The Sun.
London, England, 1848-01-04 00:00:00

NAVAL AND MILITARY INTEL

LIGENCE.

MALTA, Dzc.24.—A dreadful accident occurred
on board her Majesty's steamer Oberon on her pas-
sage out. She twice caught fire, and the men were
beat to quarters ; her decks were cut up round the
funnel, which became red hot, and she was in some
danger. She is obliged, of course to repair damages.
A man on board, in rendering assistance, and not
knowing that her engines were oscillatory, by acci-
dent placed his foot on a part of them, and he was
carried with the engine below and crushed to death.
The dreadful news was not communicated to Lady
O'Ferrall until her arrival here.

The Oberon made a splendid passage out, having
been only eighteen days, of which two were spent at
Lisbon, two at Gibraltar, and three at Algiers.
At the last named port his Excellency arrived on
the evening when his Royal Highness the Duke
d'Aumale held a le: "e, which he attended, and was on
the following day ceived with every honour, having
been most hospitably treated by the Royal Duke, and
saluted on landing.
The India mails, Vii Southampton, due here on the
13th and 14th, did not reach, on account of the Erin
putting back from bad weather and another steamer
being ordered on, till, the 22d inst.
It is greatly to be feared that they will not reach
Suez before the mailboat for India leaves that port,
though they were forwarded without loss of time by
the Ariel.
It is reported as certain that the fleet of Sir W.
Parker will not return till the second week in
January.
The portion of her Majesty's G9th Regiment which
reached Malta by the Blenheim, and is enduring
quarantine from a case of smallpox on board on her
outward passage, is likely to suffer a longer period
than that originally fixed upon, as other cases, though
fortunately not fatal, have been reorted since the
companies hare been in Fort Mai oal. We have
heard of three during the last week.
Her Majesty's 54th Regiment will embark on
Monday next for their new destination, on board the
Belleisle troop-ship. Such, at least, are the orders at
present issued. It is probable, however, that the
vessel will not sail until IVednesday at the soonest.
Her Majesty's steam-frigate Sidon arrived this
morning early from Alexandria.
The Peninsular and Oriental Company's steamer
Sultan, from Constantinople, also arrived, and the
Pacha left on her return to Southampton.
DECEMBER 25.—8 y the arrival of the French
steamer from Constantinople to-day, it is said the dis-
pute between the Porte and Greece is settled, but no
particulars have yet arrived in detail.
PORTSMOUTH, MONDAY.---The Modeste, 18, Corn-
niunder 11. J. J. G. Macdonald, arrived itt Spithead
thi morning, and saluted the Corntnander-in-Chief.
She ieft Valparaiso on the 6th of October, at which
date the Collingwood, 80, Captain Smart, flag of

Rear-Admiral Sir G. Seymour, C. 13., G.C.IL, Com-
mander-in-• Chief, and the Carysfort, 26, Captain Sey-
mour, were at anchor there. The Admiral was living
ashore, at a comfortable retreat, called Perro Algera,
and, together with his family, was enjoying excellent
health. The Sampson steam frigate, Captain Hen-
derson, had sailed the day before the Modeste left, for
Callao. The Grampus, 50, Captain H. B. Martin,
C. sailed from Valparaiso for Callao and the coast
of Mexico on the 30th of September. The Modeste
arrived at Rio on the 12th of November, and found
there the Eagle, 50, Captain Martin ; the Fury
steam-sloop, Commander Willcox; and the Griffon
packet. The American 90 gun ship Ohio also lay
there. The Fury left for Singapore direct on the
14th of November. The news from the River Plate
brought by the Modeste we have given elsewhere,
She brought also a small freight on merchant's ste,,
count, which Messrs. Casher, of this port, wine meta
chants and freight agents, have conveyed to London,
The Modeste was commissioned on the 6th of June,
1843, by Commander Thomas Baillie, who was pro.
moted in 1845, when Commander Watkina wad
appointed to her. This officer was also promoted in
the late brevet, when Sir George Seymour put hie
Flag-Lieutenant (Mr. Macdonald) in the vessel As
acting-commander, to bring her home. Her First
Lieutenant (Mr. Rooney) has been promoted to tho
rank of Commander, and Lieutenant Austen, of the
Carysfort, has come home Senior Lieutenant of the
Modesto. She brought heavy mails from the Pacific
and River Plate squadrons. Commander Rooney ;
Mr. Gibson, surgeon ; Mr. Hobbs, master; and Mr.
Adam Gordon, assistant-surgeon, appear by the list
to be the only officers who have served throughout
the ship's commission. The Modeste has chiefly been
employed on detached service. She is ordered to
Sheerness to be paid off.
The Birkenhead iron steamer, Commander Ingrarrii
arrived this morning from Ireland. Her carpenter,
it is reported, is about to be tried by court-martial.
The Terrible steam-frigate, Captain Ramsay, bent
sails on Saturday, shipped her gun carriages, &e.,
this morning, and hauled off from the dockyard this
afternoon to complete her refit on the Gosport side
of the I arbour. _ _

A letter from the Vanguard, 80, at Malta, dated
the 14th ult , says—" You will most likely see
report in the papers about this ship which is not true.
Our main yard was landed and stripped to overhaul,
but nothing of any consequence was the matter with
it. The ship has been caulked outside, and certainly
not before she required it, not having:been caulked now
for many years. How it could have been said our
sternpost was rotten, I know not; there is no foun-
dation for such a report; and as to our going home
in the spring, I fear that is too good news to be true.
The Harlequin has arrived from Athens on her way
to South America. The Amazon and the Flamer
go home about the end of the year. Our foremast
is not yet ready, when it is, report says we go to
Athens."

