The Sun.
London, England, 1850-10-12 00:00:00

THE FRENCH NAVY.
TO THE EDITOR OF TILE TIMES.

Sir,—The President of the French Republic, the
French squadron, and the gigantic works, finished and
in prpgress, which have been seen by many British
officers, by the yacht club, and by numerous English
gentlemen, together with the articles in the press,
have done more to open the eyes of the people of
England to our unprotected state than the celebrated
letter of the Duke of Wellington, and the various
communications myselfand others have made to diffe-
rent members of her Majesty's Government b,,th
publicly and privately and through the medium of the
press. They have seen, almost within sight of our
own shores, a splendid breakwater of nearly three
miles long rise from the bottom of the sea, 60 feet
deep, under which can lie at moorings 50 sail of the
line with perfect safety, almost frowning on England.
That breakwater, ere long, will be defended by three
tremendous fortifications, independent of movable
guns without number, to protect either entrance that
may be attacked. On the Isle of Pelee, opposite the
breakwater on the eastern entrance, is Fort Royal
(now Fort National), mounting 90 guns casetnated,
and guns pointing out of ports like a ship. Opposite
this on the main land is Fort de Flamands, mounting
many heavy guns ; in its rear is the redoubt of Tour-
laville.

Opposite the breakwater, to the west, are the forts
of Querqueville, St. Anne, and Honet, and one in-
tended to be built on a rock, between the west end of
the breakwater and Querqueville. These forts will
mount upwards of 150 guns. There are also strong
batteries to the left of the basin, bearing on the roads.
Within the breakwater, excavated out of rock, and
faced with store, is the avant port, capable of con-
taining ten sail of the line alongside the quay, 30 feet
deep at low water spring tides. In this port is a dock
and four slips; in a line with this, and communicating
with it, is an inner basin, in which ten sail of the line
can also lie alongside the quay. On two sides of this
basin are magazines; and here also lies the sheer
hulk. In the rear of Fort Honet there is another
small basin, and two building slips. This serves as a
ditch to the fort, which is cut off from the main land
and island by a drawbridge ; from the lower tier of
guns, another bridge conducts you over a ditch to a
large barrack-yard, casemated ; and two small stairs
lead up to the second tier of guns.
In the rear of the avant port and the inner basin
inland, there is another basin in construction, which
communicates with both. This basin when finished
can accommodate 20 sail of the line alongside the
quay. Here are four docks and five slips. To the
left of the great avant port, there is another avant
port, which leads to the steam-basin, where there are
three slips. The store-houses are large, well-ar-
ranged, and close to the basins. There is also a port
of refuge, leading to another steam-basin, where, as in
the other basins, the steamers can coal alongside the
wharf.

This splendid dockyard is surrounded by a high
wall, and the wall is again surrounded by regular
fortifications, with a wet ditch ; and to protect the
works, the heights in the rear, and, indeed, all round
from Tourlaville, there is a double chain of strong re-
doubts. Independent of all these there is a com-
mercial basin, with gates, in which merchant vessels
lie afloat. wo piers project a considerable distance
beyond the gates. Both the town and basin are out-
side the fortifications.

Under this magnificent breakwater lay the French
squadron, consisting of two ships of 120 guns, three of
100 guns on two dt.cki, two of 90 guns, and one of
96 guns, one frigate of 60 guns, three large steamers
of 16 and 12 guns, but pierced for 28, and capable of
transporting to a short distance upwards of 2,000 men
each; one screw brig, one corvette, and three smaller
steamers.

The ships as far as we could judge were in high
order, lowered and furled their sails- as well as we
could do, shifted maintopsail and foresail by signal—
the Inflexible, the best of the squadron, in 5i minutes.
They also fired five broadsides with blank cartridge.
In the Friedland, where we were, some of our
officers thought they fired slow, but half of her crew
had only been on board two months, and this the
President took care to explain. The mode of passing
the powder was perfect, and well worth copying.
Boats wire then manned and armed, but not so
quickly as I expected. They attacked the steamer,
and kept up a good fire, the boats more numerous than
ours, and, except the launches,• much larger. This
fl,/et mounts more guns, and, generally speaking,
throws a heavier broadside than our ships, with the
exception ( f the Queen. Their crews are also larger ;
in the Friedland there are 184 men to pass along the
powder and shells.
It is commanded by Vice-Admiral Parseval
Duchesne, a young-looking man, about 60; the se-
cond in command, Rear-Admiral Dubourdien, about
45, has lost a leg. The captains and offlcers are
young men, and experienced men, inasmuch as they
are almost constantly employed, and it requires more
interest for a French officer to get out of employment
than for an English officer to get into it. Promotion
is by selection, except to lieutenants, where one-half
rise by seniority, and, as far es I could learn, with
little favouritism. lam justified in saying they are
commanded and officered by experienced men, for
they are almost always afloat, while we, on the other
band, are commanded by men who are employed
about once in ten or fifteen years, when little justice
is shown in selection for promotion, and not much for
employment.
Napoleon said Cherbourg was an eye to see and an
arm to strike. We had better take care, or some day
it will strike with a vengeance. We have Russia on
our ltft flank with a large fleet in the Baltic, and
France with a harbour capable of holding a large
fleet in our front, waiting only a railroad from Paris
to make it complete. Should these two Powers at
any time fall out with us, I do not think they will
pay much attention to Cobden's Peace Congress. One
wants to go to Constantinople, the other wants to g..)
to the Rhine, and we want to prevent both; and when
the pear is riper Cobden's preaching at Frankfort will
not prevent them.

