The Sun.
London, England, 1832-04-23 00:00:00

CAPTAIN ROSS.

The uncertainty which hangs over the fate of
hip gallant officer, owing to the length of time
.vhich has elapsed since any thing was heard of
and to the appalling difficulties of his un-
dertaking, is the mole distressing since, if he
has perished, he may be considtled as having
fallen a victim to the intrigues of as con-
temptible a junto as ever smattered in science,
tiis failure to explore Lancaster's S quid w an
accident which might have befallen any officer ;;
and it was owing to the very parties who .t.trneci
igainst him. When off the coast neat the htad
of this Sound, of which no appearance was
visible to the eye. he sent below to re q lest tiro tine
" men of science " would come upon duck to
examine the land, and give their (Onion as to
whether it would be advt,able to stand close in
shore and search for an opening. These learned
persons, including Captain Sabine of ‘• coking
celebrity,* happened at the time to he playi.g at
chess, and not choosing to break off their game,
they sent hack word that they had alrea-y ex-
amined the appearance of the 1 ind, and chat the
idea of find,ng an entrance was chimerical. NtA
observing anything to lead bin) to doubt the ac-
curacy of this, Captain Ross acquiesced.
Matters continued in this state, all the scientific
persisting in this opinion, until the expedition
reached Orkney. Here Sabine and his as-
sociates picked up a newspaper, in which th.y
found a paragraph from some communication by
Mr. Barrow, in which that gentleman expressed
the most confident conviction that there was an
opening where they had ridiculed the idea.
This discovery effected an instant change in
their way of thinking and acting. The Secretary
must be right ; and Mr. Barrow being right, Capt.
Ross must be wrong ; that was promptly agreed
on. Accordingly, the whole blame was shifted
on the Commander; and the chess-playing lu-
minaries of science, including the renowned
Captain, joined in the cry against poor Captain
Ross.

This was galling enough to a gallant and
proud-spirited man ; nor wa, the bitterness of
the mortification lessened by the discovery which
was afterwards made, of an opening where Capt.
Ross had been induced to report there was none.
The circumstance appears to have preyed upon
his spirits ; and Captain Ross had a steam-boat
constructed at his own expense, and set o
itlgwithlnlet,
y
his son and a small but hardy crew, to endeavour
ttohepesntertait of
penetrate thtrioleugFhuPryritaicnd
Prince Regent's
Hecela,
along
northern coast of America, and then to proceed
through Behring's Strait to Kamtschatka_ 11,4
from the time that the adventurous navigators
entered the Inlet, not a whisper has been heard
of them ; and the only thing certain respecting
them is, that they have not succeeded in effect-
ing the object of their desperate enterprise.
Whether they have even survived the attempt is
now exceedingly doubtful. Captain Ross, we
fear, was not provided with the necessary means
for encountering so many winters in the Arctic
regions. He seems to have calculated upon
the power of steam enabling him to force his
way in much less time than would he occupied
by sail-boats; and as this calculation has not
been realized, the natural inference appears to be
that he is either locked up in ‘, thick-ribbed ice,"
or has suffered shipwreck on the frozen shores of
the Arctic Sea. As the report of its being in
the contemplation of Government to send one
or two vessels in search of Captain Ross is
without foundation ; we trust that the Captains
of the vessels employed in the whale fishery on
the north eastern coast of America, will make
every possible effort to obtain some information
respecting Captain Ross, and in the event of
their discovering that he is still alive, encounter
some risk to afford him assistance.—Scotch

Paper.
* See Babbage on " Th. .:nee in England."

