The Sun.
London, England, 1850-12-17 00:00:00

NAVAL INTELLIGENCE.

DEVONPORT, DEC. 16.—Pandora, surveying vessel,
will be commissioned this week.

Advice, steamer, arrived on Saturday evening, and
Il be supplied with coals to-morrow.

In the Pi) mouili Sound—Albion and Indtfatigable.
In Barnepool—Bellerophon.
In Harbour—lmpregnable, St. George, Calliope, Pt n-
gain, Sylph, Nautilus, Avon, Advice, Conflance, Dili-
gence, Tran- port, Camel, and Rochester, lighters.
Spy, brigantine, in dock making good defects, is fast
progressing at Chatham. She is partly rigged, and will
soon be ready for the pendant, and will proceed Again to
the coast.

Bonetta, brigantine, is in dock making good defects at
Chatham, and will soon ba ready for commissioning.
Inconstant, 36, Captain Sheppard having been paid off
at Devonport on Saturday last, a log of her commission
may not be uninteresting:—Her M 9esty's ship Incon-
stant was commissioned at this port on the 2d December,
1847, and left on the 30th January, 1848, for the River
Plate, she arrived at Rio de Janeiro on the 29 sh February.
1848, and taking on board Capt. the Hon. George
Gore, Charge de A Mares, to arrange affairs in that river.
She left Rio de Janeiro on the Bth March and arrived at
Monte Video on the 17th March. She remained in the
river until the 18th Sept., 1848, when she left for Rio t .)
perform the duties of senior officer. On the 27 to No-
vember,lB4B, she left Rio with provisions and stores f r
the squadron in the River Plate, and arrived there on the
sth December; left again on the 11th for Valparai*o.
She arrived at Port William, Falkland Islands, on the
21st December, and remained in that miserably dull and
dreary port until the 30th December, when she sailed for
Valparaiso, and arrived there on the 19th January,
1849, where she remained until the 28th of February.
when she left for San Francisco, calling at Callao, and
arriving at the former place on the 16th of April; here
she remained until the Ist May, when she left for that
beautiful spot, Vancouver's Island, and arrived at Esqui-
malt Harbour on the 11th May, and remained there till
the 4th June, enjoying a moat delightful three weeks,
rambling through the most magnificent scenery, and
getting capital sport ; she left on the 4th Jane for San.
Francisco; on the 14th June, 1849, she received on board
a freight of 180,000 dollars in the precious metal, and
left for Valparaiso on the 21st June, 1849, and ar-
rived there on the 9th August; she remained at Val-
paraiso until the 20th, when she sailed again for San
Francisco, where she arrived on the 4th September;
she remained there until the 19th, rendering assistance
to our commerce and shipping, her services on this
occasion have been very handsomely acknowledged by
Lloyd's through the Admiraliy. She manned and
officered, provisioned, refitted, loaded, and ballasted
four vessels on account, and sent them to Valparaiso ;
she received on board about 80,000 dolls. in dust, and
left on the 19th Oat. for Valpardeo, and arrived there
an the 24. h Dec., visiting the island of Juan Fer-
nandez, where she procured a small quantity of fresh
meat, and a few vegetables for the sic!;. On the 4th
Jan., 1850, she again left Valparaiso for Callao, anti
arrived there ou the 12th, remained there to the 18th
January, when the left for San Bias and Magatlaw,
West Coast of Mexico; she arrived at the former
place on the 18th Fab., and sailed on the 223, having
relieved the Amphitrite, for Mazatlan, and ar-
rived there on the 24th February, where she remained
until the 20th June, when she sailed for San Bias and
arrived there on the 26th, and left that port on the
2nd July for Valparaiso, with 760,000 dolls. on board,
arrived there on the 21st August; sailed from this
post on the 2d Sept. for Rio; rounded Cape Horn on
the 22d September; on the 23d she passed a very large
iceberg, in lat. 58.25 S., and long. 150.52
W., and ar-
rived at Rio Janeiro on the 19th Oct., and sailed on the
16111 1.9 r Anglo& pa title 224 IsTcoy, pined thr9Vgh

