The Sun.
London, England, 1846-11-20 00:00:00

1816.

NAVAL INTELLIGENCE.

PORTSMOUTH, Nov. 19.—The two good service pen-
sions which became vacant in the Royal Marine force by
the promotion of Colonels Lawrence and Nicolls to the
rank of Major-General in the army, have been conferred
upon Colonels M'Callum, of Portsmouth, and Menzies,
of the Chatham division. The services of these veterans
are thus recorded in Allen's New Navy List :
"J. M'Callum, First-Lieutenant, serving in the
Dreadnought at Trafalgar, and in the Endymion at the
passage of the Dardanelles, and destruction of the
Turkish squadron at Point Pasquies, 1807.
" C. Menzies, First-Lieutenant, and commanded a de-
tachment of marines; landed at Port Jackson, during. an
insurrection of convicts, 1804, and was mainly instru-
mental in restoring tranquillity in the colony ; served in
the boats of the Minerva at the capture of five luggers
protected by a battery in Finisterre Bay ; was in the
barge at the capture of the Spanish privateer Buena
Dicha, of one long gun and 26 men ; commanded a boat
at the capture of a Spanish gun-boat at Carril ; and
commanded the marines at the storming of Fort Finis-
terre, 1806, served in boats at the capture of the
Spanish privateer San Josef, and landed and made pri-
soner the Spanish commodore ; Was in command of the
marines at the czpture of the Fort Guardia, and was
slightly wounded in cutting out the French corvette
Moselle in Basque roads ; served' at the taking of Fort
Camarinas and gun-boats, and was repeatedly engaged
in boat actions and against batteries. Gazetted 1806."
We take the services of the following officers appointed
to command from the same excellent source :

" Commander V. A. Massingberd (1842), appointed
to the Alecto, vice Austen promoted ; was Senior Lieu-
tenant of the Blenheim in China.
" Commander E. C. T. D'Eyneourt (1841), to the
Comus, vice Thompson, promoted ; was Lieutenant of
the Calliope, and wounded in the operations against
Canton, and was at the capture of that city.
" Commander H. M. Ellicomb (1841), to the Rolla,
vice Simpson ; was Lieutenant of the Ringdove on the
coast of Spain, and employed at the sieges of Bilboa
during the civil war in 1836 and 1837.
" Lieutenant Rivers (1841), to the Nautilus, vice
M'Donnel, promoted ; was mate of the Calliope and
senior Lieutenant of the Sulphur during the principal
operations against the cities and coasts of China in 1841
and 1842, including the capture of the heights of Can-
ton, when he served on shore with, the army and was
wounded. Officially mentioned on several occasions."
Lieutenant Thurburn (1841), first of the Harlequin;
is appointed to command the Griffon, vice Wilmot,
promoted.
Lietenant Western (1841), is appointed to command
the Jackal, vice Pasco, promoted.
The Firebrand steam-frigate, Captain Hope, was at
Buenos Ayres on the 11th of September, blockading.
Her marines were landed and quartered in Victoria
Barracks. It was expected there would be a break up
of the squadron when Admiral Inglefield left for China,
to take the chief command on that station, but the Fire-
brand expected to remain in the river Plate until a more
settled state of affairs in that quarter.
There is no truth whatever in the statement by a con-
temporary tbat every other port on the lower deck of
the Vengeance is to be caulked.
The Crocodile troop •ship, Commander Lowe, was un-
docked to-day, and the Resistance docked in her room.
The Lively navy-lighter arrived to-day from Plymouth
with stores.

