The Sun.
London, England, 1846-01-08 00:00:00

quantity of steam, for she was several times enveloped is
steam, which round its 1,-,v out of varied 4,f places. and if
P s - ...ison and thing in
441„: .44: hi, The people's clothes
and oeudii g must t)e coustanily moist: possibly it was the
cause of her stopping, or it might be by accident, but the
rotatory engine, while at work, resembled the noise of a
person sawing stone. It is understood that Professor
Airey is in the port, and the committee doubtless will
assemble in a day or two, to inspect her and make their re-
port, after one or two more trials.
The Admiralty have given notice to the superintendents of
the different dockyards, that they have appointed a com-
mittee of officers to revise the rigging warrants of all her
Majesty's ships • so many alterations have been made in the
masts and yards of ships, and the ships differently classed,
that such a measure is absolutely requisite; with the assist-
ance of the masters' attendant, master riggers, and a few ex-
perienced masters and boatswains, the business at each dock-
yard will soon be concluded.

- The Fairy yacht has tried her new screw, and found it
answer exceedingly well. The great vihration caused
throughout the vessel by the formerone has ceased.
The Barretto, jun., transport, with convicts for Bermuda.
is still detained at Spithead.
The Carysfort, 26, is fitting alongside her hulk, and has
made considerable progress in her equipment.
Shipwrights are at task-work on the Wanderer and
Childers brigs, and they will be ready to be moved into the
basin on the Bth or 10th of February, and fit for officers and
men by the end of the month.
On Thursday we gave a list of the ships and vessels of was
paid off, commissioned, launched, and broken up during the
past year; and also the number of all classes in commission
at the present time. We now proceed to give an analysis of
those out of commission at the several ordinaries of Ports-
mouth, Plymouth, Sheerness, and Chatham, and notice at
the same time the number of the several classes building.
The number and condition of those in ordinary we find to be
as follows, viz.:—

Line of ba-totle ships of from 70 to 120 guns—" advanced
ships," and, therefore, in excellent condition 32
Ditto, in good condition, and fit for any service on under-
going a slight repair
Ditto, defective, and, perhaps, not worth repair 9
Ditto, in various stages of building
Frigates of from 26 to 50 guns, in good condition, and fit
for any service on undergoing a slight repair 5B
Ditto defective, and scarcely worth repair
Ditto in various stages of building
Corvettes, brigs, and schooners, in good condition, of
which number eleven are now refitting for commission
at the several ports ... 32
Ditto defective, and scarcely worth repair
Ditto in various stages of building
Steam frigates, steam sloops, and ordinary steamers, in
good condition
16
Ditto defective, and scarcely worth repair
Ditto in various stages of building
Total effective, 59 line-of-battle ships, 58 frigates, 32 cor-
vettes, &c., and 16 steamers.

Tot'al defective, 9 line-of-battle ships, 12 frigates, 6 cor-
vettes, and 3 steamers.
Total building, 22 line-of-battle ships, 14 frigates, 22 cor-
vettes, and 28 steamers. _

In this summary the convict ships, store ships, coal depots,
&c., are excluded, the most of which being sound ships,could
be available on an emergency.
As a contrast to the above we may annex the number of
vessels composing the United States navy, which we take
from the last number of the United Service Gazette.
Line-of-battle ships, 10; frigates, 14; corvettes, brigs, and
schooners, 39 ; steamers, 8 ; store ships and brigs, 4; total,
75. Of these between forty and fifty are in commission, but
they are principally small vessels ; the line-of-battle ships
are net all launched, and of the others several are unfit for
sea.

At no one period of her history, as a contemporary ob-
serves, " did England ever possess so many beautiful, large,
and efficient men-of-war, as those now lying at the different
principal ports, denominated advanced ships,' which are
ready at a moment's notice for the reception of their crews."
They have their lower masts and bowsprits in, and have their
water-tanks, gun-carriages, anchors, cables, and some portion
of their heavy stores on board, while on shore their other
masts, yards, sails, gun-tackle, and all their other necessary
stores are arranged in such a manner as to be instantly
available. In accordance with an Admiralty order of
August last, two main and fore and one mizen topmast and a
jibboom were put on board each ship, but by a recent order
these are now in course of being returned on shore for better
preservation.

