The Sun.
London, England, 1844-09-02 00:00:00

FLANDERS MAI

- -
BRUSSELS, AUG. 29.—His Majesty the King will go
shortly to the camp at Beverloo.
The King will go into mourning for 11 days on occa-
sion of the death of her Imperial Highness the Grand
Duchess Alexandra, consort of Prince Frederick of
Hesse Cassel.
On the 27th the Minerva, Captain Theissing, arrived
at Antwerp, having on board the crew of the English
brig the Providence, of Newcastle, Captain Elliot, bound
from Memel to Boston, in England, which was aban:
Boned on the 20th inst. It seems that Captain Elliot was
on the 16th of August in the Cattegat, where he was,
run down in the middle of the night by a large vessel
which carried away her bowsprit, and proceeded on
her voyage. Captain Elliot could not distinguish to
what nation it belonged. The men immediately
hastened to the pumps, and found that the Pro-
vidence was quite dry. It was not till the 20th that
it sprung a leak, and that water rose so rapidly that the
crew was obliged to make their escape in the long-boat,
the ship threatening to sink every moment. They were
at that time 120 leagues west of the coast of Norway.
After being tossed about for two days, they had the good
fortune to fall in with the Hanoverian barque the
Minerva, the captain of which took them on board, and
afforded them all the assistance that their situation re-
quired.
BRUSSELS, AUG. 30.—The King and Queen of the
Netherlands have arrived at Weimar, the King on the
27th in the evening, and the Queen on the morning of
the 28th. On the 28th a destructive fire broke out in the
fine cloth manufactory of M. Hofermans, at Dixon, near
Verviers. The upper part of the building, containing
the machinery, was destroyed. The two neighbou: ing
manufactories of Messrs. Bleyforest and Desert sustained
some injury from the measures taken to preserve them
from the fire. The loss is estimated at 15,000 or 20,000
francs. The whole is insured.

