The Sun.
London, England, 1846-08-24 00:00:00

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from the 4zous, and on completing pro isions aticustore
will take dtiles and letters to the Channel Fleet.
The Trident, steam packet, Lieutenant Commander Rigge,
again damaged her machinery, on her passage to Devonport,
which being repaired, she sailed for the Mediterranean on
Sunday. _ --
The Kite, steam vessel, which has been some time offered
for sale, without finding a purchaser, was towed f •om Sheer-
ness to Woolwich on Tuesday, to be fitted :or com.nission c s
a surveying vessel.
The Thetis, 36 gun frigate, on the design of the committee
of the School of Naval Architecture, will be launched at
Devonport, on the 31st instant.
POI:TSMOCTII7 SUNDAY.—The Columbine, 12, Commander
Booth, sailed yesterday morning for the East India station.
The America, 50, Captain the Hon. John Gordon, is
ordered into dock to refit immediately. Her first lieutenant.
Mr. Agaseiz, has been compelled to go to Haslar Hospital.
from debilitated health. Mr. Colin Lindsay is now first
lieutenant. The freight brought by this ship was got out
and all housed in the South-Western Railway Company's
carriages on Friday night, and conveyed to London by Mr.
Robertson, the freight agent, per special train, at half-past
three o'clock yesterday morning. The treasure was all in
the bullion-office of the Bank of England by six o'clock last
night, and tallied off, much to the credit of the agent, who
was complimented by the officers at the Bank on the fact of
his freight being so speedily delivered at that office. Much
credit is also due to the storekeeper of the Royal Clarence-
yard, where the freight was landed from the America, and
also to the South-Western Railway officers at Gosport and
Nine Elms, for the ready facilities they afforded in trans.
mitting the money.
The North Star, 23, Captain Sir J. E. Home, Bart., arrived
at Spithead on Friday night, from the East India station
and the Cape of Good Hope, from which latter place, how-
ever, she brings no news. She left Ascension on the 6th
of July, at which date the Action, 26, Captain Mansel ;
the Prometheus steam-sloop, Commander Hay; the Hydra,
steam-sloop, Commander Young ; and the Tortoise, store
and guard ship, Commander Morrel, were at that island.
The Prometheus, bound for Sierra, with Sir G. Jackson.
Dysentery was raging considerably when the North Star left-,
and the hospital was fnll of sick. The Hydra was bound to
the Gallinas. Mr. Pope, purser of the Actaeon; Mr. Horatio
Webb, of the Prometheus; Mr. James Singer, and Mr. Wil-
liam Purchase, of the Driver; Mr. George loberts, of the
Prometheus ; and Mr. William Cockshot, of the Hydra, came
home, on Admiralty leave, in the North Star, which is ordered
to Chatham to be paid oft; all standing.
We learn by the North Star, that the Wasp, 16, Comman-
der Ussher, had made a brilliant capture of a slaver pirate,
prior to the 30th of June, off Congo. She was a remarkably
tine brig, of about 400 tons, mounting sixteen brass guns,
which he used with murderous effect against the Wasp's boats,
the gallant fellows in which, however, succeeded in taking
her, after two hours and a half hard fighting. The crew of
the pirate were taken to St. Helena, together with the vessel,
and there tried by a court martial, Captain Sir Everard
Home, of the North Star, presiding. After an investigation
of five days, the prisoners were found Not Guilty, and set at
large. The vessel was, however, condemned. In the action,
the Wasp lost two men, and had tour wounded, and the slaver
pirate had seventeen men killed.
The Pilot, 16, Commander Wilson, arrived at Madras from
Trincomalee, on the sth ult.
The Daedalus, 20, Captain M'Quhae, sailed from Hong-
Kong for Borneo on the 23d of June.
The Athol troop ship, Master-Commander Pearn, sailed
yesterday afternoon for Dundee, with three companies of
the 74th Highlanders. From Dundee she proceeds to Leith,
with three companies of the 87th Regiment, after which she
returns to this port for some of the remaining companies of
the 74th.
The Gladiator steam-frigate, Captain Robb, is again nearly
ready for sea, and will embark on or about the Ist proximo,
the head-quarters and three companies of the 74th High-
landers, for Aberdeen ; whence she will take the head-quar-
ters and three companies of the 78th Regiment to Leith, and
then return to this port.
The Belleisle, 21, Captain Kingcome, arrived at Halifax
from Quebec on the 31st of July, with the 89th Regiment
and part of the 14th on board. She was to return to Quebec
on the 4th instant with the 60th Rifles, and would then
bring from Canada the remainder of the 14th; after which
she would carry the 77th from llalifax to Quebec, thence re-
turning to this port with invalids and stores.
'Fite Wanderer, 12, Commander Somerville, was off Cape
Marvel, on the coast of Africa, on the 15th of June, on
which day one of her boats left the ship for the purpose of
fishing off the mouth of a river near the above place, but
which accidentally got on the " bar," and was capsized,
by which four of the individuals in her at the time were
drowned,—the surgeon (Mr. Hopley), boatswain (Mr.
Smith), a seaman gunner (Jones), and a marine (Morley).
The rest got safe ashore.
The Rhadamanthus steam-vessel, Master• Commander
Aylen, arrived at Kingstown (Dublin), on Tuesday last,
with troops, comprising five companies of the 68th
Light Infantry, from Liverpool, and left on the following
day for Whitehaven, with six companies of the 13th Re-
giment.
The Dee steam-transport, Master-Commander Driver, em-
barked on Wednesday, at Liverpool, four companies of the
30th Regiment for Whitehaven.
The Sappho, 16, Commander Gambier, sailed from the
Mauritius, on the 13th of June, for the Cape of Good Hope.
The Encounter screw steam- sloop, built on the design of
Mr. J. Fincharn, the master shipwright of this dockyard,
is ordered to be launched at Pembroke on the sth proximo.
Jury rig will be forwarded from Devonport, whence she
will be navigated to the Thames, to receive her engines
of 360-horse power, manufactured by Penn and Son, 4of
Greenwich.

