The Sun.
London, England, 1850-12-18 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, WEDNESDAY EVENING, DECEMBER 18, 1850.

NAVAL INTELLIGENCE.

ATROCIOUS MURDER OF A PRIZE CREW ON THE
COAST 07 AFRICA.—We have received the following
from a private correspondent:—" A letter has been re-
ceived from the Phcenix screw sloop, Commander Wode-
house, on the coast, acquainting an old man in Hamp-
shire with the death of his son, under the following cir-
cumstances:—About six weeks previous to the 3d of
October (the date of the letter) a boat, belonging to the
Phconix, captured a small craft, with forty slaves on
board, in the river Congo. The gunner and three men
(one of whom was the old man's son) were put on board
to take the slaver to the Phoenix. then lying of the mouth
of the river. On the same night the slaver's crew rose
on them, killed them all and threw them into the river,
the vessel then making her escape. The account does
not say how many of the slaver's crew were left on
board, or whether their arms had been taken away, or
whether the four men were properly armed.
THE COMPTROLLERSHIP 07 TIE VICTUALLING DR-
PARTMENT.—We believe that the appointment of Mr.
Grant to succeed Mr. Meek as comptroller of the vic-
tualling and transport departments at Somerset House
has been formally made. Mr. Meek, who now retires
from this post, has been 53 years in active service, at
home and abroad, and on quitting the onerous duties of
his responsible situation we are quite sure he will enjoy,
with a liberal superanuation, the high personal esteem
of those (superior and subordinate) with whom he has
been for so many years associated in the public service.
In repeating our hope that with a new comptroller, a
gentleman who has distinguished himself in numerous
ways by various inventions and improvements in the
victualling department, this branch of the service will
undergo revision and reform, we by no means desired to
cast the slightest personal reflection on the late comp-
troller.

It is reported that Mr. Laws, chief clerk at Devon-
port, will succeed Mr. Pinhorn at Woolwich.
MELANCROLY ACQIDENT AT DETONPORT.—During
the last few days this port has been visited by a succes-
sion of violent gales, accompanied by thunder and
lightning, and we regret to state that on Monday after-
noon, while a shore boat belonging to a man of the
name of Bartlett, with seven passengers, chiefly women,
was attempting to leave Mutton COW', fur the purpose
of proceeding to her Majesty's ship Albion in the Sound,
she—owing to some bad management, and the confusion
that naturally prevailed during the act of making sail—
capsirpd, and although within a few yards of the shore,
the steersman, a sailor belonging to the ship, was unfor-
tunately drowned. The females (among whom was this
man's wife) were fortunately saved. The weather has
been so tempestuous that any communication with the
men-of-war in the Sound and Barnpool, consisting of her
Majesty's ships Albion, Indefatigable, and Bellerophon,
has been attended with considerable danger.

DESTINATION OF THE LOCUST STEM[-VESSEL.—We
are enabled to confirm our previous announcement that
the Locust steam-vessel, Lieutenant-Commander Curtis,
fitted out at Woolwich, is ordered to proceed to the
south-east coast of America station, to be under the
command-in-chief of Rear-Admiral Reynolds, C.B.
PORTSMOUTH, TUESDAY.—The Phaeton, 50, Captain
G. Elliot, remains at Spithead weather-bound, together
with the Hogue, 60, Captain Macdougall.
This morning as a boat was going off to one of these
ships a squall capsized her when off the Platform bat-
tery and immersed those on board for some time. Their
dangerous condition was fortunately descried in time by
the crew of a cutter working out, which towed a num-
ber of boats to her assistanee, whereby the drowning
men were succoured.

An official trial was made yesterday in the presene•
of the Commander-in-Chief and a party of other officers
of the efficacy of Lieutenant Seccombe's plan for laying
out cables from boats. Captain Sir Henry Blackwood,
of the Vengeance, 84, was the umpire. The trial was a
very successful one, and exhibited the capabilities of
the invention most amply; indeed, it was declared so
simple that one man could with ease check or veer link
by link.
Her Majesty's steam-yachts Fairy end Elfin and the
steam-vessels Urgent and Echo have been removed from
the steam-basin to-day.
The Amphitrite, 24, will be removed from the dock,
and taken into the ship-basin to-morrow.

THE IMUADRON OF EVOLUTION.

Lisbon, Dec. 9.

Most of the ships are refitting and setting up their
rigging. Tho ships' companies have had leave granted
them. The Encounter arrived on Sunday last with
bread and other stores from Gibraltar. She was ordered
to supply the Leander with as much bread as she could
stow, and the result is that she carries in its proper
place three weeks' consumption more than the Arethusa;
this ship stows more than the Phaeton. The Retribu-
tion is daily expected. It is intended the marines of the
squadron and field-pieces shall land for exercise [this
week should the weather permit.
In Port—Prince Regent, Leander, Arethuss, Arro-
gant, Dauntless, and Encounter. French steamer Oaf-
ferelli.