The Sun.
London, England, 1846-06-05 00:00:00

NAVAL INTELLIGENCE:
FIIIE SQUADRON OF EVOLUTION.'
PORTSMOUTH, TO Rs oar.—The following letters relating
to the proceedings of the squadron,will be found interesting,
as the opinions of expa.ienced officers of different ships:—
" her Majesty's ship Battler, at sea, May 27.
"We beat the whole squadron under sail alone. In a trial
with the Brilliant, yesterday, she acknowledged by signal we
beat her a mile to windward in four hours' sail. The Ter-
rible and Scourge, who parted company the fitst night, have
not made their appearance since. We go into Corrk about
the 30th.

" The Vanguard, in her trial with the two-deckers, blow-
ing very hard, found herself the best ship. The Rodney
next. The Albion carried away her main' topsail-yard.
The St. Vincent, in firing her stern guns from the ,ward-
room, knocked down every bulkhead and ornamental work
in the ward-room, and required all the carpenters in the
fleet to put things to rights. The Rattler has quite surprised
everybody. The fleet will be at Spithead about the end of
June."

"At sea. Lat 48 N., lon. 9.30 W., May 25.
" Our gallant Commodore ha 3 just made the signal, An
opportunity for letters.'.
" We have only had two trials of sailing—first, 15th in-
stant, before the wind, 18 miles. At the finale, Vanguard, 1;
Albion, 2; Superb, 3; Queen, 4; Rodney, 5; St. Vincent,
6; Trafalgar, 7. Second trial, 19th instant, blowing strong
from south--west, with a heavy head sea (three hours) with
the two deckers, with as much sail as she could stagger
under, three reefs out, and sometimes top-gallant sails over.
Early in the trial, the Albion and Superb split their main
topsails, so it was left to Rodney and Vanguard. At the
conclusion Vanguard weathered her opponent 800 yards
dead in the wind's eye.

" Queen appears to have fallen eff in her sailing. Albion
improved. St. Vincent. appears to go sluggishly along, under
low sail. We can almost spare her a mainsail. The weather
(half the time we have been out) has been more like De-
cember than May, blowing hard, with an ugly sea.
" The Brilliant, Terrible, and Retribution lost us the first
night; the two latter have not yet joined, and the former
picked up the squadron a few days ago. The most extraor•
dinary craft is the Rattler, which, I do believe, will beat the
whole squadron under sail (low sail, blowing fresh). To-day
we have had general quarters, firing three rounds blank ;
otherwise we have been very quiet, but expect to be roused
up nightly to general quarters, firing three rounds as quick
as possible. From all I can learn we shall most likely be at
Cork early in June."

"Her Majesty's ship; St. Vincent, at sea, May 26.
"I send this by one of the steamers that the Commodore
intends to send to Cork the moment his dispatches are ready,
and he says that we are to be there ourselves three days after
the arrival of the steamer, but not to remain longer than
forty-eight hours. Nearly ever since we have been out the
weather has been very bad; four days under storm sails, and
mostly very thick and foggy, so that we have had but few
trials. On both occasions we had an advantage over the
Queen and Trafalgar. The two deckers perhaps had an ad-
vantage over us, but you can scarcely call it a trial. Our
principal work has been in exercising a very green ship's
company in reefing, and in making and shortening sail, and
firing blank cartridges at quarters. We are busy looking
after some of our stray sheep, three of the steamers having
parted company the first night.
" Vanguard put herself on fire for a minute or two, from
the sternport, on lower deck; owing to not being able to have
sufficient of the muzzle outboard; that might be remedied
by having the two after guns on lower deck about eighteen
inches longer.
" On the 22d, our patient being better, an order was given
for us to go to general quarters, and fire our stern guns. I
think it took us about forty minutes to clear away abaft, and
after having kept up a very geod fire (ten rounds from each
gun) we found we bad done much damage to our gingerbread,
especially in ward-room, and admiral's and captain's cabins;
such as admiral's stern-walk much shook; officers' cabin,
bulkheads, down about our ears ; and a variety of other little
things, such as glass sashes, &c., knocked to pieces; so that
we were compelled to make a signal for two carpenters and
joiners, from each ship of the fleet to come on board to repair
damages, where they remained for two days. Other ships
did not suffer.
On the 26th, at 11 P.m., the night signal was made,
Prepare for action, and fire three rounds.' Some of the
ships commenced very soon, I think all before us. However,
not a man in this ship knew a word about it, except the
Commodore and Captain, and considering we are a green'_
ship's company, I think we did pretty well ; for from the
time we beat to quarters, hammocks all stowed on deck,
tables, stools, and bags all stowed in their places below the
gun decks, and fired the first, in twelve minutes, without a
single accident of any sort.
" St. Vincent is certainly the worst in performing any
evolution aloft, such as making or shortening sail, reefing,
&c. ; but consider, she has a new ship's company, with 400
men that scarcely ever saw a man-of-war before, and I am
sorry to say that the commodore does not make sufficient
allowance, for he expects everything to be done as well and
as smart as the other ships that have been from two to three
years in commission.

