The Sun.
London, England, 1851-03-31 00:00:00

NAVAL INTELLIGENCE.
MALTA, MARCII 22.—The Resistance troop-ship, after
a beautiful passage from England of only 20 days, has
arrived at this port. She brings out the 68th Regiment,
to relieve the 44th service companies, which will embark
for Gibraltar on Tuesday next.
The sergeants of the 69th Regiment are about to pre-
sent to their late sergeant-major (Honnor) a silver cup,
in token of their regard for him during a period of 21
years. The sergeant-major retires into private life en-
joying the esteem of the entire corps.
A melancholy accident occurred on Monday last. A
boat of the Medina was sent round from the Grand to
the Quarantine Harbour, to creep for a chain and
anchor, from which she had slipped a short time before.
Having succeeded in her duty, she was returning, and
when off St. Elmo she was caught in a heavy squall and
capsized. Her crew consisted of Mr. Long, a Master's
assistant, and six men, two of whom, James Griffin and
William Crawley, sank to rise no more.
This morning a largo party of fashionables left the
island by the French steamer for Naples. Among the
number were the Earl and Countess Cottenbam and
family. During his Lordship's stay in Malta his health
has materially improved.
A general court-martial will assemble shortly for the
trial of a private of the 69th Regiment, who having had
a quarrel with a comrade on the preceding evening,
loaded his gun yesterday morning and fired at him.
Providentially the vile act was rendered nugatory by the
ball striking an iron pea!, and glancing off from the in-
tended victim.
PORTSMOUTH, MARCH SO.—Captain Arthur Lowe,
son-in-law to Admiral Sir John Ommanney, K.C.8., will
be flag-captain, and Mr. Alexander Kent, secretary to
Sir John at Devonport.
The Penelope, 22 Captain Lyster, was reported com-
plete in the master-shipwright's department to-day. She
will probably be taken out of harbour on Tuesday, and sail for the coast about the 10th, with Commodore Bruce,
to relieve Commodore Fanshawe on the coast of Africa.
The Fox, 42, Commodore Lambert, arrived at Tria-
comalee on the 29th of January, and remained there on
the Bth of February. The Fox was to go to Madras to
meet the Hastings, 72, Rear-Admiral Austen, from Sin-
gapore. The Salamander steam-sloop sailed from Trin-
comalee on the Ist ult., for Moulmein.
The good service pension, which reverted to the gift of
the first Lord of the Admiralty on the promotion of
Captain Henderson to the rank of Rear-Admiral, has
been conferred on Captain John Drake (1835).
Her Majesty has been graciously pleased to grant
permission to Lieutenant W. Parker, of the Royal Naval
Hospital, Haslar, to wear a gold medal bearing an ens-
bossed star and crescent upon it, conferred on him by
the Sultan for his services in co-operating with the army
in Egypt under Sir Ralph Abercrombie, in 1811.
The Fantome, 12, Commander Gennys, and the Cal-
liope, 26, Captain Sir Everard Home, arrived at Madeira
on the 11th instant, and the Pandora, 6, on the 15th.
The Avon steamer, Second Master-Commander Veitch,
arrived at Portsmouth on Saturday with seamen for
the Prince Regent. The Avon returned the same even-
ing to Plymouth.
The Birkenhead steam-trooper, is taking on board
provisions and water. She will go to Woolwich the early
part of the week, to take on board four companies of
the Royal Artillery for New Brunswick and Canada.
The Rhadamauthus, Master-Commander Belam,troop-
steamer, with Artillery (two companies) and some de.
tachments of the line on board for the Cape, anchored is St.
Helen's Roads in the night, and came up to Spithaad on
Sunday morning. She will proceed for Plymouth the
same evening, to await final orders and complete fuel
and water.
Wind N.N.W., fresh breezes, and fine.
DEVONPORT, MARCH 28.—The Retribution has con-
siderable defects to make good, having experienced very
bad weather on her passage home from Lisbon. Her
rudder-head is twisted, and requires a new main pin.
Her port paddlebox is much damaged, and it will re-
quire a fortnight before she is fit to go to sea. She came
into harbour on Thursday evening.
The Bonetta sailed this morning.
The Avon steam-tender sailed to-day, with supernu-
meraries for Portsmouth.
A court-martial assembled this morning on board the
Impregnable, to try Mr. Robert Watson, supernumerary
boatswain of the St. George, on
_a charge of drunken-
ness and disobedience of orders, preferred by Lieut.
Cull, of the St. George. Commodore Lord John Hay,
president; Captains Nias, St. George; Sir Thomas Mait-
land, Impregnable; Captain Warden, of the Retribution ;
and Commander M'Cormick, of the St. George. Mr.
George Eastlake, Judge-Advocate.
Mr. John Beer, solicitor, defended the prisoner.
After a strict and patient investigation, it was eonsi-
dered that neither charge was proved, and Mr. Watson
was honourably acquitted. Mr. Watson is an old and
efficient warrant officer, having first-rate certificates for
near 40 years. He lately served in the Wellesley.
The Camel lighter, Faben master commanding, sailed
this afternoon with stores for Pembroke.
Her Majesty's ship Cumberland, 70, Captain Peter
Richards, was in Torbay on Friday, and is now beating
down Channel.

