The Sun.
London, England, 1860-12-15 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, SATURDAY EVENING, DECEMIVE;;;

mined to hand them over to the Prince of I, as being
civil prisoners, and that they were about to be taken
to him. They were according ly all three put into a
cart and driven some distance beyond Tung-ehau
along the great paved road leading to Pekin, but
the Prince not being at the place it was thought he
was, and their guard being unable to learn anything
as to his whereabouts, they were taken about three
miles back again, and brought before a Man-
darin of high rank, holding an important com-
mand in the army, who subjected them to a
long and wearisome examination. Parkes of
coarse, as being the only one of the three who under-
stood and spoke Chinese, was always spokesman, but
they were all, more particularly the two English-
men, once more exposed to the same brutal and
degrading treatment as they had been when before
Sang-ko-lin-sin I indeed, nothing appeared to be
left undone by this man which, in his estimation,
was likely to be considered by them most offensive
and insulting. He bullied Parkes in every possible
way, and, at last, so exhausted his patience that he
told Loch he must feign faintness in order to avoid
further questioning and ill-treatment. His ruse,
fortunately, succeeded, and they were allowed a
short respite, but not for any length of time ; they
were soon brought before him again, when his lan-
guage became so violent, and the conduct of those
who crowded about them unchecked by him so
threatening, that Parkes felt persuaded the scene
would only end by their being ordered out for exe-
cution. Whilst he was still engaged in abusing
them, a stir suddenly took place among the crowd,
some communication was made to him, and a gene-
ral panic seemed to come over him and most of his
officers, for they mounted their ponies and started
off in all haste ; the three prisoners were at the
same time hurried out into the yard by those who
remained with loud shouts and threats, and Parkes
told Loch he feared it was all over with them, and
that he must prepare for the worst. To their great
relief, however, at this moment a cart was rapidly
driven up ; they and the Sikh were thrown into it, a
'couple of officers followed, and they went off at a trot
along the road to Pekin. According to their calcula-
tion, it must have been between 2 and 3 in the after-
noon when they started, and they did not reach Pekik.
until about sunset; they suffered much during the
journey, from the tightness of the ropes with which
their hands and feet were bound, and the awkward
and confined position in which they were compelled
to lie •, the cart also, being without springs, jolted
over the rough, road in such a manuer as at times
to cause them exquisite pain in every joint. Their
guardians appeared to enjoy their sufferings, and
occasionally, probably to afford themselves some
amusement during so long a ride, pulled their arms
backwards and upwards, as if see whether it gave
them much additional pain ; they relieved them
also of any little articles of jewellery they hap-
pened to have on them, such as studs or wrist
buttons.

711 E NAVY.

The screw steamship St. George, 90, Capt. the
Hon. Francis Egerton, from Portland, arrived yes-
terday at Plymouth. It is reported that his Royal
Highness Prince Alfred, who recently returned
from the Cape of Good Hope in the frigate Euryalus,
as midshipman, will join the St. George at Ply-
mouth, on the 10th Jan., and that previous to her
departure all the officers of his new ship will have
the honour of being presented to her Majesty the
Queen at Windsor,
A letter dated Valetta, Dec. 7, says :—" Her
Majesty's gunboat Alacrity, Commander Baird,
left pore on the 2d inst., with despatches for the
Commander-in-Chief. The Boxer, Lieut. Galliver,
and the line-of-battle ship Orion, Capt. Frere,
arrived yesterday, the former from Tripoli and
Bengazi, and the latter from Corfu. Lieut. Smith
and Lieut. Porcher, who proceeded in the Boger,
presented the firman with which they had been
furnished by the Sultan to the Turkish authorities
at Tripoli, who informed them that everything
would be done to provide for their safe conduct to
Cyrene, which place, as you are already informed,
it is the object of these gentlemen to reach for the
purpose of examining the ancient ruins there.
After landing them at Bengazi the Boxer returned
to Malta. She is, lam informed, to leave shortly
for. Marsala, on the south-west coast of Sicily, to
be stationed there during the winter, for the pro-
tection of British interests in that little colony. The
Terrible, Capt. Glasse, frigate, left Malta yesterday
for Smyrna, and the Melpomene, Capt. Ewart,
frigate, has just come in from Corfu.
" The Caesar, line-of-battle ship, is to proceed to
Corfu to-morrow. We have now in Malta har-
bour the following men-of-war :—Hibernia, receiv-
ing-ship (flag of Rear-Admiral Codrington, C. 8.),
Victor Emmanuel and Orion line-of-battle ships ;
Amphion, frigate ; and gunboats Foxhound
and Boxer, British; and Zealand, Dutch frigate,
arrived yesterday from Smyrna.
"Lieut.-Col. Laffan, Royal Engineers, lately
arrived from England, has assumed the command
of the Royal Engineers in this garrison. Captain
Steward, Royal Engineers, has left this in the Pen-
insular and Oriental Company's steamer Indus for
England, and Lieut. Decie, Royal Engineers, pro-
ceeded on the sti inst. for Corfu in the screw
steamer Prompt. Leave of absence has been granted
to Ensign Farley, 2d Battalion, 22d Regiment, from
the 3d inst. until his retirement shall take place.
" DEC. 8, 2 P.M.

