The Sun.
London, England, 1860-10-31 00:00:00

pRIA 31E 4D. SIDED, SD.

114.. 21,307.

ItFOLKhera that thesanelig Ohiblo y ,
es_f3elt6 alteration. It is pro-
bable io steam frigate, 14 guns, may
yet figure in tl r„eiliTstNero ..

P ÜBLLCATIONS.

Now ready.ptop.the Libraries, in 3 volB.,

" Business has not' yet (Monday, Bth, 9 a.m.)
been concluded at Norfo'ik, but I can nevertheless
give you the result of our Labours here. The Penn-
sylvania, the Columbus, the Delaware, and the
New York, wilt be recommeaed for conversion,
subjeet of course to the decision .of a critical dry
dock survey ; for it would be unwir?e, to pass rotten
ships. The Coluxubia, Raritan, and Oermantown,
frigate and corvettes, will not be reported favour-
ably of. The New York arid Delaware an° certain
to be altered.
" The 81 gum liner New Orleans, at Sackott's
Harbour, has -not yet been overhauled. She w ill
certainly be considered worthy of conversion.
" Thus ends: the list. I will recapitulate it for
you as follows .1—
" Vessels recommended for conversion :—The
Alabama, the Franklin, the Pennsylvania, the
Delaware, the New York, the North Carolina, the
Vermont, the Ohio, title Virginia, and probably the
New Orleans, or, every line-of-battle ship in the

THE VALLEY OF • A HUNDRED FIRES.
')3y the Author of

"MARGARET AND HER BRIDESMAIDS,"

" This is, in eve ry sense, a charming• novel, c imbining7 all
the talent exhibited in the author's previous popular fictions,
and many new phases of talent which will iucroase her popu-
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Hurst and Blackett, 13, Great Marlborough-street.

DR. CUMMING'S NEW WORK.
Now ready, in crown Byo., 7s. ed.,

REDEMPTI6N IIItAIrETH NIGH;
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By the Rev. Dr. CUMMING.
Also, Twelfth Thousand, in crown Byo. 7s. 6d.,
THE GREAT TRIBULATION;
or, The Things Coming on the Earth.
Richard Bentley, New Burlington-street.

This Day, Cheaper Edition, in One Volume, Crown
Octavo, 65.,
MADEMOISELLE MORI: a Tale of Modern
Rome.
London : John W. Parker and Son, West Strand.

This Day, Third Edition, Revised, 3s. 6d.,
THE SOUTHLANDERS : an Account of an
Expedition into the Interior of New Rolland.
London : John W. Parker and Son, West Strand.

service. . .
" You will observe that no frigate or corvette has
passed muster. The "cause of this is, they have not
beam enough, and 'ire, to use a. maritime phrase,
too dead' to undergo, the operations incident to
conversion. If Congress approve of commencing
the proposed change early in the ensuitig year, look
out for lively times at the Navy-yards, pQrticularly
at those of Norfolk and Boston:"

Just published, price is., new edition, by post 14 stamps,
rrHE SCIENCE OF LIFE : or, How to Live,
and What to Live For ; Explanatory of the ➢lysteries
of Man's Existence, and the various Phenomena of Life.
With Instructions for Securing Health and Strength ; and
Remarks on the Treatment of Disorders incidental to Seden-
tary Life.

