The Sun.
London, England, 1853-01-07 00:00:00

NAVAL INTELLIGENCE.

JAN. 6.
Some members of the new and old Board of Admiralty
met yesterday at Whitehall, to arrange preliminary mat-
ters.

Captain the Hon. Richard Saunders Dundas, C. 8.,
and the Hon. William Cowper, entered upon their duties
at the Admiralty to-day. Sir James Graham, the First
Lord, and Rear-Admiral Berkeley, C. 13., are expected to
assume their duties to-morrow. Mr. Bernal Osborne,
First Secretary, commenced his duties yesterday.
We hear that Mr. Bernal Osborne, M.P., the new
Secretary to the Admiralty, has appointed Mr. H. E.
Staplyton to be his secretary. This gentleman has been
acting as secretary to Sir Phipps Hornby, K.C.B.
Mr. James Beeby, formerly one of the senior clerks at
the Admiralty, died recently. By his decease a pension
of some 6001. or 7001. per annum will fall in hand.

DEATH OF COMMANDER J. H. BRIDGES.
We are sorry to state that news has been privately
received of the death by Asiatic cholera, of Commander
John Henry Bridges, which event took place at Cal-
cutta, on the 13th of Noveniber last. This zealous
officer, whose life has been thus unexpectedly shortened,
was the third son of Sir Henry Bridges, of Beddington,
Surrey. He commenced his career at the age of 12
years
—in the Aria_Ca_ptain (nom cl
.•
LordAdolphnti-littiqtri tvcr r. .
patronage of our late Sovereign, KingAs
a midshipman and lieutenant he was constantly engaged
in various parts of the world, and as gunnery lieutenant
of the Thunderer, 84, Captain M. F. F. Berkeley, in the
year 1840, he assisted in all the operatons of the Syrian
campaign, the bombardment of Beyrout, the storming of
Sidon, and the capture of St. Jean d'Acre, and received,
with the other officers engaged, an English and Turkish
medal. In 1846 he went
to the Cape of Good
Hope, as first lieutenant of the Brilliant, 22, Cap-
tain Watson, C. 8., out of which ship he exchanged,
for the sake of being more actively employed, into the
Columbine, 16, commanded by Captaia Grey, and upon
his death by Commander (now Captain) John Dalrymple
Hay, together with whom, as his first lieutenant, he dis-
tinguished himself in a successful effort to put down the
pirates on the coast of China. The spirited conduct of
Lieut. Bridges, who, in the command of a boat, gallantly
attacked and boarded a Chinese junk was
1849. Soon
was particularly
recorded by us in the month of
Decem
he was promoted to the
rank of a commander. Upon attaining this important
step, he devoted himself for a year to the study of steam
at the Royal Naval College, Portsmouth, and then, un-
willing to be without employment, he accepted the ap-
pointment offered to him of admiralty agent, and took
charge of the mails, first in the Bosphorus, screw-steam-
ship, to the Cape of Good II
-°P; and immediately upon
his return home, in the
Lady Jocelyn, to Calcutta,
y
where he died after an illness of only three days, aged
I/
39. The loss of Commander
—ridgea will be sincerely
felt in the service, and especially
al Portsmouth. He
was an officer of mild, unassuming, and gentlemanlike
manners ; he was a favourite in every ship, and a friend
in every circle. It is deplorable to see so many officers
of good promise, like poor Bridges cut off so early in life.
Good seamen desirous of serving
have now a choice of ships, for men are required for all
-gun
classes of steamers, from the 10 screw to the 4-gun
paddle-sloop. in the Royal Navy

°lll Sl!/10IITH, JAN. 6.
It has been blowing a gale
southward the whole of thea.
Y
—. At 10 a.m. the men-
rbour struck topgallant-
masts. Almost all communication had been cut off with
of wind again from the
of-war at Spithead and in the ha
the squadron, except those who chose to pay handsomely
for a boat, and risk their lives.
The unfortunate wreck, Flower of 'Ogle, is fast break-
ing up, and part of her washed ashore at Hayling
Island.
The new Commander-in-Chief, vice-Admiral Sir Thos.
J. Cochrane, K.C.8., has struck his fiag, and proceeded
on leave. The ships in commission bear Rear-Admiral
Superintendent Fanshawe's flag pro tem.
The ships fitting are still short of their complements,
although they are gradually picking up good seamen.
London, 92, Captain Mundy, will
be ready for sea as
soon as she is manned ; but, notwithstanding she is so
fine a ship, good seamen come along very slowly for her.
She is now, at least, 360 petty officers and seamen short
of her complement of 850. We hear reports of the
officers on board not being the most comfortable toge-
ther. We are quite sure if the gallant captain hears of
it he will have an alteration.

