The Sun.
London, England, 1857-12-18 00:00:00

THE ENGLISH PRISONERS AT SALERNO.

Mr. Watt, of Newcastle, the father of one of the
British engineers confined in the dungeons of Na-
ples, has received the following letter from the
chaplain to the British Embassy at that place :
" Naples, Dec. 9.
" Sir,—l received your letter on Monday, the fth,
and knowing how anxious your son was to hear of all
his dear relatives at home, I took the very first oppor-
tunity (i.e., yesterday) of going down to Salerno to show
it to him ; though it was a Testa, or holiday, and I was
in danger of going for nothing, as all officials are gene-
rally absent from home on those days. I found that the
Procurator-General was from home, but after sending
for him in various directions I gained admittance) to the
prison. The delay, however, was the cause of my being
longer with the prisoners, as it made me too late for the
afternoon train, and so I stayed for the evening one, and
spent considerabletime in conversation with them. Your
arisesn
swwh oe nhrs
emefed
they
oho
more
emenydo
etbettercoohaloeonmi
ra
tpr
take
kaai
aeinv
nni
endthxsge
mteaborl
ocetu
orike
seenet7hc
eahabmnenudeothr
vhhfe
euae
dlwvn.
ieannswtTt
obhl
heneai before—though
roaselmr —gn
pt
eurtarophnropoyogot ioesgomerhf:
all their fellow-prisoners. Indeed, they all seemed quite
cheerful, and conversed freely with the officer who ac-
companied me, as well as with myself. Your son and
his companion, Parks, assured me that they acted by
my counsel, and constantly prayed to God to support
and relieve them, and read their bible every day ; they
also returned lii religious tracts I had lent them, and
desired to have some more. So I really trust that their
affl ction may, with God's grace, be turned to good ac-
count, and that they will for the future be more sincere
and earnest disciples of Christ than they have hitherto
been, and be able to say with the Holy Psalmist, Blessed
is the man, Q Lord, whom thou chastenest ; before I
was afflicted I went wrong, but now I have kept
thy statutes.' I paid them a second visit the week
after I wrote last (Thersday, 26th ult.), and found
they had been moved two days to the larger
apartment. Yon perhaps have seen in the news-
papers a report that one of the prisoners had attempted
suicide. I heard this after I returned from my first visit
to them ; and therefore, on my second visit, I thought
it right to question them about it. Your son eonfeesed
that he had so, and, as far as I could learn, he was in-
duced to make the attempt by a melancholy feeling of
despondency, which led him to imagine that all was
against him. His companion told me it mime from mis-
understanding what was said about him by his, com-
panions through his not understanding the Italian lan-
' guage thoroughly. On the 26th of November I talked
very earnestly and seriously to him upon the subject,
and he assured me he would never attempt anything
of the kind again, and I have good reason to hope
he sees it in its true light, and will keep his promise.
I talked to him again about it yesterday, and he said
cheerfully that there was no danger of such a thing
again. lie is evidently of a silent and nervous dis-
position. I suppose they did not like to confess this
sad thing, and so said nothing about it on my first
visit. Being permitted by the King of Naples to
visit them as a minister of religion, when nobody
else was allowed to see them, I did not cross-question
them about anything, as it would have been dishonour-
able to act in any way as a spy. I merely desired them
to tell me anything they wished voluntarily ; and their
statements I gave you the general summary of in my
last letter. Besides my object was chiefly religious,-to
load them to take their affliction patiently, and to bear
up courageously, in dependence upon God's help and
protection ; whereas, if I had spent my visits in ques-
tioniug them about grievances, they would have fancied
themselves, perhaps, worse treated than they have been,
and been irritated and more cast down in spirit, instead
of being ca'med or cheered. I therefore, I repeat, only
heard and have 'written to you what they told me of
their own accord. Yesterday your son said he was
very much comforted by your letter 'and those of
his friends, which I let him read for himself. lie
begged me earnestly to write directly, and send you
all his love, and tell you he was well and cheerful.
I obtained leave for him to write and send a letter
by we, and I promised to wait in the town tes?.
hours for him to send it to me if he chose to stfrite!
rue
did not get any letter from him, and indeed he e
ntootunliterstvainridtintghawt htehcxmldannoyt
iwnritthee.
rather shy and nervous. As I have very. much
copy my a minister, and so
atclsoufe3ytolur ton's case, or
cannot go.titulhouroaugndhlythionutgohtthse 0
D,room,h Perhaps
avag es at
hemh eadodoi
ado
little inquiry about the legal par
theaisr trial was going
nationally. It was not my busuie
but for Li. sake I asked the
about the justice of the arrest,
spsolaintidcalllyahaanudld inter-
nationally.
by interfering in it ;
oPnr,oac ua rdaquickly as pos-
sible. The forms of justice are Blow in this country, but
I think the utmost will be done for them, as the British
Government have exerted theinsi lees very much on the
ltiueriGoledniee7li it yesterday was Proceeding
subj,,ct and her Majesty's Acting Consul at Naples
went down to Salerno last week and the week before.
Ia
twi
on onl
.hwro thinkatayvyoeau wwrainit
tdtnee onl
wbwthi
in very
a when
uvler nrnsyyaot
nvhgeing eaanty havesnorehaste,
your
tert t
le
eau tenl t
all
de particular
syou,have
an vi
oe
rbu o I
not
time to look over my letter, as I wish to save the post
to-Jay, otherwise I cannot send my letter before Satur-
day ; but I hope I have written so as to be understood
by you.

" Yours faithfully,
" G. Pous, Chaplain.„

PRINCE ALBERT'S POEM.—The subject of the -
poem for which Prince Albert annually gives" a gold
medal at Cambridge will for the coming year be Delhi*"