The Sun.
London, England, 1850-11-20 00:00:00

NAVAL INTELLIGENCE.

To-day, in all probability, the fate of the Devonport
Dock and the new work ; will be decided—that is,
whether we shall have a dock equal to the requirements
~r the service, or whetbier we shall have a miserable
arology for essentially a great necessary public work.
Under all circumstances we cannot help quoting. the
following from the United Service Gazette :
"Every day's experience exhibits the short-sighted
policy, the miserable economy, and the utter want of
professienal responsibility, hich have postponed the
completion of the basin and docks at Devonport Dock-
yard.
Such is the want of dock accommodation at that
port that the Wasp screae-sloop, of 900. tons, requiring
to be docked this week, she could not be taken in until
she was lightened; consequently, although she had the
Mails on board for the cossat of Africa, it took the people
three days to got out the guns and stores before she
could get in to have the fan of her screw adjusted, and
it has taken three days more since to replace the stores;
thus losing the time of a whole working week—a pretty
state truly for one of our prix wipe' naval arsenals to be in.
" Again, it has been stated that the works depart-
ment has been turned over to the master shipwright.
This is not officially true, although it looks very much
like it. Captain Williams, 11:.E., is still called the di-
rector of his department; lbw the master shipwright has
been allowed by the Admiralty to run over his works—
to make drawings of themr—to propose corrections of
them, and indeed to discov at what his conceit or impu-
dence may choose to call blunders of the engineer ; and
this week the ' drawings,' amendments,' 'additions,'
atild improvements.' have heen forwarded to the Admi-
ralty for their approbation. How long a captain of the
Royal Engineers is to submit to this indignity, perhaps
some members of the dist inguished corps in which he
holds a commission will eel upon him to declare ; and
how the Admiralty can permit a shipwright to neglect
his own department to med:d le with that of another, in
'he way they have allowedi' Mr. Edye to do, whilst the
ships under his charge reported perfect, when ordered
to be commissioned, are found to have defects which
will take six weeks' hard w ark to make good. their Lord-
ships will probably have it„ra opportunity of explaining
very shortly.
Thirdly, we may notice, with great regret the report
that the caissons at the new and spoiled steam-basin and
dock works at Keyham ha,we failed, although so much
was said of their admirable, perfection and utility when
tried the tither day, and of the inventor, Mr. Scamp, as-
sistant director of engineering works at the Admiralty.
The whole design looks very much like a \gigantic
blunder, at the expense of some 20,0001., and now it is
said the Admiralty department are endeavouring to make
Mr. Fairbairn, the contra aaor for building the caissons,
responsible for the design as well as for the faithful con-
struction of them. Thus, if the caissons had.succeeded,
the wiseacres of Somerset-leoase would have, assumed all
the credit; but now that th ey. are likely to fail, or have
not succeeded, the contractor is saddled with the onus of
the mistake.
" Let our readers look to the French President's mes-
sage, with respect to the new docks and works in the
arsenals of France, and they will agree with us that it is
high time that we should have a searching inquiry into
the state of those of the dockyards of England.'
Lieutenant R. L. Curtis (1842), it is said, will com-
mission the Locust steam-vessel, at Woolwich, for the
coast of Africa service.

Mr. B. F. Cameron has been appointed assistant engi-
neer to the Lucifer ateam-vessel.

!Retribution steam-frigaiie, Captain Warden, in defi-
ance of a strong westerly gale, went out to Spithead
under steam yesterday morning at eleven o'clock. She
will tyke in her powder and live shells when it mode•
rage, and proceed to Devosaport.
PORTSMOUTH, TtrEsnAv..—The Northumberland new
yacht packet arrived at Spthead last night.
The 'Retribution steam•t!rigate has had her compasses
swung, and was taken to Spithead this morning to try
speed by the measured
The Amphitrite, 24, has been stripped, and will be
re-coppered immediately.
During a sudden squall this morning a boat belonging
to, the Alfred came across the bowsprit of the Lively
tender, and immediately upset and sank. There were
two men and a boy in her at the time, who were even-
tually picked up.