I remain, Sir, your obedient servant,
CIIAIILES NAPIER.

Merchistoun, Oct. 1.

FATAL ACCIDENT TO A CLERGYMAN.

It is with deep regret we record this week the death
of the Rev. J. C. Egginton, sllich occurred at his re-
sidence Wellington Villa, on Saturday last. The
circumstances which led to the death of the deceased
gentleman were of a very painful character. On Sa-
turday fortnight, September 21, Mr. Egginton, in
company with his daughter, twelve years of age, and
a young gentleman named Robeson, a pupil of Chel-
tenham College, was taking horse exercise in the
neighbourhood of Andoversford. In the course of
their ride deceased put his horse at a fence, which be
was unable to clear, and the consequence was that his'
foot caught in the top of the wall, and he was thrown
with his rider several yards into the field. The com-
panions of the deceased could not see whether or not
the horse fell on him, but on getting round into the
field where he was, they found him lying on the
ground and groaning heavily. He lay for about five
minutes insensible, and then became sufficiently con-
scious to ask wbere he was and what had happened, end
whether medical assistance had been sent for. His
daughter, with admirable presence of mind, had dis-
patched Laster Rohe'son to the nearest house at An-
doversford for a spring cart and other assistance, and in
the mean time had sent a country lad on her own
pony to Cheltenham with a note for the first medical
man he could meet with. The accident occurred
about three o'clock, but it was nearly six before medi-
cal assistance arrived at the spot, and during that
time Miss Eggington continued bathing the sufferer's
temples, and on his complaining of chiiliness, covered
him with articles of dress from her own person. On
the arrival of Dr. Forman deceased was removed
home in a fly, and on his arrival was well enough to
walk with assistance into the house and up to his bed-
room. He was suffering intense pain, hut it was dis-
covered that no bones bad been broken, nor was any
serious injury inflicted on the brain. The chief seat
of the mischief was in the back and spine, and the
unfavourable symptoms continued with occasional
fluctuations up to the time of his death, which oc-
curred in the presence of all his family, and in the
full possession of his mental faculties. Deceased was
a clergymon of the Church of Fngland but living on
his private property, and was 44 years of age. An
inquest was held last Tuesday evening before Mr.
Pruen, when the above facts being proved in evidence
the jury returned a verdict of " Accidental death."
Cheltenham Examiner.

A PROTECTIONIST LANDLORD.—It Will be re-
membered that, in our publication following the Marquis of
Exeter's rent-audit in July last, we announced that, instead
of a reduction of rents being offered, as a few had anticipated,
the feelings of the tenantry were uncomfortably excited by
the exhibition of a paper intimating that all who felt dis-
satisfied with existing rentals might, upon application have
their farms re-valued: not a word, however, being said about
the condition of the farms when the tenants entered, or the
money they had invested in the permanent improvement of
the land. It seems that some of the tenantry, experiencing
the difficulty of "making both ends meet" at the present
value of faun produce, and believing that, as his Lordship
has made great professions of devotion to the agricultural
interest, he would not wish to benefit by low prices at the
expense of the yeomanry, have applied in the proper quarter
for new valuations of their holdings. The request has been
in every instance acceded to; but has been followed with a
document of a portentous character—a formal notice to quit.
As may be expected, the tenants thus situated feel them-
selves in a very critical position, the understanding being that
if his Lordship's valuer adds to the rental, the tenants, in ad-
dition to labouring under the suspicion (it they remain) of
being rebellious, must either consent to pay the increased
demand, or quit at the expiration of the term mentioned in
the notice. Stamford Mercury.

THE LATE RAILWAY ACCIDENT AT BRENTWOOD.—
A liberal subscription has been commenced amongst the in-
habitants of Brentwood and its neighbourhood, on behalf of
•the widows and chidren of the poor fellows recently killed in
the cutting near Shenfield ; and, although strictly speaking,
the men were not in the employ of the company, the board
has handsomely contributed 201., in addition to defraying
the funeral expenses of each.-- .Essex Standard,