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.B. 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 November 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 Ariadne, 28, Captain (now Commodore)
Lord Adolphus Fitzclarence, . under the immediate
patronage of our late Sovereign, King William IV. As
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 operations 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 Captain 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 particularly
recorded by us in the month of December, 1849. Soon
after his return home in 1850 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 Hope, and immediately upon
his return home, in the Lady Jocelyn, to Calcutta,
where be died after an illness of only three days, aged
39. The loss of Commander Bridges will be sincerely
felt in the service, and especially at 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 tosee so many officers
of good promise, like poor Bridges,
Good seamen desirous of serving in the Royal Navy
have now a choice of ships, for men are required for all
classes of steamers, from the 10-gun screw to the 4-gun
paddle-sloop. cut off so early in life.

P
It has been blowing a gale o ORT
fSMOUTH, JAN. 6.
wind again from the
southward the whole of the day. At 10 a.m. the men-
of-war at Spithead and in the harbour struck topgallant-
masts. Almost all communication had been cut off with
the squadron, except those who chose to pay handsomely
for a boat, and risk their lives.
The unfortunate wreck, Flower of Ugie, is fast break-
ing up, and part of her washed ashore at Hayling
Island.

The new Commander-in-Chief, Vioe-Admiral Sir Thos.
J. Cochrane, K.C.8., has struck his flag, and proceeded
on leave. The ships in commission bear Rear-Admiral'
Superintendent Fanshawe's flag pro tern.
The ships fitting are still shod 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.
Leander, 50, Captain King, at Spithead, has vacancies
for about 18 blue jaCkqs:

Arrogant, 46, screw-frigate, Captain S. Fremantle, at
Spithead,has about 25 vacancies open for petty officers
and seamen.

—§inaoom, 18, iron screw troop-frigate, Captain King-
come, was paid down this day, preparatory to her going
abroad with troops on the Bth.
Captain Callaghan, at
SpE nteithnecaodu,hra'scomplement of 181
officers and men. _
14,11 e
r screw
full • corvette,
de

v Plumper, 12, screw
steam-sloop,
RanadveernNh
joi:oatnhd,
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,
Salkeld's engines. Her rival, the 14----.ynard, was lost, it
will be recollected, under Commander Cracroft, on the
Pratas Shoal, China. The Plumper has run over a few
thousand miles during her term of commission ; for it
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
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 tem.
Sidon, 24, steam -frigate, Captain Goldsmith, is
manned within about a dozen blue jackets. She will be
off in a day or two.
Odin, 12, steam-frigate, Captain t cott, 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. G.

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
fully manned.