The Express.
London, England, 1846-09-29 00:00:00

NAVAL.

The Avenger steam frigate, Capt. William., arrived at
Devonport ; on Friday afternoon, from the Mediterranean.
She was placed under quarantine, but having a clean bill of
health, she was released as soon us the necessary forms were
gone through. It is expected she will pr(ceed to the east-
ward. She does not bring any news, and did not, on her
passage home, fall in with the experimental equwiron.
H. M. S. Hecate, Commander West, captured off the
Contzo river, on the Bth ofJuly last, a Brazilian brig, Ilelato-
; pogo, with 545 slaves on board, three days from Ambriz ;
she has been since sent to St. Helena for adjudication. We
regret to state that the master, Mr. G. M. Fox, acd acting
boatswain Davidson, of the Hecate, are dead, the former
from coup de sokil, and the latter from incautiously re-
maining its wet clothes alter having fallen accidentally into
the water; tho rest of the ship's company were generally
very healthy.
NoTAL NAVAL STEAM-YARD AT MORICE TOWN.—The
total acres of ground to be included in the establishment is
about 7.5 acres. The contractors have now employed on the
works 7.50 men, 110 horses, 3 steam-engines, with 12 miles
of railway. 630,000 cubic feet of stone (granite and lime-
stone) arc on thc ground, and they arc working seven of the
principal quarries of the country. The works will go for-
ward with the greatest rapidity, and it is expected that a
steamer will be admitted into one of the basins within three
years and a half from this time. The coffer dam, which the
enterpi ring contractors, Messrs. Baker and Son, have under-
taken on their on n responsibility, is 2,000 feet long, within
which the seawall of the same length is to be built. There
will he two immense basins, the North Basin, 6.50 ft. by 62:ift.,
and the South Basin, G 2.3 ft. by 560 ft., each having a depth of 27
feet of water at all times, and will allow of 18 first-class vowels
to be fitted out, or 2.5 of all classes, exelusi c of those in the
docks. The two basins contain 16 acres. There will be three
large docks; one (the North Dock) 360 ft. long by 94 ft.
wine, for first rates; another 406 It. long by 82 It. wide, fur
the largest steamers; and the third (the South Dock) 300 ft.
long by 82 ft. wide. The entrance lock is so contrived as to
permit steamers to be ducked at low water, having 18 feet at
low water spring tides ; and it can be made either a lock or
a dock, as might be required. The factory is to contain
every description of machinery for repairing steam-engines,
and will be 800 feet long by 300 feet broad. The bailer-
house, rigging and storehouse, will be in the same building.
Such will he the complete efficiency of the establishment,
that a vessel will be taken in hand, and passed from one de-
partment to another in succession, so as to be ready for sea
when she is ready to leave the basin.—Plymouth paper.
Areumnityrs, St rr. 26.—Nitain lion. C. J. 13. Elliot, ro study
at the Royal Naval Collcve ; Paymaster and Purser J. C. Link, to
the Rattlesnake; Naval Instructor T. Sullivan, to the Sidon; Second
Masters F. C. C. Macdonald, to the Merlin, J. Binstead. to the Devas-
tation: Masters-Assistants C. J. Johnstone, to the Battlesnake, G. W,
Acheson, to the Victory; 3lidshipmcn Lk C. 0. Slaughter, to the
klutine, E. G. E. Hamilton, to the Rattlesnake; Clerk J. 'Ammon, to
the Athol; Naval Cadet C. E. Suzhou, to the Trots gar; Stroud
Engineers lt. Laing, J. Justice, and J. Parker, to the William and
Mary (supernumeniries) ; Thinl engineer (acting), to the Acheron ;
Gunners G. Wills and Jas. Jeffery, to the Excellent (acting.)
Blasi', SEPT. 23.—The Proaerpine frigate has arrived
from Monte Video, which sh 3 quitted on the 13th July. She
left the following French vessels on the station—The Afri-
Caine frigate, the corvettes Erigone and Coquette, the
schooner La Tact ique, and the steamer Fulton. The l'ro-
s..rpitie touched at Itio Janeiro on the 30th. Rear-Admiral
Trehouart, who commanded the French forces at the combat
of Obligado, returned to France in the Proserpine. The
Jena, 90, is receiving her masts, to replace one of the vessels
of Prince de Joins ille's squadron. She is the first French
man-of-war masted according to the new system