The Sun.
London, England, 1854-01-03 00:00:00

TATTERSALL'S, YESTERDAY.

Nothing occurred to give an impulse to speculation ;
it was still very inactive, and is likely to continue in that
state until the principal Spring Handicaps make their
appearance.
The frost has for some time past limited the exercise
of the horses to a gentle trot on straw beds either in the
home paddocks or stable-yards.
Only the following bets were laid.

LIVERPOOL STEEPLECHASE.
9to 1 agst Miss Mowbray (taken).
DERBY.
225 to 25 agst King Tom (taken).
2000 to 80 agst Ruby (taken).
1000 to 25 agst Corin (taken).
500 to 400 twice on Ruby and Marsyas agst Boi•
ardo and Andover (taken).

STRETFORD STEEPLECHASES.— These chases, advertised
to take place yesterday, were postponed in consequence
of the severity of the weather.

THE SPRING HANDICAPS.—To avoid confusion and in-
accuracies, it is deemed advisable not to publish the
entries for the stakes, which closed yesterday, until they
can be obtained in a complete form. Their publication
may be delayed until Thursday next.
KNooK KNOLL,--This once much-thought-of race-
horse was sold yesterday at Tattersall's for eight guineas.

NAVAL INTELLIGENCE.

Rear-Admiral M. F. F. Berkeley, C. 8., M.P., re•
;tuned to his official dutie3 at the Admiralty yesterday;
From his country seat.

INCREASE OF THE ADMIRALTY ESTA-
BLISHMENT AT WHITEHALL.

In consequence of the increase of the navy, and
especially the addition of the Coast Volunteer depart-
ment,
the Admiralty have promoted two second class
clerks, Henry \Volley and Walter Clifton, to be senior
clerks ; two third-class clerks, C. W. O'Reilly and John
Sheridan, to be clerks of the second class ; clerks of the
third-class, Swinburn Ward and Walter Drummond,
have been established, and the following new appoint-
ments have been made as clerks of the third class :
Charles N. Kempe, from the Director of Works Office,
Somerset House ; H. C. Pennell, from the Medical
Department, Somerset House ; Francis J. Aldersim,
Algernon West (from the Inland Revenue Office), Astley
Cooper (son of the late Mr. Bransby Cooper), E. N.
Swainson (Census Office), and Bentham A. Fonblanque.
THE HYDROGRAPHIC AND HARBOUR DEPARTMENT.—
These two depar.ments are now merged into one at
Whitehall, under the above head, the harbour depart-
ment having been removed from Duke-street,. West-
minster. The principals of this united department now
appear as Rear-Admiral Sir F. Beaufort, K.C.8.,
F.R.S. ; and "Engineer Captain 3, Vetch, R.E.,
F.R.S."

Captain D. Bethune, C. 8., does not appear in any
Admiralty department.
WAGES BRANCH, SOMERSET-HOUSE. A third-class
clerk has been added to the establishment in the wages
branch, Somerset-house—Henry Toms.

PRIZE AND WILLS BRANCH.---F. G. Crozier has been
appointed clerk of third class to the prize and wills
branch, Somerset-house, vice Sir Edward Graham, Bart.
CONTRACT OFFICR.—Thomas B. Gripper has been ap-
pointed clerk of the third class, vice Lupton.
THE COAST VOLUNTEERS,—The staff of this force have
commenced operations. The number of captains and
paymasters are seven ; Mr. J. W. P. Foord, late of the
Sphynx, 6, steam-sloop, and superseded from the Juno,
26, being Secretary to the superintendent, Captain Smart,
K.H. The officers were appointed additional to the
Fisgard, flag-ship at Woolwich, on the Ist inst
THE MEDICAL OFFICERS AND THE COAST VOLUNTEERS.
—We understand that it has been ruled that the medical
officers attached to the Coast Volunteers are to count
their time in this service as time served at sea.

NARROW ESCAPE OF THE MEDEA. STEAM
SLOOP.

The following letter has been received at Portsmouth,
from one on board the Medea steam-sloop, Commander
Phillimore

" Hull, Saturday,

" It is only by God's great goodness that poor is
in the land of the living to write to you. We were
steaming full power last evening for the Humber, when
at half-past ten the ship struck so heavily that all
thought our last hour was at hand. Wo were ashore
until two o'clock this morning, when the tide rose, and
we were enabled to get the ship off.
"We were firing minute guns of distress and burning
blue lights and rockets for assistance for a long time,
the ship bumping so heavily that we expected her to
break every moment, but God in his great mercy had
ordained that we should be spared.
"When the life-boats came alongside the men told us
that they never expected to find the ship, but had come
out in the hope of saving some part of the crew. Our
quarter-boats were washed away, and at one time the
sea swept clean over us. What damage was done to her
we know not ; our stem is knocked away, and we are
making 14 inches of water an hour. _ . _

" Most fortunately we were on a sand-bank; had the
bottom been rocky, every soul would have gone to eter-
nity. It was most bitterly cold, and the water frozen
all over the deck. We shall have to go either to Sheerness
or back to Portsmouth to be docked. . Such a night I
never wish to pass again."
The Medea was going to the northern ports to en-
deavour to raise volunteers for the navy. This is a
specimen of the folly of not giving our squadron a
chance of making our officers and seamen acquainted
with the northern coasts and ports of Great Britain.
If some three or four months since Admiral Corry's
squadron had been sent a trip northward they would
have acquired a very good praotical.lesson in naviga-
tion, which, in a hurry, will perhaps cost us a ship or
two in the spring.