The Press.
London, England, 1854-04-08 00:00:00

THE FLEETS.

The latest news from the Baltic fleet is conveyed
by a telegraphic despatch received raid Copenhagen,
dated " Kioge Bay, April 4, afternoon." The fleet
was then still in the bay. The Austerlitz (French)
and other ships were visible from the mast lead.
An ample supply of steam coal has gone off from
Shields to the Baltic for the use of the English fleet.
Between thirty and forty collier-vessels are employed
in carrying out coals.
The pilotmaster at Shields has received instruc-
tions to send up more north-country captains, to be
examined by the Admiralty as pilots for the British
and French fleets in the Baltic. Their pay will be
fifteen shillings a day and travelling expenses.
Tidings of the Black Sea fleets were brought to
Malta by the Caradoc, which arrived there on the
30th. The whole of the combined fleets had en-
tered the Black Sea on the :24th. Their destination
is supposed to be Varna. They were preceded by
the Inflexible, with Ottoman troops.
The Caradoc bad on board General Sir John Bur-
goyne, on his return from Constantinople.
Captain Brock has been out to correct the sound-
ings m the Black Sea, which he found anything but
accurate. He had the assistance of all the masters
of the fleet, and made quick work of it. The Samp-
son, in company with a French steamer, was sent off
to reconnoitre Russian ports. If they met with a
superior force they were ordered to trust to their
heels and good luck. If the contrary, they are to
give a good account of them.

The Danish Government has issued a declaration
containing its definitions of " contraband," which in-
cludes horses, timber for construction of vessels, tar,
copperplates, sailcloth, canvas, hemp, cordage, &c.,
but not coals. At the same time the royal Danish
ordinance of May .1, 1803, is renewed. No Danish
pilots, or men acquainted with the Danish straits and
seas, are therefore allowed to serve on board the bel-
ligerent powers' vessels. In the instructions for the
commanders of the Danish guard-ships—frigates Thor
(steamer), Thetis, Bellona, Nordenskjold ; brigs Hol-
gar Danske (steamer), Galathea, Flora, Mercurius,
and Valkyrien—they are ordered to observe a strict
neutrality, to protest against the taking of captured
war or merchant vessels into Danish ports, but not
to oppose it by force, and only to use force against
privateers. The Danish territory is to be considered
to extend one Danish sea mile from the coast, except
at Kronborg and the river Elbe at Gluckstadt, where
the distance is named as 3,000 ells (0,000 feet).

A SIMPLE INSTRUMENT FOR TESTIEIi SUSPICIOUS COIN
has just been invented. The test is that of pressure. An
oval plate of brass has upon it a thick bar of the same
metal extending along the plate, and across the bar are in-
cisions or grooves answering to the respective thicknesses
of the following coins :—crown, half-crown, shilling, sixpence,
and fourpence. The half-crown groove does for the florin,
the shilling groove for a sovereign, and the fourpenny
groove for the half sovereign. The detector having been
firmly fixed, the suspected coin is placed in the appropriate
groove and pressure applied to ascertain if it will bend.
Only au excessive force is efficient in the case of a good
coin, but a counterfeit readily gives way and breaks against
the edge of the groove. No counterfeit has yet been found
to stand like a real coin.
A ST. PETERSBURG PAPER of the 10th gives details from
London of the attempts now making in England to raise
forces capable of meeting those of Russia. According to
this authority old men of sixty are ordered on board to
make up the full complement of a ship's crew. The re-
cruiters, too, have hall the greatest difficulty in beating up
volunteers. Then, again, children of nine, ten, and twelve
years have been coaxed into the naval service. "Huge"
bounties have been offered to native and foreign mariners
as an inducement for them to enter the Royal Navy. Never
has it been so difficult to collect sailors in England, and
never were there so few seamen as at present.
IN a paper recently read by Mr. Gibson before the Ame-
rican Geographical Society at New York, on the islands of
the Indian Archipelago, strong assertions were made by
the writer as to the extent of gold existing in the island of
Celebes. In his view it is destined in this respect to out-
vie California and Australia. "The precious metal," it
was stated, " has been lately found in large flakes within
the Sultanate Menado. These flakes or sheets of pure ore,
some presenting a surface of nine or ten inches square,
though not more than an eighth of an inch thick, have been
picked out from the interstices of the masses of crystal
and quartz that compose the hills of the country."
THE QVANTITY of OPIUM imported in the month ended
the 6th ult. was 14,6031b5. against 0171bs. at the same
period last year. In the same month there were 13,878
tons of guano imported against 6,153 tons in February,
• 1853.

