The Sun.
London, England, 1851-02-18 00:00:00

NAVAL INTELLIGENCE.

Commander William Rowlatt (1847), emigration agent,
has received an intimation of his appointment to the com-
mem" of the Alecto steam-sloop, to be commissioned at
Woolwich. This officer entered the navy in 1824, passed his
examination in 1830, and was made a lieutenant in IS3B.
He subsequently served on the Lakes of Canada, then as
emigration agent, afterwards as additional in the Penelope
steam•frigate on the coast of Africa, and was promoted
shortly after paying off the Waterwitch, 8, for the coast of
Africa, having been her first lieutenant. The other appoint-
ments to the Alecto are the following:—
Master--Edward Youell, lately promoted from the flag-
ship of the Mediterranean by Sir William Parker—an excel-
lent and deserving officer. Acting Paymaster—Robert G.
Webber, clerk of 1843. Clerk—lsaac Hearnden (1849).
Master's Assistant—David Moore. Gunner—James Steward.
MR. GRANT'S DISTILLING APPARATUS.-Mr. Grant's dis-
tilling apparatus was tried on board of the Birkenhead
steam-troop-ship on Thursday, and produced about 42 gal-
lons of the most pure water per hour; that is, the apparatus
was in operation five hours, and the result 210 gallons of
water, which, when tested with nitrate of silver (caustic),
retained its brilliancy without the slightest discolouration,
while the spring water we are drinking daily, when sub-
mitted to the like test, exhibited a thick deposit of mud.
What a blessing and a comfort it will be to ships making
tropical voyages.
Banshee steam-packet, Lieut.-Commander Hosken, fitting
at Woolwich for Mediterranean service, is to have a com•
plement of 63 officers and men.
Bonetta, 3, brigantine, Lieut.-Commander C. Wake, fitting
at Chatham, is ordered to have a complement of 65 officers
and men.

A second-class clerk in the Royal William Victualling
Yard, at Plymouth, named Scott, has absconded.
EXERCISES OF THE MEDITERRANEAN FLEET.—Our Malta
correspondent gives us the following report of the weekly
exercise of Vice-Admiral Sir W. Parker's fleet The exer-
cises consisted of bending topsails, shifting topsail yards,
and bending and making sails:.—
Manoeuvre 1. Manoeuvre 2. Manoeuvre 3.
Min. Sec. Min. Sec. Min. Sec.
8 20 ... 13 30 ... 4 0
7 30 ... 9 45 ... 7 30

Queen
Caledonia

Albion
signal.
Ganges
superb .. 17 0 ... 13 50 ... 7 55
Racer ...... 18 0 ... 9 17 ... 5 13

The Caledonia, in the last movement, being compelled to
shake out a reef of her topsail, was delayed by the accident
about 3 min. 30 sec., the time in which her feretopsail was
double reefed.

