The Sun.
London, England, 1852-04-09 00:00:00

NAVAL INTELLIGENCE.

The Admiral Commander-in-Chief Sir Thomas
Briggs, K.C.8., the Admiral Superintendent H.
Prescott, with their respective suites, have set the
example of volunteering the gift of a day's pay each
towards the relief of the unfortunate widows,
orphans, and distressed relatives of the seamen and
marines lost in the unfortunate steamer Birkenhead.
This noble example has been followed up by the cap-
tains, the officers, and the crews of the ships in har-
bour, consisting of the Victory and Neptune, flag-
ships ; the Excellent, the Royal yachts, the Blenheim
and Winchester; also by the Sprightly, the Ports-
mouth, and smaller vessels attached to this port. No
doubt all the ships at Spithead will follow, and a
day's pay will be subscribed, which all together will
make a handsome sum for a beginning.
Mr. Stafford, M.P., the Secretary of the Admi-
ralty, accompanied by Colonel Green and Mr. Grant,
have arrived at Portsmouth. They will proceed to
Plymouth in the Retribution, steamer, Captain War-
den, it is said.

We regret to announce the death of Lieutenant
Andrew Robert Dunbar (1842). This gallant officer
had seen much active service, having been fifteen
years in tropical climates, seven of which were passed
on the west coast of Africa, where he was present at
the capture of 34 slavers. He was one of the first
who was seized with fever in the unfortunate Eclair,
and though he survived the attack, yet his health
never entirely recovered the shock. He subsequently
commanded the Acheron steamer, in the relief squad-
ron, during the famine in Ireland, and was much
beloved by the officers and men under his command.
Black Eagle, Admiralty yacht, is expected at
Portsmouth the latter end of this week, to be in
readiness to embark his Grace the Duke of Nortbum-

berland, who, it is said, will embark on her on Tuesday

next.

Lightning steam-yacht sailed from Portsmouth on
Wednesday, for the Channel Islands, with Lord
Hardinge on board. His Lordship visited the new
forts recently built at Brown's Down, and en route
in the Lightning will visit the site selected at Hurst
for the fort which is to be erected to protect the
Needles passage.
Superb, 80, Captain Purcell, was paid down at
Spithead, on Wednesday, and one watch of the ship's

company went on a fortnight's leave. The Prince
Regent, 90, Captain Harris, has not yet been paid,
but will probably be so about Monday next.
Rodney, 92, Captain Graham, C. 8., was exercising
her crew at gunnery practice yesterday morning.
She fired several broadsides from both starboard and
port guns simultaneously.
Sprightly, steam-tender, Master Commander Allen,
went to Southampton on Wednesday, taking down
sMp
era:
it.
eLn r
geu s
areht
hi ne gn t
Vulcan,
nu
orders andca n
fans:yireelYtiv.d_sotweannaat Portsmouth
Commander Penn. She is still alongside the Blake
hulk, with royal yards aloft.
Pestongee B oman gee, convict-ship, arrived at Ports-
mouth on Wednesday morning, from the river ; she
will embark about 100 more from this port and pro-
ceed on her voyage to Australia.
The Vulcan, iron screw-steamer, Master Com-
mander Penn, was towed into Portsmouth Harbour by
the Echo on Wednesday at one o'clock. Yesterday
a board of naval officers, consisting of Captain Hen-
derson, C. 8., of the Blenheim ; Captain 111`Dougall,
of the Hogue ; and Captain Warden, of the Retri-
bution, assembled to make inquiry into the causes and
circumstances attendant on the long-protracted pas-
sage made by Vulcan home.
PORTSMOUTH, THURSDAT..--.The Victory, 104,
Captain G. B. Martin, C. 8., flag of Admiral Sir Tho-
mas Briggs, G.C.M.G., Commander-in-Chief, has
resumed her moorings on this aide the harbour
to-day.
The Neptune, 120, Captain E. H. Scott, has re-
ceived her crew; and the Illustrious has returned to
her ordinary moorings to-day.
Tne Winchester, 50, Captain Loch, C. 8., has
been brought into the angle dock to-day to have her
bottom cleaned and examined.