APRIL 8, 1854.

NOTES ON THE NAVY.
B; PILOT.
No. I.—" THE CAPTAINS IN THE BALTIC."
So much interest is felt at the present time in all that
relates to our fleets, their officers, and crews, that many
will be glad to obtain, in a convenient form, some account
of the gallant commanders to whom the ships that bear
the proud flag of Queen Victoria have been entrusted.
Works of a professional character relating to the navy
are not easy of access, and even that excellently-compiled
and most valuable book of reference, " O'llyrne's Naval
Biographical Dictionary," is, from its size and expense,
not adapted for general circulation, though no public insti-
tution or extensive library should be without it. The im-
partiality and candour of its able editor necessarily made
him avoid touching on certain political features and inci-
dents in the characters of the officers described, and it may
happen in these notes that we shall have to refer to certain
political considerations. To the chief admirals in command
we shall devote special papers ; and we shall commence
the series by to-day referring to the " Captains in the
Baltic Fleet," who are eighteen in number, exclusive of
those in the flag-ships, and thirteen of whom we notice in
this paper, leaving the rest for future survey.
The Royal George, 120 guns. Captain H. T. Codrington
is forty-six years of age, and is son of Admiral Sir Edward
Codrington, G.C.11, This gallant officer has seen much
service. On board the Naiad, in 1824, he assisted at the
blockade of Algiers; and he was severely wounded at the
battle of Navarino, in 1827. In 1831 he was advanced to
the rank of commander ; and for the part he took in the
siege of St. Jean d'Acre, in 1840, he was made a C.B.
When his distinguished father was admiral of the fleet,
Captain Codrington officiated as flag-captain on board the
Queen, 110, and the St. Vincent, 120. He is a knight of
French, Russian, and Greek orders.
St. Jean d'Acre, 101 guns, is commanded by Captain
the Hon. 11. Keppel. The family to whom this officer
belongs was one of those which accompanied King Wil-
liam to England in 1688, and several of its members have
been repeatedly distinguished in the military and naval
annals of the country. It is a curious fact that the first,
second, and third Earls of Albemarle were all eminent
generals ; the first being conspicuous in the wars of Marl-
brough ; the second was wounded at Fontenoy ; and the
third was side-de-camp to the Duke of Cumberland at Cul-
loden. Admiral Lord Keppel will live to posterity en•
shrined in the eulogy of Burke, in a passage which we may
quote as being applicable to another great Dutch family—
the Bentincks : 'Lord Keppel had two countries, one of
descent, and one of birth. Their interest and their glory
are the. same, and his mind was capacious of both. His
family was noble, and it was Dutch ; that is, he was of the
oldest and purest nobility that Europe can boast, among a
people renowned above all others for love of their native
