The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1857-10-15
FRANCO AMERICAN STEAM NAVIGATION COM
PANY


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FRANCO AMERICAN STEAM NAVIGATION COM
PANY.
AT meeting of the directors of the Franco Ameri-
can Steam Navigation Company, recently held at
operations of 1856 resulted in loss of SIG 800
francs, equal to about $303, 1878. The competition
of British and Americans, who it appears, for the
purpose of injuring the company, reduced rates ex
traordinarily low, and forced the French company
into similar reduction: the loss Of the Lyomnais,
and the necessity of sending damaged vessels to
England to be repaired, there being no accommoda-
ton facilities for repairing large ocean steamers
in France, are stated among the chief causes of
the years loss. 1t was stated however, that from
contracts entered into with the Spanish government
and from the share taken in the formation of the
company which is to have the lines of steamers
about to be established between Nantes and the
West Indies, and which is to receive liberal gov
ernmenta subventon, the Franco-American directors
encourage their shareholders to take more favora-
BILE view of their future prospects
AN AMERICAN MISSIONARIES EXPERIENCE IN
We find the following in the London Express of
the 9th instant
"I The Rev. Mr.. Hay, the American missionary, who,
with his wife and two children, narrowly escaped
death in India from the mutuous sepoys and who has
just arrived home in the India mailpacket Ripon with
his family, preached in the Independent Chapel Above
Bar, Southampton, Sunday evening, to crowded
congregation In his Mr. Hay described the po
stion of the fields Of labor which the three great mis-
sonary societies had marked out for themselves The
Presbyterian Board of Missions, to which MIR Hay was
attached restricted itself to the northwest provinces of
the Bengal Presidency the headquarters Of the Indian
volt. Mr.. Hay was himself stationed at Alahabad,
where there schools colleges and printing presses,
and where from the latter the Christian Scriptures
issued in every language of the surrounding countries.
The whole of the missionary property at Aahabad,
worth 10000 pounds had been destroyed, and 1000
pounds worth in other parts belonging to the same
society had been sacrificed 1t exactly three months
ago on Sunday night that the massacre OF seventeen
English officers out of twenty eight at the at
Aahabad took place At the breaking out of the mutt
ny in that place all the Europe not
cred fled to the fort for eaety Unfortunately many of
the native Christians did not deem 1t necessary for their
safety to enter the fort and they and their families
apprehended by the authority of the Mouvies Their
families ncarceated and exposed to insult and pri
walton, while the native Christian ministers and teachers
put into the public stocks, and exposed there for
nearly week, night and day, with scarcely any
feshment, while savage and Infatuated fanatics
often brandishng swords over them, and threaten
ing them with the most horrible mutlation unless
they oreswore their Christian faith and embraced Mo-
hammedanism. The Europeans blockaded in
the fort for ten days. during which time they
could not go fifty yards outside without being fired Mt.
Outside the fort four hundred Sikh soldiers whose
loyalty questionable and the only defence of the Eu
ropeans against them seventy eighty invalid
tillerymen. Amongst the Europeans one hundred
ladies and large number of children. At one time
mutiny Of the Sikhs apprehcnded. They obtained
possession of spirituous liquors. became drunk and riot
ous and howled like wild beasts For three successive
nights the ladies couched silent and sleepess In the fort
awaiting death; while the European guarded them,
each with revolver in his hand expecting they con
tinually did, attack from the Skhs. Mr. Hay gave
thrilling description of these terrible Most ortu
naely the Skhs abstaned from any outrage while the
Europeans i'm the fort. As soon opportunity
of escape occurred the commandment of Aahabad ordered
all non-combatants down to Calcutta and Mr. Hay is
his way to America to communicate to the Mis-
sonary Society to which he belongs the disasters which
have befallen them.
The Rev. Mr.. Hay the distinguished subject of
the above notice, arrived in New York last week.
He reached this city, accompanied by his family, on
Tuesday last, his way to his old home in Indiana,
and is now the welcome guest of Rev. Dr. Gurley, of
requests Mr.. Hay has not only consented to delay
his departure from Washington until Monday next,
but he will endeavor to meet general soicitude on
subject which is uppermost in the public mind
on both sides Of the Atlantic by delivering on Sun
day next two discourscs (morning and EVENING" in
DIR. Gurley's church, on street, on India and In
dian missions. As he was an eyewitness or an ac-
tor in many of the he describes, his proposed
discourses will have all the interest of personal
narrative.
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