The packet brig Brilliant, Captain Calbeck, with mails
and passengers for Madeira, sailed yesterday.
WOOLWICH, MARCIE 29.—The Caradoc steam-vessel,
recently plying between Dublin and Holyhead, but now
fitting at Woolwich as a packet to run between Mar-
seilles and Malta, went down the river in charge of Lieu-
tenant Derriman, with Mr. Humptaus, chief engineer at
Woolwich dockyard, on a trial cruise, to ascertain her
speed and the efficiency of her engines before proceeding
to her destination. The weather was rather unfavour-
able for the experiment, but her average speed at the
measured mile, with 8 feet 6 inches draught of water,
was 131 knots per hour, the engines making 25i revo-
lutions per minute. She now carries 140 tons of coal,
and her new boilers occupy a space of about two-thirds
of the original ones. She stared at 10.45 Ix , and re-
turned to Woolwich at 5 P.M.
The Roy nerd steam-sloop, Commander Peter Craeoft,
was ut Whampoa on the 25th of January last, and a
letter from on board, dated that day, was received here
by the last India mail, in which it is stated that a dread-
ful fire had taken place on the previous night just
ahead of the ship, and only about 200 yards from her.
The whole of Bamboo town, consisting of about 350
wooden houses, was hurnt down in the short space of
three hours. The other blade of the screw of the Rey-
Davi was broken off at Shanghai and a new one put on
at Ningpo in twelve days, the two engineers doing all
the work on board themselves, and they have now a pro-
peller of their own construction, affording evidence of
the benefit of having practical engineers on board. Mr.
Oultram was promoted for repairing the first blade, and
Mr. Goldsack is deserving of promotion for his indefa-
tigable exertions in assisting in repairing both blades.
TRIAL OF THE NIX PRUSSIAN WAR STEADIER.
A trial took place on Saturday with anew iron steamer
intended as a gun vessel for the Prussian service. This
vessel, built by Messrs. Robinson and Russell, left
Blackwall shortly after twelve o'clock, not only to try
her rate of speed, but to test her power of firing guns
in a manner quite novel, and for which a patent
has been secured. The paddlewheel war steamers
of the Royal Navy can fire only one gun ahead or
astern; but, in the case of the Nice, the sponsons or
platform in front and astern of the paddle-boxes are so
formed and strengthened that two guns, one for each
sponson, can be fired either forward or aft to cress each
other at a distance of 130 yards from the bow or stern.
The Nix is a vessel of only 550 tons, builder's measure-
ment, with a mean draught of water of six feet six
inches. The engines are of 150-horse power, and her
armament consists of four 8-inch guns, 65 cwt. each, and
9 feet long; also, two 32-pounder guns, 25 cwt. each, and
6 feet long, mounted upon carriages made by Messrs.
Fergusson, Miliwall, with all modern improvements in
that department cf gunnery. She tried her speed at the
measured distance in Sea reach, and performed the
mile, with the wind and tide in her favour, in 4 min.
and 5 sec. When the Nix arrived off Southend she fired
two 8-itch sponson guns shotted, firing three rounds
from each, the shot crossing each other within a dis-
tance of about 130 yards ahead of the vessel, making an
angle towards the line of keel of 2i deg. The vessel
then returned, and although encountered by a strong
wind and tide performed the measured mile in 6 min.
and 55 sec., making an average speed of 11,684 knots
or 13,463 miles per hour. The Nix being intended as
a vessel of war has been fortified on the inside with two
thicknesses of 4-inch teak plank, and is considered to be
very strong. She carries about 124 tons of coals, equal
to ten days consumption. The engines performed 32
strokes per minute. They, as well as the vessel, were
constructed by Messrs. Robinson and Russell.

SPORTING INTELLIGENCE.
EPSOM SPRING MEETING.
Tho programme fur Thursday and Friday next is by
far the strongest that has been issued since the establish-
ment of the Spring meetings. So strong is it—thanks
to the liberality of the licensed victuallers and their
friends, and the zeal of the clerk of the course—that the
stewards of the flat races are at length enabled to dis-
pense with " heats ;" and we have no doubt will exclude
them altogether from all future lists, whether in spring,
summer, or autumn, On the first day the venue will be
laid in the same locality as last year—the sport to con-
sist of three steeplechases and a hurdle race with public
,
money amounting to 2201. The " legitimism" racing
on the following day will be in every respect first-rate.
Six events will come off—viz., the Trial Stakes, the City
and Suburban Handicap, with an acceptance of 27 out of
an entry of 51 (one having become void by the death of
that straight-forward sportsman Sir Gilbert Heathoote);
the Two years old Stakes, with wearies (one void), and
the prospect of a large
field; the Great Metropolitan
Handicap, for which 44 were left in out of 101 nomina-
tions (one void); the Railway Plate and Selling Stakes,
which, as well as the Trial Stakes, close on Wednesday
afternoon at four o' ciock—tbe money added amounting
to 6504 So extraordinary an improvement in the cha-
racter of the meeting is creditable to Mr. Dorling ; and
as the Brighton
Railway Company will provide ample
accommodation in the shape of special trains on both
days, there is no doubt that he will be liberally sup-
ported by the public.
NORTH OF ENGLAND STEEPLECHASE. The dis-
puted race has been decided in favour of Isaac.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUIV.
SIR,-1 should feel extremely obliged if you could find
a corner for the following acrostic on the name of Phelps;
it was written by a deceased friend of mine just before
his death.—Yours obediently, W. J. L.
P ouring thy sounding lines on eager ears,
II urling thy flashing sentences afar,
E 'on as iu Feudal Times thy form appears
L it up to greatness as the truthful ‘4 Mar."
P (Ant onward still and long beneath thy reign S
hall " Sadler's Wells" its proud career maintain.
CIIARLES WILTON.

THE LONDON SEAMEN.—A monster procession of
the seamen of the port of London is appointed for Wedset:
day, to convey the petitions for the repeal of the Memo*
Marine Act.