The Sun.
London, England, 1860-05-02 00:00:00

THE NAVY.

A letter from Hong Kong, dated Marchls, says:
—" The Samson arrived yesterday evening from
Cheefoo and Shanghin ; she left the gunboats all
safe at the former place (Cheefoo) on the 4th of
March. It is said the Chinese are assembling
50,000 cavalry at Tientsin. The mail sailed on the
15th of March."

Viee-Admiral Alexander Renton Sharpe, C. 8.,
died yesterday at his residence at Stockwell. The
gallant deceased was midshipman in the Kent in
the expedition to the Helder in 1799 ; and of the
Hercule, at Cape Francois and siege of Curacoa, in
1804 ; Lieut. of the Topaze in action with two
French frigates near Corfu in 1809, and commanded
the Scout at the destruction of three French armed
ships and some batteries in Sagone Bay in 1811.
The late Admiral was in 1815 nominated a Com-
mander of the Order of the Bath, in recognition of
his services afloat. His commissions bore date as
follows :—Lieutenant, Dec. 8, 1806 ; Commander,
March 5, 1809 ; Captain, Jan. 22, 1813 ; Rear-Ad-
miral, June 1, 1848 ; and Vice-Admiral, July 30,
1857. A service pension becomes at the disposal
of the First Lord of the Admiralty by the demise
of the Admiral.

Since the issue of her Majesty's proclamation for
the increase of the navy the officers in charge of
the recruiting establishment on board the receiving
ship Fisgard at Woolwich have entered since the
Ist of May, 1859, to the present date, the following
number of men and boys—viz., ablebodied seamen,
140 ; ordinary seamen, 117 ; Ist and 2d class
stokers, 204 ; landsmen and novices, 400 ; grown
boys and artificers, 56 ; and Ist and 2d class boys,
3,443 ; making a total of 4,360.
The screw steam-frigate Forte, Captain E. W.
Turnour, bearing the flag of Rear-Admiral the Hon.
S. H. Keppel, K.C.8., embarked his Excellency Sir
George Grey, Governor of the Cape of Good Hope,
and suite, and taking a mail, sailed from Plymouth
Sound on Monday afternoon for Table Bay, where
the Forte will replace the Boscawen, flag of Rear-
Admiral the Hon. Sir Frederick Grey, K.C.B.
The seamen belonging to the steam reserve at
Plymouth have begun to fit out the screw steam-
ship Desperate, 8; her masts have been taken to
'Keyham, and were ordered to be shipped yester-
day. The screw steam gunvessel Espoir, 5, will be
masted immediately after.

The screw steam-frigate Melpomene, 51, Capt.
Ewart, was taken out of the lock at Keyham steam
yard on Monday and towed to her moorings at
Hamoaze, off the Devonport Dockyard.
The screw steamship Royal Albert, 121, Captain
Lacon, was placed in No. 3 dock at Keyham on
Monday, to be cleaned and repaired—her false keel
is slightly damaged aft.
The naval apprentice brig Nautilus, 6, Lieut. B.
Grant commanding, put to sea from Plymouth
sound on Monday, to exercise the boys in shorten-
ing and making sail, and returned to her moorings.
i-lhe steam gunboat Shamrock, 60-horse power,
Com. Edye, sailed from Plymouth on Monday, to
resume her surveying duties.
The following appointments were made yester-
day at the Admiralty—Capt. J. A. Paynter to the
Exmouth, vice Stopford. ; Capt. W. C. Chamberlain
to the Racoon, vice Paynter ; Lieut. A. Tupman to
the Forte, additional, for disposal; Lieut. S. Long
and Lieut. R. L. Turton to the Edgar; G. West,
acting first class assistant-engineer, for temporary
charge of the machine: y of the Bustler ; James M.
Wortley, assistant paymaster additional to the
Victory ; J. W. Featherstone, assistant clerk, to the
Neptune ; W. F. Woods, assistant clerk, to the
Euryalus ; F. C. M. Sadler, assistant clerk, to the
Bacchante; B. F. Meyer, assistant clerk, to the
Asia.