The following are the advanced ships : --.
AT PORTSMOUTH. Bombay
Britannia l2O Foudroyant ... 7B
*Neptune .. .......... ..
*Nelson
Camperdown
Powerful B4 AT SHEERNESS.
*Vengeance
Bellerophon 7B Howe
Carnatic ... .
Pembroke
Hastings
AT PLYMOUTH. Ganges B4
*St. George
*Royal William l2O Hawke ••••
*Royal Adelaide lO4 Russell
*Nile 92 Hercules
Clarence ' 84 AT CHATHAM.
Calcutta
Those marked with an asterisk are new ships, and have
never been at sea.

The following are the sloops of war refitting for immediate
commission at the several ports :—At Portsmouth, Harle-
quin 16, Childers 16, and 'Wanderer 16. At Plymouth,
Tweed 20, and Favourite 18. At Sheerness, Dido 20, Elec-
tra 18, Snake 16, and Ferret 10. At Chatham, Scout 18, and
Columbine 16.

SHEERNESS, JAN. s.—The Janus steam-sloop, with her
constructor, the Earl of Dundonald on board, passed eut from
Chatham, en route to Portsmouth, on Friday afternoon, about
three o'clock. His Lordship feels most sanguine that he will
yet accomplish the objects he proposed to the Admiralty to
realise when he induced them to grant him permission to
build the Janus. The following is the progress she made in
her last trial to reach Portsmouth :—Started from Chatham
at 1 P.M. of the 16th ultimo, with a fine breeze aft, her
wheels revolving about at 13 turns per minute ; arrived here
at 3h. 15m. P.M., anchored off the Mouse, at 4 P.M.,
and at half-past eight A.M., of the 17th, proceeded
for Portsmouth, in fine smooth water, and with
light breezes aft, her wheels revolving 13 turns per
minute. At 2 P.M. her speed became reduced, and kept
gradually slackening in consequence of a slight swell of the
sea, and at 9 P.M. she could only make nine turns per
minute. On the 18th, at 3 A.M., only. seven turns per
minute ; and in consequence of a head wind springing up,
it was found that she could not make head way against
it ; she was therefore compelled to retrace her steps tithe
Downs. On the morning of the 19th, she started with
a light breeze aft, engines revolving about thirteen turns
per minute, but ultimately lay to fer the night. On
the 20th, the engines were ordered to be started, but it
was found that something was broken, and on the 21st.
at 10 30, A.M., she started for this port, but owing to a
strong wind sae could not go ahead, and it was found
necessary to come to an anchor about two miles from
Margate. Early on the 22d she started again for Sheerness,
and attempted to beat up, not being able to stand against
the wind, but at eleven, A.M., she got aground, and after some
difficulty was got off again, and anchored for the night. On
the 23d, the wind blowing strongly, she remained at
anchor. On the 24th, the weather being fine again, she
continued her course to this port, where she arrived about
two, P.M., and was then taken in tow by the Fearless steamer
for Chatham.

The Fury steam-frigate was undocked to-day, and con-
tinues in the basin completing some light jobs connected
with her hammock netting's and boat devils, prior to being
towed up the river to receive her engines.
The Tartarus steam surveying vessel, Commander James
Wolfe, was hauled into dock to-day to refit for further ser-
vice on the coast of Ireland.

The African steamer, Second Master J. Barker, towed the
ill-fated Eclair steam-sloop to Woolwich on Friday, and re-
turned here yesterday.
The Calypso, 20, Captain Henry J. Worth, progresses ra-
pidly with her fittings at Chatham. Lieut. C. M. Shipley is
appointed to her, vice Lieut. H. B. Everest, to the Phoenix.
She has a few hands on board, but seamen come forward very
slowly for her.
The Columbine, 16, sloop, of the Surveyor's earliest..'" dian:
struction, is ordered to be refitted for commission with all
patch.
into dock,, and the hired
The Eurotas, 44, has been taken :o
the Fortitude, are pro-
workmen, recently employed oLa steam guard-ship.
gressing with her conversion() into
be fitted with the galvanised
These ships (block ships)which is being adopted in all our steam-
-18, was undocked at Chatham on Wednesday
wire rigging,
vessels.
„,, masted and will, with the Snake, 16, fitting here, be
The Scout, .
readyi for commission in the course of a week.
The Cumberland, Abe ditaleigh, 50, fitting as advanced
ships at Chatham, will completed as such in the course of
a few days.

