The Sun.
London, England, 1860-10-19 00:00:00

FRENCH GUNBOATS.

Louis Napoleon is a ruler who gives his personal atten-
tion to all that relates to the improvement of the ports of
France, the internal means of communication, the drainage
of land, the embankment of rivers and canals, the beautify..
ing of Paris and cther towns, and the adoption of any
weapon to increase the efficiency of his land and sea forces.
Above all, he has paid particular attention to the build of
gunboats. The iron plates with which his vessels of war
are plated, it is said—and we believe with some degree of
probability—are not so brittle as the iron employed for the
same purpose in England. It was proved some years ago,
by experiments at Woolwich, that on a solid shot striking
iron plates, the latter fly into showers of grape that would
deal death on or between decks of an iron-built ship. It
was this discovery that led to the condemnation of iron
frigates ; but if metal can be made so as to break without
splintering on contact with cannon shot, then iron will be
far superior to wood for the construction of ships of war.
This, we hear, is what Louis Napeleon is aiming at. He
is trying to produce iron-plated gunboats with metal capa-
ble of resistinr‘; light ordnance, and which does not fly into
small partiAes when struck. That he will succeed to a •
feat extant in this experiment we can easily understand,
,f Qte perfection arrived at in England in the manipula-
tiont'of iron. Our only surprise is that such efforts should
no have originated on this sido of the Channel instead of
Vac other.

The French gunboats, fitted in pieces so as to put toge-
ther, and which were intended for operations up the rivers
and on the lakes of Italy, were little hornets in their way ;
and as we may sorno day be engaged in warfare, and op-
portunities for the fighting
of gunboats may present them-
selves, it would be no loss if our Government were to take a
French lesson in this respect, as our Admiralty is imper-
vious to teaching from English tutors. Wo possess, itmust
be conceded, an abundance of steam gain vessels, but whe-
ther we have gunboats is another question. Such gun ves-
sels as we have are splendid models of their sort, and they
are valuable for some services; but, if they can be' knocked
to atoms or sunk by the unskilled firing of Tartars, as lately
witnessed in China, it is clear that a well-manned four-gun
battery would smash a fleet of them. What the nation
wants, and what is urgently required, is a fleet of small
gunboats, so constructed as to stand a good hammering.
The Emperor of the French has had his eyes opened to
this want, and Louis Napoleon was present to witness
the experiments on a gunboat in the River Seine, at
Paris. This boat was constructed on, the report states,
a new principle for landing troops. The Emperor wit-
nessed the trial from the bridge at St. Cloud, and set
apart a whole day for the purpose. This gunboat can
carry 180 men, with arms and baggage, a 4-pounder rifled
field-piece, its ammunition, waggon, and horses. A boat
of this sort would be invaluable in penetrating, by river or
creek, into an enemy's rear. The Indian revolt gave many
chances of using such boats, but those whom we entrust
with our naval destinies seem too much occupied with the
routine of official duties to study such naval system of stra-
tegical operations. However, it is, or ought to be, the
interest of some one to look into these affairs; and, as there
is evident remissness in high quarters, we venture to draw
the attention of the public to this momentous point.
On investigation of many new inventions, it will be found
that though they have been brought out in France, they
have been initiated here, and this is the case with these small
iron gun boats. In 1846 Mr. T. Moore designed a gun
boat, which, we are told, he submitted to the late Oliver
Lang, master builder of her Majesty's dockyard, Woolwich.
Having gained this practical man's approval of his plans,
he, in September, 1846, now 14 years ago, submitted the
drawings to the Lords of the Admiralty. Mr. Moore, it
appears, strove to accomplish three essential things : —l.
To turn out a boat with light draught of water. 2. To
model her so that shots would glance from her sides. 3.
To make her available for landing troops. He set to work,
it would seem, somewhat in this manner. The hull he
designed of an oval form, partaking somewhat of the
Dutch galiot, se that she should not present any perpendi-
cular sides as a target. He intended to line her sides with
21-inch iron. Instead of one screw at the stern, he intended
to have one screw under the fore rim of each quarter, the
blades in passing upwards to enter a kind of covered well, so
as to be out of reach of cannon shot, and to be as free as pos-
sible from fouling by gear. The screws were to be driven
by direct' action from the cross shaft of the engine. On the
upper deck the centre section was to be a fixture, and to
carry a pivot gun. The fore and after part of the deck was
to be doubled, so as to be taken up to be used as a gun raft,
or for the disembarkation of troops or horses. The oval or
convex sides of the ship gave a concave space in the inside,
which he proposed to fill with air cases, for service with the
raft, or to give a landing stage for marines or soldiers. The
experience gained during the last 14 years may have pre-
sented fresh ideas to the inventor, but it seems singular that
the French, in 1860, should be approaching the ideas pro-
pounded by this gentleman in 1846. The difference between
the British and French Governments in these matters would
seem to consist in action and non-action. The former allows
a really useful scheme to be shelved, and when emergency
arises, runs up a lot of wooden-built vessels, which rot or
decay from the haste in which they are pat together, anti
from unseasoned timber, discarding the advice given to try
iron; whilst we see the Emperor of the French solicitous
to possess a gunboat of the strongest material and the best
form to do battle in shoal water or to land troops. Our Ad-
miralty appear to be content to follow in the footsteps of the
French, to be mere imitators, and to set their faces against
innovations even should they improve the efficiency of her
Majesty's sea defences.—Mitchell's Steam Shipping Journal.