(From the Times.)
The Americans are feeling the first puff of he'
hurricane which has been sweeping over the States
of Europe. They are setting their house in order,
looking to their national defences, and surveying
their Navy. The report of the proceeding is a
curious one. We publish some of its details in
another column, that it may be seen how little ad-
vantage in such matters a democratic Government
possesses over an ancient monarchy. The two
Portsmouths, though situated in different worlds,
are as like as two peas. The stories of ships kept
for years on the stocks, or launched at last only to
be kept for as many years in harbour, might have
been told from our own dockyards. Costly fabrics
left half-finished, or stopped halfway to be " con-
verted" into fabrics of another kind ; fine men-of-
war eaten up by rot, old vessels which have done'
an infinity of work without ever breaking down,
and new vessels which have broken down without
doing any work at all; vast stores of things un-
serviceable, and a considerable lack of the particular
things wanted—these are the discoveries to which
we are pretty well accustomed on this side. of the
Atlantic, and which are now recognized just as
naturally ou the other. The fact is that within
certain limits the results are unavoidable. We are•
overtaken in our work by the inventions of science,
and before we have completed a structure on the
principles last approved we find that fresh princi-
ples have superseded them.
There is one point, however, which the obser-
vant reader will not fail to notice. Not a syllable
is said in the American report about casing ships of
war in iron. It is clear that we have only imper-
fect accounts of the survey and no account whatever
of the deliberations or conclusions of the Commis-
sioners, but still wo are told so much that a funda-
mental proposition like that of substituting iron
for wood would hardly have been omitted from the
report if' it had entered into the original design.
Not a hint, however, is given to this effect. As far
as we can see, the American Naval Board is simply
desirous' of turning old sailing ships into new
steamers, and cutting down useless eighty-fours
into screw frigates. .This is all the more remark-
able from being entirely in opposition to the usual
policy of Americans. They have generally been the
first to seize upon a novelty, and eager in adopting
new principles or designs. They surprised us in the
early part of the century by building vessels of far
greater power than we had ever known before ;
they have recently launched a batch of experimen-
tal frigates, expected to be the strongest in the
world, and they put a steam-ram on the stocks long
before Adaniral Sartorius had introduced that
machine to the notice of the public. Moreover,
the scheme of casing ships in armour was un-
doubtedly brought under the cognisance of their
authorities some years ago, though it was never
approved. Whether they were dissatisfied with
their experiments, or whether they relied upon
their Dahigren guns to pierce any ship's sides, we
cannot say, but as a matter of fact they have never
taken up the new theory, nor do they appear to be
embracing it now.
We are not making these remarks in disparage-
ment of our own conclusions. These conclusions
we believe to be sound, for nobody can now doubt
that iron plates can be made to give most valu-
able, if not absolute protection to a ship's side.
That our authorities have been wise in acting
on this conviction is perfectly plain, but it is
not so plain that they are going to work in the
best way. Since we first called the attention of
the public to the question three additional ships
of the new class have been either laid down or
bespoken, but they are all upon one model ; whereas
it seems very doubtful whether the model is the
best, and more than doubtful whether we have
taken the right means to arrive at the truth. The
experiments of the Admiralty, appear to have been
all directed to the point which was already clear,
while they left untouched the point which was in-
volved in uncertainty. For month after month
our officials hammered away at iron plates with
heavy guns until they learnt what might have been
assumed at a much earlier period,—that, though no
armour is positively proof against all projectiles,
good iron sheathing will repel all but the luckiest
or most ponderous shot. But as regards the more
difficult problem of combining this armour with the
seagoing qualities of the vessel so protected they
do not seem to have instituted any experiments
whatever. No iron-cased ship has been so much as
floated to show how such a fabric would sail or
steam. We are willing to suppose that the end-
less trials at "target-ships" did supply certain
hints on other points besides the strength of iron-
plating, and we are aware that the new frigates in
process of construction have been altered from time
to time, in accordance, probably, with information
thus acquired. Nevertheless, we must be still
working in the dark, whereas five ships, at £350,000
each, constitute a speculation on which it would
be very advisable to throw a little light. The Ad-
miralty people seem to be now perfectly satisfied
with the Warrior. That model, as finally cor-
rected, is to be the type of our new ironsides. The
Black Prince is a sister ship, and on the lines and
from the very drawings of the Warrior are the
three other ships, one at Chatham and two.
vate yards, to be laid down. There arestil.li,nhopve-
ever, many points in dispute. The Warrior,w_refoars
instance, is a very complicated structureo
simplicity usually gives better promstirse.
It is
structure, whereas
Then her sides are thought to be toiomp
act of projec-
not merely with reference to thesed but as a point
tiles that this question is
cidijsusc ent of weight.
involving the proper
If the sides of an iron-casead frigate are sloped
eight of her guns and
inwards, the enormous
brought more to the centre
armour would. be
the motion of the vessel would be
of the fabric,
easier.
On andtthear hand, it is said that the angle
Jtohneveseo'ss model would offer no protection
adopted , but would leave the vessel to be
against the waves,
washed over like a.rock at half-tide.
We have no
.desire to dogmatise on a subject so
uncertain. It is a case in. which we must feel our
way ; but, as the stake is important and the in-
should like to
vestment by no means trifling:
make sure of our steps. If a single vessel, such as
the Warrior, had been laid down directly after the
trial at Kinburnl we might by this time have had
an iron-cased frigate at sea, and we should have
ascertained from the the only safe experiment how far
the application ofiron armour could be conveniently
carried. As it is, we have no specimens of the new
fabric at present, whereas by and by we shall have
five at once, which may, no doubt, be five examples
of success, but which may possibly be five failures.
That is the only doubt we entertain. The new in-
vention, if it proves really practicable, must re-
dound to the advantage of England. It will enable
us to dev elope our inexhaustible resources of ma-
terial, arid to economise these resources of which
the supply has been found less certain. It will
throw the demand more upon iron and less upon
men. Even the money cost of our Navy will ulti-
mately 'he reduced, and it is only the " infancy" of
the new system which need inspire us with any
alarm. That phrase, however, is ominous. In the
case of steam it brought a deluge of hopeless and
apparently endless extravagance, and, unless.
take timely precautions, it may do the same arl
the
case of iron.

