The Sun.
London, England, 1847-04-08 00:00:00

NAVAL INTELLIGENCE.

PORTSMOUTH, WEDNESPAY.—The new steam basin in
this dockyard, fast approaching completion, and pre-
senting such a splendid addition to the great resources of
this establishment, will most probably be opened in the
early part of the ensuing year. The south wall is nearly
complete, being connected with the south-east inlet and
east wall; the apron of this inlet is completed. The west
wall is nearly ready to receive the coping. Both en-
trances to the basin have only one course of stone to set
before receiving the coping. The harbour wall running
west from the north entrance is more than two-thirds up
to its intended height; the circular pier, with its inner
and outer north walls, for a considerable extent has only
one course to set before receiving the coping; the east
wall, between the north and south inlets, is up half its
height, and there only remains 150 feet run to complete
the whole formation of the walls which form the basin,
the excavation being done and part already piled. The
dam for the extension is nearly complete, which, when
finished, will be the largest in the world, its length froth
east to west being 3,000 feet. The new Hard for the
use of the public is getting on rapidly, and will be found
very far superior to the old one, as there will be a quay
enabling vessels to lie alongside to discharge their car-
goes; the foundation of this is formed. Part of the
plinths are set for the brass foundry building; the
foundation is in a forward state for the large factory
building on the west side of the basin; this building is
to be 685 feet long, and will form the finest workshop in
the whole establishment. The quantity of granite stone
that has been received on the works amounts to 800,000
cubic feet, in addition to 400,000 of Portland and Pur-
beck, making a grand total received up to the present
time of 700,000 cubic feet of stone; 1,200 men are at
present employed exclusively upon these works. The
First Lord of the Admiralty, accompanied by his official
colleagues, and attended by Captain James, Royal En-
gineers, paid an official visit 'to the steam basin last
Wednesday, and was pleased to express himself in most
complimentary terms towards the constructor, and par-
ticularly as to its very apparent state of forwardness,
which he had not expected; this must have been most
gratifying to all concerned in the formation of the work,
but more especially to Mr. Peter Rolt, the contractor.
When this magnificent basin is finished, the nation will
doubtless feel that its gratitude is due to those whose
ideas first contemplated such a structure, to the engineer
officers designing it, and no less to the contractor for
completing it.
Hold Pacha, Lieutenant-General in the Ottoman Ar-

tillery, and Osman Bey, Post-Captain in the Ottoman
navy, accompanied by M. Zohrab, Ottoman Consul-
General, arrived at this, port to-day on a visit of inspec-
tion. The distinguished visitors were conducted over
the dockyard by a member of the master shipwrights'
corps, and received every attention in their inquiries, the
Lords of the Admiralty having ordered that every
respect was to be paid them in their perambulations.
They visited the steam saw and wood mills, the black-
smith's shop, the new steam-basin, and the ships build-
ing and in dock, going on board the Royal Frederick,
110, Princess Royal, 90, and Arrogant, 46, on tht
stocks, the Retribution steam-frigate, in the basin, &c.,
and afterwards embarked at the King's stairs and went
on board the Victory and Excellent, and inspected all
the other objects of interest at the port. Captain Osman
Hey, it may be remembered, fought the flag-ship of
Admiral Walker at Acre. lic has brought with him to
England nineteen Turkish young gentlemen, many of
whom are of high distinction, to be educated in various
departments of our Government establishments at the
national expense.
The Thetis, 36, Captain Codrington, C. 8., arrived at
Spithead this morning from the fleet of Vice-Admiral
Sir W. Parker, off Lisbon. She has brought no news,

having left the Tagus nearly ten days ago, in company
with the Superb, SO, Captain Corry, and the America,
50, Captain Sir T. Maitland, on a trial of sailing by
order of the Admiralty. Several trials have taken place
under almost all circumstances of wind and weather, in
all of which the Thetis has come off eminently victori-
ous. In fact, she has beaten one competitor completely
out of the field, having driven the America into Vigo
with loss of cross jack yard, mainmast, mainyard, and
mamboom sprung, and foremast damaged. She parted
company with th Superb on Monday morning, about
150 miles from Plymouth, into which port the Thetis
put yesterday, and landed some of the supernumeraries
she brought home. She came up to Spithead this day
about noon through the Needles, under topsails, top-
gallant sails, royals, foresail, jib, and spanker, and came
into harbour this afternoon. She will be docked with-
out delay, to repair the damages sustained by getting
ashore in entering Lisbon.
The Maria Somes transport, having on board the
second division of the 48th Regiment, arrived at Cork
from Jamaica on the 2d inst., and sailed the same day
for Belfast to join the depot, and whither the first divi-
sion preceded her on the Ist in the Blenheim transport.
Captain Mountsteven, of the 48th, unfortunately suf-
fered a fracture of the leg on board the Maria Somes,
sustained by a fall while the vessel was struck by a
heavy sea.
The Kestrel brigantine, Lieutenant. Commander Baker,
is in the basin, fitting for sea and entering men. She
will only carry two guns.
The Avenger steam-frigate, Captain S. C. Dacres,
having completed her cargo of seed corn, sailed this
afternoon for Ireland. _ _

