The Sun.
London, England, 1841-12-27 00:00:00

LONDON, MONDAY, DECEMBER 21, 1841,

PUBLICATIONS.

Just published, price 245., the
pOST-OFFICE LONDON DIRECTORY
for 1842.

Contents :—Official Directory, with complete Lists of Go
vernment, and all other Public Offices and Officers.

Commercial Directory, furnishing the names, addresses, and
residences of the 60,000 Merchants. Profossional Men, and
Traders of the Metropolis and its environs ; the " Post•otfiee"
is the only " Directory" which alnays gives full Christian names.
Street Directory of London ; all oilier published lists omit
either the Nobility and Gentry. or the Merchants, Traders,
and Tradesmen ; this includes the entire in one grand arrange-
ment.

Postage Directory, in which will be found the fullest infor-
mation ever published with reference to Money Orders.
Trades' Directory ; Law Directory, giving a full account of
each Court, with its jurisdiction, and all the Officers, from the
Lord Chancellor to the Usher of the most inferior Court ; and
a copious list of Stamps, in 16 imperial. octavo pages.
City Directory ; Parliamentary and Peerage Directory, fur-
nishing the most complete Lists yet published of the New Par-
liament.

Court Directory ; Conveyance Directory ; 'Banking Dire,
tory, &c.

On the Ist of January will be published, price Is. 6d.,
OND 0 N. PART X.
embracing, in a Series of Five successive Num`.er:
the entire subject of

