The Sun.
London, England, 1849-11-30 00:00:00

APPOINTMENTS.

Engineers—Andrew Douglas, Richard Cattew,
John A. Ritchie, Robert Moore, John Oliver, R. 11.
Alvin, assistant to the Terrible steam-frigate.
We regret to announce the death of an old and
much-esteemed surveying officer, Commander James
Wolfe. In his decease both the royal navy and the
country have sustained a great loss.
The buoy boat and another dockyard lighter, that
went out beyond the Naby light-vessel at Portsmouth
to creep for the anchor and chain lost by the Con-
stance on Friday night last, returned into harbour
yesterday, not having been able to find it. There
was a buoy on the anchor, but it is supposed it did not
watch.
The Britannia, 120, advance-ship, at Portsmouth,
was taken under the sheers and dismasted, prepara-
tory to going into the covered dock, which will be
vacated to-day by the Princess Charlotte.
The Sidon is taking in her muindeck ordnance, 16
68 pounders, 84-feet guns, of 60 cwt. She is nearly
rigged, having her lower and topsail yards across, and
her topgallant masts up.
The Fire Queen, steamer, to be fitted for Holy-
head packet service, will be taken into dock when the
Bloodhound comes out. The former was payed over
with a composition, the invention of Mr. Wylam (the
patent fuel gentleman), on one side, and on the other
by Mr. Hay, about four months since. She has
been for a long time since lying in the dirty water of
the steam•basin at Portsmouth, and is supposed to be
foul.

The Argu3 steamer will be launched the 15th of
next month, when the Sovereign, 120, will be laid
down on the vacated slip. The Sovereign was origi-
nally to be on the same lines as the Prince of Wales,
but she is to be altered, and will now be built on lines
sanctioned by the surveyor of the navy, Sir B. W.
Walker. She will no doubt be a good ship. The
Arrogant and several other vessels designed by Mr.
Fincham, the master builder of Portsmouth yard,
having turned out so well, and having been so much
approved of by competent judges, it would be only
fair if the Admiralty would allow him to try his hand
at a large first class-ship.
THU COAST or AFRICA. SQUADRON.

PORTSMOUTH, TUURSDAT.—The Adventure naval
transport, Master-Commander Peter Wellington, ar-
rived at Spithead last night from the above station,
having sailed from Ascension on the 20th ult.—an

nnprecedentedly quick passage. She left the Centaur
steam-frigate, Commodore Fanshawe, C. 8., and the
Tortoise store and guard-ship, Captain Hutton, at the
island. The Centaur arrived at Ascension on the
12th of October from Loando, and took one empty
prize on the passage, and nearly captured another with
700 slaves on board. The Pluto steam-vessel, Lieu-
tenant-Commander Joliffe, arrived at Ascension on
the 9th of October, and sailed on the 18th to relieve
the Firefly at the Congo. Commodore Fanshawe
having minutely inspected the ships in port, the store-
houses, and marines in garrison, had proceeded on
the 18th to inspect the Mountain Farm Hospital,
and other improvements. The Mountain Hospital
is now in all respects quite complete ; the
site, which is 2,000 feet above the level of
the sea, appears to have been well seliicted,
and answers the purpose of restoring the convales-
cent to health from the lower hospital, the average
difference of temperature being about 12 degrees.
The labour of constructing it must have been very
great, and it reflects the highest credit on Governor
Hutton and others under his directions. The crews
of the ships and garrison were generally healthy, and
the island bids fair to yield an abundant annual moun-
tain produce. The sweet potato is, from the expe-
rience of Captain Payne, unquestionably the best
vegetable to cultivate with profit and success for the
benefit of Government. As usual, the Governor's
hospitality to officers of all classes is unceasing; at
the same time there is no lack of work, and the vari-
ous duties of all kinds were minutely inspected by
him in person from early dawn to the sitting of the
tropical sun. Any person who recalls what Ascen-
sion was a few years back must be struck by the im-
provement since made in this neat and well-
ordered establishment under the direction and un-

tiring zeal of the present Governor, ably sup-
ported, as he expresses himself to have been, by the
persevering industry of Captain Payne and the fine
body of marines under his command.

The disposition of the African squadron, under the
command•in•chief of Commodore Fanshawe, C. 8.,
was as follows when the Adventure sailed :

Northern Division, under the command of Com-
mander Dunlop, of the Alert, 6, consisted of the
Spy, Teazer, and Adelaide.
The Bight Division, under the command of Com-
mander Harvey, of the Kingfisher, consisted of the
Rattler, Bonetta, Heroine, and Phcanix.

