The Sun.
London, England, 1852-04-01 00:00:00

NAVAL INTELLIGENCE.

REDUCTION OF THE MEDITERRANEAN SQUADRON.-
The Mediterranean fleet has now been reduced to a mere
squadron. Sir William Parker has given up the com-
mand to Rear-Admiral Deans Dundas, C. 8., and left
Malta in the Queen, 116, Captain Wise, for England,
with the Spiteful, 6, steam• Sloop, commanded by the ad-
miral's son, Commander G. Parker. The squadron re-
maining on the other side of the Straits of Gibraltar is
now limited to Britannia, 120, Citptain Goldsmith; Tra-
falgar, 120, Captain Greville, and Bellerophon, 78, Cap-
tain Lord G. Paulet; a sloop, the Modesto, 14, Com-
mander Lord Compton; and the following steamers,
besides the breaking-down packets—Firebrand, 6, Cap-
tain Codd; Scourge, 6, Commander Lord F. Kerr; Fury,
6, Commander Tatham; and a shaky old tub called the
Shearwater, 3, Lieutenant Commander Horton. The
elite of the Mediterranean force is now dispersed. We
have not a single ship at Corfu, no cruiser on the coast
of Syria—at a moment, too, when the greatest excite-
ment prevails with respect to the Tanzimat; we have
not a single pendant at the Piraeus, and whilst a
heavy French frigate has by this time passed the
Dardanelles, and is anchored off Constantinople, the re-
presentative of the British navy there is an old, worn-
out, leaky tub—the Shearwater, with not guns enough
on board to return any compliment paid to the union
jack. Hitherto it has always been held that the natural
rendezvous for the main division of the British fleet in
commission is on the station on which the French fleet
is cruising, and near the forces of other powers. It has
also been considered that the best method of keeping
our ships in an efficient state, and teaching our junior
officers and men their profession, is by cruising and ex-
ercising together, and performing their evolutions in
company and in succession, which enabled Howe, Jervis,
and Nelson to engage so successfully the superior forces
of the enemy. Opinions appear to have changed, and
systems to have altered. It would seem now that the
means adopted to make our fleet efficient are to keep
the line-of- battle ships as far distant from each other as
possible. Time, however, will test the soundness of the
judgment which has weakened our Mediterranean forces
at a time when our rivals aro so strong on that station,
and distributed our ships to those ports at which their
presence is unnecessary.—Herald.
We stated yesterday that commanders would be ap-
pointed to the flag-ships at the home ports as formerly,
and we gave the appointment of Commander J. B. Marsh
(1844), to the Waterloo, 120, flag-ship, Sheerness. Two
officers have now been appointed to the other flag-ships
—namely, Commander Alexander Boyle (1842), for-
merly of the Thunderbolt, steam-sloop, to the Victory,
flag-ship, at Portsmouth, and Commander John R. Rodd

851),io tholmpregna'ble, 78, flsg•ship, Devonport.

_ ..
Lieutenant W. B. Mason (1848) has been appointed
to the Britomart, 8, fitting at Dovonport.
Spithead now looks as of old. The presence of the
Prince Regent, 90, the Superb, 80, the Rodney, 90,
Hogue, 60, and Retribution, 28, steam-frigate, gives it a
warlike appearance.
Arrogant, 46, screw steam-frigate, Captain Robinson,
was removed from the angle dock into the basin, at
Portsmouth, yesterday morning, where she will further
fit for service.

Dauntless, 33, screw steam-frigate, Captain E. P.
Halsted, was paid wages in Plymouth Sound on Monday,
and the men were granted leave.
Niger, 14, screw-sloop, Commander Heath, is ordered
home from the coast of Africa.
Racer, 12, Commander Reddon, was paid off into or-
dinary, at Davenport, yesterday.
Sampson, 6, steam-frigate, Captain L. T. Jones, has
hauled off from the dockyard to the Dryad hulk, at
Portsmouth.

