The Sun.
London, England, 1852-05-06 00:00:00

COURT CIRCULAR.

The Queen and Prince Albert, with the Princess Royal
and the Princess Alice, took a drive yesterday in an open
carriage and four. The Equerries in Waiting, Lord
Charles Fitzroy and Lieut.-Colonel lion. A. Gordon, at-
tended on horseback.
His Royal Highness Prince Albert rode out on horse-
back yesterday, attended by Colonel the Hon. C. Grey.
The Duke and Duchess de Nemours visited her Ma-
jesty yesterday. Their Royal Highnesses also visited
her Royal Highness the Duchess of Kent at Clarence
House, St. James'e.
Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Kent dined with
her Royal Highness the Dachess of Gloucester last even-
ing, at Gloucester House, Piccadilly.
'rho Education Committee of her Majesty's Most
Hen. Privy Council had a meeting yesterday at the
Council-office. Present, the Lord President, the Earl of
Derby, the Marquis of Salisbury, Sir John Pakington,
the Duke of Northumberland, and, the Right Hon. J. W.
Henley.
A deputation of stema.owners, consisting of Mr.
Thomas Thompson (-Hull), Mr. Charles M'lver (Liver-
pool), Mr. A. Bannister (Mayor of Hull), and Mr. %V.
H. Pearson, had an interview with the Right lion. J. W.
Henley and Lord Colchester, at the Board of Trade.
The deputation was introduced by Mr. William Brown,
M.P., and Mr. James Clay, M.P.

' COWES, ISLE OF WIGHT.
(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)
COWES; WEDNEsDAY.--Ther Dutch barque jeParat
which was on shore at the back of the Wight, was
towed to this harbour by the Queen gamerste (noon)
between
nine and ten o'cletk this morning, and w
aloegside the- Medina 'Commercial Whqrf, preparing to
discharge the remainder of her cargo. There en
no pumps going since she' arrived, and she appears to
make very little water: She is a . very fine ship, and if
her masts had not been cut away would very soon have
been ready for sea again. Tha wind ind weather have
very much from
been much -in her favour, oushe would never have floated
. _
out of that disastrous b3y. ' . -
The grass and spring Cori] is suffering
the continued drought, as are the gardens; the wind has
been from the north and east, almost continuously, for
more than three months. ..
____........--,,,....,,....

eCuapuita:na
DEPARTURE 01" TUE UNITED STATES MAIL
STEAM-1411' ATlANTlC.—Yesterdriy forenoon, about eleven
Margiles, taeustiult-Iship
Alafeartitc'h
o'eioek, the United States
West, left the -Mersey for. No* York, mails of sixty
same hoar the
PSataleensgearn4dgnfaiiirtiasveli ritmeecrlca. About , the
Liverpobl and 'Philadelphia_ compan3 's screw steam- ship
City of Manchester also left the Mersey,
nd a bound for Philadelr
phis, with seventy-eight passengers a fall cargo, con-
sibting chiefly a PinnalleAt'er and girMingLara goods.

.~J

1852.

