The Sun.
London, England, 1850-04-08 00:00:00

MERCHANT SHIPPING.

Put In—The schooner William and Mary, Captain
S. Selione, from Smyrna, with- loss of fore•topmast,
jibboom, and several sails ; brig Wave, Captain Hen-
cierion, and barque Amigos, Captaii, Benson, from
Odessa; barque British Queen, Captain Glatson, from
Constantinople, with lo,s of boats, bulwark, stan-
cheons, and several sails—all four bound to Falmouth
for orders, but driven past that port ; schooner
Bezaliel, Captain Cragg, from Liverpool twelve days,
bound to Constantinple, with loss of some sails ; brig
Douis, de Gruchy, from Jersey f*,,r
Arrived—The brig Houghton le Skerne, Captain
Ruxton, from the bay of Honduras, with mahogany
for the dockyard ; she touched at Falmouth and
landed mails there.

Sailed—The Diana, Captain Bannatyne ; Sultana,
and Mainland, for Adelaide, both with emigrants, and

9 A.m.---Wind S.W., fresh breeze.

FALMOUTH, Arum s.—Toe Isabella, reported yes-
terday as being stranded under the Lizard lighthouse
went to pieces during the night and gale of the 3d
inst.; the cargo will be a total loss, and the ma-
terials, which are being saved, will be of little value,
and recovered with difficulty, from the rocky nature
of the coast. The master and crew (12 in all) most
providentially succeeded in landing safely in two
boats prior to her breaking up, and this may be at-
tributed to the cool judgment of the captain (Tiley),
who on discovering that he was entangled by the
Stag rocks on one side and Kynance Point on the
other, neither of which he could weather, selected the
only nook of beach that was indermediate to run the
brig aground upon.
No damage took place among the shipping in this
harbour during the gale of the 31 and 4th.

APPOINTMENTS.

WOOLWICH, APRIL 6.—Lieutenant Henry Harvey
(1847), flag lieutenant to Admiral Superintendent
Harvey, Ceylon receiving ship at Malta, to the Fire-
brand steam-frigate, vice D'Aguilar.
Lieutenant Joseph S. Rundle (1839), to the Cey-
lon, vice Harvey.
Midshipman Henry Stirling, to the Queen, 110,
on the Mediterranean station.

The disc engine experimented with some time ago
on the river in the Minx steam-vessel was taken out
of her on Friday last.

THE ARCTIC EXPEDITION.

The Intrepid steam-vessel, Lieutenant John Bertie
Cator, was taken out of dock yesterday, and placed
under the shears to receive her bailer, and the work
was so quickly done that she was again taken into
dock during the same tide to have her other work
accelerated. The Resolute, Captain H. T. Austin,
C. 8., has been made ready by Mr. Green at Black-
wall, and the Assistance, Captain Ommanney, by
Messrs. Wigrarn ; and both ivessels are to be taken
from Blackwell at the early hour of 5 o'clock A.ll
to have their provisions put on board and be other-
wise made ready for sea at this port. Thr coals and a
great portion of the heavy stores have already been
put on board at Blackwell to save time.
The Athol troop ship, Master-Commander Pearn,
has nearly unloaded all the baggage of the troops she
brought home from the Mauritius and the Cape of
Good Hope. In addition to the tvi o comianies of
artillery she brought home the 10th company of
Royal Sappers and Miners from the Cape of Good
Hope. Captain Lempriere commanded the artillery,
and was the only officer who returned with them, the
others having all been previously moved, owing to the
number of changes which have recently taken place
in the corps.

