The Sun.
London, England, 1848-08-21 00:00:00

APPOINTMENTL

Mate—Charles F. Coventry, to the Spy, 3, at Chatham.
Clerk—Richard Hore, to the Wellesley, flag-ship, West
Indies.

Midshipmen—Charles F. Palmer and C. E. Sidebottom, to
the Excellent, gunnery-ship, at Portsmouth.
Naval Cadets—Charles W. Evans, to the Southampton ;
W. Wadeson, to the Prince Regent, 90, at Cork.
Engineer—William Gill, third-class assistant, to the Fis-
gard, at Woolwich.
Boatswain—George Webber, acting, to the Illustrious.
THE IRISH SQUADRON.

Rear-Admiral Sir C. Napier still remains at Kingstown.
The Amphion, 34, screw, Captain W. J. Williams, left
Kingstown on the 16th, for Cork. The Birkenhead, steam-
frigate, Commander Bayntun, had arrived at Cork, with ma-
rines, on the 15th.
A correspondent at Killibegs writes, under date of August
15 :—" Her Majesty's steam-frigate Dragon, Captain M. IL
Hall, anchored here on the 11th inst., having sailed from
Dublin Bay the Bth. We understand that she touched at
all the intermediate ports, including Belfast (where she
took on board 170 tons of coal), Londonderry, Lough
Swill , IPic. Yesterday, my brother magistrates accom-
panied me on board, with many of the respectable inha-
bitants of the neighbourhood, to witness firing at a mark
placed under a cliff, at 1,300 yards distance. The mark
was struck several times, and the shells burst close
to it, to the astonishment of us on board and those on shore.
It happened to be our cattle fair, aid hundreds of people
were in town from distant parts of the country. The ma-
gistrates were all pleased, and declared it would do much
.)ocl. They had heard of the Dragon's 84-pounders from
Me north, and the report spread far and near. The Dragon
leaves us this evening to join the squadron collecting in the
river Shannon."

The Fortitude, coal depot, at Chatham, is ordered to be re-
moved to Saltpan Reach, it being a more central position be-
tween Chatham and Sheet ness.

The golKngwood, 80, is ;to be taken into dock to be re-
paired at Portsmouth which the Phoenix vacates.
The Southampton, 50, Captain Corry, fitting at Chatham,
has now entered 320 out of her complement of 450 men.
The Racehorse, 18, Con imander E. Sotheby, arrived in
Plymouth Sound on Wednesday night from New Zealand,
where she has been stationed for nearly three years, having
proceeded thither from the East Indies under her former
commander, Captain G. J ;Hay, C. 8., on the commence-
ment of hostilities with the natives. The Racehorse has
been in commission since: December, 1844. Her present
commander was appointed to her in June, 1846, and the
principal officers now in bier, according to the " List," are
Lieutenant Leaver, who he.s been in her all the term of her
camamission (bat has not been promoted, although many
juniors have for the services in which the crew of the Race-
horse have been engaged); Lieutenant A. R, Alleyne Bland
(appointed Muth, 1845) ; Master James Rusden (acting,
January, 1847); Surgeon Dr. Burton (acting, July, 1847),
Paymaster and Purser (Des...ember, 1844); Assistant-Surgeon
S. M. Steele (May, 1845). The commander of the Race-
horse has fully availed himself of the very excellent Admi-
ralty regulations, with reference to the promotion of boys to
vacant ratings. She has co me home, in consequence, above
a score short of first and second class boys. She will doubt-
lesgle paid off at Devonpor t.
The Fly, 18, Commander Oliver, arrived at Wellington,
New Zealand, April 30, and has relieved the Racehorse.
The Grecian, 16, Coalman der Tyndal, left Rio, June 17, for
Monte Video.

The Kingfisher has been 1-,aken into the basin at Ports-
mouth, to have her fittings c ompleted.
The Recruit, IL, iron, has been taken under the shears
and dismasted at Portsmout h. Although she has not been
masted more than eighteen months, the heel of her foremast
was rotten.
The Alert, 6, Commander Dunlop, arrived at Sierra Leone,
January 24, and left on the 26th for the coast.
The Spy, brigantine, Lie utenant Commander Western is
being fitted with Brown and; Barnett's compressors, at Chat-
ham. She is fully manned.
The Ajax, 56, screw guurd-ship, was taken under the
shears at Portsmouth on Friday morning, and her screw,
fixed in the metal frame, was got on board and partly
lowered into the well built to receive it; it was, however,
found that the well was rather too small for the spread of the
fans, and it would not go down in its place. It was conse-
quently hoisted on deck ag, tin, and a small part of the ex-
treme angle of the fans, abet rt an inch and a half, will have to
be cat off. It will be ships 4.d on Monday. The screw, with
the metal frame for hoisting it on deck, weighs about 11 tons.
Rear-Admiral Superintende r it Prescott, Captain Ellice, comp-
trolHealstreaofd steam machinery, Captain Austin, C. 13., and Captain
, were on board thi Ajax to see the screw shipped.
The Virago, 6, stearn-slo Commander Harris, left Spit-
head on Thursday evening f or Sheerness, where the gallant
commander will rejoin the Ganges, 84, and the Virago will
be put out of commission.
The Gorgon, 6, steam.slc cs.p.,rCommander Paynter, arrived
at Rio, on her way to the 1, col lc, June 27.
Thai Sharpshooter, 4, a' :uct:chooner, Lieutenant Com-
mander Bailey. left Ports yesterdayli afternoon on a
short eufise in the Channel , to try ether her steering has
been improved by the recer alterations' ale in her.
Colonel Sit W. Colebrool;De,/i..C.8,w; was gazetted last
week as Governor and Cc,' nmamlei in-Chief of Barbadoes
St. Vincent, Grenada, Totsgo, and St. Lucia, has.. also been'
appointed Vice-Admiral of those islands, vice Lieutenant-
Colonel Reid, R.E.— Us itc-s l Service Gazette.
Commander J. B. Bro, wt., late of the Snake, 16, wrecked in
the Mozambique Channs 1,1 las applied to the Admiraly for a
pension for the loss of the use of his legs, brought on by ex-
posure on service. The A Chniralty have refused the applica-
tion. Ibid.
CONTEMPLATED RESCU OF PI THE CONVICT MrrcriaL.--
The Earl of Dundonallid, G.C.8., the Noble and Gallant
Vice-Admiral, Comma r
-Chief in the
of the West
has kept himself au c c ,itrant with the designs Irish.
Yankees in Bermuda, with the view to release the con-
vict Mitchel, and 1231 t not been slow to take the utmost

precautions which the small force at his disposal will
permit him :to take against surprise. He has dispatched
the Scourge, steam-sloop, Commander Wingrove, from Hali-
fax to Bermuda, with detailed instructions to the authori-
ties there how to act in the event of the contemplated
rescue being attempted. His Lordship has sent home a
comprehensive report on the general defences of the island,
and the channels through which approaches must be made,
and has offered some valuable suggestions to the Board of
Ordnance for a general plan of naval and military defences
for Bermuda.—ltid.