• SPIRIT of the PUBLIC JOURNALS.
FROM THE MOREING PAPERS OF THIS DAY.
HERALD.—The frightful accident which oc-
curred on the Great Western Railroad, between
Twyfbrd and Readinss on Friday last, the, early
details of which appeared in Saturday's, and
every particular as far as they have transpired
appears in to-day's Herald, has produced as
great sensation of horror as any public calamity,
we can remember. Thirty-eight human beings,
chiefly, it is said, of the humbler classes, who
were travelling by the early luggage-train to
indulge in family communion on Christmas-
tide, were, in the midst of darkness, literally
overwhelmed and crushed by the trucks b--
hind the conveyances in which they were, and
by masses. of earth falling from a slip in the
passing through Sonning-hill Cutting. Eight
of these unfortunate persons were instanta-
neously jammed to death; their legs, arms,
ribs, pelves, chests. collar-bones, and skulls
being fractured in the most shocking manner ;
twelve others, all seriously injured, some wound-
ed beyond the probability of recovery, were
conveyed to the Reading hospital, where they
now lie ; five with' slight' hurts were enabled to
proceed to their respective places of destination ;
and the remaining thirteen have to thank God
for a providential escape unblemishecL This
fatal event occurred about seven o'clock oa
Friday morning; within ten hours afterwards the
Coroner for Berkshire,--swith what certainly ap-
pears to be a somewhat hasty- .teal,—proceeded
to hold an inquest on the mangled remains of
the eight persons -who were thus prematurely
thrown into the presemse of their Maker. The
first day's proceedings of that 'inquest will be
found elsewhere in to-day's paper; we await its
close before we offer one word of comment on
the evidence which has already been taken, or
on the cause of the accident; but we would
suggest that the presence of some gentle-
man from the Railway Department of the
Board of Trade—if of combined legal and
scientific attainments so -much the better—
at the inquiry is most desirable. That inquiry
must be of the most careful and searching de-
scription. Were the carriages containing the
passengers placed in that division of the train
most likely to secure their safety in case of any
unforeseen accident? Did any officer or servant
of the Railroad Company observe any indications,
however minute, of a tendency in the earth to
slip in Sonning-hill Cutting? What -was the
prevailing opinion as to the condition, in re-
ference to such an occurrence, of the cutting ?
Was it an object of due solicitude and obser-
vation on the part of the Company at all times,
and more particularly during and after the
late heavy rains? Were watchmen continually
kept in the cutting to give notice and warning
of any • possible accident? In short, has
the Great Western Railroad Company per-
formed those most responsible duties—in re-
ference to this portion of its line—to the pub-
lie which necessarily evolve from the posses-
sion of the enormous powers and privileges con-
ferred on it by the Legislature? These are in-
quiries, the fulfilment of which to their utmost
limit can alone render the Coroner's inquest sa-
tisfactory to the nation. If Railroad Companies
will not learn experience, except when it is
taught at the cost of human life, then are they,
instead of public improvements, public nuisances
as at present conducted. There is a very strong
and general impression abroad that every ar-
rangement for the accommodation, safety, and
conveyance of all persons who cannot afford, or
do not choose to travel by first-class carriages, is
inconvenient and incommodious, and in many
particulars most unnecessarily increases the risk
of human life when accidents occur. Second
and third class carriages seem in too many cases I.
to be.built on the principle that all who have sut:,
ficient money in their purses are to be driven
into the first class, and that those who have
not are entitled to no consideration or corn-
fort.
Passengers in the former are not in any
manner protected from smoke, smell, hot and
flying cinders, cold, or rain. These carriages
appear to he rarely cleaned, and may be fitly
denominated conveyances for the propagation of
colds, sore throats, stiff necks, and head-aches.
The liveried attendants on them treat any man
or woman whose apparel is
,Ilot of the best or
newest description, stepping into them, as if
they were of the brute creation, and think that
once they have got them inside these filthy dens,
every obli!vation to attend to their Comfort has
ceased. Toe security of the attendants is the
knowledge that the poor donut and will not corn-
plain to their superiors. We ourselves once
witnessed a railroad servant break open a small
box carried by a passenger, on his own bare
suspicion that it might contain a puppy dog;
when he had forced the lock, he found inside the
ill-used traveller's work ing tools!Similar instances
It is quite clear that
of gross ill-treatment are
of hourly occurrence.
something must be done
for the greater accommodation, safety, and con-
venience of ALL classes of railroad travellers. I
The question is, can the voluntary exertions of ,
the Companies be relied on ? or ought Govern-
ment to undertake the duty—hitherto neglected
by those who have the high merit of accomplish-
ing
great public works—of public protection ?
Inquiries into railroad accidents have hitherto !
terminated in the.general but most unsatisfactory I
statement—"nobody is to blame." We utterly
reject this conclusion,
somebody is to blame in
almost every accident that does occur; and until ;
public inquiries as to the cause of such fatal
occurrences as that of Friday last are conducted II
with a view to inculpation and not to exculpation,
they are what we denominated a late Coroner's i!
inquest on a railroad accident—solemn mockeries.

DREADFUL ACCIDENT.
FIVE PERSONS KILLED, AND TEN SERI-

OUSLY HURT.
On Friday evening the site of the late fire at Man-
ehester was rendered the scene of a most appalling acCi-
dent, by the fall of one of the walls of the building in
which the late fire occurred upon some workmen em-
ployed to take it down. The building alluded to was a
warehouse, in Piccadilly, Manchester, in the occupation
of the Union Carrying Company, beingused by them as
a depot for goods consigned to their care, for carriage
by the Rochdale and Bridgewater canals, and had re-
cently become the property of Lord Francis Egerton,
who is said to have purchased it for 11,0001. The fire
occurred on Monday last, when two thousand bags of cot.
ton were destroyed, worth about 16,0001., and a quantity
of corn, flour, groceries, and tallow. The whole damage
was estimated at upwards of 30,0001. The building was
situated in Piccadilly; and the ruins, which have re-
mained nearly undisturbed since the fire, were about to
be removed on Friday evening, when the accident
occurred. Though the warehouse had been completely
gutted by the fire, two of the entire walls were left
standing ; and that at the back of the building, to the
south of Piccadilly, about ninety feet high, by one hun-
dred feet in length, was carried, by means of two stone
arches, over the Rochdale canal. This wall was about
to be removed, at four o'clock, on Friday afternoon, by
some men in the employ of Mr. Paulding, a railway
contractor, who were erecting some scaffolding against
it, when the stone of one of the arches, which had be
come rotten, and nearly pulverised by the heat of the
fire, giving way, the arch collapsed, and the wall, divid-
ing into two portions, fell, a heap of ruins, upon the loon
who were below.