THE LATE INCENDIARY FIRE
AT COTTENHANI.
(From the Cambridge Chronicle of Saturday.)
A fire, one of the most alarming and destructive
which it ever fell to our lot to record, broke out on
Thursday evening, and in a very few hours laid
waste nearly 40 farms and cottages. It broke out
soon after eight o'clock at a part of the village some
distance from the Cambridge entrance. When first
seen, two barns adjoining one another, belonging to
Mr. Freemau Goode and Mr. Thomas Graves, ap-
peared to be in flames ; and it is doubtful in which of
the two the fire originated. A very strong breeze
was blowing from the west, and the flames; in an in-
credibly Short space of time, laid hold of the neigh-
bouring property. Snell assistance as the village could
supply was speedily upon the spot ; but the prospect
of arresting the progress of the fire was from the very
first exceedingly small. We hardly know to what
cause to attribute it, unless it be the confusion of
mind which prevails upon these lamentable occasions,
but it was not until after eleven o'clock that an ex-
press arrived at Cambridge for the engines. Until
that time the only engine at work was one belonging
to the village. Subsequently, the Norwich Union,
the Royal Farmers', and the Phosnix engines were at
the scene.
One fire is very like another. The noise, the con-
fusion, the shouts of men, the screaming of women
and children, the lowing of cattle, the squeaking of
pigs, the frantic efforts to save property are the same
in all. These things must be left to the reader's ima-
gination ; they prevailed on Thursday night to a great
extent, for the space traversed by the fire was enor-
mous. It seemed yesterday as if half the village had
been laid in ruins ; and yet the fire had been caprici-
ous in its course, for here and there was to be seen a
house standing almost uninjured in the very midst of
black and smoking ruins.
We are glad to say that the labourers worked wil-
lingly and well, so long as a chance of doing any good
remained ; but their efforts, aided as they were before
long by the gownamen from Cambridge, were so
manifestly unavailing, that people at last stood by in
helpless and despairing inaction. The fire seemed to
laugh at human opposition ; farm after farm, and cot-
tage after cottage, fell before its resistless might, and
by 3 o'clock in the morning, when further immediate
danger might be said to be over, the awful destruc-
tion which we detail below was completed. Happily,
however, no lives were lost ; nor did any horses or
cattle fall victims to the flames. A vast quantity of
poultry and pigeons and a good many pigs were de-
stroyed ; but all the horses and neat stock were re-
moved out of harm's way. Of course, numbers of
poor families have been rendered homeless, and many
of them have lost all their little store of furniture.
We print below a list of the sufferers by this
devastating fire, commencing at the point where it
broke out :

Mr. Freeman Goode's farm is completely de-
stroyed. There were two dwelling-houses on the
property, one of which is left standing amid the
wreck of all around.
Mr. Thomas Graves's house, farm-buildings, &0.,
all destroyed.
A cottage belonging to Mr. James Ivatt was the
next property that fell, and to this succeeded a farm
belonging to Mr. Richardson Spaekman.
Mr. Robert Watson, farmer, house, barn, in fact
everything consumed.
Mr. Thomas Papworth, farmer, all consumed.
Mr. Thomas Ivatt, farmer, the whole premises
destroyed, except the dwelling-house and granary.
Mr. Timothy Morling, gardener, house, lodges,
&c., all destroyed.
The foregoing property was all on the left-hand
side of the road leading from Cambridge. From
this the flames blew across the road and seized upon
the Black Horse, belonging to Mr. James Chivers,
brewer, which was utterly destroyed.
Next stood the property of Mr. Stephen Chivers,
blacksmith, including a house and barn, all of
which fell a prey to the flames, except the black-
smith's shop.
Mrs. Collins, farmer—all the premises, &c., de-
stroyed.
Mr. Richard Norman, brewer—everything de-
stroyed, except the house, and that is damaged, in-
cluding barn, store-room, stables, three stacks of
corn, from 80 to 100 barrels of beer, seven pockets of
hops, Etc.
Adjoining this property was the White Horse
public-house, occupied by Mr. R. Haddow Norman.
This was destroyed, together with the barn, a good
deal of furniture, stock-in-trade, &e.
Mr. W. Haird, auctioneer and carpenter—every-
thing destroyed, except the house, which is injured.
Mr. James Todd, farmer—everything consumed,
except the house.
We now come to Corbett's-lane. And here, of
the property occupied by Messrs. Thomas and John
Chivers, and some labourers in their employ, every-
thing is consumed, including five tenements, except
a barn and the house occupied by Mr. John Chivers.
Mr. Abraham Everitt, tailor and farmer—every-
thing destroyed, except the tailor's shop.
Mr. Jacob Smith, yeoman—all consumed, except
the out-buildings.
Mr. John 2 hurston, basket-maker, property of
Mr. Msrmaduke Ivatt—all destroyed.
Mr. John Watson, farmer—all destroyed.
Mr. IV. Papworth, farmer—all. destroyed.
Mr. W. Everitt, farmer—all destroyed.
Mr. J. Everitt, farmer—out-buildings, barn, &c.,
destroyed, house saved. There: was a Methodist
chapel here, which has shared the fate of less sacred
places, and is now a mere shell .
Mr. Thomas Gautrey, forme): and gardener—farm-
buildings consumed; dwelling -house saved.
Widow Watson, butcher, 1 )arn and out-buildings
destroyed ; house saved.
Mr. Edward Ivatt, farmer —large barn and out-
building consumed ; old dwe) ding-house saved.

