The Sun.
London, England, 1849-12-29 00:00:00

'DECENttBER 29, 1849.

fast to a berg; 7 r.ss., let go from the berg; boats
a head towing; 11 P.M, ceased towing, and com-
menced warping through a heavy loose pack ; Lord
Gambier in company; too busy to-day • unable to
observe the temperature.
" Saturday, 22—Weather fine ; from midnight to
2.30 A.M., warping through the pack; 2.45 A.M., made
fast to a berg in order to give the crew some refresh •
thent ; 7 A.M, fine breeze from the southward; cast
loose from the berg and made sail, standing to the
northward amongst loose ice ; 12 at noon got into a
sheet of open water, greater part of the day lying-to
in consequence of a dense fog; Lord Gambier in
company with us, but a considerable distance to north-
ward; temperature of air, 37 deg.; sea, 34 deg.
" Sunday, 23—Fore part of the day foggy, latter
part clear; dodging under easy sail to the southward
of a close pack ; temperature of air, 35 deg. ; sea, 34
deg.; Lord Gambier in company.
" Monday, 24—Dense fog during the whole of
the day ; kept tacking and wearing amongst bergs
and small floes.

" Tuesday, 25—Fore part of the day clear, latter
part foggy ; made no
.wogress to the nothward this
day ; temperature of atr; 34 deg. ; sea, 33 deg.
" Wednesday, 26—Fresh breeze from the south-
ward, and dense fog during the fore part of the day;
latter part clear and calm ; made little or no progress
to the northward; nothing but floes and bergs to be
seen in that direction ; temperature of air, 34 deg. ;
sea, 33 deg. This day lost sight of the Lord Gam-
bier, she standing to the south-west under all sail ;
off Baffin's Islands 74 north.

" Thursday, 27—Weather clear ; wind from the
southward; observed open water to the northward of
the pack; made every effort to get at it by carrying
sail, and warping, all to no purpose; stuck fast in
the middle of the pack ; our consort in the same pre-
dicament; temperature of air, 39 deg.
" Friday, 28—Weather cloudy ; wind from the
north east ; 9 A.M. commenced warping through the
pack ; 6 r M., got into open water, but observed
another barrier of closely packed ice to the northward
of us ; temperature of air, 39 deg.; sea, 34. deg.
" Saturday, 29—Weather cloudy; wind from the
northward; lying-to greater part of the day; not the
slightest opening to be observed in the pack ; tempe-
rature of air, 41 deg.; sea, 33 deg.
" Sunday, 30—Weather very fine ; light air of
wind from the southward; dodging about under easy
sail, to the southward of the pack; observed an ap-
parent change in it; temperature of air, 35 deg.; sea,
38 deg.
" Monday, 31—Weather fine; light air from the
northward; lying-to greater part of the day; tempe-
rature of air, 40 deg. ; sea, 38 deg.
" August.—Tuesday, I—Weather fine; made
some little progress by sailing, towing, and warping ;
11 P.M , made fast to a berg ; temperature of air, 35
deg. ; sea, 33 deg.
" Wednesday, 2—Weather fine ; wind from the
northward ' • ice drifting fast to the southward ; tem-
perature of air, 38 deg.; tea, 34 deg.
" Thursday, 3—Weather fine ; 8 A.m., cast loose
from the berg ; sent boats ahead to tow ' • 2 P.M., light
breeze from the southward; hoisted the boats up, and
made all possible sail ; 11 P M., came on thick fog ;
lay. to in consequence; made about 20 miles northing
this day; temperature of air, 38 deg. ; sea, 34 deg.
" Friday, 4—Weather cloudy ; wind S.; made 10
or 12 miles northing during the forenoon; afternoon,
lying-to in consequence of thick weather ; temperature
of air 29 deg.; sea, 31 deg.
" Saturday, s—Weather fine; wind from the east-
ward ; surrounded with ice in all directions ; 4 P.M.,
made fast to a berg in the vicinity of Brown Island;
lat. 75 ; temperature of air, 35 deg.; sea, 34 deg.
"6, 7,8, 9—Fast to a berg ; no apparent change
in the ice during this time, wind varying from S. to
S.E., accompanied at times with heavy rain ; mean
temperature, 35 deg.
" Thursday, 10—Weather cloudy, with rain; open
water to the N.W.; 1 P.m., let go from the berg,
made sail, and stood to the westward through loose
ice ; 8 r.m.; came on thick fog; made fast to a berg ;
temperature of air, 32 deg. ; sea, 29 deg.
" Friday, 11—Weather fine ; let go from the berg,
and made sail; 8 P.M., again made fast; no chance of
getting to the northward ; temperature of air, 32 deg.;
sea, 30 deg.
" Saturday, 12—From midnight to 5 A.M , blowing
rather hard from the eastward, which made it dan-
gerous to hold on to the berg; 5.15 Latt , let go and
stood to the southward in open water under three
reefed topsails ; no opening to the northward ; 9 P.M.,
again made fast to a berg; temperature, air, 32 deg.;
sea, 31 deg.
Sunday, 13—Weather cloudy, with rain ; wind
from the southward, at times blowing fresh ; tempera•
ture.-34- deg. ;_sea. 32 doz. ; performed Divine service;
lat. 74 20.

