The Sun.
London, England, 1846-11-26 00:00:00

NAVAL INTELLIGENCE.

PORTSMOJTII, Nov. 24.—The Admiralty have or-
dered the Retribution steam-frigate to be tried under
steam by the officers of the dockyard, to ascertain, now
she is light, where the weakness in her construction pre-
vails, and what is the cause of the very extraordinary
and dangerous rolling motion which always takes place
when she is at sea. Messrs. Maudsley and Field, the
contractors, who made her engines and machinery, have
been informed that their work has been executed ac-
cording to the agreement, and it is now the object of the
Admiralty to find out why the Retribution is not fit to
be trusted at sea.

The inquiry on board the Emerald cutter relating to
the catastrophe which happened to her by running down
a sloop, has been made, and terminated by a full and
satisfactory report that no blame was attributed to any
one on board her. Her defects will be made good in a
few days.
The Recruit iron brig, now in dock at Devonport, has
been pronounced to be an unsafe vessel as a man-of-war,
rigged. and stowed as she is at present. To render her fit
tor a packet it will be necessary to reduce her masts and
yards, land her guns and ammunition, and add twenty
tons of sheet lead as ballast. On her passage from Ma-
deira to Plymouth she was very nearly swamped, having
got stern way in a gale of wind. Part of her hammock
nettings were washed away. From her buoyancy the
most particular attention is obliged to be constantly
paid to her helm and steerage. It is quite evident that
neither brigs nor steamers, constructed of iron, are safe
vends as men•of-war.

The Polyphemus steamer is to have her defects
made good at this port, and to be taken in hand
immediately. When she quitted Carthagena, her Ma-
jesty's frigate Spartan was lying there with the Van-
guard.
The Penguin packet, from the Brazils, has brought
accounts of the departure of Commodore Sir Chas.
Hotham, K.C.8., in the Devastation, for his command at
the Island of Ascension; and of the arrival at Rio
Janeiro, in two vessels freighted for the purpose, of
the officers and crew of her Majesty's late brig
Osprey, wrecked on the coast of New Zealand. They
are ordered home for an inquiry by court-martial to
take place.
Woo',Amu, Nov. 24.—The "Eolus store-ship was
towed down the river on Saturday, on her way to Ply-
mouth and the west coast of Scotland, with meal for the
inhabitants.
Commodore Sir J. Gordon Bremer, K.C.B. and
K.C.H., arrived at Woolwich dockyard at three o'clock
P.M. to day, and was received by Rear-Admiral Sir
Francis A. Collier, Knt., C.B. and K.C.H., Commander
Smith, of the William and Mary yacht, and the autho-
rities of the yard. At the time of the arrival of the
Gallant Commodore, Sir Francis Collier, Sir Thomas
Hasting, Knt., Rear-Admiral Sir Chas. apier, Lieute-
nant-Colonel Dundas, C. 8., of the foundry department
of the Royal Arsenal, and Captain Dalyell, of Green-
wich Hospital, were on board the Sidon, with Captain
Henderson, C. 8., and on landing were introduced to the
Commodore.

On Friday morning last the early railway train
between Kendal and Latica• ter ran over and killed a fine
black cat, which was crossing the line with a mouse, and
was too intent upon her prey to notice the approach of
the engine. The cat was afterwards found completely
cut in two, with the mouse firmly fixed between her
teeth.—Carlisle Patriot,