The Sun.
London, England, 1854-04-27 00:00:00

LONDON, THURSDAY EVENING, APRIL 27, 1854.

THE WAR.

NAVAL AND MILITARY INTELLIGENCE.
Her Majesty's frigate Portland, 50, Captain Henry
Chads, with the flag of Admiral Fairfax Moresby, late
Commander-in-Chief in the Pacific, was outside Ply-
mouth harbour yesterday morning, 46 days from Val-
paraiso ; all well. She saluted the flag of Port-Admiral
Sir J. Ommanney, and, having received orders, pro-
ceeded for Portsmouth. Off Scilly on the 20th she
landed the Admiral's secretary with despatches for the
Admiralty. She has about 200,000 dols. on freight
from Mexico and the West Coast of South America.
The Portland left England on the Bth of Nov. 1850,
and has been three years and eight months in commis-
sion, during which period she has visited every port in
South America, almost all the South Sea Islands, and
has covered a distance of over 80,000 miles, which is
almost unprecedented for a flag-ship. She has paid
three visits to Pitcairn's Island, from which she em-
barked the Rev. G. H. Knobs, for England, and to
which she conveyed him in April last on his return.
The Portland left Valparaiso on the let of February,
and on the 16th passed within three miles of Cape
Horn, where she spoke the ship Kate, 33 days from
Sydney. She arrived at Rio Janeiro on the 6th, and,
sailed therefrom on the 10th of March. In the Channel
on the 22d of April, spoke the brig Calumet, from Tur-
key, 35 days from Gibraltar, and on the same day sup-
plied with provisions a French brig bound to Granville.
The ship and crew are in a most efficient state, and, if
necessary, would be ready in a few hours for the Baltic,
or any other active service. Her gunnery practice is
perfect. She is very heavily armed, carrying eight
68-pounders ; all the rest 32's. The Portland brings
an interesting present to Queen Victoria from her
Majesty's loyal subjects at Pitcairn's Island. The
offering consists of a specimen of native industry in ca-
binet work. The frigate has also on board two fine speci-
mens of the lama, male and female, from the Andes of
Chili. The Portland brings invalids and supernumeraries
from the President, Trincomalee, Virago, and Amphi-
trite, belonging to the Pacific station, and from the
Madagascar, Centaur, Trident, Sharpshooter, Express,
Stromboli, Rifleman, Star, and Bonetta, belonging to
the Rio station. They number altogether about 64, and
among them are Lieut. Field, of the Trincomalee, and
Mr. Macausland, Master of the Stromboli. Lieut.
Gordon, of the Virago, has come home on promotion,
and Hassan Effendi (a Commander in the Turkish ser-
vice), late acting midshipman on board the Virago, re-
turns in the Portland, anxious to rejoin the Turkish
navy. Commander James Charles Prevost (recently
promoted), of the Portland, is the zealous officer who
had three men of his party shot when exploring the
dangerous passage through forests, across the Isthmus
of Darien, from the Gulf of San Miguel in the Pacific,
24 miles in the direction of Port Escosses. The Chan-
nel pilot who landed at Plymouth from the Portland re-
ports that the transport Lady Kent. No. 46, was in
collision, off Scilly, with a Dutch galliot, subsequently
towed into St. Mary's. The transport proceeded.
The Alecto, 5, steam-sloop, Commander Crofton, ar-
rived at Spithead on Tuesday night from the West
Coast of Africa station. She put in at Falmouth on
Sunday from stress of weather and untrustworthy
boilers ; and her arrival and news appeared in The Sun
of Tuesday. Her crew will be transferred to other ships
in want of men, and she will be repaired at Woolwich.
The Centaur, 11, steam-frigate, Captain Harvey, re-
turned from the Downs to Portsmouth yesterday morn-
ing. It appears she went to transfer her fine ship's com-
pany to the Majestic, screw. 80.
The Frolic, 16, Commander Nolloth, is ordered from
Gibraltar to the Cape of Good Hope station.
The African steam-vessel left Sheerness on Tuesday
morning for the Downs, for the purpose of taking on
board from the ships in the Downs some machinery re-
quiring to be sent to Woolwich for alterations.
The Black Eagle 'steam-vessel, Master-Commander
John E. Petley, returned to Woolwich on Tuesday,
with Rear-Admiral M. F. F. Berkeley, C. 8., one of
the Lords of the Admiralty, on board, from the Downs,
where he had gone on the previous Saturday, to inspect
some of the ships, previous to their departure to join the
Baltic fleet.
The Minx, iron screw steam gun-vessel, has been
completely new rigged, and is now ready for commission
at Woolwich.
The Zephyr, steam-vessel, is now in an advanced
state to serve as a gunboat, and will soon be ready for
commission at Woolwich for that service.
The Megnra steam troop-ship, Commander Johnson,
embarked three companies of the 38th Foot yesterday,
at Portsmouth dockyard, and will leave with them this
morning for the East.
The Melbourne, screw steam transport, passed Sheer-
ness from Chatham on Tuesday morning, with a part of
the 38th Regiment of Infantry for the East.
The Shooting Star, with the Bth Hussars, sailed yes-
terday morning for the Mediterranean from Plymouth.
The Rodsley, No. 37 horse transport-ship, having on
board Lieutenant Dashwood and Staff-Assistant Surgeon
Shelton, with 47 non-commissioned officers and men and
50 horses ; and the Rubicon, No. 38, having on board
Captain Barry and Staff-Assistant Surgeon Llewellyn,
with 53 non-commissioned officers and men and 48 horses,
were taken out of the basin at Woolwich on Tuesday
morning, but could not leave the same day on account
of a deficiency of seamen. The crews of these vessels
having been completed yesterday they were mustered
and inspected by Lieutenant Robertson, in charge of the
steam department afloat, who has been superintending
the embarkation of the troops and horses, and ascertain-
ing the efficiency of the crews of the vessels previous to
their departure. Being reported ready for sea, they left
Woolwich yesterday afternoon for their destination.
The Harkaway, No. 39 transport-ship, having on
board Captain Maude, Lieutenant Whinyates, and A ssis.
tant-Surgeon Thornton, with 55 non-commissioned offi-
cers and 56 horses of the Royal Horse Artillery, was
taken out of the basin at Woolwich on Tuesday morning,
having Lieutenant J. M. K. Robertson, R.N., in charge
as agent. She was permitted, although deficient in sea-
men, to proceed at once to Gravesend to pick them up