The Raven cutter, Lieutenant-Commander Stephen, ar-
rived yesterday from the eastward, with supernumeraries,
and returned to Sheerness this morning.
A new armament is ordered to be mounted on the batteries
and other fortifications of this port and its dependencies, com-
prising 330 guns, chiefly of heavy calibre.
The Brilliant, 22, Captain Watson, and the Dido, 18, Cap-
tain Maxwell, sailed from Cove on Wednesday last ; the
former for the Cape of Good Hope, to join Rear-Admiral
Dacre's squadron, and the latter for the River Plate, to )oin
Rear-Admiral inglefield. Each takes supernumeraries, prin-
cipally boys, for the respective squadrons.
The Acheron steam-sloop, Lieutenant-Commander Aplin,
arrived last evening from the Mediterranean, where she has
been employed during the period of her commission in mail
service. Tier dates are Malta, August 3; Algiers, August 6;
Gibraltar and Tangiers, August 13 ; and Lisbon,l August 16.
She left the squadron of evolution at Lisbon, under the com-
mand of Vice• Admiral Sir W. Parker, who was on the eve
of returning to Malta, when the squadron would return to
Cork. The Acheron came into harbour this morning to re-
plenish coal, prior to going to the eastward to dismantle and
be paid off.
DISTRIBUTION OF THE NORTH AMERICAN AND
WEST INDIA SQUADRON.
PORT ROYAL, JAMAICA, JULY 24.—1 n Harbour—Pickle,
3, Lieutenant-Commander Henry Bernard; and Imaum, 72.
with the broad pendant of Commander Pring.
At Vera Cruz—Endymion, 44, Captain George R. Lam-
bert; Alarm, 26, Captain Charles C. Frankland ; Rose, 18,
Commander R. W. Pelly ; and Vesuvius, 6, steam sloop,
Commander O'Callaghan.
On Passage to Vera Cruz, to reinforce the above Squadron
—Electra, 18, Commander W. H. Maitland; and Daring, 12,
Commander Henry J. Matson.
At Bermuda—Thunder, 26, surveying vessel, Commander
Edward Barned ; and Hermes, steam sloop, Lieutenant-Com-
mander W. Carr.
At Halifax—Vindictive, 50, Captain Michael Seymour,
with the flag of Vice-Admiral Sir Francis Austen, K.C.8.,
Commander-in- Chief.
In the Gulf of St. Lawrence, Bay of Fundy, and Newfound-
land—The Hyacinth, 18, Commander Francis Scott; the
Pei sian, 16, Commander Henry Coryton ; the Viper, 4, Lieu-
tenant Edward E. Gray; and the Columbia steam surveying
vessel, Lieutenant-Commander P. F. Shortland.
At the Bahamas, on surveying duty—The Lark, 3, Lieu-
tenant G. B. Lawrence.
The Electra, 18, Commander W. 11. Maitland, arrived from
Bermuda and England on the 7th inst. She arrived from
Bermuda on the Ist ult., sailed thence on the 14th, and looked
in at Antigua on the 30th, arriving here in seven days from
the latter island.
The Daring, 12, Commander Matson, arrived on the 19th
instant, in ten days, from the Havannah. Accounts brought
by her announce the important fact, that the inhabitants of
Upper California had pronounced themselves independent of
the republic of Mexico, and placed themselves under the
protection of the United States. The Daring had captured
a vessel off Cuba, fitted for the conveyance of slaves, which
she bad conveyed to the Havannah to be condemned. The
decision of the Mixed Court of Commission was, however, a,
unfavourable to the legality of the capture, and the vessel,
we learn, was accordingly set free.
The Pickle schooner, Lieutenant Bernard, arrived from a
short cruize on the 7th inst., and remains in harbour. This
small craft is the only effective vessel we have at present to
protect the whole of our West India Islands. Surely this
ought not to be.
The Electra, IS, and the Daring, 12, sailed on the 21st
inst., for for Vera Cruz, but are to look in at Belize and the Mos-
queto shore on their way thither.
A large American frigate under all sail, steering for the
west, was seen on the 15th instant, from the east end of
this island.
has resigned the office of Island
Major Wright, R.A.,
Engineer and Surveyor of Public Works, to which he was ap-
pointed last year on the decease of Captain St. John, R.A.

