The Sun.
London, England, 1860-08-25 00:00:00

THE CHANNEL FLEET AT MILFORD.

MILFORD HAVEN, FRIDAY.

This magnificent harbour, which for many months
past has been all but deserted, is now a scene of
intense activity and animation, owing to the
arrival of the Channel Fleet. The capacities of
Milford Haven to shelter even the whole of the
royal navy, if occasion required, have long been
known and admitted, but by some unaccountable
mismanagement no attempts have been made to
apply it to the purposes for which it is so
admirably adapted. The arrival of the Channel
Fleet, and. the Great Eastern, which is expected
here, on Sunday, will, it is hoped, tend to
direct sume increased share of public attention
to the noble Haven. Between nine and ten
o'clock on Friday, the leading ship of the squadron
was signalled from St. Anne's point, and shortly
after the whole of this splendid fleet of 11 line-of-
battle ships entered the harbour with the most per-
fect ease. The ships in the squadron are—The
Royal Albert, 121 guns, carrying the flag—blue at
the fore—of Vice-Admiral Sir Charles Fremantle.
Captain of the Fleet, Rear-Admiral Elliott; Captain
of the Royal Albert, Captain H. E, Lacon ; the
Aboukir, 90 guns, Captain Douglas Curry; the
Centurion, 80 guns, Captain Henry Downey Rogers;
the Conqueror, 101 guns, Captain Edward Southby;
the Edgar, 91 guns, flag-ship of Rear-Admiral
Erskine; the Trafalgar, 90 guns, Captain Edward.
Fanshawe ; the Algiers, 91 guns, Captain G. O'Cal-
laghan ; the Mersey, 40 guns, Captain H. Caldwell;
Mars, 80 guns, Captain Strange; the Diadem, 32
guns, Capt. Cockburn ; the Donegal, 101 guns, Capt.
Broadhead; the Geyser, 6 guns, Commander G. Jack-
son. During the previous night the wind had been
blowing great guns from nearly south-west, and it
was confidently affirmed by many who were thought
to be competent authorities, that the fleet would
not vulture out in a half-gale. They forgot that
this is the same fleet which so gallantly weathered
the terrible hurricane of October last; and all
sceptiCism was destroyed by seeing the squadron
enter the haven in a half-gale • another proof—if
another proof is wanting—of the unequalled safety
and value of our unrivalled harbour. When the
fleet came to anchor off Milford, between eleven
and twelve o'clock, it was dead low water—and
dead low water, too, of the highest spring—and
yet eleven line-of-battle ships found ample space
and room enough to moor in safety, while scores
of smaller craft were dotting the haven on every
side of them. And not only found ample room
enough, but actually seemed to occupy but
a very small space in the spacious waters of this
noble harbour. The whole of Friday, Saturday,
and Sunday the gale continued with unabated
fury, and communication with the shore was a
matter of some difficulty. The ships are anchored
at a respectful distance from the dockyard at Pem-
broke, as it is not permitted for men-of-war with
their powder on board to approach within a certain
distance. The provision contractors are, as might
be expected, unusually busy, and a score of beasts
or more are daily slaughtered for the services of the
crews. Intense interest was shown on the an-
nouncement of the approach of the squadron in the
towns of Milford and Hakin. It was 10 o'clock
when the headmost vessel appeared, which was the
Royal Albert, with the flag of Admiral Fremantle.
Another and another quickly followed in the Ad-
miral's wake, until at length eleven gallant ships
were seen bravely steaming up the waters of the
noble Haven. As they neared Milford it was dis-
tinctly seen, without the aid of glasses, that the
three-decker in the van bore the flag of Vice-Admiral
Fremantle, and that the fifth ship in the line dis-
played a Rear-Admiral's flag at the mizen. About
11 o'clock the Royal Albert having arrived just off
the Milford Pier, came to moorings, and was fol-
lowed in rapid succession by nine of the fleet, and
all anchored in close order of battle. The eleventh.
and last ship in the line—the Donegal—was sig-
nalled to by the Admiral, and instead of anchor-
ing below the Point, she steamed up the
Haven, passing all the other ships until, hav-
ing rounded the stern of the Royal Albert,
she came to an anchor just off the pier.
Im-
mediately on the Admiral anchoring he honoured
the town of Milford with a salute of 7 guns. The
whole of the ships are open to the inspection of
visitors daily from 12 o'clock to 4, and the officers
and men in charge show every consideration and
courtesy to those who avail themselves of the pri-
vilege. It is not yet decided how long the fleet
will remain at Milford, but rumour affirms that
the ships will not leave until late in the next week.
The officers have been invited to a ball this evening
at Pembroke, and it is expected to be a magni-
ficent affair.

The arrangements for the reception of the Great
Eastern are all completed, and it is expected that
many thousands of persons will visit Milford at a
time when they will have an opportunity of seeing
this noble fleet of men-of-war, and the giant of ships.

