The Sun.
London, England, 1858-09-07 00:00:00

THE NAVY.

Her Majesty's paddlewheel steamvessel Vivid re-
turned to Woolwich on Sunday evening. -
The Sprightly paddlewheel steamvessel, Master
G. Allen, commander, arrived at Portsmouth on
Sunday evening from Plymouth, towing the brig
Penguin, for the Coastguard.
The Russian squadron sailed frOm Spithead yes-
terday morning for the westward.
The Portuguese screw corvette Sagres, Captain
Centurini, got under way from Spithead yesterday
forenoon to try her speed in running the mile in
Stoke's Bay. At the expiration of her trial she
leaves for Lisbon.
The following appointments have been made at
the Admiralty Osburn, to the Russell ;
Lieut, G. T. to the Royal Albert ; Lieut. H.
Kerr, to the Vdlorous ; H. J. C. Grant, master, to
the Wasp; A. M'Clure, surgeon, additional to the
Victory ; G. Patterson, second master, to the Nile ;
G. M. I'. Marshall, acting second master, to the
Orion.

11-ARBOURS OF REFUGE OX THE

EAST COAST

On Saturday afternoon the commissioners ap-
pointed to complete the inquiry recommended by
the select committee on harbours of refuge held an
inquiry at the Town-hall, Leith, into the subject.
The commission comprised Rear-Admiral James
Hope, C.B. •, Major-General Sir Frederick Smith,
Knight, M.P. •, Mr. W. S. Lindsay, M.P. ; Captain
Washington, R.N. ; Captain Witch, R.E. ; and
Mr. Coode, C.E.
Rear-Admiral HOPE presided, and after the com-
mission had been read, -inquired whether any depu-
tations from ports were present.
Nis. -Wm. TnomPsoN, merchant. Leith. aa-ave:•ed
that he attended. to represent the district of Alt-
strnther and Cellardyke, where a harbour of refuge
had been memorialised for.
The CHAIRMAN then stated the purpose of the
inquiry—the primary object of which was to ascer-
tain the most eligible site for a harbour of refuge on
the north-east coast of Scotland and the east coast
of England.
The Provost having mentioned the name of Mr
John Broadfoot, merchant, of Leith, as one who
could assist the commission in the inquiry,
Mr. Broadfoot was examined accordingly. In
answer to the queries put to him, he stated that, in
his opinion, Peterhead was the best site for a har-
bour of refuge. As to Peterhead being a better
point than Vick, he could not perhaps form a cor-
rect opinion, not being practically acquainted with
Wick. He considered that if the Government
resolved to spend £300,000 on the north-cast coast
of Scotland, the money would be better spent in
making the existing harbours accessible to vessels
frequenting the coast at full and low water than in
constructing simply one great harbour on the coast,
as vessels were frequently caught in heavy gales of
wind, and had not always the power of making for
one fixed point. At Leith there was no present
access to the harbour at low-water spring tide. The
channel between the piers at low-water spring tide
was 91- feet, and sometimes they had 23 feet in the
channel at high water.
Mr. Donald Macgregor next volunteered evidence.
The locality of a harbour of refuge was, he said, a
matter less thought of than the question of getting
one for the north-east coast. The best site, he
thought, was either at Wick or Peterhead ; the
latter for Baltic and Archangel vessels, and the
former for vessels connected with the American
trade. As to the mode of expending £300,000 if
granted, he agreed with the last witness ; but it
was much better if they could make one good liar-
bour to do so, rather than make two or three bad
Undoubtedly, if there were two propositions
—one to make a harbour in which ships of all sizes
could take at any time of tide, or which could afford
shelter ivi any weather, and the other to make four
harbours suitable to receive laden ships of 300 tons
and under at half-tide--he would prefer the
former. Looking to the present merely, he
would prefer the four harbours as above ; but as
regarded the future, the large harbour would be
most desirable. He thought a point between the
Firth of Forth and the Humber was the best site for
a harbour off the north-east coast of England—
perhaps about Whitby or Scarborough. Applying
the above propositions to this coast, his opinion
was in favour of one large harbour, as their coast-
jug vessels were fast increasing in size. St. Mar-
garet's Hope, on the coast of Scotland, was not a
safe natural harbour at night ; it might be run for
in daylight.
Capt. Dixon, a retired shipmaster, deponed that
he had commanded vessels plying between London
and Leith. He thought Hartlepool was the best
point on the east coast of England for a harbour of
refuge, as it was a deep bay, and a vessel caught
about there was more likely to find the bottom of
the bay than any other point. A harbour was very
much wanted on the north-east coast of England.
Filey Bay, close to Flamborough Head, would not
make such a good site as Hartlepool. He had
traded along that coast for 40 years, and never had
a place to run to. More wrecks took place at Har-
der
b.! tßb.anmaatnann,ysioltiher pointpmaster on
, andthe Avchooasht
a.
d had
experience of coasting between Leith
andt
added his testimonyrt if n theg
precedinga
manyLY:dirs'on,to that
witness as to the desirability
ofl htal o,
harbour at Na 1
epool rather than at any other
point on the
Last coast of England. To complete
protection afforded by Filey Bay, a
xf erected,
must be a long one. There
b there a
kplreasteenrt,
-wrecks taking place at the Firth of
d them to people not being
Fwoerrteh,mbauntyhe Attribute

ones.