The whole accident was the work of but a moment.
The men had no chance of escape ; they had barely
time to perceive their awful situation, and raise one
loud shriek of terror ere they were silenced and hid-
den from view beneath the falling mass. A more
painful scene can scarcely be conceived, and the
excitement created in the neighbourhood by the
accident cannot be described. The great thoroughfares
leading to the spot, and of which Piccadilly itself is one
of the principal, were almost immediately choked with
'people, to the number of some thousands, and there was
reason to fear, from the eagerness with which they pres-
sed forward upon the ruins, that a still more frightful
accident might be the result, by the giving way of the
western wall of the building. Their presence, too, had
the effect of seriously retarding the necessary operations
for affording the most prompt relief to 'the unfortunate
men buried in the ruins. Fortunately, Sir Charles Shaw,
the Chief Commissioner of Police, . having heard of the
accident within a few minutes of its, occurrence, had anti-
cipated this evil, and having given orders for a body of
police to he called to the spot, Saperintendent Lawlcy
and Inspector Irwin arrived in front of the building with
a body of about forty men, who were immediately order-
ed to clear the street. Sir Charles himself superintended
the execution of this order, and barriers were then
thrown across Piccadilly to prevent the access of the
public ; and the evening being now far advanced, watch-
,
tires were lighted in the streets and upon the
ruins to guide the operations of the men employed
to search fur the sufferers. The number of men
employed at the building when the accident oc-
curred was 103, and had the wall come down in an
(ilatorthfealliNnvhgole of them would
cei"
rldsstetall'here was, of course, a difficulty
Its described above,
iihnnevb
er oukeeenii
probabilitysmaca rsisn, i
of ascertaining with any certainty for a length of time,
out of so many hands, most of whom had escaped injury,
the real number of the sufferers. lir. Pauling, the con-
tractor, had a list of the men employed, and, on a muster
being called, the. IblleiVing did not answer to their names,
and were concluded to be in the ruins ;—Jas. Perkins,
Thos. Finnigan. Patrick Conlan, George Prondman,
Peter Radical, Michael Mahon, Thos. Garland, John
Donally, Patrick Finnigan, Wm. Harrison, Michael

