The Sun.
London, England, 1850-05-14 00:00:00

NAVAL INTELLIGENCE.

PORTSMOUTH, MONDAY.—The Dauntless ste 4111-
frigate, having had her machinery repaired since the
accident which occurred on Friday, left the harbour
this morning, at half-past nine o'clock, under the
command of Captain Henderson, C. 8., of the Blen-
heim, to have her speed tried in Stokes bay. She was
fully rigged and equipped, and having on board all
her guns and stores, except provisions, she was
brought to her intended draught of water, 16 feet fore
and 16 feet 8 inches aft. The object of this trial was
to determine the effect which had been produced by
an additional length of 8 feet at the stern which she
has lately received. Before this alteration (in August,
1848), she was tried at the same draught of water,
and under steam alone her mean speed at the mea-
sured mile was 7.36 nautical miles. She was then
tried under sail with steam also. On a wind her speed
was 10.14 nautical miles, and with the wind aft the
beam it was only 8.33. The mean speed of the engines
with steam alone was 24 strokes per minute, and under
sail they were 26. She made eight trials this morning
under steam alone ; the average speed of the engines
was 30 revolutions in a minute, and that of the ship
was 10.266 nautical miles per hour. There was a fresh
breese a-beam, and the state of the weather was very
favourable. It appears, therefore, from this experi-
ment that the result of" the alteration is highly satis-
factory. Mr. Berthon's instrument for measuring the
speed of the vessel was deranged, and so no trial could
be made of it to determine its accuracy.
Mr. Grant's cooking apparatus was in force, and
cooked the dinner for the Blenheim's men on board
the Dauntless. The pea-soup was excellent, and the
seamen declared that they never had such good soup
on board the Blenheim. The peas boiled in the
distilled water were reduced to the most perfect pulp
imaginable. The tea, we understand, that is made
from this water is also much better (from the absence
of all calcareous matter) than that made from the
common water. _ _ _

The distilling was also more perfectly developed
to-day. During the twelve hours that the galley
was in operation there was no less than 420 gal-
lons of water distilled, quite sufficient for the crew
aad stock consumption for one day ; a calcula-
tion of the fuel was also made, when it was found
that 11b. of fuel made eight gallons of water. This
is by far the most approved apparatus that Mr.
Grant has had manufactured, and it may be said to
be perfect.
Rear-Admiral Berkeley, third Lord of the Admi-
ralty, and Captain Sir Baldwin Walker, surveyor of
the navy, arrived at this port at S 30, A.M., to-day,
and visited the ordinary and steam guard-ships. They
went on board the Britannia, 120 ; the Neptune, 120 ;
tho Ajax, 60 ; the Blenheim, 60 ; the Excellent,
gunnery-ship, where trial practice with Captain Moor-
som's shell was going on ; and the Basilisk steam-
vessel; and after duly surveying them returned to
the George Hotel.
The Britannia, 120. in dock at this port, is to have
her poop taken off, and a top. deck battery, similar to
steamers, substituted.
A draught of the Ist battalion of Royals, and Dr.
Theingdon, Royal Canadian Corps, which embarked
in the ship Earl Durham at Gravesend on the 2d of
May, landed at Cowes this morning, and proceeded to
Parkhurst-barrack!, that ship having sprung a leak.
The embarkation of the draught of the Ist battalion,
97th Regiment, has been postponed..
PLYMOUTH, MAT 11.—Her Majesty s ship Hiber-
nia, 104. will be taken into dock on Monday.
her Majesty's steam-vessel. Prometheus, on arrival
from Woolwich, will be paid. wages, and take the
June mails to the coast of Africa.
Her Majesty's frigate Thetis, 40, Captain H. J.
Codrington, on arrival from Lisbon, will be paid off

here.
The Greenock steam-vessel, of Greenock, is ordered
here to take Mr. Davey, master-attendant's assistant,
and a party of seamen riggers, to Liverpool, to con-
duct the lazarette frigate Lavinia to Pembroke, and
not to this port, as previously stated. The steamcir
will return from Pembroke to Liverpool, and conduct
the frigate Bacchus to Plymouth.
The Royal Dockyard Battalion will commence drill
on Saturday, the 18th inst. During the season of
drilling, those men who do not drill will have their
holiday on Saturday.
The merchant brigantine Jessie, Captain C. old],
13. Lieutenant
of Africa-
which left London fifty-seven days since, with a
valuable cargo of teas, general goods, &c., for New-
foundland,N was on the 19th of April,. in long. 35
lat. 47 -W., struck by a heavy sea, which awefetddaewck4,
broke bulwarks, stanchions, &c., and
fhoorleds, a
theil ander mainsail.ew w er
e obliged Having
t o
arrived here yesterday.
APPOINTMENTS.
Charles A.
Prometheus steam-
pfiuvte
back,
afecekt:awa
nardtre water
thein
shiphe r
steam-
sloop at Woolwich, for service
Wise (recently promoted), to t.olittehoune
on the Mediterranean station.
.._ _
to the Seagull,
Midshipman H. L. Crozier,. to the Racer, 12, sloop,
Master's Assistant James Gillard,
6, schooner, Brazil mailpacket
theßirkenhead, 6,
steam-frigate, at Portsmouth.n
Captain Alexander 1 ne, one of the Lords of the
Gunner John Archbold, packet.
Admiralty, visited, Woolwich dockyard this afternoon.
Commander I oote, who has commissioned the Pro-
metheus steam-sloop, and several of the officers ap-
pointed
to her, arrived here to-day, and joined the
vessel after taking up their commissions.
The Lizard steam-vessel was taken to Sheerness
on Saturday by the steamers that brought up the
Crocodile.
Two convicts were drowned yesterday afternoon.
The accident occurred while raising a boat at the
stern of the convict hulk stationed at the Royal Ar-
senal ; the tackling giving way,. three of the convicts
were precipitated into the river, and two were
drowned.

FOREIGN YIN EGAR.—The Lords Commissioners
of her Majesty's Treasury have directed Mr. Hayter, one of
their secretaries, to state to the Commissioners of the Cus-
toms department that he has been commanded by their
Lordships to authorise them to add foreign vinegar to the
list of articles allowed to be shipped from the bonding ware-
houses in future as stores for vessels, as recommended by
them ; and in transmitting a notification of this order to the
collectors and comptroller a, and other oflicers,of the Customs
at the several ports throughout the united kingdom for their
information and government, they have been directed to ob-
serve, that the quantity of vinegar to be allowed to be ship-
ped is not to exceed half-a-pint per week for each person for
the voyage out And home.