THE CHINA. EQUADRON.
Her Majesty's ship Ileastinge, bearing the flag of
dear-Admiral Austin, Olt., arrived at Singapore on the
16th of September, after a tedious passage of sixteen
days, from Penang, through the Straits of Malacca, and
~ailed on the 21st for Hong -Kong.
The Sphynx, Commander Shadwell, and the East
India Company's steamer Nemesis, were at Siam, with
Str James Brooke, though expected at Hong-Kong in a
short time, and as they had made a lengthened stay, the
success of their mission was augured favourably of:
The Serpent, Commander Barker, had been ordered
down to Hotig•Kong for the convalescence of her crew.
The sick list was very large, as many as so having been
on it at one time; none of them, however, had died, nor
had there been any life recently lost in the squadron.
The Reynard was at Hong-Kong on the 23d of Sep-
tember, and expected to sail in a few days for the
northern ports, calling at Loo-Choo, with the Lord
Bishop of Victoria on board. She had been taking the
place of the Phlegethon at Canton, where her arrival
made no little sensation araong the community. Captain
Cracroft succeeded in carrying her up the Junk Channel,
a passage hitherto considered impracticable for vessels
of the Reynard's tonnage, and steamed past the factories
to the astonishment of the natives.
The Castor, Commodore Wyvill, anchored at the Mau-
ritius on the 19th of September, after a very long cruise
ou the east coast of Africa. She left Simon's Bay,
Cape of Good Hope, on the 22d of February, since which
the Commodore has visited all his old friends on the
slave-trading coast of Mozambique, to whom he required
no introduction, having been well known in his last ship,
Cleopatra, for his capturing propensities. All the rivers
have been searched for baracoons and slave vessels, and
the strictest possible inquiry been established as to the
slave trade. It is thought the Commodore's visit will
have a wholesome effect on the wretches who deal in
humanity; certain it is, the Castor did not succeed in
making a prize until she reached Cape Delgado, in May
last; all of a sudden, two large slave markets were dis-
covered, which the Commodore caused to be surprised,
and destroyed by the Castor's boats before the
people were aware of her being on the coast. Com-
mander Bunce conducted the attacks, and making them
at daylight, met little or no resistance, although
at the second place he found preparations
for fighting about 300 men with muskets and
some pieces of cannon; but the English force awed
them. In two minutes after landing the whole place was
in flames, and in the midst of it a large slave dow was
blown up. As soon as the force re-embarked a fire was
opened from the mangrove bushes, which was sharply
returned by the boats. The name of this last place is
Kionga. The baracoons were very extensive, and ca-
pable of containing thousands of slaves. The first place,
Masani, was not so large. The Castor visited Zanzicar
after leaving that place. Dysentery attacked the crew;
10 men died, but she is now quite healthy. The Castor
had experienced a gale of wind to the southward of Ma-
dagascar, and sprung her foreyard, and came into Port
rpLi oeadurti
pinnaceos,
nwavnifitrdchoomr
.ar loalturhl hst
the Castor.
pr
but
tovrhiw.s
ai
eos
rnTer sehic jneeuistsvlhteae M
dve
ex pended. The Dee,
vigHilearnemesojfesthtye, atsr
oz le mr
severe
qsh ue
bee
ek, ani
nn a ad
hr ae.
sersuliosoeprs. Pantaloon is the only vessel that
has taken prizss on this coast. She has captured three
empty ones, which with their cargoes will be worth
8,0001. or 9,0001.; they were -the three last of the season.

APPOINTMENTS.
WOOLWICH, Nov. 19.—Paymaster and Purser Thomas
M. J. Tilby (1814), of the Fisgard flagship, at Wool-
wihis expected to retire on that vessel being paid off,
on the 2d of next month, and Paymaster and Purser
Thomas Watson (1809), is named as his successor.
The Locust steam-vessel, now ready for commission
for service on the coast of Africa, is expected to be com-
missioned at this port by Commander Roger Curtis
(1846).
The Volcano steam-vessel is also nearly ready for
commission at this port for service on the coast of Afsicso