Dolan, Patrick Tully, Wm. Hurly, J. Roche, and Thos.
Silcox, in all fifteen persons. Besides these, however,
a great number had received injuries from falling bricks
and other materials, but were not seriously hurt. The
poor men whose names are placed first in the list were
rescued from the ruins almost directly the search began
and though so much hurt, that it was deemed necessary to
take them to the Infirmary, it is not supposed that their
,
lives are endangered by their wounds. The search for
the remainder of the suGrers was a work of greater
time, and they have suffered much more severely. Peter
Radical was discovered about six o'clock with his skull
fractured, and suffering from internal injuries ; be was
conveyed to the Infirmary, but there is slight hope of his
recovery. Michael Mahon was also taken out of the rains
about the same time, and although not much bruised ex-
ternally, he had evidently received such internal injuries
as leave but faint hopes of his recovery. About half-
past six Thomas Garland, another of the sufferers,
was found, and though still alive, his body was fright-
fully mangled and crushed, whilst his head was com-
pletely scalped. Patrick Finnigan and William Har-
rison were taken from the ruins about this time, and
taken to the Infirmary. Both of them were much hurt,
the former having one shoulder dislocated and being
otherwise injured, and the other having two of his ,
ribs broken. Hurly was found with several of his
ribs broken. The left leg of one of the sufferers, sup-
posed to be Silcox's, was found about this time. John
Donally was next taken out, dead ; and two hours after-
wards
Dolan, also dead. Near him, also dead, were
found the remains of Tully. The latter was found stand-
ing upright amongst a heap of bricks, in which his body
was so firmly itnbedded, that nearly an hour elapsed after
his head and shoulders had been bared, before it could
be extricated. A more painful and heart-rending scene
than was presented at the Infirmary about nine &cloak
last evening, was never witnessed. Upwards of 100
men were employed in the building_ at the time of the
accident ; and the most exaggerated reports as to the
extent of the fatality got abroad. The wives, chil-
dren, and friends of many of these men had been at
work during the day in the different factories, and
on returning home, and hearing the prevailing reports,
they naturally rushed to the scene of the accident, to
learn the fate of those near and dear to them. On reach,
ing Piccadilly, however, the police turned them back at the
barriers ; and, after a vain struggle to elude the vigi-
lance of the officers, or to obtain from them or the sur-
rounding crowd, inforthation which it was not in their
power to give, the tide of inquiries gradually turned, as
the fact became known where the sufferers had been
sent towards the Infirmary. The poor creatures, ren-
dered more anxious and terrified by the difficulties they
had met with, arrived in a state of excitement little
short of distraction. Many arrived, alas ! to find their
worst fears verified ; but these were by no means the
most importunate to gain access to the sick and dead
rooms. Some of the inquirers, from the doubt ex-
pressed by the porters, as to the real names of several
of the sufferers, were unwilling to retire until they had
satisfied themselves by personal inspection, that their
fears were groundless: To the admission of those per-
sons into the dead room there was, of course, no objec-
tion ; but the impropriety of admitting them to the pre-
sence of the wounded will be readily seen, and their im-
portunate entreaties were properly disregarded. Here
another difficulty arose. Some who had been refused ad-
mittance to the sick rooms, having obtained from the por-
ter the supposed name of some one of those as to whose
identity he was in doubt, after retiring a short time, re-
turned, representing themselves as relatives to a man of
that name ; and more than one instance occurred in
which two or three fathers and mothers claimed the
same patient as their son. This scene, extraordinary as
it may seem, is not exaggerated, and it lasted a consider-
able time.

Though the bodies of two of the men above-named,
Silcox and Roche, have not yet been found, there is
now no doubt as to their being amongst the killed. The
former was some years ago a master builder at Leeds ;
but had been reduced in circumstances, but of late em-
ployed on the works of the Manchester and Birmingham
Railway.

Though the ruins of the warehouse had been played
upon all the week by the fire-engines, they still smould-
ered, and during the time occupied in searching for the
bodies last night they again broke out into flames, a
great quantity of unconsumed cotton being amongst the
ruins, and considerable exertions had to be used during
'the night by the firemen to subdue them. A strict watch
has been kept upon the western wall of the building,
which is yet standing, since the accident, to see if it gave
any indications of danger, and as soon as the bodies of
the two remaining sufferers have been exhumed, it will
be immediately taken down. Its situation affords ground
for believing that it may be accomplished without farther
accident.

ATROCIOUS MURDER NEAR
1V14.M,' SHROPSHIRE.

(From the Secondlition of the Shrewsbury News.)
Another murder has been perpetrated in this county,
during the present week, under circumstances of greater
atrocity even than the one at Bronygarth, near Oswcs-
try. A wife, with the assistance of her husband, has
administered poison to both her parents, and the mother
has faller► a victim to the diabolical deed, the father
escaping by a miracle ; and an innocent person (accord-
ing to the last report) has since died in extreme agony,
from the effect of the deadly food.
The name of the old man is Arthur Williams, who
resides at Whixall, within three miles of Wem, in this
county, and the perpetrators of' the horrid crime, Thomas
Harries and his wife Mary, lived in the same cottage with
the father and his deceased wife Eliza Williams. The
prisoner, Thomas Harries, had been previously married,
his former wife having died four years ago, leaving two
children, who resided in the same cottage with the pri-
soners. It appeared that the deceased victim had been
in the habit of correcting these children, and Harries
had said that he would remember her for it; and this is
the only motive that can at present 5e assigned fur the
deed.