STATE OF THE IRON AND COAL
TRAD ES.

The usual meetings of the ironmasters have occupied
most of the attention of the trading interest of this district
since our last. The series of these assemblies terminated
at Dudley on Saturday evening, but the attendance was
small in that town, and it partook more of the character of
a formal than a business meeting—the entire business of
quarter-day, so far as the iron trade is concerned, being
now transacted in this town and at Birmingham. The
result of hose two meetings leads us to a conclusion, which
we believe will be generally admitted to be correct, that
the quarter days have been very quiet. This arose from
two circumstances—first, that the makers of the best
brands of finished iron have suffil/4:ient orders in hand to
make them indifferent about obtaining any addition to
them whilst they are so situate ; and, secondly, that
consumers, having a feeling that the price of that class of
iron may yet recede, show a reluctance to buy except to
a moderate extent. Our own opinion is that there is
not the slightest prospect of the price of marked iron going
a fraction lower; certainly the makers of it evince a
strong determination not to depart in the slightest respect
from the trade scale, and as they are not standing for orders
there appears to be the less reason why they should
inactive,
and this resolve; for inferior iron the demand is
and these circumstances combined are sufficient tloasatcwcrkt.
for the languor which characterised the meetings
blm:aetmleaatensaud
In this town on Wednesday the
broke up early ; the room at the Swan
• sed the representatives
interested in the trade. The
in-
conveniently crowded, and we
of many of the distant firms
al
asswenlas byy
dealings in the batter class of mine
business transacted was on a very moderate e only, and
was confined to a few
pigs ; in other respects the assembly was conversational
Thursday, the ra-
ther than otherwise. At Birmingham on Th
at-
tendance was large, the various sections of the trade in this
district, in North Staffordshire, Derbyshire, and Wales
being well represented. The tone was more cheerful than
in this town; the firmness with which the makers of the
best qualities of iron adhered to prices had the effect of in-
ducing consumers to buy more freely, and although there
was not the slightest appearance of animation, we believe
that a larger amount of business was done than might have
been inferred from some of the reports current in the Hall.
Sales were also made of inferior iron, but, as was stated, at
prices oven wider from the regulation prices than the more
margin between best and second or third-rate qualities.
The fact is, that consumers are beginning to become sensible
of the impolicy
of using inferior iron, some occurrences of
late years having brought manufacturers into disrepute from
that cause ; hence the sluggishness of the market for that
commodity. With regard to pig-iron there can be no question
that the trade is dull, and although there were a good many
transactions at Birmingham on Thursday, in various makes,
these were insufficient to sustain the prices even of last
quarter-day, and it is quite certain that there is no inconsi-
derable portion of the pig iron now produced in the district
having been sold of late at a loss to the producer. With the
present demand and consumption of this district the mako
is too large, and it is not for the interest of this branch of
the trade itself, but for individual interests, that we should
be glad to see some of the furnaces now in blast, blown out,
or the result will be considerable loss, the consequences of
which will be experienced hereafter. The exporting firms
are doing only a moderate business in iron at this moment,
to which the quietude which pervades the district at least
may be also to some extent attributed. These drawbacks
taken into account, the meetings last week passed off as sa-
tisfactorily as could be expected. In some quartersha ive hear
reports that the trade is bad. We cannot go to length,t
but rather incline to the belief that there are tvindicationsedelepbeia
a slight re-action, which will be more fullyde
west of dfore the end of this quarter. The coal
Dud-
ley is becoming daily more animated,
maintained. There is no doubt that td prices are firmly
r 4
highern rates might be
prejudicially on the
exacted, but this would operate
vevrrYould make the colliers
manufacture of iron, and,
doubtless demand a higher rate
prices are advancing for
a great bareness of stocks, and
home consumption. Therteha
demand can be met for the ye-
voferwyaugnese.asyOn as
theth e eye swt would
Ddi further,ond doubl
it is with some dirliculty
to the requirements for household
rious works in
The ddei adroti°n
and for good qualities of ironstone of
purposes' ntinues brisk. The prices range from 15s.
rice of Cannock.Chase coal has been
native produce coh
T e P The labour market
ie. per ton.
to 17s. Continues in a
advanced trade
tory state. The general of the district has
satisfactory
material change since our last report; b •
undergone no
ness
is undoubtedly quiet ; is seldom that it is otherwise
per ton.
at this season, and the weather tends to depress the country
trade. At Birmingham the fancy trades are reported slack,
but at present it is at a few of the manufactories only that
the artisans are upon short time,—Wykcrliamptcon Chro-
,nick,

