The Sun. — 1857-12-16 (London, England)

THAMES.—Frank Smith, a marine, belonging to the Peruvian war frigate Amazonian, lying in the East India Docks, was brought up on remand before Mr. Self; charged with attempting to murder a police constable named John Blake, No. 83 H, and with assaulting several other persons. An affray arose between American and Peruvian sailors in Ratcliffe Highway on Saturday night last. That neighbourhood was disturbed for several hours, and nine or ten persons were injured. There were about 20 Peruvians belonging to the Amazonian in a public house, they were all armed with knives, dirk., and daggers, and they met a number of American seamen whose hands were covered with weapons called knuckle dusters, made of brass, with small and sharp spurs in them to rake out the eyes or tear up the flesh of any person struck with them.  Rymes, No. 189 H, kept back the Peruvians and obtained a reinforcement of police, who escorted the Americans to a place where they were out of danger. S ime of the Peruvians then made an attack on Rymes, who kept them at bay with his truncheon, and took a long knife out of a Peruvian's hand. The Peruvians then went into Shipalley, Wellclose-square, where there was another disturbance among them, and they ill-used some English seamen, who knocked down several Peruvians with their fists, and got away. Blake, 83 H, went towards the alley to suppress the dis tarbance among the Peruvians, and the prisoner, who was concealed in the `dark recess of a wall, with a dagger in his hand, made an attempt to stab the policeman, who jumped back, and the dagger pierced his own under-coat, tore it up, and slightly injured his chin. He was immediately closed upon by one of the prisoner's shipma;es, who took his truncheon from him and knocked him down. The prisoner then ran away, followed by another police-constable, and the prisoner struck:at everyone he met with his dagger, and several narrowly escaped being killed. A poor and infirm womln was knocked down by him in his headlong retreat and seriously injuroi. At length an English seaman put his foot out, tripped up the Peruvian, and he was secured and his knife taken from him, but not before a police-constable whom he had attempted to stab had struck him several blows on the head with a truncheon, which completely disabled him. On Sun lay night there was another disturbance between the Peruvians and Americans, which was suppressed by the police who took from them several long knives and kuuckleduAters.  A. collection of daggers, stilettoes, bowie knives, and knuckledusters taken front A.merican. and. Peruvian seamen were ekhibited by Inspectors Gernon and Dendy. The Magistrate addressed the captain of the Peruvian frigate Amazonian, for whose attendance a summons had been issued, and s%id he was very sorry to say a are tt many cases of assault, wounding and robbery had taken pl.,ce among the crew of the ...k.tnazonian. There hal teen one death owing to the reckless use of the knife. A cotPiderable number of Peruvians had used dirks, knives, and daggers in a most reckless and dangerous manner. The commander of the Amazonian regrett,d that his men had behavei so bad!y on shore, and attribat( d it to int'Aication. Mr. Selfe said it would be as well if American and Peruvian seamen were prohibited from wearing, or having in their possession, bowie knives, daggers, knuckledusters, and dirks while they were on shore. He wished to preserve amic %tole rehtions with Peru, but he should be very glad indeed when the Amazonian took her departure. These things could not be permitted in this c untry, however they might suit Peru and the United States. He should pass a very light sentence on the prisoner, which was, one mouth's imprisonment in the House of Correction, but if there was any nat,re of this, severe punishments would be i nfliete 1.  The captain of the Amazon'an said he would give the injured woman compensation, and stop it from the wages of the prisoner. Several Peruvians and Americans asked for the restoration of their murderous weapons. These applications were peremptorily refused.  LONDON AND .E4STERN BANKING  CoMPA A Y.