The Sun.
London, England, 1844-06-18 00:00:00

NAVAL INTELLIGENCE.

PORTSMOUTH, Jute v: 16.—The Sydenham steam-frigate,
Lieutenant-Commander D. R. B. Mapleton, having landed
Lord Stuart De Rothesay and suite at Southampton on Wed-
nesday, put into this port on Thursday to have several ma-
terial alterations made in her fittings and rigging. The
funnel of this vessel is so close to her mainmast as to destroy
by the heat the rattlings and other ropes in its vicinity, and
to endanger the safety of the mast itself. Her masts will be
reduced from three to two, and the mainmast will be re-
moved further aft. From the close proximity of the funnel
to the mainmast the chain shrouds frequently become so
heated as to preclude the possibility of a man going aloft,
however urgent the occasion.
Rear-Admiral Sir H. Pigott, K.C.11., Commander-in-Chief
on the Irish station, has hoisted his flag on board the Albion,
92, Captain N. Lockyer, at Cork, from which station the
Volage, 26, Captain Sir W. Dickson, Knight, is ordered to
Liiboti to protect the interests of her Britannic Majesty's
subjects at that poit. . .
The Fox, 42, Captain Sir H. Blackwood, Bart., is in the
Shannon, in daily expectation of orders to ;proceed to the
East Indies.

The Pantaloon, 10, and the Waterwitch, brigs, are rapidly

progressing, and will, when ready, be commissioned by corn-
menders instead of lieuenants, as formerly.
The Cygnet brigantine, 6, Commander H. Layton, is at
Spithead, with orders to proceed to the island of Ascension
to-morrow, and act under the orders of Captain W. Jones, of
the Penelope, 22, steam-frigate, the senior officer on the
African station.

The Prometheus steam-sloop, Commander J. Hay, went
out of harbour and dropped anchor at Spithead yesterday.
She was paid wages, and awaits orders for the coast of Africa,
whither she is expected to sail about the 20th, vici Madeira,
and Sierra Leone. _ _

The Dee steam-vessel, Master Commander T. Driver,
called at Spithead on Thursday (en route from Cork to the
Thames with troops) to put supernumeraries on board the
St. Vincent. _ _ _

The Nautilus, 10, Lieutenant-Commander W. Tringham,
left this harbour for Brighton on Tuesday to resume her pro-
tection to the fisheries.
Sir W. Symonds, the Surveyor of the Navy, is about to
build a new frigate, the same as the Vernon, 50, to be called
the Constance. Mr. Blake, of Portsmouth, Mr. Fincham, of
Chatham, and Messrs. Chatfield, Cruize, and Reed (Commit-
tee of Naval Architecture), at Chatham, have each a frigate
upon the stocks from their own designs. Mr. Blake's is to be
named Leander ; Mr. Fincham's, Raleigh and the School of
Naval Architecture, the Thetis. The following are their
respective dimensions :
Length. Breadth. Depth.
Ft. In. Ft. In. Ft. In. Tons. Guns.
Constance lBO 0 52 8 16 3 2,126 50
Leander lBl 4 49 10 12 8 1,960 50
Raleigh lBO 0 50 0 16 8 1,935 50
Thetis
The following ships are ordered to be laid down :—At
Portsmouth, the Shannon, the same as the Leander, by Mr.
Blake. At Pembroke, the Arethusa and Liffey, same as the
Constance, by the Surveyor of the Navy, Sir W. Symonds.
At Chatham, the Severn, same as the Raleigh, by Mr. Fin-
chem.
The North Star, 28, Captain Sir G. Home, was at Port
Nicholson, New Zealand, Feb. 18. She had been nearly lost
in a gale of wind in Cook's Straits, within fifty yards of a
coral rock.

The Penelope, 22, Captain W. Jones, captured at the Gal-
linas, on the 3d of April, a slaver hoisting Spanish colours
named the Maria Luisa, which Lieutenant W. Mottley car-
ried into Sierra Leone on the Bth ; she was afterwards con-
demned. She is reported to be a beautiful fast sailing vessel,
well manned and armed. The Penelope has received orders
for the Cape Verd Islands, to pick up the Madagascar, 44,
Captain Foote. The Hydra steam-sloop, Commander H. B.
Young, arrived at Sierra Leone on the 10th of April, whence
she sailed on the 14th for the Gallinas, followed on the 19th
by the Sealark, 19, Commander T. L. Gooch. The Rapid,
10, Commander E. C. Earle, arrived on the 15th of April at
Sierra Leone, from the Coast; having on the 12th captured
another fine slave schooner, the Santa Anna, a Brazilian,
with nearly 200 slaves on board, which was brought into
Sierra Leone on the 19th ' • she (the Rapid) had also sent in
an empty craft on the 7th of April. The Ferret, 6, Corn.
mander J. Hoake, was at the Gallinas on the 15th of April.
The above entirely sets at rest the rumours which were some
time since afloat respecting the Rapid having been captured
by pirates and her crew murdered.
The Illustrious, 72, Captain Erskine, flag of Vice-Admiral
Sir Charles Adam, arrived at Halifax, from Bermuda, on the
15th of May, and sailed with the squadron on the 26th ; the
state of St. Domingo and Cuba requiring the presence of a
British force.

The Styx steam-vessel, Captain A. T. E. Vidal, on the
23d of May was pursuing her surveying avocations at St.
Michael's. _ .