TILE 717 I? IN ITALY.

Itary officers here that a long and sanguinary
struggle must ensue before we march into Capua.
4.
A letter dated 1' laples, Oct. 5, says :—" Half a The English battalion, of which we have heard
so much of late, and many of whose officers have
mile from St. An tela, on the road to Capua, which
long since arrived, is still expected at Naples.
is flanked on b( ith Wks by a thick wood, and again
on the right I- )y the Volturno, a battery of two guns Mr. William llale, whose name is well known
(12. pounder ,) had been constructed on the night of in England in connexion with the manufacture of
Sept. 3A, I',y the 3d battalion of the brigade belong- rockets, arrived here a few days sv4e, and after
having exhibited to General Garibaldi a few speci-
ing to Brigadier Dunn, who had arrived with his •
colunm from Messina two days previously. This
mens which he had brought out with him, received
was, therefore., the extreme outpost of Garibaldi's an order for 5,000. Mr. Hale undertakes to com-
mend the battery in person, and returns to England
army. The guns which had been brought up the
mountain in. rear of St. Angelo opened fire on the to-day to bring out his materials immediately.
Neapolitans, who replied vigorously with shot and Numbers of English travellers and amateurs visit
shell, and the Zouaves of D unn's brigade, under Major daily our advanced posts, and clamber up to the
Wyndhe.m, were then extended along the banks of top of the mountain which separates San Angelo
the river to annoy the enemy's artillerymen, and from Chiazzo. Garibaldi's officers treat your
again reinforced by another battalien from the countrymen with great urbanity, and seldom refuse
same brigade. From the right and left of the bat- them a pass to the front. The Neapolitans, too,
tery, on the road to Capua, the battalions protected salute them, and even ',their rifle balls and shell
the front, and thus only left one in reserve at the seem friendly—falling innocuously around.
battery. At half-past four o'clock the Neapolitans The Dictator has issued a decree for a special
marched out and attacked the whole of the line, medal to be distributed to Brigadier-General Dunn's
concentrating most of their strength on St. Angelo, brigade, for its distinguished services in the engage-
and attacking the outposts in force. For five hours ment of the Ist. General Dunn has sin.3e his land-
Dunn and his brigade resisted their continued ing in Sicily merited the thanks of the Italians
efforts, sending in vain for support which was not and the friendship of Garibaldi, by whom he is
at hand, retiring from tree to tree, and again charg-
esteemed as one of his most valuable officers. The
ing forward with the bayonet, now and then the
total loss of his brigade on the Ist inst. consisted of
guns from the battery ploughing through the enemy 807 men killed and wounded, of whom 32 were
as they endeavoured to concentrate. About 11 officers. Dunn himself received a ball in the thigh,
o'clock the battle was most sanguinary, continued but is progressing favourably enough to be able to
resume his post within a few days. Col. Wyndham
fresh troops from Capua poured down shot, shell,
and grape, and heavy platoon firing had covered has in his absence assumed the command of the
the ground with dead and wounded. Dunn's aide- brigade.
de-camp was killed, three majors wounded, and then I regret to have to state that a person calling
the major of the Ist battalion fell dead. The colo_ himself an Englishman, and who has been con-
nel of artillery was shot through the head, the netted with certain subscriptions sent from Scot-
enemy having filled the wood with their Swiss land, has been arrested here by Garibaldi's orders
rifles, picking off the officers on all sides: Dunn on a charge of embezzlement.
was then forming up hi% men to retire into the bat-
tery, when a shot struck him in the side and he
fell. The enemy now attacked on all sides, and
rushed into the battery, shot and killed all there,l
and burnt the wounded. The chaplain, administer-
ing the last sacrament to a dying man, had his eyes
cut out and was then stabbed. Dunn had been
luckily carried away by his men to the rear.
At this moment Garibaldi arrived with fresh
troops, and the battery was again retaken. It was
a (.;omplete victory all along the line, and the
enemy retired with great loss. Dunn's little brigade
alone lost 900 killed and wounded, with 32 officers.
I send you this as I was at St. Angelo, and you
will doubtless have other particulars of the other
part of the fight.