land. Though it was never shown in insult to any human
being, Lord Keppel was something high. It was a wild
stock of pride, in which the tenderest of all hearts had
grafted the milder virtues. He valued ancient nobility,
and he was not disinclined to augment it with new
honours," &c. &c. The captain of the St. Jean d'Acre is
fourth son of the fourth Earl of Albemarle, by a daughter
of Lord De Clifford (Admiral Keppel being his grand
father's brother). Entering the navy in 1822, he obtained
his first commission in 1829, being then twenty years of
age, and served in the East Indies, the Mediterranean,
and at the Cape of Good Hope. In the Dido, 18, he was
at the capture of Woosung, and his services against the
Borneo pirates are too well known for detailed illustration.
In his engagement with the pirates, at a loss of 32 British
killed and 30 wounded, he killed 250 of the pirates,
destroyed five of their towns and a vast number of their
boats, besides taking 70 brass guns, and 13 flags. Captain
Kennel is married to a daughter of General Sir John
Crosbie.
Princess Royal, 91 guns. Captain Lord Clarence Paget
is the eldest son of the Marquis of Anglesey's second mar-
riage. He is half-brother of Lord W. Paget (Captain
R.N.). He entered the navy in 1823, and was a mid-
shipman on board Sir Edward Codrington's flag-ship at
Navarino He served in several vessels, and was on half
pay in 1845. In 1846 he was Secretary to the Board of
Ordnance, and sat for a short time as M.P. for Sandwich.
The Monarch, 84. This ship is commanded by Captain
John Elphinstone Erskine, whose father married the
youngest daughter of the eleventh Lord Elphinstone, by
which connection the captain of the Monarch is nephew
of Admiral Fleming, and cousin of the late Sir Charles
Adam, to the latter of whom Captain Erskine was flag
captain, when Sir Charles was Commander-in-Chief in the
West Indian and North American stations.
Cressy, 80. Her commander, Captain Laird Warren, is
the eldest son of the late Vice-Admiral Frederick Warren.
He has served in the North American, West Indian, and
Mediterranean stations. Entering the navy in 1822, he
obtained post rank in 1830. He is married to a daughter
of the late Doctor Warren, of Hampshire.
Blenheim, 60. The number of ships named after great
battles by land as well as by sea must strike every reader
of the Navy List. What a variety of associations are called
up by the juxtaposition of the ships Greasy and Blenheim!
The captain of the latter is the Hon. F. T. Pelham, second
son of the second Earl of Chichester. The present Lord
Chichester (his brother) is married to a sister of the
Earl of Cardigan. He entered the navy in 1823, and in
1.828 was present at an attack on Mediterranean pirates.
After some service in the Mediterranean, he was employed
on the north coast of Spain, under Lord John Hay, and
he was presented with the Cross of St. Fernando. In
1847 he was appointed to the command of the Odin
steamer-frigate.