TILE GREAT SWIMMING MATCH FOR Pim'
POUNDS ASIDE.—This morning the great contest between
Pewters (the London champion) and Hounslow (the Oxford
champion), came off in the Serpentine, Hyde Park, in the
presence of a great number of spectators of the highest re-
spectability. Both men having obtained so much notoriety
as first-rate swimmers, any comment would be superfluous.
The conditions of the match were—to swim once across the
Serpentine to a flag, and return to the starting-place. In
betting, both competitors were freely backed at even ; and
the signal for starting being given, the men plunged into the
water, and swain away with great swiftness, and kept an
equal position for some distance. Pewters was the first who
reached the opposite side ; the men walked out of the water to
the flag, and immediately returned for the winning goal,
both making strenuous exertions, Pewters slightly in ad-
vance ; and, after an admirable contest, Pewters came in the
winner by twenty yards. The match created great interest
among the promoters and admirers of this useful science -
and although the race came off as early as seven o'clock;
there was not less than 800 persons present. The distance,
which is about 400 yards, was swam in five minutes.
The British and North American Royal mail
steam-ship Britannia leaves Liverpool on Wednesday, for
Halifax and Boston.
The Chancellor of the Exchequer has to acknow-
ledge the receipt of 1001., to be placed to the credit of the
nation, transmitted to him in a letter signed " Peccavi."—
Downing-street, August 31, 1844.
SMUGGLING FROM HER MAJESTY'S SHIP TIITHYDRE.
—The Board of Customs, upon receipt of the depositions
against R. J. Ruffels, a waterman of Chatham, taken before
the Mayor of Rochester, Mr. L. Allen, on Monday the 26th
ult., and which appeared in The Sun of last week, directed
Mr. W. Sawyers, the collector of customs at Rochester, to
proceed against the prisoner, and also the gun-room steward
of the ship, under the 49th and 85th sec. of the 3d and 4th
William IV., cap. 53, for the penalty in each case of 100/..
The case was accordingly investigated before the Mayor and
other Magistrates for the borough of Rochester, when Ruffels
was fined in the full penalty. of 1001., and Richards, the
steward in the mitigated penalty of 251.
TILE EXIIIBIIION OF FINE ARTS AT WESTMINSTER
HALL.—On Saturday, the exhibition at Westminster Hall,
of the cartoons, fresco painting, and sculpture, finally closed,
having been on view two months. During that period, from
the Ist to the 15th of July, visitors were admitted by the
payment of a shilling each person, and for the last six weeks,
with the exception of the Saturdays, the exhibition
free, and many thousands were present each day. There
were one hundred and eighty-three works of art, of which
eighty-four were specimens of fresco painting and cartoons,
and 99 of sculpture, there being 58 contributors of the
former, and 69 of the latter. Last year the number of
competitors was one hundred and thirty-two, who forwarded
one hundred and forty cartoons. Of these twenty-one re-
ceived rewards, but sixteen of them have only appeared
before the public this year. Above a hundred of the con-
tributors, on the last occasion, have sent in no specimens.
The whole of the works must be removed in a few days.
Owing to the activity of the police, who were daily on duty,
we have not heard of any robberies taking place.
SOUTHAMPTON, SEPT. 1. The Peninsular and
Oriental Company's steamer Royal Tar, Captain Henry
Foster, arrived this day at half-past eight r.M., bringing the
following mails—from Gibraltar, Cadiz, Lisbon, ()porn!, and.
Vigo. Her dates of departure are as follow:—from Gibral-
tar Aug. 24th, Cadiz 25th, and Lisbon 27th. Ships of war
lying at Gibraltar—Her Majesty's ship Formidable, 80;
Scout, 20; steamers, Hecla and Sydenham • Acheron, sailed
24th, with Malta mail ; two Danish frigates and one steamer,
one Norwegian corvette, one Sardian corvette, one United
States store ship, and one French steamer. Cadiz—Three
French steamers, one American frigate, and one Spanish
corvette. Lisbon—Her Majesty's ship Caledonia, and three
French steamers. Specie on board-11 packages. List of
Passengers—Mr. Lang, Colonel Dumford, Lieut. Dundass,
Mr. Beckwith, Mr. Mulcasten, Mr. Trupi, Mr. Pridgen, Mr.
Coalback, Mr. Lawrence, MrGeorge Warm, Mr. M'Carthen,
Mr. Dunlop, Miss Bell, and Mr. Porto.
CAPTAIN WARNER'S INVENTION. —M. Jobard, of
Brussels, who has devoted much attention to pyrotechnic; '
works, has communicated to the French Government what
he states to be the composition of Captain Warner's destruc-
tive power. It consists, he says, of a Congreve rocket, made
in this way :—The head of it is composed of a hollow iron
cone, of great strength, containing a kilogramme of fulmi-
nrocatkeeot, of w
of mercury,ih
theon body whi
is twicechis
placedas
ong as those the usual charge
in generalargeoftl
use. He discharges his projectile from a directing tube
from the port-hole of the vessel, and on a level with the
water, so that his projectile,
skimming along the wave :4,
which
enemysupp,
so r tveasspela,rwt ohferitesire bursts,ight, files
hen itselfthe fiirne therea aidet
10 •
the
fulminating powder, and, makinganwimmense openinf in it,
sinks it at once. The proper range of this rocket is only
three or four miles, but Captain Warner imagines he can
send it five or six by discharging it from a cannon. He does -
not say that he will attain his object in the first attempt, .
but he will try on until he succeeds-
, CAPTURE or Two SLAVERS.—Her Majesty's sloop
Star arrived at Ascension on the 7th of July from _
Prince's Island (Cape Coast) after a successful cruise of
five months on the west coast of Africa, during which
time she captured two slavers—a small schooner and •
large brig upwards of 500 tons register—both of which -
have been proved lawful prizes. The commander and
some of his officers had been ill, but none had died, with •
the exception of the purser, who died on shore in the
hospital on the Bth of July from the effects of the climate.
The surgeon was still unwell. The commander and his
officers and crew were all in good health at Ascension.
_The Star was to sail for St. Helena about the 15th of -
July.
Now that the harvest is pretty well over, the farmers
are beginning to discharge their labourers or lower their
wages. In several parishes near Lewes, this has bees
done, and the winter is again looked forward to with
dread by the agricultural population.—Brighton Hera 14 -
It is said that Count Protasow, President of the
Synod of St. Peteisburgh (sent to Rome on a Breda',
mission by the Emperor of Russia), has been received ,
with every distinction at the Papal Court; and that the ,
long existing Church difficulties appear to approach to a
satisfactory settlement. His Excellency M. de Bouteai, d, -
who, since his arrival at Rome, resided in locanda , has
just taken the palazzo Gustiniani for a term of six years,
—Dublin *Evening Post.

SPIRIT of the PUBLIC JOURNALS.

FROM TEE EVENING PAPERS OF SATURDAY.

