The Sun.
London, England, 1842-09-15 00:00:00

FRENCH AFRICA.

A dispatch was received by the Government on
Saturday from the 3 overnor-General of Algeria,
dated Algiers, 27th ult., and enclosing a report from
Chef de Bataillon du Courthial, the Commandant of
Bugia,.giving an account of an affair with the Ka-
byles, :near that place. The dispatch of General
Bugeaud communicates no other information than the
fact of his having heard from General Negrier, who
had arrived at Algiers from Bugia, that the loss of
the Kabyles was even greater than that stated by M.
du Courthial. The report is dated Bugia, August 26.
After announcing that the Marabout Si-Kerdoud had
assembled the chiefs of several tribes in the market
place of Oulad-ou-Cabas, and preached to them with
great vehemence, promising success in an attack upon
Bugia on the 25th, the report says :—" On the morn-
ing of the 25th, at five o'clock, signals were made
from all the blockhouses of the presence of the enemy
and shortly afterwards several of the block-
houses opened a sharp fire of infantry. I had for
some days past expressly recommended to the ar-
tillery to fire only grape shot in the first in-
stance, and that only when the enemy should be with-
in .a distance of about 250 metres, reserving the shot
and shells for his retreat. The infantry had also been
ordered to reserve their fire until the enemy should
be close at hand. These orders were punctually ob-
served. At the moment when the Mzaias came down
frOm their mountains, and attacked our blockhouse,
i hordes of horsemen and foot debouched from the Col
of the Elisis or from the elbow of the river, and moved
in all directions, placing themselves in ambuscade in
the ravines, the brush-wood, and along the coast, near
the blockhouse Soloman and the crenelated
These two posts, however, which were in the com-
mand of officers of tried bravery, did not, in corn-
' pliance with my orders, open their fire until the
enemy was within half-gun shot. This silent but
firm demeanour, no doubt, awed the assailants, for
the corps, which were led by officers richly clothed
and mounted on most active horses, moved on to-
wards the Foss blockhouse, which had been hotly
attacked by those who came from the top of the plain
of Mzaias. The firing at this point commenced at nine
o'clock, and was kept up with vigour for several
hours. I then saw that the moment for striking
a decisive blow was arrived. I consequently
ordered a mountain howitzer with 60 infantry and
4,000 cartridges to be sent down to this point. Lieu-
tenant Carpentier, who had the command of the artil-
lery at this place, a brave and intelligent officer, re-
solved to take the direction of the operation, although
he had been four days ill of the fever. The detach-
ment marched at a quarter before 10 o'clock, the
crenelated building and the Rapatel blockhouse send-
ing their shot upon the Kabyles, who endea-
voured to impede the march of the detachment. A
severe engagement thereupon took place at the very
gate of the blockhouse, but the artillery of the crene-
lated building, and the Clausel and Rapatel block-
houses showered grape shot and balls upon the enemy,
with such effect that he was compelled to abandon his
attack upon the Foss blockhouse, and retreat in double
quick time to the plain. In a few minutes, the whole
of these hordes, so threatening in their aspect, dis-
persed as by enchantment, and by half-past eleven
o'clock, there was an end of the affair. The enemy
cannot have lost less than 100 men in killed and
wounded. We had only four wounded, one of whom
was Lieutenant Carpentier, who received a ball
through the calf of his leg. The assailing force may
be estimated at 5,000 foot and 600 horse. The Foss
blockhouse was attacked by between 800 and 900
men, and the assault. lasted three hours.

The King, having been informed that a seaman of
Havre, named Moue, had invented a check for stopping
horses when running away, ordered his private secretary,
a few days ago, to write to the inventor the following
letter :—" Th King is aware that, from a sentiment
which he approves, you are engaged in an invention of
great utility. You must have incurred some expense, for
which at least his Majesty wishes to idemnify you,
until your invention shall have received the sanction of
trial and experience. With this intent, and as a mark
of the interest his Majesty takes in your endeavours, he
has destined for you a sum of 3001 r., for which I have
the honour to send you an order on the receiver of
Ha vre."— Galigani.
THE SHEFFIELD TRADE STILL DECLINING.--Not-
withstanding the empty boastings of some speculatists
about revivals in trade, we feel compelled to state the
awful fact that not only are the wages in several branches
of the Sheffield trade rapidly decreasing, but that most
respectable manufacturers continue to reduce the number
of their workmen. The number of decent, nay respect-
able men sweeping the streets, affords daily one of the
most heart-rending sights—a complete damper to all our
old English feelings of national pride ; and when we are
to arrive at the worst, God only knows. Sometime ago
we thought the zero of public suffering had been reached,
but the thermometer still descends. A precious state of
things, this, in a world teeming with plenty 1— Sheffield
Iris.

--The favourite steamer, Bruges, Captain Main,
landed her passengers at St. Katherine's Wharf, Tower,
on Tuesday evening last, within 12 hours after leaving
Ostend. Lord Crewe, lion. Mr. Carleton, Sir James
Back, Captain Greville, &c., arrived by her.