The Sun.
London, England, 1853-03-08 00:00:00

[ PRICE SD.

NAVAL INTELLIGENCE.

PORTSMOUTH, MARCH 7.
The .Basilisk, 6, steam-sloop, Commander the Hon.
F. Bgerton, got under weigh last evening from Spithead
for Leith.

The Hecla, 6, steam-sloop (reserve steamer), hauled
out of the steam basin this morning, and steamed to the
measured mile in Stokes Bay, under the direction of
Capt. William H. Henderson, C.B. She took many
turns at the measured mile with and against 'the tide,
and having satisfactorily proved her boilers and machi-
nery, returned into harbour at noon.
The Rolls, 6, naval apprentices' exercising-brig, Lieu-
tenant Commander Fenwick, hauled off from the dock-
yard jetty to alongside the Dryad, receiving hulk, where
she will: complete her arrangements for the summer
cruise.

The Sinbad, lighter, arrived last evening.
The Drake, lighter, is loading with stores from this
dockyard for the eastward.

The Avon, steam-tender, Master Commander Veitch,
left this harbour at noon, and, having placed some men
on board the Odin, steamed to the eastward with super-
numeraries.

The Firebrand, 6 (paddle), Captain Hyde Parker, got
under weigh this afternoon from Spithead, and will touch
at Plymouth, with seamen belonging to her Majesty's
ship Vengeance and supernumeraries.
The Gorgon, 6 (paddle), has hauled over to the south
side of the steam basin, to be masted as soon as the Ban-
shee gets cicar of the shears.
The Cruiser, 16 (screw), Commander the Hon. G. H.
Douglas, roceived her powder and shells this morning at
Spithead, and awaits orders.
The Northumberland, American liner, left St. Helen's
Roads early yesterday morning, for New York.

WOOLWICH, MARCH 7.
APPOINTMENTS.
Surgeon Superintendent—H. Morris, to the Robert
Small, convict-ship.
Second Masters—F. B. Youel, to the Banshee ;H.
H. Cook to the Lizard ; R. F. Browne, to the St.
George ; A R. Burmiston, to the Valorous ; R. J. C.
Grant, to the Espiegle ; E, J. Tucker, to the Conflict.
Master's Assistants—C. Downward, to the Amphion;
Hume J. B(mtson, to the Imperieuse.
Acting Carpenter—Samuel Ross, to the Conflict.
Lieutenant James Goswold (1816), on the reserved
half-pay list, died on the 2d instant, aged 65.
Master Squires (1806), on the reserved half-pay
list, died on the 26th ult., aged 72.

THE SCREW-FRJGAE DAUNTLESS AND THE
FEVER.
The follovving is an extract from a private letter just
received :

" Barbadoes, Jan. 31, 1853.
"Ifs there is one thing more uncertain and less to be
depended upon it is the arrival or departure of a Royal
mail packet-boat plying between Great Britain and the
West Indies. The packet only arrived this morning,
and in consequence there is no time to answer letters, as
the homeward bound closes immediately.
" No doubt there is great anxiety amongst the rela-
tives and friends in England to hear something of the
progress of the fatal fever that has consigned so many
of our poor fellows to an untimely grave. Our loss up
to the present time is 16 officers and 71 seamen and
marines. There is now good reason for hoping that the
worst is past ; indeed, that the fever has left us. There
are only two cases now in hospital, and both of those
are in the fair way of recovery, and we have not had a
fresh case of fever for ten days ; and I dare say in an-
other ten or fifteen days we shall be on our way to Ber-
muda. The island is now generally healthy, and the
troops are beivg sent into barracks. The portion of the
crew of the Dauntless put under tents are still there,
and will remain until the ship is ready to make a start
for the northward."

THE LATE LDVIITENANT LAWRANCE, COMMANDER OF
THE SErRVEYING-HRIG, SCORPION. —We announced last
week the death of this gallant and talented surveying
officer, at St. Thomas's, on Sunday morning, the 15th
of January. We learn from the St. Croix Avis that the
funeral took place the same evening, accompanied with
every mark of military honour which could be shown by
this government, and the deepest sympathy on the part
of every respectable inhabitant of this place who attended
the solemn and mournful procession. The same paper
adds the following :—" The death of Lieutenant Law-
rance is a public loss, not alone to his nation, but to the
service of navigation in general. For some years
past he has been employed in surveying the Virgin
Islands, including Crab Island and Culebra with all
their reefs and passages, and which having lately
completed, he came to this island to Burley
its coast and reefs also. In this occupation,
which necessarily exposed him to great fatigue, his
valuable life was closed at the early age of 36 years,
deeply lamented by the few surviving officers of the
Scorpion, and every other person who had the honour
of his acquaintance. His skill and talents as a surveyor
are conspicuous in those charts of the British Virgin
Islands which are already published, and equally so in
his surveys of the Danish islands, St. John's, St.
Thomas's, and the numerous small islands and channels
connected with them, which were shown to the writer
by Lieut. Lawrance himself, and which, when published,
accompanied with the numerous beautiful views he has
taken, will leave nothing further for the navigator to
desire ; but his surveys were not confined to these
islands, for his field of action has extended over the
West Indies generally, the Bahamas, the Gulf of
Mexico, and other places, so that grief and regret be-
come the more acute, that a life so honourably and use-
fully employed should have so suddenly terminated.
He leaves a wife and young family in Bermuda to de-
plore their irreparable loss."

Anicingst the list of officers whose names we acci-
dentally omitted as having attended the First Lord's
levee on Saturday, was that of Lieutenant Griffiths.
This officer came over specially from Ireland to pay his
respects officially to the right hon. baronet. It may be
in the recollection of our naval readers that this officer
was the last who saw Sir John Franklin at the edge of
the ice, in July, 1845. Sir John Franklin appreciated
the services of Lieutenant Griffiths so highly that he,
addressed the Lords of the Admiralty in the following
manner in his favour :
" Her Majesty's Ship Erebus, Whalefish Islands,
" July 12, 1845.
" The transport will sail for England this day. I shall
instruct the agent, Lieutenant Griffiths, to proceed to
Deptford, and report his arrival to the Secretary of the
Admiralty. I have much satisfaction in bearing my testi-
mony to the careful and zealous manner in which Lieute-
nant Griffiths has performed the service entrusted to him,
and wiould beg to recommend him as an officer who appears
to have seen much service, to the favourable consideration
of their lordships.
(Signed) " JOHN FRANKLIN, Captain."
(Vide Parliamentary Return, March 21, 1848.)
Since 1845 Lieutenant Griffiths has been employed on
various responsible services connected with the Colonial-
office, the whole of which lie performed to the satisfac-
tion Of the Minister of the day, and we trust that Sir
James Graham, in taking into consideration the claims
of the many applicants for promotion, will not neglect
those of this very old and deserving officer.