there.
The Sultana horse-transport embarked Lieutenant
Vandeleur and Staff-Assistant-Surgeon Dwyer, with 47
non-commissioned officers and men, and 54 horses of the
Royal Artillery, on Tuesday afternoon, in about an hour
and ten minutes, and will be taken out of the basin at
Woolwich to-day.
The horse-transport No. 74 arrived at Plymouth at
11 a.m. on Wednesday.
The Hydaspes steam-packet has been taken up to
convey the 42d Highlanders from Portsmouth to the East.
Admiral Sir John Ommaney, K.C.8., the port-admi-
ral, retains his command-in-chief at Devonport until the
10th of May. Sir William Parker, Bart., G.C.8., his
successor, attends her Majesty's levee in the meanwhile,
and makes his arrangements.
Mr. Peter Scott, of Ballyhackamore-house, near Bel-
fast, has taken the contract for supplying the cavalry in
the East with 150 tons of compressed hay.
A strong draught from the depot of the 68th Light
Infantry, stationed at Newry, consisting of two ensigns
(White and Smyth) and 180 rank and file, has been
ordered to proceed to Malta to rejoin the service com-
panies quartered there.
Ground has been cleared near Fort Amherst Guard,
Chatham, for a new garrison church, which will also be
used, it is understood, for the regimental schools. The
present garrison church in Brompton is expected to be
converted into model rooms for the Royal Sappers and
Miners and other purposes, for which several of the
barrack-rooms are at present used by that corps. This
arrangement will afford a great deal of additional room
' in the Brompton Barracks, and also place those rooms
in the Chatham Barracks occupied as schoolrooms at the
disposal of the barrack-master for the accommodation of
,roops.

