The Sun.
London, England, 1849-11-22 00:00:00

THE AFRICAN SQUADRON.

Her Majesty's ship Dart, 3 guns, Lieutenant Hill,
Commander, arrived off Portsmouth yesterday from
Sierra Leone, whence she sailed on the 18th ult., on
which day Commodore Fanshawe, C. 8., in the Cen-
taur steam-frigate (Commander. in-Chief on the sta-
tion), left for Ascension and the western portion of
his command. The slave-trade remained unchecked,
except on the southern part of the station, where no
prizes had been taken for many months, although
several had been chased—the last taken on that coast
being the prize made jointly by her Majesty's
steamers Rattler and Cyclops, as reported in our last
advices. Her Majesty's steamer Firefly, Ccmmander
Tudor, took a fine slaver in September with 600
negroes on board ; the vessel was a fine brig of 300
tons, under the stripes and stars, named the Whig of
New York, and was captured under peculiar circum-
stances by a crew of six kroomen of the Firefly ship's
company, comm anded by Mr. Newport, mate of
that vessel. This is the most fortunate prize made
for a long time on the coast, most of the others being
empty when boarded. The Alert brigantine made
a descent upon the Gallinas coast in the early
part of last month, for the purpose of taking off
a number of slaves from the depots at that point,
and succeeded in shipping upwards of 200 out of a
large number, but had the misfortune to drown about
thirty of the remainder in an attempt to embark them
through a heavy surf. Her Majesty's brigantine Spy
has made a prize since last news, but had no slaves in
her. J. Duncan, Esq., her Britannic Majesty's con-
sul at Why dah, was on the point of going up to seek
an interview with King Dahomey, to found treaties,
&c., accompanied by Captain Forbes, of her Majesty's
brigantine Bonetta, and a sufficient force to exhibit
the efficiency of the service. Seven vessels have been
taken by the Dart during her period of service on the
coast of Africa. The next vessel to be sent to Eng-
land from that station is H.M. brig Britomart, which
would sail from Ascension on the Ist of November.
The Rev. Mr. Poole, colonial chaplin at Sierra Leone,
has arrived in the Dart on leave, to recruit his health.
Governor M`Donald was daily expected at Sierra
Leone, when the Dart sailed. The British squadron
cruizing for the suppression of the slave trade, was
stationed as follows when the mail closed (18th cf
October) :
At the Island of Ascension—The Tortoise, 12,
Captain Hutton.
At Sierra Leone—The Pluto steam sloop, Com-
mander Joliffe ; and the Alert, 6, Com. Dunlop.
At the Gambia—The Dover steam-vessel, Lieut.
Howard commanding.
At Gallinas—The Spy, 3, Lieutenant Western
commanding.
Off Cape Mount—The Heroine, 6, Corn. Marsh.
Off the River Sherborough —The Teazer, 3, Lieut.
Selwin.

Cruising--The Centaur steam-frigate, Captain
Buckle, towards Ascension; and the Flying Fish, 12,
Commander Peters, ditto.

In the Bight of Benin—The Kingfisher, 12, Com.
Harvey ; the Phoenix, 6, Com. VS'odehouse; and the
Cyclops steam-frigate, Capt. the Hon. G Hastings.
Off Lagos—The Rattler, 6, Com. Cumming.
Off Cape Formosa—The Bonetta brigantine,
Lieutenant Forbes commanding.
At Whydah—The 'Waterwitch, 8, Corn. Quin.
Off the River Congo—The Firefly. steam-slooop,
Com. Tudor, and the Cygnet, 6, Corn. D. Robertson.
Off Loango—The Ranger, 8, Coin. Miller,
Off Fish Bay—The Sea Lark, 6, Corn. Monypenny.
The vessels are reported all healthy.

APPOISTMENTi.

Midshipman—F. B. Herbert, to the Superb, Cork ;
and M. W. Crawford, to the Indefatigable, Devonport.
Wootwicir, Nov. 21.—The Volcano steam vessel,
140 horse power, recently brought home from Malta,
was towed ,up the river yesterday by the African
steam vessel, from Sheerness, and after having her
boilers and engines taken out at this dockyard, will
be taken back to Sheerness to be refitted for service.

Captain Sir Baldwin Walker, K.C.8., surveyor of
the navy, with Mr. Isaac Watts, assistant-surveyor,
visited Woolwich Dockyard yesterday afternoon, and
went cn board the Vulcan steam-frigate in the basin,
the Retribution steam frigate in one of the east docks,
and the Desperate steam-sloop in the other. Sir
Baldwin Walker then visited the saw mill.), where
timbers where in progress of being converted for the
building of an 80 gun ship, to be named the Aga-
memnon, and to be fitted with a screw-propeller and
auxiliary engines of 400-horse p )wer. The saw mills
have been converting timber also for the Royal Al-
bert, 120 guns, and the Nankin, 50 gun frigate, now
nearly ready for launching. Captain Sir Baldwin
Walker, with Mr. Watts, went also on board the
Terrible steam-frigate, now ready for commission.
The Vulcan steam-frigate is ordered to be taken to
Sheerness when the next spring tides take place.
The following is a copy of the official returns of
the average passages of the Holyhead mail steam-
packets for Oct., 1849 :
Vivid. Caradoc. St. Columba.
h. m. s. h. m. s. h. m. s.
Time
Knots per hour
Statute miles per h 15.25 13.82 12.02
Horse power
Number of miles gone

over in the mosiith. 2,910 2,804 2,558
Average difference between Vivid and Candoc, 26
minutes, or 143 mile per hour; average difference
between Vivid and St. Columba, 48 minutes, or 3 23
miles per hour.

