The Sun.
London, England, 1853-02-01 00:00:00

NAVAL INTELLIGENCE.

THE SEA SERVICE SQUADRON.—AII the ships at Spit-
head—namely, Prince Regent, 90, Captain Hutton,
flag-ship of Rear-Admiral Corry ; Leander, 50, Captain
King ; Atrogant, 46, screw, Captain S. Freemantle ; Si-
don, 22, steam-frigate, Captain Goldsmith ; Furious,
14, steam-frigate, Captain Loring ; Basilisk, 6, steam-
sloop, Commander Hon. F. Egerton ; and Medea, 6,
steam-sloop, Commader Bailey, may be said to be fully
manned and ready for any service at telegraphic notice.
Most of the squadron at Dovonport are also fully man-
ned and ready for immediate service. The three-decker,
Queen, 116, in Plymouth Sound, however, is the only
regular sea-going ship now that has only an advanced
complement. She has 400 men instead of 960.

• MALTA, JAIL 25.
The Peninsular and Oriental Company's steamer Eux-
ine, with the homeward mails from India, is just tele-
graphed. She will rim through to Marseilles.
The knowledge that the fleet under Vice-Admiral
Dundas is to winter at Gibraltar has caused much dis-
appointment here, as he was expected here by the end of
the month.

Lieutenant B. Rising, 76th Regiment, has been very
seriously ill during the last ten days, having lost the use
of one side by a stroke of paralysis. The reports to-day
are, however, more favourable.

Lieutenant Lyon, 68th Regiment, who has been on
leave of absence, visiting several of the continental ports,
has met with an accident. He was hunting at Naples
a short time since, when, being mounted on a vicious
and almost ungovernable horse, he was thrown, and
broke his arm. He was unable to return by his yacht,
the Wizard, but is expected to return to his regiment by
the French steamer from Naples to-day.

PORTSMOUTH, JAY. 30.
The Marion and Roman Emperor, freight-ships,
sailed from Spithead on Friday night for the Mauritius,
the former containing three companies, and the latter
three companies and the head quarters of the 85th Light
Infantry, comprising in the whole 26 officers and 600
men. The depot of the 85th will remove hence to-mor-
row to Parkhurst Barracks, Isle of Wight.
The Duke of Wellington, 131, screw three-decker, was
undocked yesterday, and will be taken under the shears
to be masted on Monday. She will be ready for trial in
March.

It is reported that the Bulldog paddle steam-sloop is
to be commissioned pro tem. for troop service.
The Leopard, 12, paddle-frigate, Captain Georgo
Giffard, has been placed in the new steam basin dock to
have her copper, &c., examined.

The Barr;.Couta, 6, paddle steam-sloop, Commander
G. Parker, arrived at Spithead this morning from Ply-
mouth, with supernumeraries, &c., which, having dis-
charged to the Leander, 50, at Spithead, she left for
Sheerness this evening.
The Tyne store-ship, Master Commander A. Welling-
ton, sailed from Spithead this morning for Deptford.
The Banshee steam-packet, Lieutenant James Hosken
commanding, is returning stores, &c., into the hulk
Belvidera, preparatory to going into the steam basin to
have her defects repaired next week.
The Progress and Poictiers freight-ships arrived at
Queenstown on the 26th instant, to embark the 2d bat-
talion of Royals to Corfu ; the 30th Regiment from
Corfu to Gibraltar ; the 26th Cameronians from Gibral-
tar to Barbadoes ; and the 34th Regiment from Barba-
does to Halifax.

The freight-ships Joseph Soames, Thomas Arbuthnot,
and Fatima have been engaged to convey the 48th Foot
from Portsmouth to Corfu, and the 92d Highlanders
from Corfu to Gibraltar.

PLYMOUTH, JAL 29.
Her Majesty's brig Swift, 6, Commander W. C. Ald-
ham, was paid off yesterday at the pay-office in the
dockyard.

The officers and crew of her Majesty's ship Vengeance,
84, Captain Lord Edward Russell, will be paid down on
Tuesdy.

Marlborough, 131, screw line-of-battle ship, is tim-
bered in as high as the main-deck, and in the course of
another fortnight she will be as complete as though no
operation had been performed upon her.
Rodney, 92, Captain Charles Graham, got her top-
gallant and royal yards across, and exercised her hands
aloft. She will be complete on Wednesday, and will be
ready to go out of harbour on the Bth.

