The Sun.
London, England, 1848-08-29 00:00:00

NAVAL INTELLIGENCE.

PORTSMOUTH, SUNDAY.—Yesterday, at twelve o'clock,
the flag-ship and platform battery fired royal salutes in
honour of Prince Albert's birthday; the ships dressed.
Dr. Sir W. Burnett, the Director-General of the Medical
Department of the Navy, has been making h's annual in-
spection of the medical departments connected with this
port during the past week.
In the future survey of war-steamers it is ordered by the
Admiralty that a joint report by the Surveyor of the Nary
and of the Controller of Steam Machinery departments shall
be made to them, each fully co-operating with the other.
Mr. Blake's splendid new 52-gun frigste Leander, in ordi-
nary at this port, is ordered to be advanced for the pendant.:
The Termagant, screw steam.-frigate, of 1,650 tons, and
620-horse power, designed by White, ofCowes, and intended
to carry twenty-four heavy guns, arrived here yesterday
morning in charge of Mr. Bellamy, recently appointed
Master Attendant of 'Woolwich Dockyard, vice Elson, de-
ceased. An accident which was very near being attended
with disastrous consequences, occurred immediateh on her
entering the harbour. The floating bridge which. crosses
every fifteen minutes throughout the day, between Ports-
mouth and Gosport, was about one-third over from the
latter shore when the Termagant made her appearance at
the mouth of the harbour, with the pilot jack at her fore.
She was not visible before in consequence of a thick
mizzling, misty rain, which had been falling. The conductor
of the steam-bridge, it is thought, fancied he would be able
to get far enough over towards Portsmouth to be clear of the
fairway before the frigate got in, and consequently did not
stop and work back, as is the custom in such cases. The
consequence was, that the Termagant's helm was obliged
to be put to starboard to avoid a collision, which must
have been fatal to the bridge, and most probably all on
board. The Lightning steam-tender, Master Petley com-
mander, had just come into the harbour, with about 100
military invalids from the Belleisle and Resistance troop-
ships, and, as usual, had taken hold of one of the transport-
ing buoys just inside the track of the floating bridge. The
change of direction in the Termagant's course threw her
directly on the Lightning, and although her way was con-
siderably deadened, and her anchors let go as soon as the
danger was perceived, she struck the Lightning on the
port paddle-box and crushed it to atoms. The conse-
quences would :have been horrible had she struck her with
Astrforcerterthettghtning must: Sieve gone ,down, when
there is little doubt naariy---an tier invalid freight would
have perished.. A Dutch vessel and the eef....yesz- Gipsy
Queen (the yacht of Sir H. Houghton) are reported consi-
derably damaged by the same collision. All the necessary
repairs have been ordered to be done at the expense of the
dockyard.
The Advice steam mail-packet, Lieutenant-Commander
Petch, arrived from Pembroke yesterday. She is ordered
to • Deptford to be paid oil; and will take thither some
riggers who assisted in navigating the Termagant to this
port. .

- The Otter and Sprightly packets were paid off yesterday.
ROYAL MARINE ARTIL unty.—Captain Langley's com-
pany proceeds to Chatham on Tuesday to relieve Captain
Logan's company, in command there.—Lieutenant Draffen
goes on the same day to Woolwich to relieve Lieutenant
Alexander, ordered to return to head-quarters for embarka-
tion.

MONDAY.—The Dauntless steam-frigate, of 1,496 tons and
580-horse power, a new ship built by Fincham, was taken
out to-day for her first regular official trial trip at
the measured mile, in Stoke's-bay, under the superintend-
ence of Captain Horatio Austen, C. 8., the superintendent of
the steam squadron at this port. The following officers were
also on board :—Captain Halsted, Commander Crispin, Mr.
Murray, superintendent engineer of this dockyard ; Mr. Baker,
chief engineer of the royal yacht, inspector of machinery
afloat; Mr. Smith, inspector of screw propellers; and Mr.
Fincham, the builder of the vessel. She went out at half-
past eight, and remained cruising to and fro between Spit-
headtnrne
di
andn t
oCowes
harbour.unt Takingnearly seventnemoe'actlio clock,
her three first , when she re-
turned
runs, she made 7.715 knots, after which she increased to
8.2, making 26b revolutions as the maximum. It is consi-
dered that with a very trifling re-adjustment of her machi-
nery she will make a knot and a half more per hour.
The Diamond, 28 guns, built at Sheerness dockyard, on the
'design of the late Surveyor of the Nary, under the superintend-
ence of Messrs. Atkins, Watts, and Reed, the successive mas-
ter shipwrights of the above yard, is to be launched to-day
about twelve o'clock. The Tribune, a sister vessel to the
Diamond, will in a short time be laid down upon the same
slip. - - -

The Encounter, new sloop of the first class, to be propelled
by a screw with 360 •horse power, will be taken out of dock
and advanced for commission at Portsmouth this day, when
the screw-sloop Rattler will take her place, to have her pe-
riodical examination made by the steam department.
THE ROYAL VOYAGE.—Her Majesty's sea-service,-steam-
yacht, the Victoria and Albert, is ordered to be taken from
the harbour at Port.smouth to Cowes this day, where the
royal luggage, &c., will be shipped for the intended voyage to
Scotland, with which tho yacht will leave for Woolwich to-
morrow morning.