THE PRESS.

The Bogue, 80. This ship is commanded by a very
brilliant officer, Captain William Ramsay. Like many
of the officers in command, he served at Navarino, but the
exploit which eminently distinguishes him was his gallant
action with a Spanish slaver. While cruising on the
coast of Africa (circa 1880) Mr. Ramsay was placed in
command of the Black Joke tender, mounting a pivot
gun, carronade, with a crew of forty-four officers and
men. On April 25, 1831, he fought and captured a
splendidly-equipped slaver of upwards of 300 tons, with
five 18-pounder guns, and 77 :,fficers and men. The
slaver was called the Marimieto, and her capture excited
great attention, from the ferocity with which she was
defended by her piratical crew, of whom 15 were killed
or drowned, besides several wounded. On board were
4118 slaves, of whom 49 were found dead, and about a
hundred unfortunate creatures in such a state that they
had to be landed at once ! No greater horrors were ever
described in " Uncle Tom" than were to be found in the
history of that slaver. For the brilliant style in which, with
heavy odds against him, Mr. Ramsay fought the slaver,
he was appointed a commander, and he has since twice
been in charge of large armed steam-ships. He is decidedly
one of the most dashing and experienced officers in the fleet.
Born in 1796, he is the youngest son of the late Sir
Alexander Ramsay, Bart.
.4ja.r, 08. The fortunate and meritorious commander
of this vessel is Captain Warren, who entered the navy
in 1838. He served as mate in the flag-ship of Sir E.
Codrington at Portsmouth, and in the Royal George and
Victoria and Albert yachts. He was advanced to be a
lieutenant after accompanying her Majesty in 1843 on a
visit to the King of the French. He has received a medal
from the Royal Humane Society for having risked hits life
to save several others.
Euryalus, 60 guns. Captain G. Ramsay is cousin to the
present Governor-General of India, and nephew of the
late Lord Pantnure. He is son of the late Lieutenant-
General Hon. J. Ramsay. He has served on the Ameri-
can and Mediterranean stations, and has seen much
hard service. He was invalied from dysentery in 1842,
and twice had the yellow fever in the West Indies, three of
his officers and twenty of his crew having died of it. He
married a daughter of Mr. Robertson, of Logan-house,
M idlothian.
Amphion, 34 guns. Captain Astley Cooper Key, in com-
mand of the Fanny tender, was wounded at the battle of
the Parana in 1845, when the batteries of General
Roses were destroyed by the combined English and French
fleets. On the coast of Portugal he has since commanded
the Bull Dog steam-sloop. Captain Key entered the navy
in 1833.
Tribune, 30 guns. Captain the Hon. S. T. Carnegie.
This gallant officer is son of the late Earl of Northeak,
who had the honour of being third in command at the
battle of Trafalgar. He has served with Lord John Hay
on the coast of Spain during the civil war, and had his ser-
vices acknowledged by the order of San Fernando. He
has commanded several vessels on the North American,
West Indian, and Mediterranean stations. He sat for a
short time as M.P. for Stafford, and was for some months
a Lord of the Treasury in 1846. He entered the navy in
1826. His brother George, Lord Rosehill, was lost in his
sixteenth year on board the Blenheim, 74, in 1807; and it is
worthy of notice that his uncle, Captain Jervis, was
drowned by the upsetting of his barge while in command
of the Magnificent, 74 guns, in 1805. The present Earl of
Northesk is his brother. In consequence of the services
of the late lord at Trafalgar, this family has obtained
honourable augmentation to its arms. Naval ensigns are
added to its supporters, and the word " Trafalgar" is in-
scribed on the armorial shield. The late Admiral Lord
Northesk married a niece of Admiral Lord St. Vincent,
so that the commander of the Tribune rejoices in a high
naval pedigree.
Valorous, 18 guns. Captain Buckle is second son of
Admiral Buckle, a lineal descendant of Sir Christopher
Buckle, Lord Mayor of London in 1593. The father and
grandfather of this gallant officer were highly distinguished
in nautical annals. He has served on the South American,
the West Indian, and the African stations.
Vulture, 6 guns. Captain Glasse entered the navy in
1818. His father was chaplain to the late Duke of Cam-
bridge. He has served on the Home, Lisbon, and African
stations, and also in the East Indies. He was awarded a
post commission in 1848.

[To be continued.]

PILOT.

ONE OF THE CHTHICH ENORMITIES of the days of
George 111. has just been brought to a natural ter-
mination by the lapse of time. A canon of Ely has
recently died, at the age of fifty-nine, who appears to
have been inducted into his canonry in 1819; which,
being thirty-five years since, seems to prove him to
have been of the ripe age of twenty-four years when
he obtained this high and valuable distinction. He
held also two vicarages ; one, Waterbeach, of the
annual value of 4201.; the other, the great town of
Wisbeach, with an income of 1,7791. per annum. Thus
his gross income must have been very nearly 3,0001.
a year. But then, we believe, be was son-in-law to
Bishop Sparkes. Of the individual himself we say
not one word. He may have been an amiable and
deserving man. But the system was unendurable,
and we rejoice to know that it has passed away. We
feel no doubt that the present Bishop of Ely will do
his duty to the great parish of Wisbeach, which con-
tains 12,709 people, and an ecclesiastical income of
1,7791. per annum. There is, we believe, a second
church, with only a very small endowment. But the
above income will suffice for three incumbents; and a
town of the size of Wisbeach ought to have at least
as many.—Herald.