" P.S. Brilliant had a few hours' trial on wind with Su-
perb, and beat her. Raleigh bas just made her number."

" Her Majesty's ship -, at sea, May 29.
" We all started in company on the 13th ; the next morn-
ing we found missing the Brilliant, Terrible, and Cyclops ;
and the day after the Retribution was also missing. Brilliant
we picked up after a week's absence; the three steamers we
have seen nothing of since. Gladiator and Scourge we have
had in company mostly all the time ; Rattler always.
" It is quite evident that the steam-vessels can do nothing
in sailing with a fleet or squadron. Rattler (the one with the
screw) does very well.
" When we are under very easy sail they are compelled to
crowd every stitch they can, and then barely keep up with
us. The Gladiator is somewhat better since she unshipped
some of her paddle floats; but it took her eight hours to do
so, and it would, in all proability, take half as long again to
replace them.

1‘ Some of the steam-vessels are not even fitted to discon-
nect, which is a very great drawback. The Scourge can
(comparatively) do nothing under sail, she being so situated.
" For most part of the time 'we had very bad weather,
blowing hard, with a continuation of thick fogs, so that we
have had but few trials, and they being mostly with single
ships. Rodney and Vanguard had one good trial with a
fresh breeze, Just able to carry a main topgallant sail. I
think it was allowed that Vanguard had a little advantage.
On one occasion the St. Vincent had a four hours' trial with
the Queen ; in which it was afterwards admitted by Sir
Gordon Bremer, by signal, that the St. Vincent had the ad-
vantage—both of the above trials were on a wind. Yester-
day there was a pretty little trial between the Albion and
the Queen, on a wind, with a nice royal breeze : the former
had considerable advantage. There was also at the same
time an interesting trial between the Rodney and the
Superb, going about two points free ; the Superb beat her
much ; so it is allowed on board here that the Rodney does
not sail quite so well as she did, and the Superb much better.
The Trafalgar can do nothing with any.

---------
" Her Majesty's Ship Rodney at sea, May 29.
" We (Rodney) have had but two trials; one with Albion,
Superb, and Vanguard, blowing very hard, single-reefed top-
sails, and topgallant sails occasionally, in which in three
hours and a half Vanguard beat us nearly 800 yards to wind-
ward; Superb and Albion having split their main topsails
were in a measrre out of the race. Queen has fallen off
Superb, perhaps, beats us all. Raleigh, however, to-day, beat a
off her the wind in trial of three hours; how much I don't
know. We consider the extra 80 tons of water has not improved
Rodney's sailing qualities, although the four two-deckers are
very equal indeed. We have had but two trials, as I said
before. We beat to quarters by signal at eleven o'clock last
Monday night. We were half an hour from the beat to the
time all the guns were secured again, having
fired three
rounds from every gun in the ship, barring ward room and
cabin of course. Day before yesterday Albion and Queen
tried under royals, on a Wind. Albion beat. Also Superb
and Rodney. Royals set going ten knots wind at easy.
Superb beat us six thousand yards, however. In tine weather,
Symonds ships have the best chance. As Rodney gets lighter
we expect her to improve. Trafalgar very slow; Rattler sails
beautifully, never out of her station."

