The Sun.
London, England, 1849-05-03 00:00:00

ARCTIC EXPEDITION.

In consequence of an order of the House of Commons,
made on the motion of Sir T. I). Ackland, a further re•
turn has just been printed of copies or extracts of any
proceedings or correspondence of the Admiralty, rela-
tive to the Arctic expedition. The present paper con-
tains " The opinions of the most experienced officers
connected with the Arctic expeditions on the necessity
of sending a ship to the entrance of Lancaster Sound
with supplies for Sir James Ross's expedition, and their
joint opinion as to certain measures proposed to be
adopted." This document, which is of an extremely in-
teresting character, gives at length the separate opinions
and suggestions of Captains Sir W. E. Parry, Sir G.
Black, Beechy, Sir E. Belcher, and Colonel Sabine on
the subject, but they are of too great length for insertion
in our columnS; the subject, however, of all of them is
introduced in the paper which we subjoin.
JOINT OPINION OF OFFICERS, &c., INTER-
ESTED IN THE WELFARE OF THE ARCTIC
EXPEDITIONS.

JAN. 17, 1849.—At a meeting of the undermentioned
officers, &c., interested in the welfare of the Arctic ex-
peditions—namely, Rear-Admiral Sir Francis Beaufort,
the Rev. Dr. Scoresby, Colonel Sabine, R.A. Captain
Sir William Henry Parry, R.N., Captain Frederick W.
Beechey, R.N., Captain Sir George Back, H.N., Captain
Sir F. Belcher, R.N., it was given as their unanimous
opinion-
1. That, considering the fact that Sir James Ross's
expedition did not roach the entrance to Lancaster Sound
till the 28th Aug., IS4B, little or nothing could have been
effected by the ships under his command in that season,
beyond a partial examination of the two shores of Lan•
caster Sound and Barrow's Straits.

2. That, therefore, that expedition will, virtually, have
to commence the search for Sir John Franklin's ships

this year.
3. That, with reference to the position of Sir jaws
Boss's ships during the present winter, there aro three
possible cases—
a. The Investigator in a harbour near Cape Rennet],
and the Enterprise having pushed on to, or near to, Mel-
ville Island.
b. The Investigator as above, and the Enterprise hav-
ing proceeded a part of the way to Melville Island.
c. Both ships having been oh!igtel to winter near to-
gether, in consequence of tho few days remaining for
that season's navigation in 1848, subsequently to the 28th

August.
4. That in either of these three cases the two ships
are sure to be senarated this season, as even in the last
case (e) Sir James ltoss will push to the westward as
soon as possible in the ensuing summer.
6. That under any of these circumstances it is highly
unsafe, and therefore inexpedient, for the Investigator to
come home in the autumn of this year i so as to leave Sir
James Ross alone in tha Enterprise, n the performance
of a hazadous service.
6. That, therefore, fresh instructions should t e s'nt
out this summer to Captain Bird to the above eff et, lest
he should feel himself bound by Sir James Ross's in-
structions to him of the 12th July, 1843, and by the
state of his resources, to return to England in the In-
vestigator in the ensuing autumn.
7. That Captain Bird should be directed to remain
out another winter, in order to carry out more exten-
sively the objects of the expedition.
8. That, for this purpose, supplies of
provisions, ship's

