The Express.
London, England, 1846-09-16 00:00:00

THE EXPRESS, WEDNESDAY EVENING, SEPTEMBER 16, 1846.

NAVAL.

VISIT 07 THE DeenOrWILLINGTON AND THE MASTER
GENERAL OP THE ORDNANCE TO INSPECT THE COAST
Derzaces.—Yesterday morning his Grace the Duke of
Wellington and the Marquis of Anglesea embarked at an
early hour on board the Black Eagle (et. v.), Master
Commander Cook, at Woolwich, for the purpose of inspect-
ing the fortifications recently erected at Tilbury Fort, Graves-
end, Sheerness, and Chatham. The distinguished visitors
arrived at Gravesend shortly before ten o'clock, and the
Black Eagle having anchored off Tilbury, they proceeded to
inspect the heavy ordnance recently mounted at that ancient
fort, After inspecting the batteries at Gravesend, the Com-
mander-in-Chief and the Muter-General of the Ordnance
proceeded in the Black Eagle to Sheerness. They were ex-
pected at Shei mess on Monday, and horses and carriages
were in attendance at Admiralty House for them all day.
Extensive alterations and improvements of the fortifications
at that place, it is well known, are at the present moment in
progress, while a new and formidable battery, capable of
mounting from fifty to sixty guns of the largest calibre, is in
course of completion opposite the dockyard gate, protected
sea-ward by a deep moat, and flanked on each extremity by
extensive musketry walls ; connecting it on the one hand te
the fortifications at Garrison Point, and on the other to the
land defences, which extend continuously from the Thames
to the Medway, and which are also in course of improve-
ment by being heightened and the moat being deepened.
A ravel= is also in course of erection on the. Mile Town side
of the drawbridge, which also is to be mewed. With the
exception of the half-moon battery at the Garrison Point,
the alterations of the works in that neighbourhood are com-
pleted, and the guns will shortly be mounted on them.
The Lords of the Admiralty left Devonport yesterday.
On Monday morning the Earl of Auckland laid the founda-
tion atone of the new Naval and Military Free Schools,
being for the destitute female orphans of seamen and
soldiers. The noble Earl expressed great atiafaction at
laying the stone of such an excellent institution. Sir C.
Adam, Capt. Berkely, Mr. Cooper, and Mr. Ward, attended
the ceremony, and the Mayor of Devenport, W. P. Black-
more, Esq., Aldermen, &c., appeared in full magisterial
costume, there being a public procession on the occasion.
There was an immense number of naval and military gentle-
men present. In the evening their lordships attended the
ball at Moorehead's Hotel, being under the patronage of the
Earl of Auckland, the Lordlier the Admiralty, the Countess
of Morley, Lady Fellowes, Lady West, and the Hon. Mrs.
Henry Calmady. The ball was in aid of the funds of the
Destitute Female Orphans' School, and was well attended
by the dile of the neighbourhood. Their lordships hays
inspected during their stay several of the new batteries,
also the breakwater, and the proposed site of the govern-
ment coal wharfs at Millbay.
The Aurora, Sardinian corvette, arrived at Sheerness on
Saturday afternoon. A number of officers, chiefly pupils of
the Naval School of Sardinia, are on board. No less than
thirty-two of them landed at Sheerness dockyard on Monday
morning, over which they were escorted by Lieutenant
Ramsey, the Director of the Police of that establishment.
They dined with the Port Admiral in the evening, and were
to visit Chatham Dockyard on Tuesday. The Sidon, steam
frigate? Captain Henderson, made another trial down
the river yesterday morning. A number of naval
officers were on board, including Ler gallant con-
structor, Commodore Sir Charles Napier. Her speed
was not very great, which may be accounted for,
by her not being sufficiently immersed in the water.—The
Bull-dog (steam sloop) left Portsmouth yyesterday afternoon,
and proceeded to the westward.—The Rhadantanthus (steam
troop-ship) put into Falmouth, on Saturday afternoon, with
a detachment of the 6th Rest. (Fusileers). to relieve a de-
tachment of the :56th at Pendenniss Castle. She returned
same day for Plymouth.
APPOINTIIINTS, Barr. 14.—F. T. Barr, third engineer to the Plato;
Joseph Neil, acting first engineer to the William and Mary ; G.
Robertson, W. Wyncl, T. Hunt, Joseph Anderson, John Gilmour,
T. Mangnall, A. Mc Parlane, T. D. Lamont, T. Duncaneon, and lames
Mc Clymont, third engineers, to the William and Mary as supernu-
meraries.
DOCIYAID APPOINTMIII7.--Berjetat T. Smith, R.N., to be keeling,
min of storehouses of the 2nd clam, in charge of marine stores at
DelfbHlL AMERICAN NAVY.—[From the Arefla &kens
Picayune, Aug. 22.)—By our correspondents at Pensacola,
we learn that the steam-frigate Mississippi, Captain Fitz-
hugh, arrived at that port on Wednesday, the 19th instant.
She left the squadron off Vera Cruz on the 13th instant, and
made the run to Pensacola in four days and a half. By this
arrival the news which wo recently received from Vera Cruz
Sid Havannah, is rally confirmed. All the troops in the
Castle, the city, and the neighbourhood of the city, have
declared: for Santa Anna. An English steamer arrived at
Vera Cruz before the Mississippi left for Haeruinah, but
Santa Anna was not on board. . .

