The Sun.
London, England, 1841-12-23 00:00:00

NAVAL INTELLIGENCE.

PORTSMOUTH, TUESDAY.—There are at the present
time twenty-three line-of-battle ships, thirty-four fri-
gates, seventy-three steamers, one hundred and seven
brigs, corvettes, and sloops, ten guard and receiving ships,
three Royal yachts, and one gunnery ship, making in the
whole 251 vessels in commission, which are distributed
in the following manner :
MEDITERRANEAN.—Howe, 120 ; Benbow, 72 ; Ganges,
84 ; Cambridge, 78 ; Hastings, 74 ; Calcutta, 84 ; Rod-
ney, 92 ; Implacable, 74 ; Impregnable, 104 ; Indus,
84 ; Monarch, 84 ; Revenge, 76 ; Vanguard, SO ; Thun-
derer, 84 ; Malabar, 72 ; Aigle, 24 ; Belvidera, 38 ; In-
constant, 38 ; Magicienne, 24 ; Talbot, 26 ; Vernon,
50 ; Beacon, 8 ; Daphne, 18 ; Jaseur, 16 ; Magpie, 4 ;
Savage, 10 ; Scout, 18 ; Wasp, 16 ; and Weazel, 10 ;
together with the Alecto, Cyclops, Gorgon, Devastation,
Hecate, Lizard, Locust, Medea, Phcenix, Polyphemus,
Prometheus, Stromboli, and Vesuvius steamers ; and the
Ceylon receiving-ship at Malta. The Powerful, 84, is
on her passage home.
CHINA AND THE AST INDlES.—Blenheim, 72;
72; Wellesley, 72; Alligator, 26; Andromache,
28; Blonde, 42'; Calliope, 28; Cambrian, 36; Conway,
26; Druid,'44;l-tndyinion, 38; Herald, 28; Clio, 16;
Algerine, 10; Canieleon, 10; Childers, 16; Larne, 18;
Columbine, 16; •Cruizer, 16; Favorite, 18; Modeste, 18;
Hyacinth; 18; Nimrod, 20; Pelican, 16; Syren, 16; Py-
lades ; Starliet, 8'; Sulphur, 8; and the North Star, 26,
which is on her passage there. In addition to the fore-
going, the East India Company have a numerous fleet of
ships and steamers.

NORTH AMERICA AND THE WEST INDIES.—IIIUSITi-
oiIs, 72; Magnificent, 72; Cleopatra, 26; Pique, 36;
Spartan, 26; Vestal, 26; Winchester, 32; Racer, 16;
Charybdis, 3; Comus, 18; Electra, 18; Fair Rosamond,
2; Flamer, 6; Hornet, 6; Larne, 4; Pickle, 4; Pilot, 16;
Racehorse, 18; Rover, 10; Sappho, 16; Thunder, 6;
Tweed, 20; and Victor, 16; with Blazer, Flamer,
Gleaner, Hecla, Hydra, Megara, Spitfire, Tartarus, and
Firefly steamers.
BRAZILS AND THE COAST OF AFRICA.—Isis, 26 ;
Madagascar, 44 ; Southampton, 50 ; Acorn, 16 ; Arrow,
10 ; Bittern, 16 ; Bonnetta, 3 ; Brisk, 3 ; Buzzard, 3 ;
Champion, 18 ; Cockatrice, 6 ; Curlew, 10 ; Cygnet,
10 ; Dolphin, 3 ; Fantome, 16 ; Fawn, 6 ; Lily, 16 ;
Grecian, 16 ; Partridge, 10 ; Persian, 16 ; Roller, 10 ;
Rose, IS ; Sparrow, 10 ; Spy, 3 ; Termagant, 10 ;
Wizard, 10 ; Wanderer, 16 ; and Waterwitch, 10 ; and
Ardent steamer.

50T.1711 AMERICA.—The Actaeon, 26 ; Curacoa, 24 ;
Presidtmt.' 50 ; Basilisk, 6 ; and Pearl, 20. The Dublin,
50, is on her passage home.
LIKEs OF CANAbA.—The Niagara, 20 ; Bullfrog, 6 ;
Montreal, 6 ; • with Minos, Toronto, and Traveller
steamers.

