The Sun.
London, England, 1857-12-17 00:00:00

TEE LEVIATHAN.

The launching experiments were resumed yesterday,
but with only a small modicum of success. The presses
were set to work at an early hour, and at ten o'clock a
slip was made of 38 inches aft and 16 inches forward.
This, although not much, had the effect of placing the
vessel straight in the ways, and of removing any suspi-
cion than an obstruction between the rails might exist,
and so effectually bar her progress. As in the case of
former experiments, the works were interrupted by the
bursting or breaking of machinery, a remit which now
appears to attend every attempt. The morning opera-
tions were brought to a standstill by the bursting of a
cylinder, followed by the breaking of one of the immense
river chains, and finally by the destruction of the great
crab-winch, upon which the pressure was so great as to
stave in the iron drum or axle. These mishaps all
occurred at the head of the ship, and arose in spite of the
most careful and skilful precautions; This end of the
ship, which is under the control of Mr. Prowse,
Captain Harrison's chief assistant, has been most
admirably managed throughout, but nothing, it appears,
is strong enough to resist the inert force of the immense
vessel. At one o'clock the pumps were again applied,
but no further movement could be obtained, the only
result being that another cylinder burst, and another
chain gave way, when further effort became impossible.
The last cylinder that burst being one of the principal
ones, Mr. Hepworth, the master shipwright, was com-
pelled to announce that nothing more could be attempted
for at least two or three days. Mr. Robert Stephenson
came down early, snd remained a long time in consulta-
tion with Mr. Brunel. Dr. Livingstone, tho African
traveller, was also amongst the visitors.

AMERICAN VIEW OF THE STATE OP THE INDIAN
MUTINY.—The fuller details of the latest news from In.
dia, brought by the Vanderbilt, confirm the subatantia
value of the successes won by the British before Delhi
and Lucknow, and reinforce the conviction we have
already expressed, that the menacing importance of the
sepoy revolt has been thoroughly dissipated. The muti-
neers, under the inspiration of their Mahomedan leaders,
made this outbreak from the first a contest of race with
race. They challenged the superiority of the rulers to
whom, for a century, they and their fathers had sue.
witted. Doubtless many recollections of the Affgban
eisastere, and n.any vague impressions of the checks ir •
Hinted upon the ever-victorious English in that great
Russian war, of which vague histories wero transmitted
to Bengal along the mysterious channels which penetrate
and permeate the societies of Asia, mingled in the minds
of the soldiery of India with the instigations of the
Oudean aristocrocy, upon whom events are more and
more distinctly fastening the chief responsibility of the
rebellion. But, by whatever motives excited, and ani-
mated with whatever hopes, it is certain that the muti
nesra of Meerut, the Defenders of Delhi, the assassins of
Futteyghur and Cawnpore, fully counted upon humillat•
ing the " narrow-souled, yellow-faced infidels, ' upon
routing them in the field, upon disgracing them in defeat.
These expectations have been signally disappointed, and
in this di-Appointment Eng:and has made herself mis-
tress of the position. This cardinal point has been won,
tee, more rapidly one with a 1 !es exhausting display of
power than was anticipated even by the most songuine
of Eaglish statesmen. That the Eaglish armies in
India, however small in numbers, would be able to
hold their own until the arrival of reinforcements from
home was conceded from the first by all who pos-
s
s.ed any proper late I:gence of the relative
velue3 of the opp 'sin,6 parties, and any authent'c infor-
mation of the general aLitude of the country. But the
English armies in India were not content with holding
their own. They assaulted the mutiny in its centre at
Delhi, besieging a garrison of quadruple their own
strength, and final y taking the city by storm aft. r a
sanguinary contest of nearly a week with a greatly en ee-
rior force, in the streets and squares of a hostile capital,
and under a September sun. They repaired the errors of
ncompatent commanders along a line of nearly 900
miles, and succeeded in so balancing the scale of chances
in their favour at an early stage of the disturbances as to
command the adhe,ion of all th, native princes most im-
portant to their cause. And, finally, at the expiration
of a little more than 4 months from the beginning of
their troubles, they had virtually restored the threatened
supremacy of their race throughout the Peninsnla, and
were only awaiting the arrival of the great armament
despatched to their assistance to complete the great work
so nobly begun.—New York Times.