Monday, 14—Weather cloudy, with rain ; 7 A.M.,
let go from the berg, and made sail, standing to the
southward ; dense fog during the latter 1 art of the
day; temperature, air, 31 deg.; sea, 31 deg.
" Tuesday, 15—Weather fine ; ship standing to the
N.W. ; temperature, air, 31 deg.; sea, 31 deg.
" Wednesday, 16—Weather cloudy ; wind N.E.;
snowing occasionally ; dodging of the lack under easy
sail ; 7 A.m., killed a polar bear; temperature, air, 28
deg ; sea, 29 deg. _ _ _

"Thursday, 17—Weather foggy during greater
part of the day; lying to off the pack ; temperature
of air, 31 deg• ; sea, 31 deg.
" Friday, 18—Weather fine ; wind from the north-
ward and eastward ; observed an opening in the pack;
made sail, and beat to the northward; twelve, mid-
night, got through into open water , temperature of
air, 26 deg.; sea, 29 deg..

Saturday, 19—Weather clear during the first
part of the day; wind from the southward; from
eight to twelve, noon, steering course to the north-
ward ; 1 P.M., in consequence of thick weather, got
hampered amongst ice; hauled on a wind for the
remainder of the day; temperature of air, 31 deg. ;
sea, 81 deg.

" Sunday, 20.—Weather cloudy ; wind from the
north-east, blowing strong; twelve, noon, took the
pack, and dashed fearlessly through it, under a press
of sail, getting at the same time many a hard knock ;
4 P.M., lat. 75 N., got into open water, and shaped
our course for Pond's Bay ; temperature of air, 34 ;
sea, 34."

(To be continued.)

NAVAL INTELLIGENCE.

The Hon. W. Cowper, M.P., has proceeded on a
visit to Lord Palmerston, at Broadlands.

APPOINTMENTS.

Lieutenants—James Saumarez Mann, to command
the Torcross, coast guard station, vice W. T. Stan-
bridge, superseded.
Master W. S. Hele to be in command of Peter-
head coast-guard station, vice Lieutenant A. Sims,
resigned.

Mate—Robert J. Winneatt, to the Investigator,
Arctic ship, fitting at Woolwich.
Clerk—Samuel W. Sadler (1844), in charge of the
Janus, at Gibraltar, to be acting paymaster and
purser of the Contest, 12, at Portsmouth, for the
coast of Africa.

Assistant Engineers—William Austin and John
William Smith, to the Fisgard, flag-ship at Wool-
wich ; J. C. Robinson, to the Blenheim, 60, steam
guard ship at Portsmouth ; and D. Fry, to the Ter-
rible, steam-frigate, ea route to Devonport.
Midshipmen—Edward W. P. Boileau, to the
Photon, 50, fitting at Sheerness ; C. G. F. Knowles
to the Contest.

The Contest, brig, 12, Commander the Hon. L.
Spencer, went to Spithead on Thursday afternoon,
saluting the flag of the Commander-in-Chief at the
harbour's mouth. She received her powder the same
evening, and was to have been advanced yesterday, but
owing to the boisterous state of the weather the
payment was annulled by signal this morning.
In a tremendous squall of wind, hail, and snow,
yesterday morning, just before daylight, the Excel-
lent, gunnery ship, Captain Chads, C.B , Ia Ports-
mouth Harbour, carried away one of her mooring
chain bridles, and tailed on the mud at low water.
The dockyard riggers were soon afterwards sent off to
her with a spare chain, and she resumed her former
position at noon.
The Devastation steam-sloop will be taken out of
dock about Monday next, and the Argus new steamer
will be taken in.

PORTSMOUTH, FRlDAY.—Messrs. Brooks and Moss-
berry, second class clerks in the storekeeper's depart-
ment in this dockyard, are recommended for superan-
nuation. Messrs. Pouldon and Helby, the seniors in
the next grade, are supposed to be promoted in conse •
quence, which will cause vacancies for two clerks in
their department.

IN FORT AND FITTING.

In Harbour—The Victory, Excellent, Blenheim,
Illustrious, Rolla, Portsmouth, Fanny, and Echo.
In Dock—Dauntless, Fairy, Britannia, Fantome,
Lily, Devastation, Fox, and Penelope.
In the Basin—Princess Charlotte, Termagant,
Argus, and Bee.
In the Steam Basin—Ajax, Basilisk, Birkenhead,
Urgent, Blazer, Pike, Asp, Flamer, Elfin, and Victo-
ria and Albert yacht.
Building—Princess Royal, 90 ; Royal Frederick,
120; Prince of Wales, 120; Royal Sovereign, 120;
and Furious steam-sloop.
Woormicn, DEC. 28.—The Enterprise has com-
pleted her crew, and several hands who had offered

[PRICE SD.

themselves for service in the vessel commanded by
the senior officer in the first instance have now entered
for service in the Investigator.
Letters received by the Brittomart, recently re-
turned from the Coast of 'Africa, state that serious
accidents had happened to the second and third engi-
neers of the Firefly steam-vessel serving on that
station. The accidents occurred within three weeks
of each other, and it is said that each of these engi-
neers lost a hand. There were on board at the time
the first engineer, the second and third engineers, and
a supernumerary engineer.
Considerable misapprehension exists as to the move-
ment of Bishop's disc engine, recently experimented
with in the Minx steam- vessel. Many persons imagine
it is a rotary engine, but such is not the case. The
ball, with a handle attached to one side, describes a
similar motion to.the shoulder joint in the socket of a
person when the hand is giving a sling a continuous
circular motion, previous to discharging its contents.
The ball of the 10 horse power engine is 1I I inches
in diameter, and the disc 27 inches in diameter. The
case in which the ball of the engine works is of a
drum shspe, and the motion of the disc in the groove
it occupies for the admission of steam is similar to
an unbroken wave moving with great velocity from
one side of the groove to the other, and bearing so
correctly on the parts it touches on either side as not
to be liable to be put out of order.