The Sun.
London, England, 1827-03-22 00:00:00

THE FUNDS-(THIS DAY).

CITY, Twelve o' Clock:

Consols closed yesterday, after much fluctuation, at 82i and
opened this morning at the same rate ; they have siroe been 82* 3,
with literally little or no business, alternately buyers and sellers at
82i all the morning ; they are now buyers, about per Cent. less
for money; There appears an anxious feeling on the part of the
public to ascertain what is done at the Quarterly Meeting of the
Bank Proprietors, which takes place this day ; rumour has been
busy, and it has been surmised that questions are likely to be put
which may have an important effect on the money market; in the
mean time, India Bonds continue, if any thing higher, being
56 8 ; and Exchequer Bills, 36 7 pm. The Foreign Funds are
without any important feature, and not much activity has been
exhibited; Colombian Bonds are 141; Mexican, 70i ; Russian,
871 8 ; Portuguese, 751 64-. In Shares nothing new.
Three per Cent. Consols, 82i ; Ditto for account, 82! ;
India Bonds, 56 8 pm. ; Exchequer Bills, 36 7 pm.
FOREIGN FUNDS.--Brazilian, 65 6 ; Buenos Ayres, 31 3 ;
Chilian, 35 7 ; Colombian, 1824, 411 ; Danish, 611 4 ;
Greek, 161 17 ; Mexican 5 per Cent. 58 9 ; Ditto, 6 per Cent.,
70i ; Peruvian, 34 5 ; Portuguese, 754 64 ; Russian, 871 8;
Spanish, 12i I.
miN Es. —Anglo Mexican, 421 40 die. ; Brazilian, 21 3 pm. ;
Colombian 15 17 per Sly .re ; Pasco Peruvian, 161 151 dis. ;
Potosi, 29 31 per Sha.re ; Real del Monte, 70 80 pm.; Tlal-
puxahua, 15 25 pm. ; United Mexican, 14 13 die. ; Bolivar, par.
Two o' Clock.
Consols are 62i 83, looking very firm ; Mexican Bonds, 714 ;
Colombian ditto, 42.

THREE 0' CL 0 CK.

Consols, 83, rather sellers.
FOUR o'CLOCK—CLOSING PRICE.
Consols 82/ Danish Bonds 61/
Do. for Ac. 82/ Greek Do. 1825 16/
Brazilian Bonds Mexican Do. 1825, 701
Buenos Ayres Do. 65/ Peruvian Do.
Chili= Do. Russian► Do. 87/
Columbian, 1824; 421 Spanish Do. 12i

DISCOVERY SHIP.