The Earl and Countess of Haddington and suite were
brought from Ryde this morning by the Lightning steamer,
Mr. J. E. Petley, Master commanding, and proceeded to
London by the express train.
The Polyrlemus steam-sloop, Commander M‘Cleverty,
arrived this morning from the eastward.

MR. HARRIS'S THEATRICAL COLLECTION.—In the
theatrical collection of portraits to be sold, on Monday next,
by Mr. Edmund Robins, it is not pretended that it will rival
Charles Mathews's, which has found a sort of parental abode
at the Garrick Club, but the one which is to be sold unre-
servedly on Monday, was formed by the Mr. Harris, who for
half a century was the principal proprietor of Covent Garden
Theatre. There are some valuable morceaux cf our renowned
favourites, and it includes the celebrated picture that had
nearly provoked a chancery suit by Col. Berklev—the beau-
tiful picture of Miss Foote in the character of Maria Darling-
ton. She appears in this:part to have surpassed any previous
attempt to combine dancing and acting, and a more lovely
picture altogether it would be difficult to imagine. It has
been whispered that the Duke of Devonshire has expressed a
wish to possess this treasure. Mr. Clint, who painted it, has
-always accounted it his best effort; it is still said to be an
amazing likeness of the accomplished Countess. Clint 119 s
several beautiful specimens in this rare little assemblage. Ills
picture of Liston is piquant beyond all praise—his theatrical
clients paid him only fifty guineas for each likeness. Miss
Foote paid 150 guineas for Maria Darlington. There
is the celebrated picture of Emery, as T.) ke ; that
is really beyond all praise. Monday is doomed to dis-
perse this delightful although unpretending little collection.
The picture of Miss Foote, painted twenty years ago,
by Clint, is still a most admirable present likeness of theCoun•
tess of Harrington. The portraits of Liston and Bannister,
by the same master, are wonderful likenesses of these talented
actors. This little collection is rich in its portraits, and
would form an:admirable outline for the Duke of Devonshire
or the Baron de Rothschild, to fill up with something still
more recherché ; an
d we are told it is more than probable
the
magnificent picture of the Kemble family will shortly be
subject
to the competition and uncertainty of an approaching
sale, as well as a scene from the " Clandestine Marriage," a
beautiful picture from " King John," a scene from "No
Song no Supper," and also one from "New Way to Pay Old
Debts," with Edmund Kean as Sir Giles Overreach.
A " CONJUROR" IN TROUBLE.—WINDSOR, JUNE 3.
Yesterday morning, a person named George Robert Young,
the assistant conjuror to his brother, Mr. E. W.Young, " the
Great Northern Wizard," who has been exhibiting at the
theatre in this town, was brought before the sitting magis-
trates
(Mr.
com Amdiattmeds, tahveimolaeynotr,asasandulMt
ur.nLpeoga Mr. Wood, theh), charged with
haNi
superintendent of the Windsor Gas Works. It appeared,
from the evidence of Mr. Wood, that on the evening of
Saturday last the complainant saw the defendant's brother,
the real conjuror, in the yard of the Star and Garter Tap,
when, the brother, who was exceedingly drunk, abused Mr.
Wood, because the company had refused to trust him for the
gas supplied at the theatre during his performances. While
the altercation was going on, the defendant, whom Mr.
s had ever bef en
ore se, rushed out of the in
state of " fun rious intoxication," t knocked downhap, a
plainant with his fists, striking hitn _ t e corn-
on the head and body
without saying a word. The defendant, who appeared to be
"no conjuror" before the w
bench, said, his defence, he did
strike Mr. Wood; but the fact was,he inw
is
so drunk (having
n
been drinking a good deal in getting
his
packed up), that he really did not know brother's traps
and had not the least recollection of what
I,ll.ltahe
taken pablont,
e Mr. Wood recommended him to the mercy of themagistrates,ac
observing that all he desired was protectionfrom the
as-
sistant conjuror's violence. The Mayor told the defendant,
that in consequence of the kind recommendation of Mr.
Wood. they were disposed to treat the case far more leniently
than they otherwise should have done. They should there-
fore inflict a small fine; which, with the costs, amounted to
13s. 6d. The money was shortly afterwards paid, and he was
then liberated. _ _ _ _