i. GREAT MARLBOROUGH-STRE
PANTHEON. ET, W., NEAR
THE
DR. CULVERWELL, Member of the Royal
College of Surgeons, Licentiate of Midwifery, and Apo-
ibeeariss' Hall, London, can be consulted daily (only) as
above, on all cases of Nervous Debility, Languor, Incapacity,
Loss of Memory, Sterility, and all Functional Derangements
of both Sexes, emanating from early and excessive indul-
gences

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HEALTH, HAPPINESS, and LONGEVITY;
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Times.

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(From a Correspondent of the Times.)
FLORENCE,
I wrote you but a short note from F
acknowledge your letters, whin reached
I had posted mine from Verona, rend now I ,
you many expefiences relative to, Austrian .
which could not be written on the other side of the
Po, as you are well aware that the Ametrian police is
much given to open and inspect letters'. The next
ten days will be days of intense anxiety for the
fate of this newly reviving country, since, judging
from all appearances, the Austrians have every in-
tention to cross the frontier and attack the Sarin-
nian territory ; at aty rate, they are making all the
raiF-
through necessary preparations for such a move. The
road through the Friuli to Venice was almost ens
tirely appropriated to the carriage of troops and
military stores, one train a day only, ani that pre-
carious, being allotted to public traffic ; and we
r
found the other railway, on the Verona side, occu-
pied in the same manner. Enormous waggons full
of ammunition, &c., encumbered the stations and
thundered
And streets. et s.
were .Fresh
dispersed
a b
o uo
tf
troops poured into the towns by night—tramp,
tramp along for thes ,ho u
the country. Every village and farmhouse in the "
,remotest corners swarm with them. New fortifica-
tions have risen on the
Lido and in the lagunes
around Venice ;- the -Lido, indeed, is completely.
mee4amorphosed, and turned • into a vast fortress.
As for the country itself it is b • ecoming a desert ;
towaras the frontier especially the aspect
is most
strange. A young man is scarcely to be seen
they all emigrate to the other side; and, in order
to check thiis exodus, their tyrants have invented .
within these last two months a new tax ; they
exact 2,0009. from the commune from which any '
young man is raitVing, but in the ruined state of
society they are not likely to get much by this last
specimen of insane oppression.
They act as if they were inspired by the demon of
extermination, crushing and trampling out every
germ ,of possible prosperity. Directly a man is
known to be a clever workman, like the artificer I
mentioned in my last, he is watched and persecuted •
and bullied in every act of his life ; thus success-
kul trade is impossible. The landlord-of the
at V—, told us he was fined 5 florins a-day direct
on.. the proceeds of his inn. The spirits of the
people rise and fall as they think the prospect of
join bag their liberated brethren is near or remote.
Hope has buoyed them up during the summer, but
lately their chances have looked very black. They
say it is impossible things can continue as they
are, but Austria will not relinquish her diminished
Italian possessions without a fierce struggle, even
if she does not attempt to recover what she has lost.
The Austrian Tyrol is growing more and more dis-
affected, and the Hungarian soldiers are a constant
source of perplexity. During our sojourn at Venice
there was great alarm in „high quarters in conse-
quence :of all the guns at; ,the Lido being found
spiked one morning, by some ,Hungarian regiment
it ;was teadd,, and desertions are, frequent. We met
outside Padua two fine young men, who had been
caught in the act, on their way to be shot ; they
looked-proud and sullen, but not a bit cast down or
ashamed. At Verona we used to be very much
amused at the table d'hote, which was like a mess
composed entirely of Austrian officers, very eristo-
crafic-looking men, tall, and some of them hand-
same.. The siege of Ancona was a frequent topic
at talii.e they seemed to have a great idea of the
Sardinia.
n fleet and of the Admiral, Persano, who
stands high in their estimation. If they can only
get up an egicient fleet in time, the Italians may
yet be able to cope with the double-headed eagle,
but every mometi.t is of consequence.
We travelled in it wretched diligence from Padua
to the Po, through squalor and misery ; the change
across the water is 'magical ; a well-appointed
vehicle was in waiting- for the _passengers, end
never was any scene so completely metamorphosed
as Ferrara, which of course you remember as the
dullest and • stillest of towns--5 city of the dead.
Now it is full of life and bustle, bidding fair to
