The Sun.
London, England, 1853-04-14 00:00:00

THE COAST OF AFRICA.

By the arrival of the Mail screw-packet Faith at Ply-
mouth, from the west coast of Africa, we have the fol-
lowing from the squadron :
The Commander-in-Chief, Rear-Admiral Bruce, in his
flag-ship Penelope, 16, steam-frigate; Captain Lyster,
was at Lagos, Feb. 28, with the Alecto, 6, steam-sloop,
Commander Crufton ; Cygnet, 8, Commander R. D.
White ; Ferret, Commander Macdonald ; and Britomart,
8, Commander Hesseltine.

The Ferret remained at Lagos on the 11th March, but
the Commander-in-Chief had left for Ascension. Alecuo
had proceeded to the eastward, and was passed off
Grand Popo on the 12th.
Bloodhound, steam-vessel, Lieut. Commander Chris.
tian ; Pluto, steam-vessel, Lieut. Commander Bedding.
field, and two French men-of-war were at Sierra Leone,
March 23.

Firefly, steam-sloop, Commander Seymour, was at
Goree, March 28.

THE :VULCAN AND THE LATE COURT-
MARTIAL.

We regret to hear that some serious differences be-
tween the officers of the Vulcan, screw steam-ship and
the officers of the regiment Commander Van Donop con-
veyed to Australia, took place on the voyage, and that it
is not at all improbable that some correspondence will
pass between the Horse Guards and the Admiralty on
the subject. We are also sorry to find that there has
been so much misunderstanding between the commander
of the Vulcan and his officers, which will lead, it is said,
to further courts-martial. The case of the mate, tried on
Tuesday, is looked upon as a very hard one, and although
it was impossible for the court to have overlooked the
admitted fact of direct disobedience of orders, yet the
circumstances which led the mate (a commissioned officer)
respectfully to commit a breach of discipline, demand, on
the the part of the Admiralty, further inquiry. It is su
mated that the court, which was composed of 11 cap-
tains, did not go far enough into the " whys and where-
fores" of the case, and that they stop short of their duty
if; in upholding stern discipline, they do not satisfy the
service that justice has been done to all grades. There
is no excuse for disobedience of orders that are not un-
lawful, but to fulfil the requirements of justice, this case
should not terminate without an inquiry into the whole
of the facts that led to the commission of the offence.
These facts must have been of a very extraordinary cha-
racter, or the court would not have so pointedly alluded
to it in their sentence.

If we are rightly informed, the mate not only appealed
to his captain against his ordering him to do inferior duty
to that of a midshipman, but previously to his offence,
he actually wrote to Commander Von Donop for a court
of inquiry or court-martial ; but of which application no
notice was taken by the commander.
Another " extraordinary" fact has reached us from
Portsmouth, which we trust to see fully explained. It
is reported that after the court-martial was over, Mr.
Hartwell went on board the Vulcan to get his things,
when be was again placed under arrest. He expostu-
lated in vain, and at length managed to get a note to
the commander-in-chief, when Sir Thomas Cochrane
instantly ordered his release, and accompanied his
peremptory order with a sharp rebuke. We sincerely
hope that there is no foundation for this statement.--
Herald.

NAVAL DISCIPLINE.
TO THE EDITOR OF THE MORNING HERALD.

Sir,-----Our naval discipline is a subject that cannot be
too often discussed or too often brought under public
notice. It is one of vital importance, because on it de,
pends the efficiency of our navy, and, in a great measure,
the safety of the country. Everything that has a ten-
dency to weaken our maritime superiority ought to be
exposed, and (without taking into consideration either
professional prejudice or antiquated opinions) inquired
into and remedied.

The great question of manning the navy has at length
attracted public attention, and the present state of the
fleet imperatively demands a searching investigation into
the causes that have driven 20,000 seamen to place
themselves under the protection of the flag of the United
States of America. Sir James Graham, who, as a
landsman, must be as ignorant of naval discipline as
he is of naval tactics, stated to the House of Commons,
that the cause was the unusually high rate of wages
offered by the mercantile service, and said "To that
cause, and that cause alone, I ascribe that desertion."
Now, every one in this free country has a right to give
his opinion on any subject connected with its prosperity
and safety, and I believe that all who are acquainted
with naval discipline, and have no interest in concealing
its enormities, will be unanimous in attributing deser-
tion to other more serious causes than that so plausibly
and confidently proclaimed by the First Lord of the
Admiralty. The English people are kept in ignorance
of what is passing on board our ships, particularly on
foreign stations. Naval discipline has for many years
been a sealed letter, and if Sir James Graham could be
prevailed upon to break the seal and disclospereivtsaiclonon-
con-
tents he would render a great service to the country.
Do those who presume to speculate on the ere.-
of Englishmen, think that the
vesting in
the public to believe in
flitheetiuncrecteosrstiutyYr
ecoaofnn his fellow-
man of a system that drives
Atlantic produce proof of that
Because they know in y
man ? Why do not the
are fully aware they cannot.
oounree
causessnes' aitatThnynalttnh forces acrosspee Because
u sor etuh°rt ehr
their hearts that it was and is the
seaman
a foreign
e enjoys
ymu
seeamen to take refuge under the
fitlaieggovernment.hn In the merchant service
appeal to the civil pelwfcerferreraetedrresadv. advantages than the:
treated
seaman with
cbrutality,
ship
man
-of
-war's
man. The merchant
his
at the end of his s , the man-of -war s-
engagement ; the man-of-war's-man
cannot, and the latter is at the mercy of the cap-
tain, who, if the sailor incurs his displeasure, is em-
powered by the Articles of War to punish him " ac-
cording to the customs and usages observed at
sea." Now, every ship has its customs, and every
captain his usages, for what they ought to be
are not defined by the Articles of War • and the
seamen under his command are the victims of caprice
and his cruelty. It is to these causes, and to these
causes alone, that I ascribg these desertions. And what
are the remedies proposed by my lords of the Admiralty!
Not courts-martial, but the very liberal allowance of
sixpence per diem to the worn-out seaman. He will be
permitted to return to his native village with, in all pro-
bability, a lacerated back and his splendid sixpence, to
be pointed at as "the man who was flogged on board a
man of war !"

There is a law for the protection of animals against
cruelty, but the seaman is not included in it. Is the
biped called a sailor an inferior animal to the quadruped
called a dog ? And is he considered by our legislators
as of less value than the donkey that draws the cart of
the costermonger ? For the present, "I shall pause for
a reply,"--I am, Sir, your obedient servant,
BLUE PETER.