The Sun.
London, England, 1852-12-20 00:00:00

NAVAL INTELLIGENCE.

There is now no doubt that we shall have another Board
of Admiralty, for the Earl of Aberdeen arrived in town
last night (having been conveyed to and fro between South-
ainpton and Osborne by the Fairy), charged by her Majesty
to construct a new Cabinet. Mr. Sidney Herbert, as we
anticipated on Saturday, is already looked upon as the new
First Lord, with the Hon. Henry Fitzroy, M.P., who was
formerly the civilian member of Lord Haddington's board,
as secretary; but another report gives the chief scat to Sir
James Graham. Among those names for the other seats,
are Vice-Admiral Sir G. Seymour and.ltear-Admiral Berke-
ley, for senior naval lords ; and Rear-Admirals Sir J. Stir-
ling and Hon. H. J. Rom, Captains W. F. Martin and
Hon. H. S. Dundas, as junior lords.

PROMOTIONS.
(From the Morning Herald.)
On Saturday last the following promotions and appoint-
ments—some of which will be deemed most extraordinary,
if not unprecedented—were made by the Admiralty :
Commander Hyde Parker (1847), son of Vice-Admiral
Parker, the senior naval Lord of the Admiralty, has been
promoted from the command of the Cruiser, 12, screw-
sloop, at Woolwich, which ship ho commanded a fortnight
since, to the rank of Captain, and has been appointed, with
tho officers and crew of the Cruisor, to the Firebrand, 6,
steam-frigate, just paid off, and under repair. Captain
Parker entered the service, we believe, in 1838, was made
a Lieutenant in 1814, served his time, and was made Com-
mander in 1817, commanded the Pantaloon, 8; at the Cape
for three years, and is now not only made a Captain, but
has got a ship immediately.
Commander Geoffrey T. B. Hornby (1850), has been pro-
moted to the rank of Captain. He is son of Rear-Admiral
Sir Phipps Hornby, K. 0.8., the second senior Lord of the
Admiralty. He was a Lieutenant of 1844.
Lieutenant John M. Cooke (1841), first of the Queen,
116, at Devonport, has been promoted to the rank of Com-
mander.

Lieutenant William Burdon (1848), first of the Hastings,
72, flag-ship, in the East Indies, has also been promoted to
the rank of Commander.

Mates.—Robert Mansel (April 15,1850), late of the Fire-
brand ; and Ffancis Methuen Noel (October 1850), have
been promoted to the rank of Lieutenant.

APPOINTMENTS.

'Vice-Admiral Sir Thomas Cochrane, K.C.8., has been
appointed to be Commander-in-Chief at Portsmouth, vice
Sir Thomas Briggs, deceased. Paymaster Ozzard, it is
said, will be the new secretary.
Captain William Willis Chambers (1840), has been
appointed to command the Desperate, screw-sloop, at
Devonport.
Captain Francis Scott (1818) has been appointed to com-
mand the coin, 12.
-steam-frigates, at Portsmouth-
Captain Charles G. E. Patey, just promoted, has been
appointed to command the Amphion, 33, screw-frigate,
Sheerness.
Commander the Hon. George H. Douglas (1851) has been
appointed to command the Cruiser, screw-sloop, vice
Parker, promoted.
Commander G. T. M. Purvis (1842), now secretary to the
Commander-in-Chief at Queenstown, has been appointed to
command the Argus, 6, steam-sloop, 300-horse power,
Devonport.
Commander John C. Bailey, lately promoted, has been
appointed to the command of the Medea, 4, steam-sloop,
Portsmouth.
Commander George Parker (1849), who has just paid off
the Spiteful, 6, steam-sloop, has been appointed to the com-
mand of the Barracouta, 6, steam-sloop, at Sheerness.
f Lieutenant William Mould (1842) to the Odin.
Master Daniel M. D. Jago (1846) to the Odin.
Chaplain Thomas W. Bennett to the St. George, 120,
Devonport.
Paymaster G. H. L. Wise (1849) to the Megmra, screw
troop-ship.
Assistant-Surgeon Edward M`Sorley to the Cruiser.
Gunner S. J. Cameron, to the Imperieuse, 50, screw-
frigate, Woolwich.
Boatswain Edward Langley to the Imperieuse.
Carpenter Thomas Coughlin to the Imperieuso.
In consequence of the retirement of Mr. Charles Pearce,
second-class clerk in Deptford Victualling-yard, Mr. Pem-
broke, senior of the third-class, has been promoted to the
second-class. Mr. Armstrong, extra clerk, placed on the
establishment, and Mr. Miller appointed as extra.

