The Sun.
London, England, 1857-09-15 00:00:00

CAFF.RE TROOPS FOR INDIA.

Mr. Richard Browne, in a letter 'to the Times,
dated Glasgow, Sept. 12, says :—" I have read with
pleasure the letter of " Q. S. E." in your paper of
yesterday as to recruiting negroes for tropical ser-
vice in the East.

" I was in Ceylon in 1816, just after the conquest
of the island by our troops, and at that time there
were five or six colonial regiments embodied, seve-
ral of which were composed of Africans and officered
from the Line. These Africans were recruited
almost exclusively from the Caffre tribes between
Natal and Sofala, of a height at least equal to the
average of any English regiment, were brave,
docile, good-tempered, and cleanly. They had left
behind in Africa any religion they had, and believed
in nothing but their officers, to whom they, as a
rule, became strongly attached.
" What has been done before may be done again,
and there must still be many officers surviving who
served in and with those regiments, and can speak
as to their value and how they were raised. They
might be made available for many duties that are
harrassing to.the English soldier, as their confreres
in the West Indies are, and, besides, every Caffre
that you EO employ withdraws from Africa one
who is a thorn in the side of our countrymen there,
and an item in the hordes who periodically carry
destruction and death into the colony, and are with
difficulty driven out by the very t. ()bps to whom
in proper hands they might prove such valuable
auxiliaries. _ _

_
"I trust that the subject may receive the serious
attention of some one morel competent to deal
with it."

LLOYD'S SHIPPING.—(This Day.)

LONDON, Sept. 15.—Wind this day at noon, S.W.;
light breeze and fine.
PORTSMOUTH, Sept. 14.—Wind S.W.—Arrived—
Calenda, from Moulmein, and sailed for Sunderland.
Sailed—Victoria, for Mobile.
COWES, Sept. 14.—Wind S.W. —Arrived—Charlotte,
from Santos ; Horatio, New York.
PLYMOUTH, Sept. 14.—Wind S.W.—Arrived—Centi-
podo, from Labrador; Escort, ditto. Sailed-- Choysus, for
Cape of Good Hope; Powerful (s s ), Africa.
SWANSEA, Sept. 14. —Wind S.W.—Arrived —Spartan,
from Bilboa.

07F QUEENSTOWN, Sept. 13.—Arrived-3farmion,
from Trinidad, and sailed for the Clyde.
SHIELDS, Sept. 14.—Wind S. Sailed—Susquebana, for
Halifax. _ _ _

QUEENSTOWN, Sept. 13.—Wind S S.E.—Arrived—
Juan Fernanez, from Callao; Ranger, Bahia ; Eagle,
Barbadoes ; Indian. Queen, ditto; Glemmisc, ditto; To-
ronto, Matanzas; May C. Fox, Cardenas; Theodore,
Quebec; Countess of Durham, ditto ; Triumvirate,' ditto.
CARDIFF, Sept. 14.—Wind S.--Sailed—Summary, for
Monte Video; Ardent, St. Vincent; Ellina, Alexandria;
Feline, Beyrout.
ABERYSTWITH ROADS, Sept.l3.—Arrived Magog, from
Quebec.
FLEETWOOD, Sept. 14.—Wind S.E.—Sailed—Lady of
the Lake, for Quebec.
RAMSGATE, Sept. 14.—Wind S.W. by S.-- Arrived—
Maria, from Hamburg for Villa Nova ; Olga (5.,) from
Leith for Messina, with slight damage to machinery.

(PER ELECTRIO TELEGR.IPII.)
SOUTHAMPTON, Tuesday, 10 A.}l.

Wind W.

Arrived—Argo, ateamer, from Bremen ; Courier, steamer,
Jersey; Havre, steamer, Havre ; Antomatio, Marseilles;
Edith, Llanelly ; Temora, steamer, Dublin.
Sailed—Express, Edward and Mary, Jolly, and De-
spatch, for Jersey; Alliance, steamer, Havre; Le Coq,
Cherbourg.

LIVERPOOL, Tuesday Morning.

Wind S.

Arrived—Queen of the East, from Bombay; Jocdianah,
Calcutta; Marian Moore, Matlab ; Merchant Prince,
Akyab ; Atrevide, Rangoon ; Balnaquitb, Singapore ;
Albert Edward, Manilla ; Tapley, Old Calabar; Lydia,
Antigua; Oddie Snow, New Orleans; New World, New
York ; Dumfries and Devon, St. John's, N. 1,. ; Hy. Hol-
man, Smyrna ; Alps, screw steamer, Trieste ; Marguerite,
Havre; Weymouth, Akyab; Intrepido, Sicato ; Queen
of the Avon, Rangoon; Swift, Jamaica ; Juventa, Cron-
stadt ; Claudine, Mare.

QUEENSTOWN, September 13.

Wind S.S.E.

Arrive,]—Ranger, from Bahia; Eagle, Indian Queen, and
Glanmire, Barbadoes ; Theodore, Q.tebec ; Tour and
Shielis, Odessa; Mary C. Fox, Cardenas ; Countess of
Durham and Trinmirratt, Quebec; Toronto, Matanzas;
Jean Fernandes, Callao ; Expedient, Galatz.
DUBLIN, Sept. 14.
_ _

Wind S.S.W.
Arrived—Volunteer, from Smyrna ; Mischief, Barbl
does.

(BY SUBMARINE AND BRITISH TELEGRAPH.)
GRAVESEND, Tuesday, 9.30 a.m.

Wind S.W. ; last hour's flood, cloudy. _
Arrived, Sept. 14--Memel. from Quebec; Hermoder,
Riga ; Margaret Milne, Archangel ; George Fox, Cron-
stadt ; Stella, Skelliftca.

DEAL, Tuesday, 9 a.m.

