The Sun.
London, England, 1852-04-14 00:00:00

-N4ATAL INTELLIGENCE.
Admiral Parker held a levee yesterday, and the
following officers presented themselves :—Lieutenant
H. B. Everest, Conimander Wingrove, Commander
W. Horton, Lieutenant G. Philipps, Commander
Sherwin, Commander J. Carter, Lieutenant E. B.
Hopkins' Mr. C. A-campbeil, Commander Wigley,
Mr. W. H. Drysdale, Captain W. Kelley, Captain
Peake, Captain G. Manse].
Admirat Hbrilby •also held a levee, at which the
following officers presented themselves :—Mr. Luke,
master; Mr. E. Herbert, clerk ; :Mr. F. Brody,
purger. •
VOIMMOVTII, Moriukr.--COmmodore, Martin re-
turned from leave of absence this morning, aid at
noon re-hoisted 114 broad pendant en ' board the
Regent,irnr.i(nlitie4;Adina
irl Sir Thomas Briggs, with 17 guns, -which ship saluted the commlnder-
the Victory.retourning the compliment with 11.
The ;Vixen, ; steam-sloop, Commander Barnard,
went out of harbour, and awaits ordors at Spithead.
The crew of the Vulcan have been liullied, and
that vessel has been' brought into the steam: basin to
be put to' rights. Her bottom is.,satid to be so very
foul that her long passage was not to be wondered it.
.• The Wahuer Castle, Indiaman, arrived from the
Nore, outward bound, yesterday.
A committee of the Birkenhead relief fund assem-
bled provisionally this day at noon at the'dtdyal Naval
College, in the; dockyard,.Adinital Sir Thos. Briggs,
G.C.M.G., the Commander-in-Chief,. in the chair,
assisted by Admiral Superintendent Henry Prescott,
Q. 8., Captain Superintendent Sir Edward Parry,
Captains Henderson, C. 8.; Scott, Babun Martin,
Sullivan, and 'others, 'to consider the beat meads of
carrying outthe humane intentions of the donors to
the fund, and for' the forming of-a permanent com•-•
mittee. • Several preliminary proceedings also took
place, and another meeting was called for Saturday
next.

We are most happy to say that already a consider-
able amount of donations have been received by Mr.
Triphook, secretary to Sir T. Briggs, and other mem•
bers of the committee.

Arrangements will be forthwith made for the dis-
tribution of the funds and relieving the most urgent
cases of distress.

of Portsmouth, a meeting has been called by the
Mayor to consider the most effectual measures for the
In pursuance of a requisition from the inhabitants
relief of the distressed orphans and relatives of the
unfortunate persons lost in the Birkenhead.
The meeting will take place on Wednesday next,
at seven o'clock, at the Society's Hall, Portsea. It
will no doubt be well and numerously attended.
The Simoona, iron troop-ship, Captain Kingcome,
was paid advance yesterday. She was inspected this
morning by the Commander-in-Chief, Admiral Sir
Thomas Briggs, attended by Captain Bohun Martin.
Spitbead, where she will, it is expected, receive de-
She got up steam in the afternoon and proceeded to
tachments of troops, and proceed on the 16th or 17th
for Quebec.

The Basilisk, steam-sloop, under command of Com-
mander Gardiner, of the Blenheim, has been pro-
visioned, manned, and got ready for sea; she went
out of harbour this evening, and will, it is said, pro-
ceed to Greenbitbe, and will accompany, and tow
when required, the ships of the Arctic Search Expe-
dition. The Desperate, • steam-sloop, at Plymouth,
has been also fitted, and will accompany the Arctic
ships till they reach the ice.
_ The Neptune, 120, Captain Scott, has received her
sea establishment of guns on her upper decks. Since
Captain Scott has joined she has been ordered to re-
ceive her proper topmasts and other spars.
His Grace the Duke of Northumberland arrived at
Portsmouth this evening, accompanied by his private
secretary, Captain Sir Thomas Herbert, Captain
Milne, and Sir Baldwin Walker, &c. He will give a
dinner at the George Hotel to a
party of fourteen, in-
cluding the Admiral Commander-in-Chief, Admiral
Prescott; Commodore Martin, &c.
To-morrow morning, it is said, the party will visit
the Prince Regent, 92, Commodore Martin, at Spit-
head, and afterwards transact business in the dock-
yard; but the Admiralty movements are as yet un-
certain.