JANUARY 30,

THE AFRICAN MAILS.
The African Steam-ship Company's screw-stearaer
Faith arrived here yesterday. This vessel was OM-
structed by Mr. John Laird, of Birkenhead, especiiilly
to carry out the African mail service under the contract
entered into with the Admiralty in March last by Mr.
M‘Gregor Laird. She is 208 feet long between perpen-
diculars, 30 feet 3 inches beam, and measures 920 tans
old or carpenter's measurement. Her engines are
diagonal, of 200-horse power, working direct on die
screw shaft, similar in plan to those that have beanproved to answer in the Cape mail service, making, At
full speed, 66 revolutions per minute. Her propeller is
12 feet 6 inches diameter, and 19 flat pitch ; her boilers
are double, each with a chimney, so that with favour-
able winds both or one may be used ; each has four
furnaces, and 248 tubes of 31 inches diameter. The ri g
is peculiar, being that of a polacca brig; the lower masts
are of iron and hollow, the topmasts of wood, being
made to strike into them, thus doing away with all caps,
crosstrees, &c., giving the vessel a light and rakish ap-
pearance, and better enabling her to meet the sudden
changes of weather to which she will be subjected on
the coast. The accommodation for the passengers if; en-
tirely upon deck ; the saloons and state-rooms are
lighted byilarge plate-glass side windows, thus insuring
thorough ventilation. The sister ship, the Hope, just
launched, is intended to take the mails of the 24th of
March. The Charity, the fourth ship, will be launched in
six weeks, and is (as she ought to be) much larger than her
consorts, being 1,200 tons. The two other ships , the
Northern Lights and Southern Cross, aro in a forward, state,
and complete the fleet of the company for the present
African mail service;t The Faith has been fitted out un-
der the superintendence of Captain Thomas Birch, 1 :,.N.,
whose acquaintance with the coast of Africa and high
standing in the service guarantee that the vessel :is in
every way complete for sea. Three out of her five lspats
are Francis's metallic lifeboats, which were impc.rted
front New York specially for this vessel. The Admu .alty
trial of the Faith took place at Liverpool on the :15th
inst., in very bad weather, and was most satisfactory.
The vessel has since made a passage to London, -which
port she left on the 27th, making a voyage from. the
Downs in 26 hours. She has therefore steamed L,200
miles without the slightest accident to vessel or machin-
ery before embarking her mails and passengers, and was
dispatched, about ten o'clock last evening, under the
superintendence of Mr. HenryJ. Waring, the Plymouth
agent. Her mails are in charge of Lieut. Coul, Raif. -

DEVONPORT, Jaw. L.
Vengeance, 84, Captain Lord E. Russell, will Lave
her defects made good, and be ready for sea again:, by
the 23d of February.
We have had a few days of fine weather, which has
been quite refreshing, but on Sunday the wind again fell
back to S.W., with rain the greater part of the day.

SHEERNESS, JAN. 30.

The Rattlesnake, Commander Henry TroHope,. was
put out of the fitting-basin yesterday.
The Fire Queen iron paddle-wheel steam-vessel (tender
to the Victory, at Portsmouth), Master Commander
Frederick W. Paul, arrived here about 4.30 p.m. yester-
day from Portsmouth, with seamen volunteers for the
ships in commission at this port. She left this mor •
Ming
for Woolwich.
The Ganges, 84 guns, is ordered to be forwarded in
the repairs, to enable her to be put out of dock as early
as possible. Her topside repairs are to be completed in
the fitting-basin_
The Agamemnon, 91 guns, Capt. Sir Thos. Maitland,
yesterday unhorsed topmasts and sent them an-end, and
is preparing to proceed to the Nore.
The Amphion, 34 guns, screw steam-frigate, Captain
C. G. R Pate An order has been received granting
an addition of 20 more A.B.'s, making a total of .no
able seamen her complement, instead of 300, as per com-
mission order. This has been granted in consequence
of the heavy metal she carries, viz., 68-pounders, and
her large pivot guns. Lieutenant B. G-. W. Nicolas,
belonging' to this frigate (late of the. Phaeton), having
been deputed by his old ntessmates, proceeded on board
the Phaeton yesterday to present to the warrant fold
s
of that frigate--namely, Mr. Hatch, boatswain, g
chain ; to Mr. Johnstone, gunner, a very handsome
rhassive silver pencil-case ; and a similar present to Mr.
Hoar, the carpenter, the subscribers being the executive
officers of. the Phaeton, in token of the estimation they
were held in for their constant zeal and ability in the
discharge of their respective duties during the whole
period of their commission. Lieutenant 'Nicolas con-
cluded with some most appropriate remarks on the good
feeling existing between the executive and warrant
officers, instances of which he sincerely hoped to see o['
more frequent occurrence in her Majesty's navy, r.-
recommended them (the warrant officers) to carry foe
Phaeton motto from ship to ship, viz., "for all hands to
pull together." Ris reported that shortlyphion is to go
to the island of Alderney ; she will leave here for
Portsmouth and Plymouth to complete her complement
of seamen.

WOOLWICH, JAN. 29.
APPOINTMENTS.
Paymaster.—John Doyle (1851), to the Espiegle, 12,
commissioned this day at Sheerness for the pendant of
Commander George Hancock (1850), who will have the
command of that vessel.
Clerks.—Frederick J. N. Kenyon (1849), to the
Boy Espiegle, 12, at Sheerness ; Rober t BoynPl e (1849), to the
Hogue, 60, screw steam guard-ship ymouth.
Assistant-Enolneer.—Charles Beal, to the Blenheim,
60, screw steam guard-ship at Portsmouth.
PROMOTIONS.
John Boswell, chief engineer of the second class (Ist
July, 1847), serving in the Sirnoom iron screw steam-
ship at Portsmouth ; James Urquhart, chie
the Sge
paddle-wheel steam-sloop at Portsmouth ; Robert Jago,
chief engineer of the second class (Ist July, 1847),
serving in the Sampson paddle-wheel steam-frigate on
the Mediterranean station, Thomas Truscott, chief en-
gineer of the second class (Ist July, 1847), serving in
the Royal Victoria and Albert steam -yacht at Ports-
mouth—to be chief engineers of the first class.
Captain Frederick Bullock left Woolwich to-day to
resume his duties on the surveying service, and pro-
ceeded to the Medway for that purpose. The Fearless
steam-vessel, placed at his disposal, is now at Sheerness.
The, orders for the Banshee, Mediterranean mail
steam-packet, Lieutenant-Commander Hosken, to come
round to Woolw:oh, have been countermanded, and she
will now remain at Portsmouth to be refitted at that port.
The Prometheus steam-sloop, Commander Henry B.