Wind, south; moderate breezes and hazy weather.
P.r.vmouTfr, J.N. I.—The remains of Colonel.
Commandant Mercer, Royal Marines, who expired
on the 24th ult., were this day removed from his
quarters at the Royal Marine Barracks to the Royal
William Victualling-yard, Stonehouse, preparatory
to shipment by steamer, via Dublin, for the family
burial-ground at Lisburne, in the north of Ireland.
Prior to the removal, the Commander-in-Chief of the
Western District, General. Murray, issued an order
requiring the attendance of all officers in garrison off
duty at the time
Unfortunately the weather was inauspicious, and
toe imposing ceremony was interrupted by frequent
showers, which rendered the roads very unsuitable for
the occasion. Colonel Mercer is the first commandant
in Stonehouse who has died in command, and suppos-
ing them all here, his remains were entitled to be
attended by the full complement of the division-
-2,280 men. In consequence, however, of the state of
the weather, and the short distance to be marched,
only 400 were present. They were headed by Adju-
tant Jackson, and soon after the appointed hour, two
o'clock, they commenced their mournful duty by
marching through the main entrance, six abreast,
with arms reversed, in slow time, to the music of *
funeral dirge admirably executed by the united bands
of the 14th and 81st regiments. All the officers and
sergeant-majors wore silk hatbands and scarfs, having
on their left arms bands of crape, with which material the
colours of the division were also encased. The party
were commanded and followed by Colonel Waring,
the field- officer of the week. Next the two assistant
bands came that belonging to the Royal Marines—
their drums muffled, and instruments covered with
crape. On entering Durnford-street they commenced
the " Dead March in Saul."
Two clergymen, with Drs. Yonge and Millar, and
Messrs. Elliott, Dyer, and Radford, the undertakers,
preceded the body, which was in a plain black coffin,
covered by a velvet pall, over which was thrown a union
jack, with the undress cap and sword of the deceased.
The pall bearers were Captain Sir Henry J. Leeke,
R.N. ; Captain Superintendent Toup Nicholas, Royal
William Victualling-yard ; Colonel Barlow, 14th
Regiment ; Colonel Creagh, 81st Regiment; and four
other officers of similar rank. The Colonel's body
was drawn on a 12-pounder gun carriage by four
black horses, with plumes and velvet cloths, led by
Artillerymen, and followed ley his charger bearing
his boots and spurs.
Three of the Colonel's sons were chief mourners ;
one of them is an officer of the 94th Regiment, one
in the Royal Artillery, and the third in the Royal
Marines. Immediately after came a number of
officers of all ranks, in full uniform, on foot, and in
reversed order; among them were Major. General
the Hon. Henry Murray, Colonel J. Oldfield (Royal
Engineers), Brigade-Major Captain Nelson, Mr.
West (Flag-Lieutenant to Port-Admiral Sir John
West), Mr. Woolcombe (Flag-Lieutenant to Admiral
Superintendent Sir John Louis), Major Watson,
Captain Protheroe, Adjutant M‘Donald and officers
of the 14th Regiment, Major Creagh and officers of
the 81st Regiment, officers of Artillery and Royal
Engineers, Captain Toby, Captain Wright, Adjutant
Polkinghorne and officers of Royal Marines ; Naval
officers, on full and half-pay, including Admiral Mau-
rice, Admiral Arthur, and others, &c. Several car-
riages closed the procession.
At the Royal William Victualling-yard arrange-
ments were made by Mr. J. W. Armstrong, master-
attendant. At the main gate, and on board all the Go-
vernment and merchant vessels of the establishment,
colours were hoisted half-mast high. After entering
the yard, the Royal Marines opened into two columns
to receive the body, which was drawn to the grand
store on the eastern side of Melville-square, where
wt apartment suitably fitted, and hung with the na-
i';l-mal flags, was prepared for its reception. Here it
was deposited and will continue (under charge of a
corporal's guard) until Monday morning, when it
will be conveyed by the Royal Marine barge to the
British and Irish Steam-packet Company's steamer
City of Limerick, Captain John Moppett, and thus
will conclude the last duties of the Stonehouse divis
sion of Royal Marines towards the remains of their
honoured chief.
Her Majesty's ship Asia, 84, Captain Stopford,
with the flag of Admiral Phipps Hornby, having re-
paired defects, is now in the Sound, ready to sail for
her destination, South America and the Pacific.
Captain J. H. Bowker, It N., expired at his resi-
dence, West Emma-place, Stonehouse, this morning,
at seven o'clock.
The American ship John Dunlop, Captain W.
Norris, from Liverpool, having been as far as 14
west longitude, put back to this port on the 31st ult.,
leaky.

RAILWAY SHARE MARKETS.
LIVERPOOL, JAIL 3.

STOCK EXCHANGE.—The sales are—Ambergate and East•
em Junction, 465. 3d.—Birkenhead, Lancashire, and Che-
shire Junction, Isl4—Ditto, 221. Shares, 7 dis.—Caledonian,
Halves, 2%—East Lancashire, New, 4 dis.—London and
South-Westerr, New 501. Shares, 514 dis.—South-Eastern
and Dover, New, No. 1, 8 dia.—Ditto, No. 4, Thirds 1%
dis. ex int.