Lisnox AND GIBRALTAR.—The Lynx, 3; Reindeer, 6;
with Pluto and Styx steamer}.

AUSTRALIA A NI) SWAN BlvEß.—The Beanie 10 • „
Brittomart, 10 ; and Chanipion, 4.
DISCOVERY SERVICE.—The Terror, 10; and Erebus, 10.
THE NIGER EXPEDITION.—The Albert, Soudan, Wil-
berforce steamers, and Amelia schooner.
JERSEY.—The Seaflower, 4 ; and Cracker cutter.

PORTSMOUTIL—The St. Vincent, 120, guard ship ;
Victory, ditto ; Excellent, gunnery ship ; Royal George
yacht ; Queen. 110 ; Vindictive, 50 ; Warspite, 50 ; Ha-
zard, 18 ; Rapid, 10 ; Pantaloon, 10 ; Snake, 16 ; Dido,
20 ; Heroine, 10 ; Atholl, troop ship ; and Echo steamer.
The Thalia, 42, is on her passage home. .•
PLYxocTn.—The Caledonia, 120, guard ship ; San
Josef, 110, ditto ; Isis, 44. ; Espoir, 10 ; Ferret, 10; Fly,
16 ; Harlequin, 16 ;. Serpent, 16 ;.-S7-43er, 6 ; and Alban,
Prospero, and Avoq steamers, and Apollo, Sapphire, and
Bclleisle troop shipe.
SHEERNESS.----The Formidable, 84 ; Camperdown, 104,
guard ship ; Ocean, SO,' ditto ; Etna, receiving ship ; Al-
fred, 50. .
- •
CIIATIIA3I.-721w. Voietiers, 72, guard ship ; Volage,
26 ; Wolverine,,l6 ; Speedy, 2 ; and Monkey steamer.
WooLwicm—The William and Mary yacht ; Mastiff,
6, with Acheron, Comet, Driver, Fearless, Firebrand,
Oro•Wler, Lightning, Meteor, ithadaman thus, Shearvvater,
and Vixen steamers.

Li VERPOOI. —The Medina, Medusa, Merlin, Redwing
Urgent, and Volcano steamers.

l'EmnizoKE.—The Royal &Wereign yacht, with Adder,
Advice, Jasper, and Pigmy steamers.

LLOYD'S SHIPPING

LONDON, DEC. 22.—Wind this day at noon W.
DEAL, DEC. 21.—W.N.W. to NV., moderate—Arrd.
Mary, Newcastle, Mauritius ; General Walfedo Deme-
rara. Arrived from the River, Amicus, for Bahia ; Di-
ligent, Gibraltar.

RAMSGATE, DEC. 21. Sailed the Felicia, for South
America ; Fulmar, Odessa.
OFF DovEs, DEC. 21.-4 Westphalia, Wessels, Bremen,
for Ne* Yurk ; Ingeborg, Copenhagen, for St. Croix ;
Elizabeth, Wilhelmine, Hamburgh, for Port-au-Prince ;
Elizabeth, Foreman, Quebec.

SALCOMDE, DEC. 19-.—Arrd. Victoria, from Terceira.

FALMOUTH, DEC. 20.—Wind N.E., fresh.—Arrd.
Onyx, Shields, and sailed for Gibraltar ; Margaret,
steamer, ditto.

