The Sun.
London, England, 1847-10-22 00:00:00

Victory; and Mr. Mansell, Mate from the St. Vin
cent, to join the Asia.
The Sidon also hrought invalids from the &Pa&
ron, and dispatches from the British Ministv for
Lord Palmerston, and from Sir Charles Napier' to
the Lords of the Admiralty, which were forwardsd
to London by express train (12.30) on the South:
Western Railway. The mails brought by her were.
sent up by the next train. She discharged her pow-
der, shot, and shell at Spithead, and came into har-
bour this evening to fit for the reception of Earl
Dalhousie, whom she is intended to convey to Alex-
andria en route to India. The Sidon saluted Sir
Charles Ogle in smart style. She has proved her—
self, in every respect, a very good and serviceable.
man-of-war steamer, to which good end the skill of
her captain and officers has contributed not a little.
We should hardly have noticed the paragraph in a
morning contemporary relative to the new steam basin
works, were it not calculated to cause needless alarm
to those interested. The fact is simply, that, from the
recent rains a very slight quantity of the excavation
on the south side of the east inlet slipped, and earried
away a few of the retaining piles and shores, a
mis-
chief of so trifling a nature, and so easily remedied,
as scarcely to have been noticed by those employed
on the works.

Commodore Plumridge returned again to St. Helen's
last night in the Cambrian ; why it would be difficult
to say, as neither the wind nur weather have been
such as to force him back. However, there he is,
and as a signal has just been made to him to " wait"
it is likely he will remain, at least till to-morrow.
The Malabar, 72, has been brought down alongside
the jetty to-day, we believe to have her masts re-
moved preparatory to being docked.
The Comet steam vessel, Commander C. R. John-
son, is ordered to proceed to Port Patrick with a mud
engine in tow, and will sail as soon as the weather
moderates.

Among the on &Is of the day here is one of a
rather preposterous nature, that the Fanny, Admiral's
yacht, is to be converted into a brig ! As such an
idea could scarcely enter the head of any sane person,
it obtains very little credit; but it is said that mea-
surements have been taken, and calculations made,
with a view of ascertaining the expense. This will
be enormous, and as the vessel is not fit for the pur-
pose, she would be good for nothing if it were carried
into execution.

The Meander, 44, is to be commissioned at Chatham
by Captain the Hon. H. Keppel.
The Columbia steam surveying vessel, on the North
American station, Lieutenant-Commander P. Short-
land, is ordered home. She is expected at Halifax on
the 19th inst.

About 150 military invalids have been landed to-
day from the Maria Somes transport. She will sail
for Plymouth, to land the 81st, as soon as the wind
moderates.

Wind N.W. by W., strong breezes, and clear
weather, 5 rad.

THE LATE SURVEYOR OF THE
NAVY, AND HIS SHIPS.
TO THE EDITOR OF THE TIMES.

Sir,—After all the clamour and misrepresentation
in the House of Commons, and in some of the mis-
guided public prints, relative to the Albion, I trust
that you will give the copy of a letter which I en-
close a place in your columns, as an act of justice to
me, and to disseminate the truth. I will make no
other comment on it than to inform you that Captain
Lockyer (her late captain) declared on his death-bed
that the Albion was the finest ship in the world.
I am, sir, your obedient servant,
W. SYMONDS.
Yarmouth, Isle of Wight, Oct. 18.
A COPY OF CAPTAIN WILLES' REPORT TO VICE-ADMIRAL
SIR WILLIAM PARKER, DATED VANGUARD.
Her Majesty's ship Vanguard, Thalerum Bay,
Sept. 5, 1847.
Sir,—l have the honour to report to you the re-
sults of the several trials of sailing which have offered
at this season of the year between her Majesty's
ships Vanguard, Rodney, and Albion, and have the
satisfaction of reporting to you that I am of opinion
the Albion has improved in sailing since she took
ballast in at Malta ; although she is not equal to
Vanguard, yet she would be a good ship to dispatch
with her on particular service, while the Rodney
would cause a great detention ; even in a run of
1,000 miles we should lose by her accompanying us
one-third the time.

I have very narrowly watched the Albion during
the last three summers, and frequently talked it over
with the late Captain Lockyer ; I have witnessed her
handiness in working in and out of the many narrow
harbour and passages since sl.e has been under my
orders, and in every sort of weather. Ido not hesi-
tate in saying that she is a most wonderful produc-
tion ; for her great dimensions, she is superior to any
ship I have ever seen at sea, except the Queen, and
quite equal to carry all 68-pounder guns on the
lower deck, if 32-pounders were substituted for those
above them, and w hick might, with the ballast she
now h;:s, tend to make her more weatherly and check
her great rolling motion in heavy weather, which I
have often seen ;at the same time it would, a
great measure, render her less sensitive to any loss of
provisions or stores below.

