The Sun.
London, England, 1850-04-08 00:00:00

NAVAL INTELLIGENCE.

PORTSMOUTH, APRIL 7.—The Bulldog steam-sloop,
Commander A. C. Key, arrived this morning from
the Mediterranean station to be paid off. She sailed
from Salamis Bay March 9 ; Malta, 18 ; Port Mahon,
22; Gibraltar, 28 ; Tangier 29 ; , where she took in
nine horses and six cases, presents from the Emperor
of Morocco to the Queen ; Lisbon, April 3. On
the sth passed her Majesty's ship Encounter. She
brought home Captain Perris, of the birque Portley,
from Malta, that ship having foundered on the 9th of
February, in lat. 35 deg. 51 min., lon. 20 deg. 21 min.
The Blenheim convict ship, Captain Mollison,s3iled
to-day from Spithead for New Zealand, with exiles,
many from the juvenile repository at Parkhurst, and
several from Portland.

The Henry Duncan barque sailed to-day for
Quebec. _

The Columbine, 12, Captain C. J. D. Hay, passed
this port yesterday, on her way from Plymouth to
Chatham, to be paid off.
The Centaur steam-frigate, Commodore Fanshawe,
C. 8., and the Heroine, 8, Commander John B. Marsh,
were et the Gallines on the sth of February. The
Commodore was about sailing in the evening of the
same day for the Bights of Benin.
. By letters from Rio to the 16th of February we
learn that the Cormorant steam-sloop, Commander
Schomberg, had taken a prize full of slaves ; the
Rifleman screw-vessel, Lieutenant Crofton, had also
made a capture laden with slaves. Our letter says :--
"Mr. Southern was received on the 24th of January
at eleven P.N. The Southampton, 50, with Rear-Ad-
miral Reynolds, C. 8., was at Monteo Video on the 31st
of January; the Admiral was about proceeding to
Buenos Ayres. Captain Gore, Consul• General at
Monte Video, was also going to Buenos Ayres. Busi-
ness is almost at a standstill; 208 vessels in the harbour
and more arriving daily. Exchange 24G to 250 paper
dollars per doubloon of 675. to 685."
Commodore Martin's squadron of evolution was
refitting in the Tagus on the 3d, when left by the
Bulldog.
_ _ _

Vice7Admiral the Earl of Dundonald was ex-
pected at Jamaica on the 10th of s&srch. A court-
martial was expected to' be held on Commander
Mitchell, of the Sappho, for having got that vessel
ashore in December last on the coast of Honduras.
Extract of a letter from the coast of Africa :
" Gallinns, Feb. 5.
" The Alert sailing this evening for Sierra Leone and
Gambia on her way to England, I lose not the chance
of letting you hear from us. We arrived here on the
28th, meeting the senior officer, Commander Dunlop, in
the Alert, with the Heroine, Wolverine, and Adelaide
in companY, forming the blockading squadron off the
river. The following day the native chiefs were ex-
pected to assemble to conclude the treaties, but they
not arriving the Commodore exercised the squadron in
shifting topsails, loosing and furling sails, in all of which
manoeuvres the Alert was foremost. Afterwards several
exciting boat-races, both sailing and pulling,in the boats
of the respective ships came off: A slight fever has
occurred, on beard the Wolverine and Heroine, both of
which had lost men ; otherwise the squadron is very
healthy. On the Ist of February Commander Dunlop
had succeeded in getting the native chiefs to come in,
and at noon they were all (nine in number) taken on
to sign the treaty, which they did,
board the flag-shi
agreeing to abolis the slave trade in their respective
districts, and to remain at peace with each other. They
were then shown the ship, and shells and rockets were
thrown from the Centaur's heavy guns to exhibit to
them her power. This, together with being received by
the Commodore and his officers in full state, seemed to
gratify them exceedingly An opening is now given
here to the encouragement of legitimate traffic,
which is the only true means of suppressing sla-
very, but with what success the future must tell. If they
are left in want of such articles as the slave agents
supply them with, namely, rum, tobacco, powder,
muskets, &c. they will soon return to the original
means of supply.
The chief among them, Prince Manna,
appears a highly intelligent ban, and seems favourably
disposed to the English. Ile has given up the remainder
of the slaves to the Alert. The Wolverine, 12, Com-
mander Falcon, is now senior officer for this division,
the Alert being relieved by him. After the arrival of
the Contest, 12, Commander the Hon. J. W. S. Spencer,
which is hourly expected with the January mail, the
Commodore proceeds to the Bights for the inspection of
that division, and afterwards to the South Coast."
Extract of a letter from the Cape of Good Hope,
dated the Ist of February :
" A month ago arrived a large ship, empty, prize
slaver to the Pantaloon, 10, Commander Parker, who
joined this station a short time age. By the arrival of
the priz the Commodore had dispatches from the Dee
steam-vessel, stating that the Castor's and her own boats
had proceeded up the Ang, za river, on the 18th of De-
cember, with the intention of seeing if any slaver were
there. On the second day of going up they were
violently attacked from a hidden stockade, which poured
in a dreadful fire. The Castor's boats returned it in
gallant style, and after having kept up an incessant fire
on them for an hour and a half, and totally destroyed a
slave ship lying up the river, they returned on board the
Dee. The boats present in the action were—Castor's
pinnace with a 12-pounder howitzer, pouring in grape
and canister and shell. She was commanded by Lieu-
tenant Campbell and Mr. Midshipman Sullivan. This
boat received two 18. pound shot in her bows, and two
dozen through her ensign. The next boat was a privi.te
boat, which the Commodore sent up also in the Dte
with the pinnace. She was a present to the Commodore
a few years ago from the Imaum of Muscat, vehom she