-
The Resistance troop-ship, Commander Patev, arrived at
Quebec with detachments of the 60th Rifles and other regi-
ments on the 14th ult. She was in a few days to convey the
right wing of the Ist Royals to the West Indies. Also ar-
rived the Apollo, Commander Maclean, with troops from
Jamaica, on the 17th. She was to sail for England on the
25th with the 68th. _

•
The following ships are ordered home to be paid off ;
several are on their way :—East India Station.—The Corn-
wallis, 72, flag of Vice-Admiral Sir W. Parker, G.C.8., was
spoken near Calcutta on the 16th of April ; the Pelican, 16,
Commander Justice, at Ningpo, has been four years in com-
mission; the Childers, 16, Commander G. Wellesley, with
specie on board, has been three years in commission, and was
relieved at Whampoa by the Wolverine, 16, Commander
Morris, from Amoy; the Nimrod, 20, Commander Glasse,
was at Madras on the 18th April, and has been in com-
mission four years and a half ; the Syren, 16, Commander
Smith, on her way from Moulmein to Bombay, has been in
commission three years ; the Harlequin, 16, Commander the
Hon. G. Hastings, from Malacca, has been in commission
three years ; the Wanderer, 16, Commander Seymour, from
the Cape the 10th of April, with 1,500,000 of specie on
board, has been four years and a half in commission ; the
Clio, 16, Commander Fitzjames, from Bombay, has been aove
four years in commission.
DEVONPORT, JUNE 14.—The Ranger, 10, is ordered to be
fitted for service on the coast of Africa, instead of the
Grecian, 16, which will not be brought forward at present for
that purpose.
The Echo, steam-tug, arrived on Friday from Portsmouth,
with sailors belonging to this port, recently paid off from
the Malabar.
In Harbour—The San Josef and Confiance.
In Dock—The Kent, Grecian, Actaeon, and Ranger.
In the Sound—The Caledonia, and the Dutch vessels
Jason, Snelheid, and Dolphin.

Woomvimr, JUNE 16.—The Drodalus, 42-gun frigato
brought from Sheerness to Woolwich to be fitted with a spar
deck, is fast approaching towards completion, and when ready
for sea will have a powerful and effective armament. Co.
Lacy, of the carriage department, and Captain Palliser, of the
proof department, attended at two o'clock P.M. to-day at the
butt, in the Royal Arsenal, to witness six rounds being fired
from a 56-pounder gun, 10 feet long, weighing 85 cwt.,
Monk's pattern, mounted on a traversing platform, to be
fitted on the quarter-deck of the Dmdalus. The platform is
16 feet long, moving on a pivot about two feet and a half
from the elevated end, and the carriage on which the gun is
mounted traversing on the other end upon a brass circle, to
be laid upon deck in that form at 111 feet upon the pivot, to
enable it to be fired in any direction. The recoil of the gun
carriage to-day was very satisfactory—the first round, 5 feet ;
the second, 5 feet 5 inches; the third, 5 feet 8 inches; the
fourth, with the screws loose, 8 feet 3 inches ; the fifth, with
the screws partially fixed, 5 feet 10 inches ; and the sixth,
6 feet. The simplicity of the platform is such, that the gun,
although of such great weight, is run up to its firing position
with the greatest ease.

SHEERNESS, JUNE 14.—A court-martial was held yester-
day on board the Ocear, 80, Captain P. Fisher, to try Mr. F.
F. M. Strong, master of the Pearl, 18, Commander R. H.
Stopford, recently arrived from South America to be paid
off, on several charges, comprising neglect of duty, insobriety,
insubordination, &c. The charges were preferred by the
first-lieutenant of the Pearl, B. A. Wake. The Court was
composed of Captain-Superintendent W. H. Shirreff, of
Chatham Dockyard, President; Captain-Superintendent P.
Fisher, of this yard; Captain W. F. Martin, Flag-Captain
of the Camperdown ; Commander I. W. Morgan, of the
Camperdown ; and Commander R. H. Fleming, of the Ocean.
The charges having all been duly investigated, the prisoner
was called upon for his defence. Commander Stopford gave
him a good character as a man of good general conduct, and
a thorough seaman and good navigator. The Court having
been cleared and the members having deliberated upon the
case, the prisoner was afterwards called in, and the Judge-
Advocate declared it the opinion of the Court that the first
charge had been fully proved, and the second partially, and
the sentence was, that he be dismissed the ship and placed
at the bottom of the list of masters, there to remain for five
years from the date of the sentence.
The Amazon, 44, was undocked this day.
The Pearl, 18, Commander Stopford, arrived at the Nore
on Friday, and on Saturday Sir John Chambers White, the
Commander-in-Chief, inspected her, after which she pro-
ceeded to Chatham to be paid off.
The Sparrow ketch, Lieutenant Commander C. Otter, ar-
rived on Saturday from Chatham, and in the evening of the
same day sailed for the Scotch coast, for surveying service.
The Bonetta brigantine, Lieutenant Commander Brock,
arrived on Tuesday from Chatham, was inspected by the Port
Admiral, and sailed on Wednesday for Malta, to continue the
survey of the Archipelago, under Commander T. Greaves, of
the Beacon, 6, surveying vessel.
The Camperdown, 104, Captain W. T. Martin, was paid
advance yesterday, but has no sailing orders at present.
In Harbour—Ocean, Raven, Africaine.
_ _

In the Basin—Vulture, Crocodile, Monarch, and Vernon,
In Dock—Boscawen, Amazon, and Zolua.

At the Nore—Camperdown.
The Skylark, 4, Lieutenant Commander G. Morris, was in-
spected by the Port Admiral and paid advance wages, on
Tuesday, and sailed on Wednesday for the Isle of Man.

PROMOTIONS.

Commander—William Kelly, of the Winchester, to the
rank of captain, vice Fair, deceased.
Lieutenants—W. H. Aldham, to the rank of commander,
vice Kelly, promoted.
Mates—Lord C. W. Butler (1840), of the Aigle ; Hon.
T. A. Pakenham (1840), of the Warspite ; C. S. Crompton
(1840), of the North Star ; and P. W. Coventry, to the rank
of lieutenant.