SHEERNESS, APRIL B.—Her Majesty's screw-
steam-frigate Horatio, 24, Captain the Hon. S. T.
Carnegie, was removed from the fitting-basin yester-
day to moorings in the harbour. It is stated she will
be sent in a few days on an experimental trip of 48
hours' duration, to test to the fullest extent the eflici-
ciency of her machinery and screw propeller.
Her Majesty's paddle-wheel steam• vessel Cuckoo,
2, got up her steam on Tuesday forenoon, and pro-
ceeded round the Great Nore for the purpose of try-
ing her machinery, under the inspection of Captain
the Hon. S. T. Carnegie, superintendent of the steam
squadron of reserve, and Mr. F. W. Paul master, her
Majesty's screw steam-frigate Horatio. Mr. T.
Taylor, the Admiralty pilot at this port, was on board
during the cruise. The Cuckoo returned to her moor-
ings in the harbour in the afternoon, the result of
the trial baying proved in every respect satisfactory.
Her Majesty's paddle-wheel steam-vessel Adder
called in here on Tuesday forenoon, and proceeded to
Woolwich with boats for one of the steamers at that
port. She touched here yesterday at 9 A.m., and,
after communicating with the dockyard, returned to
Chatham.

Her Majesty's screw steam-frigate Amphion, 34,
is progressing rapidly with her internal fittings.
She has taken a great portion of her tanks and sea
stores on board, and is all ataunt in the fitting-basin.
Her Majesty's paddle-wheel steam-sloop Geyser,
6, chief engineer J. Neill, fitting at Woolwicb, is,
when complete, ordered to be stationed here as one of
the first division of the steam squadron of reserve.
Her Majesty's ship London, 90, Capt. G. H. Mundy,
will be completed by the dockyard artificers in a
fortnight.
Her Majesty's steam-frigate Cyclops, 6, has had
nearly all her defects made good. New copper has
been put on her forward, from the waterline to within
a few feet of her keel. _

The schooner Buchan, Chancy master, arrived here
yesterday from Hartlepool.
iGign-ns:/iPillaetr, itivenhill'
The Useful, Kellett master, and the Clara Jane,
Cheeseman master, both bound for _Newcastle, are
lying in the harbour windbound.
Commander J. B. Marsh is appointed to thaendlN:lacii
terloo, 120, as part complement of that shiip, stated.
for service in the steam flotilla, as previoustseyam_
vessel,
Woomvicu, APRIL B.—The Avon
Devonport,
having brought
tender to the Impregnable,
and the riggers from
Lieutenant here
Robertson
hloiothpe,fiatttnedoown,itibn
Valorous to Devon-
arorruinvded
engines of 400-horse
roboYlwich on Friday last
by three runs at th
port. The Valorous
this dockyard who navigated
the
he
her compasses'
andher aCvoer,agaendspme,ehde,n s
when ascertained to be 101 knots e per
hour. On Saturday
measured mile,
eSisuP dj°eawtfl tried
ferldl' G, ree n 5 adjusted
arriving at Plymouth
by Captain Johnson, a
Robertson, a • •
nudndamyadeanaveragde
charge of Lieutenant
at half-past four afternoon, and
during the enfireo'le,oloynakgeonrous
of 10 knots
speed nots, with the whole of he,
speed of
uproar 200 tons of s
armament and
i..afternoon her to Devonport.
Avon left tws _ on return
TUE mom EXPEDITION.—The greatest activity
is displayed in getting the remainder of the requisite
stores on board the vessels of Captain Sir Edward
Belcher 's expedition ; but as the two screw steam-
vessels, the Intrepid and Pioneer, will not be ready
for taking out of the basin until Saturday, it is not
expected that the Whole of the vessels will be able to
leave Woolwich until the early part of next week.
Hundreds of Visitors went on board the Resolute,
Captain Kellett, C. 8., to-day, as she is lying along-
side the wharf wall at the west end of the yard.
Among others were a number of ladies with presents
for the gallant captain and the officers of the Reso-
lute, consisting of silk flags, various kinds of knitted
comforters, elegantly worked and embroidered caps,
sofa and chair covers, and many other articles.
The whole of the ship's company of the Fisgard
flag-ship of Commodore Henry Eden, at Woolwich,
on hearing of the disaster to the Birkenhead, autho-
rised Mr. Bean, master of the Fisgard, to say that
they will give each a day's pay towards the relief of
the sufferers.

