The Sun.
London, England, 1847-02-18 00:00:00

NAVAL INTELLIGENCE.

P ORTSMOUTB, FEB. 16.—The Dragon steam-vessel, 1,270
tons, and 560-horse power, commanded, pro tem., by Captain.
Ramsay, of the Terrible, came into harbour this afternoora
from Cork, whither she had conveyed a cargo of meal from
the river. The Dragon was nearly lost in a gale off the coast
of Ireland. She broke the entablature of one of her engines
this morning, and has done herself other damages since she
has been in commission—only two months. She has now
come in to coal.

We mentioned some months since that the new armament
ordered for the walls of Portsmouth and its dependencies,
including the works on both sides of the harbour and ap-
proaches, consisted of 330 guns of heavy calibre. They are
in course of being mounted, and comprise the following
pieces :•-.•
NUMBEZ.

DESCRIPTION. WEIGHT EACH.
13 inch mortars ... 5 tons 1 quarter
8 -inch shell or shot . . 65 cwt.
8-inch ditto ... 50 cwt.
8-inch howitzers.
56-pounders ...
32-pounders ...

... 97 cwt.
... 66 cwt.

24-Pounders ... ... 50 cwt.
24-pounders ... ... 20 cwt.
24-pounders, carronades.
18-pounders ... ... 42 cwt.

330.

In addition to the above a strong battery will be erected
on the site of the 53 houses in course of demolition on the
south side of Broad-street, " Point."

The Belleisle troop-ship, Captain J. Kingcome, sailed to-
day for Gibraltar with the 56th Regiment.
No accounts have been received from the Sphynx to-day
up to three o'clock, but the state of the wind and weather,
blowing fresh from S.W., with thick haze and rain, forbids
any hope of getting her off these springs without a change,
and that very soon, as the tides " take off" again after to-
morrow.

5 P.M.—The Ryde packet has just arrived, with Mr. Biddle-
combe, R.N., Master of the St. Vincent, who bears dispatches
from Captain Austen to the Commander-in-Chief. By the
packet we learn that the Sphynx is still safe, with her bow
to the sea, as before; but the weather continues unfit for
boats to go off to the vessel. Yesterday Captain Austen and
Mr. Biddlecombe went on board, when it was scarcely pos-
sible for the surf-boat to live ; the boat was unable to land
for hours after, when the tide receded. There is no chance
of an improvement during the present high tides, as it would.
be impracticable to move the Sphynx through the surf..
She must, therefore, wait more moderate weather, during
which interval Captain Austen, no doubt, will continue his
ard u ms duty in removing all possible weight, such as ma •
chinery,
WOOLWICH, FEB. 16.—The Cockatrice victualling trans-
port ship left Woolwich yesterday morning, with boilers for
making soup for the poorer inhabitants of Ireland. She is to
call at Sheerness to take in a quantity of boilers at that port

for the same purpose and same destination.
The Benbow, 72 guns, converted into a depot for a part of
taiskento'inbt:
the Woolwich division of Royal Marines, was racoTl to.the
station formerly occupied by the Hebe to-day, the high tides
being favourable.
erisPteotle
takTehnooTuetrorifbtlheesdteammk steam-frigate,
wC,aapnliwnillßiahniensabye,
the basin. Captain Becher,
taken into the dock when the Terrible is taken out, to
rrow to tow the Kite steam-
vessel Mastiff surveying vessel,Crasa
exa-
mine her bottom previous to proceeding on the surveying
:tie:
ht
nst i
onensuing
f Deptford
season.vteo
..ss
me 1
0,
vessel to Woolwich, to be fitted with her boilers.
is service
rtroh proceedLiing ht

The Hibernia, Boston steamer, brings a box ad-
dressed to her Majesty the Queen. It is entered in the bill
of entry as "one box, contents unknown, for her Majes;y
the Queen." We believe it contains a quantity of illustrated
and other American publications, from one of the most end-
nent publishers in the New World, intended as a present to
her Majesty.—Liverpool Courier.
THE LATE ATTEMPT AT MURDER IN DERBY.
Mrs. Osborne, whose case has excited so much interest, is
still living. On Monday last she appeared in a rapidly-
sinking state, but, by the timely administration of stimr.a-
lents, she rallied towards evening, and passed a tolerably
quiet and tranquil night. At the hour of going to press we
learned, on inquiry, that though a slight change for the
better had taken place, she still continued in a state of the
greatest uncertainty and danger.—Derby Mercury.
THE ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH.—Among the very
many and almost daily instances of the sterling utilitN of
this most wonderful invention of our inventive age, the-
lowing little incident may be named, as, although the affair
may not, perhaps, be one of absolute public importPAnce., it
serves to show the apparatus as instantaneously rApprrestple.
to subjects important in themselves, and to the. parties bk..
terested, although of a purely domestic charae:ter. On Fri-
day evening, the following message was fteeired at the
Ste iaores;a,lL a ll
an; limas
Chesterfield station, per telegraili:—"TeAl Derby a. Mr.
Harrison has escaped from the ork Asylum, and Vs sup-
posedtrai ns
from
to havye 0 fire-armsrk.
He
e i aboutstall, h
ash is a person.crooked
en a green coat with pockets at the side. Tell f;ne ra.t., to
1
look out To this message another succeedee4 from Li 3 ed,
as follows :—" He is caught at Leeds--they 'Ravemi44, 3 bum
quite lecure."..,DerbyXcircurl. . -