Vulcan screw troop-frigate, Master-Commander Penn,
which on her arrival at Denenport was compelled to
come to an anchor at the west end of the Breakwater,
steamer, on Tuesday.
moorings within by the Confiance
was towed to the

PORTSDIOUTH, MAR6II 31.—THE CHANNEL SQUAD-
RON.—Her Majesty
whip Prince Regent, 92, Captain
W. F. Martin, has arrived from Lisbon and Queenstown.
She saluted the Port-Admiral with 17 guns from her
heavy battery, which shook the town. Her crew will be
paid down to six months. Her Majesty's ship La
Hogue, 60, an:l Encounter, 14, are hourly expected to
anchor at Spithead from the same ports, when the effec-
tive force at this station will comprise the following
squadron:—
Neptune (ordinary j
fliis—N,
120 guns, 2,705 tons, 482
crew, Captain Scott.
Harris. guns, 2,613 tons, 820 crew, Captain
Graham.
RProidnoceey,Re9g2ent 92
g,
uns,
2,598 tons, 820 crew, Captain
Superb, 80 guns, 2,589 tons, 750 crew, Captain Purcell.
*Blenheim, 60 guns, 1,747 tons, 500 crew, 450 horse
power, Captain Henderson.
*Hogue, 60 guns, 1,750 tons, ,
, 500 crew 450 horse power
Captain M`Dougall.
Arethuss, 50 guns, 2,130 Sy-
monds. tons, 500 crew, Captain
Winchester, 50 guns, 1,487 tons, 450 orew, Captain
Loch.
*Arrogant, 46 guns, 1,872 tons, 450 crew, 360 horse
power, Captain Robinson.
Retribution, 28 guns, 1,641 tons, 300 crew, 400 horse
power, Captain Warden.
*Encounter, 14 guns, 906 tons, 175 crew 360 horse
power, Captain Gordon.
,
Sampson, 6 guns, 1,297 tons, 210 crew, 467 horsepower,
Captain Jones.
Vixen, 6 guns, 1,054 tons, 160 crow, 280 horse power,
Captain Barnard.

* Those marked thus are screw ships.
Of this force the Neptune is
the harbour guard ship,
or receiving ship of the ordinary; the Rodney is filling
up her complement, and wants upwards of 150 to make
up 820; and the Winchester is fitting out to proceed to
the East Indies and China, as Commander.in-Chief's
ship. Her Majesty's. ships Prince Regent, Rodney,
_
Superb, and Retribution are at Spithead; the rest are in
Portsmouth harbour.

o'clock yesterday after-
e6aou,viCuaspwtaaisn Mtak'lDenouginatlol,
and saluted the anchoredh e Heroe
from Majesty's
Sid pi
sith 10ee a
steam-sloop shipd
andaboutL
Ireland,uvvee,
port-
admiral with 17 guns.
Iler Majesty's
the factory basin yesterday, to have her machinery re-
paired.
The Antelope steam-packet, Lieutenant Commander
Young, is on shore at St. Helen's. She brought up there
yesterday, on her way from. this port to Gibraltar, not
liking the appearance of the weather,gettingunder viMerig. tiGeorge Allen, Acting a
Tr ahne
se. sphroi
gr e i h
tlt;
steam-tender, ° svyitth aisppmeoarrnsi shen
g.
Master Commanding, has been sent to her assistance;
she towed the Drake lighter also to the spot with haw-
sersin-Chief, and the necessary gear for getting her off, and they
have not yet returned, therefore w!, cannot
give details
of the catastrophe.
Prince
pheT.Thentteepgeis an iron vessel.
At t,
9U; the Rodney,
92; the Superb, 80; the Hogue, GO
; and the Retri-
bution, 28.
SHEERNESS, MACCR 31.—Her Majesty's ship Water-
loo,hthe the
120, Captain G. R. BlundY,
flag of Vice-Admiral
er ap
1
topmasts Hon. J o cheel
and
n tee pg a Percy,llee
tChioams
tms ,
and crossed her lower and
topsail yards, yesterday morning, beingander .i
her rig for the
summer months.
Her Majesty's ship Monarch, 84, Capt4in C. Hope,
and her Majesty's ship London, 90, Captain the Hon.
Montague Stoplord, also sent up their topmasts and
crossed their lower and topsail yards.
Her Majesty's steamer Myrtle, Mr. W. S. Bourchier,
master, proceeded to Chatham yesterday on
service for
the dockyard, returning to port in the afternoon.
Her Majesty's steam frigate Amphion, 34, has her
topgallantmasts fidded, and will bo all ataut in a day or
two. She has been removed to the north side of the
fitting basin.
The Logatus, Ord, meter, and Columbus, Gray,