Wind S.S.W., light, and fine.
Passed—British Tar, from Jamaica ; Slcelliftea, Quebec
(26 days out); Dunnoburg, Qdesia.; o:iveria, Para (62
days out) ; Clarissa, Cardiff—all for London.
Passed in tow---Burmab, from Demer,.r for London.
Anchorcd—Kessica, from Chatham, for Cardiff.

THE PETTING STONE AT A NORTHUMIMLAND WED-
DING —On coming out of a country church the other
day, after a wedding, I found a Fort of barrier
erected at the churchyard gate, consisiing of a large
paving stone placed on its edge, and supported by
two smallest stones, and on either side a rustic, who
made the happy couple and everyone else jump over it.
On inquiry I was told it was the "jo ttieg stone,'
which the bride had to jump, in case she should re-
pent and refuse to follow her husband. I have heard
of a custom of a football being placed before the brills
on leaving the church, which the husband ordered her to
kick, and so makes b(r immediately commerce her
obedience to him. Perhaps the petting stone and the
football may be for the same purpose,—Noies and
Queries.
PROMPT DESPATCH AND RAPID SAILING.—About 12
days ago a telegraphic message was sent train the War-
offiee to Messrs. D. and C. Maclvor, in Liverpool, inti
mating that a powerful and fast steamer wee wanting
instantly to proceed to Gibraltar, and bring home a
regiment of soldiers. Immediately On receiving the mes-
sage, the screw steamer Jura, one of the Cunard line,
was put in preparation, and war; despatched from Liver-
pool within 23 hours after the message had left London.
She proceeded at once to Gibitaltar, and, immediately
on arriving there, began to embark the troops.
She took on board 1,100 soldiers, besides a num-
ber of women and children. So 'non as they
were safely embarked the Jura star ed on her homeward
voyage, and landed the whole safely in Portsmouth har-
bour within 10 days after the order was received in
Liverpool that a steamer was waeted to go to Gibraltar
—a promptitude of despatch believed to be without
parallel.
CALCRSFT ABROAD IN LIVERPOOL--011 Saturday
evening, Calcraft, the " finisher of the law," having
been on a visit to Allsopp's Wax-work, in Lime-street,
Liverpool, for the purpose, it is under: toed of negotiat-
ug a sale to that gentleman of the clothes in which
Captain Rogers had been executed that manning, and
the object of his visit having been accornpli4sed, ho
took a stroll into St. John's-market, for the purpose, as
he said, of purchasing some partridges. In the market
he was recognised, and met with a reception more warm
than cordial, which induced him and a gentleman who
accompanied bins to beat a speedy retreat, which they
succeeded in accomplishing by one of the side entrances,
and took refuge in a celebrated " saloon" close by.
Here the luxurious refugee, while " settling his nerves"
by a " caulker" of Cogniac, accidentally laid down his
handkerchief, which, making a peculiar sound, revealed
some of the implements of his " craft," to wit, the hook
and chain which were supposed to he appurtenances of
the gallows. This, with an observation roads by him
referring to the morning's work, occasioned a fresh dis-
covery, and he obtained the shelter of a car, in which he
was driven off, in this instance taking a further flight
to the landing-stage : but here again he was recognised,
and was fain to take what was vulgaely called " French
leave." Ite-entering a car, he was driven to a restaurant
not far from the corner of Elliett-etreet and Lime-street,
where he obtained shelter and refuge till the calf-past ten
train was about to start for London, by which he finally
escaped from the assiduities of his Liverpool suite.
PORTRAIT OP MISS NIGHTINGALE.—She is rather high
in stature, fair in complexion, arid slim in person ; her
hair is brown, and is worn quite plain ; her physiognomy
is most pleasing ; her eyes, ef a blueish tint, speak vo-
lumes, and are always sparkling with intelligence ; her
mouth is small and well formed, while her lips act in
unison, and make known the impression of the heart—
one seems the reflex of the other. Her visage, as regards
expression, is very remarkable, and one can almost anti-
cipate by her countenance what she is about to say
alternately, with matters of the most grave import, a
gentle smile passes radiantly over her countenance, thus
proving her evenness of temper ; at other times, when
wit or pleasantry prevails, the heroine is lost in the happy,
good-natured smile which pervades her face, and you
recognise only the charming woman. Her dress is ge-
nerally of a I'reyish or black tint ; she wears a simple
white cap, and often a rough apron.—Soyer's Culinary
Campaian.
THE DECREASE OF GROUSE.—The gradual decrease of
muirfowl on our Scottish hills is every year becoming
more evident, and like its brother, the woodgrouse, it
s ill before long become extinct unless meaeures be taken
to preserve the species. The grouse, a native of and
peculiar to the British isles, receding before the progress
of agricultural improvement, are now only to be found
in anything like their former numbers in remote die-
triete, wixre access and aceommodatiou for epottquen
are restricted or want log. The sportsman, without as-
eigeilig any limit to his work of destreeti ui, cmimences
operations on the 12th, and generally kills most of the
youne, birds, and leaves the old ones to (lie in the ap-
proach of winter, generally from a disease of the
liver. Large quantities of old birds are 'found dead
on our southern hills (we refer to Selkirk and
Peeblesshlre) in the months of Oct. and Nov. Many of
those, doubtless, have been wounded birds, and conse-
quently have died of starvation ; but we have frequently
made an examination of some of these foued dead, and
au enlargement of the liver was almeet invariably the
cause. Agricultural improvements, such as the drainirg
of hill land for pasture and the burning of heather, are
all hastening the already rapid decreese of muir fowl. It
sportsmen would give this speciee of game a rest once in
every four seasons, and thus allow more young bride
breed, we doubt not but that the species would became
as numerous as they weie 10 or 1."2 yearn
.urglt courant.