The Sun.
London, England, 1859-12-31 00:00:00

THIRD EDITION.

SUN OFFICE, Six o' Clock.

AUSTRIA.

A letter dated Vienna, Dec. 28, says :
" An Italian, who has just arrived from Venice,
states that things are going on badly in Venetia,
but he denies that his fellow-countrymen are ill-
treated by the military authorities. It appears that
the taxes are not heavier in Venetia than they are
in the other provinces, but the people are greatly
impoverished, and consequently unable to pay them.
" The agents of Government try to persuade the
independent organs of the Austrian press to speak
unfavourably of M. de Laguerronierc's pamphlet;
but tlley one and all respectfully decline to do so.
The Imperial Cabinet is exceedingly displeased
that such a work as ' Le Pape et le Congres ' has
been permitted to appear at such a critical moment,
but the public is delighted that such a heavy blow
has been dealt to the Ultramontanists. Two batta-
lions, of 750 men each, have already been raised in
Austria for the Papal Government, and a third
battalion will soon be complete. All the men en-
gaged are soldiers who have served their full time
(10 years) in the Imperial army."

AMERICAN STEAMBOATS.

Going abroad at a late hour in the evening, the
scene which presented itself to our eyes was novel
in the highest degree. Painted a pure white, as
nearly all American river steamboats are (for the
anthracite coal burnt under their boilers makes no
smoke whatever), the enormous mass of the vessel
rose like a giant iceberg above the water. Hurry-
ing over the broad gangway, we found ourselves in
a crowd of nearly 700 passengers, more than one-
third of whom were ladies, We were upon the main
deck, although under a lofty ceiling, over which
was a grand saloon of palatial proportions and mag-
nificence. Looking aft, a broad entrance, flanked
with gilded columns and luxurious drapery, opened
to the ladies' saloon—a'sanctum Banctortim not to
be profaned by the, footsteps of a bachelor,
although steamboat etiquette was not so strict, nor
steamboat regulations so inflexible as to forbid
the momentary presence there of gentlemen ac-
companying their wives or other fair charges to be
intrusted to the care of the stewardess. On either
side of this entrance were broad staircases descend-
ing to an immense lower cabin, along the sides of
which were more than 400 berths. The supper
tables were then set out with a degree of splendour
for which an English traveller would be altogether
unprepared. Nearly amidships, on the main deck,
a grand staircase, sweeping both to the right and
left, conducted to the great saloon, or state-room
hall, nearly 300 ft. in length, several yards in width,
and having an upper gallery, with a second story
of state rooms—a lofty arched ceiling, glazed with
ground and coloured glass, and supported by richly-
carved columns, covering the whale. In its construc-
tion this steamboat (the New World) is totally un-
like anything ever seen in British waters. It is of
enormous size. Originally 376 ft. long, it was after-
wards lengthened to 468 ft. over all. With a breadth
of beam of 50ft., the main deck is extended by means
of platforms, or "guards," projecting over the water
to the full width across the paddle-boxes, 85ft.,
being thus wider than the main deck of the Great
Eastern. Yet the vessel, which is flat-bottomed,
with bilges nearly or quite square, draws only s,lft.
of water, the whole displacement being about 2,500
tons, and the immersed mid-section 275 square feet.
All American boats have wooden hulls, and, how
to stiffen such a vast and shallow craft, flat-
bottomed as Noah's Ark P There are no tubular
cells, no "double skins," nor is there a hundred-
weight of boiler plate, excepting in the boilers
themselves, in the whole structure. As if to increase
the strain, the boilers weighing, with water, 75 tons
each, are placed upon the " guards" outside the
hull, and of course several feet above the load line.
To make the whole as rigid as a tubular girder, two
enormous arched trusses, placed one over each side
of the hull, extend over nearly 350 ft. of the length
of the boat. These great bows, like the arches of
a bow-string bridge, are connected to king posts
and queen posts, and strapped and fastened, so that
the whole is as stiff as a man-of-war. Then there
are four or five large king posts, or masts, stepped
upon the keel, and carrying the weight of the pro-
jecting " guards" by long diagonal tension rods.
These masts carry no spars, booms, or rigging of
any kind, all of which would be so much top hamper
worse than useless, at a speed of 20 miles an hour.
These posts, like nearly all the rest of the wood
work, aro painted a dazzling white and surmounted
by gilded balls. The lines of the hull are very
sharp, and at 22 statute miles an hour, a speed not
unfrequently attained, there is only a thin spurt of
water,breaking into spray to mark the keen entrance
of the cutwater.—The Engineer.

