The Sun.
London, England, 1844-04-04 00:00:00

NAVAL INTELLIGENCE.

THE NEW EXPERIMENTAL BRIGS. PORTSMOUTH,
APRIL 2.—The Osprey, built by Mr. Blake, the master
builder of this yard, and the Daring, built, by Mr. White,
the eminent yacht builder, were floated Mit of dock this
morning, and brought into the basin ; the Darin.-' under
the sheers to be masted. Both vessels are very beauti-
tilul, their models symmetrical, and do much credit to
their talented constructors ; so nearly balanced ate their
apparent respective perfections and capabilities that na-
val men in general are at a loss to which vessel to give
the preference, though they are diametrically different
in their formations, as is evident from their relative light
flotation draft of water, which is as follows :
Osprey

ft. in: ft. lir.
Light water draft aft l2 7
„ forward 8 6

Vessels by the stern... 4 1
The bottom of the Daring is formed like the bottom
of a yacht cutter, and is altogether very similar to tint
constructor's far-famed brig the Water Witch, and the
sits on the water very much by the stern, as wi'l be
seen by her draft as above.
The Osprey is very dissimilar, having a much longer
floor, and, in our opinion, has a bottom better calculate.'
for large vessels ; she sits gracefully on the water, amd
her formation, although essentially different, reminds us
more of the Inconstant than any vessel we have )et
seen. As to their sailing no one can form any opinion
about their respective merits ; they will both have the.
ame yards and masts, their sails will be the same, anti
the weight they have on board will be the same ; muck
then will depend on the placing of the masts and ship's
stowaCe.

We give their dimensions as near as we can get thrtn;
they are not far from being correct, and will be suffi-
ciently so to show the proportions of the vessels :
Daring. Osprey.
ft. in. ft. in.
Length extreme ll3 2 ... 109 10
Length on water-line
Length of keel

Breadth extreme
Perpendicular height—keel to stern 24 9 ... 23 10.
Do. do. do. to tafrail 25 7 ... 25
Tons

Both vessels have been built by job work ; the Dar-
ing was commenced the 9th of October last—the Osprey
the 26th of December last, consequently has been built
in the short space of three months.
Their, armament will consist of 10 32-pound guns of:
25 cwt., and two long 18-pounders, with a complement on:
130 men.

It will be seen by their tonnage that these 12-car,
brigs are about 40 tons larger than the old-fashioned 18-
gun sloop brig class that did so much good service last
war, and were famed for their fast sailing, their safety,
and good sea-boat qualities, which have not as yet been
surpassed by any of the more modern brigs.
The Flying Fish, the surveyor's 12-gun brig, will be
launched at Pembroke to-morrow, between half-past four
and five o'clock, P.m., when she will be taken charge of
by Mr. Brown, the Assistant-Master-Attendant of Ports-
mouth, who, with forty riggers and men from the Vic-
tory, arrived at Pembroke on the 30th ult., in the Lively
lighter, and be navigated to Portsmouth.
The Adventure, transport, was expected at Pembroke►
on Sunday last, with the masts, yards, and gear, for the
Flying Fish, but she will not be there for a day or two,
as she did not leave Devonport until last Friday.

The appointment of Mr. Calhoun to the office of
Secretary of State, by President Tyler, is a very important.
though unaccountable step on the part of that functionary:
Hitherto, the Tylers, at least the President's son and his
organs of the press, have been thundering upon the Texas
and Oregon questions, as if nothing less than war and defi-
ance to England could please the head of the State. Yet-
now he selects one of the most moderate and able states-
men to occupy the important post of Secretary of State
during the opening negotiations with Mr. Pakenham. The
terrible catastrophe of the Princeton seems to have recalled
the American President from those extravagant ideas which
party, especially on the eve of a Presidential election, in,'.
spires in America, to sound, sober, and purely patriotic views.
Although Mr. Calhoun be the staunch opponent of prohibi-
tion, little is to be hoped, even from him, in obtaining, this
session, a repeal or a modification of the tariff. Should this
certainty not prevent his acceptance of office, the influence of.
a man so sensible, so modest, and able, cannot but be felt int
the important matters pending between the
.two countries:.
The greatest danger, in negotiations or difference witlk
America, is that of falling upon ignorant and bigotted minds.
With any of the enlightened statesmen of America there• is
little fear of our remaining differences with that county y
begetting serious or hostile consequences. It is worthy of' re-
mark that, notwithstanding bluster and party, the Ameriearnl
select their ablest men to conduct a negotiation with Lis,
Mr. Webster was pitted in the Maine question with Lord
Ashburton, whose merit with the Tories was his being no.
diplomatist. Mr. Calhoun, a worthy rival of Mr. Webster,
his now to deal with Mr. Pakenham.—Chronicle.
THE Toun DE NESLE.—The Journal des Debate
publishes the following details relative to the modern
Tour de Nesle :—The investigation of this affair, which,
on account of its disgusting details, appears to belong
to another century, is pursued with much activity. It
would appear, according to recent discoveries, that this
mysterious association had other ramifications in the
interior of Paris, and that the individuals of which it was
composed were divided into bands, and placed under the
command of a chief. It was from this modern drama,
whose eccentricity, perhaps, developed the monstrous
excesses which followed, that they borrowed the names
under which they divided their different sections. Thus
there was the Tour de Nesle, situate Rue du Pot-de-
Fer, St. Marcel; the Taverne d'Orsini, Rue de Lourcine;
and two other seetions, whose position has not yet been
discovered, and which were designatei under the names:
of the Bastile and the Chambre Ardente. The leader.or
this secret society for debauchery assumed the title of
Buridan, and his companion styled herself Marguerite de
Bourgoyne. There were women amongst the society,
and they were not less indefatigable in placing those
whom they caught in their snares in the most degraded
position. The woman who presided at the orgies of a,
second class section was called the Marchioness de Br',v-
villiers. In order to escape detection the membe.les of
one section passed alternately from one to the otl'.er, and
for fear of being surprised, they had guards whom they
named night-watchers, and who patrolled 'round the
place where those frightful mysteries were otlebrated in
order to give alarm on the appearance of danger. This
office was filled by neophytes who aspired to form part
of the society, and who thus execute a, species of novi-
ciate. We are assured that it was not only women of
obscure station who were brought into those dens, 'out
even some who held a certain position in society, but who
not wishing to appear in a court of justice, have denied
all knowledge of the facts, and have thus impel-eel the
march of justice. To the present moment 18 ind.;.vldnails,
men and women, belonging to the association, of the
Tour de Nesle,' have been arrested."
THE WEATHER.—Yesterday was possibly the
finest day of the year. The thermometer, at two o'clock,
stood at 65—a summer heat—the wind was frc,m the south-
west, the sky clear, and, of course, bright sunshine. During
the night., the moon shone with a peculiar hrightne,se, there
was not a cloud in the sky, and the stillness and beauty of the
scene resembled the most beautiful evenings in the So Ith o
Italy,