PORTSKOUTH, FEB. 17.—8 y letters from China, delivered
here this morning, we learn the death of Commander Ince,
of her Majesty's ship Pilot. She was at Woosung on the
6th of December, when the Commander was dangerously ill.
In the hope that his removal to a warmer climate might
afford a chance of saving his life, he was transferred on the
evening of the above day to the Peninsular and Oriental
Company's steam-vessel the Lady Mary Wood and proceeded
in her next morning to Hong-kong, but he expired the day
before reaching it. His remains were interred in tke ceme-
tery in the Wong-nei-Chung-valley, with military honours.
the Contest, 12, Commander the Hon. J. W. S. Spencer,
sailed on the 30th of December—arrived from Hong-Kong for
Shanghai—to relieve the Pilot, which was left in temporary
command of her First-Lieutenant Anderson; but Hear-Ad-
miral Austen, C. 8., the Commander-in-Chief, has promoted
the First-Lieutenant of the Hastings, Victor Hicklev, to the
vacant command, and Mr. F. Stupart, mate of the flag-ship,
to the rank of Lieutenant, vice Hickley.
The Herald, 22, Captain Kellet, C. 8., arrived at Hong-
Kong from the Sandwich Islands on the let of December,
and sailed for England, via Borneo and Singapore, on the
22d.
PLYMOUTH, SATURDAY.—IIer Majesty's steamer Samp-
son, and her tender, the steam-vessel Bloodhound, will be
paid advance on Tuesday, and sail on Wednesday with Sir
Emerson Tennent, the Governor, for St. Helena.
The Athol troop-ship sailed last. evening for Sierra Leone.
The General Screw Steam N a
g as tiiol
sailed a
n Cotmtpwaenlyv'es
to-day.paship Hellespont, Captain Watts,
She has one mail for Cape N erd, five for Sierra Leone, and
seventeen for the Cape of Good Hope, and 10,0001. in specie
for the coast of Africa.
The merchant ship Ferozepore, 600 tons, Captain Master-
ton, in 112 days from Canton, was off this port to-day, and
landed her only passengers, Mr. Cleland and family. She
is gone up Channel for London with a full cargo of teas.
The schooner Hunter, Robert Pain master, of Yarmouth,
from Shields for Trieste, was spoken off the port by the fish-
ing sloop Champion.
FEB. 16.—The packet Linnet was yesterday warped to the
sheer-hulk to have her masts taken out; her crew will be
paid off on Tuesday.
The steam block vessel Sanspareil will be launched on the
lath of March next. She will be fitted with engines and
boilers at this port.
On the sth inst., in lat. 43 07 N., long. 13 47 W., the
Maria Grace, of Guernsey, from St. Michael's for London,
spoke the barque Apollo, from Demerara, out 72 days, with
loss of rudder, which was carried away on the Ist of January.
The Cumberland, 70, Captain G. H. Seymour, was taken
out of dock yesterday at Chatham, and will be towed to Gil-
lingham to-morrow, to have her stores put on board. Cap-
tain Johnson, of the compass department, forwarded her in-
struments to-day.

MR. FLEXMORE'S BENEFIT.—This admirable and
popular artist has announced his annual benefit at the
Princess's Theatre for the jubilee night of the pantomime,
Monday, the 24th inst. The entertainments are very at-
tractively selected, the play being The Wife's Secret, in
which Mr. and Mrs. Charles Kean and Mrs. Keeley will sus-
tain their original characters; to be followed by the first
part of the ballet of Esmeralda, in which, together with
Flexmore, the celebrated danseuse Madlle. Auriol, to whose
accomplished dancing we have been strangers for the last
three months,
will appear in the role which she filled at this
theatre a few seasons since, during a run of nine weeks,
with signal applause. The concluding piece will be the
pantomime of Alonzo the Brave (its fiftieth night of repre-
sentation), the triumphant success of which has been chiefly
owing to the great unrivalled luminary of pantomime him-
self, who, on this occasion of course, surrounded by his bril-
liant satellites, Miss Leclercq, Cormack, IL Wright, and
Paulo, will put forth the full Flexmorean effulgence. We
have no doubt but that a crowded audience will throng to
the support of so desorved a favourite as Flexmore, whose
great powers are always exerted to the uttermost, without
ever being marred by any affectation or caprice, to ensure
the satisfaction, and promote the delight of his patrons—the
public.

NEW Gas-LIGHT.—An American has applied for
a patent for a cheap and brilliant gas, produced on a new
principle, which he states can be obtained at a cost less than
a penny per 1,000 feet. It is said that no wood, coal, or
water is required; that the material can be obtained any-
where. It is a self-acting and self-creating gas, called into
action by an impulse of nature, from whence may be derived
a new motive power of light and heat. Au Englishman also
asserts he has a plan by which any one may produce his
own gas by a machine like a table-lamp, not costing more,
and creatiag a superior gas, at one-third the cost of coal
gas, requiring only to be turned on and lighted. but that he
has not the means of protecting his invention from piracy.—
Eapositor.

No less than six fires occurred in the metropolis
yesterday. One, which took place on the premises No. 1,
Dudley-buildings, St. Giles, belonging to Mr. W. Dowle, it
is feared, will be attended with a loss of life. The fire com-
menced in the basement, at which time a boy, six years of
age, was therein. The engines attended, and the flames
were subdued, but not until the child
was frightfully
burned. He was taken to the hospital, but no hopes can be
entertained of his recovery.,