On Monday last the deceased partook of an apple-
dumpling at dinner, and was instantly taken ill, the
symptoms increasing in virulence so rapidly, that by
nine o'clock the same evening she was a corpse. Her
husband did not eat any of the dumpling, being too ill,
from having taken a small portion of the poisonous mi-
neral on the previous night : and the third party was
the son of a neighbour, to whom the female prisoner had
given the remainder of the poisoned food.
An inquest was held on the body of the deceased
Eliza Williams on Friday last, before Mr. Joseph
Dickens, Coroner (who had only returned home on Wed-
nesday from holding an inquest on the murdered woman
near Oswestry), when the following evidence was ad-
duced :

Arthur Williams, husband of the deceased—Lives in
a cottage at Whixall, and the prisoners Thomas and Mary
Harries, with two children of the former, resided with
' him. On Saturday last witness had a pig's fry for his
supper, which was cooked by the accused, who took
some flour from a bag hanging in the kitchen, to thicken
the gravy. Witness ate heartily, and felt very sick
afterwards, going to bed ill, and remaining so all night.
He got up the next morning very unwell, and sat in the
house till eleven o'clock, when he went out, leaving
the deceased, the prisoners, the children, and a
neighbour, named John Edwards, there. Witness
returned to dinner, but was too unwell to eat. The
first dish was an apple dumpling, of which the deceased
ate heartily, but witness was too poorly to taste it.
Within five minutes after eating the dumpling the de-
ceased ran towards the door, and, throwing it open, said,
"Oh dear, how ill lam ! " and retched violently. Tho
deceased then went into the garden, supported by the
female prisoner, and, being a long time away, witness
went out, and finding her too ill to walk, carried her
into the house, and placed her in a chair. She continued
getting worse, till 5 o'clock, when witness carried her
up to bad, and went to bed himself, feeling very unwell.
He got up about 9 o'clock, as his wife became much
worse, and she died shortly after. Witness had occasion
to go into the garden afterwards, leaving the prisoners
together in the kitchen, and on returning heard Harries
say to his wife, "There's something in that flour." The
two prisoners lived in the same house with the witness,
but ate at a separate table, and found their own victuals.
They had their dinner at the same time as the deceased,
but not at the same table. The female prisoner made
a dumpling at the same time as the deceased, but
did not take the flour from the same bag. The de-
ceased did not eat all the dumpling, and on the follow-
ing morning witness said to the female prisoner, "There's
some dumpling; give it to the children ; " and she an-
swered " No, I may not do that." He again requested
her to give it them, and she replied, " No, no, I munna
give it them." A neighbour, named Betty Minshall,
had been washing at the house on Monday morning, and
went on an errand the same day. On Wednesday wit-
ness asked the female prisoner where the remainder of
the dumpling was, and she replied, " I have given it to
the children, and they have eaten it. The male prisoner
had frequently words aboat the children with the de-
ceased, but nothing of any consequence. When the
female prisoner was taken into custody she said, " I am
innocent, and I believe I can swear for him." Witness
knew there was poison kept in the house, having some
sugar of lead in a paper, which ho used for dressing
cows, but it was not kept near the bag which contained
the flour. The male prisoner had some powdered arsenic
in a bottle, which he used for poisoning rats, and kept it
in the pantry. The flour was bought from Mr. Povey,
of Whixall, in a large bag, and a small quantity was put
in another bag, and hurl!, up in the kitchen ready to use
for trifling purposes ; but the bread was always made
from the large bag. After deceased was dead, witness
saw the male prisoner go into the pantry, and while he
was there his wife said, "What are you plundering there
at : is there anything I can reach you ?" to which he
answered, " No ; you know nothing about it."
John Edwards was at the house of Arthur Williams
on Sunday last, and saw the deceased take some flour
out of a striped bag and make an apple-dumpling. The
female prisoner likewise made a dumpling, but took
the flour from another bag and made it at the same time
and at the same table as the deceased. The female pri-
soner put the dumpling she made into the pot first, and
they were both tied up in cloths.
Thomas Norway Arthur, surgeon, residing at Whit-
church, was in the neighbourhood of Whixall on
Wednesday last, and met with Arthur Williams. Wit-
ness
asked him if it was true that his wife died suddenly
The old man said " Yes, and I fear there has been foul
play," and requested 'Witness to go into the house, which
he did, and saw the female prisoner and another woman.