ST. SWITHIN DEFIED.—There is now before the
Academy of Sciences at Paris "a wonderful invention" of
Mons. tielvetius Otto, of Leipsic, by which he promises to
" insure fine weather." He erects a platform at a consi-
derable height in the air, on which ho places a "propeller,"
or huge bellows, worked by steam. With these bellows,
which are " very powerful," he blows away the clouds as
they gather; and, as rain comes from the clouds, it must
necessarily follow that where the clouds are not allowed to
gather there can be no rain. He maintains that if a certain
number of his "rain propellers or "pluvifuges," as he has
named them, are placed at intervals over the city," he can
provide for the inhabitants a continuance of fine weather,
and a certain protection from sudden showers and muddy
streets, so long the terror of fair pedestrians. The
poor inhabitants of adjoining towns would be to be pitied.
What would become of them ? As for the pluvifuge pro-
prietors, their motto ought to be " Apres nous le deluge."
Victims, however, as we in England have been of late to
wet weather, still we cannot blame the Frenchman's
pluvifuges, inasmuch as France itself has been in nearly
the same predicament—at least the northern parts of it.—
Builder.
THE MURDER AT STEPNEY.--Yesterday a com-
munication was received by Capt. Labalmondiere, Assistant
Commissioner of Metropolitan Police, at Scotland-yard,
from Mr. Clive, Under-Secretary at the Home-office, inti-
mating that the Government had decided upon offering a
reward of £lOO for the discovery and apprehension of the
murderer or murderers of Mrs. Emsley, and a free pardon
to any one who may have been privy to the crime, short of
the person by whom it was actually committed. Mr. Whit-
taker and Mr. Faith, two of the relatives of the deceased
by marriage, also intimated to the authorities at the Home-
office yesterday evening their intention to offer a reward of
£2OO, in addition to that of the Government. Up to 11
o'clock last night the murderer was etill undiscovered, and
it remains to be seen what effect the offer of £3OO may have
in solving the mystery. Inspector Thornton and Sergeants
Tanner and Thomas, detective officers from Scotland-yard,
are understood to be sedulously engaged in investigating the
matter, as are also Inspec tor Kerressey and Sergeant Copping
of the local divisional police. Of operations so delicate, and
conducted with the view to the attainment of an important
end, secresy and discretion are the very essence ; so that of
necessity nothing at present transpires as to the direction
which their inquiries take or the mode in which they are
carried on. Fresh applications continue to be made by per-
sons who claim kindred with the deceased, but as yet it is
understood that no one has established his relationship by
blood, and the probability at present is that the property
she held in her own right, independent of that left her by
her husband, and which is so considerable that the value of
it has never yet been accurately ascertained, will go to the
Crown. Yesterday a letter was received from a lady in
Edinburgh describing the deceased as "a long lost parti-
cular friend" of the writer's family, and stating that she
was married to a gentleman named Tosha previous to 1815,
that her father was long a factor to the Earl of Wemyss,
and that her family was of the highest respectability. Tho
family by a former marriage of Mr. Emsley, the last hus-
band of the deceased, state that this is an entire misappre
hension ; that, on the contrary, the deceased was but twice
married, that her first husband was a Mr. Jones, and that
she herself was born and brought up in the district of Rat-
cliffe and Stepney, where she was married at a very early
age.

EDINBURGH VOLUNTEERS FOR GARIBALDI.--
Perhaps no stronger proof could be obtained of the sym-
pathy which exists everywhere in this country—and pro-
bably not least amens our own staid and undemonstrative
citizens--with the cause of civil and political liberty in
or of the wonderful fascination exerted over brave and
.ge-
nerous spirits by the great Italian patriot and soldier, than
is Edin-
burgh is to be found in the origin and formation of Italy,
burgh Company of Volunteers for Garibaldi. Only on Mon-
day last a young gentleman, a member of one 9f our Edin.
burgh rifle companies, desiring to join the regiment of vo-
lunteers at present forming in London, with the view of
proceeding as soon as possible to CiarTalai 8 camp, adver-
tised for a companion entertaining similar views. The un-
expected effect of the advertisement was to call forth such a
Coffee-house, Hunter-square,
host of responses that it soon became evident that, instead
newspapers. Day after day applicants
formed * a s 01, i taanr yd
acne
Tm announcementopneran
trance
e
ceived at Hogg'
but to distant parts of
Scotland, eagerly offered themselves; and although it was
explained to them that the pay to be obtained in Italy was
l and that merely nomina ,
_during the campaign they would
belongingwa s inserendotinonthlye to Edinburgh,
bablv have to depend to a large extent on their own
pro ,
gds b
private if
.3' yesterday evening no fewer than 65 volun-
teers had been enrolled, and it is confidently anticipated
that by the end of the week the number will have reached
100. Mr. Eirival, We believe, intends then to visit Glas-
gow, in order to give the young men of the west an oppor-
tunity of joining the corps, and it is expected that, by the
end of a fortnight, when the Scottish band of volunteers
will probably be called upon to join their brother "excur-
sionists," as they are termed in London, they will be 200
or 30Q strong. Air. Eirival opened a correspondence a day
or two ago with Captain Edward Styles, a member of
" Garibaldi's Staff. We believe that Mr. Burnett, of Ain-
slie-place, Edinburgh, has sent in a handsome subscription
to assist in defraying the expense of transit, and has pro-
mised to supply a few muskets ; and Mr. Eirival will be
happy to take charge of any further contributions.--
Scotsman.

GOVERNMENT EMIGRATION.—The Government
emigration vessel Lady M'Donald, 678 tons, Captain Brun-
nell, sailed from Plymouth on the 21st inst. for Sydney,
N.S.W., with 17 married couples, 107 single men, 96 single
women, 7 boys between the ages of 1 and 12, 15 girls be-
tween the same ages, 2 male infants and 1 female, making
a total of 262 souls, equal to 248 statute adults, under charge
of Surgeon-Superintendent W. G. Gunn, aided by the ser•-
vices of Mrs. Eliza Barker, matron.
LOLA MONTEZ.—LoIa has recovered sufficiently
from her severe attack of paralysis to be removed to Astoria.
She is as yet scarcely able to lift her hand, and there is
little or no hope of her ultimate recovery.—New York
_Herald, ;