The Sun.
London, England, 1847-08-30 00:00:00

NAVAL INTELLIGENCE.

PORTSMOUTH, SUNDAY.— e are called no,ln, from
a very quarter to state, in justification of the
late promotion lii
'i
of Commander Clifford to the rank of
captain, that he has been seventeen years in the navy,
and, with tier exception of about three years, has been
in continued employ. He commanded the Wolverine,
16, on the coast of Borneo, and was engaged when in
command of theit•boats with the pirates in Maluda
Bay, in August last year. He commanded the \Vol •
verine on the China station, from. S. ptember, 1844,
to October, 1846, when he was appointed to the
Ringdove, 16, on the same station (without coming
home), in which latter command he still remains. In
the gallant exploit of the action with the Maluda
pirates the only officer killed was Mr. Leonard Gib-
bard, mate of the Wolverine, who was in her boat in
the act of cutting the boom asunder on which the
pirates principally relied, when he was shot through
the heart. For this service, we are told, all the com-
manders engaged in the affair, except Commander
Clifford, were promoted, and that shortly afterwards
Commander Giffnrd, of the Vixen, was promoted Cm-
a similar affair, still leaving Commander Clifford the
only unrewarded commander. Captain Clifford's
commissions bear date, lieutenant, May, 1838 ; com-
mander, March, 1842 ; captain, August, 1347. He
is the son of Captain Sir Augustus W. J. Clifford,
Bart., R.N., usher of the black rod.
Commander William Morris (6), 1846, is appointed
to command the new 18-gun sloop Arab, at Chatham.
This gallant officer has been for some time studying
at the Royal Naval College ; he was midshipman of
the Genoa, at Navarino, and has the honour of being
related to that distinguished soldier, General Sir
Harry Smith.
Mr. William John Hay, of Portsmouth, is ap •
pointed, by the Lords of the Admiralty, Chemical
Assistant (to the Master Shipwright) and Lecturer
to the Dockyard, where he will be at present sta-
tioned. Mr. Hay's salary will commence, at 3001.
per annum, from the Ist of July last. This officer
is the inventor of a successful composition for the
prevention of the growth or adhesion of rubbish to
a superior fighting lantern
communication, whereby
from the paddle-boxes of
directionsf theor ships' bottoms
may
decks o f
; eb iron
a given ships;
galvanic
steamers to the engine• rooms for the conduct of the
ship—a very simple and applicable contrivance ; and
numerous other useful appliances to the naval service.
The Waterwitcb, 3, Commander T. F. Birch, was
at St. Helena on the Ist of July, a letter of which
date says—" Since January we have been cruising to
the north of Cabenda, and have been to Fernando Po,
and in the Bight, where we fell in with the Commo-
dore, who inspected us. We remained in the Bight
two days, and were ordered back to the south coast,
first visiting the river Bonny, to settle some disputes
between the King and the Liverpool palm oil traders.
Since then we have been cruising on our old station.
We left the coast on the Bth of June, and arrived
here on the 16th, to remain fourteen clear days, which
have expired this day. In the middle of January we
took a smail brig, empty, off Cape Lopez, and on our
passage here we took a Brazilian brig with 510
slaves, which we sent to Sierra Leone, and we hope
to take another on our way back. A good many have
got off lately with full cargoes."
The Fisgard, 42, Captain Dunbar, arrived at Rio
on the 18th of July from Valparaiso, which she left
on the 20th of May with a large freight on merchants'
account for England.
The Coiling wood, 80, Captain Smart, flag of Rear-
Admiral Sir G. S,-ymour, Commander-in-Chief in the
Pacific, was then at Callao, and the squadron was thus
distributed

The Grampus, 50, Captain H. B. Martin (with the
Admiral on board), wai at Panama.
The Constance, 50, Captain Sir B. Walker, was at
Mazatlan.

The Juno, 26, Captain Blake, was at Valparaiso,
which she left on the 30th of May for Callao.
The Carysfort, 26, Captain M. Seymour, was on
the cow of Mexico collecting freight.
The Modeste, 18, Captain Watkins, was on her pas-
sage from the Columbia to Valparaiso.
The Sampson steam-frigate, Captain Henderson,
was in attendance upon the Admiral at Panama.
The Spy brigantine, Lieutenant Commander Wool-
dridge, was at Callao, as also the Calypso, 20, Captain
Worth.

The Cormorant steam-sloop, Commander Sey-
mour, was at Valparaiso on the 27th of June en route
to England, with a large freight on merchants' ac-
count.

The Naiad, coal and store-ship, Master-Corn-
mander W. L. Browne, was at Callao, and the Ne-
reus at Valparaiso.
The Herald, 26, Captain Kellett, and her tender
Pandora, 10, Lieutenant-Commander Wood, were
pursuing their surveying operations up the Straits.
The squadron in the River Plate, under Commo-
dore Sir T. Herbert, K.C.8., was thus distributed on
the 15th ult.

The Raleigh, 50, Commodore Sir T. Herbert ;
Eagle, 60, Captain Martin; Firebrand steam-frigate,
Captain Hope ; Alecto, steam-sloop, Lieutenant-
Commander Tomlinson; and the Lizard steam-
vessel, Lieutenant-Commander Pearse, were at
Montevideo. Mr. Millar, Assistant- Surgeon of the
latter ship, had been tried (as we stated on the arrival
of the Curacoa) by court-martial for drunkenness,
which was proved, and he was dismissed the service.
He has come home passenger in the Rattler.
The Grecian, Commander Tindal, was at Buenos
Ayres, whither the Kestrel, brigantine, Lieutenant-
Commander Baker, was on her way from Rio.
The following officers have come home in the
Rattler :—Lieutenant J. Hunt, invalided from the
Alecto; Mr. Crellin, surgeon, invalided from the
Melarnpas ; Lieutenant Grant, promoted from the
Collingwood ; the Hon. Mr. Cochrane. acting mate
Leonard, late in com-
mandontevideo ; and several
oinvalided
Lizard
st eh ae n; Brevet-Major: Marinesa tm
The following are the promotion and appointments
of the past week :