The Sun.
London, England, 1851-01-04 00:00:00

SEPTEMBER.

that in future all letters on service for her Majesty's
ships, on the New South Wales or the New Zealand di-
vision, are to be addressed to Sydney, at which place
measures will be taken for forwarding them to their des-
tination.

SMUGGLING A PROMOTION.—In the Navy List, by
authority, published on the Ist inst., we find, page 57,
at the bottom of the list of Lieutenants, under the se-
niority, 1850—" Hon. Henry Weyland Chetwynd. Dec.
11." Mistrustful of our own memory as to this officer's
standing as a " mate " or " pissed midshipman," we re-
ferred to the Navy List, by authority, for October, and
not finding any such name among the list of some 150
officers, we turned oiler to the alphabetical list—but
without success. We then endeavoured to recollect
some dashing affair that bad taken place during the past
three months of which any yonng officer of the name of
Chetwynd was the hero, and turned to our files to
assist us: but here, again, we were at fault. In
ignorance then of any justifiable excuse on ser-
vice grounds for promoting an officer whose name
now appears in the Navy List for the first time,
over the heads of 150 seniors, we can only trace Mr.
Chetwynd's good fortune to the fact that he is the third
son of Viscount Chetw)nd, of Berchaven, co. Cork. If
Owe be all his recommendations for such a distinction
at the early age of 21, and at the expense of so many
deserving officers senior to him, we do not at all wonder
that the Admiralty, being ashamed of the transaction,
have smuggled his name into the Quarterly List without
previous announcement.

THE LEANDER, PHAETON, AND
ARETH USA.

A correspondent has forwarded to a Devonport paper
the following, under the date of her Majesty's ship
Leander, Lisbon, December 17, 1850:—" Sir,—Through
the medium of your valuable paper, I beg to contradict
a statement which has been circulated through some
of the Devonport papers,:stating that in a stiff breeze
on the 19th of November last, the Phaeton, as usual,
beat all the other ships of the squadron, and in so
doing twisted the head of her foremast, and
still held the pre-eminence; and that the Arethusa came
next. It is true she twisted the head of her foremast;
but nothing is said concerning her carrying away her
jibboom, port bumpkin, and a portion of her cut-
water, topsail sheets, &c. I am surprised at such a
statement as beating the Arethusa, but, however, it is
clear enough that it is out of prejudice to the model
of British naval architecture' (the Arethusa). I will here
relate the facts as they occurred in our different trials
of sailing. During the summer we had several trials on
a wind, with scarcely enough wind to keep the sails
full; the Pbaston then certainly had the advantage, but
very little of the Arethusa. On the sth of Nov. last we
left Lisbon, and for several days we were either becalmed
or had light airs, but at 10 30 A.N. on the 18th a change
took place; the sky became overcast. At 11 30 the Com-
modore made signal to try the rate of sailing on a wind.
By this time there was a stiff royal breeze. All the frigates
had a beautiful start. About 3 P.M. (the wind in-
creasing) the Phaeton was obliged to take in her royals
At this hour the Arethusa gained about to 2 miles;
at 4 P.M. Phaeton hoisted a signal, " I cannot carry on,"
for no other reason than the Arethusa was laughing at
her to windward. 4 30, signal to take station, and reefed
topsails and courses, blowing very fresh, which continued
during the night. At 8 o'clock the following morning
(19th November) there was a good sea up, with about a
half gale of wind; 8 20, Commodore made signal to
Phaeton, " What sail can you carry ?" Answer,
" Double reefed topsails, reefed courses, and topgallant
sails." A similar signal to Arethusa. Answer, " Single-
reofed topsails, whole courses, topgallant sails, and
reefed royals if I require them." 8 40, signal—
prepare to try rate of sailing with all possible sail.
At 9 40 we started—the Phaeton with double-reefed top-
sailed, reefed courses, and no topgallant sails, as per
signal to the Commodore; the Arethusa carried the sail
as before mentioned, per signal. At the instant we
started, the Phaeton was on the lee-bow of the Are-
thusa, and the other frigatea far astern, and to leeward.
It was a splendid sight; in about forty minutes the Are-
thusa brought the Phaeton on her lee quarter. It
was laughable to see the wind's eye frigate (Phaeton)
ccasionally making a clear jump out of the water,
like a flying fish escaping the pursuit of a dolphin.
Finding herself going so test, to leeward, and astern of
Arethusa, she sent hands aloft to loose topgallant sails;
fortunately for the crew, it was not done. The Are-
thusa at this time, being about one mile to windward,
received a very heavy squall, and heeled over to it in
beautiful style. After the worst of it passed the Are-
thusa, every eye was turned to the Phxton to leeward,
anxious to see how she would receive it, when,
the instant it caught her, she became a complete wreck,
carrying away her jibboom, port bumpkin, a portion
of her cutwater, and topgallant sheets; it was melan-
choly to look at her—the sea occasionally making a
clean break over her. Commodore made signal to
close reef topsails and courses, blowing very
heavy. Commodore then made signal to Phaeton—
" When will you be ready to continue the trial?"
Answer—" I don't know." Commodore—" Can you
keep your station?" Answer—" No." A telegraph
of some length of time took place between the
Commodore and the Phaeton ; at last she was
ordered to Plymouth or Portsmouth, as most con-
venient, to repair 2,0001. damage, whilst the Are-
thusa did not strain a rope. The Phaeton left us about
4 P.M. of the 19th, in the Bay of Biscay, where we
knocked about with heavy weather for several days.
When we arrived again lin Lisbon on the 27th, we
were anxiously waiting the arrival of the mail from
England, to hear it she had arrived safe. The Phaeton
is a beautiful vessel in flue weather, and it is a pity that
she should be sent out of the, English Channel in the
winter season to encounter rough weather."