NAVAL INTELLIGENCE.
THE DUKE OF Pi 04THUrdlIERLAND'S LEVEE.—The
following- eftieera were-reseeted atitieCosiett'o Ivre. y 4,6-
I to! day : Atirnirdl.Wr-triliov,-Atlaiiral...7. GOtrii",
I 1. Rear Admiral SirrJatrei Rohr Admiral Itsbiti•
i son, Hear admiral Cator, Sir lilery
Cep•sin IL chard Devonshire:atel-Juhu F. Appirbb
' both of 1838, have aecepted the retieement, Commandur
_-Noreott, 1838, and.Corernander (dieter, 1851, have been
appointed to the coast-guard. •
• Her Majesty's paddleewheel eteem.sloop-Bezzard, 6
guns, at Davenport, is ordered for immediate commit:-
Edon, but no officers ha,vo as yet, been nominated, to her.
A.ssd ac.cidentoccurred on board the Amszon, 26,
Capt. Barker, lying 'in Plymbuth Sound. ' We under-
stand that in striking the topgaliantmast, it caste down
by the tun, when otes. man was killed, and
_four others
serieusly wounded.
PoitTSMOUTII, WEDRESDAY.—IIia Royal Highness the
Comte Wt. vita, Lord Eli Air Adutir4l of the Neapolitan
fleet; and suite, arrived at this. p:/rt this afterpot4a to in-
vent the chief ebjects..pt.ieterce- • The Qic 116, Captain Wi,;e, Kits s towed into her-
hoer this Afternoon by ,Ve Sprightly. end Eehosteamer:,.
The Slpt: b,',80, Captain PuicAl, e,mercis_cl her crew.
in gunnery this morning at Spithead with shot and 640
at target
The Prince Afgeat, 90, Captain Harris, struck- Core-
niodoro Alarlin% brotel I,eadant last evening at sues, ti
the Corunallelore heviog.../zone on 14-ave.
The Wirichester,• (.3,,ptaiti Loeb, C.D., bent saiii
this morning. _
The steam- frigato .Highll,fer,2l, Captain Matson, will
bo ready to go-to Spithead this week.
The court-martiahon the surviving effieers and Men
of the Birkenhead bids fair tolast
several. days.
PLystottete, WEDICESDAY,;-11er Majesty's steam:
vessel Vixen 6, Commemter F. L Barnard,
board Sir _Charles Hotham, the Envoy' to 'Brezl.l,-anodn
snite, sailed yesterday for. Rio Janeiro.
Her Majesty's' frigate AltitiZ)o, 26, Captain C.
Barker, which arrived on Sunday from Portsmouth,
went up harbour on. Monday, with unbent sails, and
commenced taking out stores, .preparatory to being
paid .off.
Her Majesty's ship Rodney, 92, Captain C. Gra:-
. him, now in the Sound, is 150 men short of her cow-
plement. . .
The crew of the Britomart, 8, Commander. Hoseltine,.
were paid wages on Monday.
'The frigate Leander, 50, Captain Decree, was taken
out of dock on Monday, andreasted on,Tuesday.-.
APPortiTNENTS,
WOOLWICH, MAY s.—Commander F. N. K. Wasey
(1,850) to study steam at the factory at Woolwich Dock.-
yard, vice Commander Bowyear, passed.
ConorganderAichsel de Courcy (1848) to study steam
at the factory, vice, Captain Cospatriek B. Hamilton,
passed. - -
Commander Philip de Santrinrez---(1845) I -to -study-
steam at the factory,- vice Lieutenant Richard .Moore,
passed.
:Commander Henry I. Lacon 0842), to study, steam
at the factory, vice Lieutenant Macdonald Bourchicr,
passed. .
;Lieutenants Macdonald Bourchier and Richard Moore,
having completed . course of study of steam, were
severally examined-as to their knowledge of steam and
marine steam engines' by Mr. Charles .Atherton, chief
engineer at Woolwich Dockyard,. and. on passing satis-
factorily received their certificates accordingly. -
The Herald, 28, Captain Henry Mangles Denham, was
visited to-day by a great number of ladies and gentle-
men, who were conducted over the vessel by Captain
Denham, who showed them the arrangements which have
been made for the long stay of the Herald on the sur-
veying service in the South Seas, and the numerous pre-
sents intended for the natives of the islands in that part
of the Pacific) Oman. •

LOSS OF THE BIRKENHEAD.
A court-martial, consisting of Rear-Admiral H.
Prescott; C. 8., president; Captain Chiids, 0.134 of the
Excellent; Captain G. B. Martin, C 8., of the Victory;
Captain Scott, of the Neptune ; Captain Henderson,
C. 8., of the Blenheim; Captain S. T. Lines; of the
Sampson; Captain Robinson, of the Arrogant; Captain
Loch, C. 8., of the Winchester; Captain Warden, of the
Retribution; Captain Symonds, of the Arethasav Cap-
Wit Harris, of the Prince Regent; Captain Matson, of
the Highflyer; and Sir G. L. Greetham, Deputy Judge-
Advocate of the Fleet, assembled yesterday morning at
nine o'clock, on board the Viotory,- to try Mr. R. B
Richards, master's assistant; J. Bowen, 'l'. Dunn, able
seamen; A. Stone, ordinary seaman; and John Ashbolt,
stoker, for the loss of the Birkenhead, or rather to in-
vestigate the conduct:of the survivors of that awful wreck.
The witnesses called when our report left were Thor.
Coffin, who bad the first middle watch on the night of
the wreck; Thomas Daly, of• the first watch, and look-
out man on the forecastle; Colour-Sergeant Drake, on
the poop when the ship struck; John Archbold, gunner,
in bed when the accident happened; and Mr. W. Cul-
'bane, assistant•surgeon, in his cabin at the time.
Ail these witnesses •were subjected to close and
lengthened examination, and deposed to a great num-
her of facts connected with the disaster; but nothing
calculated to alter materially the main incidents
already before the public. One of them stated,
that had the boats remained rear the wreck, and not
pursued the schooner,. more lives might have' been
saved; but all seemed to agree that both on board the
ilf fated sbip,and after she had sunk every effort was
used that, under the circumstances, was precticable.
The ompanni of the boats stated that they could not,
.without danger, take in' more then they held ;.tteat they
heard no cries and SlVirtril oesea• of 'distress which they
did not seek to rcli:3ve;• that the heaviness of the surf, in
their judgment, renthrid landing impossit.le; and, in
short, that they acted for the•b:st in the trying emer-
gency. As to the course which the ship was steering, it
was proved that she was some three miles from shore,
which, however, was not visible in the darkness; that
the soundings were taken; that tlia rate of speed at the
dine was 7i knots; diet a light bad been discerned
shortly before the catastrophe look place, -and that the
sound of the surf was not distinguishable. It was alto
shown that the boats were in perftet order for launching
had time permitted; that the captain was perfectly col•
leeted, and that the orders Nshich he issued were obeyed;
that the engines were backed for two minutes alter the
ship struck, and that she yielded to them; that in ten
lIIIIIIIte3 the fires were completely extinguished. and that
she went down in less than half an hour. Questions
were put to the witnesses, not only by the members of
the court-martial, but by the prisoners, and at six PN.
the Court was adjourned till to-morrow morning.