" Since closing my letter yesterday two of our
men-of-war have left port—the gunboat Foxhound
and the line-of-battle ship Caesar—both for Corfu,
the former with despatches for Vice-Admiral Mar-
tin,"

The screw steamship Warrior, intended to be
iron clad, will be launched from the stocks at Mill-
wall on the 29th inst. The plates or slabs of iron,
202 in number, which will be employed on her,
weigh 960 tons, one tier of which will be affixed
before the launch takes place, and the remainder
after she has floated.

THE VOLUNtEEP ~,„,

The ceremony of distributing the prize tliedals to
the winners at the late competition of the members
of the London Rifle Volunteer Brigade at Wimble-
don will take place at the Guildhall this evening,
upon the return of the regiment from its march out
to Stoke Newington. The medals will be presented
by Lieutenant-Colonel Hicks, at 7 o'clock.
The presentation of a silver bugle, the gift of the
ladies of the neighbourhood, to the 23d Kent Rifle
VolUnteers took place last Wednesday, in the gar-
den-court of the seat of Lord De Lisle, Penhurst -
place. The bugle was presented by Lady Louisa
Wells, wife of the captain of the corps and sister of
Lord Elcho. The corps numbers 67, though only
formed from three rural parishes—Penshurst,
Leigh, and Chiddingstone ; of these 61, with their
brass band, mustered on parade.
On Wednesday afternoon the inspection of the
2d Carmarthen Company of Rifle Volunteers took
place in the presence of a largo concourse of spec-
tators. The inspecting officer was Major Roney,
the recently appointed Inspector of Volunteers for
the South %Vales district. Major Roney took the
opportunity of expressing his entire satisfaction at
the manner in which they hae performed their drill.
On Tuesday last the Rugby School Rifle Corps
paraded for the first time in their uniform. On
Thursday the corps again assembled in uniform,
and in the presence of a large number of the gentry
of the town and neighbourhood was presented with
a very handsome regulation bugle by its comman-
dant, Major Johnstone. Major Johnstone called
upon the volunteers for three cheers for our beloved
Queen, and after that for three cheers forDr Temple,
the head master, and three for the remaining masters
and the school. These having all been lustily given,
Capt. M. Davenport, senior officer, after having
received the bugle and given it into the custody of
the bugler, Mr. Hazeldine, called for three cheers
for Major Johnstone, which was heartily responded
to. The commanding officer addressed the corps at
the conclusion of the evolutions in a flattering man-
ner, expressing the satisfaction it gave him, as well
as many military gentlemen present. to see the
proficiency they hid attained, and the desire which
he felt to see them second to none in discipline and
military knowledge. Thisis the second bugle which
has lately been given to the Rugby School Corps—
the first having been presented by "An old
Rugbeian," without any ceremony of presentation.
Although the corps has only lately been supplied
with arms, the members have attained such excel-
lence in their drill that they are to be put through
the blank cartridge and aiming drill previous to the
Christmas vacation.