The Press.
London, England, 1854-04-29 00:00:00

THE PRESS.

another ensign was run up to the fore, for which another
shell was fired, though it fell still shorter, as the Fury was
rapidly increasing the distance. Having thus gone to
windward, but stiU out of range, the idea was entertained
of engaging the frigate with long guns, but at this time
the steamer was rapidly advancing, and it was considered
more prudent to remain content with taking a merchant-
vessel and six prisoners from beneath the fortifications.
When the Fury went alongside the schooner she hauled
down the Austrian colours and hoisted the English ensign,
which seemed to startle them a little in harbour. The
rage of the Russians must have been great, as they seemed
sure of catching the Fury, and the hoisting of three en-
signs was an angry attempt to challenge a steamer of six
guns to engage a frigate of forty, and she to windward!"
H. M. S. Portland, 50, Captain Chads, with the
flag of Rear-Admiral Moresby, C. 8., has arrived at
Devonport from the Pacific, and has thus placed at
the disposal of the Admiralty a most efficient comple-
ment of 450 officers and men. Both officers and men
have the strongest desire to join the fleet in the
Baltic at once.
Tice-Admiral the Hon. Joceline Percy has returned
from leave of absence, and again hoisted his flag on
board the Waterloo,l2o guns, Captain Lord Frederick
Kerr.
Two Prussian men of-war arrived off Portsmouth
on Thursday. They are the Gefion, a frigate of 48
guns, bearing the flag of Commodore Schroeder. and
the Merkur 6 guns, Captain Kuhn.
The Admiralty have had in consideration a plan
which will render available for service at sea the
officers, non-commissioned officers, and men of the
Woolwich division required to do duty at Deptford
and Woolwich dockyards. The plan, it is under-
stood, will be carried into effect by increasing the
strength of the police force, which has for a con-
siderable time past been employed in these establish-
ments.
The Resistance store-ship is at Portsmouth taking
in a large quantity of stores for the fleet. To enable
her to stow more than usual, she is discharging her
tanks at the Clarence-yard. The Penelope, 18,
paddlewheel-frigate, Captain Catlin, went to Spithead
on Tuesday. She takes out a great quantity of slops
and stores for the fleet in the Baltic, but will not sail
until the arrival of the Portland, 50-gun frigate, from
the Pacific.
The screw-frigate Termagant, 24, was placed in
the steam-factory dock of Portsmouth on Monday, to
be prepared for commission. Having no machinery
on board, this will take some time.
The Pigmy steam-vessel, 100-horse power, is
ordered to be commissioned at Portsmouth as a tug
and gun boat, to attend on the Baltic fleet.
The Rosamond, 6 guns, paddlewheel steam-sloop,
Commander George Wodehouse, left Sheerness on
Tuesday, on her passage to the Baltic.
The Majestic, 91, new screw steam-ship, Captain
James Hope, has proceeded to the Downs, on her
way to the Baltic. She will wait there the arrival of
the French squadron, and keep them company.
The Brisk, 14, screw-sloop, Commander F. B. P.
Seymour, arrived at Spithead on Tuesday morning
from the West India station, from which she has
been detached to serve in the Baltic.
Considerable excitement has been created among
the apprentices to free lightermon and watermen on
the Thames, it having been announced that it is the
intention of the Watermen's Company immediately
to provide a portion of the quota (500 men) that the
company is compelled by its charter to supply for
service in the Royal Navy. This relic of the feudal
system was strictly observed during the last war, and
the required number is completed as follows :—Lists
of the apprentices of three, four, five, and six years'
standing are filed, and the number is balloted for,
first from the junior classes, and, should the list of
apprentices be expended before a sufficiency has been
obtained, the free watermen then take their turn on
the ballot, or provide substitutes.
The town and port of Gallipoli are becoming every
day more and more animated. A speculator from
Smyrna transformed in four days an old tumble-down
ruin into a grand Restaurant itt Europienne, with the
following inscription above, marked out apparently
with the finger:—Restaurant de l'armie
The Turkish market is amply provided with every kind
of provision. Meat is from three to four sous a pound ;
the wine of Tenedos is from eight to ten sous a bottle
—that is, the large bottle holding a French litre ;
and fowls are from fifteen to twenty sous each. Rice,
bacon, salt meats, and wine, for the troops, have been
sent from France by the French Government ; and
each soldier is to have daily a ration of wine or coffee.
A contract entered into at Smyrna ensures to the
army 2,000 oxen, which are to be conveyed to Galli-
poli by the Marocain and the Africain. All along
the Dardanelles, and particularly on the European
side, may be perceived thousands upon thousands of
sheep, to all appearance waiting the arrival of the
troops. In addition, a commission has been formed
of some of the principal persons in the country, to
second the administration in all the operations of
victualling the army. Captain Severin, of the Chas-
seurs de Vincennes, has been named commandant of
the town, and is occupied in establishing order in