9. That the performance of this service with the re-
quisite certainty and effectiveness is entirely imprac-
ticable by engaging a whaling vessel to execute it, this
duty being wholly incompatible with, and opposed to the
usual, and to them all-important, occupation of killing
whales. That these ships pushing across the ice in Baf-
fin's Bay at all during the season cannot be reckoned
upon with any degree of certainty, and that the early
period of their leaving England (February and March)
would be a serious disadvantage, as greatly lessening the
chances of our having received previous information of
Sir John Franklin, either from Sir John Richardson or
by way of Panama, or through Russia, from Kamtchatka.l
(In this view of the expediency of employing a whaling
ship, Dr. Scoresby's opinion is very strong, from his long
experience of those vessels, and the business in which
they are engaged.)
10. That the best vessel fur carrying out the provisions,
& cee.
rAwfrrocaui
frames
de e
expeditions,sbest ar strong;
g bomb,ra nsdtuhct
ehhi
ra t ast
scantlinghthe o al
Thunder,r e
ba ediyn
ofge ni
aagbraoggueet, da3no7nds
tthh
tons, if fortified in the usual manner for the navigation
among the ice, manned by effective officers and men, and
commanded by an officer of intelligence and zeal, would
be a very fit vessel for this service.
11. That the 15th of May (not a day later) is the
proper time for the store-ship to leave England, and that
she should ba directed to proceed across the ice in Baf-
fin's Bay, into Lancaster Sound, and up Barrow's Strait,
looking out for the Investigator or her boats, and then to
take such measures for unloading the vessel as may be
directed by Captain Bird.
12. That if it should happen that the Investigator is
not met with, nor any of her boats (which, however,
may be confidently expected, from the tenor of the Ad-
miralty instructions to Sir James Ross), then the store-
ship to proceed, in good time, to land the provisions, &c.,
if possible, at Whaler Point, Leopold, this being a
rendezvous specially appointed by Sir James Ross in his
instructions to Captain Bird; but should that point (as it
is not unlikely) prove inaccessible to the ship, on ac-
count of ice, then a notice to be left there, as well as at
several points on the south coast of Lancaster Sound
named by Sir James Ross, containing a summary of the
Admiralty instructions now sent out, and giving precise
information where the provisions, &c., are landed.
13. That imperative instructions should be given to
Sir James Ross for a strict search in Wellington Channel
and its neighbourhood, since it has been ascertained
that Sir John Franklin attached very great impoi time
to that opening, in case of his failing to push on to the
southward and westward.
ei onnt,
so f
Inlet,S i Sir
aJsa ms
Sires
JRO
ho sns
rshraonulkdlilnikmewigihset
possiblybe drawnl4.T hr
eet
toautrßt
neengt
by
that route, and that very conspicuous
notices be posted in that neighbourhood, and especially
about Cape York.
15. That is desirable that the store. ship be employed
in assisting in the search during whatever portion of the
season may remain after the delivery of her provisions,
&c., and in such manner as Captain Bird or (as the case
may be) her commander may deem fit, consistently with
the securing of her return to England before the en-
suing winter.

16. That should Captain Bird deem it expedient, any
of the officers and men belonging to the store ship, who
are volunteers for the service, may be exchanged for any
sick or disabled individuals whom it may be desirable to
send back to England.
17. That in addition to the foregoing precautions, it
will be desirable to send out by a certain number of
whaling ships (selecting the most desirable) copies of
the new instructions to Captain Bird, including those
given;to the officer commanding the store-ship, and offer-
ing some inducement to the masters of the whaling
ships to deposit these communications at certain points,
to be hereafter decided upon, especially those which we
know to have been selected by Sir James Ross. It may
be well to print these instructions, and to enclose them
in capper cylinders, ready for depositing as above sug-
gested.

18. That it will be necessary to go into many impor-
tant details in addition to the above, but that the points
hero alluded to appear to be the most obvious and im-
portant, and requiring immediate attention.
(Signed) F. BEAUFORT.

NAVAL INTELLIGENCE.

APPOINTMENTS.

Captain Peter Richards, C. 8., now superintendent of
Pembroke Dockyard, removes to Chatham Dockyard,
vice Sir Thomas Bourchier, deceased.

Lieutenants—Robert Jenkins, F. H. Stirling, A. 11.
Hoskins, to the Castor, 36, to be commissioned at
Chatham; John Burge,,s, to the Columbia, steam-vessel,
fitting at Chatham, for surveying service, vice Bullock,
whotie appointment is cancelled.
Master—G. J. Hodges, to the Castor.
Paymaster and Purser—Walter Clatworthy, to the
Castor.

Mates—Charles W. Russell and Hubert Campion, to
the Castor.

Second Masters—A. G. Whichelo, to the Victory,
fik
lo•-thip, at Portsmouth ; Frank Inglis, to the Castor.
Clerks—Thomas
Price and John Wotton, to the.
Castor.