Woomyrcri, Nov. 19.—The Centaur steam-frigate of
1,270 tons burthen, built at Portsmouth from a design
of Sir William Symonds, Surveyor of the Navy, and fitted
with engines of 540-horse power, by Boulton, Watt, and
Co., was tried down the river to day to ascertain the
working order of her engines. The Centaur left her
moorings at Blackwall under the charge of Commander
Smith of the William and Mary yacht shortly after 12
o'clock, and proceeded down the river under the direction
of Master-Commander Allen of the Black Eagle, answer-
ing remarkably well to her helm, and affording evi-
dence that her engines were in excellent condition, and
well adjusted, as there was not the slightest appearance
of heating during the preliminary experimental trial.
Amongst the officers present to witness the working of
the engines and capabilities of the vessel, were Captain
Sir George Otway, Bart., Captain Knox, Captain Jones,
Captain Pleydell Bouverie (of the Royal Navy), Mr.
Pontter (of the Trinity Company), Mr. Lloyd (chief
engineer of the Woolwich Dockyard), Mr. Samuda, Mr.
Wigram, Mr. Mylne, Mr. Dangleish, and Mr. Brown (of
the firm of Boulton, Watt, and Co.), with numerous
other scientific gentlemen. The engines were under the
charge of Mr. Taylor, first engineer in the Royal Navy,
and on starting made 18 revolutions per minute, which
was considered a fair average speed with wheels 28 feet
in diameter and a stroke of six feet in the engines. As
the vessel proceeded down the river she acquired a
greater degree of speed, making from 194 to 20 revolu-
tions per minute, and gliding through the water with
the greatest ease and steadiness. The trip being merely
of a preliminary nature, Mr. Lloyd did not calculate her
speed at the measured mile in Long-reach, but it was
ascertained by a private time-piece that she performed
that distance in 6 minutes 18 seconds, although not, at
full speed.
The Centaur is 200 feet long by 37 feet broad, and
strongly built. The engines are of the most substantial
construction, and finished with great nicety, as was
shown by the excellence of,their working on their first
trial. They are similar in principle, with improvements,
to those of the Virago steamer, fitted by the same firm.
Some idea may be formed of the strength of the various
parts, when it is stated that the ceutre shaft alone
weighed thirteen tons when it left the forge, being con-
structed of malleable iron, and beautifully finished. The
cylinders are 854 inches in diameter, and the working
pressure to-day 61bs. to the square inch. The engine-
room is well ventilated, and access to every part of the
engines obtained in the easiest manner. There are six
boilers, which can be worked together or seperately,
according to the quantity of steam required, and a very
great improvement has been effected in lettering the
stopcocks of the boilers, such as F. for front boiler, M. B.
for middle boiler, to enable any stoker or other person
to turn off or on the proper boiler without the chance of
mistake. There is also a waste steam-engine for work-
ing the pumps, and every appliance to render the engines
perfect. The vessel turned at Greenhithe, and, on
arriving at Woolwich, was attached to moorings along-
side the coal depot. She has been in charge of Mr.
William Grant, her carpenter, since she was brought
round from Portsmouth to be fitted with her engines.
The Avon steam-vessel, Captain Denham, arrived to-
day, and while her steam was up went up the river to
tow the Growler steam-vessel to Woolwich.

......
The Gorgon arrived at Woolwich shortly after twelve
o'clock, and will be paid off here.

PROMOTIONS AND APPOINTMENTS.

Nov. 18.—T. D. Conconi, clerk's assistant, to the Per-
seus; W. H. Sloggett, assistant surgeon, to the Thetis;
H. J. S. Walker, clerk, to the Mutine; William Methe•
rell, boatswain, confirmed; John Albert Belond, third
engineer, to the Violet; James Thurburn, lieutenant and
commander, to the Griffon; J. R. Baker, lieutenant and
commander, to the Ardent.
Nov. 19.—William Thomas Clifton, master's assistant,
to the Albatross; W. H. Hills, clerk, to the Naiad;
Dennis, clerk's assistant, to the Albatross; John Boni-
ton, acting second master, to the Adder; Edward Maun-
der, acting second master, to the Medusa; Frederick T.
Carr, master's assistant, to the Ocean; Rev. W. S. Miller,
chaplain, to the Vengeance; J. G. Trewin, and B. S.
Grose, master's assistants, to the Caledonia; William
Watson, clerk's assistant, to the Thetis; Richard Mini-
day, clerk's assistant, to the Birkenhead; George Munro,
clerk, to the Naiad; William Kitt, boatswain, to the
Actaeon ; John Gunnis Lean, paymaster and purser, R.
P. R. Sparrow, acting assistant surgeon, T. S. Gilpin,
master's assistant, John G. Twine, acting gunner, James
Phipps, boatswain, James Carter, carpenter, and Henry
V. Haggard, lieutenant, to the Resistance.