C-LOBE.—Our French neighbours certainly are
cur Lolls fellows. The position they have assumed,
am the voies de fait by which they have followed it
up. may be considered as in some respects parallel to
our own in 1840. They have acted is reliance on
English neutrality—and with the covert zest of a
rei anche against English policy. They have mainly
laboured to demonstrate to Abd-er-Rahman (the
Pr, nce de Joinville's dispatch, which our readers will
find elsewhere, says it in so many words) that they
could " hit him hard, for he had no friends." That is
to say, that England could not, or would not, befriend
Lim. This is precisely what offended them so
sorely in our proceedings towards Mehemet Ali.
Well !—having had their revanche—having demon-
strated to the Mussulman the only truth that Chris-
tian Powers ever take the trouble to demonstrate
to Mussulmen—namely, that they, the said Chris-
tian Powers, are able to drub them at discretion—
having taken this very cogent method of
over-
coming the Moorish repugnance to the new reli-
gion of Algiers (the opera, and cafés d trois bil-
ds)—one would think what our neighbours face-
tiously call their public mind might rest on its
laurels. They might remember how very coolly
.we
took their wrath and our triumphs at Acre. Nothing
mambling any sort of effervescence in the way of
glory or anti-Gallicanism appeared anywhere in the
haunts where cocknies most do congregate. The
veni-ridi-rici feat of Acre, and the prompt clearance
of Syria, were matters which seemed to be deemed
worthy of business-like entry at most, as accounts
settled ; and as regarded any triumphant memorial of
them, we remember none but the metrical log of a
Jack Tar—
" The Castor's guns were thirty-six,
Not one of them a quaker ;
The Castor's man they fought like bricks—
And so we took John Acre."
OTir French neighbours manage things differently.
Nothing will serve them—apropos of this last proof
of what was already indubitable—namely, that semi-
barbarous courage cannot withstand courage, tactics,
and discipline—nothing will serve them but chorussing
with immense enthusiasm that opera-song of theirs
which sets forth that Englishmen never shall reign in
France !

" Jamais en France,
Jamais l'Anglais ne regnera !"
Ile French bully Morocco, and thereupon sing
" The English shall not reign in France!" There
may be more of logical sequence than we can trace in
these facts and. deductions. We can only say that we
think such sallies very silly, and very undignified. So,
we are satisfied, the whole reflecting portion of the
French public must think them. The English never
shall reign in France ! As if the English, these three
centuries, had ever shown the slightest ambition
to reign in France ! As if the English had ever
engaged in such schemes of empire as Timis XIV.,
who took the House of Stuart into pay—and had his
purchase sent home to him accordingly. As if the
English had ever indulged in such day-dreams about
remodelling the Rue Vivienne or its passages as Na-
poleon favoured us by doing about the Strand, which
he magnificently meant to have greatly widened
for us—a feat we have in some measure ma-
naged to achieve without him. The external
greatness of England in modern times has arisen
from no policy of external domination. Her mer-
centile and colonial enterprises have required sup-
port and protection ; and she bas given them. Eng-
land has not begun by conquest, in order to found
new empires; but conquests have been forced upon
her—factories have become empires against her will.
Europe knows well, or ought to know well, that it
has no inroads to fear from England. Does it know
as much as regards France ? Do not our spirited
r.ghbours indulge is remembrances of conquest and
domination, which England has not indulged in these
V.,..ce centuries ? Is there not something ludicrous in
reviving recollections of English rule in France; when
t's it which is fresh in all Europe's memory, and in
her own, is the European empire of France ? But
acre is nothing sincere in this stanza; except the
vulgar ill-feeling of it. It is not that England wants
to rule in France, or that the worst-informed. Parisian
es sn thinks so—but that England does not want
Fotnce to threaten her and others in the safety of
their dominions. The policy of England is that
of European independence and peaceful commerce.
Is that the policy dictated by the present war party
in France ? The National, for instance, is calling
out loudest for war with England. Not very long
back, the National declared that its patterns
of foreign policy were Louis XlV.—and the
Cemmittee of Public Safety. The juxta-posi-
ti n of these names was a sufficient proof of
the real nature of that liberty which revived
Jacobin republicanism really means, when it
uses the word. Ib is not the liberty to do as they
}Passe : that is a mere English shopkeeping doctrine.
I: is the liberty to make every one else do as they
ple.tse—the doctrine followed out alike by Louis
, and the Committee of Public Safety. The
Times dismisses us follows (without mentioning)
ti!l supposition that otr Government had interfered
Nrlith French occupation at Mogadore :—"Having
a !mated that a legitimate cause of war exists between
these two independent States, it would he puerile in
• to cavil at every incident which may take place in
the course of hostilities. Our business is simply to
take care that the cause of the war is not converted
into a cause of aggrandisement, and that the issue of
the contest be not such as to infringe upon our own
national interests, and on the balance of power." Cer-
tainly it is our business to put salt on the bird's tail;
fur then we shall catch it.