petty officersi
n atg.
Leander, 50, Captain King, at Spithead, has vacancies
for about 18 blue jackets.
Arrogant, 46, screw-frigate, captain
an S.
about 25 vacancies open .
for Fremantle,
Simoom, 18, iron screw troop-frigate, Captain K
come, was paid down this day, preparatory
abroad with troops on the Bth.
Encounter, 14, screw•corvette, Captain Callaghan, at
Spithead, has her full increased complement of 181
officers and men.
Plumper, 12, screw steam-sloop, Commander Nolloth,
was paid off this day alongside the jetty. This little
vessel was one of the first screw-brigs. She was built
by Mr. Fincham, and fitted with Miller, Ravenhill, and
Salkeld's engines. Her rival, the Reynard, was lost, it
tPrahoutassanrun over a few
will be recollected, under Commander Cracroft, on the
Shoal, China.
commission ; for it
The
er
will be remembered she was cruising in the West Indies
previously to her proceeding to the Brazil station. She
has proved herself a very useful little craft, and by her
Plumpertermof
force and services has shown that vessels of her class
must supersede altogether the mere sailing brig.
Leopard, 14, paddle- wheel steam-frigate, Captain
Giffard, of the Termagant, has hoisted his pendant this
day on board the Leopard, to the books of which ship
the officers and crew of the Termagant have been turned
over. They use the Termagant as their hulk pro tent.
Sidon, 24, steam - frigate, Captain
manned within about a dozen blue jackets. She will b.
off in a day or two.
Odin, 12, steam-frigate, Captain Scott, has about 220
on her books, out of her complement of 275. She will
be ready for service when manned.
Furious, 16, steam-frigate, Captain Loring, will also
be ready for sea when manned. Her complement is 220.
Medea, 4, steam-sloop, Commander Crawshay Bailey,
will be complete by the 9th, and will be ready for sea by
the 12th.
Basilisk, 6, steam-sloop, Commander Hon. G. Egerton,
will be completed by the Bth, and will be ready for sea
again by the 15th.
Duck, lighter, sailed to-day, with stores, for Chatham
and Woolwich.

PLYMOUTH, JAN. a.
Nile, 92, in dock to be fitted as a screw-ship, and to
have the engines intended for the Euphrates, is waiting
further orders.

Hogue, 58, screw guard-ship, Captain Ramsay, is now
7ully manned.

Barrajouta, 6, steam-ship, Commander G. Parker, has
100 of her complement of 160 on her books. The com-
mander is on leave until the 12th.

Rattlesnake, store-ship, for iiehring's Straits, Com-
mander Trollope, will be taken out of dock on the 18th,
will be out of the hands of the dockyard by. the 7th
Felirtiary, and will be ready for sea about the 12th or
14th proximo. She has entered about half her comple-
ment of 80 officers and men.

WOOLWICH, JAN. 6.
Captain Rundle Watson, C. 8., of the Imperieuse, 50,
screw-frigate, still carries on the port duties in the ab•
Bence of Commodore Eden, who is to leave.

Imperieuse, 50, screw-frigate, Captain Watson, C. 8.,
is picking up her crew very well for Woolwich. Of her
complement of 530 she only wants about 45 blue jackets.
She is short of boys and marines.
Firebrand, 6, steam-frigate, Captain Hyde Parker
(1852), is also very forward with her ship's company of
200 officers and men. So much the worse, for she will
not be out of the hands of the dockyard for at least a
month, and with the pressure at the present moment on
the engineering department, it is impossible to say when
her machinery will be all right. We are informed that
she requires about 25 blue jackets to complete her crew.
Cruiser, screw-sloop, Commander the Hon. G. H.
Douglas (1851), has comparatively few seamen on her
books. With officers, marines, seamen, and boys, she
musters about half her complement of 160.
Resistance, troop-ship,, Master Commander Bradshaw,
will be ready to proceed on her West India and coast of
Africa trip, with troops, by the 13th inst.
Magwra, screw troop-ship, Commander Johnson, will
be completed by the 18th.
Terrible, 21, steam-frigate, will not be out of the hands
of the dockyard and factory before the let of March.