The Sun.
London, England, 1861-07-10 00:00:00

Robin Goodfellow, No. I.

A new aspirant for public favour among the
weekly miscellanies of light literature (price 2d.)
has just made its appearance. Beautifully printed,
upon excellent paper, altogether admirably well
got up—it holds out many temptations to the pur-
chaser in the very look of it. What will render it
especially welcome to many a home circle is the
fact of its being Edited, or as the phrase is now-a-
days Conducted, by Charles Mackay, the song
writer. From the contents—which are very varied
—ef this initial number of Robin Goodfellow we
extract the following exquisite stanzas from the
Editor's own hand—certain that they cannot but
be read with delight by every one :

DYING-A CHORUS OF ANGELS.
Come away : come away ; life is too sad for thee ;
Chill are its winds on thy delicate breast :
Earth is too rude for thee—Heaven shall be glad of thee—
Come away, lovely one; come to thy rest I
Low in thy narrow bed
Lay down thy gentle head,
Give back to mother Earth all she can crave;
All thy mortality
Doomed to finality,
Leave it behind in the dust of the grave
Come away: come away; Earth is not meant for thee;
Beautiful spirit, mount up to the sky :
Men who have lost thee, shall mourn and lament for thee,
Thou shalt rejoice in thy glory on high.
Spread thy bright wings and soar
Spotless for evermore,
Sin-stained no longer, but white and forgiven ;
Heir of infinity,
Robed in divinity,
Come away, happy one ! come up to Heaven I
Contenting ourselves with that one sufficient ex-
tract from the 32 double-columned pages of this
new weekly—we here give cordial welcome to our
youngest contemporary, _Robin Goodfellow, to wit !
One who will prove himself, we trust, a right-
down Goodfellow justifying as all in now greet-
ing its advent with a " Hail fellow—well met !"

- - -- ---
THE NAPE

LAUNCH OF THE RATTLESNAKE.

CITA 'PITA kf, JULY 0. -This bonntifill vPagpl wao
launched to-day in the most successful manner. The
Rattlesnake is a screw steam corvette, and is to carry
21 guns. Her engines are to be of 400 horse-power.
She was commenced in March, 1859, in No. 1 slip,
and has consequently been about two years and three
months building. These are her dimensions---Length
between the perpendiculars, 225 ft. ; length of keel
for tonnage, 179 ft. 71 in.; extreme breadth, 40 ft.
8 in. ; breadth for tonnage, 40 ft. 4 in.; breadth
moulded, 39 ft. 8 in. ; depth in hold, 24 ft. 2 in.
Her burthen in tons is 1,623 43-94ths. The length
of the cngine-room is 66 ft. 6 in. Her engines are
to be supplied by Ravenhill,
The morning being showery, the attendance of
spectators at the launch was considerably less than
usual. The time appointed for the Rattlesnake to
enter the Medway was at the top of the tide, about
half-past one. By that time the galleries erected for
visitors were well filled. The men employed in
removing the blocks from under the keel of the ves-
sel knocked them away in succession, a heavy and
unpleasant task, and at length the noble vessel was
retained in her position, half on land and half in the
water, by the dog-shores alone. Soon after half-
past one Miss Loch, niece of Capt. Loch, who served
in the recent war, and was one of the captives to
the Chinese, dashed the flower-bedecked bottle of
wine against the prow of the vessel, and named
her the Rattlesnake. Miss Loch performed
her task more deftly than some christeners of
ships have done. It was noticed with some merri-
ment, that the young lady dashed the bottle against
the ship with no small amount of energy, and it was
shattered to fragments. A few seconds after she
severed the cord which sustained two heavy weights.
These, in their fall struck the dog-shores ; and the
two bits of timber (which were gaily labelled " Suc-
cess to the Rattlesnake"), which alone retained the
great ship on shore, instantly fell, and in another
moment the Rattlesnake, amid the hearty cheers
of the spectators and the strains of the Royal
Marine band, began her majestic descent into the
river. A more successful launch it would be impos-
sible to conceive. There was not a hitch of any
kind, and everything proceeded as was intended,
the shipwrights with their mauls and the hydrau-
lic ram not being called into requisition to aid the
launch.