THE PIONEERS.- flits woci, which unites
all the charms of romance with the interest of the most
exciting book of travyls, is now reprinted in " The S andard
Novels." Never bas Coorcit shown himself more happy
in &scribing the grand and imposing scenery of his n awe
country, than in this story. Who that has once re rd " The
Pioneers" can ever forget the character, that figure upon
the scene ? The old Indian Hunter, Leatherstocking,
whom nothing can divert from old habits and old associa-
tions,—the great land proprietor and administrat,Ts of
the laws, 111 am +duke Temp e—Billy Ku by, the eidetic
wood-chopper—Dr. Todd, the phy-ici ,n, whose know-
ledge of his art is rather obtained than corrected by
experiments on the human constittrion—'he h.lf
educated, litigious lawyer, Hir to aailittle, are all
portraits that cannot easily be erased from the tn.- m Ty.
BRUNTON'S admirable story of " S2lf Gmtrol" is .n.
nounc,rl to form the next volume of " The Standard
Novels."

It is, we understand, in the contemplation of
the Post office to tran-mit all the mails of the kingdom by
two light horse vehicles, instead of the iiair-oor-e post
coaches at present in use. Since the itnproveinents to
road•making, and the correspondent improvement in the
quality of the ordioary stage coaches, and the spe ai of tra-
velling, the mails are no longer the fastest or the best
coaches on their respective roads ; and the contractors,
who calculated on a preference at all tim-s from the tra-
veller, with whom speed and accommodation were the only
bjects, now find that their gains front this Isom co are
must ruinously diminished, and that th• y cannot continue
to carry the mails by four-horse coaches without a more
liberal allowance from Government. Taking this into
consideration, and having ascertained that by the use of
two-horse machines, carrying two passengers, as in
France, the speed of the conveyance of the mails cin be
increased by full two milts an bout, it is proposed by the
Post office, at the end of the present contracts. to adopt,
the new system throughout the kinginon.—Observer of
yesterday.
LAW REFORM IN AMERICA.—Before the
Revolution, a judgin.nt could not b- obtained under eight
years in the Supreme Court, when the suit was in tile de-
partment of the common law, which embraces nine-tenths
bf the subjects of legal contestation. In that of the
Chancery, from twelve to twenty years were requisite.
The reformation of this was among the first works of the
Legislature after the independence of the United Sates.
A Judgment can now be obtained in the Supreme Court
in one year at common law, and in abut three in Chan-
cery.— Westminster Review.

STRIKES FOR ‘VAGES.—On Saturday last,
the workmen employed at the woollen-cloth In +nut t:,ory
!tlessrs. HENRY BKOOK and SoNs, of Htrldvr,tield,
'truck work for an advance of wage., ; ari,l the eryperi
.n the employ of hlemits. PEULEY at 1 Co., of
the same place, have since ..lowed their example. We
understand that the advance required on the weave
.vagets la Iron 20 to 25 per cent. upon the pre,ent t,. ic,s

