The Sun.
London, England, 1847-11-29 00:00:00

'
rap
1:7!
Iher launch was full watwetaii:4wiliht
to be taken out) ; Howe, 141 "Atnphlatlt
15 ; Dragon, 24 ; Scourge, 30 ; Avenger,
31. The steam-vessels' paddle-boats were there,
when they all pulled round the squadron, presenting
very pleasing sight, the weather being delightfully
fine. To-day Captain Sir H. Leeke gave a splendid
lemner on board the Queen to the Duke of Saxe
Weimar Prince Hermann of Saxe Weimar, the
Duke and Duchess de Terceira, Count and Countess
Esterhazy, the Marquis and Marchioness of Fatal,
the Spanish Minister Senhor Ayllon, the French
Minister, the Marquis and Marchioness Ferreira, the
Captain of the French frigate Psyche, Count Goal,-
don, his Countess and daughter, Sir Charles Napier'
and his Secretary, and all the Captains of the squa-
Iron. It is almost needless to say the hospitality was
,timpttions and the gratification univ,rsal.
"18. The Admiral went on hoard the Avenger
.team-frigate to-day, and made signal at 9.30 to the
Dragon and the Scourge to weigh ; they proceeded
!own the river to Passo dos Areas, anchored there,
Ind commenced shot and shell practice, and fired ex-
..,edingly well. The Dragon, Captain Hall, per-
'orrned to admiration, having skot away no less than
three targets, and then assisted the (Abell to destroy
-heirs. They afterwards weighed, and under full
.team, made a trial .of speed up the riwir. The
Scourge was first; the other two were nearly
l'hey took up their former anchorage. The St. Vin-
cent hoisted optional' flag, and shifted jib-boom,
being 70 minutes. The Sidon sailed at noon with
Earl Dalhousie for Alexandria.
"19. At 9.15 A.M., signal, ' Shift foretopsail yard,'
which was performed as follows :—The Scourge, 24
minutes ; the Canopus, 26 minutes; the Howe and
the Caledonia, 31; the St. Vincent, 32; the Amphion,
:33 ; the Queen, 35 ; the Dragon, 36 ; the Avenger,
48. The Howe made signal for permission to shift
topsails, and did it in 20 minutes.

-"
A parting dinner was given to-day by Captain
Sir Henry Leeke to the ward-room officers of his
ship and a select circle of their friends, whom the
gallant Sir Henry had invited to meet them, con-
sisting of twenty -four guests."
The Britomart, 10, Commander N. C. Chamber..
lain, arrived at Sierra Leone from England on the
27th of September. A letter from her of that date
says—" Just after we anchored in came a prize taken
by the Waterwitch on her passage home. Tile prize
was in charge of Lieutenant Mansfield, of the Water-
witch, and while his men were aloft three of the
slaver's crew rushed on deck and stabbed him (Lieu-
tenant Mansfield) very dangerously. He could only
just utter to the man at the wheel, 'Steer south,'
when he dropped. He was fourteen days without
surgical aid, and when he arrived at Sierra Leone
he was nearly dead. It is a kind intervention of
Providence he has lasted the voyage out to tell the
tale and bring to justice his intended murderers. The
pirates are to be tried for their lives. On the Brito-
mart's passage out a man of the name of Oda was
loading a gun, when in the act of ramming home
the cartridge the charge exploded and not a vestige
d the man has been seen since. It is considered he
was blown to atoms, and that the fatal calamity was
)wing to the captain of the gun not serving the vent."
At the date of our letter Lieutenant Mansfield was
doing very well.
The Asia, 84, Captain Stopford, flag of Rear-Ad-
miral Phipps Hornby, C. 8., sailed yesterday morn-
ing for the Pacific, calling at Plymouth. She takes
~ut dispatches for the Queen Dowager at Madeira.
The Comet steam-sloop, Lieutenant-Commander
Rigge, arrived off Belem Castle, Lisbon, on the 21st,
in four days from Plymouth.
An order was received here on Friday directing
the Admiral Superintendent to make the necessary
arrangements for the formation of a library is this
dockyard. It is to he accessible, under certain re•
strictions, to the workmen in the evening. All the
men belonging to the battalion for musket drill are
to be instructed, in addition, in the battery and field-
piece exercise, and every officer and man is to take
his turn of duty.
We are sorry to learn that the Admiralty have re-
fused payment of the head-money, amounting to
10,9001., for pirates condemned by the Admiralty
Court, to her Majesty's ship Semarang, Captain Sir
E. Belcher, who is going to appeal against the
judgment to the Privy Council.—Nautical Standard.
WooLwrcu, .Nov. 27.—The Janus steam-vessel,
when tried down the River on Wednesday last, was
found to have acquired a speed of 7 1-10 knots per
hour, making 17 strokes per minute, with 10Ib.
pressure, and 121 b. upon the condenser, the immersion
of the vessel being 11 feet 3 inches forward, and 11
feet 8 inches aft. She was taken into the basin to-day
to have her steam power tried by the dynamometer.
The Stromboli steam-sloop, Commander Lord
Amelius Beauclerk, is under orders to leave Wool-
wich on the 15th of December, for Portsmouth, to be
paid advance at that port.
The Acheron steam-vessel, Captain Lort Stokes,
will leave in the end of next week for New Zealand,
where she is to be employed on the surveying service.
She is to take out a number of cases, and fig, mul-
berry, peach, and numerous other fine trees and plants
of various sorts, with the seeds and germs of clover,
grasses of many sorts, from Garroway and Moyes'
nursery at Bristol.