The Sun.
London, England, 1847-05-28 00:00:00

NAVAL INTELLIGENCE.

PORTSMOUTH, MAY 26.—Yesterday evening Colonel I
Campbell, Deputy-Lieutenant of the county of Hants,
entertained the Conde de Montemolin, the Duke de
Medina Sidonia, his Excellency the Marquis de Villa-
franca, Colonel Merry, General Montenegro, Captain
Barlow, R.E., Captain Pasco, RN., Major and Mrs.
Harvey, Captain and Mrs. Conway Gordon, Captain
Stawiaraki, Dr. Dolph, and other distinguished per-
sonages, at a grand banquet at his mansion, Northend,
Kingston.
This morning the Count and his suite attended a
solemn mass at the Catholic chapel, Gosport, where the
remains of his mother are deposited. The service was
performed by the Rev. Ramon Doria, his Highness's
chaplain. After service the distinguished party were
present at the inspection of the 42d Highlanders, iii
Colewort barracks in this citadel, in their full Highland
costume; thence the distinguished party, accompanied
by Captain Pasco, of the Victory, proceeded to the vie
twilling establishment, Clarence-yard, and thence to
Hasid'. Hospital, which establishments, under the com-
mand of Sir Edward Parry, afforded much gratification
to the party.
This afternoon the 43d Light Infantry, under com-
mand of Lieutenant-Colonel Furlong, K.H., were in-
spected in review order on Southsea-common. by Major -
General Lord Frederick Firzclarence, G.C.H., in order
in ,:ratify these distinguished foreigners; the manner in
which this most efficient regiment went through tile
various manoeuvres incidental to field operations excited
the admiration of the immense assemblage congregated
to witness them; and, in the words of Lord Frederick
Fitzelarence, when he last inspected them, " lett nothing
to be desired."

The Admiral-in-Chief's barge attended upon the
august party in all their peregrinations afloat, under the
guidance of Captain Pasco, of the Victory. They re-
turned to town this afternoon by an express train on the
South-W estern Railway.
The Hecate steam-sloop, Commander West, arrived
at Spithead last evening from the west coast of Africa
station. The Commodore, in the Penelope, arrived at
Whydah on the 12th of March, and gave the Hecate her
orders to proceed home on the same day; she accord-
ingly left fur Fernando Po for coals, which having pro-
cured, she left on the 22d, taking the Waterwitch, g,
Commander T. F. Birch, in tow clear of the island, she
being bound to Kabenda, to fall in with the Commodore,
having on board one of the chiefs of the Bonny, who
had seized English property on board a merchant
vessel's boat; the culprit was therefore taken in the
Waterwiteh fur the disposal of the Commodore. The
Hecate arrived at Sierra Leone on the afternoon of the

14th of April under sail only. Having shipped suffi-
cient coal to take her to the Gambia, she left on the
evening of the 17th of April, and arrived there on the
2lst, completed fuel and left on the 28th for Goree,
where she arrived on the 30th, left in the afternoon of
the Ist instant, and arrived at Teneriffe on the 9th, and
left, after coaling, on the 14th for Spith,ad. All die
officers who left England in the Hecate have returned
in her with the exception of Mr. Fox, the mastcr,
whose death we recorded some months since. The
Hecate has been in commission since December, 1843,
and was employed on the coast of Ireland, under Con-
mander J. P. Bower, until 1845, when that officer was
promoted. Commander West then succeeded to the
appintment, and she left England on the 23d of June,
1845, for the coast of Africa. She has made three
captures during her slave trade-suppression service; one
was shared with the Prometheus, and one of the others
had 549 slaves on board. When she left the statim,
the coast and squadron were healthy, but the slave trail,
was thriving. It is estimated that the number of
cargoes successfully landed forms a striking conti ast in
amount to the number of prizcs made by the cruizers.
The Grampus, 50, Captain Martin, the Juno, 26,
Captain Blake, and the Spy brigantine, Commander
Woolridge, were in the bay at Otaheite in the beginni:.g
of February last—all well; also the French Uranie,
60; two other 50's, two brigs, two schooners, a attain
sloop, and some transports. The Juno was taking in
stores and completing provisions for six months from a
transport which arrived from Valparaiso on the llth of

Janury. Our letter says, "The French have several
torts cpmmanding the approaches to the town, and
watch-houses and towers built on hills at the back of