- _
We are sorry to have to report another abortive attempt
on the part of our squadron against some small Mexican
vessels lying on the river Alvarado. The reperts are a
little discordant. One version of them is, that the Mis-
sissippi and Princeton, with three of our small schooners,
were despatched to Alvarado to attempt to cut out five or
six small Mexican vessels in that port. The schooners
anchored quite close to a small Mexican battery on the
shore, and a lire was soon opened on both sides, the
steamers then lying rather out of shot range. Subsequently
they approached near enough to bring their long Frans to
bear upon the enemy, and speedily put them to flight and
silenced their guns. No damage whatever was done to the
steamers or schooner, but the affair had no other favourable
issue, for it was not thought advisable to land in the small
boats on account of the heavy sea running and the shoal
water on the bar. On the Bth the whole squadron returned
to their stations off Vera Cmz.
. . . .

—A correspondent of the Picayune, on board the Missis-
sippi, writes as follows:
U.S. stoma Mississippi, off Point Anton Lizardo,
Aurae 19, 1846.
fientkmem—The manmodere Me Jaet mob lima that: letter
togs MR be gent to Pima" gad se 1 amy nee bees a donee exafa
I write sew. Day lisibm ymendey weal get oder way, end stood
Inn la Aland* fkg the pimps, el athigking thee pinseWe took our
psalm as the Pirisseseen el" gemmeased frtag ; tint the
MIMI mob. se atom lird wage* emile mtge. lie ship, we
odd only nee me Mief gene. TM saw thim wadi eneeptien of
the misooner, Imes not within IMAM. We Ilemel gmleee he mad
the heat expedMitm de lee amid net stem the eurrast Night OM
04 Slid we stopped Ibtruni The eammodere mid we would prom
axt mmo ae morning amens, the Mpal was semi
Maw again,' =teems& our first Int on the enemy. We shall la
TIMM the atiad6attl the arrival of the Mennen Spitfire and rases.
They drawing but little water, will he red to tow the boats amass
the ber. The miseteires Bonita, Pew* and Reefer were lying in
shore (furl the Waal; and they received many discharges or trius-
hefty, wh beamed* did no harm ; but one of them let fly a shell
sad lambed • litaimahoor off his hone. You will receive more
partimdar minds y emit of the newspapers, and from the
einem of viriever wool takes this letter to Penned&
—6r the Commodore will est tell us what vessel is going to Pensacola,
bat I think it la the Prieesslsa. The Trurton joined the squadron
y. the is lest from Havana. The Flirt has not arrived, but
rdermated with the Relief daily.
To the above we have only to add the following extract
from a letter dated Pensacola, Aug. 19th :
The meaner Mizeisappi arrived here this meowing from Vera Crtm,
and brings news that the male and city and several et the promos.
bad declared in 6vor of Santa Anna, and that he was looked for daily
in the British steamer Hector. It is said to be Commodore Conner 's
intention to make him primmer on his arrival, in consequence of his
avowal that he should take part in the war against the T. sited States.
newt% however, I think, have sense enough to land in Mexico in
some anaßbircLr
ahem wr have no vessels. This is substantially all the
news she and if true, we may expect from Santa Anna's
!Imams and of character, that he may prolong the war,
and tire oar troops another chance of adding to their laurels.
The Washington Unionof Aug. 22, states that
Letters from Com. Conner, of as late date as the 30th July, have been
received at the navy department. The crews of the dliterent ships of
the squadron continue healthy, with the exception of a case or two
of scurvy. The Porpoise arrived at Vera Cruz on the 18th July. The
Petrel reached that port on the l let, after a pewee of 28 days from
New
25th,
andse Bonito arrived on ttve the i,nortinj.:f
daylight,the or
and Michael Flynn, snmu, both of the steamer Miesersgpi, were
drowned by the upsetting of the launch of that vemeL Neither of the
bodies tia!henrecovered.

The New ink papers— of the 27th ult. state : " The Inde-
ee, raze', neanting EA guns, is now ready for sea at
rost, but she h detained to fill up her complement of
seamen. She Lake nearly fifty. The Independence is
bound to the Paella, and bears the flag of Commodore Sehu-
brick." The Vixen and Spitfire steamers sailed from New
York on the 25th ult., to join the united States squadron off
Vera Cruz.
Mexican Parvarszaa. —Extract hum a private letter
dated Hammel', Aurae' Bth, embed be this city
By the *as= ben Vera Crw. we readval ineenigesee dot tio
Monism porommt bod ostli eats onwolo to post lateen of
'wows It say who NOW tioW tor Woos, wllh the soodittot *A all I
prom An maw ow Immo slwil be otooldwed as Ka en 1
sol.tolit awl ommottolo their laws. We Oda ao privateers will be
Med eut hem Qsls*two asegottlso A do all they ow lo
prowl IL M@ arq lowtoor, lot cwt. Is thoookt maw,
on to wodo Two Rhosm Tao
ma la theimatetessair to requestcomobil Oin WM& to Ma Ono
sod
tikerasseraL It is @avowed that hs will sot pet-dookso Vas.
awilfs me. 22.