The Sun.
London, England, 1866-12-26 00:00:00

WHITECITAPEL.

Largo supplies of meat are on sale, The trade is dull, at
drooping prices.
Per 81b. by the carcaso.
Beef 3s Od to 4s Gd I Veal
Mutton 3s 4d to 4s 10d Pork

BOROUGH HOP.
Owing to the holidays so little business is doing that
prices are nominal. .

ItiNGLAKE AND TODIABtN.—It may interest the
public; military and Civil; Who are not beyond recollecting
the War With ittiSsia of 1854-6, to know that the third
volume of General Todleben's " History of the Siega of
Sebastopol," and the third volume of Mr. Kinglake's
"History of the French and British Alliance in the
Crimea;" will appear in the CoUrse of next year, which is
furthermore to bo illustrated by the Great Exhibition at
Paris as the precursor, no doubt, of Armageddon.—Army
and Nary Gazette.

CII:RiSTMAS PRESENTS.—The great difficulty ex-
perienced in selecting suitable articles for presents
will bo entirely obviated by visiting Parkins and Lotto's
extensive show-room; where may bA seen by far the
largest stock in Europe of articles of excellent taste and
workmanship, at very moderate prices, comprising portrait
albums, writing cases, dressing cases, dressing bags, de-
spatch boxes, envolo o eases and blotting books, card trays,
work boxes, glove and trinket boxes, inkstands, desks,
stationery cabinets, purses, pocket books, pencil cases,
cigar cases, reticules, opera glasses, scent cases, smelling
bottles, electro-gilt and elegantly mounted articles. Bibles,
Prayer-books, and Church Services, in every variety of
type and binding. A new department for indoor games
of all kinds—bagatelle and billiard tables, all sizes ; musi-
cal boxes, tkc..; in fact, au endless variety of articles to
suit every taste and purpose. Parkins and GOto, 24 and
25, Olfc.rd-street, W.

The Burning of H. M. Steamer Berenice.

(From the Bombay Times.)

His Excellency the Governor's steam yacht May
Frcre, under the command of Lieut. Arnott, arrived
in Bombay Harbour on Nov. 24, from Bassadore,
with the officers and crew of the steamer Berenice,
which was burned in the Persian Gulf on Oct. 31.
By arrival of the May Frere, which made one of the
quickest passages from Kurrachee on record, we have
obtained details of the destruction of the above-
named vessel, of which until now only telegraph
intimation has been received.
It appears that the Berenice left Bushire under
the command of Lieut. Dawes on Oct. 29, for the
southern part of the Persian Gulf, having on board
Lieut.-Col. L. Pelly, the Political Resident of the
Gulf, Mr. Hojel, the Assistant Resident, a party of
the 21st Native Infantry, and the usual complement
of officers and men, amounting in all to 178 persons.
Early on the morning of Oct. 31, when the Bere-
nice was between Sheik Shaaib Island and Hinde-
rabi, smoke was observed issuing from the small
hatch in the after part of the vessel which communi-
cated with the orlop deck. The circumstance was
immediatly reported to the captain, and he at once
adopted measures to ascertain its cause. The after-
hatch was raised, and a dense volume of stifling
smoke arose through the opening, nearly choking
those who stood around, and as the orlop was seen
to be full of smoke it was thought to be useless to
attempt going below to put out the fire. Mr. King,
the third officer, however, did descend to the orlop
to try to ascertain the position and extent of the
fire, but was pulled out nearly stifled. He reported
that he saw no flames, but thought that two ilin.
coir hawsers, which were coiled away on the star-
board side of the orlop, were on fire ; and as the
pungent choking fumes of the smoke seemed to con-
firm this belief, the hose of the ship's donkey engine,
which had been brought aft, was directed to the spot
where the hawsers were coiled, and fire parties were
told off to work it and to throw water over the burn-
ing mass. By this time the smoke was rolling up
the hatchway in dense volumes, and owing to its
suffocating character it prevented any close ap-
proach to the scene of the fire. The after ports were
lowered to prevent draught ; but as no person could
go below to secure them inside, it was impossible to
prevent the entrance of the air, more especially as
it was foundLnecestary to keep the large ports open
in order that the sailors employed in trying to sub-
due the fire might have a supply of fresh air. By
:ome accident the first length of hose burst as it was
being ...ttached to the engine, and was thus rendered
useless. A::other was obtained ; but, although it
would fit the nozy:: se of the engine, it would not fit
the deck screw, so that,
the engine could at first ren-
der no service. Proper hose, however, was at length
fitted, and the engine got to worn : but it was then
of comparatively little use. Orders I;'ere given to
flood the main deck, and strong parties of nzen were
furnished with buckets to throw water, and thus try
to put out the fire by another method. This work
they performed very quickly, and in half an hour
the port side of the main deck was flooded knee-
deep. The gunroom deck was then flooded in two
Places) which were thought to be above the hawsers,
and water was thrown in a constant stream upon
the hawsers themselves as well as down the orlop
hatch outside the maitt deck. The parties of men
engaged in this work were under the command of
Mr. Fisher, the first officer, and Mr. King the third
officer; Mr. Norris, the second officer, remaining on
the bridge to direct the steering of the ship.
During the time the fire was raging, Mr. Young, the
gunner, with a party of quartermasters, cleared the maga-
zine of its contents. All the cases of gunpowder, amount-
ing to about 2,000 rounds, wore brought up on deck and
thrown overboard—a work which was performed in less
than half an hour.
Shortly after the fire was discovered, the engines were
stopped, so as to cause a less draught oa board the burning
vessel; but as the smoke became more dense than ever,
Lieut. Dawes gave orders for the boats to be launched and
dropped astern. This was accordingly done, and a quan-
tity of provisions placed in the first cutter for the use of
the crews. Mrs. Shemmings, the wife of the chief engi-
neer; Mrs. Rozario, the wife of the agent at Bassa,dote ;
three children and three ayahs, were placed in the lifeboat,
which was also ordered to drop astern.
When the fire first broke out the wind was blowing off
shore, so that the Berenice could net be headed for the
land, as the quartermasters could not see, an d could scarcely
breathe in the dense clouds of smoke which were blown
over them ; but in the course of half an hour the wind