THE LONDON, 92.—The London, 92, Captain Mundy,
passed off Dover, down Channel, at 10.20 on Saturday
morning. She had a leading wind, and was under courses,
topsails, and topgallantsails, bowling away at the rate of
between nine and ten knots an hour. The Cyclops, steam-
sloop, was about half a mile astern, under steam and sail,
apparently doing her best to keep near the two-decker.
Between 200 and 300 sail of merchantmen were running
down Channel at the same time, but they seemed to have
no chance with the London. The wind must have subse-
quently headed her, for, in tow of the Cyclops, she arrived
in St. Helen's Roads at one o'clock yesterday morning, and
went up to Spithead at nine a.m. The London saluted the
flag of Rear-Admiral Fanshawe, which the Neptune re-
turned ; and the Cyclops went into harbour in the after-
noon for a supply of coals, to enable her to return to
Woolwich.

WOOLWICH, DEC. 18.
It is now decided that Vice-Admiral Sir Thomas John
Cochrane, K.C.8., is to have the command at Portsmouth,
vacant by the decease of Admiral Sir Thomas Briggs,
G.C.M.G., and will hoist his flag as Vice-Admiral of the
White on board the Victory, 101, flag-ship at that port.
Captain George Rodney Mundy (1837), formerly flag cap-
tain on board the Waterloo, 120, flag-ship at the Is7ore, and
at present in command of the London, 92, is to be flag cap-
tain to Vice-Admiral Sir Thomas John Cochrane.

PORTSMOUTH, DEC. 18.

The Vostock, Russian screw schooner, got up her steam
yesterday morning at 10 o'clock, and, having embarked his
Excellency Admiral Putiaitine, General Aide-de-Camp to
the Emperor of Russia ; Captain Untowski, Aide-de-Camp
Imperial ; Col. Schwabe, Imperial Engineer ; Commander
Teorsokoff, Baron Sleipenberg, Mr. Humphreys, and Mr.
Dykes, the engineers (of the firm of Humphreys, Tennant,
and Dykes), left harbour to try her speed at the measured
mile in Stokes'-bay. She averaged 7i knots, the engines
making 112 revolutions with 101 b. steam, as many as pre-
viously to her alterations she had attained with 231 b. steam.
The trial altogether was deemed highly satisfactory, and
on her return she was formally delivered over to the Russian
Government. She is intended as a tender to the 50-gun
frigate Pallas.
A new scale of purser's instructions for victualling the
fleet has just been issued by the Admiralty. They are more
voluminous than the Great Exhibition catalogue, and so
complicated that of half-a-dozen paymasters of the most
extended experience to whom we have shown them (having
been favoured with a copy earlier than others) not one has
been able to comprehend them.

DEC. 19

Leander, 50, Captain King, and the Arrogant, 46, screw
steam-frigate, Captain Fremantle, went out of harbour on
Saturday to Spithead. Both saluted the flag of Rear-
Admiral Arthur Fanshawe, C. 8., which the Neptune re-
turned.
Mercury, cutter, Lieut. Ireland, went out of harbour
on Saturday, and sailed for the Channel Islands.
The Pacha's yacht, Kessia Kheer, sailed from St. Helen's
Roads on Saturday, for three or four days' cruise in the
Channel, for the purpose of testing her stability, before
taking her final departure.
The Fearless, Russian steam-vessel, wont out of harbour
on Saturday, on her second trial, to test the working of her
engines, and to try her speed at the measured mile in
Stokes' Bay.
Tho Edward, convict-ship, sailed from Spithead on Sa-
turday, with prisoners for Bermuda, calling at Portland for
others.
St. Vincent, convict-ship, Mr. John Young, master, ar-
rived at Spithead this morning from the Thames, to em-
bark prisoners for Gibraltar.
London, Captain Hubbard, and Margaret Evans, Capt.
Pratt, arrived at Spitheadthis morning from the Thames,
to embark passengers for New York.
Sprightly, steam-tender, Master-Commander G. Allen, is
ordered to return to this port from the Channel Islands.