ABERDEEN RAIL WAY.
As intimated in our 'ast, the Aberdeen Railway
was opened up to Ferry hill on Saturday last, and the
regular passenger traffic commenced on Monday, five
or six trains daily running each way. This event has
given rise to lively feelings of satisfaction among our
citizens, who are showing their interest in the under-
taking by rushing, even yet, to witness the arrival and
departure of the trains. On the Fast-day the line
must have been visited by not fewer than twelve or
fifteen thousand people. Besides the immense crowds
assembled at or near the Ferryhill-station, at Pol-
muir, and other points of view, upwards of four thou-
sand paid their penny for passing and repassing the
Wellington-bridge, in order to get a better sight of
the trains passing along the viaduct and up the em
bankment to Downie-hill. It was a gratifying thing
to see the people enjoying themselves, but when we
estimated their number, and recollected that as many
were present on the Sunday after the first locomo-
tive arrived, we could not help thinking either that
there was a mistake about the alleged sixteen thou-
spnd Sabbath sanctifiers who petitioned Parliament
against opening the Post-uffice for a couple of hours
on a Sunday, or that some of our citizens must
hold very peculiar notions on the subject of Sabbath
observance.
The line works well, and some of the trains per-
form the journey at a pretty good pace ; but, owing
to what we cannot help regarding as an exceedingly
foolish attempt of the directors to help the Midland
Company at the expense of the Dundee and Arbroath,
the time consumed between this and Edinburgh, and
the amount of fare, are both more than they ought to
be. This matter is thus referred to by an intelligent
correspondent :—" I regret to observe that there is
something out of join in the arrangements with the
southern lines, but whether this be the fault of the
Aberdeen directors or not, I pretend not to judge.
According to their time-bill, the quickest journey we
can make to Edinburgh requires seven hours and
forty minutes, which is really little improvement over
the good old Defiance,' as it occupies the greater por-
tion of an entire day ; but what I would point to is the
fact, that railway trains actually, at present, run over
the ground between this and Edinburgh in six hours
and a half, although they do not run in concert. On
referring to the time-tables of the Aberdeen, the
Dundee and Arbroath, and the Edinburgh, Perth,
and Dundee Companies, you will find that the first
runs a train from Aberdeen to Arbroath in three
hours—the second from Arbroath to Broughty-
ferry, in half an hour—and the other from Broughty-
ferry to Princes-street, Station, Edinburgh, including
both ferries, in three hours—altogether six hours and
half;s but strangely enough, as I have remarked,
these trains are run without connexion. The pas-
senger traffic between Aberdeen and Edinburgh is, I
believe, worth all the rest put together ; and the ar-
rangements which are most convenient for the publio
will certainly be most profitable for the railway. But
the public will never rest content to be kept eight
hours on a journey by railway which is performed in
less than six by steamers ; and I trust the Company's
next time-tables will show improved arrangements
for their Edinburgh passengers."—Aberdeen Herald.