The Sun.
London, England, 1830-06-07 00:00:00

NAVAL INTELLIGENCE.

PORTSMOUTH, JUNE s.—We are sorry to find the
necessity of watching our interests at Algiers, pend-
ing the present blockade and expected siege, has
caused us the loss of a. frigate. The Rattlesnake,
twenty-eight guns, Captain the Honourable C.
0. Bridgeman, has been wrecked in Algiers Bay, in
the same gale of wind that drove two French men-
of-war ashore either on the 14th, 15th, or 16th tilt.
From the friendly disposition shown to Englishmen
by the Dey of Algiers, we hope such assistance was
rendered to the crew as to avert the loss of lives.
Nothing has been heard of the French expedition
since its sailing, excepting that of the frigate La
Duchesse de Berri, having seen the fleet two days
after its sailing, twenty leagues S.W. of Toulon,
then having a fair wind. On the landing of the
army a newspaper will be established, with the title
of " L'Estafette d' Alger" (the Algiers Express) :
this will, supply the news of the army, and will be
edited by M. Merle, Secretary to the Commander-
in-Chief.

Letters from Captain Maissieu de Clerdal, the
Commander of the French division blockading Al-
giers, state that on the 14th, ]sth, and 16th of May
lust, there prevailed in the neighbouring coast of
that city winds of extraordinary violence, which
compelled him to put out to sea with the vessels
then under him. The same letters express the
greatest uneasiness respecting the brigs La Syrene
and L'Aventure, which were said to have been
stranded near Cape Brigut. There is also too much
reason to believe that the two brigs-of-war, the
Fantle and Palinure, have been wrecked in the Bay
of Algiers, and that such portions of the crews as
did not perish in the sea, were barbarously murdered
by the Algerines.
The Asia, 84, Capt. Burdett, came into harbour
on Thursday, to be paid off and placed in ordinary.
The Talbot, 28, Capt. Dickenson, at this port, is
destined to relieve the Tweed, 28, at the Cape.
DEVONPORT, JUNE s.—The Naval Department has
turned its attention to the advantages derived from
the employment of steam, but as yet no experiment
of a warlike nature has been tried with steam-
vessels. Those already in the service, or which are
now building on account of Government, are chiefly
employed, or intended, as packets or towing' boats.
Of these there are eight now in commission, viz. the
Messenger, Lieutenant Aplin; Echo, Lieutenant-
Bissett ; Meteor, Lieutenant Symons; Cation,:
Lieutenant Lepige ; Confiance, Lieutenant Itiehard-7-:,
son, all of this port—the Columbia and Lightning,
at Woolwich—and the Cornet, at Deptford. Two '
others, viz., the Dee and Alban, are building it
Woolwich. These two are all that are constructing
at present in Government yards ; but there are
several very fine steamers ordered to be equipped
for the public service in private yards, and it is sup-
posed that in the course of the year Government
will be in possession of twenty steam-vessels, rang-
ing from 200 to 800 tons burthens, arid in case of
war capable of being converted into flying cruisers
at a very short notice. The Messenger, which is
attached to the Mediterranean packet station, was
formerly the George the Fourth; she is the largest
steamer yet constructed in Europe, with the excep-
tion of the United Kingdom, of 1,000 tons burden,
which is nearly 250 tons above the- Messenger's mea-
surement. The latter has been fitted on a most ex-
tensive scale, and will make up beds, we understand,
for 60 passengers. The Echo, last week, brought
a mail from India, dated as late as the 20th of
March, which came through the Red Sea, overland
to Alexandria, and was brought from thence to
Malta by his Majesty's ship Favourite, where the
Echo took charge of the bags, and arrived at Fal-
mouth in 14 days. , The practicability of a regular
intercourse with India, in half the time it formerly
took, is thus proved to demonstration, and this in-
creased facility of eommunication must be of incal-
culable advantage to the commerce and general in-
terest of the two cotintries,-.Devonport Telegraph.