—lrestTrday Ibrahim Pacha paid his farewell visit to
111. Guizot, and in the evening, at nine o'clock, went to the
Royal Observatcry. His Highness, who was received by M.
Amigo, looked at the heavens through the powerful telexeope
of the establishment.—Gaignan4

AY EVENING, JUNE 5, 1846

!ALLEGED MURDER:a SHAD WELL
•l Benjamin Gibbins, the man cliirgrd on suspicion of causing
the death of Jane, alias Anne Shuman, in Labour-in-Vain-
street, Shadwell, was brought up yesterday for re-examina-
tion at the Thames Police-court.
Inspector Valentine proved that when he asked the pri
soner why he did not get in at the lower window, he at first
answered it was fast, and afterwards replied that he did not
_like to enter another person's premises.
Martha Darlow, Jamaica-place, Limehouse, bad known the
Prisoner since Tuesday week, when he came to her house
with his wife to look for work for her. Saw the deceased on
Monday afternoon, between two and three o'clock, in La-
bour-in-Vain-street.' She said she'd go to the fair to him.
Did not see her after. On Tuesday morning, at a quarter
past seven, he came to witness's house, and said, "Make
haste, and get the things out, for my wife is dead. She fell
down stairs, and broke her neck. lam going to tell her
mother." He said no more, but went away. Witness under-
stood him to mean "the still" when he said " the things."
She and her husband went directly to the house of the pri-
soner, and her husband then brought the things from the
back window of the room the still was in. She and her hus-
band then went away.
John Harris was then called—He said he was proprietor
of the King's Arms, Market-hill, Shadwell. As near to
seven o'clock as‘possible, on Tuesday morning, on hearing
that a woman lay dead in her house is Labour-in-Vain-
street, he went to the house, and, looking through the key-
hole, saw a woman lying without any movement. He sent
for a policeman, who knocked at the door, but there was no
answer. People were heard inside, but the door was not
broken open for a few minutes, as a woman said they need
not, as the husband was likely to come in a few moments.
Witness entered the house, as did the husband, who came
up at the time. He began to cry—." My poor dear crea-
ture." Some one asked him why he did not give the alarm
sooner? He said he did not like to disturb the inhabitants
at that hour of the night, and he went to a coffee-shop to
get a cup of coffee.

Anne Bloman, the mother of the deceased,:was then called,
and gave evidence similar to that which ehe tendered at the
inquest, but confirmed the prisoner's statement as to having
been at the fair with the deceased, and riding in one of the
roundabouts at which the prisoner was employed.
Thorogood, 280 B, deposed to breaking open the door in
Labour-in-Vain-street. Bofore doing so, he heard a sound
as if some things were being removed. It appeared to come
from the next house. He saw the deceased lying on the
ground in the passage, with her feet towards the stairs. The
prisoner came in soon after. He said he was sorry for her,
but he did not know anything about it. The prisoner was,
then taken into custody.
Inspector Valentine having requested to have the prisoner
again remanded, as there were some material witnesses not
then in attendance,

Mr. Broderip asked what time he would require? Mr.
Valentine said he would wish for a week, to procure the at-
tendance of one very material witness.
Mr. Broderip—The charge is a very grave one, and I hope
you will be prepared.
Inspector Valentine—l shall take care, sir.
The prisoner, being •asked if he had anything further to
say in his defence, replied, " I only wish to have the neigh-
bours called up and hear what they have to say about me."
Mr. Broderip directed the inspector to bring up everybody
who could throw any light upon the subject, and the case
was remanded until Thursday next.