lI'RICE 5(1

Witness asked the old man if he suspected any one of
committing the foul play, and he said he was afraid that
it was his son-in-law, for he had been frequently cross
with the old Woman. Witness then went up stairs with
Mary Jones to look at the deceased, and at the same time
to ask Mary Jones some questions. The female prisoner
endeavoured.to follow them up stairs, which witness pre-
vented. He examined the deceased, but found no out-
ward marks of Violence. lie had also made a post
mortem examination of time body in company with Mr.
Groom,. surgeon, of Whitchurch. The internal, or
villotis coat of the stomach was entirely destroyed, and
it was the positive opinion of witness that the deceased's
death was occasioned by some corrosive poison. Wit-
ness thought arsenic would produce the exact effect in
which he found deceased's stomach. Witness likewise
took some flour from the bag, and examined it with Mr.
Groom and a chemist, and was positive it contained
arsenic.

Mr. Thomas Groom, surgeon, of Whitchurch, corro-
borated the testimony of Mr. Arthur, and MIS positive
that arsenic was the poison which occasioned deceased's
death.

Mary Jones, a neighbour, saw the deceased when she
was ill, and was with her when she died. Witness had
frequently heard the male prisoner say he would knock
the deceased's brains out if she interfered with his chil-
dren ;•aud about three weeks ago, on a Friday, there
was snow, and the deceased had walked to Whitehurch.
Witness said to him, " The poor old woman will be lost
in the snow," and he said " B—t her, I should like to
hear of her being found in the road stiff."

Elizabeth- ➢Zinsbell was washing at the house of
Arthur Williams on Monday, and afterwards went to
Whitchurch, to a sister of the deceased, to tell her of
her death and invite her to the funeral. When she
came back and delivered her message the female prisoner
gave her a piece of dumpling, which she took home.
Witness'S son, John Haycock (by a former husband),
was in the house, and she gave it him for his supper.
ire ate it, and wont. to his boat on the canal, and she saw
no more of him.

Thomas Minshall, captain of a canal boat, was in his
boat on the canal, near Whixall, and saw John Hay-
cock in another boat, very ill, and vomiting. 'Witness
accompanied the boat some distance, and Haycock told
him to tell his mother that the dumpling had nearly
killed him, and that she would never see him again.
Richard Jones, constable, searched the house, and,
when searching for the arsenic in the pantry, was told
by the female prisoner that she had thrown it away
three months before. She afterwards said that she had
emptied the poison out, and washed the bottle clean.
Witness, however, found a bottle which had contained
arsenic in a basket among other bottles. He likewise
found the sugar of lead on a beam in the kitchen.
This concluded the evidence.

The male prisoner asked the Coroner if the examina-
tion would conclude that evening, and, being answered
in the affirmative, said he might as well tell all. He
then made a statement to the effect that he had told his
wife on Saturday night that something was the matter
with the meat to make the old man so ill. He said be
had purchased tha poison some mouths ago from Mr.
Gough, chemist, of 'Wem, for the purpose of destroying
rats, and hinted that his wife must have administered
the arsenic if the deceased really was poisoned. The
female prisoner said, if any one knew about it it was her
husband.

