The Sun.
London, England, 1864-01-21 00:00:00

72 ; Commander T. L. Gaussen, Formidable, 84 ; and Com-
mander A. Barrow, Cumberland, assembled on board the
Formidable, 84, Capt. J. F afford, flagship of Admiral of the
Blue Sir G. R. Lambert, K.C.8., naval Commander-in-
Chief at the Nore, for the trial of Lieut. William Walsh,
commander, and the surviving officers and crew of her Ma-
jesty's gunboat Lively, 2, 60 horse power, tender to the
Cornwallis, 60, 200 horse power, Capt. J. N. Strange, onthe
charge of having lost that vessel among the shoals on the
north coast of the Netherlands, east of the island of Schier-
monnick Oog on the morning of the 21st of December last,
during a violent hurricane. The Lively was engaged at
the time in searching for a fleet of fishing-boats and other
craft, which were reported missing between the Doggerbank
and the island of Heligoland. Mr. G. H. Knight, of the
tifeiiaig.4sEtel4- Knight, and Arnold, Rochester, solicitors to
the Admiralty, officiated as Deputy-Judge-Advocate, and
conducted the investigation. Lieut. Walsh was assisted in
his defence by Staff-Commander H. T. Ellis, of the Corn-
wallis. The witnesses examined by the Court were Lieut.-
Commander W. Walsh, who was in charge of the Lively
at the time she was lost, Mr. F. Bush, engineer, Mr. C.
Cox, gunner, together with the quartermaster and car-
penter. From their evidence it appeared that the Lively
left Berwick on the 19th of December with instructions to
cruise in the German Ocean between the Dogger bank and
the island of Heligoland, with the view of assisting any of
the fishing boats which were then known to be at sear and
some of which appeared to have been lost. On the night of
the 21st of December, when in lat 54 26, long. 5 47, the
Lively encountered a fearful gale, which continued with
unabated fury during the whole of that and the following
day. In spite of the untiring exertions of the officers and
crew, the vessel became altogether unmanageable. Her
foremast was carried away and hung over her side—there
was about four feet of water in her hold, which extin-
guished her fires and prevented the working of her engines.
During the height of the gale Mr. Horne. the assistant-
engineer, was washed overboard and drowned, and the pilot
who had charge of the ship was found dead on the deck
from exposure, cold, and fatigue. The gunboat being at
the mercy of the waves was driven on shore on the Belgian
coast, the officers and crew being providentially rescued by
some fishing smacks, the men in which had heard their
signal distress guns. Nearly everything on board the Lively
was lost, and a day or two afterwards the vessel went to
pieces. During the whole of the trying period the officers
and crew appeared to have behaved in the most praise-
worthy manner. At the close of the case for the prosecu-
tion the Court adjourned for an hour to enable Lieutenant
Walsh to prepare his defence, which was read by the De-
puty-Judge Advocate. The defence was a recapitulation of
the evidence given by the witnesses for the prosecution,
and at the close the court was cleared, the members re-
maining in deliberation about an hour. On the court being
opened, the Deputy Judge Advocate read the finding, fully
and honourably acquitting Lieut. Walsh and the officers
and crew, and stating its opinion that the Lively was lost
through the fearful gale which prevailed, she being in her
right course at the time. The Court further stated that
Lieut. Walsh had done everything in his power to save the
ship. Capt. Hall, in handing Lieut. Walsh his sword, said
he did so with the greatest pleasure, the Court believing
that he, together with the officers and the whole crew, had
behaved as British seamen on the trying occasion.
The MegNra, screw troopship, Commander Edward Mad-
den, arrived at Portsmouth yesterday morning from the
West Indies with the 7th brigade of Royal Artillery, and
military and naval invalids and passengers. Those on board
belonging to the 7th brigade consisted of Brevet-Major G, L.
Chandler, Lieuts. Little and Davis, 6 sergeants, 2 trumpe-
ters, 7 corporals, 69 gunners, 6 women, and 11 children.
There were besides on board one man belonging to the let
battalion 14th Regiment, one man (Corps of Armourers),
wife and child, 13 invalid soldiers, 4 women, and 8 children
from various regiments in military charge of Lieutenant
Rutherford of the 2d battalion 21st Regiment,- and in
medical charge of Staff Assistant. Surgeon Ferguson.
Capt. Mawe, 2d West India Regiment, came home as pas-
senger on leave. The officers' wives on board were Mr.
Chandler and infant, Mrs. Ferguson and two children, and
Mrs. Mawe. The military invalids were transferred from
the Megaara yesterday immediately after her arrival at
Spithead, to the Royal Military Hospital at Netley. A few
naval invalids who also arrived in the ship were transferred
to her Majesty's ship Victory and the Royal Naval Hospital
at Hasler. The 7th Brigade of Royal Artillery will dis-
embark this morning and march into quarters in the new
fort at Brockhurst, one of the recently constructed line of
detached forts in advance of Gosport. The Megaara sailed
from Barbadoes Dec. 14, 1863, and has experienced a suc-
cession of heavy gales from S.W. to N.E. She was cern-
pelled to call at Vigo to coal, and she sailed thence on the
9th inst. She sailed from Plymouth on her outward voyage
on May 30, 1863, and since that time has steamed 14,328
and sailed 9,078 miles, having been engaged in the relief
of troops stationed at the different stations in the West
Indies and on the West Coast of Africa. At Demerara
she was detained some time in repairing her air pump-
cover. She will be docked and refitted before again leaving
England.
The ships of war on the Australian station at the dates
of the Last advices were the Harrier, 17, Capt. Sullivan; the
Miranda, ;,ft, Capt. Jenkins ; the Eclipse, 4, Capt. Mayne ;
the Curacoa, Commodere Wiseman ; and the Esk, 21,
Capt. Hamilton. :11l these ships were at New Zealand.

Dr. Beke on the ources of the Nile,