Great credit is given to Mr. Vine, foreman of
shipwrights, who had the superintendence of the
building of the Rattlesnake, for the energy which
he has displayed, and through which solely the yes•
sel has been so rapidly completed.

The various officers of the yard were present at
the launch, and a number of naval and military
officers. The Rattlesnake entered the Medway—
almost crossing to the opposite shore—at 20minutes
to two o'clock. Her figure-head represents the bust
of an Indian chief, with a crown of feathers ; per-
haps some rattlesnake of Cooper's romances of the
wilds.

The new ship was made fast alongside the sheer
hulk, the Bombay lying on the other side of the
hulk.

The men of the Chatham division of Royal Marines
were granted a half-holiday that they might wit-
ness the launch.

During the launch two marines were arrested
for stealing a gentleman's gold watch by twisting
it off at the swivel. They were arrested by one of
the dockyard detectives, and the watch recovered
before the gentleman was conscious of his loss.

The Persian, 12, sailing brig, Commander Har-
dinge, arrived at Spithead. on Monday afternoon
from the Cape, and after communicating with the
Port Admiral's-office, proceeded on to the eastward
with a fine wind from the west.

Two mooring lighters were yesterday engaged
in raising the monster wrought iron Elorsfall gun
from its position, at low water, near Southsea
Castle, for the purpose of conveying it further
along the beach to the old works at Eastney, where
it is intended to carry out some experimental firing
with it.

The Brazilian frigate Bahiana, 22, Captain Jose
Maria Rodrigues, from Pembroke, arrived on Sun-
day afternoon at Plymouth. She was followed on
Monday by a Danish screw steam corvette, the
Heimdal, which entered Plymouth. She is bound
to St. Croix, West Indies, where she will remain
18 months.

The paddlewheel steam frigate Leopard, 18,
Captain F. B. Wainwright, flag of Rear-Admiral
Sir Stephen Lushington, K.C.8., arrived in
Plymouth Sound on Monday night. She
left Rio Janeiro on the 3d of June, Bahia on
the Bth, St. Vincent on the 22d, and Madeira
on the 3d instant. Fine weather was experi-
enced from Rio Janeiro to St. Vincent.; strong
north-east gales prevailed between the 22d of
June and the 4th inst., since which the weather has
moderated. She steamed all the way from Rio
Janeiro, whence she brings two naval invalids, her
only passengers. The crew are in a healthy con-
dition.

The Roebuck, 6, screw despatch-vessel, Capt. F.
Marten, arrived at Spithead yesterday from China
and Japan, and is ordered into Portsmouth harbour
to dismantle and pay off. Her dates of sailing are
—Japan, March 4 ; Hongkong, March 21; Singa-
pore, April 6 ; Cape of Good Hope, May 22 ; and
St. Helena, June 5. Very fine weather was expe-
rienced during the entire passage home.
The following appointments were made yester-
day at the Admiralty :—Lieut. G. J. Armytage, to
the Surprise ; James J. Rutter, paymaster, addi-

tional, to the Camber:and ; George Penfold, pay-
master, to the Sanspareil ; John P. Pasco, assistant
paymaster in charge, to the Flying fish ; W. H.
Whichelo, assistant-paymaster, to the Sanspareil;
and F. D. B. Smith, Clerk to the Sanspareil.

DEATH BY SUNSTROKE.—We regret to have to
report the death of Mr. C. WeHoeft, midshipman of the
Victor Emmanuel, on the 10th of June, from the effects of
sunstroke while out at a picnic. He was buried at Cepha-
lonia with military honours. All the officers of the ship,
excepting those required for duty on board, attend,d his re-
mains to the grave. The pall-bearers were Messrs. Cameron,
Cooper, Abbs, Detley, Lloyd, and Boxer, the mate
socond mate being chief mourners. Mr. Walleott wa ands
very promisingyoung officer, and much beloved by
mates, by whom his loss is severely felt, ...T, - 1
OWN, Vnitict /Yen*
_