Yesterday the inquest on the body of Anne Sloman, ad-
journed from the previous day, was resumed bfore Mr. Baker,
jun. It is unnecessary to report the evidence already given at
the police-court, and which has so recently been before the
public. The evidence adduced to-day only tends to involve
the case in deeper mystery.
The first witness examined was Anna Lewis, residing at
No. 7, next door to the decased, whom she never saw till
Saturday, cleaning the step of her door. Ott Tuesday morn-
ing, twenty minutes after twelve o'clock, witness heard
repeated knockings at No. 6, where deceased resided, and
being up and dressed, looked out of the win-
dow. She heard a man (whom she had never seen before)
knocking at the door, and cry ing, "Jane, open the door."
A voice, as if a woman's lying on a bed, repiied, " I shan't."
This was repeated thrice. He asked for the key to let him-
self in, and in about a minute or two after, no answer
being returned, witness heard a noise 11, the top to the
very bottom of the stairs. Witness cried out to the man,
" Oh, she has fell down stairs." He continued to knock for
about ten minutes more, and then said he would go and get a
lodging. Witness heard no more noise until half-past five
the same-morning, when the same man returned and knocked
again until a quarter to seven, when he asked witness's leave
to go through her house to get to the back premises at No. 6.
She let him in, and he put a ladder on the water-butt, and
got in at the window. In about four or five minutes witness
and a Mrs. Mann looked through the street-door key-bole,
and saw him with a candle. They also saw a female lying
in the passage, and he seemed trying to raise her head, and
called Jane three times. Before that he seemed trying to
straighten her legs down. Witness asked if anything was
the matter, when he blew out the light and came out at the
door, which he shut behind him, exclaiming, "Oh dear I
am afraid there is; I will go and fetch her mother." Wit-
ness did not see him again until he was in custody of the
police. In half an hour after a man and woman, who were
strangers to witness, came to the place. The woman, who
represented herself as the deceased's sister, got into the yard
of witness's house, and was followed by the man. He got
ever the palings and handed a long twisted pipe of tin and
a boiler out of No. 6. Witness got frightened, thinking
there was something wrong, and ran up stairs. The man
then put the twisted thing and the long pipe over. The
woman ran up stairs into witness's apartment, with the
boiler in her hand, exclaiming, " Oh dear, they have burst
the door open." The woman then ran away, and witnes
threw the boiler over the next wall.
Police-sergeant Townson, 6 K, was next examined, and re-
peated the evidence already published in the reports from the
Thames Police-court.

At this stage of the proceedings it was intimated that the
woman alluded to in the statement of Anna Lewis had been
discovered by the police, and was in attendance.
Mr. Ross, surgeon, had made a post mo7tem examination of
the body. On examining Ihe external marks upon the face
be found that there were internal bruises which corresponded
with them, and which were evidently the result of a blow.
On carefully taking away the covering from the vicinity of
the wound on the back of the head, he observed a slight
fracture on the upper part of the occipital bone. There was
an extensive bruise round the head, and on removing the
skull cap and Jura mater he found a large quantity of ex-
travasated blood over the surface of the brain, to the extent
of at least three ounces. The brain itself was congested, but
otherwise healthy. The occipital bone was slightly frac-
tured on the inner side, but there was no depression ; the
fracture had gone through. The blood had escaped from the
superior longitudinal sinus, which was ruptured, and death
was occasioned by the effusion of blood upon the brain.
In answer to a juror, Mr. Ross said it was possible that the
wound and fracture on the back of deceased's head could
have been caused by a kick from the toe of a heavy boot.
A. poker, or any other blunt and heavy instrument, would
have inflicted such a wound. Witness did not think that
the injuries on the face and the back of the head could have
been occasioned by a fall down the stairs. It was just pos-
sible that a person receiving a blow in the face, and falling
down 'the stairs, could have sustained the injuries.
To the CORONER —lt was possible that a person receiving
such an injury might have placed such a pillow as the sack
produced under her head, and yet not have sufficient con-
sciousness to answer a person knocking at the door. A blow
might have stunned and made her sick at the time, but she
might have sufficiently recovered to move about, yet after-
wards have died from its effects.
Inspector Valentine, of the K division, who took the
charge on Tuesday morning, proved that in questioning
Gibbins as to why he got in through the upper Window,
which was a matter of difficulty, instead of at the lower
one, which was more easy of access, Gibbins replied, that
he tried to lift it, but could not do so. Being told by the
inspector it was very easy, and had no fastening. he re-
plied, " Well, I did not like to go through another were
premises." The inspector answered, " You
were
going through his premises in getting in where you did ;"
to which the prisoner made no answer. There was no fas-
tening to the lower window, which was only three feet from
the ground, whilst the upper one was ten feet, and the
ladder only four feet high. After a minute search no instru-
ment had been found by which the wound on the deceased's
head was likely to have been inflicted. Witness tried to
stand the ladder in the water-butt, which had no head, and
did not appear to have been recently moved, but could not
succeed.

