIM—SOUTHAMPTON, Sept. 4.—The Peninsular
and Oriental Company's steam-ship Indus, Capt. Brooks,
sailed this afternoon for Gibraltar, Malta, and Alexan-
dria, with the India, Qhina, and Meilterraneao
120 passengers, 838,117/. in specie, of which 818,117/.
is for India and China, and the remainder for Alma):
dria, and a full general cargo. Among the passengers
are Dcputy Commissary-General Lawrence, Celmancler
Jolliffe, Major Vaughan, Captains Burton, 9.lDunster-
helm, and Haste, and Lieuts. Harris and Craster. The
Sultan, Capt. Cooke, is preparing to convey the next
outward Peninsular mails on the 7th inst. The Aden,
Captain Weeks, with the next mails from the Peninsular
ports, is expected about the 13th inst. The Alhambra,
Captain J. K. Joy, is appointed to leave on the 10th
inst. for Malta and Alexandria, for the purpose of con-
veying the surplus cargo remaining from the regular
mail packets. We understand that it is the intention of
the Peninsular and Oriental Company to despatch an
extra boat regularly every month. The Royal mail
steam-ship Avon, Captain Revett, will convey the next
Brazilian and River Plate mails on the 9th inst.
LANDS ON LAIR HURON.—Part of the northern
and southern portions of the island of St. Joseph, in
Lake Huron, will be offered for sale by the Government
in this city, on the 15th of September. The upset
price will be 2s. 6d. currency an acre ; one-fifth of the
purchase-money to be paid down, and the remainder in
as many annual instalments. The purchaser will Have"
the option of paying the whole amount at any time and
receiving their patent. The island lies in the course of
the steamers proceeding to and coming from the Sault
Ste. Marie; and will find in the mining regions of Lek()
Superior a market for its produce. The extreme length
of the island is about 17 miles, and the extreme width
about 12. The surface along the south and south-west-
ern shores is generally flat and swampy, being in many
places very thickly timbered. The north and north-
eastern shores, on the contaary, rise with a gentle in•
clination from the water. The interior has a rolling sur-
face, and the large level areas of their summits on the
hills are covered with hard wood. The flats and valleys,
often so low as to be swampy, are thiekiy timbered with
cedar, spruce, balsam, and turmeric. At the summit of
the island there is an area of 5,000 acres of slightly un-
dulating table-land, covered with beech and nape,
the soil being a sandy loam of good quality, in
some places a little stony, but free from rock and wel
adapted for farming purposes. The height o /the summit
is about 400 er 509 feet above the lake, if the estimate of
the engineer who surveyed the island can be relied on,
for he had no opportunity of taking its altitude. Besides
the swamps along the coast, already mentioned, there
are several of considerable dimensions in the interior ;
some of which are, however, nearly dry, and will some
day be fit for settlement. Except one spot near the
centre, the island is generally well watered. There are
several small lakes in the interior, of which the principal
is Lake Hilton, in which the most considerable stream
in the island has its source. Besides this, there are thr e
other principal streams and several small ones. Lake
Hilton, situated a little west to the centre of the island,
is of considerable depth ; it has a sandy bottom and
gently rising banks. From some of the smaller lakes
no outlet has been observed ; but the surveyor of the
island is of opinion that they have an underground con-
nection with the streams that rise near them. There
are some prairies on the island, growing long grass, and
in seine cases being slightly covered with water. Of
these, the largest is near the extreme southern point of
the island ; it is composed of sandy mud, and covered
with long glass and reeds ; having, in the opinion of the
surveyor, been formed of a deposit, carried in a lotion
during storms, from Mud Lake. The surface of the
island generally consists of 4 red sandy loam, or clay
and rand mixed with mould, There is, however, to be
found white sand, as well as brown or red clay.—Cana-
Oinn NOM

THE FAILURE OF T.IIF ROYAL BRITISH

'