THE «SEVEN NICOLLS."
(From the Kaval and Military Gazette.)
We recently published an article relative to the
" Three Napiers, ' and a eorsespondent in Dublin has
c::11ed our special attention to another family of gal-
lant men. He says very justly, if the honoured
another of the `rapiers had reason to be proud, of
giving birth to three such sons, and Scotland has felt
herself honoured in their having sprung from her soil,
hew much more proud ought she to be who claims
tha maternity of seven officers, distinguished for their
brsvery, and many of them for their wounds, in their
Sovereign's service; and how much greater honour
rimy that town, or that kingdom, lay claim to, who
liftve fostered such sons? That pride justly belongs
to the venerable and respected head of the Nicolls'
family—that hono*r unquestionably attaches to Cole-
raine.

Mrs. Nicolls, now nearly ninety years of age, is
si,,ter of the late General William Cuppage, of the
R )val Artillery. She has had seven sons, all of whom
were in the united service at the same time.

The eldest R.M., has been
in 102 engagements, and was 23 times wounded—
orce shot through the body, an eye shot out, and his
skull fractured. In consideration of these services,
her Most Gracious Majesty, on the recommendation
of the authorities, has granted him a pension for the
remainder of his life, besides full-pay.
Liout.-Col. W. B. Nicolls, who died at Jamaica on
25:h May last, left Coleraine in 1792, and was ap-
pointed ensign in her Majesty's 78th Regiment in
the East Indies, and shortly afterwards in 72d High-
landers. He was present at the capture of the Cape
of Good Hope, and at the taking of the Isle of France,
Bourbon, &c. Shortly aftenvards he received
his majority from the 72d to the 2d West
India Regiment, of which, in due course,
she became lieutenant- colonel. Had he survived
uLtil November he would have been fifty years in the
army, during which period he was constantly em-
ployed in tropical and sickly climes, and never on
half-pay for any period of that long and arduous
werviee. He devoted five sons to the service, all of
whom had her Majesty's commission. His two eldest
died-in Africa, while on duty in the Gambia. Four
survive him ; the eldest now resides in London ; one
a l'eutenant in the 25th Regiment in India, and two
arc captains the 56th and 2d West India regi-
ments. He has also left behind a widow, three
daughters, and a grand-daughter. The late Colonel
W. B. Nicolls was the second son of Mrs. Nicolls.
As an officer he was universally esteemed and be-
loved by all with whom he was professionally con-
nected. In him the soldier had a warm and perserer-
ing friend and advocate.
‘i9oFgs Cuppage Nicolls, third son of Mrs.
ticorgiana Nicolls, of Coleraine, joined the Royal
vy, on board her Majesty's ship
Nassau, as a mid-
shi,tman, in 1795, commanded by Captain Thomas
Be: tie, who •
' being, after due course, appointed to her
Alvjsty's ship Ardent, took him him, and, while
serving in that ship,was killed by a fall from the
mi;:9ntop-sailyard-arm, in the act of putting an ear-
-ice, 1798). in the sail, off the Texei (while on her Majesty's
ser
Lieutenant Abraham Nicolls, fourth son, served as
lieutenant in the Royal Marines, also as ensign
in
the Westlndia Rangers, and latterly in her Majesty's
WI Regiment, as lieutenant. Havinglost his health
white Bergh:lg in the West Indies, he returned inva-
lided to Europe, and died 18th May, 1810, at Coleraine.
Robert Nioolls, fifth son, went abroad, as mid-
shipman, on board her Majesty's ship Standard, and,
in due course, was appointed, Admiralty passed, mid-
shiprsan to her Majesty's ship ,and served in the
Weptlndies, He died at Kingstown, Jamaica, 4th
Aril, 1819, of yellowdfever.
-William Nicoll*, sixth son, joined the Royal Ma-
lin's, as lieutenant, 1812, and served on board her
biriesty's ship Chatham, on the Walcheren expedition,
and afterwards in the West Indies, whence he was
inydided, having lost his health at the island of Ber-
tou.la, and died soon after in Coleraine, May 18, 1819.
Commander Jonathan Nicolls, R.N., the youngest
surviving son, now living with his mother in
Oolcraine, has also signalised himself in defence
of his country. He bore a part in several of
the- hard contested '
engagements under the imme-
diate eyes of Lord Nelson Sir H. Parker, and
B#;T. Graves, and received a wound at the Duda..