323

" OUR CORRESPONDENTS."
TO THE EDITOR OF " THE PRESS."
Sir,—As your valuable paper is not in the habit of
mystifying its readers by statements purporting to come
from foreign parts, and probably concocted in London ,
permit a plain country gentleman, who really looks
for information to his daily newspaper, to protest
through your columns against the delusions that
have been lately practised upon him by " Our Cor-
respondents." A few weeks ago a communication
from Our Correspondent (on which a leading article
was founded) informed us that the Czar had not only
cashiered the Austrian and Prussian Monarchs, but
had forbidden his officers to wear their decorations,
in consequence of their siding with us. The absur-
dity of such a story, whilst their ambassadors were
still residing at St. Petersburg, was manifest ; and
it now turns out not only that this was pure inven •
tion, but that these powers have ever continued
strictly and inviolably neutral. Another correspon-
dent descants on the force of the Russian fleet at
Revel, the means taken for its escape, and the pre-
paration for its protection, when in fact there is not
a single man of war in that port, and, what is more,
never has been one.
The journals have lately occupied their columns
and our attention by teaching the Sovereigns of
Austria and Prussia what is their duty and interest,
as if these Sovereigns were still in the nursery, and
incapable of judging for themselves ; utterly con-
cealing the fact, that we are now reaping the harvest
we have sown in our treatment of Austria during
the last ten years, when we imagined that we could
never again require her assistance.
In her struggle with Piedmont, in our reception of
Kossuth, and in the affair of Mr. Mather, no abuse
was too virulent to direct against her : now we want
her, no sawder is too soft to soothe her. I should
like to know if another General Haynau were to
visit England at the present crisis, and were to be
Barclayed and Perkinsised like the last, how long
should we be in discovering the ruffians, and then
how long would they be in finding their way to the
tread-mill? RusTicus.

GUANO.
TO THE EDITOR Or "THE PRESS."

Sir,—l feared that my last letter would occupy too
much space. It should have been divided into
short pieces, and then all its particulars about
guano, which at present possess peculiar interest,
would have perhaps received your permission to
appear. I would beg to correct one important error
of the press : for 71. the ton, as the value of turnips,
read 7s. I have still a few supplementary rem Arks
to make on guano, and then I shall take my leave.
I have all along said that Peruvian guano is the
most valuable of any, owing to the peculiar incidents
of the climate in which it is found, and that its value
as a manure arises from the large quantity of
ammonia it contains, in combination with organic
matter. These ingredients abound in it from 48 to 60
per cent.; while in the Bolivian, Chilian, and
Patagonian guiuios they only amount from 12 to 17
per cent.. The value of the ammonia, the phosphates,
and the phosphoric acid in Peruvian guano, at their
present advanced rates, is 101. 17s. a ton, the market
price of this guano being at present 111. be. a ton.
The value of those constituents in a ton of Bolivian
guano is at present 71. 45., and the market price of
the guano is 101. So with Chilian guano, their value
is 41., and its market price is 91. a ton. And their
value in Patagonian guano is 21.65., while its market
price is 61. 10s. a ton. Thus Peruvian guano is at
present sold at only 8/. a ton above its int,insic
worth, whereas Bolivian is sold at 50 per cent. above
its value, Chilian more than double, and Patagonian
nearly three times its value. In regard to tbe rela-
tive proportion of phosphates in guano, the Peruvian
contains from 17 to 25 per cent., whereas the Bolivian
has 56 per cent., the Chili= and Patagonian having
considerably less, with a large proportion of sand.
But, notwithstanding this large per centage of
phosphates in Bolivian guano, it is cheaper to use
them in bone-dust than in any kind of guano. At 5
cwt. the acre, Bolivian guano, at 101. a ton, yields
3131b5. of phosphates at 21. 10s.; whereasl6 bushels
of bone-dust to the acre, at 2s. Rd. the bushel, yield
3731b5. of phosphates at 21., and yet the 3731b5.
supply no more of phosphates than is sufficient for
an acre of turnips. In every view, therefore, it is
evident that it is next to throwing away money to
purchase the inferior sorts of guano. H. S.

UNIVERSITY BOAT RAcz.—Both trews have been
in daily practice over the course of Putney, and their
training preparations were watched with consider-
able interest. In each trial both crews are said to
be improving in pace, and will not, as it was at first
feared, fall far from the standard of former Univer-
sity crews. The Oxonians are considerably the
heavier men. Betting is ll to 4 on Oxford. The
boats start at a little after eleven from Putney-
bridge this (Saturday) morning, the course finishing
at Barker's rails.