The Sun.
London, England, 1848-12-30 00:00:00

NAVAL INTELLIGENCE.

SUN, LONDON,

PonTsmount, FraDAY.—ln reference to a statement
made by the pilot (but not admitted in evidence at the
court-martial), which has gone forth to the public, that
he Was mainly instrumental in extricating the Sharp-
shooter from her stranded position after she got ashore,
we are requested to insert the following, which is at-
tested by nineteen gentlemen who were on board the
vessel at the time, and thoroughly cognizant of all the
facts:—

" This is to certify that, in our opinion Joseph Bur-
nett, pilot, was not in any way instrumental in extricat-
ing the Sharpshooter from her difficulty when on the
ground off Worthing, on the 14th of December, 1848.
110 did not assist by one single suggestion, or even
action,"

their real and alacrity in a time of danger, at Cook's-
straits, and tender their thanks for services rendered
on the southern coast of New Zealand.

Ships Spoken.—October 19. two days before arriving
at Rio Janeiro, the ship Eleanor of Bristol, with coal
for Coquimbo, had been into Rio for water. November
8, just outside Rio, near Cape Frio, the schooner Wil-
liam Harrip, bound to Rio. November 14, hat. 19 23
S., lon. 30 25 W., 93 miles north-east of Trinidad, the
screw-steamer Alligator, 56 miles west of her reckoning;
received from her a man named Rose, a runaway ap-
prentice found concealed on board after the Alligator
left England. November 15, exchanged colours with
a large 50-gun Dutch frigate, bound to the south-
ward. November 16, lat. 12 S., lon. 33 W., the ship
Sobraon, 35 days from Bristol, bound to Bom-
bay. November 18, passed English barque Ina, 59
days from London, to Singapore. November 25, lat.
1 40 N., lon. 24 16 W., exchanged colours with the
steam-ship Bombay, standing S.W., bound to Bombay.
November 30, lat. 7 29 N., lon. 25 56 IV., brig Tagus,
standing to the southward. December 2, let. 9 15 N.,
lon. 26 18 W., the Swedish ship Prince Wear, from Got-
tenburg, standing to the southward.
The Dutch galiot schooner 1)o Kaapstadt (Cape
Town), Captain Vanhall, was towed in yesterday by a
pilot boat. On Sunday last, the 24th inst., lit. 4S 30 N.,
Jon. 7 W., she was overtaken by a hurricane from south-
south-east and south, which threw the ship on her beam
ends, and so kept her from 8 A.M. for five hours, with the
water up to her main hatchway. The crew were com-
pelled to cut awry topgallant and topmasts, yards, sails,
&c. She belongs to, and was bound from, Amsterdam
to the Cape of Good Hope.
Last night it blew heavily, with rain, from the east-
ward, south-east, and southward. To-day it has veered
more northerly, and appears fine.
CAPE OF GOOD HOPE.—By the latest advices (the
29th of October) Rear-Admiral Reynolds, C. 8., in the
Southampton, 50-gun frigate, had not arrived at the
Cape, to relieve Vice-Admiral Dacres of the command
of the station, although he had been daily looked for for
some time.

The President, 50-gun frigate, bearing the flag of
Vice-Admiral Dacres, was in Simon's Bay at the above
date, as were the Nimrod, 20-gun corvette, Captain Bel-
grave, and the store-ship Seringapatam, Mr. Russell,
R.N., Master, commanding. The Eurydice, 24-gun
corvette, Captain Anson, and the Brilliant, 24, Captain
Watson, were at the Mauritius. The Dee troop steamer,
Mr. Filmer, Master, R.N., commanding, was in Table-
bay.
THE SQUADRON or EXERCISE.—Sir Charles Napier's
fleet had not made the Tagus on the 23d instant, nor
does the packet just arrived bring any news of having
spoken him. The Admiral and his force had been ex-
pected for some time.
MEN OF WAR IN THE TAGUS.—Her Majesty's ships
Harlequin, 14, Commodore Moore, and the Racer, 10,
Lieut. Bacon, off Lisbon.

