The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1860-02-21
For Shipping Intelligence, see 4th page
THE TROUBLES ON THE RIO GRANDE.

THE TROUBLES ON THE RIO GRANDE.
THE ATTACK ON THE STEAMER NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
OF THE SUBSEQUENT AFFRAY..
An extra from the office of the Brownsville Flag,
dated the 5th instant contains the following par
ticulars of the attack upon the steamer Ranchero,
the announcement of which has already been tele-
graphed from New Orleans:
''Late last night two couriers, T. n. Stray horn
and Nat White, arrived from the steamer Ranchero,
with dispatches for Major Heitzelman, U. S. A.,
from Col. Ford, commanding the Rangers, and
Lieut. Langdon, U. 5. A., and letter to Capt.
Kennedy from Edward Downey, Esq, written at the
instance Of Captain Martin, of the Ranchero, which
contain the startling information that the steamer
attacked at place called the Balsa, thirtysi
miles above this city, at O'Clock yesterday, by
Mexicans from the Mexican side of the Rio Grande
over which none have been surprised, since it
was known that the Ranchero had n valuable
freight, and was unprepared to Withstand an att ack
from any considerable force.
Col Ford and Capt. LittletOn, who left this place
with their companies Thursday last arrived oppo
site the steamer almost at the instant of the attack,
where they met Major T0bin and Capt. TOmlinson,
with their brces who had been the means, says Mr..
Downey in his letter, of protecting the boat her
trip down tIpm Rio Grande City. Shots ex-
changed between the Rangers and the Mexicans,
during which, Col. Ford says, 'one of my men
mortaly woupded;' and finding that the steamer
could not be protected otherwise, he says, q have
determined to Goss the river"
Brownsville, Nexas, advices to the 9th instant,
have also been received. Important unpublished
disclosures had been made as to the completely of the
Mexican authorities with Cortinas, which, it
believed, would decide the question of war.
THE DECISION OF THE CALIFORNIA Court IN THE
CASE OF THE New MMADEN QUICKSILVER MINE
The fact of the decision of the California District
Court in the case of tie New Almaden Quicksilver
Mine announced By tel egraph from Malloy' 5
Station, on the 18th. We have since received the
mail, and find in the S,n Francisco Herald the fol
lowing notice of the decision of Judge McAlister:
The effect is prejudici,l to our mining interests
by creating doubt upon mining titles throughout
the State, and great deal of feeling has beer
ifested by miners on the subject. Santa Clara is
not the only sufferer, although several hundreds of
her Industrious citizens lave been deprived of their
means of support bv the niunction, and clog put
upon her prosperity for tie whole state is affected
An enormous amount of apital is forced to remain
wholly idle and unproducive, still further distress
ing the money market, aready too straitened for
our.requrementS. Largeguantities of quicksilver
are also Theoretically sead up for the use of our
miners, and although new mines of that metal have
been discovered, and provevaluable, yet the stop
page of supply from those d New A Almaden has re-
suited in the greatly increaed value of that art-
cle so indispensable for theprosecutiOn of mining
A grievous tax is thus imposed upon those en-
gagged in getting out the precious metals, which has
| had the effect of cutting down their emoluments,
!
! STONE FROM ST. HELENA-We learn from the
| st. Helena Herald of Decembr 81 that on the 20th
| of that month an interesting took place
at the tomb OF Napoleon. IL authority from the
! present Emperor of France, The French Comman-
! dant at LongwOOd then delivesd to G. W. Kimball,
Esq, the Consul of the Unitel States, stone from
the tomb Of Napoleon l., to blplaced in the Wash
| ington monument. The stOneis two feet long, and
one foot broad, and envdoped in the flags of
the two nations and left in the .ce of the American
Consul at st. Helena under zeal, to wait favor
| able opportunity fer sending it to Washington,
| where it is to receive q suitable inscription.
The French cOmnandant delivered the stone with
the remark that it would testify that France still
| preserves towards he United States the same SEN
! timents as when Washington obtained his place in
| history. Mr.. kiuball, our Consul, replied briefly
| and appropriately. begging N. RougemOnt to con
| vey to the EmperU the sentiments with which the
relic was receivedon behalf of the Monument Asso-
citation and peopleOt the United States, expressing
the hope that the friendship of the two countries
might perish pywhen the Monument should fall
at the consummaion of all things, and that the
union of the two ags upon this relic might symbol
iZe the national fhternity.
STRANGE SroRY,-The Sidney Herald gives an
account of the recue of two European girls from
Fraser Island, beloved to be the only survivors out
| of all the passengers wrecked In the Sea Belle
| They were taken iom the natives of the Island on
the 22d of Octobel-were found sixty miles inland.
| The Herald says:-'The girls appear to be about
the respective ageof fifteen and sixteen years;
their appearance heart-rending; their bodies,
emaciated from loE suffering and exposure to the
weather, are coverd with coating OF hair; their
skim stained by the tormentors to assimilate with
their own, had becme spotted and wrinkled. as II
from old age the pse has been fattened by force
the limbs distorted, nd the vacant stare OF ldIocy
has left these poor c7atures in appearance human
and although able IRA ;ually to recognize such
things they must ave been in the habit of see
ing hourly before the fell into the hands of the
natives, their acqrintance with their mother
tongue is, as yet, APPARENTLY quite gone" Other
Europeans are beleVd to be prisoners of the blacks
on Fraser Island
HARD AT WoRK.-red Douglas and Miss Re
mOnd are in Engan' trying to induce the Aboli
tionists of that coutry to contribute money tC
keep up the agitationg gainst slavery in the United
} States Fred is bitter than ever in his denuncia
tions of African slavef, and Miss Remond seem:
to have searched the 'ocabulary for the hardest
names which can be lestowed upon it. 1t mus
strike the people of Egand that the condition o
| the African in Amerl( must be infinitely bettel
than in his native Afrit, when, like Douglass an(
Remond, they can be tund intellectually qualified
, | to instruct and enterta the wealthy and refined
classes of Great Britain
WHOLESALE PoIsoNIN.--At F0n du Lac, Wis.
one hundred and fifty p'sons were lately attacked
with the bowel and stonch complaint, and poison
was detected 1t ltturne,out that miller had beeI
In the practice, when b mill stone grooves wer'
too deep, of putting in areparation of white lead
= and this getting into theiour poisoned the whole
= neighborhood.
young man named Iceland met with horri
ole death on Thursday mining last, at Covlngton
II ONO, In consequence of linking cup OF vltrlol
e which he mistook for watt He fingered after the
unfortunate affair Tor cspe Of hours, suffering
!, the most intense pain.