OFF PENZANCE, DEC. 18.—Twende Brode, Bakker,
New York, for Antwerp. The Bristol Packet, Payne,
from Bristol to this port and Falmouth, was run down
last night off the Lands-end by a schooner.
ST. IVES, DEC. '2o.—lt blew a heavy gale yesterday at
S.E. to E.N.E. The Catherine, Salts, from Newport to
Exeter, got in contact with a French lugger, went on
the Beach, and received much damage, but was hove off
this morning. The Grenadier, Ertand, and Clorinde,
Launcelot, both from Newport to Rouen, got ashore,
but are expected off—cargoes discharging. The Cleo-
patra, Ertand, from Newport to Rouen, is ashore on
Hayle Bar—cargo discharging.
Ev.e. 18.—Arrd. Naparina, White, Quebec.
SHIELDS, DEC. 90. —Arrd. Grafton, Cook, Calcutta.
Sd. Euphetnia, Algiers ; Anna Louisa, New York.
DEc, 21.—Wind N. V.—Aril. Lord Wen-
loch, Mitchel, St.. John's, N.B. ; Persus, Rowan, Mira-
michi. The Consort, Armstrong., from Memel to this
port, got ashore on Oland, but came oft; after discharging
part of cargo, and. put into Carlshamn, it is supposed
without damage. ,
SLIGO, DEc. 19.—The Duke of Gloucester, Newman,
bound to Liverpool, fell over at the New Quay yesterday,
and has five feet water in her hold—cargo discharging.
MILFORD, DEC. 20.—Arrd. Corsair, Liverpool, for New
Orleans, leaky.. Sld. Evenwood, late Howe, London.
The Bridget, Timmins, from Darheasie, was obliged to
leave Carmarthen Bay yesterday morning,
not'being able
to get over the bay; on the Ist
shipped a sea, instant she
which broke the wheel and filled the cabin ; on the 17th
passed a barque . under close reefed maintopsall, and
loss of foreyard.
rArrd. Her-
elena 3d nit. ;
1,41-EapooL, 21.--Wind N. fres: hl
,t
culcan, Griudale,,Rorubay—sla. from S
Ranger, Lrutvp,
Luna` sld. Sept 2 ; ilsons Campbell,
Demerara—sla., sthailt.; Hebron, Mobile ; Lancashire,
Lyon Sitvannalt ; Richard, :Ifontreal ; Malabar, Barker,
and Ansdrew White, Quebec ; Grange, Montreal, havir,
been in contact, off Bardsey, with the Andrew Whit;:
SW. Denison, Antigua..
OCEAN CURRENTS.

The following has been ie; i;eTat Lloyd's :
" On the -'3d November, 1841, a sealed bottle v,vitas
picked up on the western coast of the Commune rs
Be de Re, in which was found a letter in English,d of
which the following is a copy :
" On board the Lydie of Liverpool, Captain Petree,
bound to Babia,lth October, 1841.—We have had during
the last few days in the Bay of Biscay, strong winds
froai W.N.W., and heavy seas. We apprehended that
our voyage might be protracted on approaching the
southern coasts of this Bay, in which there is reason to
fear meeting with strong currents. How desirable it
NvAdd be under such circumstances to have a knowledge
ei Aim true set of the currents in order to know how long
one might follow them in standing to the southward with
the henna starboard. We are at this present time in lat.
46 -SZ N., and. lon. 7, by chronometer, meridian of
Greenwich, having struggled against curreuts which in-
dicate either the approximation of the coast or the junc-
tion of two cer..c.-its. Whosoever shall find this bottle, is
requested to make known to the public the place where,
and the time when, it may have been picked up, so that it I
may come to the knowledge of the Scientific Society in
England, and that it may be known we were in these
latitudes."

_- - -
CommisaxoN OF LUNACY.—Ou Thursday
last, a Comeaisko:i de Lunatic° Inquirendo as to the
state of mind of Mr. Thomas Ware Clay, of Witcham,
in this county, was held. at the Hoop Hotel, before W
Hunt, Esq., Leapingwell, Esq., and F. J. Gunning
F, ,
sq., three of the Commissioners. After a number of
witnesses hadn, be,n eared, the unfortunate gentleman
was brought i and in answer to-questions ut t him,
stated his Christian name was London, that. p
thereo wtre
fourteen shillings in a soyereiom, and eight sixpences in
half-a-crown ; and being asked to count four pens,
stated, first that there were eight, then nine, and then
feurteen. The Jury expressed themselves perfectly
satisfied, and immediately returned a verdict, through
E. Foster, Esq., their foreman, that Mr. Thomas Ware
Clay was a confirmed lunatic, and incapable of managing
his own affairs, and had been so since the 17th. December,
1821.—Cambridge Advertiser.
The Duchess of Somerset has, for the last
three weeks, been suffering from severe illness. Yester-
day it was stated, in answer to inquiries, that the Duchess
was much better, and that not the slightest danger was
apprehended. -Dr.- Chambers and Mr. Locock are in
daily attendance.