Such further light as has been thrown upon the
affairs of the Royal British Bank to-day is ex-
tremely discouraging, and, although all the credi-
tors must be paid in full, there is reason to believe
that this will not be effected without a further
heavy call upon the proprietors, in addition to the
loss of the entire capital at present paid up. It
transpired this morning that all negotiations with
the hope of inducing any other establishment to
interpose had come to an end. A large number of
depositors and shareholders who had met at the
bank without concert then endeavoured, with the
aid of the directors, to ascertain their real position,
and it was agreed among some of the principal de-
positors that they would themselves consent to
wait six months, and would recommend their fel-
low claimants to do the same if any security could
be given that the shareholders would supply suffi-
cient funds to re-open the establishment and. to in-
sure payment at the end of that period. such
shareholders as were present were, of course, un•
able to decide upon the practicability of this plan
in the absence of a full balance-sheet to the latest
date, but a general willingness was manifested to
make every effort to preserve the interests of all
parties. Meanwhile, Mr. Coleman, the accountant,
has been called in and a statement of affairs is to
be immediately prepared, which will be submitted
to a general meeting on the 20th inst. According
to their charter, upon one-fourth of the capital
being lost the directors were bound to call a meet-
ing, the bank being then liable to dissolution, un-
less shareholders to the amount of two-thirds
should agree to carry it on and to pay off all dis-
sentients. That an arrangement of the latter de-
scription can be effected seems hardly probable,
notwithstanding the desire expressed on all sides to
mitigate the disaster. It appears that the amount
sunk in the Cefn iron and coal works, in Glamor-
ganshire, exceeds 100,0001. (the original loss hav-
ing been 25,000/0 ; that advances have been made
to former directors and to the late manager
which will probably involve deficiencies of more
than 50,0001.; and that bills of Mr. Edward Oliver,
of Liverpool, and bonds of the Westminster im-
provement Commission, are still among the assets.
If this bo the case, already more than the whole
paid-up capital will be seen to have been swept
away without reckoning future law expenses, or
such ordinary losses as invariably arise in the wind-
ieg-up of an estate. These losses will, perhaps,
prove less than was feared yesterday, since tle
cash credits are stated to be limited to abott
150,0001., instead of 250,0001., but together witl
the bills discounted they involve such a multitude
of small amounts as to shut out even under the
most favolarable circumstances the prospect of at
easy settlement. The best assets have doubtless
been disposed of to meet the recent run, as it is hi-
lieved that more than 200,0001. was paid away
during its continuance, thus reducing the liabilities
of the bank from 810,0001. to about 600,0001. The
item of 23,6801. for " property in buildings," which
appeared in the last balance-sheet among the asses;
is represented merely by the Strand branch and othaz
branches, the South Sea-house having only been
rented although about 10,0001., or 15,0001., is sum-
posed to have been lately expended in movir;
thither. With regard to the management of tb
Bank from its commencement seven years ap,
and the character of the advances made to forms±
directors, a belief prevails that any disclosure
which may be made will be of the most unsati-
factory kind. The present directors are sail
to be wholly free from the charge of having
obtained a single advance from the Bank, and,
although they must have been guilty of a to:al
want of vigilance, foresight, and firmness, they sr'
alleged to have struggled hard lately to bring tie
establishment into a better state, and to have ben
deluded into the hope that its position migit
yet be retrieved by the gradual increase in tie
number of its customers and by effecting an tr-
rangernent, which at one moment seemed practi-
cable, for the disposal of their iron and coal mines.
Three of the number—namely, Messrs. Butt, Gl-
lott, and Hurst joined the Board only last montf,
and the accession of some of the others was alio
recent. Those who are mainly acccountable for
the ruin appear to have retired, but the whole hs-
tory of the Bank comprises so short a period that
there can be little difficulty on the part of the cr-
ditors and shareholders in dragging forth all
leading facts, and this they are bound to do for the
satisfaction and safety of the public. After the
dissolution of the Bank on the 20th inst. the
winding-up may be conducted by the Board, or it
may be thrown, upon the petition of any share-
holders, into the Court of Chancery, by whom a
receiver will be appointed. The Bank being a cor-
poration creditors must in the first instance look
to the general assets, but upon these being ex-
hausted they can proceed against individual share-
holders they may think proper to select. An
attempt to bring the Bank under bankruptcy
pears to have been made this afternoon, but thi
scope of the proceeding is not at present under-
stood. It is certain that it will be for the interest
of all concerned to avoid law proceedings as mute
as possible, except against those who may be shown
to have been deliberate participators in the delin-
quencies committed.
It was mentioned to-day that the difficulties of
the shareholders in obtaining a clear view of the
accounts of the Royal British Bank were increased
by Mr. Craufurd, the manager lately appointed to
succeed Mr. Cameron, having been attacked with
sudden illness.