The Vivid was constructed by Mr. 0. W. Lang,
assistant to the master-shipwright at Chatham, and
built at that dock-yard. Her engines are of 160-
horse power, made and fitted by Messrs. Penn,
Greenwich.
The Caradoc was constructed by Sir William
Symonds, and built by Messrs. Mare and Co., Black-
wall, and fitted with engines of 350-horse power by
Messrs. Seaward and Co., City Canal Works.
The St. Columba was constructed by Mr. Laird,
and fitted with engines of 350. horse power by Mr.
Forrester.
PLTMOUTII, Nov. 20.—The steamer Scourge ar-
rived here to day from Portsmouth with her supernu-
meraries.
The sloop Serpent sailed on the 18th inst. for 0 e
East Indies.
John D. M'Donald has been appointed Acting
Assistant Surgeon fur service in the Plymouth Hos-
pital.
The Pandora surveying vessel, Lieut.-Commander
James Wood, has been ordered to this port to be
paid off.
Her Majesty's frigate Leander, 50, Captain Dacres,
from Portsmouth, was observed fur some time off the
harbour this morning, having a light wind from
south-east.

Her Majesty's screw steam-sloop Conflict, 8, Corn-
wall,* Drake, left the Sound at half-past eleven, and

;oined the Leander outside, when both steered down
Chlnnel for Lisbon.

Her Majesty's brig Pandora, 6, Lieutenant• Co-
mmander James Wood, arrived this afternoon at two
o'clock from Portsmouth.
Wind—Easterly, very light.

THE COUNTRY MARKETS.
NEWCASTLE, Nov. 20.—Since Saturday we have had
a fair supply of wheat, the best samples of which met
a retail sale at that day's currency; but anything secon-
dary either in English or foreign is difficult to get quit
at even a reduction of Is. Malting barley the turn
lower; grinding qualities, less inquiry. Flour dull of
sale without alteration in price, and other articles un-
altered.

NEWCASTLE CATTLE MARKET, Nov. 20.—The
supply of fat cattle, good, but quality only middling.
Trade dull at drooping rates, and part unsold. Sheep
trade sluggibh, and prices lower ; a fair number at
market, a considerable portion of which remain on hand.
Beef, 4s to 5s 6d per stone. Mutton, aid to skd per lb.
Beasts, 700; sheep, 1,400.
EDINBURGH MEAL MARKET, Nov. 20.—There were
in the market tuoiay 92 sacks oatmeal, each a eighing
2801bs imperial, whereof 79 sold thus:-14 at 11 6. 6d,
11 at 116 s Od, 1 at 115 s 6d, 4 at 115 s 3d, 42 at 115 s, and
7 at 114 a 6(1; average price of the whole 11 5s 4d 6-12ths.
6 sacks flour, whereof 2 sold at 30s. 2at 284, and 2 at
275. 1 sack brosemeal, which sold at 265. 15 sacks pot-
barley, whereof 6. sold thus :-1 at 11 6s Od.
1 at 1153 Od, 1 at 1/ 4s 6,1, 2 at 1/ 34 Od, 1 at 11 Os od.
EDINBIIRCEt IlAy AND STRAW MARKET, Nov. 20.--
Supplies of all kinds large. Oat straw, from 7s 6(1 to
9s Od per keMple of 16 stories trcn; wheat ditto, 63 6d
to 8s Od; barley ditto, 6s Od to Is Od. Hay, from 81
to 9(1 per stone. _ _

DAiKEITH MEAL MARKET, NOV. 19.—There were
151 bags of oatmeal, 12 of barleymeal, and 4 of pot-
barley at this day's market. sales ready. Oatmeal
down 6d to 9J per bag; barley meal on the top the sante,
and on the seJend price 3d per bag d,arer; pot•barley 6d
per bag up. _ _

First Second
... 24s OA 22s 9d
... 16s 6d 16s 3d
... —s Od —3 Od
... —sOd —sOd
... 20s 6d 20s Od

Third
21a 6d
—, oa
—s Od
—s od
—8
Od

▪ 16s 3d
... 16s 3d
... 16s 9(1
17s Od
17s 6d
▪ 178 01
..15s6d
... 158 3a
.. 176 Od
... 16s 3d
173 Od
• 178 Sd
16s 3d
• 16s 9d
~.. 14s 01
... 16s 9d

•••• 15s 9a
15i 6d,
15a Su

7. 17s 6dA
.. 153 6",
21s 0"