The Sun.
London, England, 1847-01-07 00:00:00

NAVAL INTELLIGENCE.

PORTSMOUTH, WEDNESDAY.—A court-martial, com-
prising Rear-Admiral H. Parker, president ; Captains
Pasco, of the Victory; Chads, of the Excellent ; Onalow,
of the Daphne ; Codrington, of the Thetis ; Henderson,
of the Siclon ; Milne, of the St. Vincent ; Giffard, of the
Penelope ; and Mr. G. L. Greethare, Deputy Judge-
Advocate of the Fleet, assembled at nine o'clock this
morning on board the St. Vincent, 120, Captain Milne,
flag of Sir Charles Ogle, to try the boatswain of the
Rev istance troop-ship, Commander G. Lowe, on a charge
of drunkenness, preferred by his captain.
Mr. Gray, first lieutenant ; Mr. Hoggard, second
lieutenant ; and Mr. Sparrow, assistant-surgeon of the
Resistance, were examined, and fully made out the
charge. The prisoner called no witnesses to disprove
the statements for the prosecution, but called his captain
to give him a character, which he had better not have
done, as although Commander Lowe gave him a first-
rate character as a seaman, he was compelled to prove
him an habitual drunkard, and on the day named in the
charge (the 2d instant) the prisoner was so intoxicated
as to be totally incapable of attending to his duty.
The Court considered the charge fully proved, and
sentenced the prisoner to be dismissed the service.
The Daphne, 18, Captain J. J. Onalow, got under
way last night just after sunset, to proceed to the east-
ward to be paid off. As the wind was dead on end she
was obliged to beat out. Her first reach was on the port
tack towards the Isle of Wight. She tacked a little
before five, and made her second reach towards the

Horse Sand, when unfortunately, it being excessively
dark, she stretched too far, and ran aground on that
sand about half-past five. Guns were fired and blue
lights were burnt to indicate her position to the autho-
rities, and the Echo, with Mr. Bellamy, assistant-master
attendant, and a party of seamen from the St. Vincent,
were sent out to her assistance. Boats were also sent
to her from the ships at Spithead. The Echo reached
her about nine o'clock, and she was got afloat about ten
without receiving any damage. The Commander-in-
Chief and his flag-captain have been on board her this
afternoon to investigate the cause of her getting ashore.
The Atholl troop-ship, Master-Commanding E. J. P.
Pearn, was towed into harbour to-day by the Echo.
By the last advices from the Miditerranean we are
informed that Mr. Elkens, paymaster and purser of the
Harlequin, 16, Commander Moore, had shot himself
while labouring under a fit of insanity.

The New Board of Naval Construction are expected
to hold their first meeting at this port this week, with
Captain Lord John Hay, one of the Lords of the Admi-
ralty, in the chair.

