The Sun.
London, England, 1853-02-04 00:00:00

THE PACIFIC.

The Commander-in-Chief, Rear-Admiral Moresby,
C. 8., shifted his flag from the Portland, 50, Captain
Chads, to the Nereus, store-ship, and• sent the Portland
to the coast of California Dec. 3, with stores for the
Thetis, 38, Captain Kuper, C.B. It, was expected that
the flag-ship would return in April.
Trincomalee, Captain Wallace Houston, arrived at
Valparaiso from Plymouth, Dec. 12.

THE YELLOW FEVER AND HER MAJESTY'S
SHIP DAUNTLESS.

The following letter has been addressed ,by one of
the two or three surviving officers of the fever-stricken
screw-frigate Dauntless, to a relative in England :

"H.M.S. Dauntless, Barbadoes, Jan. 13.

"I am delighted to be in a state to be able to write to you
as usual. I can assure you that there was a time when your
chance of ever hearing from me again was small indeed.
I am happy to tell you that the terrible cloud of pesti-
lence that has now for nearly two months, hung like
a black pall over this unfortunate ship, I think is on the
point of being dispersed—at all events there is a ray of
hope, seeing that we have not had a case of fever for six
days from the ship, nor a case from the camp for five
days.

" A considerable part of the stores, &c., have now
been removed to the shore, fumigation extensively used,
and other means of purification, and their combined good
effects, I think, now are beginning to tell. The Devas-
tation arrived here on the 6th, for the purpose of towing
us over to Antigua, but it would have been folly to have
bundled men and stores overboard at a time—the turning
point of (apparently) from sickness to health ; therefore,
the Devastation returned to the admiral, who would
meet her at Port Royal. If matters progress favourably
for another week, we shall be getting stores, &c., on board,
and will leave here for Bermuda, the only direction where
health can be found under our broken-up and debilitated
condition. Our present chapiain goes home by this
mail; invalided from effects of yellow fever. As regards
myself, lam now nearly recovered. Have heard nothing
from the Highflyer, but I believe she is now at Port Royal
with yellow fever. I suppose you have already heard
of the death of the marine officer of the Calypso (Lock) ;
it is reported that he dined on board the Highflyer, and
on his return to his own ship fell sick of the fever and
died.

" I dare say we shall be paid off directly we arrive in
England, which will most likely be about the latter end
of April, just in time, NOT me, to have served my time
in a fifth or sixth rate to qualify myself for third or
fourth, according to new regulations- pleasant prospect !
But still how delightful it is to think that in this year
1853, I am no longer
a 'tea grocer,' as the United
Service remarked in one of its recent numbers.

" Poor old Parker is very shaky—a type of all and
everything here. Just now disease and death have done
their work on board this once-happy ship. Results up
to this date (13th) :-16 officers dead, and seamen and
marines, 70 ; making a total of 86 persons. There are
now 22 in hospital ; the majority of these, I am happy
to say, doing well."

AN IMPORTANT ADVANTAGE BY A NEW SCEEw.
PROPELLER.

It may, perhaps, be, recollected that the General I
Screw Steam Company s splendid ship Queen of the
South, in her run back to England, broke the fan of her
screw, and came home under a disadvantage. When
she arrived in the dock at Southampton, a consultation
took place between Captain Ford, the company's active
ana the result was the superintendent,
and Mr. Field (of Mauds-
lay, Field, and Co.'s), as to the propriety of decreasing
construc-
tion of a new screw of about four feet greater pith, with
much less breadth. After the ship had been fitted, she
andthe width intelligent
e of
the
fan,
proceeded down to Stokes 89,y, and the following is the
result of the trials :

First trial, with tide in favour, moderate breeze a-
head, the measured knot was run in 5 min. 26
which gives a speed of 11.043 ; mean of revolutions 56.-
sec.,,
6 min. Second 14 c
run,se.,
giveswhich li
a s
ht wind aft, „ and tide against
of
9,626 ; mean re-
volutions 58.
time,
Third run, tide in favour, moderate head Wind ;
5 min. 30 sec. ; speed, 10.909 ; revolutions, 55r
Fourth
.speedru, n9.B,t3i6de;
Thus giving a mean result of speed of 10.353 knots
from 564 revolutions, with a draft of water 15ft. 10in.
against, light
wind aft ; 6 min. 6
sec. .
forward and 17ft. 2in. aft, steam abundant, and firing
easy.
The highest mean rate of speed ever attained by the
Queen of the South with her original screw was 9 knots ;
revolutions, 62 ; and the above statement shows that by
the new screw the same speed is accomplished under 52
revolutions which was obtained with 62 revolutions by
the old screw, and the weight of the screw is not only
reduced by 16 cwt., but the screw can now be raised in
the small and well-arranged trunk. in the steaming posi-
tion, which was originally intended only for lifting in the
feathered position, thus any disarrangement can be re-
medied at sea, as well as in dry dock.

and
ENTERTAINMENT AT THE MANSION-Ho USE.—The
Lord Mayor, on Tuesday, entertained his brethren, the
aldermen, their ladies, and a numerous party, at dinner
at the Mansion-house. In the evening the Lady Mayor-
ewsts
played various
airs during dinner ,and also supplied the music for the
dancing with their usual talent and success. The fog,
irsteam r receive
G ut dasrpi adsr ilarge
r ena silsnae tmae
tbhtleoynu, and dancing was kept up
h gea dance,r. The band of the Cold-
however, which was exceedingly dense at the west end
of the town, prevented many of the intended guests from
being present both at the dinner and the evening recep-
tion, some of them having wandered about in their car-
riages with flambeaux fora long time, and found it im-
possible to reach the. Mansion-house, were glad to regain
their homes, and escape the danger and confusion of the
streets.