Midshipmen—Edward J. Mears, to the Heroine, 8, at
Devonport, for the coast of Africa; Henry Berkeley, G.
L. Suliven, and A. A. Duff, to the Castor.
N aval Cadets—Chidloy Coote, J. W. L. Oaken, Hon.
Reynolds Moreton, and G. T. Key, to the Cast°, ;
Henry Somerville and the Hon. Crofton, to the
Cle.)patra, 26, fitting at Chatham ; Thomas W. Chap-
rnau, to the Wellesley, flag-ship, West Indies ; Gerrald
R. Perry and Charles R. Gaper, to the Fisgard, flag-
ship, at Woolwich.

Masters' Assistant—James Worsley, to the Castor.

Boatswain—John Copplestone, to the Castor.
Carpenter—William Kingdon, to the Castor.
The remains of the late Capt. Sir Thomas Bourchier,
K.C.8., superintendent of Chatham Dockyard, will be
interred this afternoon, at half•past two o'clock, with the
honours due to his rank.

THE BASILISK AND NIGER STEAM-SLOOPS.—Captain
R. Austin, C. 8., superintendent of steam-vessels afloat,
with the able master, Mr. Allen, and other officers of the
Blenheim, screw guard-ship at Portsmouth, arrived at
Woolwich yesterday afternoon, by Admiralty order, the
gallant captain having been appointed to superintend the
forthcoming trials in a fortnight's cruise in the Channel
beLween the Niger and Basilisk. Captain Austin, it is
understood, goes to the Basilisk, and Captain Halsted is
to have temporary command of the screw sloop. The
necessary arrangements for proceeding to sea will take
a day or two to complete. It is to be hoped that these
experiments will be better carried out than those which
were instituted with the screw vessels Sharpstooter and
Rifleman, and that alter going to the expense of getting
up the trials, the results will be clearly and definitely
ascertained, and intelligibly reported.
The St. Vincent, 120, has gone up Portsmouth Har-
bour to her ordinary moorings.
The San Josef, 110, was completely broken up at
Devonport, and the duck has been cleared. There will
be little chance now of charging any more building
repairs or alterations of new experimental ships to the
couple
The ocfahs
tuonrd, r3e6d, thousands
ma tin
il
saisotn.
old three-decker. She has borne enough in her day—a
ed at Chatham to-
morrow as the flag-ship for the Cape of Good Hope, it
having been determined to send a commodore thither as
commander-in-chief, and to send Rear -Admiral Reynolds,
C in the Southampton, 50, to the Brazils station to
relieve Commodore Sir Thomas Herbert.

Nearly all the disposable seamed from the Victory,
flagship at Portsmouth, were sent round in the Myrtle
steamer, Master Commander 13raddon, and the Confidence
steamer, Master Commander Martin, to join the Cleo-
patra, 26, at Chatham. Few of the men that put their
names down on the Victory's books, on the paying off of
the Rodney, have as yet returned to that ship. Our
correspondent adds,—We suppose she is very short-
handed, for we have not seen her topgallant yards across
since she has assumed her summer rig.