The Resistance troop-ship, Commander Lowe, embarks
here the head-quarters of the 36th Regiment for Corfu;
thence she conveys the 97th to Malta ; whence she
proceeds to Bermuda, and thence to Halifax with the
20th, and home.
Accounts have been received from her Majesty's
ship Kingfisher, Commander Wilmot Horton, of the
21st of September. He had taken two slavers within
a forthight of assuming the command of the vessel.
Commander Horton is the nephew of the Secretary to
the Treasury, Mr. Tuffnell, M.P.
The Spiteful steam-sloop was at Bombay on the Bth
of November, waiting for her new Captain, Sir William
Hoste; Lieutenant Halsted had died suddenly on the 7th
of November, Lieutenant J. D. Hay had been appointed
to the death vacancy (caused by the decease of Com-
mander Maitland), and had been appointed to the Wol-
verine, 16, vice Clifford, to the Ringdove, 16, vice Sir
William Hoste to the Spiteful.
The America, 50, Captain Sir Thomas Maitland, was
at Corunna on the Ist inst., waiting orders.
The Vanguard, 80, Captain Willes, was at Carthagena
on the 17th of December, expecting to be sent to Malta.
The following ships have served the usual period of
commission (three years), and may shortly be expected
home to be paid off; many of them, having been relieved,
are on their way:—
Agincourtlndies commissioned(flag-ship), ip),7F2ebgruunasr,yCiesp4t2..Johnstone, East
Albion, 90 guns, Capt. Lockyer, Tagus, Nov. 1843
Alert, 6 guns, Com. Ellis, Coast of Africa, July 1843
Castor, 36 guns, Capt. Graham, East Indies, April 1843
Cleopatra, 26 guns, Capt. Wyvill, Cape of Good Hope,
April 1842.
Conway, 26 guns, Capt. Kelly, Cape of Good Hope,
May 1843.
Cormorant (steam-sloop), 6 guns, Capt. Gordon, Pacific,
April 1843
Curacoa, 24 guns, Capt. Broughton, Brazils, Feb. 1843.
Dolphin, 3 guns, Lieut. Miller, Brazils, July 1843.
Driver (steam-sloop), 6 guns, Capt. Hayes, East Indies,
September 1843.
Espoir, 10 guns, Com. Hand, Coast of Africa, May 1843.
Fisgard, 42 guns, Capt. Duntze, Pacific, May 1843
Fox, 42 guns, Comdre. Blackwood, East Indies, Oct.

1843
Frolic, 16 guns, Corn. Hamilton, Pacific, Nor. 1842
Hazard, 18 guns, Com. Egerton, East Indies, Oct. 1841.
Heels (steam-sloop), 6 guns, Cora. Starmer, Mediter-
ranean, Jan. 1843.
Helena, 16 guns, Capt. Sir C. Ricketts, Cape of Good
Hope, Oct. 1843.
Hermes (steam-sloop), 6 guns, Com. Carr, West Indies,
May 1843.
Hyacinth, 18 guns, Com. Scott, West Indies, Sept. 1843.
Hydra (steam-sloop), 6 guns, Cora. Morrell, Coast of

Africa, August 1843.
Inconstant, 36 guns, Capt. Fremantle, Mediterranean,
May 1843.
Iris, 26 guns, Capt. Mundy, East Indies, Oct. 1843
Larne, 18 guns, Capt. Brisbane, Coast of Africa, Nov.

1843.
Modeste, 18 guns, Cora. Watkins, Pacific, June 1843
Pilot, 16 guns, Corn. Wilson, ERA Indies, July 1843
Racer, 16 guns, Cora. Reed, Brazils, April 1543
Royalist, 10 guns, Lieut. Gordon, Ea-t Indies, Oct. 1841.
Salamander (steam-sloop), G guns, , Pacific,

June 1842.
Satellite, 18 guns, Com. Rowley, Brazils, Dec. 1843
Sealark, 10 guns, Corn. Gooch, Coast of Africa, Oct.

1843.
Spider, 6 guns, Lieut. Pym, Brazils, April 1842.
Spiteful (steam-sloop, Capt. Sir W. Hoste, East Indies
Dec. 1842. 9
Superb, 80 guns, Capt. Corry, Tagus, Dec. 1843.
Talbot, 26 guns, -- Sir T. Thompson, Pacific, April

1842.
Thunderbolt (steam-sloop), 6 guns, Com. Boyle, Cape
of Good Hope, Dec. 1842.
Vestal, 26 guns, Capt. Talbot, East Indies, Nov. 1843.
Virago (steam-sloop), 6 guns, Com. Lunn, Mediterra-
nean, May 1849.
Wolf, 18 guns, Com. Gordon, East Indies, June 1842.
Wolverine, 16 guns, Com. Clifford, East Indies, Jan.
1842.