Oa Thursday the Duke will give a banquet to the
admirals captains, and commanders of the ships at
Spithead and in harbour ; about 40 persons are ex-
pected to dine at the George.
DEVONPORT, TURSDAT.—Tbe Retribution steam-
frigate, arrived here yesterday, bringing Mr. Stafford,
the Secretary of •the Admiralty, end Mr. Grant, on
an offinial goptterpen ..irnmediat.67
paired to Moarshead'A Royal Hotel, where they were
joined by Colonel Green, who arrived by rail the
preceding evening. The party dined together at the
hotel, where the officers of the steamer were invited
to join them. The of of this visit is understood
to be to enable the new secretary to visit the dock-
yard and the various establishments under the direc-
tion of the Admiralty, with a view to make himself
personally acquainted with the locality and other
matters on which information is necessary to his
office. _ _ _

The Black Eagle is ordered to be ready at Ports-
mouth to-day (Tuesday), to be at the disposal of the
First Lord of the Admiralty, his Grace the Duke of
Northumberland. _ _

Desperate steamer, Thomas Osmer, master, one of
the reserve at this port, has orders to-day to proceed
to the river to assist the Arctic expedition on proceed-
ing on their voyage. She is now taking in coals, and
will sail this evening if ready.
PLYMOUTH, TUESDAY.-OIF Portsmouth, on the
12th inst., the barque North America, Peters master,
from New York, for Hamburgb. On the 2185 of
March, hit. 42 44 N., long. 42 9 W. spoke the Bre-
men barque Amorant (signal W. in blue), with emi-
grants for the West ; and in lat. 42 18, long. 30 0, the
English ship Aurora, of Hull, bound westward.
SHEERNESS, APRIL 13.—Her Majesty's paddle-
wheel steam-vessel Adder, Mr. James Watt in charge,
called in here on Sunday morning froin,Chatbam, and
having communicated with the dockyard, proceeded
to Woolwich with stores for the ships fluting out at
that port.
Her Majesty's paddle-wheel steam-vessel Lizard,
M. Brockman master commanding, left port for
Chatham at 9 A.M. on Monday, and returned in the
evening.
Her Majesty's paddle-wheel steam-sloop Barra-
couta, fitting at Chatham, was removed from
e
dry-dock a few days since, and placed alongside
the
sheer hulk to take in her mainmast. The a that
f n
works
her are being hastened as much as possible:n
o one of
she may speedily proceed to this port to or
the first-class steam squadron of adv.ance.eeharn,
fit-
islands in the
Her Majesty's ship Herald,
ting at Chatham for the survey
of
the present
Pacific, will leave the Thames
destination in the early
Capftatibne D
week, and finally sail for her
newly appointed Consul,
part of next month. The ne
cc, lateah 1
avee Co
ea
htphat
this
signce
oTou.fnNtt
rhi
yee hat,obel
about
ud
:5
The Herald "
Mr. T. Nicholas (son
wofhtoihi
nativeof one of
is considered a very intelli-
R.N.), will take a passage inbher. takes
a the
out as interpreter Sinee Pea I
in some
islands in the Pacific,
Lc)
of the islands.
two years ago, and who is
gent young man. He Rill •
which are to be plante"
Among the important objects entrusted to Captain
Denham will be the survey of the islands of the
Pacific, so as to tfhoermm afrcbem the
chart showing
hm of Panama
the best navi-
gationto select a point for
to Sydney, the establishment of
through
a coal depot, and an •
island for a penal settlement.
A number of presents to the islanders, to the value
of some hundred pounds, will be taken out in the
Herald.
Her Majesty's
.ship Royal George, 120, will be
taken into dock at Chatham the next ;ring tides to
undergo necessary repairs, and be made ready for
commission.

- Her Majesty's ship Wellesley, 72, has been taken in
band by the artificers of Chatham dockyard in order
to be completely fitted.
A screw steam-ship, to mount 80 guns, is ordered
to be built at Chatham, and a screw 50-gun frigate
to be put in frame in the course of the present year.
The Rev. Roland Wilson, who is about to succeed
the Rev. J. W. Kirby, assisted in the services at the
Dockyard Chapel on Sunday last.
The Rev. Josiah Thompson, her Majesty's ship
Monarch, 84, succeeds the Rev. Roland Wilson in
the Impregnable, flag-ship Devonport.
We are rejoiced to announce that the noble example
set at other outports for the purpose of raising a iund
on behalf of the widows and orphans of the unfortu-
nate sufferers in her Majesty's late steam. ship Birken-
head, has been responded •to here, the officers and
crews of the ships at this port having without hesita-
tion offered to subscribe a day's pay each for that
laudable purpose.
The number of ships belonging to her Majesty's

navy that have been paid off and commissioned at the
ports of Portsmouth and Plymouth, horn the Ist of
February, 1849, to the Ist of March last, is as fol-
lows :
Portsmouth. Plymouth.

Paid off. Commissioned.
9 ... 13 ...
17 ... 18 ...
12 ... 10 ...
4 ... 1 ...
42

Years.
1849 ...
1850 ...
18M ...
1852 ~.

r
raid off. Commissioned.
16 ... 15
.„ 17
13
a

42 Total 44 40
FITTIPIG.
SHIP 6 IN PORT AND
In Harbour—The Waterloo, 120, Captain the Hou.