Southern Division, under the command of Captain
the Hon. C. F. Hastings, of the Cyclops steam-frigate,
consisted of the Water witch, Ranger, Star, Cygnet,
Sealark, and Firefly.
The Snap, tender to the Tortoise, Lieutenant Hall
commanding, left Ascension with stores on the 2d of
October, for the Bights.
Commodore Fanshawe was expected to leave
Ascension immediately after the arrival of the August
mail from England, to settle some " war palaver ' in
the Gambia.

The Adventure has brought as passengers Captain
G. B. Payne, Royal Marines, and servant, having
served the usual period and been relieved on the 10th
of October by Captain Miller, R.M.; Mr. Smith,
midshipman of the Hydra steam-sloop, with two
petty officers and eight seamen of that vessel, prize
crew of the Fidelgo, a slaver, captured by the Hydra
and sent to Ascension for adjudication; Mr. Carr,
master's assistant of the Dart, as prize master to the
Albertina slaver ; Mr. Morris, boatswain of the Tor-
toise, after four years' service ; two petty officers and
eight seamen, invalids from the squadron ; one boy,
and one woman from the island of Ascension, who
gave birth to a male child on board, on the 9th inst.,
which was named, by the mother's request, "Ad-
venture."

The Adventure sailed from Plymouth on the 22d
of August with supplies for the African squadron,
to be landed at Ascension, and took the eastern

medium passage in the South Atlantic, crossed the

equator in 8 W., and made the passage out in forty-
three days, and home in thirty-three days. This
track was suggested by Mr. William Walker, liar-

bour-master of Plymouth, and found practicable at
all seasons of the year. This ship has supplied the
South American and African squadrons since the

22d of April this year, crossed both North and South
Atlantics four times from 11 deg. N. to 25 deg. S. in
186 days at sea, and traversed by log 26,700 miles.
On the 29th of October, in lat. 7 deg. 12 min. N.,
long. 22 deg. 11 min. W., she spoke the barque
Briton, of Kirkaldy, twenty-five days out, all well,
bound to the Rio de la Plata.

On the 31st, in lat. 8 deg. 56 min. N., long 23 deg.
7 min. W., spoke the French barque Granby, all well,
from St. Malo, bound to Coromandel.
On the 4th of November exchanged colours with
the English ship Daundon Castle, No. 2,938, in lat.
14 deg. 41 min. N., long. 26 deg. W.
The Myrtle steam tender, Master Commander
Maddon, landed her invalids this afternoon, and the
Adventure sailed afterwards to Plymouth, to refit.
Extract of a letter from her Majesty's ship Plum •
per, Commander Nolloth, dated Port Royal, Jamaica,
October 24 :

" We have just returned from Truxillo, where we
were very likely to have had a brush with the fort,
as we visited that place with hostile intentions. I
must tell you that the Honduras Government owe to

our merchants upwards of 100,000 dollars, and have
for a long time been fighting shy of the debt, and ulti-
mately have refused to pay it. Complaints having been
made to head-quarters at home, the result was that
we were sent to demand immediate payment, and if
force was necessary to use it. We, accordingly,
shortly after arriving at Truxillo (their most im-
portant town on the sea coast) and after we had made
known to the Governor the object of our visit, landed
our sailors arid mar:nes, who marched boldly up to
the fort, the Plumper at the same time having her
guns ready with shot and shell, and pointed at the
fortress to cover her men if any opposition had been
made. Great credit is due for the able and judicious
manner in which the expedition was conducted, for
although the batteries were well mounted and filled
with soldiers, and the inhabitants surrounding them
at least 4,000, they one and all surrendered to us,
thereby preventing a shot being fired. We then pos-
sessed ourselves of the fort, and placed our own sen-
tinels around it, and after our captain had settled the
point to the best of his ability, or, in other words,
compelled the liquidation of the debt as far as it could
be met, the fort was given up again to them, and
having re-embarked our men, we sailed for Port
Royal. I am sorry to add the Plumper is very sickly,
being so ill adapted for a tropical climate on account of
her internal arrangements or fittings as regards the
engine-room and the lower deck, where it is when
steaming generally 120 deg. Fahrenheit. Although
we have been on this station only three months, yet
half of the ship's company and officers (at least) have
in their turn been laid up with the fever, and two men
have died, besides invaliding about 12. We have now
several at the hospital here, and each day fresh cases
break out. God only knows what the result will be
if we are kept: here much longer."
PLYMOUTH„ Nov. 28.—The Constance, 50, Capt.
George W. G. Courtenay, under her topsails and top-