The Sun.
London, England, 1840-12-03 00:00:00

NAVAL INTELLIGENCE.

(From the Brighton Gazette.)
Posts Bourn, DEC. 1. —The steamer Avon, com-
manded by Lieutenant Pritchard, proceeded on Monday
to Plymouth, on which station she is in future to remain.
The Blazer steamer, Lieutenant Steane, will proceed on
Wednesday, to Plymouth, on her way to the West Indies,
to relieve the Dee, ordered home to be pad off. She has
despatches for Vice- Admiral Sir Thomas Harvey, K. C. B.
The Locust steam-vessel, Lieut. Lunn, on her way to
Malta, will c ill at Spithead iroin Woolwich, about Friday
next.
The Salamander, steam-frigate, Commander llenry,
is making some defects in her machinery good ; after
which she is to proceed to the northern ports on spe-
cial service.
The Belleisle, 78, Captain Nicolas, is rapidly proceed-
ing in her outfit at Plymouth, and is to return to the
Mediterranean when ready. The Impregnable, 104,
Captain Forest, is also making rapid advances towards
completion, having already entered more than ball of her
complement.
The Calcutta, 84, Captain Sir Samuel Roberts, left
Gibraltar for Malta on the 10th November, to join Admiral
Stopford's fleet.
The Formidable, al4, at Chatham, is quite ready for
commissicsn, being masted, and all her stores prepared.
Several large frigates are likewise in preparation at Sheer-
ness, and only awaiting orders to hoist the pendant.
The steam frigate Phoenix, Commander Stopford, has
arrived from Malta with despatches, reporting the late
brilliant achievement at St. Jean d'Acre.
The Indus, 84, Captain Sir James Stirling, and Tweed,
20, Commander Douglas, are nearly ready for removal to
their respective hulks in the harbour. It is said the former
ship is to go to the East Indies ; but the rumour obtains no
belief.
Captain Hugh Evans, Royal Marines, 1837, of the
Portsmouth division, is to be Commandant, or Governor of
the Island of Ascension, vice Tinklar, deceased.
At Spithead—No vessel of war.
In Harbour—Queen, Victory, Indus, Tweed, Excellent
Royal George yacht, Salamander, Echo, and flag-tenders'

Prince Albert has signified his intention of
visiting the Prince's Theatre, St. James's, this evening.
HOAX AT VERSAILLES.— A correspondent
writes to us from Versailles :—" A hoax came off here
this week, and served to enliven a little the monotony of
this city of historic reminiscences. There has resided
here for several years a wealthy English celibat, polite
and inoffensive in his manners, totally absorbed in the care
of his own person, grave and punctilious with his own sex,
but affably and even gallant with the fair. Such being
the case, it cannot well be conceived by strangers how he
could have become the subject of the following tnystifica-
tion :—There drew up on Monday last, at 12 o'clock pre-
cisely, at the door of the boarding-house inhabited by this
amiable " single gentleman," situated on one of the grand
avenues leading to the palace, a corbillard de premiere elasse,
preceded by mutes, and followed by mourning-coaches en
grande tenue. When the ministers of death presented
themselves to bear out the corpse to its last home all was
horrur and astonishment ; remonstrance on the part of the
inmates were ineffectual, nor would the grim undertaker
be convinced till the party in question gave ocular testi.
more: of his existence. In the meantime twelve glass
coaches appeared, six of which were intended for the fune-
ral procession, and the other half for a bridal ; the coach-
u en of the latter having white gloves and white favours
in their hats—a most ludicrous contrast. A troop of don-
keys and half-starved ponies, with their antediluvian sad-
dles, next made their appearance, destined for a pic•nic in
the woods at this mild season of the year, and, to add to
the confusion, tradesmen of all kinds were pouring in
with goods ordered for the occasion—hairdressers with
wigs, tailors with samples, shoemakers and hatters ready
to take orders, the stonecutter with designs au choir for
the monumental tomb, and jewellers with ornaments for
the bride. The myrmidons of the police were seen insi-
nuating themselves among the crowd, sent by the authori-
ties of the town to investigate a reported plot against the
Government. It was a scene worthy of the pencil of
Hog arth I Seine of the persous duped were irritated be-
)one measure, while others seemed delighted at the fun,
though di,appointed at selling their goods. It appeared,
howl ver, that the merry war, who was the author of all this
inischit4 was nut yet sati,fietr, for he had despatched by post
and railway invitations for a ball that night on a grand
scale. The consequence wai that, in the evening, there
arrivedi at the place of rend, zvous men bearing on long
isa),nocdt.n.satilluiscters anal variegated lamps, and marmitons were
kkiiiii,gd,onefalrlesfrideebsuilaednetns. witThhupsasternyd,
eicdesa, punch,seene
• which, like all thea. events of this sublimely life, was
icnhfienqiuteerseadtiwsfiatchtiponintaond pleasure.d It gives us, however,
mystification bore it in then merosist,
ita understand i
ltohsaotp thei,
ic manner,object
moretliis
s,
onumerous friendsNrA y._ without,ri
le
particularly as he entertained
incurring any personal expense.
LONDON AND BRIGHT' tynani's Messenor.
Directors of the London and Brighton Company have
iof the
yofear. this
T end
de-
termined to put off the partial opening
line till the early part of the ensuing works,
we arc given to understand, on the portion last completed,
arc far from being in a state of consolidation sufficient to
warrant traffic operations for the next two months. Very
little loss can arise to the Brighton Company from a delay
of a month or two at this season of the year._Raiiwuj;
Times.