The Sun.
London, England, 1853-03-07 00:00:00

THE WEST INDIES.

We have news from Port Royal, Jamaica, to the 30th
January. It was stated that the Cumberland, 70, bear-
ing the flag of Vice-Admiral Sir George F. Seymour,
would leave Port Royal forty-eight hours after the
arrival of the steamer with the mails now overdue. We
regret to state that a serious accident, which resulted in
loss of life, occurred on board the flag-ship Cumberland
a few days before. A petty officer on board that vessel
had ascended the mainyard-arm, and unfortunately fell
from thence to the deck, dislocating his neck, which, of
course, caused instant death.

The term of service of the Persian, 12, Commander
Mitchell, having expired, that vessel has been ordered
to proceed to England immediately, to be paid off.

THE PACIFIC.

The commander-in-chief, Rear-AdmiralTh oresby, C. 8.,
had hoisted his flag on board the Nereus, store-ship, at
Valparaiso.
Her Majesty's frigate, Portland, 50, flag-ship, Cap-
tain Chads, having gone to Cape St. Lucas with provi-
sions for the Thetis, was expected there in February,
from Queen Charlotte's Island.

The Daedalus, 19, Captain Wellesley, was at Ma-
zatlan.

The Amphitrite, 26, Captain Frederick, was hourly
expected at Panama, on the 19th January with a large
freight from the coast of Mexico,

The Trincomalee, 24, Captain W.I Houston, was at
Valparaiso.

The Virago, 6, steam-sloop, Commander Prevost, left
Callao on the sth January, taking the now consul to the
Island Raicatea:

The Cockatrice, tender, Master Commander Dalton,
was on the west coast of Mexico.
The Peruvian frigate Amazonian arrived at Callao on
the 7th January.

DEATH OF ADMIRAL THE HON. SIR T. B.

CAPEL, G. C. B.
The death of that gallant, distinguished, and venerable
flag officer Admiral of the Red the Hon. Sir Thomas
Bladen Capel, G.C.8., has been reported, at the ad-
vanced age of 77 years. In the course of his career
(O'Byrne's epitome, of which we extract) he served
actively for 31 years :

"The Hon. Sir Thomas Bladen Capel, born Aug. 25,
1776, was the youngest son of William, fourth Earl of
Essex, by his second wife, Harriet, daughter of Colonel
Thomas Bladen ; brother of Lieutenant-General Hon.
Thomas Edward Capel ; and uncle of the present Earl
of Essex, and of Commander A. H. C. Cape t R. N.
"This officer entered the navy March 22, 1782, as cap-
tains servant, on board the Phaeton, 38, Captain Walde-
grave, on the books of which ship he was borne until
April, 1783. He ultimately embarked, Aprill2, 1792, an
board the Assistance; 50, Captain Mansfield, stationed
off Newfoundland. There became midshipman, March
1, 1793, of the Syren, 33, Captain John Manley ; and
in the Apollo, 28, and with Lord Hugh Seymour, in the
Leviathan, 74, and Sans Pared, 80,-of which latter ship
after participating, July 23, 1795, in Lord Bridport's
action, he was appointed, May 16, 1796, an acting
lieutenant. On April 5, 1797, we find Mr. Capel, offi-
cially promoted into the Cambrian, 40, Captain Hon.
Arthur Kaye Legge, employed, similarly with the three
ships last named, on the home station ; and next ap-
pointed, April 12, 1798, to the Vanguard, 74, flag-ship
of Sir Horatio Nelson, by whom, in acknowledgment of
his services as signal lieutenant at the battle of the Nile,
he was advanced, Aug. 4, and sent home in charge of a
duplicate of the dispatches, and of the sword of M.
Blanquet, the senior French officer surviving.* His com-
mission was confirmed by the Admiralty Oct. 20 follow-
ing, and his elevation to post rank effected, while
in command of the Alecto, sloop, at Spithead,
Dec. 27, in the same year. Captain Capel's ensuing
appointments until October, 1814, appear to have been,
Jan. 5, 1799, to the Arab, 22, on the West India sta-
tion; July 19, 1800, to the Meleager, 32, in which he'
had the misfortune to be wrecked on the Triangle Rocks,
in
June
at
e 9, 18s01 ; May 21, 1802, to
thepithead
August 24,
1802, to the Phcebe, 36, on the Mediterranean station,
the
il e Gulfvol u t oof
n Mexico,
e ,
38,j
where, during Nelson's pursuit of the combined fleets to
the West Indies, he was left with five frigates and two
bombs to cover Sardinia, Sicily, and the route to Egypt,
from any troops that might be sent to land in those
places, after which ',service he shared in the battle of
Trafalgar, and at its close saved from destruction, by
his extraordinary exertions, the prize-ship of the line
Swiftsure ; Dec. 27, 1805, to the Endymion, 40, in
which he conveyed the British ambassador to and from
Constantinople, and lost, during the hostile operations.
carried on at the Dardanelles, where he acted a con-
spicuous part, and distinguished himself by his zealous
attention and assiduity, 3 men killed and 10 wounded ;
and Dec. 14, 1811, to La Hogue, 74, stationed latterly
on the north coast of America, where we find him in
command of a small squadron blockading the enemy's
frigatesin New London, and sharinglgenerally in the war-
fare with the United States. On Dec. 15, 1821, Captain
Capel, who had been nominated a C.B. June 4, 1815,
assumed command of the Royal George yacht, in which
and in the Apollo, another Royal yacht, he remained
until advanced, May 27, 1825, to the rank of rear-
admiral. He was constituted a K.C.B. Feb. 20, 1832 ;
and from May 30, 1834, until June 1837, commanded
in chief on the East India station, with his flag in the
Winchester, 50 ; the rank of vice-admiral was conferred
on him Jan. 10, 1837 ; admiral April, 1847, since which
he served three years as commander-in-chief at Ports-

mouth.
" Sir T. B. Capel was one of the officers who sat on
the court-martial appointed in December, 1805, to try
Sir R. Calder for his conduct on 22d of the previous
July.
" He married May 10, 1816, Harriet Catherine, only
daughter of F. G. Smyth, Esq.
By the decease of Sir Bladen Capel, the following pro-
motions and changes take place :
To be Admiral of the Blue.—Vice-Admiral the Hon.
G. Elliot, C. 8., vice James Carthew, to be admiral of
the white, vice the Marquis of Thomond, to be admiral
of the red.
To be Vice Admiral of the Blue.—Rear-Admiral Sir
W. H. Dillon, K.C.H., vice the Hon. Sir A. Maitland,
K.C.8., K.C.M.G., to be vice-admiral of the white, vice

* In his dispatch to the Admiralty announcing the Vic-
tory of tho Nile, Nelson alludes to Captain Capel as a
" moat excellent officer," and recommends him to their
lordships' notice,