The Sun.
London, England, 1845-08-08 00:00:00

THE NAVY.

DEATH OF A VICE. ADMIRAL —Vice-Admiral of the Red
George James Shirley died at. Bath, on the 2d inst., aged 77.
The dates of his commissions are—Lieutenant, Nov. 20, 1790;
Commander, Sept. 11, 1797 • Captain, April 26, 1793; Rear-
Admiral, June 2, 1825 ; and Vice-Admiral, Nov. 12, 1840.
He was on the half-pay of a Rear-Admiral.
Paosionox.—Mr. G. H. Thain, acting-master, command-
ing the Faity, royal yacht tender, has been promoted by the
.Admiralty to the rank of master. Mr, Thain was next in
command to Lieutenant De Courcy on boast: the Charybdis,
3, brigantine, when engaged with the federal squadron
of Columbia, on the 15th December, 1841, which ended
in its defeat and surrender, and the subsequent liberation
of that country. Mr. Thain's conduct in this situation
as well as when he was employed on shot e, protecting the Bri-
tish Con:plate at Carthagena, during the siege of that city, was
very -favourably reported by his commanding officer, who was
himself promoted by the Admiralty for his gallant conduct on
those- Gccas!, ns.

The incidental mention of the affair between the Charybdii,
and the Colombian squadron leads to a brief account of the
particulars. Although their recital is not requisite as a spur
to the gallantry of British officers or seamen, it may be never-
theless cited as a glorious example of what has been accom
plished in modern times, as affording a salutary lesson to petty
insolence of what the smallest representative of the English fleet
can do against even confident odds. We believe the Colombian
squadron had plundered two or three merchant vessels, and had
incarcerated some British subjects. An application was made
to the Government for their release by the British consul, but
failing in his endeavimrs to procure their liberation, he
communicated the particulars to Lie-utenant De Courey,
commanding the Charybdis, 3, irrigazeine, in the neigh-
bourboiid, on, board of which were !oriy-two officers ann
men, ten boys, and eight marines. Lieutenant De Courcy
dispatched an officer with a letter to the Commodore of
the Colombian squadron which was lying at anchor it-
the port of Carthagena, consisting of a corvette, a brig, and
three schooners, demanding the surrender of the British sub-
jects, but that worthy, flushed with conscious superiority of
now, dared to treat both ietter and its bearer with contempt.
The gallant commander of the little brigantine, determined a,
all hazards to maintain the honour of the flag, immediately
entered the port, but while proceeding to an anchorage
a shot from the commodore's corvette carried away his
forestay aad precipitated the crisis the results of which
have been before related. The corvette, the brig, and
the three schooners were engaged with the Charybdis,
little estimating the bravery and endurance of the gallant
little band with which they had to deal. A very short space
of time had elapsed when the corvette had struck, the com-
modore and twenty-rive of his men being numbered with the
dead: In five minutk's after the Charybdis brought her guns
to bear on the brig she had vanished beneath the waters, and
the schooners, discovering their mistake, had surrendered at
discretion. The gallant De Courcy was immediately pro-
moted, and is now an inspecting commander of the coast gmard;
and we are glad to find that the services of his second in com-
mand have met with just reward.
A PPOI NTIII ENT. —Second Master Robert W. Roberts
(1838), of the Royal yacht Victoria and Albert, an active and
experienced steam officer, has been appointed acting master
commander of the Fairy, Royal yacht tender, vice Thain, pro-
moted.

The Board of Admiralty did not proceed to Chatham and
Sheerness on Tuesday, on the annual Admiralty inspection, as
intended. Their Lordships will leave town to inspect the es-
tablishments at those ports on Monday next. The Admiralty
yacht, the Black Eagle, Master Commander Cook, after land-
►ng Colonel Wylde and Mr. Hanson at Antwerp, will return
and wait the pleasure of the Board of Admiralty.
THE EXPERIMENTAL FLEET.—The following► report is in
circulation at Poi tsmouth, but we attach no credit to it. It is
possible, however, that it may have some foundation. No ac-
counts have been received at head-quarter.:—" The Queen
had the advantage of all the ships, except the old Canopus,
which vessel had beaten the whole fleet."—Herald.

....-.- —•
The Cambrian, 38, Commodore Chads, C. 8., v6ll be paid
off at Portsmouth on Saturday.
The Crocodile, 26, Captain Maxwell, at Sheerness, will be
ready for sea on the 19th inst.
The Ferret, 10, Commander Josiah Oak, will be paid off
at Sheerness this day.
The Scout, 18, Commander the Hon. Henry Drummond,
will be paid off at Cha ham to-morrow.

The Rapid, 10, at Devonport, will not be ready for commis-
sioning before the 30th instant.
The Heroine, 6, at Devoaport, will be ready for commis-
sioning on the 18th instant.
The Victoria and Albect, Royal steam-yaoht, Captain Lord
A. Fitz larerte, left Portsmouth at six. on Tuesday
evening, and-arrived at-Woolwich yesterday afternoon.
The Porcupine steam-surveying vessel, Captain Bullock,
has arrived at Woolwich to attend on the Royal yacht on her
voyage to Antwerp.
The Fairy, Royal yacht-tender, Commander Crispin, arrived
at Portsmouth on Tuesday evening, after conveying Prince
Albert to CDViCS, on the return of his Royal Highness from
accompanying the King of the Netherlands.