changed to seaward, and the ship was headed for the land.
This change, of course, prevented the fire parties remain-
ing on the main deck in consequeace of the smoke, so the
vessel was kept broadside to the wind for a time, and then
again headed for the shore. It was necessary to proceed
very slowly, however, as by going fast the suction-pipe of
the hose was prevented from working.
About eight o'clock in the morning, two hours after the
fire was discovered, the smoke became much less dense ; the
volume issuing through the hatch diminished until nothing
but steam came up, and the fire parties were able to get into
the saloon with hose and buckets. Hopes were for a time
entertained that the fire had been extinguished, when sud-
denly a dull explosion was heard below and a jot of flame
shot up through the skylight of the upper deck. In a very
short space of time the smoke increased, a volume of flames
rushed up through the skylight, and it was seen that all
hope of saving the vessel was at an end. Orders were then

issued for the mon to take to tho boats, and tho abandon-

ment of the vessel commenced. The boats were hauled up
to the gangways and under the bows ; and the ship's com-
pany—oicept some of the firemen and a party of tho 21st
Native Infantry, who were on deck—wont on board in a
most orderly manner. Some excuse may be found for the
firemen, as they iis;! been kept below in the engine-room
until the last moment, anc; n coming on deck they became
panic-stricken at seeing the Brea„ rush of names, and
scrambled into the boats as fast as possible. As soon as the
crow had got on board, the boats pulled off to a uLtance

from the burning ship, except the largest gig,which was to
carry the captain and officers. Before 'leaving they went
round the lower and upper decks as far as they could got,
to see that no one had been left behind; but as the fire by
this time was making great progress, Lieutenant Dawes
sent his officers into the gig, and went aft alone as far as
the funnel. At that time the whole of the after part of the
ship was in a blaze, so much so that from the spot whore
he stood he could not see the wheel. 1.10 then went into

the boat, and in about half an hour after leaving the flames
had spread on all sides, and the ship was a burning mass

from stem to stern.
The boats, six in number, and containing 178 persons,
then steered for land, and shortly after sunset the whole
company landed in safety at the village of Luz, on Sheik
Shaaib Island. On the following day, Nov. 1, Lieutenant

Dawes procured a native vessel, and took them all to Nak-
hila, where they obtained some provisions and clothing.
At that place the boats were left in charge of the second
officer and a party of men, and on the 4th inst., the majo-
rity of the party went to Lingah. From that place the first
officer was sent with telegrams to Mussendom, and on the
6th inst. the others arrived at Bassadore, where an addi-

tional supply of clothing, &c., was procured. Tho tele-
gram reporting the disaster was received in Bombay on the
7th November, and Capt. Robinson, the superintendent
of marine, with most commendable promptitude, de-
spatched the steamer May Frere to Lieut. Dawes' assist-
ance, with a plentiful supply of such stores as the crew
were likely to want. The May Frere arrived at Bassadore

on the 16th, embarked the officers and crew, and on the
following day left for Bombay.