His Majesty's ship Hula, Captain Parry, bound on a voyage
of Discovery to West Spitzbergen, and the North Pole, lying op-
posite to the King's-yard, at Deptford, was to have been inspected
yesterday, by the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty, who
postponed their intended visit until Friday.
On Sunday next the Hecla sails to Northfleet ; four or five
days afterwards to Sheerness, or the Now ; from whence she will
take her final departure, in the first week of next month.
The Hecla sails on the present occasion alone, unaccompanied
by either transport, or oilaer ship of war. Her burden is about
400 tons, and though a post ship, she only carries two Six
pounders, and a complement of 64 men, namely :
Three, Lieutenants.
First Lieutenant, Mr. Ross.
Second ditto, Mr. Foster, who acts likewise as Astronomer and
Surveying Officer.
Third ditto, Mr. Crosier.
Master, Mr. Crawford—a gentleman well acquainted with the
Greenland navigation and trade, who has made four voyages
in the Hecla before.
Master's Mate, Mr. Ware, lately returned from Africa.
Surgeon, Mr. Beaverley.
Assistaist-Surgeon, Mr. Mac Cormick.
Three Midshipmen. In all 20 Officers and Warrant Officers,
seven marines, and the rest a fine crew of seamen.
The ship is about twelve years old—the expedition to Algiers,
in 1816, having been her very first trip.* She carries 19 months'
provisions, 45 chaldrons of coals, and her water in bulk, or, more
properly speaking, in tanks, instead of water casks,` which con-
stitutes a great saving in stowage ; an object of great importance
in long voyages.
The greatest attention has been paid to the victualling depart-
ment of the ship. Preserved meat, beef, pork, veal, and mutton,
besidee vegetables, are carried out in tin cannisters, besides 2,000
-pounds weight of pemmican, a concentrated-essence of meat dried
by a fire of oak and elm wood, six pounds of the beet beef being
reduced to one ponnd, the contrivance of a Mr. Holmes, a sur-
geon, and late resident at Hudson's Bay. Samples of this quint-
essence of animal food are shown on board, having the appearance,.
and somewhat the flavour, of -German sausages, with that differ-
ence, however, that the expense of it is said to be 17s. per pound.
This is intended to be" used in the. boats after leaving the ship at
Spitsbergen, as well as the biscuit powder.
The strength of rum is rectified to 55 per cent. above proof.
The ship herself is secured by strong iron knees, both fore and aft.
S'ae is lined all over with a coating of cork, in layers of three inches
thick, to protect the men against cold and damp. Iron flues, of a se-
mi-cylindrical shape, Convey heated air to all parts of the ship, from
a stove below the lower deck, as well "as from the caboose between-
decks, subject to the regulation of a thermometer. From 60 to-70
dead lights, in various parts of the deck, convey light to not only
all the officers and warrant-officers' cabins, but likewise to the
crew. They are so arranged that they may be taken out, and ventil-
lators screwed in their places to air the ship. The boards of the
upper deck are not laid longitudinally, as usual, but diagonally, for
the sake of greater strength. "Apatent capstan, by -phillips, in a.per-
pendicular position, with three _multiplying wheels, is .placed ,be-,
twixt the main and mizen-mast, beeides a. horizontal one aft of the
fore-mast ; the former being of a new construction. In comforts
for the crew, the Hecla far exceeds az;ly ship of her size, the sleep-
ing places, tables, &c., being arranged with great judiciousness.
Every two men have a large box, like an arm-chest, assigned to
them, duly numbered, which serves for a. seat. The tables are
covered with green baize. Light, airiness, elegance, and salubrity
characterise every part between decks. Two arm-chests, four
pumps, three compasses, one of them on an elevated stand, and
five boats are upon deck, and three ice-boats have arrived from
Woolwich yesterday; but are for the present deposited in the
King's Yard. Round the main-mast is an assemblage of hoard-
ing pikes, to keep the bears off, or any such intrusive visitors.
Captain Parry's great cabin contains a library of a considerable
number of miscellaneous works ; and besides the usual conveni-
ences, a large assortment of clothing, furs, and other equipments,
calculated for the climate he purposes t 3 revisit. Fur jackets,
coats, or rather tunics, of Esquimaux manufacture, trousers, and
fur boots, in great varieties, some lined with seal skins, others
with wolf, racoon, or bear skins ; some for wear in the day-
time, others to sleep in on the ice, with caps attached to them ;
some lined with skins of the black and red-footed diver, others
with:those of eider ducks, extremely soft, warm, and beautiful ;
some sewed with sinews by Esquimaux ladies, others by
London furriers ; snow shoes (Canadian) four feet long, with net-
work of catgut, extremely light and appropriate for the object;
eye preservers of gauge wire, shaped like spectacles, but cusvex,
and some two inches broad, to go round the temples, and cheek-
bones, but leaving the nostrils and mouth uncovered, as the
breath, if confined, would be soon condensed to one entire mass
of ice.
The small-clothes and -aantaloons are provided with straps and
buckles in lieu of buttons.
On the starboard side of the main cabin hang engravings of
Lord Radstock and Capt. Franklin. On the larboard side that of
his Majesty. In Capt. Parry's bed-room hangs a picture of his
lady, and a likeness of his mother is suspended immediately under
the portrait of Mrs. Parry.
The gun-room and officers' cabins were fitted up with every
convenience the size of the ship admits of, which, owing to the
preparation for departure, and the consequent bustle, cannot be
seen to advantage.
The ice anchors differ materially from the common anchor,
having but one flook, or rather only a hook, the other at the top
being compressed somewhat like a Roman S.
The ice-boats themselves are provided with large wheels of the
same circumference as coach-wheels at the stern, and a pole pro-
jecting four feet a-head, to be drawn by rein-deer, or in default
thereof, by the crew, when on the ice, and when in the water
are rowed by ten or twelve oars ; the iron keels, ornamented be-
low, are perforated with holes, to admit ropes, for their being hauled
off either way; the bottom is painted black, a white streak on
each side, and the inner part green. They are of considerable
length. They were the day before yesterday brought from Wool-
wich, and remain for the present in the Dock-yard.
The Hecla herself is abundantly found in every thing neces-
sary, has two sets of sails, and new cloth to make one more,
spars, and yards, cordage, ropes, tackle,
apparel, and furniture of every kind and description ; instru-
ments,plenty of spare masts,
both astronomical, optical, and nautical, time-pieces,
; but neither her construction, nor additional strengthenings
can make her sail well, for her greatest velocity never exceeded
eight knots, under the most favourable circumstances, during their
last voyage.

MANCHESTER, MARCH 20.—The general opt-
nion relative to the last week's Market is at variance with the
statements given in some of the papers, and corresponds precisely
wis.h the report sent to you, that there was, as there always Will
be, considerable business doing, but by no means of such a character
as to raise the spirits of the manufacturers, being done mostly at
prices that yield little, if any profit.