NAVAL INTELIGENCE,

(Front the Portsmouth lie hotel of Sunday.)
PollTSSlOaant, APRIL 2L—The Gossametatender
as his Majesty's skip Victory, which sailed a short
.me shies: with rs mail and despatches for Lisbon,re-
tuessed-on Thsarsday, having left the Tagus on the
&b instant, at which time were lying there his Ma-
jesty's sh:ps Asia, 84,Revenge, 7'6, and Childers 18.
The l'erich frigate Pomone, 44, was also there,
wahiaig the issue of events,
Its Majesty's surveying vessel Meteor, 6, Corr-
;mender R.Copelantl, arrived cn Friday from the Me-
diterranean, and anchored at the M'atherbork,
'hence she came ap to Spithead. She 'aft Malta
on the 29th ult. in COM pail'," with his Majesty's
ship Donegal, 76, and Mastiff, surveying vessel, and
brings home Lieut.-Colonel Stepney ];owed, of the
Coldstream Guards, Mrs. Captain Copeland, I,ient.
W. R. Drummond, IteN. Mr. W. Jennie, Master,
R.N. and fifteen invalid seamen, Its Majesty's
slip St. Virwortt, 120, bearingthe flag of Vice-
Admiral Sir Henry Hothara, K.C.B. was at Napoli
di Romania, on the of March, all well. It is
expected that the Ttleteor will proceed to the tait-
ward, to be pa;al off.
His Maio sty's ship Donegal, Ce.ptain John
Dick, graved from the Mediterranean on Thursday.
She laft Malta on the ,29,h alt. in compary with the
euraeying vessels Meteor and Mastiff, thee rormer of
which hag since arrived at Spitheads and the latter
may be dally looked for. Ilia Majesty's ship A!.
feed, 3Q, mei Raleigh, IS, were the only vessels of
aver at Malta. The William Hattie, transport, ar-
rived at Matte. on the 11th March, in nie days
frau: Corfu, The Prince Regent, transport, :oleo ar-
rived on the 14th ult. from Gibraltar; his Majesty's
ssltip Raleigh, 18, Commander A.M. Hawkins, ar-
rived cat the 18th ult.from Nanpiia ; and his "Majesty's
altip Alfred, 30, Captain R. Matinsell, on the 26th
nest., also from Nauplia ; his Majeetaht ship Made-
anssear, 46, Captain E. Lyona, (2.b, sailed from
Malta on the 26th ult. for Smyrna. The Donegal
passed Gibraltar on the 6th inst. and has brought
harne invalels from the squadron, and upwaards of
130 seaman from the several shins, in consequence of
a late Admiralty order, to reduce the complements
to the peace establishment. The 'Donegal's stay at
Malta exceeded five months. Mr. W. Kennishs
earpenttr, Mr. J. Truss, boatswain, invalided from
the Alfred, and Mr. George C. Clarke. pal-seer, R.N.
lete clerk of his Majesty's ship St. Vintent,promonl
in February last, came passengers. The Denessal
is ordered to be refitted for the purpose of joining
the experimental squadron, expected shortly to asa
seinbie at Spithead.
The Marquis of Hantly, transport, Lieut. Mayne,
agent, arrived from Corfu, last from Plymouth, on
Monday, with sundry detachments and stores. A
detachment of the 18th Foot was disembarked on
Tuesday on the Gosport side, and proceeded to
Porton Barracks. She sailed on Thursday for 'Wool-
wich and Deptford, to land the detachments at
Graveseud, and the stores at the two former places.
he !lope, transport, Lieut. Ryder, agent, ar-
rived on Monday from Plymouth, with stores for
this dock-yard.
The Amphitrite, transport, Lieut. Ccoley, agert,
arrived on Tuesday from Plymouth, with stores for
this dock-yard.
The Lord William I3entinck, male convict ship,
arrived from Deptford on Wednesday to receive 186
male convicts, for Van Diemen's Land. They em-
barked yesterday under the medical superintendency
of Dr. Henderson.
The Parnielia, transport, Lieut. Sanders, agent,
arrived on Thursday from Sierra Leone, having made
the passage in sixty-three days, She brings Lieut,
Stackpoole, of the Royal Marines, and detachments i
of the Marines and Marine Artillery, and Nival in-
valids, under the medical charge of Mr. L. T. Cun-
ningham, Assistant-Surgeon of the Royal Navy, in-
valided from his "Majesty's ship Isis. She also brings
passengers, Capt. Stewart, of the Ist West India
Regiment, and Mrs. Murray, wife of Assistant-Stu-
eon Murray, at s;erra Leone. Mr. Cunnlngham was
ton the 2d of last June appointed to his Majesty's ship
Favourite, but has never been able to join her, in con-
seluence of his having been shipwrecked at Cape
Moxa on his passage out, where he suffered innume-
rable hardships. lie was with others three days
stod nights in an open boat before they reached the
river Gambia. Soon after his arrival there the
Barra war broke out, and he MIS detained there
several rronths, and during that time suffered very
severely from repeated attacks of fever, which ob-
l'ged him at last to invalid home. The Parmelia
left at Sierra Leone his Majesty's ship his alone.
The Drvad had sailed for England, but was to run
down the coast on her passage.
At `Spithead—Britannia, Talavera, Donegal and
Meteor.
In Harbour— -Victory, Royal George, Confiance,
Paotaloon, and Emerald.
His Majesty's ship Vernon, 30, and Castor, 36,
will be commissioned at Woolwich early in the en-
-eiting month, the former by Captain Sir F. Collier,
Knight, and the latter by Captain S:r Richard
Giant, Knight.
Uts Majesty's packet brig Sphvnx, Lieut. A.R. L.
Paaaingham, is ordered to be paid off, and her com-
mander will commission the Siteldrake, 4, in lieu.
The Trinculo, 18, was commissioned at Plymouth
on Wednesday, by Commander J. R. Booth, who
was First Lieutenant of that ship, when she was paid
off -at that port about six years ago.
ROYAL. MARINES.—His Majesty having been gra-
viously pleased by his Order in Council, dated
12th inst. to add a Second Commandant to each
D. vision of Royal Marines, the undermentioned Pro-
motions and Appointments have taken place in that
Corps tionsevent thereon, and by the same Order in
Council his Majesty has been further pleased to direct
a reduction of one thousand men in the total strength
of the said corps.
Colonel H. P. Lewis, of the Plymouth Division,
.tide-de-Camp to the King, to be Second Cam-
ruandant of that Division : this Officer has been
fifty years in the Corps. Colonel G. P. Wingrove
of the Woolwich Division, Aide-de-Camp to the
King, to he Second Commandant of that Division :
this Officer has been thirty-nine years in the
Corps. Lieut.-Colonel Goo. Lewis, C.B. of the
Plymouth Division, to be Second Commandant of
tie Portsmouth avision, and Lieut.-Colonel E.
Lawrence, C.B. of the Woolwich Division, to be
Second Commandant of the Chatham Division :
both these Officers' entries into the Corps are of
the sante date as the last. Lieut.-Colonel Thomas
Adair, C. 8., is removed from the Plymouth to the
Chathatn Division, vice H. P. Lewis.
Major J. M. Bevians, of the Plymouth Division,
is promoted to the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel, and
re appointed to the sameDivisien, vice G. Lewis—
thirty-seven years. Major . Conolly, of the
Woolwich 12;visioa, is promoted to the rank of
Lieutenant-Colonel, and reappointed to the same
Division, vice Wingrove—thirty-seven years. Major
J. Nicholson, of the Woolwich Division, is promoted
to the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel, and re-appointed
to the same Division, vice Lawrence—thirty-seven
years. Major G. Beatty, of the Portsmouth Di-
viaion, is promoted to the rank of Lieutenant-Co-
lonel, and appointed to the Chatham Division, vice
Adair—thirty-seven years. Major J. Cole is re-
moved from the Plymouth to the Woolwich Di-
vision, vice Nicholson.
Brevet Major E. Bail;e, Pay Captain to the
Woolwich Division, is promoted to the rank of Ma-
jor, and re-appointed to that Division, vice Co-
eol'y—thirty years. Brevet Major .T. Owen, Pay
Captain of the Plymouth Division, is promoted to
the rank of Alsjor, and re-appointed to that Envi-
sion, vice Bevians—.thirty years. Brevet Major J.
R aby us, Pay Captain of the Plymouth Division, is
promoted to the rank Mjri
or a re-appointed to
that division, vice Cole—thirtyri years. Brevet Ma-
jor P. Jones, Pay Captain Of the Woolwich Divi-
sion, is promoted to the rank of Major, and ap-
pointed to the Portimouth Division, vice Beatty—
thirty years.
Brevet Major Wilkinson, Pay Captain of the
Chatham Division, is appointed Pay Captain of" the
Woolwich Division, vice Jones. Brevet Major
John Moore, of the Portsmouth Division, is ap-