The Sun.
London, England, 1850-01-10 00:00:00

APPOISTMENTS.

WooLwicx, JAN. 9 —Master—Richard Mowll
(1841), to the Phaeton, 50, at Sheerness.
Surgeon—John Macleod, M.D. (1847), to the
Hermes steam-sloop, at Woolwich.
Assistant-Surgeon--Thomas Seccombe (1845), to
the Hermes.

Midshipman—James E. Hunter, to the Hermes.
Ma-tens' Assistants—Herbert 11. Jones to the
Centaur steam-frigate, fiag.ship on the west coast of
Africa; John Herrifield Tully and George Patterson,
to the Fisgard, flag-ship at Woolwich.
Clerk—Alexander C. Faryrer, to the Wellesley
flag-ship, on the West Indies and North American
station.

Gunner—James Hambly, to the Dart, employed on
he Coast Guard Service.

Lieutenant Jago, appointed to the Enterprise, took
up his commission and joined the vessel at Woolwich
to-day.
The Enterprise, Captain Collinson, C B , and the
Investigator, Commander M'Clure, have been so oc-
cupied in taking additional stores on board to-day
that they will not be able to leave Woolwich until 8
o'cl.clt A.m. to-morrow (Thursday, Jan. 10.) Amongst
the articles taken on board to-day was a cask labelled
" presents," no doubt for the Esquimaux, and its con-
tents were stated on the top to be 350 files, 800 awls,
and 201 b. vermillion. A large package of letters was
alto received on hoard in a strong white leather bag,
addressed to the officers and crews of her Majesty's
ships Erebus and Terror, Bhering's Straits. The
anxiety to visit these vessels continued unabated all
day, and hundreds a persons went on board, al-
though the vessels were so crowded with stores that
visitors could scarcely move on deck, or even below.
There is an excellent library on board, and every
comfort provided for the officers and crews during the
long winter of the northern regions. An experiment
took place to-day at the principal entrance cf the
dockyard, in presence c f Captain Superintendent
Austin, C. 8., Captain Washington, Captain Collin-
son, C.ll, Commander M'Clure, Lieutenant Robert
son, R.N., Captain Stothard, Royal Engineers, and
a number of naval and military officers, to exhibit a
plan, submitted by Mr. Shephard, for sending dis-
patches to a great extent over the country in
the vicinity of the North Pole. This plan
is very simple, and could not foil to be
effective, as it merely consists in sending up
a small balloon, to which is attached a slow match
about a foot in length, and round the slow match
several hundred pieces of coloured paper attached
by a thread surrounding about one hundred of the
pieces of paper in each packet. The experiment
commenced by inflating the balloon at the end of the
gas tube, in the window of the office of the inspectors
of police ; but there was considerable time occupied
in filling the balloon, which was only about four
feet high, owing to its being made of oiled paper,
parts of which were porous. It was at last inflated,
but not sufficiently full to carry up the 400 papers
and slow match attached to it; the result was, that
300 were cut off by Dr. Anderson, of the Enterprise,
and on the slow match being lighted the balloon as-
acended admirably, proceeding at a considerable alti-
tude in the direction of Woolwich-common and El-

them at a quick pace on entering the upper current,
there being scarcely a breath of Jr felt on the ground
at the time. The 100 pieces of-paper sent up were
each 5 inches long by 2 inches broad, all of blue, red,
yellow, drab, and various shades of brilliant colours,
without any white amongst them, as the latter colour
would be comparatively useless on the snows of the
northern regions. Captain Collinson expressed an
earnest desire that any person or persons who may
find any of the papers after they fall from the balloon
to-day will communicate the time and place where
they were found to the superintendent or at the dock-
yard. The balloon was sent up at 11-10 o'clock,
A as., to-day. It is said that 150 similar or larger
balloons will be supplied to each of the vessels of the
searching expedition, with a supply of sulphuric acid
and zinc to generate gas for inflating them. As it would
take considerable time to write on 500 or 700 of these
aerial dispatches, as were exhibited on the slow matches
to-day, and writing ink on such soft description of
paper might soon be obliterated, a small hand-press,
with a moderate quantity of legible type, would be a
very desirable addition to each of the vessels, and with
a' few reams of coloured paper would not entail a
great additional expense to the Lords of the Admiralty
who have so liberally fitted out the expedition with
every description of stores both fir the searching ex-
pedition and the missing expedition, should the latter
be met with. Had the plan submitted to-day been
thought of before the departure of Sir John Frank-
lin's expedition some of the papers must have been
met with, as the high elevation to which the are car-
ried before they are detached would carry them
during a strong breeze over a vast extent of country.
and even if they fell in the sea, or on pieces of
floating ice, it would be a considerable time before
they were all destroyed, and many chances would
occur of some of them being found, if not by whalers,
by the Esquitnaux.

COURT CIRCULAR.
WINDSOR, WEDNESDAY.

Her Majesty and his Royal Highness Prince Albert,
with his Royal Highness the Prince of Wales, and
attended by the Marchioness of Douro, Hon. Miss
Lennox, Lord Charles Fitzroy, and Colonel F. H.
Seymour, drove to Frogmore this morning.
His oyal Highness Prince Albert, with the
gentlemen in attendance, enjoyed the diveriion of
skating on the Ornamental Water in Frogmore
grounds. The Queen and her Royal Highness the
Duchess of Kent were present.
The younger members of the Royal Family took
their usual airings.
An Address of Condolence on the death of her late
Majesty the Queen Dowager, from the University of
Cambridge, was presented to her Majesty yesterday,
at an audience given for that purpose, by his Royal
Highness Prince Albert (Chancellor), and the Rev.
James Cartmell, Master of Christ College (Vice-
Chancellor of the University).
The Earl of Listowel (Lord in Waiting), and
Lieut.-Colonel Hon. R. Boyle (Groom in Waiting),
were in attendance.
The Marquis of Breadalbane is expected at the
Castle this evening, on a visit to the Queen and the
Prince.
The royal dinner party this evening includes her
Royal Highness the Duchess of Kent, Lady Fanny
Howard, Baroness de Speth, the Marquis of Breadal-
bane, the Earl of Liverpool, the Rev. James Cartmell,
and Colonel Hon. C. Grey.

MYSTERIOUS CASES AT LYNN.—An officer of the
Metropolitan Detective Force has, in consequence of a
communication with the Secretary of State, gone to
Lynn for the purpose of making a thorough investiga-
tion of the whole circumstances connected with the dis-
appearance of the drover Kirk and of Bell. From the
shortness of the time which has elapsed since his arrival
in that town, nothing material has yet been elicited ;
bnt there is every reason to believe that a third indi-
vidual has, it is said, lately disappeared in a no less mys-
terious manner.
THB LATE DREADFUL ACCIDENT ON THE EAST
LANCASHIRE RAILWAY.—The Coroner's inquest held on
the bodies of the three persona wbo were killed on this
railway, on Tuesday week, has at length terminated, by
the jury returning a verdict of " Manslaughter" against
Michael Mason, the engine-driver, and John Morris, the
guard of the luggage train.
A STATION ON THB NORTH STAFFORDSHIRE LINE.
—Traveller—" Now, then, boy, where's the clerk who
gives the ticket?" Boy (after finishing an air he was
whistling)—" I'm the clerk." Traveller—" Well, Sir,
and what time does the train leave for London?" Boy—
" Oh! I don't know. No time in pertickler. Sometimes
one time, and sometimes another."—PuNch.