(From the special Correspondent of the Times.)
SANTA MARIA, OCT. 8.

I have no stirring military events for you ; every-
thing has been as quiet as possible under the circum-
stances—that is, with two armies one in front of
the other at musket shot range. We have batteries
at St. Angelo, and they have batteries on the oppo-
site aide of the river. They have their outposts
along the river, and so have we. Thus occasional
musket and cannon shot are difficult to avoid, espe-
cially as there is a decided tendency on both sides to
waste ammunition.

Another letter written from the outposts of the
Italian army, dated San Angelo di Capua, Oct. 13,
says :—The concentration of Garibaldi's troops
around Capua has assumed within the past week a
more decided aspect. The division commanded by
General Bixio, which up to the affair of the Ist had
been quartered at Caserta and Maddaloni, has
marched up to Santa Maria, partly to replace Gen.
Eber's brigade, which had been ordered to sur-
round Ponticello, and partly to strengthen our posi-
tion at Santa Maria. Gen. Medici has taken up
quarters in a farmhouse near to the village of San
Angelo, where Col.:Spangaro has been in command
of the extreme outpost in an east ward direction
during the past month. Two batteries, composed of
two 32-pounders each, are placed on the crest of the
mountain separating San Angelo from the Royalists.
On the right bank of the Volturno the latter have
a battery well mounted with about 10 guns, while
on a hillock about a quarter of a mile distant from
the river a farmhouse has been turned into a re•
doubt, mounted with six guns well manned, Both
these batteries command San Angelo, and were it
not for the rising ground which intervenes they no
dou'ot would effect considerable damage among the
va.st number of men bivouacking around the base of
the hill. The Bavarians, however, have proved
themselves good marksmen, all their firing in the
battles of the 19th September and of the Ist inst.
having been made with great accuracy. From the
batteries I have just mentioned as being situated on
the right bank of the Volturno, about two miles
eastward of Capua, they have already obtained a
pretty accurate range of the village beneath, and
while I write shot and shell are whizzing around
with a precision that does honour to their artillery.
Every day from sunrise within the past week we
have had a constant salute, and I am happy to say
with a loss comparatively small on our side. On the
morning of the Bth, about daybreak, we were sud-
denly awoke by a crash through the wall of the
house where we were sleeping. Col. Bourdon, who
is in command of a battery, jumped up and was for-
tunate enough to escape unscathed. The shell burst,
how.ever, after it had penetrated through the wall
and killed a French officer, who was still aselep, and
wounded severely two others. On our side the injury
did not long remain unrequited, the sentinels on our
advanced posts opening fire on the enemy's lines in
the direction of Ponticello. The royalists, who had
made trenches during' he preceding night, whither
they had carried down four pieces of cannon, re.
plied briskly, when General Milwitz sent down two
battalions, under the command of Major Folliero,
who gallantly attacked the enemy, and after about
an hour's resistance dispersed them, capturing their
four pieces of artillery, and making a good number
of prisoners.