nelles, the effects of which have been the shelving or
exfoliation of the bones of his leg, and increasing
suppuration discharging from his wounds ever since,
rendering his leg a burden to him. He is now, in
consequence, retired on half-pay—a slender income
for an officer of his standing and superior merit.
Commander Nicolls entered the navy as a first-class
volunteer, early in 1800, on board the Defiance, and
was present in her at the blockade of Brest, Saints,
and Laryengues, under the command of Admirals Earl
St. Vincent, Lords Cornwallis and Bridport, and other
gallant officers, during which period he was frequently
engaged with the enemy, and was present, though but
15 years old, in that ship's barge, with the late gallant
captain, then Lieutenant Mouncey, when she cut out
a chasinaree between Ushant and St. Matthew, from
under the fire of the field-pieces which lined the
beach, and brought her off to the squadron. He also
served in said ship on the Baltic expedition, and was
present at the battle of Copenhagen. The ship bore
the flag of Rear-Admiral Sir T. Graves, and was
under the immediate command of Lord Viscount Nel-
son. The Defiance was then nearly destroyed by fire
from red-hot shot discharged by the great Crown
Battery ; she had 102 officers and men killed and
wounded, and amongst the former, Lieutenant
George Grey, to whom he was A.D.C. He after-
wards served in the Goliah and Trent, in the
West Indies, and was present in the former
ship at the capture of several of the enemy's
vessels. The next actions in which he figured were
the blockades of Rochfort, St. Martin's, and Sable-
delone, where the Goliah's boats cut out the brig
Rachel from under the enemy's batteries and ships of
war. He was afterwards successively engaged under
Sir J. T. Duckworth, Sir S. Smith, and Sir I. Lewis,
and was present at the cutting out of a large Polacer
ship of 500 tons, when he was badly wounded, and
nearly lost his left eye ; at the captures of Alexandria
and Elhamett ; and at the capture of the President
French ship. After upwards of nine months' severe
suffering from wounds and climate he returned to
Europe. On recruiting his health, he was appointed
junior lieutenant of the Superb, bearing the flag of
Rear-Admiral Sir R. Keats, in which vessel he served
in the Mediterranean. He again returned as an in-
valid, on half-pay. His health again improving, he
was appointed to Malin Head signal station twice in
succession, in command of the gun-boats in Lough
Swilly, Donegal. The Lords of the Admiralty were
graciously Pleased to appoint him a commander of the
fleet in April last—after being on the list of lieute-
nants for nearly thirty-seven years, during the
greater part of which he suffered very severely in his
general health, brought on in consequence of his se-
vere wounds. He has been present at the destruction
of upwards of 100 sail of the enemy's ships of war, of
every description. It is also worthy of remark that,
whilst Commander, then Lieutenant Nicolls, was
engaged at the great gum during the time of action,
his brother, Colonel Edward, was frequently in the
same ship, commanding the marines. Seldom, if
ever, has a similar circumstance occurred in the ser-
vice; yet, strange to say, that notwithstanding all
their services, those brave officers have been compara-
tively unrewarded.
Also, Lieutenant Hugh Montgomery Nicolls,
Royal African Corps, son of Commander Nicolls,
served several years in Africa, at Fernando Po, Sierra
Leone, &c., and died on his passage, with his detach-
ment, to the Gambia, on the 25th December, 1837
was the youngest surviving son of Captain Jonathan
Nicolls, R.N.
The late Lieutenant and Commander Edward
Nicolls, of her Majesty's ship Dwarf, was eldest son
of Colonel E. Nicolls, R.M.—was drowned off Tar-
bert, river Shannon, Ireland, while striving to save
the life of a fellow creature in danger, in a yacht, the
property of the Knight of Glin, in March, 1844.
Lieutenant Richard T. T. Nicolls, second son of
the above Colonel E. Nicolls, is now in India, in the
East India Company's service.