The Favourite, 14, Commander Murray, was mus-
tered and inspected on Monday morning, in Plymouth
Sound, by Captain Sir Thomas Maitland, after which
she sailed into harbour, to be paid off to-morrow.
The Ringdove, Lieut. Alfred Luckraft, acting com-
mander, will be paid off at Dovonport this day.
Scorpion, 4, surveying vessel, Lieut. Commander Law-
rence, will be ready for sea at Dovonport on the 9th.
THE PLUMPER AND REYNARD SCREW•SLOOPS.—A
new screw was cast at the foundry at Portsmouth, on
Tuesday, for the Plumper, Commander Nolloth, which
vessel is getting out her broadside medium-guns, and
will receive in lieu carronades of the same calibre,
requirewhich
nl l
many
yoemcuepnytoso
htudelhe rtoh,oemtn.onshbeer
wdielickr,etnaoinr
Commander Craeroft, will also receive.
onlyp her bow
her two 32 pounder pivot-guns of u6.cwt.3
~T. The
nßdeeyru ard
clerk
the Stromboli, Lord A. Beau ,
car-
ronadespivotguams broadside guns, but will retain
'rho Commander of
'or sea.
Portsmouth, all ready i -
sloop, at Portsmouth, has
has returned from leave, and that vessel is lying at
' The Encounter, wscreivler old one has been fitted on
beenporitle (odi
Elfin,
oiipped a re screw. She is fitting for
her deck as a spa
chocks on
' • ion with all
dispatch.
commission with
w sere .
The Pigmy, old steam-packet, at Woolwich, is to be
omratsnrndeoratoh.tters,hi:
hasre-
rs of the Wildfite steam-tender.
sent to Sheerness, to be placed in charge of the master
aClomr
eitvaainde3Cl by the non-arrival of her surveying stores.
tender to the royal yacht Victoria and
eillihneeeCometib3r. seastt' steam-vessel,
is"dsa7,l,
Albert, Master Commander Balliston, arrived at Ports-
mouth during Tuesday night, from Woolwich. She made
the run from Woolwich to Portsmouth in seventeen
hours, including the time it took her to put
into Sheerness, whence she brought a few super-
numeraries. Mr. Lang, jun., went round in her.
She is said to have behaved very well, but some acci-
dent occurred to the iron work of her paddle wheel which
will requiro repair; when dune, she will have a trial of
speed with the Firs Queen.
The Bloodhound having had a coating of Mr. Hay's
composition on one side, and that of Mr. Peacock's on
the other, has been taken out of dock at Portsmouth.
Three dockyard lighters have been .taken into the va-
cant dock. .
PORTSMOUTH, WEDNESDAY, FIVE P.M.—Wind N.E.,
vAryiag breezes with cloudy weather.

RAILWAY INTELLIGENCE.
LANCASHIRE AND YORKSHIRE.
MANCHESTER, WEDNESDAY. -- A special general
meeting of the shareholders of the Lancashire end
Yorkshire Railway was held this forenoon at the Pala-
tine Hotel, for the purpose of directing the conversion
and consolidation into general capital stock cf the gua-
ranteed six per cent. preference shares.
Mr. HENRY HOULDSIVORTH was called to the chair,
and in opening the proceedings briefly alluded to the
advantages which would be conferred on hoiden of those
shares by conversion into general capital stock. In con-
clusion, he proposed the following resolution:—
" That the guaranteed six per cent. preference shares
of this company be converted and consolidated into the
general c.pital stock, to be called the Lancashire and
Yorkshire Consolidated Six per Cent. Preference Stock,
as to such of the said shares as shall he paid up on the
30th day of May instant, from that date; and so much
of the said shares as shall not be then paid up, from time
to time, when and so soon as the same respectively shall
be paid up."
Mr. R. GILL seconded the resolution, which, altar a
short discussion, was carried nent. con.
The business of the meeting then concluded.

RAILWAY SHARE MARKETS.
BRISTOL, MAy 2. - •

STOCK EXCHANGE.—The share market was dull to-day, and but
few sales were effected. Great Western, Quarters, were done
at 3% dig.

LIVERPOOL, 3Ley 2

Scroz ExdnANoE.—rita makat Continues to improve, but still
little business was doing. The sales arc,— 11:rtnIngliam and
ford Junction, 25)4—Caledonian, Qttgrters: (late Halves), I Is. 31.
Dundee and Perth, New; 8 lA—Lancash're and Yorkshire (B. and B.),
26 c. dis.—Ditto, Quarters, 4% dis. —London and North-Western,
New Quarters, 4 p.—Ditto, Fifths, p.— Midland, 68 c.—Ditto,
Halves, 114 dis.—South•Eastcrn and Dover (No. 4), 6% —York,
Newcastle, and Berwick (G. N. E. Purchase), 6 per cent. till 1850,
2% dis.—York and North 'Midland (East and West Riding Extension),
Preference, 6 per cent.: till 1850, 2%