Lmmodore artin's squadron, in Ist. 94 N., and long.
13 W., co sting of Prince Regent, Arethusa, Leander,
Arrogant, and Encounter, said " How do you do?" and
" Geol b3e," and passed on, and made the Eddystone
light at 4 50 r nt. on Sunday the 24th, and arrived at
Spithead at 2 r, t. on the 25th, after a splendid passage,
the shortest from Valparaiso to Fogland that has been
made for many years by a sailing veatel, being out 85
days, including stoppages, as the railway people say,
averaging 144 miles a day. On the 26th she discharged
her freight into the Lively, in charge of Mr. Emanuel,
and sailed on Wednesday the 27th, and arrived in the
Saund on the 28'h; having been, during her commis.
sion, 4981 days at EO3, and 5941 in harbour, and having
run a distance of 65,200 miles, 55,000 of this having
been performed during the last two years.—Deconport
Independent.

APPOINTMENTS,
WOOLWICH. DEC. 16 —Lieutenants—John M.Jackerm
(1846), iind William L. Stainforth (1848), to the Am-
/).itrite, 24, commissioned at Portsmouth.
Masters—VincEnt W illiams ( 1841), and John Richards
(1847), to the Pandora, 6, at an'onport.
Paymas'er and Purser—William Morgan (1841), to
the Amphitrite.
Acting Master—Thomas Kerr (second master 1847),
to the Pandora.

Second-class Assistant Engineer—James Lawlor, to
tho Advice, steam-tender to the Apx steam-guard-ship
st Cork.

Second Assistant Engineer—James Driver, to the
Volcano steam-vessel <.t Wcolsvich.

Master's Assistants--Andrew Farmer, to the Pandora,
r.nd Charles K. Harwell, to the Amphitrite.
Clerk in Charge—William Simmond3 (1846), to the
Pandora.

Clerks—Willis Price (1848), and ALraham Howard
(1850) to the Aa,pLitrite; aad A. M. Spong (1850), to
the Pandora.

Gunners—John Oliver, to the Fantome, 12, at Ports-
mouth, and Edward Snell, to the Amphitrite.
Boatswain—John Holmes, to the Amphitrite.
Carpenter—James Fraser, to the Amphitrite.
The Locust steam-vessel, Lieutenant-Commander
Curtis, had her compasses set this morning by Captain
Johnson, and was expected to leave Greenhithe in the
afternoon or early to-morrow morning for Plymouth.
The Locust has now received her sailing orders and
charts for the coast of Africa, which we originally
stated to be her destination. That statement was so
often contradicted, and the Brazils station named by $
contemporary professing authentic ief mmation, tl- at
many of her officers believed she would proceed to tt
Brazils. She will now, however, take out the mails
from Plymouth of the 20th inst., and the Volcano will
take out those of the Ist of January, 1851. Times.
The Waterwitch, 8, sloop, Commander Richard R.
Ruin, arrived at Sheerness on Friday last, having been
towed from the Downs by the Monkey steam-vessel, and
on the following day was inspected by Captain Greville,
of her Majesty's ship Ocean (for the Commander in-
Chief), who expressed in most complimentary terms his
approbation of the efficient state of the crew, and the',
admirable practice both in gunnery and in the small-arm
and cutlass exercises, as well as of her extreme cleanli-
ness. After the inspection the Waterwitch was taken in
tow by ono of the steam-tenders, and proceeded to
Chatham to be paid off. She is now rapidly dismantling,
and will be put out of commission in a few days. She
will then be taken into dock, and be again brought for-
ward for commission as soon as possible. There has
only been one punishment in the Waterwitch since she
went to the coast of Africa in May, 1848, being a period
of service on that station of two years and eight months.
Her punishment-book is blank during the last eight
months, not the slightest offence requiring to be entered
having taken place.