HORRIBLE DESTITUTION.—A WOMAN BAUM NIC
RATS.—On Tuesday week, Mr. Jeviison, coroner, held an in-
quest at the Hand and Shuttle, Tong, on view of the body
of Sarah Holdaworth, a woman 84 years of age, who was
found dead in her house on Thursday morning. The old
woman, it appeared, resided in a hovel somewhere in the
neighbourhood of Dudley-hill, and though so far advanced
in life, resided alone. For two days previous to her death
she had been confined to bed, having no one to attend on her
. but a step -son, nearly as old as herself On Wednesday
night, at eight o'clock, he left her in bed, and retired for the
night. Next morning he found her laidupon the floor dead,
and presenting ainost horrible spectacle. Her right eye was
nearly eaten out; her left eye was also eaten; her forehead
and nose, and the edges of a sore on one arm had been
gnawed. It appeared from the evi4 that the residence of
the deceased was infested by rats, had become so bold
that they had on former occasions actually eaten the old
woman's chemise as she lay in bed, likewise her other cloth-
ing and the bed clothes into holes. To keep them from at-
tacking her person she had been accustomed, as was the case
on Wednesday night, to have a stick laid on the bed. Nothing
had been heard in the night in her cottage. It is believed that
the vermin, more ravenous than usual, had attacked her in bed,
and that, to free herself from their ferocity she had made an
effort too great for her feeble state. A fit ensued in which
she died, but it is supposed the rats made their horrid feast
before life was extinct, The unfortunate old woman was in
the receipt of 3s. a week relief from the union, and but a
short time ago it was sought to take her to the workhouse,
but her opposition was so great that the relieving officer was
obliged to desist. She paid 6d. a week rent for her hovel,
and when found had saved up 78. 70. to pay her rent. In
connexion with this little hoard a simple but affecting inci-
dent was related. On Wednesday her step-son, who appears
to have been a tender, affectionate nurse, gave her some tea
nice, elsi
without sugar or milk, and a piece of dry coarse breate The
poor poor old woman said she could like something e,
t
ad-
dition of milk and sugar to hot tea, and of buttert to her
though so ill,
bread, would probably be quite a luxury ; but g _
not a word was said of dipping
ford Observer.
gaandrdeeune u
mmba re e ta,ntdheunreottwgeast
into the rent funds.—Brad-
On Saturday, at Covent-
a good show of new potatoes _ _
an e
vEiCoILertsIONER, MOBBIIDe--IMMe-
the flowers were camellias, roses, hydr g re, pelar-
goniums,
and
pEI et ion of the execution of the woman,
gonciuAmLs,cßhAe;
Tr
THEeacso
BdiraotewinYinafgt,earttthhee Old Bailey, on Monday last, a cab was ob-
served to draw .up to a door of the prison, front which it was
known the executioner, Calcraft, would quickly emerge for
the purpose of going to perform a similar office at the gaol of
Ilorsemonger-lane, when a simultaneous rush was made by
the mob towards the spot, and in an instant the wheels and
roof, and every part of the cab that was available, was taken
possession of by the rabble, so eager were they to obtain a
glance of the functionary of the law. Calcraft soon made his
appearance, when the uproar of the assembled throng became
deafening. A posse of the police, however, who were at hand,
soon dislodged the intruders from the cab, which now quickly
passed off towards its destination, followed by hundreds whose
course were directed to the same spot.

PUGILISM.—In the course .of the past year there
were no less than 147 prize fights, the stakes varying in
amount from 101. to 2001. a side.