The Jury returned a verdict, " That the deceased's
death was occasioned by poison administered by Thomas
Harries, and that he was assisted by his wife ;" and they
were both fully committed for the next assizes.
The male prisoner is a brickmaker by trade, and has
borne but an indifferent character. The female is very
far advanced in pregnancy, and on Thursday feigned that
she was in labour ; but upon examination by a surgeon,
the attempt to postpone the investigation failed. John.
Haycock was: taken into Cheshire by the boat, and a
report has reached town that he has expired—making
the second victim of this unparalleled atrocity.

NAVAL INTELLIGENCE.
(From the Hampshire Telegraph.)
PORTSMOUTH, DEC. 25.—The Snake, 16, Commander
the Hon. W. B. Devereux, arrived on Sunday from Chat-
ham, and will sail on Wednesday next for the Mediterra-
nean (touching at Plymouth), to relieve, the Wasp, 16,
Commander the Hon. 11. A. Murray.
The Queen, 110, Captain Rich, will go out of harbour
on Thursday, in tow of the Vixen steam-frigate, ordered
round from Woolwich for that purpose.
The Isis, 50, Captain Sir John Marshall, at Plymouth,
is under orders for the Brazils.
The Thalia frigate is daily expected at Spithead from
Leith.
The Camelion, 10, which had sailed from the Cape of
Good Hope for China, put back there on Sept. 2, having
been damaged in a gale of wind.
The Warspite, 50, Captain Lord John Hay, is to es-
cort to England his Majesty the King of Prussia, on his
approaching visit to this country, on the occasion of the
christening of the Prince of Wales, to whom his Majesty
will stand as sponsor. It is understood that the Thalia
and Volage will also form part of the escort. The War-
spite is ready for sea.
The Formidable, 84, Captain Sir C. Sullivan, is or-
dered to be expedited at Chatham, to proceed to the
Mediterranean, calling at Spithead.
The Seringapatam, 46, has been undergoing survey, to
ascertain her fitness for re-commissioning, at Sheerness.
The Conway, 26, Captain Bethune, with treasure on
board, arrived from China and Calcutta, at the Cape of
Good Hope, on the Ist of October ; she may, therefore,
be daily expected. The Cornwallis, 72, Captain Richards,
on her way to China, made a splendid passage to the
Cape from Plymouth, having left that port on the sth of
July, and reached the Cape on the 26th of September.
The brig Ferret, 10, Commander Oake, will soon be
ready at Plymouth, to proceed to the Coast of Africa,
The Crocodile, 26, recently returned from the West
Indies, is ordered to be again brought forward for com-
mission.
The Numa, transport, from 'Woolwich, andjAdventum,
naval transport, from Deptford, arrived on Sunday.
The Java, transport, with detachments of the Ist Royal,
sth and 7th Fusileers, 46th, 48th, and 79th regiments,
sailed from Gravesend on Saturday last for Gibraltar,
The Ist division of the 97th regiment, under command
of Major Cannon, has left Corfu for Zante, to relieve the
38th regiment.
The Cracker cutter arrived on Monday from Jersey.
The Emerald sailed the same day to Plymouth.
The Rhadamanthus, steam transport, is ready for sea,
and will arrive at this port about the Ist of January.
The Lieutenant's commission, given by the Admiralty
half-yearly to one of the mates studying at the Royal
Naval College, has been awarded this Christmas to Mr.
James Francis Ballard Wainwright.
On paying off the Tyne, about a month since, in this
harbour, James Dix, chief boatswain's mate, was awarded
a medal for his good services, and a pension of 271. per
annum.
PROMOTIONS AND APPOINTMENTS.
Pitomorrox.—Mate James . Francis Ballard Wain-