BANK OF ENGLAND-(THIS DAY,)

-A General Court of the Governor; Directors, and Company of
the Bank of England,- was held this day, pursuant to public ad-
vertisement, for the purpose of declaring a dividend.
At 12 o'clock, BAKER RICHARDS, Esq. took the Chair, and the
Court having been opened with the usual formalities, the Chair-
man stated, that the Directors had considered the amount of the
half yearly dividends, and suggested, that it should he fixed at
4 per cent. from the sth April next.
Before the question was put, Mr. YOUNG requested that he
might be allowed to address a few words to the Chair upon one
or two points, upon which it was very material that accurate in-
formation should be obtained. He referred to the state of the money
market, and the effect created on it by the employment of
the Bank capital. The interest of the Bank, he said, was that
of the community at large, and the evil that would effect the one,
could not he innoxious to the other. He ar.d every other Pro-
prietor, was aware of the baneful effects which had been produced
on many occasions by an increase of circulation, which was never
so unfortunately exemplified, as in the occurrences of the
year 1825; he therefore trusted that the Directors had
refrained from making any increase in the circulation,
which was not found absolutely necessary by the wants
of the country. There was, at present, a great super-
abundance of capital in the market, and it was therefore the
more necessary sedulously to avoid the recurrence of that state of
things to which he had before alluded. In reference to the
mania for Joint Stock Companies, and Bank speculations, he
hoped the Directors would never lend their sanction to such
schemes, as they inevitably tended ultimately to the injury of
the country. Before he sat down, with the permission of the
Chairman, he would put two or three questions, which it was ma-
terial the public should be set right on, and first, he begged' to
be allowed to inquire the present amount of the Bank circulation.
The CHAIRMAN said, the circulation had varied little or
nothing since the last general meeting.
Mr. YOUNG thought it very desirable that the Proprietors
should be in possession of the exact amount of the circulation.
The CHAIRMAN said that there had been some exaggeration
on the subject, and as it was important that it should be accu-
rately known, the Directors had no hesitation in publicly stating
the circulation of the Bank now was twenty-one millions.
Mr. YOUNG inquired whether the amount stated included
the issue from the Branch Banks, which had been established.
The CHAIRmAx replied in,the affirmative.
Mr. YonNa then asked, whether a large proportion of the
circulatimihad been issued from the Branch Banks?
The- CHAtRarAN replied, that only a very small proportion was
issued from the Branch Banks.
Mr. YOUNG-having declaredhimself perfeetly.satisfied with the
explanoOrr given with respect to the circulation, now begged
permission to advert to another topic. lie wished to learn whe-
ther it had been determined to make any further advances upon
Exchequer Bills, or on loans to Government?
The CHAIRMAN said that the Directors had come to no de-
cision upon that point, but the Hon. Proprietors' could not but be
aware of the extreme delicacy of pressing for information on that
point, and the extreme impropriety there would he in his (the
Chairman's) affording any information on it.
Mr. Youlic did not wish to be understood as pressing for any
information which the Directors thought proper to withhold.
He had put the question not so much for his private information,
as for the benefit of the public, who were deeply interested in the
subject. His object was not to throw any gloom on the Govern-
ment securities, but many reports were afloat, and it was of great
importance that the public should be set right.
The CHAIRMAN said it was true that reports were afloat, the
purpose of which he did not know, nor, he was sure, the Hon.
Proprietor did not know, but which the persons' who put those
reportain circulation knew, full well. He could not help adding,
that it was a great hardship that, the Directors should be subject
to have questions.asked, which Were founded only upon rumours
like those to which he had adverted. • •
• • .
Mr. YonNo said all he had asked was an assent or dissent from
the Chairman to the question, whether any determination had been
come to. - •
The CHAIRMAN said, that on the part of the honourable men
who were around him, on the part of the Proprietors, and on his
own part, holding-as he did the highest office in that Corporation
by their favour, be protested against being called upon for
information which, as an honest man, he was bound to withhold.
—( Hear, hear. )--He had only again to repeat, that he could not
answer' inquiries emanating from interested reports out of doors.
Mr: yOUNci said lie had'merely made the inquiry with the in-.
tention of hiving It answered,: if it was , thought, proper
to answer` it; but— as the Chairman had thought it im-
proper to give that information upon the subject, he felt
perfectly satisfied, and could not conclude without observing that
the manner in which the Chairman had answered his inquiries,
was as honourable to hilisself, as lie was sure it was advantageous
to the interest of the public.
The guestion on the & Mend ‘war'llten put and carried
unanimously.
The CHAIRMAN then stated that the dividend was made pay-
able, on Friday, the 6th April next, and the Court adjourned.