The Sun.
London, England, 1859-04-12 00:00:00

THE PENINSULAR MAILS.

The screw steamer, Alhambra (belonging to the
Peninsular and Oriental Company), Captain Wil-
liam Woodgates, arrived al Southampton yesterday
at noon, with mails, in charge of Lieutenant Cash-
man, R.N., Admiralty agent, of the following
dates :—Lisbon, April 7 Oporto and Nigo, 8. On
the outward voyage the klhambra experienced
a very strong gale from the westward, with a
terrific heavy sea across the Bay ; down the
coast of Spain and Portugal, fine weather.
Homewards the weather was fine up the
coast, but a heavy sea was rolling in over the bar of
Oporto, and the steamer was consequently detained
upwards of four hours for the boat coming off at
that port ; from Cape Finisterre and up Channel at
series of westerly gales.
The Alhambra brought ten first class passengers,.
three second class, and 13 siipwrecked mariners,.
belonging to the British baque Venerable, which
foundered near Viana. She was laden with coals
and iron, from Shields, bound to Barcelona. On.
freight the Alhambra had £3,000 in specie, 700+
chests of oranges, 203 boxes of new potatoes, 151
boxes of eggs, and 13 packages of general mer-
chandise.

On the 7th the Alhambra passed the Peninsular
and Oriental Company's steamer Ceylon, with the
outward India mail of the 4th, about 15 miles to
the northward of the Burlings ; she also passed the
French screw steamer Ville de Malaga, coming coat
of Vigo, bound south ; and crossing the Bay of
Biscay she passed several ships homeward bound .
The Luna screw steamer was lying at Oport o,
and intended sailing for London on the 9th.
The Brazilian man-of-war Bahiana had arrivial
at Lisbon from Rio.

The Bartholomew Diaz and Tagus were to leave
Lisbon for Southampton on the 10th, for the pr
pose of conveying Prince George of Saxony to
Portugal.
The Bremen brig Antonietti, froln NCWerifi tle,
bound to Rio de Janeiro, had put into Liibon
leaky, the crew having signed a protest to• the
effect that the ship was unseaworthy. She was
condemned by Lloyd's agent at Lisbon, and C.. apt.
Dieckman, the master, has come to England b ci the
Alhambra.

Shortly after sunset on Sunday, the 3d insztant,
considerable excitement and alarm were treat': d at
Lisbon in consequence of the violent ringin g of
fireballs belonging to the different ships at an: chor
in the Tagus, and a report being raised that a Large
steamer was on fire. The burning ship prow dto
be the Baron de Caters, Captain James Carter, I rom
Madeira. Captain Woodgates, of the Alha c abra
steamer, which was fortunately anchored tear,
immediately despatched three boats, with his
officers and crew, to their assistance, with J. r ylor
and Sons' invaluable portable pump, which was
worked from the boat alongside with great e 6 :ect.
At one time it was feared the ship would nou be
saved, but by the indefatigable exertions of 0 apt.
Carter and the Alhambra's crew the conflagra:tion
was extinguished after four hours" hard pumping,
but not before several hundred pounds' worth . of
stores, sails, &c., had been consumed, or more or
less damaged. The fire would seem to have or igi-
nated in the forehold, but the cause was unknown.
The ship is insured at Lloyd's. On the follow ing
morning Captain Carter went on board the Alham-
bra, and in warm terms publicly thanked Captain
Woodgates, his officers and crew, for their tit lately
and valuable aid.

The Alhambra left Lisbon on the 7th instant,
when the Cortes were still discussing the Li ibon
and Oporto Railway contract, and not likely to
come to a decision for some days.

The new postal convention between Engl and. :and
Portugal has been signed, reducing the postage of
a single letter to Bd., half paid in England :Ind
half in Portugal, instead of ls. 9d., hitherto p aid
on both sides.
The want of rain continued in Portugal, to the
great injury of the harvest prospects for all kinds of
grain. The heat had for several days been equal
to that usual in June.

London bills were
.scarce upon the Lisbon Ex-
change, and ruled at 531; for three months ; P aris,
532 ; Amsterdam, 421 ; Hamburg, 471; and Ge noa,
528. Considerable purchases of stock had been
made, and caused the Three per Cents. to rise us
high as 481 to 1, registered ; Coupons, 47-1 to ;
Deferred, 32 to 321.

Bank of Portugal shares, 7 to 8 per cent. pre-
mium ; Bank of Oporto shares, 28 to 26 do.