2.HIS DAY'S MARKETS.

COVENT-GARDEN.

Our market is well supplied with both fruit and vege•
lables, for Which there ie au active demand, as follows :

FRUIT.

s. d. s. d. s. d. s. d
Pine apples, perlb 4 oto 7 0 Cherries, per lb.. 0 oto 0 0
Colonial do., each 0 oto 0 0 Filberts, per lb .. 1 oto 1 6
Grapes, per lb 60to 10 0 Cobnuts, per lb 0 oto 0 0
Foreign do 1 6to 2 6 Almonds, per bus 0 oto 0 0
&felons, each
Peaches, perdoz 0 oto 0 0 Figs, per d0z..... 0 6to 0 0
Nectarines, per dz 0 oto 0 0 Strawberries p ptl 0 oto 0 0
Apples, per lit sv. 2 6to 5 0 ' Gooseberries hf av 0 oto 0 0
Pears, per doz 4 oto 6 0 Currants, per do. 0 oto 0 0
Oranges, per 100 4 oto 0 0 Plums, per do. .. 0 oto 0 0
Lemons, per 100 4 oto 8 0 Greengages, pr do. 0 oto 0 0
Apricots, per doz 0 oto 0 0 Raspberries,prptlo oto 0 0

VEGETABLES.

Greens, dz bunch 3 6to 4
Cabbages, pr doz. 0 9to J.
Savoy do., pr do. 0 9to 1
Cauliflowers, pdz 1 13 to 3
Brocoli, per bh 0 10 to 1
Old potatoes,p ton 100 to 130
New ditto, per ton 0 0 to 0
Peas, per sieve 0 oto 0
Turnips, dz bunch 2 6 to 3
Carrots, pr do 5 oto 6
Cucumbers 1 oto 2
Garlic, per lb
Sorrel, per sieve 0 oto 0
Spinazh, hf.-sv 0 oto 1
Brus. sprouts, h.s 2 9to 3
Old onions, dz bun 0 oto 0
New do., hf. ST 1 oto 1
French beans, h.s. 2 0 tot
Leeks, per bunch 0 2to 0

6 ; Shalts, per
3' Horseloradish, plb bn 1 6to 2 6
6 Parsley, per ditto 0 2to 0 4
O Celery, per ditto 0 Bto 1 6
-3 Beet, per doz. .. 1 6to 2 0
O Parsnips, per do. 0 oto 0 0
O Small salad, p. pn, 0 oto 8 0
O Mushrooms,p pun 1 3to 1 9
6 Artichokes, pr dz 2 oto 3 0
O Cabbage lett,score 0 oto 0 0
6 Endive, per score 0 oto 0 0
8 Radishes, dz hnds 0 oto 0 0
O Tomatoes, hf sve 2 .6 to 3 6
6 Walnuts, per 100 0 oto 0 0
6 Chillies, per ditto 0' oto 0 0
0 I Capsicums, per do 0 6to 0 0
6 Rhubarb, per bun 0 oto 0 0
6 Asparagus, pr do. 4 Ito 8 0
31Seakale, per pun. 1 3 to 2 6

NEWGATE AND LEADENIIALL.

Turkeys, 5s Od to 30s Od ; poults Os Od to 04 Od each ;
geese, 5s Od to lOs Od ; goslings, Os Od to Os Od ; ducklings,
2s Od to 2s Gd; rabbits, is Od to is 9d each; wild do., 9d
to is 2d ; pigeons, 8d to is id each ; large Surrey fowls,
8s Od to 15s Od ; chickens, 4s Od to Os Od ; barn-door fowls,
3s 6d to 7s Od ; capons, Os Od ; hares, 3s Od to 3s 6d ;
grouse, 2s Od to 2s Gd each; pheasants, 2s 6d to 3s 6d;
ptarmigan, Os toil; Od ; woodcocks, 3s Od to 3s 6d; snipes, is
Od to Os Od ; teal, is Od to is 3d ; wild ducks, 2s Od to 2s 6d;
widgeons, is 3d to is 6d ; plovers, Os 9d to is Od each ;
guinea fowls, Os Od to Os Od ; roasting pigs, Os Od to 9s Od
each; Ostend fresh butter, is Od to is Id ; English, is 2d
to is 5d per lb; English eggs, 14s Od to 15s Od ; French do.,
lls Od to 12s Od per 120 ; leverets, 2s Od to 2s 3d each.