At the Court of Bankruptcy to-day a petition
was filed for an adjudication of Bankruptcy against
the Royal British Bank, the petitioning creditor
being Mr. Walter Morisse, of Jewin-crescent,Crip-
plegate ; and the solicitor, Mr. Chidley.—Times
City Article.

The excitement consequent upon the stoppage of
this Bank continued unabated during the whole of
yesterday. From a very early hour in the morning
hundreds of persons surrounded the chief office in
Threadneedle-street, vainly endeavouring to get an.
interview with some person connected with the,
bank. Finding they could not succeed, they took
up their positions opposite the dcors, and detailed
to each other their several losses, and the conse-
quences which were likely to arise therefrom.
Many of the details were of a very distressing cha-
racter, and more than one person, on leaving the
place threatened to put an end to himself. Several
ladies, who had money in the bank bearing deposit
informed the reporter that they had lost every
farthing they possessed. One peculiarly hard case
was a licensed victualler who was about to take 'a
large tavern at the West end of London. He had
paid a deposit of 5001., and was to complete the
purchase this day, for which purpose he came to
town yesterday morninc, to draw out the required
sum, 2,0001., when liefound the bank closed. He
has,therefore, not only lost his 2,0001., but the 5001.
deposit money for not completing the purchase.
Another publican, who recently kept a house in
Bride-lane, Fleet-street, has lost between 5001.
and 6001. It appears that from the facilities of-
fend by the bank a large number of tavern-keepers
are sufferers.

Great as the losses may be amongst the deposi-
tors at tho chief office, we are enabled to state that
they will bo more severely felt in the neighbour-
hood of the suburban branches, where the deposi-
tors were chiefly small tradesfolk, who only kept
the money in the bank until such time as they had
accumulated sufficient to pay their different trade
collectors.

At the Islington branch it was stated that nearly
the whole of the tradesmen in the district were
sufferers, as well as a number of retired shopkeep-
ers who reside in the immediate neighbourhood.
The Borough branch had a very large number of
customers, including the parochial collectors, the
parish funds, and the numerous charities in con-
nection with the borough of Southwark.
Lambeth was similarly situated, and in both in-
stances many little shopkeepers have lost all their
ready money.
At every branch large crowds of persons had
assembled early in the morning, and did not leave
till dark last evening.
At the Sheriff's Court, Rod Lion-square, on
Wednesday evening, two extents from the Crown
were executed against the Royal British Bank.
Mr. Hall, the assessor, and a jury was speedily ob-
tained, and evidence given showing that a collector
for stage carriage duties had paid about 3801. into
the bank, and an income tax collector about 5001.
The law on the subject was explained, and the
proceedings were necessary to obtain payment in
full of about 9001, the Crown being the creditors, to
take the whole amount. The preliminary steps
were taken to enforce payment. •

A meeting of persons interested in the London and
Paris Bank is called for Tuesday next at the London
Tavern.

THE DONCASTER Cur.--The piece of plate, valued a
300 guineas, which is the principal prize at Doncaster
Races, consists of a statuette equestrian figura of the
Emperor Louis Napoleon, manufactured in silver by Mr.
Hancock, of Bruton-street, after a model executed by
Mr. M`Carthy and M. Frcret—the horse by the first
named artist, and the Emperor by the last. This group
was suggested by the authorities of the racecourse as a
compliment to bis Imperial Majesty. On one side of
the pedestal on which the statuettes stand is a bas-relief
representing the meeting of Queen Victoria with the
Emperor, and on the other sides are the arms of Eng-
land and France, and the name and date of the race,
4c. The wotkrnanship is very elaborate. _