count Duncan of Camperdown, and De Winter was
treated, as a prisoner in England, with all the respect
and honour due to his gallantry and misfortune."
De Winter died not long after of a chronic disease.
Of the two actions, some have thought Camperdown
the more honourable to English arms. Consummate
nautical skill was shown in fighting a sturdy enemy
upon a lee shore, and, though an Englishman prefers to
give rather than take the odds, still that action was an
overwhelming triumph. In number of guns the English
had 575 against 517 in the Dutch ; in number of, crews
the English were 8,221 men opposed to 7,157 Dutch ;
and, in round numbers, the superiority of British ton-
nage was as twenty-three thousand tons to twenty thou-
sand. At the end of the fight the English were in posses-
sion of two Dutch seventy-fours, five sixty-fours, two
fifties, besides a couple of frigates. Our loss in killed and
wounded at these two battles are worth stating. At the
sea-fight of St. Vincent we had only three officers killed
and five wounded ! There were 59 seamen killed, and
180 wounded ; and 11 of the marines killed, and 33 of
them wounded. At the battle of Camperdown the re-
sult of casualties on our side was :—Seamen : killed,
165 ; wounded, 474. Marines : killed, 26 ; wounded,
48. Officers : killed, 8 ; wounded, 41. Or, in total,
there were 707 seamen, marines, and boys, and 49 offi-
cers, killed and wounded at Camperdown ; and, though
it is anticipating, it is worth here remarking, that in the
bloodiest and most decisive sea-fight in history—Trafal-
gar—there was a total of 1,587 British killed and
wounded, 36 of our officers having been killed, exclu-
sive of 3 who died of their wounds ! The results of St.
Vincent and Camperdown may be stated as having
raised the public feeling from despondency, and as hav-
ing inspirited England rather than intimidated her
[ enemies. To accomplish the latter, the Nelsonian
battles were necessary. When we recollect that
Nelson died only as Viscount at Trafalgar, after his
[ prodigies of personal valour, besides his exploits at
the Nile and Copenhagen, we may feel surprise either
[ at the moderate honours awarded to him, or the exces-
sive ones given for a single action to St. Vincent. But
the state of public opinion at the time justified the earl-
dom to Jervis • and, recollecting that the Spanish ad-
miral sought the encounter, we must greatly admire the
audacity of Jervis in assailing such a numerous fleet as
Cordova commanded. It must also be recollected that
Jervis performed prodigious public services afterwards
as a naval administrator. Titular honours have been
often niggardly withheld, and sometimes lavishly be-
stowed. Lord Rodney was very ill-used in being made only
a baron • and it was certainly very hard to refuse a rever-
sion of his title to that noble mariner who has so happily
been called " the Bayard of the Sea"—Colling wood, whose
genius was great, and whose glory is without a solitary
stain. It is not a little curious that two brothers should
have won glory as admirals—Viscount Hood and Vis-
[ count Bridport—like Nelson, the sons of a clergyman.
We have a calculation (now before us) made in 1808, on
high authority, of the comparative number of peerages
traceable to the military and naval life. There were
then existing in the peerage, exclusive of any extinct
honours, fifteen titles won at sea—from Montagu, Lord
Sandwich, in 1660, to Lord Gambier ; and there were
fourteen military titles, commencing with Marlborough
in 1702, to Lord Cathcart in 1807. Down to the same
dates there were not less than twenty-seven peerages
actually then in existence, owing their origin to—the
law.—Prom the Press.