The Sun.
London, England, 1848-05-04 00:00:00

NAVAL INTELLIGENCE.

PORTSMOUTH, TUESDAY.
The Sharpshooter steam-vessel, Lieutenant-Com-
manding J. C. Bailey, was docked this morning, to be
repaired, without having been out of the harbour.
FWLiyn3eli,osuoinuth, ;31nrydef.a—teHberreezmess,
jaesntdy,itfineslwooev wathera.
ter-
witch, from Portsmouth, came in yesterday morning,
bound to the coast of Africa.
Lieutenant Cotton, R.N., and Captain Hunter, landed
yesterday afternoon from the ship Southampton, Captain
W. A. Bowen, from Calcutta, and proceeded with dis-
patches to London.
This morning the Southampton put in, being short of
Provisions, and having experienced strong contrary
winds off the Start. She left Calcutta on the 6th of
January, and St. Helena the 17th of March, and has a
mail-bag from her Majesty's steam gun-vessel Wasp,
and several other packages from the coast of Africa, for
the Admiralty. At St. Helena, her Majesty's sloop
Wanderer, 12, Commander Frederick B. Montresor;
Bittern, 12, Commander Thomas Hope; and Contest,
12, Commander Archibald M`Murdo. Her Majesty's
sloop Cygnet, 8, Commander George Kenyon, had just
sailed for the coast of Africa.
WOOLWICH, MAY 2.—The Mary lighter arrived to•
day from Deptford with a cargo of provisions for the
Enterprise, Captain Sir J. Clarke Ross, and the articles
were taken on board that vessel, consisting of a number
of cases of prepared potatoes, boiled mutton, pork, beef,
peas, and other preserved victuals, with a large supply of
flour, oatmeal, and biscuits. The quar.tities of provisions
taken on board the Enterprise and Investigator will
not only be amply sufficient for the officers and crews
of these vessels, but they will also have plenty
to spare for the officers and crews of the Erebus
and Terror, should they be so fortunate as to meet with
any of the parties who proceeded to the Arctic regions
in those discovery vessels. Captain Sir J. Clarke Ross
is indefatigable in insuring that every preparation is
made for the comfort of his officers and crew, who are a
fine body of hardy men. The vessel has been greatly
strengthened by projecting timbers of considerable
thickness, gradually rising from below her water line,
and the interior has been fitted with pipes to circulate
hot water through all parts of the vessel. A roof similar
to the roof of a dwelling house is constructing at Black-
wall for each of the vessels, to be put up on deck betwixt
the masts in the event of having to winter in the Arctic
regions; and the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty
have afforded every facility fur the comfort of every
person to be engaged in the expedition in search of Cap-
tain Sir John Franklin and the officers and crews of the
Erebus and Terror.

The saw mills in Woolwich. dockyard are now in full
operation, and several of the former sawyers are now
employed at the mills, and sixteen employed as labourers
in the yard. Eight of the men longest in the service
have been superanuated on pensions according to length
of service. An experiment was tried last week to
ascertain the difference of time in which two bevelled
pieces of timber of the hardest kind fur shipbuilding
purposes could be converted into their proper shapes; the
one by Mr. Cochraoe's machine, and the other by the
sawyers in the usual manner. The result showed that
Mr. Cochrane's machine accomplished the task in a very
perfect manner in 27 minutes, and the sawyers accom-
plished theirs in one hour and 10 minuted, and made
very good work in so short a time as their task occupied.
The work in this department is greatly accelerated by a
number of convicts being employed to bring in and re-
move the timber.