become, as it was in old days, out' of the richest of
Italy's rich trading marts. Mr. L-- having sundry
acquaintances, we stayed there a day and heard all
the news. Directly the stifling Wks on trade
were repealed an enormous traffic instaOly sprang
up in the staple produce of the surrounding marsh—
hemp. Their country, the Ferrarese say, with im-
' proved modern agriculture, is capable of growing
any amount of this necessary article, and their visions
of future wealth are golden—" When we have Padua
and Venice," they say. Meanwhile, there are no
more prisoners in the former crowded gaols ;
more beggars in the former grass-grown streets, of
which they used to be the only occupants. All are
contented and thriving, and they are well pleased to
send their sons to the wars. They say it is better
than keeping them at home to starve, as they used.
" We will die sooner than return to the old
yoke," is the universal sentiment. At Bologna we
heard somewhat of the shadows as well as the
lights of the new regime; there must be dark as
well as light in all pictures of life. Great sacrifices
have had to be encountered for the patriotic cause
in fortifying the city, and many other ways.
The beautiful villa you have heard me describe
of our friends the Gozzadinis, at the summit of one
of the hills overlooking Bologna and the plain to
the Adriatic, has been taken, with many others, to
form a series of fortifications which they have been
busily throwing up the past year. The Marchese
Gozzadini had spent his life in embellishing this
place ; he had planted rare trees, which were grow-
ing to perfection ; his house, his garden, his trees,
his park, are all 'evened or cut down. Altering
the laws is also a great stambling-blocie and cause
of offence. Nevertheless, the tide of vigorous life
and will
and energy is evident equally •
at Bologna,
We
bear down all obstacles to Attu& Pres..tiltiLii
and
remained there over Saturday to tece mar
attending the
other deputies, just returned frony
Parliament at Turin. are gone down to
Almost all the available troop
s are defended by
the South. These northern town
They have only pne
the National Guard alone.
watch the Austrians on the ails
corps d'armse to
ofitheMincio; their fortiflcatiom
are not completed;,
their fleet, that is to say the Neapolitan portion of
it, is in disorder. The fate of Italy depends on the
Oaot of a die—on the will of Louis Napoleon. If
the Italians can escape the present adverse conjunc-
ture of affairs, a glorious future will be open for
them. Nothing can exceed the prospect of material.
prosperity liberty has brought them, but they want
railways, before all things, to connect the dissevered
States. Of course, the necessity
of applying all
their resources of men and money to war PlaW43s
prevents their carrying on the lines '
with energy.
They are working at them, however, owever as fast as their
means permit. The line between Bologna an&
Florence is greatly
transit of the
Apennine.
The weather
is magnificent—quite hot still. The
summer in these parts has been remarkable warm,
and the vintage first rate ; the vine disease has dis-
appeared, and the wine made is unusually rich ; the
common people think much of this, and consider it
a good omen. At Ferrara I was told by Professor
Benzoni that records exist in the archives of a simi-
lar visitation 150 years ago, when the malattic4
lasted 10 years. This has only lasted seven. Among
the sights and sounds of free Italy are newspsPero
cried about the streets, two bajocchi the sheet, verY
well written and moderate, generally containing
long extracts from English papers on their cma
affairs, and often the leading articles from the

____ ---
A SEAMAN DEVOURED TIT A STIARK.—WhiIe the
barque Jessie, from Quebec and Fernando Po, was lying at
the latter port, a seaman, named l'irilliam Looney, a native
of County Cork, went on shore for a few hours. Having
jay about three ships' lengtniiumehnysftpranloiet: titer
missed the return boat he stript off his jacket and waist-
coat, tied them up in his handkerchief, which he carried
in his mouth, and plunged into the sea, intending to swim
from then
to the ship, which
shore. He had been in the water but a few minutes before
a large shark seen apPrioa.clii,ng. A cry was raised by
boardftrohomsteha:taewnfidonfatewh, a;hdaewwvitto4bedl:enhvintef.etolloLwioscape
the boat and made every effort to extricate their companion
was, however, all in vain ; the shark overtook
niswo'nuustewr, hilicfhe'dsrterwainneinarger and nearer eve--
hausted seaman, and those on deck were horror-stricken
seeing a companion swallowed by this monster at
The shrieks of the poor fellow when of the deep.
, within a few yards were heartrendine seetTg his assailant
-I—vambrian, the et:
la
el tlxi