The above list does not include surveying or other
vessels, as packets, troopers, provision or store ships,
employed upon "particular service," whose terms of
commission are not defined as are those of other ships in
the Royal Navy. We have compiled the above from the
official Navy List just published.
We are requested to acdnowledge the receipt of the
following sums on behalf of the family of the late Lieut.
W. P. Green, R.N.:—By Captain Pasco, of the Victory,
from "An Old Brother Officer," (T. P. C.), 11.; also
IL Is. from Mr. Wm. Day, 1, Queen- street, Mayfair.
WOOLWICH, JAN. 6.—The Amphion steam-frigate,
Captain J. V►. Williams, had her steam up to day, to
try her engines in the harbour, and will again try them
down the river in a few days.
The Geyser steam-vessel will leave Woolwich on Sa-
turday for Greenhithe, to have her compasses adjusted,
and then proceed to Portsmouth.
Dr. Lyon Playfair and Mr. John Wilson, from the
College of Civil Engineers, at Putney, visited Woolwich
Dockyard officially on Saturday last, to examine and
report on the cause of the coals near the Foundry taking
fire, which was discovered on Chritmas•day. The coals
ignited a second time, and they heve now been all re-
moved.

SHIPS OF WAR AS TRANSPORTS.
TO THE
EDITOR OF THE MORNING HERALD.
Sir,—Seeing in the Herald, yesterday a proposition
from
an ' Officer in the Navy; for making men-of-war
useful as transports, and praising the arrangements of
one so employed, by dismounting her lower deck guns,
and putting the carriages in her hold to accommodate'
600 soldiers for conveyance from Cork to Gibraltar, thus
reducing her armament to that of a frigate, and lum-
bering the ship throughout, I beg to call to your remem-
brance that the Thunderer, 84 guns, fitted by Mr. Lang,
of Woolwich-yard (whose ability and experience have
been well tested in fitting sailing and steam men-of-war),
was so arranged on his plan for conveyance of troops
that she took out a regiment of 600 soldiers without dis-
mounting a gun, or in the least interfering with her
fighting capacity, or with the comforts of her crew,
from Cork to Gibraltar, where, after disembarking the
troops, she took on board three months' stores and pro-
visions on her orlop deck, and then proceeded to Malta.
The Revenge, 74 guns, fitted on another plan, at the same
time, sent ashore her lower deck guns, thereby reducing
her armament to that of a frigate, and also conveyed troops
to Gibraltar. Having disembarked them she returned
to England for her guns, and then went back to Gibral-
tar, thus not only losing much time, and increasing ex-
pense, but she was reduced from a 74-gun ship to a 46-
gun frigate, out to Gibraltar and again to England.
Now, it is worthy the notice of the Admiralty, that if
ships were fitted as the Thunderer an immense expense
I would be saved, and great advantage would be gained,
inasmuch as they would not only be efficient transports,
and be capable of taking stores when required, but by
keeping their guns and good seamen, they would be
always efficient men-of-war—in fact, always ready for
fighting as line-of-battle ships, let them be employed in
whatever service they might be required to perform.
I presume that the important national advantages to be
gained from the employment and exercise of our officers
and the training of a large force of seamen under the
pennant, in the general adoption of men-of-war as
transports, will not be questioned.
.With the strongest
confidence that your earnest ~nd disinterested desire to
benefit the service and to increase our national resources
will induce you to give insertion to the above, and as-
suring•you that your past exertions are highly appre-
ciated by all grades and classes,
I have the honour to be, Sir, your obliged servant,,
January 6, 1547. AN OLD OFFICER.

THE LATE FIRE AT IRONGATE WHARF.—The
name of the man who is missing is Brown. He was the
innocent cause of the fire, as it originated from a spark
from the candle he took into the warehouse to examine
one of the bales of goods. It is supposed that he is not
dead, but that he is keeping out of the way to avoid a
prosecution. This dread, however, is needless, as there
is no doubt the fire was entirely accidental.
THE ASSAULT BY MISTAKE.—The woman named
Woods, who was nearly killed on " boxing" night by
Alexander APLeish, who mistook her for his wife, is now
expected to recover. APLeish was yesterday taken be-
fore the magistrate at Lambeth Police•court, but as the
poor woman was not well enough to attend, he was again
remanded.