The Sun.
London, England, 1844-11-02 00:00:00

NAVAL INTELLIGENCE.

PowrsmouTu.—Rear-Admiral Hyde Parker being
on leave of absence, his flag has been struck on board
the Victory, 104, and the duties of the dockyard are
for the present presided over by the chief master at-
tendant, Mr. W. Pardo ; Captain George Moubray, of
the Victory, having charge and command of the ships
in ordinary.

Admiral Sir C. Rowley's flag is flying on board the
gunnery-ship Riceilent, during the absence of the
• St. Vincent, 120, on the trial cruise. It is confi-
dently said that the Neptune, 120, will be the next
flag-ship at Portsmouth. This magnificent ship has
never yet been at sea, having been at moorings in this
harbour for many years.
The Apollo troop frigate, Commander Maclean, is
ordered to touch at Cork, previously to going to Gib-
raltar and Malta. She left Spithead on Saturday,
having on board royal artillery and other detachments
to join their regiments in the Mediterranean.
The Queen's steam yacht Victoria and Albert
is ordered to be taken into dock for further im-
Movements. The promotion consequent on her
Majesty's marine excursion has taken place, and in-
cludes Commander Hall (who so distinguished himself'
in China in the Nemesis steamer), the senior Lieute-
nant Tringham, who commanded the Nautilus brig
tender, and Messrs. the Hon. G. Douglas and L.
Pigott, mates.
The Eclair steam-ship, Commander Estcourt, is to
join Commodore Jones's squadron on the west of
Africa. She has been in this harbour several days,
completing her machinery, having been hurried away
from Chatham to this port, and in attendance on her
Majesty.
We are still without orders for the commissioning
of any large ships. The Hastings, 72, will probably
be the first. She is intended as the flag-ship in the
West Indies, to relieve the Illustrious, 72 ; but the
name of the Admiral has not yet transpired.
The steam-ship Heela, Commander Duffill, has left
this harbour to rejoin Sir Edward Owen, at Malta,
having been dispatched home with the news of the
Morocco treaty. —Brighton Gazette.

DEATH FROM APOPLEXY PRODUCED BY EXCITE-
MENT.—The inhabitants of the romantic vicinity of
Broms-barrow-hill were greatly alarmed on Sunday, by
a report that a poor old man, 82 years of age, named
Thomas Baker, had been murdered by his son, who
had also attempted to murder his wife, and had after-
wards cut his own throat. The facts happily turned
out to be very different, and much less alarming than
the fearful colouring which they had been made to
assume. It seems that the son, who is a middle-aged
man, is a person of dissipated habits, and of exceed-
ingly violent temper when under the influence of liquor.
Coming home in that state on Sunday, a quarrel arose
between him and his wife, and it is said that he at
tempted or threatened to stab her with his knife. His
aged father, who had a slight fit in the morning, desired
the wife to make her eEcapc, which she did. The old
man then rose and walked across the house, it is sup-
posed for the purpose of expostulating with his son on
bis bad conduct, when, owing probably to the excite-
ment, he was seized with a fatal attack of apoplexy, as
was testified by the surgeon, and died instantly. The
son, who bad been taken into custody, was consequently
released: It is to be hoped that a lesion has been taught
him which will induce him to become for the future a
steady, sober. and industrious rnan.—Gloucester paper.
METHOD PRACTISED IN GERMANY IN PAINTING
WALLS AND CEILINGS.—For large paintings it is de-
sirable that the ground should ba somewhat rough. In
Munich it prepared as follows:—A mortar composed
of three parts of sand and one of lime is spread on the
wall. When this is dune, the whole surface, while moist,
is rubbed with a linen cloth ; the result is a granulated
ground, like rough paper. For small works, ornaments,
&c., the ground requires to be smooth, and in such casts
finely-pounded white marble should be mixed with the
lime instead of sand ; the mortar so composed being
then carefully spread and made even. The encaustic
vehicle is prepared as follows :—To one pound of recti-
fied spirit of turpentine add half a p-)und of Damara
resin and a quarter of a pound of wax. The resin
should be pounded to powder, and the cut up in
small pieces. Both are then to ba put into an earthen-
ware or copper vessel, and the spirit of turpentine poured
on them. Fiala the vessel on a moderate charcoal fire,
so that the solution may take place slowly. When the
ingredients are dissolved, the vehicle is ready for use, and
should be kept in a glass bottle well stopped, to prevent
the volatile oil from escaping. Should the mixture be •
come too thick in time, spirit of turpentine may be added.
The colours are ground in such a quantity ofehis vehicle
as is necessary to saturate them. If during the grinding
the pigment tends to set (dry), spirit of turpentine should
be added. For extensive paintings the colours are kept
in glass vessels. For smaller works they may be tied up
in bladders, like colours for oil painting. The same
colours which are employed in oil may also be used in
encaustic-painting.—The Builder.

SUICIDE OP A PARISH OFFlCER.—Thursday fore-
noon Mr. Wakley, M.P., held an inquest on the body of
Mr. Robert Fairs, aged 49, at his late residence, No. 3,
Charles street, Northampton-square, Clerkenwell. It
appearad from the evidence that the deceased held the
office of registrar of births, marriages, and deaths, for
one -of the districts of Clerkenweu, as also that of a
collector, which latter situation he had filled for a num-
ber of years, and was highly respected by the pa-
rishioners. On Tuesday morning the deceased got an
rather before his usual time, leaving his wife in bed.
From thence he proceeded to the servant's room, and
told her to get up. Some time after this the servant
went down stairs, and on entering the back kitchen she
found her master lying on the floor weltering in blood,
he having cut his throat in a shocking manner. An
alarm was given, and medical aid procured, but life was
extinct. The deceased had been very desponding of
late in consequence of pecuniary embarrassments, and
had only a few days before endeavoured to take poison,
but was prevented. The jury ultimately returned a ver-
dict of " Temporary insanity."

On Friday afternoon the Bankruptcy Court was
crowded during the examination of Michael Jacob, a
Jewish hoiolvent. The keen and cautious answers of an

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ancient Hebrew, named Alexander, living in— Sunder-
land, created ciasiderable amusement, and the order of
the Court was now and then disturbed by laughter, as
the wily dealer parried the cross-examination to which
he was subjected. Among other questions, the Commis-
sioner inquired what sum the bankrupt had asked of the
witness for certain spying-glasses, to which Alexander
replied, in the true phraseology of Holywell-street, that
he had asked " a good prishe."-7'yne Mercury.
STABBING UNDER THE INFLUENCE OY
the e:,.l,ibition of the laughing gas, by Professor Elliot-
son, at Washington Hall last evening, a sailor under the
effects of the exhiliration cut the rope with which he
was Confined, rushed amongst the spectators, and seizing
another sailor, gave him several severe and dangerous
wounds with a jack-knife. The wounded man was taken
across the street, and upon examination by physicians it
was found that a deep wound was inflicted under the
shoulder, and another in the back, near the vertebrm.
The sailors were unknown to each other. The wounds
are not considered ,iportal.—Boston Post.