The Sun.
London, England, 1858-08-12 00:00:00

I!rEST INTELLIGENCE.

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BREST, THURSDAY, 11.30 A.M.

Their Majesties have just started for Quimper.
An immense crowd followed the Imperial cortege

with enthusiastic shouts.
All the officers of the fleet and of the garrison
assembled to salute their Lljesties' departure.
A thousand Bretons on horseback and in their
national costume are accompanying. the Imperial

cortex e.

The weather is superb.

THE CONFERENCE 0 F PARIS.

PARIS, AUG. 11.

To-morrow there will again be a sitting of the
Conference. It is thought that another will take
place on Saturday, and that the signatures will be
filially affixed to the proceedings on Monday.

DEPARTURE OF THE EMPEROR
AND EMPRESS FOR BREST.

ON BOARD THE ARCOLE,

MONDAY MORNING.

Yesterday, at 5 o'clock, the Bretagne, bearing at
her masthead the broad pennant of his Majesty,
sailed majestically out of Cherbourg harbour.
Tne cannon of the different forts saluting the squa-
dron, and the cheers of the many persons assembled
on the yachts and small steamers in the harbour to
see the squadron leave, might still be heard when
they were almost out of sight. The weather was
splendid, and the vessels, taking up the following
order of march, steamed onward for Brest:—ln ad-
vance the Bretagne; on the right of her, and some
distance in the rear, the Eylau and the Arcolc ;
on the left, the Donawert and the Napoleon.
The small steamers were allowed to proceed
as they could, and finding that they could not
keep in the line, they took a short way through
some passes near the shore, and now, as I write,
they are coining up to join the line. We are
near our destination, Brest, and I shall con-
tinue the description of the trip as soon as we have
been landed. The ceremony will no doubt be a
magnificent one. I find that we have just been
joined by the two steamers Austerlitz and Isly, which
will give our procession a formidable appearance.
Nothing could exceed the brilliancy of the spectacle
offered by the fleet last night ; the vessels were bril-
liantly illuminated, and owing to the fine weather
were enabled to keep together. Music was heard
on several of the vessels, and the sailors
seemed determined to. let it be known that
their Emperor was beloved by them ! their re-
iterated cries of " Vive l'En3pereur !" " Vive
l'lmperatrice" testified to this beyond a doubt. The
officers were obliged to keep ordering silence. One

thing I noticed ;specially—the Emperor, accompa-
panied by the Empress, had visited this ship (the
Arcole) the day before leaving port, and the crew
had been inspected by their Majesties. The Empress
had addressed a few kind words to some of
the old sailors, and to one of the young
officers who had lost an arm in the Crimea ;
her sweet manner had won the hearts of these people,
and the most frantic shouts of " Vive l'lmp4ratrice !"
were uttered by the crew at each moment. Hearing
this shout just as I write the above, I went on deck

to ascertain the cause, and found there that this
signal was given to the fleet :—" The Empress de-
sires that all sentences and punishment be remitted in
the fleet." And, in consequence, the loudest shouts
for her longevity continue. Another signal has gone
up to the masthead of the Bretagne. It is to an-
nounce the increase of pay of the seamen—those hav-
ing served a certain length of time. We are now
drawing near to Brest, and I shall discontinue, as
the cannonading is almost deafening.

The sight presented on entering the harbour was
a glorious cne; all the shipping was decked with in-
numerable flags, and the white smoke of the cannon
filled the air, while the loud reverberations shook
the town to its centre. The appearance of Brest is

suite picturesque, and, seen at this moment, beautiful.
As the Emperor embarked on board of the splendid
gondola that was to take him on shore, the Imperial
flag was doffed, and each ship of the escort thundered
a return to the salutations of the surrounding forts.
An immense crowd was collected to see the Impe-
rial party land, and as the Emperor stepped on shore
the wildest cries greeted him. "Vive I'Empereur,"
" Vive l'lmp6ratrice," was yelled in every tone of
voice; young and old joined in the cry ; and his
Majesty has just cause to be proud of the reception
given him by the inhabitants of Brest. To-morrow
the Emperor is to visit the town, and the most stu-
pendous preparations are being made to receive him.
At the moment I write the bishops and clergy are at
the Prefecture, having an audience. The people of
Brittany are evidently determined to prove their re-
spect for their Sovereign ; and the warmth of the
present reception, compared with his former one,
marks the great inerease of the popularity of Louis
Napoleon. To add to the attractions of the great

file, the weather is beautiful ; in fact, ever since the
departure from Paris, the Imperial party has had
the same ine weather, the same clear sky, and the
same enthusiasm hasmet it on all sides. The streets
leading to the Prefecture are jammed with the popu-
lace, and the most prejudiced person cannot but see
that the feeling evinced is genuine. The old town of
Brest affords much to gratify the sight-seer, and to-
morrow I shall try to procure some informat* about
it that may be of interest to your readers. To-mor-
row night a grand ball is to be given, and their
Majesties will be present. No doubt the ceremonies
of to-morrow will be highly interesting.