REAR-ADMIRAL SIR C. NAPIER AND THE
NAVY.
TO THE EDITOR OF THE MORNING HERALD.
Sir,—However much your correspondents may dis-
sent from Sir Charles Napier's opinions, he not only
&serves to be treated as a gentleman, but with all the
cmisideration due to well-tried service and experience
I trust, therefore, that nothing which escapes my pen's
point will offend him. I pass over the first portion of
his letter w hick appeared some days back in your
columns without particular comment. There is too
much truth in his pithy summary of our own demerits
without seeking for a somewhat unworthy consolation
in the fact that others have sinned to the same ex-
tent as ourselves. Moreover, though many old cus-
toms and improvements, familiar to our service ;have
been paraded as recent French inventions by the pub-
lic prints, there is, I fear, some cause to believe that
the principles of naval architecture are better under-
stood and practised by our neighoours across
the Channel than at home. This admission,
however, without prejudice to the fact that instead
of locking for the mote in the aforesaid neighbour's eyes
we are constantly watching for it in our own; and, air,
I for one, have no wish to see our glances directed else-
where. But with Sir Charles Napier's views respecting
the steam department of the Royal navy there is room
for difference of opinion. Your correspondent " W."
in believing that, with respect to the Sidon, " no naval
dficer but her gallant constructor would wish to see
such another paddle-wheel steamer built to carry a
main-deck battery," stated neither more nor less than a
fact ; for the ship in question is considered a failure on
all hands, and by all people. With her coals and shot
expended, and on a seaway, she would be unmaneee-
able, despite her great engine power, made more effec-
tive since her boiltrs wore renewed in 1849. It is not,
however, on tie Sidon's merits that I wish to enter the
lists with Sir Charles. I INN leave tire, too, all the ea-
tisaction he can derive from the clear deck of the Leo.
pard. an unquestionable improvement upon the "engine
carriers "which have preceded her birth. Ono line to-
wards the end of his letter contains the proposition to
which I demur :—" What we want is a greater number
large paddle-wheel stezna,,rs."
Now, Sir, I contend that what we do not want is any
aldition to that particular class. Th. screw, in the in-
fincy of its application, has proved, by the Basilisk and
Niger trials, its vast superiority, even in actual delivery
of power: and once that point disposed of, there remains
the enormous advantage of the steamer so fitted being a
perfect sailing ship. Indeed, I will go further, and as-
sert, that a L-ss horse-power per On applied on the screw
principle will yield a better return than the greater with
the paddle-wheel. As to the block-ships, we may leave
them out of the question: but all Sir Charles Napier's
clever writing will not show that the Sidon is not far in-
ferier to the Arrogant and Encounter screw-steamers,
and that without meddling at all with the peculiar prin-
ciple on which she was constructed. The paddle-wheel,
except on the feathering principle, is, after all, but a
rude means for the transmission of propelling force.
The loss of power in broken water is prodigious; and
bit by bit the ocean steamers of our mercantile marine
are preparing to substitute the more expensive improve-
ment, of which Morgan was, and I believe is, patentee.
Surely there is a lesson to he learned from this fact: but
the day is not far distant when both, in my judgment,
will give place to the screw. That a man of Sir Charles
Napier's acuteness should not have seen the shadow of
that coming event would surprise me, if I could forget
how often a strong opinion becomes inveterate.
I remain, Sir, your obedient servant,
A CIVILIAN.

RAILWAY SHARE MARKETS.
BRISTOL, DEC. 16.

