The Sun.
London, England, 1851-09-20 00:00:00

SE. T E BEI 2O, 1651.

NAVAL INTELLIGENCE.

The fleet of Admiral Sir William Paiker, Bart,.
tG.C.B., consisting of the Queen, 116, flag-ship ;
.Albion, 90, Captain Johnstone ; Ganges, 84, Captain
E. Smith, C. 8.; Superb, 80, Captain Purcell ; lode-
fatigable, 50, Captain Smart, ICH. ; Terrible, 21,
steam-frigate, Captain Hope, C. 8.; Firebrand, 6,
steam-frigate, Captain Codd ; Spiteful, 6, steam-
sloop, Commander Parker ; and Scourge, 6, steam-
sloop, Commander Lord F. Kerr, were at Pula,
llinorca, on the 10th, and were about to sail for
Barcelona, where the fleet will remain for a short
time.

Rear-Admiral Austin, C. 8., the Commander-in-
Chief of the East Indies in the flag-ship Hastingg
74, Captain Hastings, left Trincomalee, August 7,
for Penang, where a court-martial is to be assembled
for the trial of Commander Cracroft and his officers
for the loss of the screw-sloop Reynard on the Pratos
Shoal. There will be congregated the Fox, 42,
Commodore Lambert; who will be president; Captain
Austin, Captain Barker, of the Amazon, '26 ; Com-
mander Shadwell, of the Sphynx, steam-sloop; and
Commander Luard, cf the Serpent, 12. The Fox
arrived at Madras on the 12th August from Pondi-
cherry ; the Serpent arrived at Madras on the Bth
August from Trincomalee. The Sphynx arrived at
Penang on the Ist August, and proceeded to Hong-
, Kong for Commander Cracroft and the officers and
crew of the late Reynard.
Captain E. M. Lyon's appointment to study steam
at Woolwich has been cancelled.
Mr. Ganzelier's appointment as master to the Gre-
cian, 12, at Devonport, has been cancelled.
Chaplain—The Rev. T. J. Main has taken up his
commission re-appointing him to the Excellent.
Mates—Edward Field and E. H. Howard have
been appointed to the Excellent.
Naval Cadets—Francis M. Ommanney, to the Im-
pregnable flag-ship, at Devonport ; Frederick Am-
herst, to the Bellerophon, 7S, Portsmouth.
THE RELIEF OF THE WILSD-BOUND.—Avon (steam-
tender), and Nautilus (apprentices' tender), of Da-
vonport, with Rolla (Portsmouth apprentices' tender),
have sailed for the chops of the Channel, with water
and provisions, to relieve the merchantmen detained
by the prevalence of the easterly winds.
PORTSMOUTH, FRIDAY.—There was a slant of wind
this morning from the north-west, and between six
and eight o'clock 70 or 80 vessels passed through
Spithead for the eastward, that have been lying wind-
bound in Stokes Bay and Southampton waters for the
last week or for:night. It was only a temporary
change of wind, for at ten o'clock it again iaakti
round to the north-east.

Tyne steam-ship, Master-Commander Willington,
is receiving a supply of water at Port*mouth, to
carry her round to Deptford, where she will land h(r
old stores.

Vulcan, screw troop-ship, Master Commander
Penn, has had her new channels completed, and is set-
ting up her lower rigging at Portsmouth. She is re-
ceiving: the third coating of Mr. Buchan's com-
position, and will be hastened for service. She will
probably come out of dock on Tuesday next, and
shortly afterwards proceed to Cork, where she will
embark the 431 R?giment, and about 100 men of the
Ist battalion of the 12th for the Cape. She will be
randy by the 2d of October.
Ilerculer,, store-ship, is being refitted in her rigging
by the riggers of Portsmouth yard, and is alongside
the Pitch-house jetty, having her decks and top sides
caulked.

yr
The Dauntless, 33, screw-frigate, Captain Halsted,
is complete in her refit, and will haul off from the
jetty to-morrow to receive her crew, and on Monday
will proceed to Spithead to try her machinery.
The Devon naval lighter proceeded to Plymouth
today with dockyard stores.
The Defence convict-ship remains at St. Helen's
windbound.
The Fox, 42, Commodore Lambert, sailed from
Trincomalee, for Pondicherry and Madras, on the
9th ultimo.
WOOLWICH, SEPT. 19.—The Myrtle came up the
river yesterday from Sheerness, with a crew to navi-
gate the Cuckoo steam-vessel to that port, where she
will remain ready for commission.
The Violet, Dover mail steam-packet, Lieutenant-
Commander Jones, has returned to Dover to reassume
her duties on that station, after undergoing repairs,
which occupied about three weeks, to make good in-
juries sustained at the entrance of Dover harbour.

