The Sun.
London, England, 1847-08-16 00:00:00

RANEAN STEAM -PACKETS.

At Malta, the Ariel. On her way to Malta from
:-:outhAmpton, the Sultan; on her way from South-
ampton, to Gibraltar, Genoa, and Leghorn, the Mon-
trose; on her way from Malta to Southampton, the
Erin ; between Constantinople and Trebizond, the
Tagus ; and between Trebizond and Smyrna, the
Tiger. At Southampton, Indus, Pottinger, Achilles,
Oriental, and Iberia; and at Alexandria, the Ripon.
The Ripon arrived from Southampton and Gibral-
tar on the 31st of July, a few hours before the
Flamer, from Marseilles, with the overland London
mails for India, with which the Ripon left for Alex-
andria on the Ist of August.
The Egyptian corvette Genah Bahri sailed fcr
England on the 30th of July, having on board a
number of naval cadets.
The Locust was despatched to the Piraeus of Athens
on the Ist of August, and the Flamer to the lonian
Islands and Patras on the 2d.
The cutter yacht Sapphire, Mr. C. B. Blades,
owner, touching the safety of which some fears were
entertained, there having been no tidings of her arri-
val at Algiers for some length of time after her sailing
from Tunis, arrived from this latter port, having her
owner on board, on the 3d; on which day the French
steam-frigate Pluton, Viscount De Kerourartz, ar-
rived from Naples, announcing that the Prince de
Joinville with a part of bis squadron of line of battle
ships was at Castellamare, whilst the Jupiter and
another liner were at Tunis, dispatched thither from
Palermo, under the usual summer rumour of the fear
of an expedition against that Regency, from Constan-
tinople, though it is notorious that the Ottoman fleet
is not destined further westward than the shores of
Albania, the blockade of which is offitially announced.
Within the past few days a rumour has circulated
in Valletta, that a report had been made to the au-
thorities that three ships of war had been seen dodg-
ing about the back of Malta,' and that a launch had
been sent in by one of them to take soundings in
Marsa Scirocco Bay. We have been at some pains
to get at the truth of the story, and find that beyond
doubt two or three large vessels had been observed
cruising on and off the S.E. end of Malta (though not
seen from the Palace Observatory), and that a large
boat had entered and taken soundings of the bay of
Mersa Scirocco ; but the report of the native officer
on duty at the fort there does not appear to have
reached the Palace through the roundabout channel
in which it was sent, until too late for measures to be
taken to ascertain further particulars, though the Wee
Pet steam-tug (the only available vessel in port—a
mere line of battle ship's launch, with a small engine)
went out with Rear-Admiral Sir Lucius Curtis and
the Governor's Aide-de-Camp on the 2d inst. to re-
connoitre.

PORTSMOUTH, SUNDAY.—Captain John Bowker,
R.N. (1811), one of the retired captains of Green-
wich Hospital, died on Wednesday. The gallant
deceased, we find, on reference to Allen's New Navy
List, was midshipman at Toulon; second lieutenant
of the Mars, 74, in Cornwallis's retreat, in which ship
he greatly distinguished himself in her action with,
and capture of, the French 74 Hercule, on which
occasion he led the boarders (Captain Hood having
been killed and the first lieutenant wounded), and by
his gallantry and promptitude defeated a counter
manoeuvre of the enemy. For this capture the first
lieutenant (the late Rear-Admiral Butterfield) was
made a commander ' but the gallant deceased did not
obtain the step until 1807. The value of the vacant
appointment at Greenwich, consequent upon this
death, is 4001. per annum, with apartments, an allow-
ance of coals, candles, &c.

Another gallant veteran died a few days since at
Cromarty—Captain Alexander M'lCenzie of the Royal
Marines, a captain of forty-nine years' standing ! He
served in the American war, and in Howe's action of
" the glorious lst of June," 1794, and commanded
the battalion of Royal Marines landed from the
squadron in the river Plate in General Whitelock's
expedition, on which occasion he was severely
wounded ; he subsequently served in the second ex-
pedition against Copenhagen. This brave man died
only a captain, a rank which he attained years before
mint' of the present superior officers were born.
We stated last week, in our detailed report
of the movements of the Lords of the Admiralty
during their annual official visit to this port, that
their Lordships received the report of a committee
appointed to determine the best plans and situations
on which to establish coal depots for the greater
facility and better expedition of coaling steamers at
this port. We have been since informed that one
plan was submitted by Commander Sherringham,
which was to throw out a pier from Rat Island in
this harbour, at the end of which a store was to be
built to contain a large quantity of coals, delivered
by coal vessels. Another plan was proposed by
Captain James, R.E., of this dockyard, and compre-
hended a junction with the South• Western Railway
between Cold-harbour, Gosport, and Clarence-yard.
It was presumed this latter plan would greatly ex-
pedite the transit of coals, one person having stated
(we are informed) that he would undertake to load
coals in seven hours from the time they left New-
port, in South Wales ! Now, with regard to
this important subject, we take leave to say that no
other coal depot than a floating one will ever be worth
one moment's consideration. Look at the present
miserable and dilatory system as here pursued. If a
steamer wants a few tons of coal on arrival at Spit-
head from a foreign or home port, all her powder
must be removed before she comes into harbour to
ship them, and then the same delay must take place
before she can leave the anchorage. This has cau,ed
more delay and hindrance, to say nothing of the ex-
pense to the public service, than any other item, ex-
cept the breaking down of the machinery. Spithead
is the place for coal depots, and while we have so
many old three-deckers and two-deckers rotting
away in harbour for want of use, we are quite at a
lo*s to understand the motive which prompts the
erect
ex-
penditure of money in the futile endeavour
t
coal depots for the navy ashore. Captain Berkeley,
one of the Lords of the Admiralty, we have reason
to believe takes our view of the case, and wedetroustst
will be the means of having all future coal
adapted from the present superabundance of materials,
without expending the public money in a manner
which cannot possibly yield any adequate amount of
benefit or accommodation.
As Major-General Sir Harry Smith, the newly-ap-
pointed Governor of the Colony and Commander of the
Forces of the Cape of Good Hope, will embark at
this port for his destination ; it is in contemplation to
invite him to a suitable entertainment on the eve of
his departure, to be got up by. the military, naval, and
civil inhabitants of this district. The 60th Rifles, to
which corps the General has been gazetted as colonel,
is at present quartered within the garrison.
The Waterwich, 8, Commander T. Francis Birch,
was at St. Helena on the 16th of June. She had a
few days previously made prize of a fine slave-
schooner, with 510 slaves on board, an American
built vessel, with neither papers nor colours when
taken.