A large number of outward-bound merchant vessels that
sailed from the Downs when the wind shifted. on Saturday,
have been compelled to take shelter at the quarantine
ground to-day, in consequence of the wind shifting again
to the SW.

PLYMOUTH, DEC. 17.
We have had a complete gale from the south-west, with
lightning all through last night, and rain all yesterday
afternoon and to-day, All the men of war have held on,
thanks to the breakwater. The Adelaide, mail steamer,
has held on in the Sound, very luckily ; had she put out it
is impossible she could have proceeded. It is said by old
men that they never knew such weather to continue for so
lon a time. A few accidents among the merchant vessels
but nothing of consequence has been reported.
DEC. 19.
The Adelaide, which sailed for Australia at 4 p.m. on
Saturday, put back at 8.30 this morning, her hawse hole
pipes are defective and cause the ship to leak. The repairs
will detain her here at least until Tuesday morning.
Her Majesty's screw steam sloop Brisk, 14, having been
masted, was warped to the jetty on Friday, and will be
rigged by the seamen riggers of the yard previous to being
commissioned.
The Valorous steam frigate, which was commissioned on
Wednesday by Captain Buckle, is to have a complement of
22 officers and men.
A letter, dated her Majesty's ship Sans Pareil, Lisbon,
December 10, says :—" We arrived here on the 28th of
November, after a boisterous passage of 16 days from Ply-
mouth, I think I have never experienced worse weather
during the time I have been at sea. The wind favoured us
until we got clear off the Channel, but when in the Bay of
Biscay a severe trial of the ship's capabilities was made.
On the 20th the wind shifted to south-west, with fresh
breezes, gradually increasing until the 22d, when it blew a
perfect hurricane. The Sans Pareil does badly enough in
bad weather, and is certainly overmasted. I always thought
so, and at sea we fairly proved it, her angle of inclination at
times being 48 degrees, according to Edye's indicator. On
the evening of the 22ethe wind shifted to north-west, light
breeze, and the rolling of the ship from the heavy
sea was excessive. This was followed the next day
by another gale from west-south-west. This was suc-
ceeded on the 24th by a calm, and we picked up a poor
little French brig named the Marie, of Fecamp, dismasted
—not a spar left, excepting a boat's mast, with a rag
of canvas flying as a signal of distress. We took her in t e
lost how
until the 27th, when she parted the cable, and wer.
The crew had previously been removed to our ship. The
rolling of the Ship during the gales has caused much havoc
among the mess traps, chests, and nicknacks of those on
board, including the doctor's medicine chests, that officer
himself being obliged to forsake his cabin in consequence
of a leak, and sling his hammock amongst the middies. The
leak originated in the bread-room, and has damaged above
10,0001 b. of bread. It did not arise from any defect of
caulking, but from the place provided for the run of the
chains abaft under the counter. The Prince Regent, Rod-
ney, and Termao.ant came in here a day or two after we
arrived, but the 'latter ship and ours suffered most in the
gale, It is stated wo aro to remain here some months, but
having broken one of the cylinders, it may call us to
England before that period."
On Friday, at 10 a.m., at Penlee, a twodecker man-of-
war was observed inside the Eddystone, under doublereefed
topsails, fore and mizen topgallant-masts either lowered or
carried away. She was going up Channel with a gale of
wind from the south-west, and looked like a foreign ship—
vobably a Russian.

SHEERNESS, DEC. 17.
The Fearless paddle-wheel steam-vessel, of 76-horse
power, Captain Frederick Bullock, arrived here at four
a.m. this day, from Harwich.
The Wildfire paddle-wheel steam-vessel, of 75-horse
power, steam-tender to the Waterloo, Mr. George. Broc
man, Second-Master, in command, returned from Wool-
wich last night, with Vice-Admiral the Hon. Joscolino
Percy, Commander-in-Chief at the Nore, who left here
yesterday with his secretary on official duties, as previously
reported, The Wildfire is to-day undergoing some trifling