STOCK EXCHANGE. —The market was more active to-day
than for some time past, and a considerable share of buiincss
was transacted, but the only alteration in value we have to
notice is in Great Western Stock, which closed at 78!-4.
LI VEI:PooL, Dim 16.
Srecx ExmANGL—The share market was very firm to-
day, and prices for most description of stock have improved.
The transactions were as follow : —Aberdeen, 1114—Birken-
head, Lancashire, and Cheshire, 22/. Shares, 61i dis.— Cale-
donian, 10;—Chestcr and Holyhead, 17—Ditto, Preference,
guaranteed 5(.2 per cent., 1374,—E-stern Counties, 6 5-16
East Lancashire, 1278—Ditto, Preference, Quarters, 7 11-16
—Great Northern (A), 6%—Kendal and Windermere, 7%
—Lancashire, and Yorkshire, Consolidated, 59—Ditto, Fifths,
6 15-16 dis.—lancaster and Carlisle, Thirds, 6 p.—Lancaster
and Preston. Three-quarter Shares, 31 p.—Leeds and Thirsk,
14L4- London and North-Western, 128 - Ditto, New Quar-
ters, 4L4 p.- Ditto, Quarters (C), 3 p.- Manchester, Sheffield
and Lincolnshire, 27,1„i-Ditto, Quarters (No. 1), 7% per
cent. till IBSS, 12-Ditto, Preference, 10 13-16-Ditto, New
6/. Preference, A p.-Midland, 50-Ditto, Halves, 19 dis.-
North British, 84-North Staffordshire, 814 c. dis.-South.
Eastern and Dover, 2314-York, Newcastle, and Berwick,
194-Ditto (unpaid up), 3% dis.-York and North Mid-
land, 244-Dutch Rhenish, 4% dis.-Rouen'and Havre, 1016

BIRMINUHAM, DEC. 16.
STOCK EXCIIANOM.—The share market continues animated,
and prices are well supported. There was a considerable
amount of business transacted to-day. The following were
the closing prices:—South-Eastern and Dover, 23 Shrews-
bury and Birmingham (A), 614 dis. —Ditto (B), 5' dia.—
Shropshire Union, 3 dis.— South St2lTordshire, 3 die.

THE GREAT NORTHERN RA I LWAT.—Yeqerday
afternoon,' shortly after three o'clock, an accident of a very
frightful and alarming, as well as fatal, character took place
at the terminus of the Great Northern Railway, at King's_
cross. It appears that a large body of miners and other
workmen have been for some time past engaged in excavat-
ing a tunnel which is to pass from the eastern side of the
Maiden-lane-bridge, under the Regent's-canal, into the per-
manent station on the sites of the late London Fever and
Small-pox Hospitals, at King's-cross. These men were in
the employ of Mr. Hodge, the sub-contractor to the Messrs.
Jay, the contractors for the terminus, and at the time men-
tioned the miners had returned from their dinner about an
hour, and were at work in groups in various parts of the
tunnel. One group of miners, headed by a man named
Abel Wynne, were at work in the tunnel about 40 yards
from its mouth,:and were engaged in making ready for what
is technically termed the " sill"—a portion of timber used in
supporting tunnels before the brickwork is introduced. Ha
had just exclaimed, " Come, my men, we must pitch into
this work and get the' sill' .and had made one or two
strokes with hia pick, in conjunction with a man named
Samuel Edward., when a large amount of earth gave way
and fell upon them and other workmen. An alarm was
instantly raised, and after some delay the men were dug
out, when it was found that the poor man Wynne bad his
head crushed in a frightful manucr. He was conveyed to
Randall's cottages, near Randall's Tile-kilns, in Maiden-
lane, but life was quite extinct. The other men were but
nightlyt
hi n j
inure tee. t
1;non ce b,
which i
se
of
saigcnjae:eyfocrhtahrea
cfat
el lir,nganodf
very dry.

SUICIDE AT TILE CIIErCII OF ST. BOTOLPII,
ALDG.tTE.—On Saturday night, at eight o'clock, an inquest
was held before Mr. William l'i:vneoun., and a respectable
jury, in the Committee-roam, Fountain-court, Minories, on
view of the body of John Smith, aged sixty, for many
years sexton of Aldgate Church, who, on Saturday forenoon
shot himself through the head with a pistol, in a vault at-
tached to the church.— Verdict, " Temporary Insonity."
PREVALENCE OF MEASLES.—A gentleman who
keeps a large educational e'tablishment near this town in-
form.' us (the Livalpool Times) the other day, that out of
sixty young gentlemen frequenting his school, twenty were
absent in consequence of attacks of the measles, telling us
at the same time that the disease, in a milder form, is pre-
valent in almost every school in the kingdom, and that in
the neighbourho3d of Bristol a large school had been entirely
broken up in consequence of all those who were liyiDg is it
baying ice Attackeil by t 9 malady.