wright, by merit, from the Royal Naval College, to the
rank of Lieutenant.
Ai.nonarmENTs.—Captain—Charles Eden, to the Win-
chester, as Flag Ship at the Cape.
Commanders—J. S. W. Johnson, to the Wolverine ;
George Baker, to the Lily (to take passage in the Ra-
pid) ; A. Darley, to the Electra ; Hon. J. R. Drummond,
to the Scout ; Philip G. Hayines, to the Fantome ;
Parry, to the Sappho, in the West Indies (to take pas-
sage in the Volage).
Lieutenants—James Chas. Johnstone, to the Warspite,
vice Hornby, promoted ; Henry 'l'. Smith, James B.
Kinsman, and Chas. Knighton (additional) to the Cale-
donia ; Sydney Thomas, to the Royal George, for service
in the Nautilus ; E. Sanders, to the Indus, vice Bamber,
invalided ; A. Lewis and Augustus Lavie, to the Vindic-
tive ; Thomas Baillie, from Warspite, to Isis ; G. L.
Norcock, to Warspite, vice Baillie.
Master—D. Lye, to Royal George.
Second Master—W. Barnard, to the Atholl.
Surgeon—J. Greenish, to the Royal George.
Purser—Thos. Goddard, to the Royal George.
Mates—R. Willcox, from the Excellent, to the Alfred;
Alfred Young, to the St. Vincent ; W. Grierson, to the
Queen ; W. Carroll and J. Palmer, to the Royal George,
Cleric—James Punchard, to the Snake.
The Hon. Rear-Admiral J. Percy is appointed to the
command at the Cape of Good Hope, vice Sir E. King,
promoted; Captain Sir Francis Collier, C. 8., to the com-
mand of the William and Mary yacht, and the superin-
tendence of Woolwich Yard; Captain Peter Fisher, to
command the Ocean, and the superintendence of Sheer-
ness Yard; Sir Watkin 0. Pell, C. 8., to command the
Royal Sovereign yacht, and the superintendence of Pem-
broke Yard; Captain Sir John Hill, to finish his servi-
tude s
ant Superintendent of the Deptford Victualling Esta-
blishme ;year-Admiral Sir S.
flag in the San Josef,with the superint-ne
Yard. ncl C.B.ence to hoist his
of Plymouth
Royal Marines—Mr. Georgeg
Lieut., to the Plymouth Divi -Tath Pasco, Second3la
mon.
PLYMOUTH, THURSDAY, DEP 23.—The Harlequin,
s- after
16, Conf. non. G. T. Hastings, several attempts to
get down Channel, sailed the; 17th
for China
, with a
strong breeze,at o
N.E.—The A
u steamer, Lieut. C.
Jenkiu, arrived from Portsmouth on Friday last, with
supernumeraries. The Spy, Lieut. Potbury, came into
harbour to refit.—Sailed re' Alban steamer, Mr. King,
master, for Bristol.---The Powerful, 84, Capt. Seymour,
with Vice-Admiral Sir John Ommanney's flag, from the
Mediterranean, was obliged to put into this port on the
18th, owing to the prevalence of tie strong easterly
winds ; she, however, got away on the 21st, and
has proceeded for Portsmouth.—On the 18th, the
Belvidera, 38, Captain Honourable G. Grey, and
Serpent, 16, arrived from Portsmouth ; Commander W.
Neville, has superseded Captain Searle, on his promo-
tion.—The Belvidere, sailed for the Mediterranean on
the 21st.—
The Malabar, 72, Captain Sir G. R. Sarto-
rious,and North Star, 26, Captain S it J. E. Home, sailed
the 18th, the former for Gibraltar, and the latter for
China.—The Belleisle, troop-ship, Captain J. King-
combo ; Apollo, troop-ship, Com: nander C. Frederick ;
and Sapphire, troop-ship, G. H. Cole, master, sailed for
China, with troops, the 20th.—The Volage, 26, Captain
Sir W. Dickson, and Heroine, 10, Lieut. T. D. Stewart,
arrived from Portsmouth the 21st.—Rear-Ailmiral Super-
intendent Pym, 1i.C.8., commenced duty in the Dock-
yard the 21st, vice Warren, promoted.
In Harbour—Caledonia, Situ Josef, Minden, Fly, Es-
poir, Ferret, Spy.
In the Sound—lsis, Volag,e, Serpent, and Heroine.
WOOLWICH, Dec. 24.—k'tir George Cockburn visited