The New York herald., 1862-01-19

main here FOR some months longer and not attemps the
passage 70 New York until the spring well advanced,
and the danger Of heavy gales comparatively over.
JAN. s, 1862
Since the st part Of my letter nothing OF interest has
oecured the Christmas holidays being over Key West
has settled into comparative quiet On the I'd instant
the United States gunboas Sycamore and wnona sailed
for the Gulf squadron the third the Scioa and yeste
day the Kittatinny sailed for the destination,
gether with the Santiago de Cuba cruise The Pri-
mera also sailed yesterday for New York but her
power about equal to that Of small donkey, think
will be at least two weeks before she will make her ap-
pearance In your waters
was yesterday permitted, by invitation Of Major Hill
and the officer II Fort Taylor to witness target practice
with the ten inch coumbad mounted tho parapet Of
that fort The target consisting Of number Of barrels
was moored at distance Of about one mile from the
fort, and looked like speck upon the water The
charge Of Ter used but ten pounds which struck
being very small quantity In proportion to the
weight OF the gun, which is nearly sixteen thousand
pounds The firing superb; nothing could have been
accurate. Every shell arSa but two, which burst
nearly at the muzze Of the gun account OF defective
fuses, would have hul]cd Of our gunboas. After
several shots had been fred at the target the gun
given extrome elevation and fred at buoy distant
nearly four miles. The first shell exploded Short but
direct line the second struck 70 the right and about
half mile short, thus showing, with tho moderate
charge Of powder used, the capabty Of the teninch
colubiad 10 throw shot shell considerably three
miles The firing conducted by Captain Webbsr and
Lieutenants Henry and Gibbs and stamps them ex-
cellsnt marksmen. Your correspondent to better OBJ
the shooting, took position to the right OF the
gun in the next angle Of the fort he accompanied
by Captains j. W Burgess and A. Whiting Of the Sixth
New York Volunteers (Wson's Zouaves). As tho
ond shell burst very the Of the gum throw
Ing fragments too close to be comfortable, he deemed IL
best to to safer quarters which he did by placing
ten-inch coumbad between himself and the firing be-
evng that discretion the better part Of valor and
| having no fancy for being killed by his friends.
By an arrival from Havana leain that the rebel
steamer General Miranon has succeeded making her
escape from Mobile and arrived at Havana She brings
dates from Mobile to the 2Sth u and hear from that
that Mason Slidel Company had been released
by government at the demand Of England. While
regret tho necessity for ing still deem it the
best policy and satisfied walt until after settling
present troubles before engaging in foreign war
especially with England It would have been triumph
for Je Davis Company to have removed the blockade
from their ports to own but they will be denied
this and will have to wait for something to turn up
This afternoon the United States sloop war Ports
mouth arrived from Kitery, Me-, having left there
the 10th ult She around the Island Of Cuba and
has nothing Of interest report She is her way
Join the Gulf tocsadus SQUADRON and remains here for
For the last few days the weather has been very
with light southerly winds and cams and to-day low
barometer and dark heavy clouds in the northwest gives
every indication of q norther which will no doubt be
heavy one there have been none Of any violence this
season.
in from the westward. This is doubt the Rhode
sand her way north. and trust TO be able tomor
give you all the from Pickens and the other
points in the Gulf
The Nightingale and Itssca still remain in the harbor-
the waiting wind and the latter for repairs
her machinery which will not be completed for ten days
So much for depending upon Havana.
twill close must await the arrival Of the Rhode
Island and obtain from her all the items Of interest