AT CADIZ.—The United States frigate United States,
44 guns, Commodore Reed.
OFF LISBON.—The French Republican steamer of
war El Dorado, the Brazilian steamer of war Affonso,
and the American screw steam-sloop the Allegheny.
GIBRALTAR, DEC. 19.—Her Majesty'a steamer Rosa-
mond, Commander Foote, arrived here this day, in nine
days from Plymouth, and is coaling prior to proceeding
to Naples, with dispatches for the Commander-in-Chief,
Vice-Admiral Sir William Parker, G.C.B. _

WOOLWICH, Dec. 29.—The Basilisk steam-vessel is
under the shears in the basin, having masts put in her,
before trial with the Niger steam-vessel, and the former
will be tried dawn the river on the 4th of January by
herself, to ascertain the working of her engines before
the trial of speed to test the merits of paddle-wheel ves-
sels compared with those fitted with screw propellers.

fast
evening a seaman of the Superb, named Devon-
shire, fell from her main yard on to the main deck, and
fractured his skull, and otherwise injured himself. He
Was conveyed with all possible dispatch to Haslar hos-
pital, but surgical aid was unavailing. His injuries
were so dreadful that he expired in the course of the
night. This vessel is still proce, ding in her dismantling.
All her topsail yards and her fore and crossjack yards
are down, her maintopmast unrigged, as well as the fore
one, the latter having been got entirely down ; the
seizings of the puttock shrouds are cast off, and, from
the ratlines of the fore rigging being cast loose, there
js every appearance that those shrouds will come
on., Her bulk-heads are down on board, and the
caulkers, at' work] inside; and out, fore and aft. There
every reason to think she will have to be docked, and
her copper sheathing stripped off and renewed. So much
for Paying off all standing, and rehoisting the pendant
without refit.
The Duck lighter, with stores from Chatham, arrived
this morning.
In Port and Fitting—Victory, 22, flag-ship of Com-
mander-in-Chief ; Illustrious, 10, flag-ship of Admiral
superintendent ; Victoria and Albert, Royal Yacht ;
Blenheim, 56, guardsbip of steamers; Superb, 80; Ex-
t, gunnery exercise-ship; Rolla, exercise-brig for
nova i apprentices; Driver, steam-sloop; Sharpshooter,
steam-schooner ; Fairy, Fire Queen, Myrtle, steam-
tenaers ; Bee, steam-exercise vessel for Naval College ;
Echo, steam .tug; Fanny, Port Admiral's yacht; Ports-
moth, Admiral Superintendent's yacht.
At Spithead—None.
111,1)°,ek—Princess Charlotte, 104 ; Collingwood, 80 ;
Pen3L'A.°ae, 72 ; Vindictive, 50 ; Flying Fish, 12 ; and
Fire Queen steam tender.
In the Old Basin—Leander, 50 ; Defence, convict
hull ; Malabar, coal depot. •
In the Steam Basin—Ajax, steam guard-ship ; Ter-
magant, Centaur, and Retribution, steam-frigates ;
Cormorant, Phoenix, Salamander, and Birkenhead steam-
slooßs ; Otter, Jackal, and Urgent steam-vessels.
Wind N.E. by N. ; light breezes and dark hazy
weather.
DEc. 28.—Her Majesty's frigate Calliope,
26, C3_,Ptaln Edward Stanley, came in late last night,
from 1-'4_,ew Zealand. Her dates are Wellington, New
August 26 ; she arrived at Rio Janeiro October
21; left November 5; and passed Terceira December 21.
je affairs of New Zealand were in a prosperous con-
dition; ,The only man-of-war at Wellington was her
Majest)s ship Did°, 18, Captain J. B. Maxwell. Her
MajeStY s sloop Fly, 14, Commander Richard A. Oliver,
had left for a southward cruise towards Otago.
At Bio Jandro were her Majesty's frigate Inconstant,
36, Captain John Shepherd, and her Majesty's packet
brig Crua'
Crane, 6, Lieutenant Commander John
homeward Parsons,
bound, waiting the return mail. The brigan-
tine liestrel, Lieutenant Commander Henry Baker, was
gone southward with the Crane's mail. The American
frigate Brandywine, and the French corvette Triom-
phante, with several Brezilian men-of-war, were at Rio.
The United States' corvette St. Louis had sailed for the
River
Plate. From Rio the Calliope brings specie
valued at about 150,0001.
The Calliope is rather crank and overmasted, but
otherwise is considered a fine ship, and sails fairly. Her
crew are in a healthy state, and have been so during
their absence from England. Slits has only lost five
hands, viz., three by casualties and two in action—one,
a blue jacket, at Orokiwi, and another, a marine, at
Ruapekarka- The Hon. Henry Petre comes home
passenger from New Zealand. Some of the officers of
the Calliope are under arrest on a charge of forgery sit
New Zealand, which will lead to a court-martial.
His Excellency the Governor-in-Chief had just pub-
lished, in the New Zealand Government Gazette, an ex-
tract from the minutes of the Executive Council, dated
/August 19, 1848, in which they express their gratitude
to the captain, officers, and crew of the calliope, for

SATURDAY EVENING, DECEMBER 30, 1848.: