The Sun.
London, England, 1859-02-07 00:00:00

THE NAVY.

A court-martial assembled on board her Majesty's
ship Victory, 104, flagship of Admiral Sir George
F. Seymour, in Portsmouth harbour, on Saturday,
for the trial of Lieut. Henry Moore of her Ma-
jesty's ship Cornwallis, and commanding her Ma-
jesty's gunboat Sandly, tender to that vessel, on
charges preferred against him—firstly, "for having
on the 3d of January, in the Naval Barracks in
Sheerness Dockyard, behaved in an unofficerlike
manner by striking Mr. Charles Ford, additional
boatswain of her Majesty's ship Cornwallis,
and doing duty on board her Majesty's gunboat
Sandfly ;" and, secondly, " for being drunk on
shore on the same day.' The Court consisted of
Captains Seymour, C.B. (Victory), president, Gor-
don (the Hannibal), Harris (the Britannia), Hew-
lett, C.B. (the Excellent), and Hall (the Terma-
gant) ; Mr. W. J. Hillyer, Deputy Judge-Advocate
of the Fleet. The Court, after examining the wit-
nesses on the part of the prosecution, and hearing
the evidence adduced for the defence, found the
charge of drunkenness not proved, and fully ac-
quitted the prisoner thereon ; but with regard to
the other charge it was of opinion that the same
was proved ; yet, " entertaining reasonable doubts
as to whether great provocation may not have been
given by the boatswain when in the wardroom, in
the said Naval Barracks, on the day in question,
when no one else was present, and taking into con-
sideration the previous high character sustained by
the prisoner, as shown by his certificates of service
produced, the Court, in respect of such first charge,
only sentences the prisoner.to be severely repri-
manded."
Col. Greene, R.E., Lord Lovaine, the Hon. Capt.
Drummond, R.N., and Sir G. F. Seymour visited
the gunboat sheds and slip way at Haslar on Sa-
turday, to witness the operation of removing one of
the gunboats from under the sheds, and, by means
of a cradle, tramway, and incline, launching it into
the water. The whole operation occupied 27
minutes. The previous experiment, on the 2d inst.
was effected in 38 minutes 40 seconds.
__

The Nankin, 50, Commodore the Hon. Keith
Stewart, came up the river on Saturday, towed by
the Lizard and Addar, from the Nore, to be dis-
mantled and paid off, after four years' service in
China. The Commodore struck his broad pen-
dant on his arrival at the Nore, according to the
custom of the service, being in the presence of
senior captains, after which the ship was minutely
inspected by Vice-Admiral Harvey, the Com-
mander-in-Chief at Sheerness, who expressed his
approbation of the general order of the ship,
especially her practice and efficiency in gunnery,
stating that it was " the best firing he had seen for
many years." Two targets (casks) were soon sunk
at 900 and 400 yards respectively by the precision
of her fire ; and too much credit cannot be attached
to the captains of the guns, whose unerring aim
would have proved most fatal in a real engagement.
Her Majesty's steam transport Himalaya, Com-
mander John Seccombe, arrived at Spithead on
Saturday morning, from Malta, Gibraltar, and
Tangier. She would have arrived at Spithead on
Friday evening, but in coming up the West Channel
she touched the ground on the Peelbank, it being
nearly low water at the time ; she came off again
in about two hours, without sustaining the slightest
injury. The weather was exceedingly thick at the
time, raining heavily, and blowing hard from S.W.
On coming off the ground, Captain Seccombe
anchored his vessel at the Motherbank for the
night, getting under way again the next morning
for Spithead. The Himalaya's dates are—sailed
from Malta at 2 p.m. on the 24th of January,
arrived at Gibraltar on the 28th, at 8 a.m. ; sailed
from Gibraltar for Tangier at 2 p.m. on the 29th,
and arrived there at 5 p.m. the same day. The next
morning embarked the presents of horses and wild
animals sent from the Emperor of Morocco to her
Majesty, consisting of one lion, one leopard, six
ostriches, one gazelle, six horses, two mares, and an
animal called by the Moorish attendants " irwy,"
but which in appearance much resembles the moun-
tain sheep of California, known by the trapper
name of " bighorn." The horses and animals have
come to England in charge of four Moors, who form
no slight attraction, dressed in their Moorish
costume. The somewhat unusual spectacle of a" lion
hunt" took place on board on the 2d inst. One of
the Moors was engaged in feeding the lion through
a door which opened for that purpose in a part
of his cage or den, when, with a sudden spring,
the animal dashed through the opening on to the
steamer's main deck, which, as may be ima-
gined, was soon "cleared." The hatchways were at
once closed, and measures promptly taken by Com-
mander Seccombe to secure the animal as speedily
as possible. For this purpose the commander, with
the senior lieutenant, boatswain, sergeant of
Marines, and two men, descended to the main deck,
taking with them the end of a stout line; this was
riven through a
.ringbolt in the deck, and a run-
ning noose formed with the end. After some con-
siderable manoeuvring the noose was thrown over
the lion's head, the word given to the hands on
deck, who ran away with the other end of the line,
and the lion was pinned down to the ringbolt in
the deck. His legs were immediately secured, and
he was dragged back to his den in safety. The
animals will be landed at the sheer jetty, Ports-
mouth Dockyard, this morning. The military in •
valids were disembarked on Saturday and conveyed
to the Military Hospital. The following passengers
have come home by her :—From Malta : Captain
Tottenham, Rifle Brigade ; Mr. M'Dougal, thirty
military invalids, and one distressed British sub-
ject. From Gibraltar : Major-General Savage,
R.E., wife, and seven children, one man-servant
and three children, and four female servants ; Col.
Wynyard, wife, three children, and two female
servants • Lieut. Hall, 2d battalion 6th Regiment;
Lieut. Merritt, Mr. and Mrs. Moore, Mr. Gabbage,
Mr. Dispenser Jepper, Mrs. Campbell, child, and
servant ; Mrs. Aldridge, Mrs. Taylor, Mrs. Good-
ricke and child, Mr. Bolham, Mr. Godwin, Bar-
rack-Sergeant Ferritt and wife, two sergeants'
wives, Mrs. Wiblin, Dr. Williams's female servant,
and one
private 2d battalion 7th Fusileers. The
Himalaya steamed into Portsmouth harbour on
Saturday at high water and made fast alongside
the dockyard
itElyajaredstiyls ttyst.eamer
Dee, MtCmmndr
Pullen, sailed from Portsmouth to e
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evoon p
oart
one
j
Saturday.
Her esty's screw steam-frigateA4 Termagant,
25, Capt. Robert
R,obearrtdeHrsaltl,ofitetonigplete out at Portsmouth,
for sea with all
despatch.
Her Majesty's screw steam transport Perseverance
Commander C. R. Power, sailed yesterday from
Portsmouth, with troops, as enumerated in The Sun
of Saturday, with the addition of Lieut. Terry, 25th
Foot; one sergeant instructor of Musketry, to join
2d battalion 15th Foot ; one sergeant 2d battalion
2d Foot ; and Lieut. Willes, embarked in room of
Lieut. Packe. Capt. Millett was left behind sick.
The Northumberland fishermen enrolled as Naval
Coastguard Volunteers are undergoninsghie2llds dhaayrs:
drill aboard the Spanker gunboat,
hour. They are a fine stout body of young fellows
and are making satisfactory progress.
The Wasp, 13 guns, screw steam sloop, Com-
mander F. H. Stirling, from the south•east coast of
America, arrived at the Little Nore on Saturday
last, where she was inspected by the Commander-
in-Chief. She afterwards came into harbour, and
was moored at the docking basin buoy, preparatory
to her stores being returned and paid off.
The Swallow, 9 guns, screw steam sloop, Com-
mander Charles L. Waddilove, arrived at Sheerness
yesterday, from the Mediterranean, to be paid off.
The screw steamship James Watt, 91. at Devon-
port, has her topmasts on end, and is ready to be
docked.
The screw steam sloop Racer, 12, Commander the