The Sun.
London, England, 1851-12-06 00:00:00

APPOINTMENTS.

Commander—George Hancock (1850), to the London,
92, at Sheerness.
Lieutenants—Ennis Chambers, flag-lieutenant to the
Britannia, 120; F. A. Close, to the Blenheim screw-
ship, Portsmouth; T. H. M. Martin, to the Fury steam-
sloop, Woolwich.
Masters—C. T. A. Noddall, to the London; J. H. T.
Norris, to the Fury.
Surgeon—John Rees, to the Britannia.
Assistant-Surgeons—Stephen Bowden, James W.
Elliott, and Horace H. Smith, to the Britannia.
Paymaster—H. W. Hollinworth, to the Fury.
Clerk—A. H. Martin, to the Fury.
PORTSMOUTH, FRIDAY.—The Havannah, 19, Captain
Erskine, sailed for Plymouth this morning to pay off, as
we stated yesterday. She landed her small freight of
native Australian gold yesterday, which was forwarded
to London by Messrs. Emanuel, of Portsmouth, freight
agents. There is, we understand, another small freight
expected home in the barque Baadices; she has one
lump of native gold on board that weighs 1051 b. The
officers and crew of the Acheron that came home in the
Havannah have been transferred to the Victory.
The Rapid is still at Spithead, waiting orders; she has
been paid advance.
The .Britannia, 120, has this day hoisted the pendant
as flag-ship of the Commander-in-Chief elect of the Me-
diterranean. The flag of Bear-Admiral Prescott, C,8..
was at the same time transferred from her mizen to
that of the Illustrious, 72, which until lately carried it,
where it will remain until the Neptune, 120, is ready
to receive it. The Neptune was also commissioned this
day by Captain Yates, late of the Britannia, which will
be docked, if possible, to-morrow, to be overhauled.
The Birkenhead steam-frigate, Master-Commander
Salmond, is reported in the offing, from Sheerness, with
the officers and men of the Waterloo, for the Britannia.

The Rodney, 92, Captain Charles Graham, C. 8., has
received her crew and hauled off from the Blake hulk
ever to the Gosport shore, to make room for the Bri-
tannia's people.
PLYMOUTH, DEc. s.—Her Majesty's sloop Flying
Fish, Commander George E. Patey, arrived here yester-
day afternoon, after a splendid passage only of 29 days,
from Ascension, having left on the sth ult. The steam-
frigates Cyclops, Retribution, and Sidon, from the Cape
of Good Hope, were coaling at the island, on their pas-
sage home.

- Mr. Pennal, late secretary to the Governor of St.
Helena, was on board the Sidon, which had also some
military invalids and condemned stores from the Cape.
Captain Hutton, Governor of Ascension, was to come
home in the Retribution, having been superseded by
Captain Kitchen, who went out in the Virago.
The English merchant brig Pink, laden with guano,
was wrecked on the 4th of November on the south-east
side of Ascension. Crew saved.
Her Majesty's ships Penelope, Sampson, Gladiator,
Archer, Niger, Waterwitch, Alecto, and Prometheus, as-
sembled on the 22d of October, at Capo Lopez, for the
purpose of trying by court-martial Mr. Russel, chief
engineer of the Prometheus, who was dismissed the ser-
vice for drunkenness.

When the Flying Fish was leaving Cape Lopez on the
24th of October she saw Commodore Bruce and the
Niger under way to join the squadron for resumption of
their various cruising grounds.
The present disposition of the E qußdron is as follows :
—On the north coast—Sealark, Firefly, Dolphin, Spy,
and Alecto; in the Bight, Samson, Waterwitch, Niger,
Harlequin and Volcano; and on the south coast, the
Gladiator, Prometheus, Archer, Wasp, and Hound.
The squadron was in good general health.
The JAckall on the 22d of October left the Commo-
dore for Sierra Leone with mails.
Commanders Helico and Forbes, and Lieutenant Bond,
had joined the Penelope.