The Sun.
London, England, 1852-04-15 00:00:00

THURSDAY EVENING, APRIL 15, 1851

I See, and sailed the same evening in charge of Mr.
Osmen, one of the additional masters of the Magi-
cienne ; her destination is to assist the Arctic expedi-
Ition on their staging.
The Magicienne, 16, steam guard-ship, Capt. W.
Ramsey, in proceeding out of harbour to try her
machinery, saluted the flag of the Commander-in-
Chief, it being her first trip since commissioning.
PLYMOUTH WEDNESDAY.—Mr. Stafford, the Se-
cretary to the Admiralty, who arrived here in the
Retribution froth -Portsmouth on'l4tonday, was- no-
companied by hit.privatelecretary (Me. Grant); and
by_
Colonel Greene, director of works. - They leave
again this evening for Portsmouth. Their visit here
did not partake of an official character, but Mr. Staf-
ford has availed himself of the opportunity to visit and
inspect the Royal Arsenal at Devonport, the Royal
William Victualling-yard at Stonebouse,'and the new
Steam-yard at Keyharn.
A Cowes pilot boat, which came in here last night,
reports that late in the evening she Saw a man-of-
war, thought to be a 74, to the westward of the Ed-
dystone, apparently homeward bound, with ber head
to the southward, under her three royals, working up
Channel against a strong south-easterly brek
It is stated that for, the last .52 days Plymouth has
experienced an uninterrupted continuance of easterly
winds and dry weather.
SHEERNESS, APRIL 14.—Her - Majesty's screw
steam-frigate Higbflyer, 21, Captain Henry J. Mat
son (1849), made her number yesterday noon, and
having saluted with 15 guns the flag of Vice-Admi-
ral the Hon. Josceline Percy, Commander-in. Chief
of her Majesty's vessels in the Thames and Medway,
proceeded on her voyage to Spithead. Her Majesty's
ship Waterloo returned the Highflyer's salute with
seven guns.
Her Majesty's paddle-wheel steamer- Fearless,
Captain Frederick Bullock (1838), employed on the
survey of the Thames and Medway, left port yester-
day morning to resume her duties.
Her Majesty's screw steam-frigate Horatio, 22,
Captain the Hon. S. T. Carnegie (1841), was swung
in the harbour yesterday, for the purpose of having
ber compasses adjusted, under the superintendence of
Mr. James Tonkin, master of her Majesty's ship
Waterloo.

Her Majesty's steam-tug vessel African got up her
steam yesterday afternoon, and left port far Wool.
with,_ to assist in towing as far as the Orkney-Islands
the ship fitting out under the command of Sir E.
Belcher for the Arctic regions.
Her Majesty's paddle-wheel steam-vessel Adder,
Mr. James Watt in charge, returned from Woolwich
yesterday, at 4 P.M., having in tow the Diligence
Lon-
don, got on shore near Margate on the 11th instant,
having obtained assistance, she was got off, but in
rather a leaky state.
naval transport.
s loop
oak, of and for Dartmouth,. from Lon-

ARCTIC SEARCHING EXPEDITION.
WOOLWICH, APRIL 14.—The greatest activity
has been displayed to-day at 'Woolwich Dockyard to
complete the stores required for the vessels of the
Arctic expedition, that all may be on board to-night
or early to-morrow morning, as the whole of the
squadron are under orders to be ready[to proceed
down the river between nine and ten o'clock, A.m.,
on Thursday, April 15. The Monkey steam-vessel,
Second Master Sallenger, will tow the Assistance,
Captain Sir Edward Belcher, C.B. ; the Zephyr
steam-vessel will tow the Resolute, Captain Kellett,
C. 8.; . and the Adder steam-vessel will tow the North
Star, Commander Pullen, to Greenhithe, where they
will have their compasses adjusted. The Intrepid
screw steam-vessel, Commander M'Clintock, and the
Pioneer screw steam-vessel, Lieutenant-Commander
Osborn, will each get up their steam and proceed to
Greenhithe at the same time.
Rear-Admiral Sir Francis Beaufort, K.C.8., hy-
drographer at the Admiralty, visited Captain Bel-
cher at an early hour, and remained a long time
to witness several experiments made to show the
officers the mode of inflating balloons, and the
bombardiers of the Marine Artillery the ap-
plication of the galvanic battery blowing up the ice
when necessary to open a passage for the vessels in
Arctic Seas. Captain Cospatrick B. Hamilton, Cap-
tain Reynolds, R.N., and the officers studying steam,
were present in the afternoon ; while Mr. Shepherd,
civil engineer, and Mr. Charles Button, operative
chemist, were engaged in inflating several pilot and
a large size balloon, the latter, when it was allowed to
ascend, having several thousands of printed coloured
papers attached to a slow match, and a number of
papers not printed upon attached to a quick match,
and many of the latter fell as was intended before the
balloon passed over the dockyard in a south-west
direction, the wind at the time being moderate from
the north-east. The other printed papers attached to
the slow match are intended to fall in various parts of
the country. The generation of the gas in four
casks was most perfect, and the balloon ascended
steadily to a great height before it was lost to the
view of the spectators and numerous visitors to the
yard who had assembled on the dockyard battalion
parade ground to witness the proceedings. During
the time the inflation of the balloons was taking
place a number of slips of satin were printed at the
printing-press supplied for the use of the expedition.
Rear-Admiral Sir Francis Beaufort, Captain Sir
Edward Belcher, and Captain Kellett, after witnessing
the ascent of the balloon, proceeded to the chain
testi▪
ng room, where the galvanic batteries, six in
number, were stationed, and the bombardiers of the
Marine Artillery, having prepared, under the direc-
tion of Mr. Hay, chemical lecturer from Portsmouth,
two tin cases, one charged with two pounds, and the
other with two and a half pounds weight of powder,
one of the cases was placed under an empty tar barrel
on the parade ground, and a copper wire covered with
gutta percha made to communicate with the powder.
Sir Edward Belcher held one wire at the entrance to
the testing room, while the other wire, covered in a
simi▪ lar manner with gutta percha and attached to the
galvanic battery, was placed in contact, and the ex-
plosion of the barrel was instantaneous, the pieces
flying high into the air and spreading in all directions,
without leaving a vestige of them near the spot where
the barrel had been placed. Another tar barrel was
subsequently exploded by a young lady firing the
charge from the galvanic battery.
Stu JOHN FRANKLIN.-It may tend to allay some
anxiety relative to the discovery of two ships in
April, 1851, supposed to be the missing ships under
the command of Sir John Franklin, said to have been
seen on the banks of Newfoundland by parties on
board a vessel bound for Quebec, to state that there
is no perceptible difference between the size of the
Erebus and Terror discovery ships, the Erebus being
only 376 tons, and the Terror about 30 tons less. It
is more than probable the vision seen by those on
board the Renovation may have been the reflection of
that vessel from two different surfaces of the iceberg,
to which it is said they were attached, as, if the
ob-
jects seen had been real ships, some other vessels
would have seen them on a coast so much frequented
as Newfoundland is by trading and fishing vessels.