ROCKETS FOR THE NAVAL SERVICE.
It was a remark of Sir William Congreve, as
"strange that the powers of the rocket were more
appreciated on the continent than in this country,"
which he attributed to the little information that pre-
vailed here on the subject. He accordingly most
earnestly desired that his own countrymen should be
more gradually informed of its importance, without
disclosing anything from which our enemies could
derive advantage. We do not hesitate, therefore,
briefly to continue our description of the mode of
applying this powerful prejectile* for natal purpose°.
The explanations we have formerly given, SU.%
gested by the success of the attack on Lagos with
rockets, by a few men in a boat fitted for the service

* The penetration of the 12-pounder iihell-rock!t
(rockets being denominated as cannon-shot by thttr
actual weight), at from 800 to 1,200 yards distance,
not less than 20 to 25 feet into ts solid bank of earth;
its extreme range, 2,500 yards; tbst of bombarding
rockets, 3,600 yards.

under command of Lieut. Corbett, and which drew
forth the hearty cheers of the neighbouring ships'
crews, applied to their projection solely from boats.
We now add a few words of explanation of the mode
of discharging rockets from vessels, premising that it
is the. inherent power possessed by the rocket of pro-
jecting itself, without reaction upon the point of dis-
charge, that forms one of its chief advantages, as by
its means as much may be accomplished in a few
minutes by a few small vessels as, in the ordinary
mode of naval bombardment, would be the work of
some hours from the same number of the largest
bomb-ships ; whilst such is the simplicity of the
system, as defined by Sir William Congreve him-
self, that the equipment required for the discharge of
whole broadsides consists simply of the spare spars
of the vessel. It would seem, therefore, that
the rocket might, with great advantage, be put more
generally into the hands of the navy ; its economy, as
a self-motive weapon, being as remarkable as its
power, and the gradual perfection ofF our steam navi-
gation, since Sir William Congreve 's day, opsning a
wider field for this species of naval warfare, by the
facility of its combination with the heaviest rockets.
The mode of fitting ships for firing rockets—the
weight of the apparatus less than the rocket itself—is
by the construction of scuttles in their broadsides,
giving to every vessel having between-deck a rocket
battery, in addition to the gun batteries on the spar-
deck, without one interfering with the other, or with-
out risk to the ship, the spars of the rocket in going
off being completely excluded either by iron shutters
closing from within, or by a particular form of scuttle
and frame, contrived so that the whole of the scuttle
is completely filled in all positions of traverse and at
all angles by the frame, and thereby the possibility of
the entrance of fire prevented. This arrangement
literally gives the kind of small vessels here indicated
a second and most powerful deck for general service as
well as bombardment.

Smaller vessels still, such as schooners and cutters,
may be fitted to fire rockets by frames similar to the
boat-frames described in our former number, from
their spar-deck, and over the side or the stern. A
single rocket, it should be observed, is not to be com-
pared with a single gun-shot by firing at a target.
The consideration is whether under some—indeed,
most circumstances, and-for sudden emergencies—the
concentrated power of quantity and rapidity of fire
do not counterbalance the greater accuracy of the
gun, remembering also how few men are required to
discharge the most powerful vollies with this peculiar
arm. (Whilst incidentally, as to the land service, the
one system comparatively requires only the transport
of the ammunition—in the other, not only the am-
munition, but of the most massive ordnance, without
which it is useless.)
\Ve do insist, therefore, that it is of the deepest
moment, at this juncture, as an auxiliary means of
defence, that all possible precaution should not only
be continued by the authorities at the Ordnance to
guard the manufacturing details of this matured and
now thoroughly-tried invention against disclosures ;
but to provide, in case of sudden need, such a store
of Congreve rockets for the navy as would meet the
contingency of any war, whether of invasion or not ;
the more so as it has been clearly demonstrated from
official experiments, that rockets are the most durable
of all ammunition, they having been successfully
tested, and returned into store for future service, after
seventeen years knocking about in all climates—a
state of preservation which is owing to their being
inclosed in a metallic case that, with common care,
is impervious to air and moisture.—Herald.