The origin of the Are is merely a matter of conjecture.
Under the hatch in the after-hold some bales of hemp

which were used by the engineers, some coal baskets, and
some iron casks containing oil, had been stowed a short
time before the fire was discovered, and it is believed that
the fire broke out there. It must have spread with won-
derful rapidity, as Lieut. Dawes was in and out of the
after cabin several times between two and six o'clock on
the morning of the 31st October, yet perceived no indica-
tions of fire. One of the officers, it is said, observed that
the place near where the flames subsequently burst forth
was very hot shortly before six o'clock, but nothing oc-
curred to excite suspicion until the smoke was seen com-

ing up the hatch.
We are glad to learn that all the officers, warrant officers,
and European seamen greatly distinguished themselves on
this trying occasion, Mr. Fisher, the first officer, who was
on the sick list with fever, remained with the fire party all
the time they wore engaged, except when superintending
the hoisting out of the cutter, and continued for a long
time in the stifling smoke which issued from the hatch
pointing the hose of the fire engine. Mr. Norris, the
second officer, and Mr. King, the third officer, rendered
most efficient service. Mr. Shemmings, the chief engineer,
remained in the engine-room along with the junior engi •
nears uutil the time when, all hope of saving the ship
being lost, the order was passed to him to blow off the
steam and come on deck. It is most satisfactory to know
that not a single life *as lost—a result which is doubtless

duo to the intrepidity and coolness of the Europeans, as
well as to the judgment of Liont, Dawes in ordering the

powder to be thrown overboard when tho flames had be-
gun to make headway ; for had the magazino caught fire,
the consequence must have been ealatnitorfs.
Government has directed a court of inquiry to assemble
to investigate the circumstances connected with the out-
break of the fire.

Cap taiu Sir James Anderson, of the Great

Eastern.

(Abridged from the Dun fries Standard).

The commander of the Great Eastern was on Fri-

day presented with the freedom of the town of Dum-
fries, his native place, in recognition of his great
services in the successful laying of the Atlantic
Cable. In the evening his fellow-citizens enter-
tained him to a banquet, the Provost in the chair,
and Mr. M‘Diarmid of the Dumfries Courier crou-
pier. The gallant officer spoke modestly of his
honours :

" Mine," lie said, " was the opportunity, and still
holding the command of that grand ship gives me
ample reason for wearing my honours calmly. An
error of judgment, or want of nerve that might re-
sult in damage to a ship so pre-eminently national,
would go far to reverse my present position, and
perhaps change your estimate of the man you now
so highly honour. Yet it would have been bad
taste, if not moral cowardice, to have declined the
honour of knighthood, or this honour of public re-
cognition in my native town." (Loud cheers.)
Of the great enterprise Sir James said—
" We were supplied with everything of the kind
and quantity we asked for, with as large a margin
for contingencies as our experience and foresight
could suggest. We only wanted one thing that we
could not control, and that was a favourable season.
This we did not get. (Hear, hear.) We had a
constant recurrence of gales, fogs, and long high
seas ; and one attempt after another was frustrated
by such accidents as the breaking of a chain, the
drawing of a splice, the driving pull of our ocean-
buoys, or with gales springing up after we had
lowered our grapnels, and at times when we had
hooked our prey and got it a mile away from its
oozy bed ; until after thirty attempts over a period
of 18 days, our 20 miles of strong grapnel line were
twisted and shattered and reduced. The three ac-
companying ships were out of provisions, and one
of them had to leave us for want of coals. It really
seemed as if we were only wasting energy and ma-
terial, and the reflection would thrust itself on the
minds of those of us who were responsible whether
we were gratifying a personal tenacity of purpose
or honestly doing our duty to the shareholders. Very
little was ever said, and when we changed our
ground it was still with strong hope and more frith
than ever in its practicability ; but we felt that the
season was far advanced, and that if we ever were
to succeed it must be with such weather as we were
having, and we placed our first buoy upon the new
grappling ground while a gale was blowing and
commenced grappling as soon as day broke. The
interval betwixt this gale and the next—exactly 50
hours—was the only favourable opportunity we ever
had, and we got the cable. (Great applause.) Three
hours afterwards another gale had begun ; and I
need hardly assure you that the feeling of gratifi- I
cation was deepened into gratitude with the difficulty
of the achievement, and our nearness. (Cheers.)
Had no word of praise been offered us upon our
arrival I should all my life have felt proud of having
shared in an enterprise that required all the fore-
sfght, energy, and intense watchfulness of which all
of ug were capable. (Cheers.) Nor do I consider
it a small privilege to have been associated with the
talented men who have been engaged in construct-
ing that simple-looldng cable with all the appliances
for placing it safely in its ocean bed ; and still more
wonderful, perhaps, the talent required to make the
electric spark carry the signal with such marvellous
precision." (Cheers.)
It appears that Captain Anderson is in his 42d
year. He has been at sea since he was a lad of 16.
In 1851 he joined the Cunard service, and has com-
manded successfully no fewer than fourteen steamers
in the Mediterranean and Atlantic trades. Latterly
he sailed in the China, and it was while in command
of this vessel that he was selected to take part in
the laying of the Atlantic cable. The gallant officer,
we trust, will long enjoy his well-won honours.