I cannot he but aware of the outcry about the
Albion's lower deck ports being so much nearer the
water than the Rodney's, but then it must be ob-
served that the Albion ca❑ carry her lower deck ports
open longer than the Rodney, and fight them better
on account of her heeling over leis under a press of
sail ; she consequently might, if necessary, go into
action using her guns, while the Rodney must shorten
sail before she could (13 so.

The only strong wind we have had for eight hours
together was coming from Patras, a fortnight since,
when I made the signal to try rate of sailing; it was
a fair treble-reefed topsail breeze ; we shock out one
reef more, set top-gallant sail and courses, small jib,
and reefed spanker. Albion appeared to go easy,
Vanguard tolerably so, Rodney dipped and plunged
deep and heavily, and in six hours was halt hull down
astern ; Albion dropped into our wake, and, as the
report will show, her inclination four and a half de-
grees, Vanguard and Rodney seven and a half de-
grees. The great inclination of the Vanguard was
owing to her being light, and want of a proper pro-
portion of ballast; but the Rodney had weight
enough in Captain Collyer's opinion, who is sadly
sore at his ship (notwithstanding all his efforts) being
so very slow, both in sailing and working; and
although the Albion, in my opinion, has not per-
formed so well since the first cruize I was out with
her, under the command of Rear-Admiral Hyde
Parker, C. 8., and before being docked at Devonport,
yet she may be termed a fair sailer.
The Rodney's alteration has made her much worse
in every respect.
I hope, Sir, you will excuse my entering so much
into detail, but being fully aware that the anxiety of
the Admiralty is very great about the Albion, I take
leave to say, as I do, satisfied that she is in every re •
spect the finest ship in the:navy.
welathhaevreforwtawtcoheydeahrseranadttaenhtaivlte;lyexeienptailal
akignadles oatf
anchor, and owing to the numerous changes of her
officers during that period, and particularly the death
of Captain Lockyer, do I presume to give so strong
an opinion of her.

Captain Fremantle, I am glad to say, coincides with
me on this subject, and had I my flag to-morrow,
and the choice of ships, I should select the Albion.
I have, &c., G. W. WILLES, Captain.
Rear-Admiral Sir Lucius Curtis, Bart., C. 8.,
Senior officer, Malta.
(Signed) W. PARKER, Vice-Admiral.

AFFRAY WITH POACHERS.
A GAMEKEEPER SHOT.

For a considerable time past large bands of armed
poachers, from amongst the colliers in the vicinity of
Dalkeith, have paraded the woods of Dalhousie,
Whitehill, and Rosebery, in search of game, in de-
fiance of the various owners of these properties, awl
the authorities of the district. On Monday, however,
five gamekeepers and underkeepers, including Mr.
Hume, chief gamekeeper to the Earl of Dalhousie,
and assistant, the chief gamekeeper to Mr. Ramsay,
of Whitehill, and a gamekeeFer belonging to Mr.
Dundas of Arniston, encountered a party of poachers,
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the shots
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these
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colliers,
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wounded in the fleshy part of the thigh. A despe-
rate conflict now ensued, in the midst of which the
fowling-piece belonging to one of the colliers went
off, and wounded himself in the ankle. The re-
mainder of the colliers having been all armed with
large bludgeons, placed the gamekeepers at a serious
disadvantage. Mr. White got his head severely
cut, and another of the keepers got his ankle dislo-
cated. One of the poachers, named Beveridge, was
secured on the spot, and the others, at that time, es-
caped ; and four brothers, of the name of Vickers,
were apprehended yesterday at their residence in
Gowkshill. Mr. Hume, up to yesterday, was pro-
nounced by the surgeon not out of danger. The
strictest investigation is being made by the authori-
ties,
into the whole affair.—North British Mad ro
Wednesday.

THE ANNIVERSARY OF TRAFALGAR.—Yesterday,
October the 21st, being the anniversary of the ever-
memorable victory of Trafalgar, the commemoration waa
celebrated at several of the naval houses in th4liletio-
polis and its vicinity, and the members of the Royal
Naval Club of 1765 dined together at the Piazza Hotel,
Covent garden. About 40 officers sat down. Admiral
Daly presiding. Although 42 years have elapsed Billet:,
the battle, there are still a considerable number of Tra.
falgahre ,Bto
heroes
sn alive
T Chronotype states that the second child
born in Cincinnati still lives, and has not
age, while that city contains 80,000 kat V seen
1ni(414
11 Ilan%