The Sun.
London, England, 1857-12-14 00:00:00

THE PENINSULAR MAIL.

SOUTHAMPTON, DEC. 14.

The Tagus has arrived with the Peninsular mail,
9 passengers, and 10,800/. in sr ecie.
Dates—Gibraltar, Dec. 6 ; Cadiz, Dec. 7 ; Lis-
bon, Dec. 9 ; Vigo and Oporto, Dec. 10.
• She reports the following—The Janes Booth and
Ocean put into Gibraltar, disabled ; steamer
Myth towed into Lisbon, disabled • brig Maria, of
Weymouth, wrecked in the biTer Tagus—all hands
and part of cargo saved.
Her Majesty's steamer Curlew was at Gibraltar.
The Bth being a close holiday at Lisbon, the
Brazil bills by the Tyne did not appear on 'Change ;
on the 7th, when London paper was more scarce
and the demand for three months at 54j- greater
than for some time past, short bills were very scarce
at 53/ for 30 days' sight.
Gibraltar exchanges on the sth were quoted—
London, 49/ ; Paris, 5 31 ; Marseilles, 5 32 ;
Genoa, 535.

The Ocean had put into Gibraltar leaky, and
would have to discharge cargo—railway iron—to
repair.

LONDON AND EASTIER_V BANKING

COMPANY.

Staff.'Assistant-Surgeon Mackinnon has been re-
lieved from duty at Chatham, for the purpose of
embarking on board the Nimrod in medical charge
of troops proceeding to Bengal. Staff Assistant
Surgeon Wall has been directed to proceed to
Dublin garrison for medical duty.
The following officers have joined their depots at
Chatham, previously to embarking with their corps
for service in India :—Lieut. J. H. H. St. John,
20th Regiment ; and Lieut. Flood, 61st Regiment.
Lieut. W. H. Urquhart, 75th Regiment, has been
granted leave of absence from his depot until re-
quired for emtarkation.

- The Cuckoo, 3, paddlewheel steamer, Lieutenant
Commander A. G. E. Murray, is returning stores
into Chatham Dockyard preparatory to being paid
off and placed in the fourth division of the steam-
vessels in ordinary at Chatham.
The Wellesley, 72, Captain G. G3ldsmith, C. 8.,
guard-ship of ordinary at Chatham, has been paid
wages down for six months.

MARCHING.
When practicab'e, the beet time for marching is
undoubtedly in the early morning. The march
should be finished by two hours after sunrise. The
pernicious custom of serving out a dram on the line
of march solve the seeds of disease, and should be
avoided ; but, as it is injurious to undergo fatigue
after a night's rest upon an empty stomach, food
of some kind should be given to soldiers either
before starting or at the first halt—tea, coffee,
chocolate, or milk, with bread, biscuits, or chapatis.
Iu warm weather every precaution should be
adopted to enable the European to stand fatigue,
and to prevent heating of the blood. The neck
should be bare, to allow of the free return of blood
from the head. A flannel roller round the b.-11y
and loins is all the woollen material required. All
other superfluous articles of clothing should be
dispensed with.
In cold weather a flannel shirt, cloth coat', &c.,
should be worn, in accordance with the temperature.
Every soldier should be strongly impressed with
the danger of exposing the head, uncovered, to the
direct rays of the sun. A light, cool, and comfort-
able cap, which at the same time allows of evapora-
tion from the surface of the head and shades the
eyes, temples, and b tck of the neck, should be
provided.
The men should be instructed never to throw this
off, under any circumstances ; and they should be
told. on the first symptoms of giddiness, flushing
of the face, fulness of blood in the head, or dimness
of vision, to pour cold water over the head, and to
keep it wet (with the cap on) for some hours. Strict
adherence to these instructions would prevent the
large majority of cases of coup de soleil.
No soldier abould be allowed to remain in wet
clothes longer than can be avoided. While in
exercise no danger results ; but, fr4m lying down
in damp clothes, fever, dysentery, or disease of the
liver inevitably ensue.
When in tents, the kcenats-t- on the shady side
should be thrown down, and the air be allowed to
circulate freely. At night, unless the weather is
very cold, the kanats on two sides of every tent
should be removed. Protection from dew and rain
is all that is required. More harm is caused by the
respiration of contaminated, close, and impure air
than is ever brought about by exposure to the night
0
wind.

Dry straw, grass, karbi, or any of the stalks used
in thatching, make excellent bedding, when covered
with blanke:s.

BATHING.

indigestible. The oranges, strawberries, custard-
apples, loquat, musk-melons, pineapples, grapes,
and lichis can be partaken of with advantage.
STIMULANTS.

The spirit procured by soldiers in the bazaars is
most injurious to the health, and the most stringent
measures should be enforced to prevent its intro-
duction. It is made and got up by the camp fol-
lowers from every village, and is sold sub rosa to
the men. If men will drink it would be much better
to supply them with spirits from the canteen than
to allow them to get it elsewhere. Soldiers should
be persuaded in every way to take money allowance
instead of the dram, or to drink beer instead of
rum. It would be very desirable to mix the spirit
with water where practicable. The same amount
of spirit undiluted is much more injurious than
when mixed with water.
Great attention should be paid to the time of
serving out drama. They should never be given on
an empty stomach, when the system is heated, or
when exposed t) the sun. To give men raw
spirits early in the morning, before any food is
takes, is the surest way to lay the foundation of
disease. After a meal, with some hours of rest
in the shade in prospect, is the best period.
The foregoing recommendations, simply and
easily carried out, are the results of considerable
experience and observation. They are dictated
by common sense, and at first sight would ap-
prar to be what would occur to every officer ;
the fact that they do not do so is the cause of
their being brought prominently to their notice.
Officers on coming to India for the first time find
themselves surrounded by entirely new influences.
The diseases of the country are formidable and ra-
pid in their progress, and prevents the due exer-
cise of the reasoning powers. The climate is
found to be exhausting and debilitating ; exposure
to the sun is understood to ba dangerous ; and
there are many other circumstances which combine
to depress the mind and body, and to pre-dispose
to the belief that some extraordinary course must
be pursued to ward off any evil circumstances.
Recourse is had in too many cases to stimulants ;
brandy is taken in large quantities to prevent the
approach of sickness ; exercise and the ordinary
methods adopted in other countries to keep the
frame sound and vigorous are neglected. Many
become the victims of their own imprudence and
rashness, and their premature-death is erroneously
ascribed to the effect of the InJian climate.

With ordinary preciution and attention to the
common laws of hygiene Europeans may live as
long and preserve their health as well in India as
in Britain.

The neglect of these precautionsrapidly produces
fatal results. The mortality from disease far ex-
ceeds that caused by the enemy, and it behoves
•very officer to study carefully the means of pre-
venting sickness.

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.

HOUSE OF LORDS—(SA.TunDey.)

The house assembled at 3 o'clock to hear the Royal
assent giveu by commission to the Bank Issues In.
deo:may B 11.
The Royal Commissioners on the occasion were the
Lord Chancellor, Earl Granville, and the Marquis of
Breadai bane.

The Commons having been summoned to the bar, the
Royal assent was given to the bill in question with the
usual formalities.

Toe Commons having retired,
Earl GRANVILLE moved that the house do adjourn
until. Thursday, Feb. 4.

REPORTED DIFFERENCES BETWEEN LORD
CANNING AND SIR COLIN CAMPBELL.