the town to prevent surprise ; they are still fortifying
the place. The soldiers have charge of one end of the
town, and a number of seamen the other : they expect
1,200 soldiers to reinforce them hourly. Some of the
tribes have marched in and submitted to the French.
David Thomas, the gunner's mate, who ran from the
Vindictive, is strongly posted in the mountains with
about 1,500 men ; he watches the French so closely that
they dare not venture out of the reach of the guns his
men frequently fall upon the guards in the night at the
watchhouses and massacre them. In the beginning of
December last, 400 French troops marched out to at tech
him ; in one skirmish they (the French) lost fifty men,
and David so harassed them that very few lived to
return. They intend to attack him again when
the reinforcements arrive. The French are
trainine and arming the tribes who have sub
mitted ; they are fine men, most of them exceeding
six feet in stature. I think the French will soon be
sorry for putting too much confidence in them. They
(the French) have effered a very large reward to any
one who shall take or kill Thomas, who has about 20
more Englishmen with him, and frequently comes into
the town in disguise, but the French do not know h:m.
They have lost an immense number of men since-they
have been here ; one vessel, the Uranie, has lost 400.
Provisions are very scarce and dear ; the only fresh
meat to be got is a few small pigs and fowls ; there are
plenty of cattle in the island, but the French cannot get
at them, for they have only possession of as much of the
island as their ships can fire over, and when their 1,200
men arrive to reinforce them, I think they will soon eat
themselves out of this. A French officer said the other
day, 4 This is a second Algeria ; it has cost us more men
and money than it ever will be worth."
The labourers in her Majesty's dockyard petitioned
the Admiralty last week for an increase of their weekly
stipend, which has been for many years only 12s. Their
Lordships have been graciously pleased to grant their
request, and have increased it to 14s. a week until
August next, in consideration of tho high prices of pro-
visions.
The Joseph Somes convict ship, having taken on
board prisoners at Cowes, came to Spit head last night.
The Hecate steam sloop. Commander West, is along-
side the jetty, receiving the stores which she is to take
to Woolwich, with which she will leave this evening or
to-morrow morning.
The Clarence victualling establishment stopped making
" relief" bread last night by Government order.
The following are more detailed particulars of the
capture of the Penelope's three prizes :—Ou the 17th of
March she fell in with the Flying Fish, in chase of a
slaver which she had been after tour days and nights.
She (Penelope) joined the chase, and continued all night.
On the following morning she separated. The chase was
seen about eight o'clock on the morning of the 18th.
The Penelope tired at her, but the slaver did not heave
to ; the shot went over her and then she hove to ; she
was a magnificent sailer ; she threw nothiug overboard
for the Flying Fish, although she had put seven shot
through her mainsail, but threw everything over-
board for us, and cut her bulwarks down.
She was a fine vessel of 100 tons, with a
deck only about 2 feet 11 inches high for 300 slaves
to be stowed upon. The Penelope landed her crew
at Kabenda, which she left on the -22 d fur Congo,
where she arrived on the 23d in the afternoon. About
16 miles off Congo she got fresh water and filled up
tanks. She left Loando on the 28th of March, aria
made for St. Helena. On the 30th saw a sail, chased
and came up with her in about three hours ; found her
to be the schooner Felicidada, with 312 slaves on board,
mostly women and children, 17 men in irons, a sick and
miserable looking mass. Or, the 4th of April, about
one. P.m., she fell in with aneeber vessel, and came up
with h-r at sunset, after a Lard chase, she having torowil
everything overboard. She was the Juanita, named
after her captain ; she was from Rio, empty, bound to
the coast fitted for slaves, a fast sailer, which they think
no sailing vessel would ever have captured.
At Kabenda the Commodore inspected the Lorne,
Bittern, Heroine, Sealerk, and Lily ; all well. The
Penelope remained at St. Helena on the 12th of April;
all well.
PORTSMOUTH, THURSDAY. —This being the day
appointed for the celebration of her Maj..sty's birth-clay,
the anniversary was observed here with the most loyal
and universal marks of respect; the artisans employed
in the various Government establishments had holiday,
and everything was given up to pleasure and re juicing.
The weather was beautifully fine, and added the chief
feature to the day's events. At an early hour in the
morning the royal standard was displayed from the
King's bastion and rooms, and on all the Government
establishments, the fleet dressed in colours, and the
bells of the respective churches rung merry peals. Ai
sidesi tt l e before
h f t h
the
noon
harbour,all t et
who,ro includingi n t ethegarrison
pensioners,obt)ti
amounted to nearly 4,000 men, commanded
oby Colonel
te!hrneFritzo.t
the garrison, in t
Lewis, R.E., who
hoeffiachiasteeicllceashfLiLeuortednaFnrt-e
Lieutenant-Governor
laced themselves in double file around the walls, their
Clarence, marched up to the ramparts of the town, and
ban
'
ds and colours attending, and all their officers in full
dress. At twelve o clock the Victory led off a royal
guns, which was followed by all the other
and at Spithead, the platform battery
resexeing its fire until the fleet hadceased, and -
then
shipssalnt eionfh2alrbour
opening. After seven guns were discharged the soldiers
around the walls fired afeu de joie, and so on after each
guns until the salute was completed, concluding
sevenwith
threc tremendous cheers. Many thousands of spec-
tators assembled from all parts of the county to witness
the brilliant spectacle.
Sir Charles Ogle gave a magnificent banquet to a
select party, and a ball and supper to about 200 of the
officers of the fleet and army, their families, and friends,
in honour of the day. Rear-Admiral Hyde Parker,
C. 8., also gave a splendid entertainment to all the
officers of the dockyard, upon a similar scale of hospi-
tality, and all the chiefs of the Government departments
gave appropriate entertainments to their respective
officers and friends in celebration of the occasion, with
the exception of the corporation of Portsmouth, who,
for the first time since we can recollect, allowed the day
to
rwoirt ht
somuht
hatnhy
Ns
au
vc
ahl mark oaf rs eos pc
ee
leethorra
tfeeds tti
ei tyd.a33l
to
q uet at
tradesmen
ePortland
in S
theseut h s e
townsa; a he
othersi-oe
illu-
minated most handsomely.
bl a
Majesty banquet
n'
s and
Mr. H. Craddock, foreman of shipwrights afloat of
this dockyard, is appointed by the ißoard of Trade one
of the surveyors under the New Steam te Natie t Act
passed le
with much
pleasure we announce this appointment. Mr. Craddock
is a must talented officer.
The late visit of the Lords of
the Admiralty was one
ut a series of periodleal inspt ct.o..e h• the Beard to the
various ports; these visits becoming j more frequent must
result iu the best interests of the service being more
generally studied and compassed than heretofore. It
was impossible that their Lordships could become