The Sun.
London, England, 1857-01-16 00:00:00

THE STRANDED MAIL STEAMER TYNE.

SOUTHAMPTON, THURSDAY AFTERNOON.
A 510,,p has just arrived bare with a portion of the
cochineal and the bedding of the Tyne. Two more sloops
are expected here with cargo and stores. One of them
has a cage in which are enclosed two live American lion-
esses, which have been saved from the wreck. The name
of the spot where the Tyne is lying is Kimridge Lodge,
scarcely a mile from St. Alban's Point. Her bow is
pointing due south, and has been seen completely out of
the water. Had the Tyne been steered a mile further to
the east she would have weathered the point and escaped.
On passing Portland she should have been steered east,
or east by north, but she must have been steered north-
east by north, and must have gone wrong by four points.
It is singular that, notwithstanding the denseness of the
fog where the Fyne went whore, a few miles off it was
quite clear, for on the night of the wreck and about the
same time St. Catherine's Light, in the Isle of Wight,
was seen thirteen miles down the channel in the
direction of St. Alban's Head, and not tar from it
Whether the Tyne was steered badly, or the com-
passes were wrong, or the swift current of St. Al-
ban's Race, as it is called, drew her out of her course,
no one can say. It has been wondered why the lead
was not used. But, pitchy dark as it was, as captain
could not but imagine, from the time he saw the P• rt-
land Light, and believing that his vessel was steered pro.
perly, that he was in mid-channel, where sounding would
be ridiculous. But, even if the lead had been used just
before the ship ran aground, it is very probable that 12
or 14 fathom would have been found at else minute, and
the next minute she might have been ashore, such is tie
abrupt and treacherous nature of the bottom there
There was no sea pilot on board the Tyne, for it is a
beoairnd, dark
it i and
mosts
nights.mo s most j
difficultad a sea
thing
ptoilopt been on
icknp°o n
bable the adcident would not have happened. Tne very
last voyage of the Tyne, Capt. Valler went considerably
out of his way to take in a Channel pilot not far from
where his ship was wrecked. Capt. Valler is not what
is called a kid-glove commander. He is a good naviga-
tor and a hard-working man, sparing no labour or skill
to bring his ship through a voyage safely. But the ex,-
gencies of commerce and the mail service and the powers
of steam compel men to drive on in storms and darkness.
This is th' cause in a great measure of those multiplied
disasters at sea that we now hear of every winter. The
royal snail company never employ a man after he has
lost a ship. This, perhaps, is not unnatural ; but there
cannot be a doubt that there is a growing distaste to un-
dertake the higher responsibilities of seamen. Comman-
manders of large steamers get splendid salaries, but the
wear and tear of the mind and body are fearful ; and,
after all, success is oftentimes a lottery. Rarely o we
find a commander of a large steampacket who does not
pine for a shore berth after he passes 40 years of age
and it does not much matter that this is so, for the ro-
mance of the sea to youth is everlasting ; and those who
have learnt the trade of a sailor are too old to learn any-
thing else. The sloop that arrived here this afternoon
from the Tyne left her at 7 o'clock this morning. Every-
thing looked favourable for getting off the ship, but the
wind has since set in from the south-west, and will, it is
feared be fatal to the safety of the steamer. It is believed
that a trial to get her off will not be made for a week,
when the spring tides will be on. Her stern is damaged,
and she is half full of water. A bulkhead is to be
fotmed near the stern, and men will pump her out
while an attempt is made to float her. The wreck can
be seen from the steamers which go up and down the
Channel as they pass St. Albau's Head.

RUSSIA ON THE SHORES OF THE CASPIAN.

---~---

From a lengthy article in .Le Nord upon the subject
of the Persian expedition against Herat, we take
the following :
It has recently been affirmed that England has just as
much right to occupy the islands and ports of the Persian
Gulf as Russia bas to occupy and fortify an island in the
Caspian, belonging to Persia and situate near Asterabad.
The following is the real state of the case :—Russia,
by her treaties with Persia, has the exclusive right of
keeping vessels of war in the waters of the Caspian Sea.
With this right she has at the same time the duty of
keeping watch and ward in that sea. The Persian Go-
vernment, about 15 years ago, invoked the assistance of
Russia against the Turcoman tribes who dwell along the
eastern coast of the Caspian, savage tribes who subsist
by means of a few fisheries and a great deal of pillage,
and who used to desolate the Persian coasts by continual
acts of piracy and depredation, where they laid waste
the plains, pillaged and ransacked the towns, and carried
off the inhabitants to sell them as slaves at Khiva.

The Russian Government placed at the disposal of the
Shah a flotilla of light vessels fit for this kind of service,
which cruised constantly between Asterabad and the
Turcoman coast for the maintenance of good order.
Several expeditions had to be undertaken against the
incorrigible pirates of those parts, and they were but ill
disposed to give up their inveterate habits. On several
occasions their barques had to be destroyed and their
chiefs detained as hostages for their future) conduct. The
object of the Russiau au horities was not to make a war
of extermination upon them, but to bring t hem gradually
into a more regular mode of life, by accustoming
would
be of their barbarous habits to others
h whichse of com-
mercial more profitable to all parties, namely' to and mol-
mercial activity, based on respect for proi:rvey
not been 6
larity in their dealings. These efforts
fwmaistlperses,viantuidslythousnekcnoonwnntr.ies now enjobbyouariamdail ,nctghuirssiutynawoatnhidlilcaihn,
a obligedT
deadly heltt
oculsicmsri naaintsee,sphaeairlvoperestbueaseelnlryviunngdeorna decimated
by.:malignant
dia.
eases. It was indispensably essential that hosptals
!Should be created,eainnedownthdhieicthuionnthsheearietmiqlyeuticiroecadosu.l.l, dofreAcestivereabthade
The Russian
Gtclaiodrvenetrohnemyprenenseteenadctecdtohr;dingly obtained from tha t of the Shah
leave to build some wooden huts on the uninhabited
wand of Ashourade for the use of the seam ,en invalided
from the flotilla, and it is probably this daps )t of invalids
that has been so ingeniously metamorpt ,osed into a
military fortified occupation, without taking notice of the
fact that the Russian Government, having I done the right
of hoisting
a naval fl3g, upon the Caspia • , ti Sea,
has no
need whatever of taking such a precaution; try measure.

Sporting *lntelligence.