DUTCH MAIL.

AMSTERDAM, Aus. 20.—The Handelsblad gives tables
of the population of the several provinces of the king-
dom, in the years 1844 and 1845. On the Ist of Jan.
1846, the total amount of the population in the provinces
was 3,019,766 souls. On the Ist of January, 1845, the
population was 2,987,576. Increase in the year 1845,
32,190.
TUE HAGUE, Auc. 20.—His Excellency the English
Ambassador will leave the Hague to meet her Majesty
the Queen Dowager of Great Britain, who is expected
here on Monday next.
The ratification of the treaty of navigation and com-
merce between the Netherlands and Belgium, which was
signed on the 29th of July by the plenipotentiaries of
the two countries, have been exchanged to-day.
We have received to-day the melancholy news of the
death of Baron Von Dedel, Ambassador of the Nether-
lands at the Court of Great Britain, on the 17th of this
month.
The Minister of Finance acquaints the public that the
opportunity of sending letters direct from this kingdom
and Great Britain, is increased by a regular steam com-
munication once a week, between Rotterdam and Yar-
mouth. This steam-boat will leave Rotterdam every
Friday, and Yarmouth every Wednesday.
On the 4th of May last the closing of the port of Cu•
rasa°, which had not taken place since 134, was once
more effected, in the presence of the Governor.
Early in the morning the inhabitants were
attracted to the port, by the extraordi-
nary movement of the garrison. The necessary
preparations for the operation having been made, and
the chains fastened to the rafts, and the garrison being
under arms, soon after seven o'clock, orders were given
for closing the mouth of the harbour, and in twelve mi-
nutes after the order was given, the chains were
stretched, and the mouth of the harbour closed. The
Governor and his aide-de-camp, and several officers, in
two war-boats, rowed alongside the chain to the Riffort,
and then back to the town. During the operations the
cannon of the batteries of the port kept up a brisk
cross-fire. The infantry were drawn up during this
time in order of battle on both sides of the port. At
ten minutes past eight o'clock the firing ceased, the
troops retired, and in six minutes' time the port was
again opened. A great number of spectators were pre-
sent at this operation, which was executed with the
greatest skill ; which affords another satisfactory proof
that, in case of need, the port of Curacao may be closed
and vigorously defended.—Dutch Papers, Aug. 22.

It is now understood that Parliament will be certainly
prorogued on Friday next.— qbserver.