---
PLYMOITTEL APRIL 6.—Her Majesty's frigate Thetis,
36, Captain Henry J. Codrington, came in last night at
twelve. She left Lisbon Feb. 28, and Vigo on the 24th
ult. The Thetis on her departure from the Tagus was
accompanied by her Majesty's ship Superb, 80, Captain
Armar L. Corry, and her Majesty s frigate America, 50,
Captain Sir Thomas Maitland. These three ships made
an experimental cruise to test their sailing qualities, and
by the diagrams on board the Thetis it is evident that
under a variety of circumstances in every trial she has
proved her speed greatly superior to the others. On one
occasion in a gale of wind she split and carried away
her maintopsail, and without the aid of this sail held
way with the Superb. In a heavy breeze the America
carried away her mainyard, and returned to Lisbon to
refit. On Monday, the sth inst., at noon, the Thetis
parted company with the Superb 79 miles south-west of
the Lizard, bound to Corunna and Lisbon. Wind S.W.
The Thetis, besides her excellent sailing qualities,
possesses good capabilities for stowage, and altogether
reflects great credit on her constructors. About two
months since she scraped her bottom on a shingle bank
which has been for a long time forming on the north side of
the Tagus, and will in consequence require docking. For
that purpose she is ordered to sail at two o'clock this
afternoon for Portsmouth.

hundredm James's-street, - s
poundtr eet ,
s andin
MUNIFICENT GIFT.—A gentleman called last week
laetf
tm,
ue
ns sdresr.
tHh reirni
ietsi
lasn
fid Co., in Svet.
aid of the Royal Free Hospital in Gray's Inn-road. We
are glad to find, that, while enormous sums are being
given by the benevolent for the alleviation of Irish dis-
tress, the charities of our own country are not forgotten.
THE GOVERNMENT AT THE CAPE.—Sir Peregrine
Maitland, the late Governor and Commander-in-Chief at
the Cape, is expected to arrive in England shortly. The
Gallant Officer, who has lately been promoted to the
rank of General, has been warmly congratulated on the
fact of his administration having witnessed the submis-
sion of nearly the whole of the malcontent chiefs. Lady
Pottinger still continues in London, and it is not likely
that her Ladyship and family will join Sir Henry for
some time, if, indeed, as the Gallant Major-General,
having undertaken the responsible and onerous office
solely with the view of rendering service to his Sove-
reign and country, is likely to retire as soon as peace is
firmly re-established in the colony.
SEED POTATOES FOR THE HIGHLANDS.--A Con-
siderable quantity of very healthy seed potatoes and
oats, with other necessaries, for farming were shipped
at Beauly last week for the Highlands. Inverness
Journal

HERTFORDSHIRE ELECTIONEERING.--TWO out of
the three Members who represent the county are re-
ported to be desirous of retiring; and all the gentlemen
who have been thought worthiest to succeed them have
coyly withdrawn from the flattering proposal. Colonel
Calvert, Mr. Hale, Mr. Spencer Cowper, Sir E. Bulwer
Lytton, Mr. Bosanquet are reported to have turned a
deaf ear to all such suggestions. Mr. Brand has been
retiring for fifteen years, or, snore properly speaking,
refusing to come forward, for he never actually an-
nounced himself a candidate. But now, at last, when
the general voice points to him as the fittest person,
and the most certa;n to unite the suffrages of one party
at least, he has consented to do violence to his inclina-
tions, and to sacrifice his preference for a country life in
order to perform the duty which will be thrust upon him
of serving the public as a Knight of the Shire.—Hert-
ford Mercury.
ACTIONS FOR SMALL DEBTS IN SUPERIOR COURTS.
—There was only one cause set down for hearing in the
Secondaries' Court yesterday. A jury was sworn, and
in a very short time concluded their labours. The
action was for 11/. 3s. 6d. for goods supplied ; and the
defendant, in one of his letters which was read, admitted
the debt, and expressed his opinion that the costs had
exceeded the original claim. The jury gave a verdict
for the sum claimed. It is very probable that very few
cases will now be tried in this court, on account of the
new county courts.