The Sun.
London, England, 1849-12-12 00:00:00

NAVAL INTELLIGENCE.

FUNERAL OF THE QUEEN DOWAGER.--Her Ma-
jesty's steam yacht Fairy will be employed to-morrow
in conveying his Royal Highness Prince Albert to
and from Gosport, on his way to and return from the
funeral of the Queen Dowager.
Her Majesty's ship Eurydice, 24, Captain Talavera
Anson, will be put out of commission at Portsmouth
tomorrow, when it is expectad several young officers
will be dismissed the service.

Shipwrights are busily employed in getting the
Argus steam•sloop ready for launching on Saturday
next at Portsmouth, and her slip is wanted to com-
mence the Royal Sovereign (three decker of 120 guns)
upon, which is to be completely in frame by the end
of March next ; to achieve which, 125 shipwrights
will be put upon her, on her keel being laid.
Her Majesty's ship Contest, 12, Commander the
Hon. J. Spencer, was removed from the dockyard on
Monday to moorings in Portsmouth harbour, where
she has bent sails, and continues fitting for service on
the west coast of Africa.

Admiral-Superintendent H. Prescott, C. 8., whose
indisposition has been several times noticed of late,
was much better yesterday.
Her Majesty's sloops Phantom and Lily, of the
16 gun class, are ordered to be reduced to 12-gun
sloops. They are under repair in dock at Portsmouth,
and being refitted for further commissions.
Her Majesty's ship Termagant. 30 guns, will go
out of Portsmouth harbour this morning, under the
command of Captain J. A. Stevens, of her Majesty's
ship Blenheim, for another essay in the measured
waters of the Solent, to ascertain the practicability of
increasing her speed without endangering the
efficiency of the vessel in other respects.
The apprentices' brig, Rolla, 10, in Portsmouth
harbour, is having her rigging refitted.
Her ajesty's ship, Raleigh, 50, Captain Hope,
bearing the first class broad pendant of Commodore
Sir Thomas Herbert, K.C.8., late Commander-in-
Chief of the squadron in the River Plate and Brazil
(havingbeenrelieved by Rear-Admiral Barrington

iteyuoids, C. 8., in the Southampton, .50. gun frigate),
is daily expee:ed in England, to be put out of com-
mission.

The new 50-gun frigate, Arethusa, building and
fitting at the westward, is expected to be commis-
sioned, when ready, by Captain Symonds, son of her
designer, Sir William Symonds, Captain, R.N., ex-
surveyor of the Navy.
WooLwicu, DEc. 11.—The Hermes steam-sloop, 6,
220-horse power, has a number of hands employed
refitting her in the basin, and will be the next vessel
ready at this port as •n advanced war steamer, or for
commission.

The Inflexible steam-frigate has had her four
boilers taken out under the shears in the basin, and is
to be supplied with new boilers.

The two new brass screw propellers made for the
Archer steam-vessel are now ready, and one side
highly finished by machinery. It is expected she
will be tried with them down the river before pro-
ceeding to Davenport.
The Retribution steam-frigate and the Desperate
steam•sloop, are in the east docks.
On the receipt of the order yesterday to copper
the bottoms and expedite the Enterprise and Investi-
gator Polar vessels, workmen were immediately set
to work on the Enterprise, at present in the west
dock, and others to prepare the Investigator, at pre-
sent in the basin.

We understand that the Misses Bathurst, who have
recently been received into the Romish Church, are
daughters of the late Rev. Robert Bathurst, and have
been residing for some time past at Edinburgh.
INGENIOUS INVENTION.— A brief notice recently
appeared in the columns of the Albion, extracted from a
Brussels journal, announcing the invention, by a young
Frenchman, of a machine capable of folding two thou-
sand newspaper sheets per hour. Many of our readers
will probably be aware that such a machine has long
been a desideratum amongst those connected with the
press, more especially in the metropolis; although of
late recent postal changes have impressed its value for-
cibly even in connexion with the more limited require •
ments of provincial journalists. It may not be uninterst-
ing to many, therefore—assuredly it will not bo so to
our contemporaries—to learn, that, in addition to the
continental invention noted above, a skilful and ingenious
gentleman formerly resident in Liverpool has perfected
plans for the construction of a machine precisely similar
in its aim, but superior in practical value. Its principle
and mode of operation we cannot obviously at present
describe in detail; nor, indeed, would any " painting by
words" suffice to impress even the most perceptive mind
with a just notion of the admirable manner in which
the manifold difficulties presented are overcome. The
draughtsman's sketches we have, however, had the
pleasure of inspecting; and we are assured that
consultation with an eminent mechanician has evoked
a highly favourable opinion in - regard to the
novelty and practicability of the design. The
invention, it is anticipated, will fold at least 3,000 copies
per hour—a speed much higher than that of the conti-
nental machine, and much more considerable than that
of the majority of presses employed in provincial news-
paper offices; and, whilst the motive power necessary
is comparatively light and easy of appliance, the labour
required whilst the machine is in action is trifling in the
extreme. The saving of time and labour is, therefore,
likely to be considerable; and although we can of course
pronounce no decisive opinion on the merits of the in-
vention until it be constructed and practically tested, we
have yet reason to believe that success is assured. The
cost—an essential point—is said to be comparatively
small. We may add, in conclusion, that the gentleman
from whose inventive skill this machine has originated
has designed several other most valuable requirements
of the day; one of which will shortly be adopted by the
authorities of the Post-office.—Liverpool Albion.
A ANEW CITY AND PEOPLE.—The Courrier des
Etats- Unis contains an announcement that the Govern-
ment of Chiopas " bas sent an expedition to explore the
Pimientos a part of the mountain-chain of the Cordil-
leras, with a view to set at rest the question as to
whether there exists in that locality a city and people
with whom no communication has as yet been estab-
lithed." It will not bo uninteresting to give hero an
account of all that is yet known of this wonderful city
and its people. Mr. Stephens, the liveliest of modern
travellers, during his journey in Central America, re-
lates that the padre of Santa Cruz del Quiche told him
something which increased his excitement to the
highest pitch, viz., that four days on the road to Mexico,
on the other side of the Great Sierra, was a living city,
large and populous, occupied by Indians, precisely in the
same state as before the discovery of America. He (the
padre) had heard of it many years before, at the
village of Chagul, and was told by the villagers that,
from the topmost ridge of the Sierra this city was distinctly
visible, lie was then young, and with much labour
climbed to the naked summit of the Sierra, and from
which, at a height of 10,000 or 12,000 teat, he looked
over an immense plain, extending to Yucatan and the
Gull of Atexico, and saw at a distance a large city
spread over a great space, and with turrets white and
glittering in the sun. The traditionary account of the
Indians of Chagul is, that no white man has ever reached
tlis city ; that the inhabitants speak the Maya language;
are aware that a race of rrangers has conquered the
whole country round; and murder any white man who
attempts to enter their territory. They have no coin or
circulating medium; no horses, cattle, mules, or other
domestic animals, except fowls; the cocks they keep
under ground, to prevent their crowing being heard.
TUE AUMY.—A report is in circulation of an in-
tention on the part of the Government to propose the
reduction of the army upon the meeting of Parliament,
and various plans for the furtherance thereof have been
stated. Whdst wo confine ourselves upon the present
occasion to a simple allusion to it, we may add that
nothing decisive is known upon the subject, but that we
cmider it as far from being improbable.--Chronicle.