The Sun.
London, England, 1841-03-12 00:00:00

NAVAL INTELLIGENCE.

(From the Brighton Gazette.)
PORTSMOUTH, March 10.—The new steamer Polyphe-
mus has been commissioned in the river by Lieut, John
Evans, reported for service in the Mediterranean.
The Indus, 84, Captain Sir James Stirling, and eor.
vette Tweed, 20, Commander Douglas, went out of thn
harbour to Spithead on Saturday. The latter ship is
ready for sailing, except the payment of advance ; but
the Indus, being short of hands, will be necessarily de-
tained.

Three fine frigates are in rapid progress here for corn.
mission, namely, the Vindictive, 50, Warspite, 50, arid
Dublin, 50. Orders are also daily expected for the Ma-
dagascar, 46. At present not a single ship is fitting out.
The brigantine Bonetta, destined for the coast of Africa,
is commissioned at Chatham by Lieut. Francis Austin.
The Monarch, 84, Captain Chambers, and Vernon, 50,
Captain Walpole, are at Sheerness, and under orders
to use eNery expedition in proceeding to Spithead. These
ships have been in commission upwards of four months,
but the severity of the weather has greatly retarded theft
equipment.
The Wolverine, 16, Captain Tucker, may be expectea
in England about July next, to be paid off. Private let..
tens report her at Cape Coast Castle on the 14th December.
The brigs Pelican, 18, Commander Napier, and Nauti-
lus, 10, Lieutenant Beaufoy, are at Spithead, ready to be
despatched wherever it rr.ay be necessary.
The Prince Regent, 120, has been ordered to be in-
spected and prepared for service, if necessary.
The Asia, 84, Captain Fisher, is daily expected from
the Mediterranean, and will proceed to Sheerness to be
paid off. This ship has been in commission upwards of
five years.
The Fair Rosamond schooner, and new brig Bittern,
16, will shortly hoist the pendant at this port.
At Spithead—lndus, 84 ; Tweed, 20 ; Pelican, 16;
and Nautilus, 10.

In Harbour—Queen, Victory, Excellent, Royal Georgt
yacht, Rapid, and steamers Echo and Alban.

INEXPLOSIBLE GUNPOWDER.-A Commis-
sion, under the presidency of General Gourgaud, was oc-
cupied a few days since, in Paris, in examining the inven-
tion of M. Charles Boyer, for rendering gunpowder inex-
plosible in magazines, without deleriorating its physical and
chemical properties. At one of the sittings, M. Boyer
shed a shower of sparks upon a quantity of his prepared
powder, without producing ignition, and afterwards dipped
a lighted sulphur match into a bottle full of the powder,
and drew it out immediately, still burning, with many
grains of the powder adhering to it. It was then proved
by;experiment that the quality cf these last grains of pow,
der had not lost any of their impelling force.

STATE OF TRADE.—There is but little im-
provement in ;he general trade, and the failure of the
United States Bank will prevent any stocks be. iug manu-
factured for the fa lin anticipation. A letter from a large
house in New York, received to-day (Friday) states, " The
recent failure of the United States Bank has entirely
chang2d the prospects for a lively spring trade, and pre-
vents our sending criers fur the present." There is a
fair amount of employment in the spring glove trade,
which is just opening. No alteration in the prices of wools
or yarns,—Leicester Mercury,