THE LOSS OF THE PASHA STEAMER.
ADDITIONAL PARTICULARS.
In the accounts published of the loss of this vessel,
reference has been made to the probability of the Erin
being desirous of " speaking with the Pasha," and
that, in the end, this desire to communicate might
prove in a great measure to have contributed to the
calamity. SubsEquent inquiries tend to show that the
information is somewhat doubtful. Mr. Miller, the
commander of the Pasha, only joined her at Hong-
Kong, and on the day of her leaving Singapore he
continued on deck from sunset up to the period of the
collision. The course the vessel took, and the varia-
tion of the compass, we have already noticed. From
the distance steamed, and an indifferent sight of
Mount Formosa, the captain evinced some anxiety as
to his position with respect to a bank or shoal which
was laid down in Ilorsburgh's chart, and was said
to be dangerous to approach. Among the traders
of the Straits it was known to have twelve feet of

water upon it at its shoalest part of low tide.
About this period some lightning over the Mount
gave him a glimpse of it, and almost immediately
afterwards the light of the Erin was observed, but
which at the time was thought to be on shore, or
on some vessel close inland. Considering himself
much closer to the shore than he really was—and the
light of the Erin at this particular juncture is said to
have been dropped for a short time in order to be
trimmed—the helm was ordered to be put astarboard,
and the Pasha's course shaped \V. by N., and after-
wardslW., so as to run out more towards the middle
of the channel. The light in the distance was again
seen, with a red one on the port side, and a blue light
being fired on board the Pasha, it was ascertained
that they were signals of the steamer. We may here
allude to the regulations laid down by the Brethren
of the Trinity-house, in accordance with the dircc.
Lions issued by the Lords of the Admiralty, to the
effect that, when any steam-vessels are proceeding
in an opposite direction, and there is a proba-
bility of their coming in collision, each vessel shall
put her helm aport, so as always to pass on the lar-
board side of each other. We have before men-

tioned that the Pasha bad her wheel put astarboard, and
which, it seems, was continued after the Erin had been
observed, and indeed up to the moment apparently of
the occurrence. It is stated that the helm was so
kept, in the hope that the Pasha would not only keep
oat of the way of the shoal, but give a clear berth to
the approaching steamer. It was anticipated that the
captain of the Erin would perceive the peculiarity of
• their position and movement, and steering S.E. by E.,
as it is alleged, have passed astern of the Pasha.
The Erin appears not to have understood what was
intended by those on board the Pasha, for in addition
to the starboard course being at variance with the
Trinity regulation, there did not to them seem any
immediate danger that would render the helm being
put up in that direction, for the shoal which was
Judged to be near by was some four or five miles
distant. From the moment of the Pasha's lights be-
ing distinguished the helm of the Erin was put sport,
and both vessels bing so steered, it will be noticed
that they must have been making almost for each
other. The Erin kept her helm aport, and apparently
did everything to get clear of the Pasha, whose
wheel, kept still aa.tarboard, led to an impression
that the wanted to sped: with the Erie, but
which, as previously mentioned, was to let her pass
astern. Why the Pasha was allowed to continue
her direction when it was seen that the Erin was
pursuing her proper course remains yet to be ex-
plained. They went on towards the middle of the
ehanncl, and seem to have approached each other on
two curves. Their hulls were not visible until they
were close upon each other, and they came in contact,
as before detailed.

An investigation into the circumstances of the

catastrophe has been commenced by the authorities of
Singapore. Captain Barker, of her Mrjesty's ship
Amazon, and the master-attendant have rissisted at
the inquiry, which had not closed at the period of the
mail being dispatched.
The directors of the Peninsular and Oriental Steam
Navigation Company have received from their super-
intendent or manager, at Singapore, a report ut the
disastrous loss, which they consider it prudent to
abstain from making public until the result of the
above proceedings are known. We may here mention
that the directors have already determined upon send-
ing out another of their fine fleet in the room of the
Pacha.

The wreck lies in 25 fathoms of water, and by the
next mail we may probably hear of an attempt being
made to get up some portion of the valuable cargo.
As may be known, the divers on the Malacca coast
are very expert, and we doubt not that they will suc-
ceed in recovering some of the valuable treasure
which formed part of her freight. It consisted, from
China to Calcutta, of 42 boxes of gold, 45 boxes of
dollars, 6 boxes of sycee, 1 case of diamond rings, 1
case of silver ware, 21 pieces of silk goods, 126 chests
of green tea, 92 boxes of vermillion,l3 boxes of Prus-
sian blue, 1 case of velvets, 46 packages of sundry
merchandize, for Penang, from China, 1 box of dollars
and package of tea.
Some of the cargo was insured, but the vessel was
not, the company maintaining a reserve fund, and not
insuring their fleet. The value of the cargo alone is
estimated at nearly 600,000 dollars.

POSTAL ARRANGEMENTS IN SOUTH WALES.
The existing postal arrangements in some parts of
South Wales are a source of much discontent and in-
convenience, and the inhabitants are endeavouring to
induce the Post•office authorities to remedy the evil, and
effect changes that will aid the business pursuits of the
inhabitants. The following are a few of the instances
in which great delay results from the wretchedness of
the present system:—From Swansea to Herwain and
Aberdare the distance is about twenty-six miles, yet,
notwithstanding
,this short journey, letters posted at
Swansea before breakfast time are not delivered at
either of these places till next day, more than twenty-
four hours being occupied in traversing twenty-six miles.
The town of Neath, which is some eight miles nearer
than Swansea, is also similarly situated. The commu-
nication in the Vale of Neath is even worse, and so de-
fective and inefficient is it that when extra dispatch is
required special messengers are used, the post not being
equal to the task of delivering a letter a few miles off on
the same day as posted. A communication from Neath
to the Lamb and Flag, ten miles, wends its way through
Cardiff and takes nearly a day and a hell to go an 'lolled
journey! The labour-emple)ing districts of Aberdare
are under worse disadvantages with respect to the coast,
as letters from Herwain lie twenty-four hours at Aber-
dare, and are two days reaching Cardiff, only twenty-
three miles. It is affirmed that the present contracts
have been entered into for the period of twelve months,
and that consequently for such space the districts will
be denied the advuntage of rapid transit resulting from
the opening of the Vale of Neath line, when they would
be brought within an hour's journey.