Four days ago Garibaldi had decided to make a
movement across the river with our right flank,
and, indeed, all was prepared for such a move, which
was to be made by the forces of General Bixio, but
the equinoctial gale the next morning put an end
to it, and it has not been renewed since.

The day before yesterday a Neapolitan colonel,
and soon after him two majors and a captain, made
their appearance at the outposts. They had been
dismissed from the service, according to their own
account, because they had behaved humanely to-
wards our prisoners and wounded, but probably in
reality because they had not quite behaved in the
fight of the Ist as they ought to have done. Ac-
cording to their account the confusion and demo-
ralization on the other side are very great, and
much dissatisfaction reigns both among officers and
men. Of the former they said 36 had given in
their resignation in one day, while the latter had
shaken off all bonds of discipline. All seem to be
kept in the darkest ignorance about what is pass-
ing around them, and the greatest part of the army
is still labouring under the impression that Lamo-
riciere is coming with his Austrian mercenaries to
take the command of the united armies, while the
Austrians are to disembark and co-operate from
Naples. They would scarcely believe it when they
were told that all was over with Lamoriciere, and
that the Piednaontese troops had crossed the fron-
tier in the north. The officers were sent up to
Naples under an escort, as had been done with those
who came before.

For several days negotiations have been going
on with'General Salzano, our friend from Palermo,
for the exchange of prisoners. It was, above all,
Major Catabene who was taken at Cajazzo, who
was the object of these negociations. Our firstpar-
lementaire was not received, instructions being
wanting in this respect; but next day another was
sent, and the Neapolitans expressed their readiness

to exchange him; they at the same time asked that

the water conduit which had been cut at St. Angelo,
and which is the only one supplying Capua with
good water, should be restored. As they have the
river all around Capua, which cannot be turned off,
they can never be without water, so it was only
aggravating the position of the sick and wounded
to withhold the better water, and orders were given
to the engineer of the waterworks at Santa Maria
to see the thing repaired.
Yesterday the exchange of Major Catabene took
place against one of the lieutenant-colonels taken
the other day at Caserta. His name is Nicoleni.

Catabene, who is wounded in the arm and on the
leg, but is going on well, came in a carriage, accom-
panied by two Neapolitan officers, to our outposts
at Santa Maria. While the letter of Gen. Salzano
was brought in, and the other necessary formalities
gone through, our officers at the outposts gave to
the escort of Catabene the latest news to take back
to Capua, where it will not fail to produce the de-
sired impression. Indeed, from what Major Cata-
bene says, there is a light dawning upon the Nea-
politan army, owing above all to the Ist of October.
When the troops were beaten back they retutned,
clamouring that they had been deceived, and there
was a considerable irritation against Gen. Salza no,
who had remained in the fortress all day long
without showing before his soldiers.
According to the Major's account the wounded
officers are treated well, but the treatment of the
men leaves much to be desired. This is probably
owing to the great number of their wounded whom
the Neapolitans have, amounting to more than 1,000.
It was likewise through Major Catabene that we
had the first news of Count Arrivabene, the corre-
spondent of several English and French papers,
about whose fate his friends were in great anxiety,
He had been last seen going out from St. Angelo;
according to others, from Santa Maria, and had no
more been heard of. As he was in plain clothes, he
would have been found among those left on the
battle-field. The supposition therefore was that he
had been taken prisoner—a supposition which has
turned out true. He is slightly wounded in the leg.
The thing has been reported to Garibaldi, who, no
doubt, will make the necessary dispositions to have
Um exchanged against some one of the many officers
we have.

The organisation of the army is still very defec-
tive, and notwithstanding the unflagging exertions
of the Dictator it is daily becoming more and more
apparent that the Piedmontese troops must step
in and give a helping hand with the siege of Capua.
Disease and fever have already produced a disas-
trous effect upon many brave fellows, who after the
campaign in Sicily and that long and tiresome
march through Calabria might have expected she:-
ter from the inclemency of the season. Few of
those who are compelled to bivouac in that vast
-plain which separates Santa Maria from Capua are
provided with tents, and now that winter has
already set in with an unusual severity the number
of patients in the hospitals must, it is to be feared,
greatly increase. What a contrast they present
with the hale, ruddy faces of a regiment of Pied-
raontese Bersaglieri, who have come down to en
camp at Caserta. The Sardinians are well provided
with canvass, have an excellent commissariat, and,
above all; are an admirably disciplined and fresh
b°43' of troops, more capable of enduring the
rigidity of the season than the heroes of the Sici-
lian
ca'utuaign. Orders have been given for about
5,000 sudi
mans, who have arrived in Naples
Rhin the
and while iPttlt few days, to join.lts in the front,
mite each successive train brings up
its contingent.
The Dictator continues to visit daily our out-
posts, accompanied by General Medici and General
Cosenz, who, in the absence of
General Turr, who
has been appointed Governor-General of Naples, is
probably on the point of
resn:ing the command of
a division. Cosenz, as 7,3,
e waware, is Minister
of War, but within the past
eeic
Garibaldi has
seldom been down our lines without him
; and as
your Naples correspondent will n
you, the Dictator is anxious to name doubt inform
General Turr,
whose health continues to be inadequate to out-
post work, to that ministry. A rumour prevail
throughout the camp that Victor Emraaneeiha-d--
after stopping a few hours at Grottamare, advaleed,
in the direction of the frontiers, and that after his
entry into Naples on the 23d he will assume the
command of the entire army before Capua, in

In spite of the general discouragement which all
those who come from the other side admit, there is
still a rumour of another attack which the Neapoli-
tans are said to meditate against our line. At first
it was to have been to-day, now it is again predicted
for to-morrow. In the meantime these rumours do
not disturb Garibaldi in his plans for crossing the
river in force. The batteries at St. Angelo are being
placed, and the means for passing arc ready and
may be adopted any night he chooses to think fit.
But really every drop of blood which may flow
henceforth in this straggle is almost a crime, for it
is a hopeless cause that of the Neapolitans. A few
days more and the-Piedmontese army will be here.
There is offi.;:tal news of the avante garde having
crossed the frontier ; but even before this arrives a
Piedraontese division is expected by sea from An-
cona, and the general impression is that King Vic-
tor Emmanuel will be with it. You know that by
an order of the day of 'the 4th he has placed him-
self at the head of his army. The deputations of
the northern provinces have
gone to meet him at
Ancona, inviting him to come. Another deputation,
composed of representatives of Naples and of the
more southern provinces, has likewise started.
They asked for Garibaldi's consent, which was given
readily. At Naples the preparations for the King's
reception are made for Thursday, whilei the Pied-
; montese division, which is
be
to Drought by the
fleet, under the command of Persano, is to arrive
the day before.

g person.
I believe also there is no great probability of any
regular attack on our part immediately, the Dic-
tator being still unwilling or unable, from a want
of proper artillery, to cope with the well-mounted
bastions of the enemy. Otir two best, and I might
say only batteries, are those of San Angelo, one of
which is commanded by a brave countryman of
yours, Colonel Dowling, and in truth these batte-
ries serve to cut off a retreat from Capua or Chiazzo
rather than to dislodge the enemy. To demolish
Vauban's fortifications in the Castel Nuovo will
rtqnire not merely the dash and intrepidity of
_ui baldi's followers, but the military genius of a
well-trained corps of engineers. This fact the
146 Ve well aware of, and though it is said
that they ate
offers of • completely disheartened, and that
capitulation are being made to the Dic-
tator, no doubt is.e
n
tertained by the various mill-

This morning Garibaldi reviewed at
- Caserta
Division Bixio, which, as you will remember, kept
the positions of Maddaloni on the Ist of October,
and drove back the columns which the enemy had
brought over against that point. In spite of the
general success of the action, there were several
cases there, as on some other points of the battle-