The Sun.
London, England, 1850-02-15 00:00:00

An elegant dejeuner was served on the spot, which
was partaken of by about 100 guests invited.

APPOINTMENTS.
WOOLWICH, F.EI3. 14.—Mate—John E. Doran
(1849), to the Wellesley, 72, flag-ship of Vice-Ad-
reiral the Earl of Dundonald, G.C.8., on the West
Indies and North American station.
Assistant-Sargeon—George IL Edwards, (1847),
to the Adventure store,ship, at Deptford.
Clark in Charge—George 11. Whinier (1845), to
the Modina steam-packet, on the Meditterranean
station.

Navel Cadet—Edgar Cookson, to the Sphynx
steam-sloop, at Portsmouth.
Intelligence was received in town to-day stating
that the Odin steam-frigate, 0f560-horse power, Cap-
tain Hon. F. T. .Pelham, went to sea on the 19th of
January, and very nearly proved another Avenger,
having gone on the rocks on the coast of Greece,
about nine o'clock r.m., and did not get off until
nine o'clock next morning. Fortunately, when she
got off she made very little water. The divers were,
however, sent down to examine her bottom, and the
result was that she could not go to sea without a
convoy. The main keel is reported to be very much
damaged.

TIIE ARCTIC EXPEDITION.
Captain Austin, C. 13., attended at the Admiralty
to-day, but up to a late hour the vessels selected to
proceed on the expedition, if they have been decided
upon, were not announced. It bas been said that
Captain Austin's opinion is that it is immaterial whe-
ther the vessels leave this country in May, or even in
Jame ; but the statement is at variance with the pre-
:ent exertions of the gallant officer to be ready to
proceed on the expedition at the very earliest period
it is possible to complete the necessary arrangements.
The Rev. W. Scoresby, D.D., who has just pub-
lished a pamphlet on the Franklin expedition, states
that when her Majesty's Government offered a pecu-
niary reward of 20,0001. in March, 1849, with a
view to a further stimulation of enterprise, it utterly
failed in producing any effective efforts for search
on the part of the whalers, as it was not promul-
gated until the 23d of March, after most of the
whalers had sailed, and were, therefore, without
orders or authority for departing from their usual
fishing-ground.

Captain Austin, whatever may be said to the con-
trary, is not likely to let the grass grow under his
feet in a matter he has so cheerfully and energetically
undertaken, and will no doubt proceed on his enter-
prising voyage at the earliest possible moment the
vessels destined for the expedition can be made ready.
The Rev. W. Scoresby is most urgent on the early
dispatch of such vessels as may be appointed to pro-
ceed in search of Sir John Franklin and his brave
companions, and expresses his opinion that they ought
to be at the ice by the middle of June. He illustrates
his views by giving the earliest passages of vessels into
the western water of which he has records, by ob-
serving that the leading ship of the year 1849 was
the St. Andrew, Captain Dring, which entered the
western water on the 12th of June; the Neptune, of
Aberdeen, Captain Penny, June 13, 1838, was con-
sidered an early passage, and several other vessels en-
tered at equally early periods in previous years ; and
he considers the passage should be attempted earlier,
as it was made by Baffin, in his gallant little vessel
the Discovery, of 55 tons, on the let of July, or
almost a fortnight before the average passage of the
earliest ships of the present day. The new expedition
is in excellent hands, and the most sanguine results
are anticipated from the known energy and persever-
ance of the gallant officer who is appointed to the
squadron.

COWES, ISLE OF WIGHT.
(PROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT )
EAST COWES, FEB. 14.—DREADFUL ACCIDENT.—
Our town was thrown into great alarm this afternoon
by a report being brought that Norris Farm, in Nor-
ris-park was on fire, and that two men (Buckett and
Jerrom) were killed, and that the father of Buckett
and another man were seriously injured. There
being no fire-engines at East Cowes, expresses were
sent to West Cowes, and in an incredibly short time
three engines were brought over by a number of men,
well supplied with fire-hooks, buckets, &c., but fortu-
nately their assistance was not required. All that
we can at present gather is, that there was a consider-
able quantity of gunpowder in two copper canisters
(the men described it as two bushels, but the quantity
is doubted), which Mr. Bell had had landed from his
yacht, with other yacht stores, and placed in a room
at the farm (better, perhaps, known as Norris's sta-
bles) ; Jerrom was painting on the premises, but how
the powder took fire is not known. The explosion
was tremenduous ; the roof was blown off, the mate-
rials of the building being blown to a great distance.
The men injured were at work outside. The premises
are very extensive. There were also two very large hay-
ricks in the yard, near the building, hut the fire was
got under without any damage beyond that done by
the explosion.
PUBLIC HEALTH ACT.—The superintendent-in-
spector has given notice that he will open his court at
the Medina Hotel, at East Cowes., on the 6th of March.