A coffee-house keeper named Crafford stated that Gibbins
came into his shop at half-past twelve en Tuesday morning
and called fora cup of coffee, which he drank. He remained
about half an hour. Witness did not perceive anything
particular in his manner. When he returned again, about
half-past two, he was very quarrelseme, and appeared as if
he had been drinking.
At this stage of the proceedings, the jury having sat for
ten hours and upwards, the coroner proposed an adjournment
till Monday, which was acceded to.

THE LATIIIMELANCHOLY ACCI-

IDENT AT OXFORD. --
OXFORD, JUNE 4.—An inquest was held this morning by
Mr. Coxe, the University coroner, at the house of Mr.
William Wayle, publican, at the Weirs, on the body of Mr.
George Gibbs, commoner of Exeter College, who was
drowned while bathing in the Isis.
Mr. Lionel James Trotter, Postmaster of Merton College,
being sworn, said that lie met with the deceased, who was
his school-fellow, at the Weirs yesterday afternoon, at about
a quarter before 3 o'clock, and accompanied him to the lasher
called Bossom's Lasher, for the purpose of bathing. Witness
showed the deceased (who was no swimmer) how far ho
might bathe without being out of his depth, and having done
so, left him to swim towards the actual lasher. After a time
witness heard an alarm that Gibbs was drowning, from Mr.
Tyrrell, of St. John's. Witness swam back to the place, and
seeing the arm of deceased above water, caught hold of it.
Deceased grasped him tight, and pulled him under. Wit-
ness thought he was a full minute under water struggling
with deceased, and finding himself nearly exhausted, he
managed to escape from him by putting his hands on his
shoulders. Thought deceased had in some degree lost his
strength, or he could not so readily have got away. Did
not see deceased rise again after this Struggle. The alarm
soon spread, and every assistance was speedily at hand from
the adjoining public-house.
Lovick Tyrrell, commoner of St. John's College, being
sworn, said that he was of the bathing party with Mr.
Trotter; he observed Mr. Trotter give the cautions as to the
shallow water near the bank. Witness swam to a little dis-
tance, and after a short time he heard a cry from the de-
ceased, "Come here! here !" Witness swam back to the
place, and standing *on the edge of the shelf, caught at
deceased's elbow, which he could not keep hold of. Mr.
Trotter at this time coming up and grappling with deceased,
witness did not think it right to join in the struggle.
Thought Mr. Trotter was a full minute under water, and
from that time there was no further appearance of deceased
till the body was found, which was rather more than a
quarter of an hour afterwards.
George Hitchings, surgeon, being sworn, said that he was
sent for yesterday afternoon about four o'clock; that be im-
mediately set out to the Weirs, where he found everything
had been done according to the printed instructions of the
Humane Society. Witness used every effort for the re-
storing of animation which his skill could suggest, but without
success, although he continued to do so till half-past five.
No mark of injury was found on the body.
T. Hands, appointed Waterman by the University, having
been sworn, said, that being on his duty on the main stream,
he heard an alarm given at a quarter past three o'clock. He
immediately punted to the lasher, and having with assistance
got his boat over into the lasher pool, found persons searching
with drags and a pole. After about ten minutes search,
witness succeeded in finding and raising the body of deceased
with his long pole. Witness never received any instructions
to attend at or near this bathing place, but was in what they
call the "Gut," with a view of helping gentlemen in boats on
the main stream.
Veidict—" Accidentally drowned."

THE GREENWICH RAILWAY TRAFFIC DURING THE
HOLIDAYS.—On Monday then were 52,000 passengers who
travelled by the above railway; on Tuesday, 30,000; and on
Wednesday, 19,000 ; making altogether 101,000 persons—a
greater number than has travelled on that line at any pre-
view Whitsuntide,