The Sun.
London, England, 1844-01-04 00:00:00

NAVAL INTELLIGENCE.

PORTSIkIOUTH, JAN. I.—The Firebrand steam-frigate is to
be commissioned immediately. She is likely to prove one of
the fastest steamers in the service. During her passage from
the River to this pert she beat the Cyclops three miles an hour.
The Cyclops, however, had all her stores on board, and, con-
sequently had a deeper immersion in the water than the other,
and her engines are only 320 horse power, whereas those of
the Firebrand are of 430 horse power, although both vessels
are of the same class. The first and one of the most im-
Nortant improvements in marine steam-engines was made by
lessrs. Seaward and Co., in the introduction of the Gorgon,
or direct action engine, into the Cyclops, as that vessel has now
engines of 320 horse power and 350 tons of coal in a space that
was formerly occupied by engines of only 220 horse power and
250 tons of coal. In fitting the engines of the Firebrand they
have effected a farther improvement, by which she can carry
engines of 430 horse power, and 450 tons of coal, in a space
eighteen feet less than that originally required for engines of
220 horse power and 250 tons of coal. This is in consequence
of the introduction of tubular boilers, which are not half the
weight, and do not require half the space of the boilers upon
the old plan, and therefore allow of a considerable reduction of
the engine-room, with an additional quantity of fuel and an
increase of power. Another important advantage gained by
this improvement is in the reduction of the consumption of the
fuel, as the Firebrand's engines require very little more
than half per horse power than the smaller engines of 220 horse
power in the Medea, Salamander, Phoenix, &c. When hese
hyessels undergo a repair there will be no difficulty in the adap-
Tation of the tubular boilers to the old engines, which the Ad-
miralty will, no doubt, cause to be done, for the experiment has
already been made in the Prometheus, by which a space of nine
feet has been added to her accommodation.

The Vindictive, 50, Captain Toup Nicholas, is on her pas-
sage home to England, from the Pacific The Wanderer, 16,
Commander G. H. Seymour ; Pelican, 16, Commander Philip
Justice; Nimrod, 20, Commander F. H. H. Glass; Childers,
16, Commander George G. Wellesley ; and the Clio, 16, Com-
mander James Fitzjames. are on their passage home from the
East Indies; and the Pantaloon, 10, Lieut.-Commander Chas.
H. Lapidge, and Bonetta, 3, Lieut.-Commander E. E. Gray,
from the coast of Africa. The last-named vessel has arrived.
The completion of the magazines of a first-rate and 84 gun-
ship, according to the plan directed by the Lords of the Admi-
ralty, has been accomplished at this port, and the improvement
bids fair to be one of the most perfect and efficient that can be
resorted to, and reflects great credit on Sir Thomas Hastings
and the parties who have been carrying their Lordships' plan
into effect. The subject is one of the deepest importance as
regards the security of the lives of all on board, and the pre-
servation of the ship from the terrific effect that may be pro-
duced by the shells recently introduced into the service. It is
now well known that powerful steamers like the Penelope,
armed with the shot and shell guns, have the facility of taking
any position they may deem expedient over sailingships ; hence
the great importance of this improvement in the magazines,
whieh are now so placed that the upper part or crown is
about six feet under water, and protected at the sides by water
and other means, that it amounts almost to •an impossibility
that the explosion of a shell can affect the internal part of the
magazine.
The Hyacinth, 18, Commander Francis Scott, has arrived
at Plymouth from the coast of Ireland. Ske is to have her
masts reduced, and to receive an additional quantity of ballast,
of which she has already received forty-five tons. Her lower
masts are to be shortened four feet. It appears she is not able
to carry her present sail, and that altogether she has too muck
top-hamper ; although the Rover, 18, recently paid off at Chat-
ham, also a corvette, had sufficient stability to carry, during
the whole time she was in commission, similar masts aad spars
to those about to be reduced in the Hyacinth, and that, too,
without any ballast.
The Helena, 16, Commander Sir Cornwallis Ricketts, is
still at Spithead, but will in all probability sail to-morrow or
Wednesday. She is the sister ship to the Siren, 16, Com-
mander William Smith, now in the East Indies, of whose
capabilities the most flattering accounts have repeatedly been
received.

The Albion, 90, Captain N. Lockyer, will proceed in a few
days from Plymouth to Cork, where she will become the
flag ship of Rear-Admiral Bowles. The Caledonia, 120,
Captain Milne, will return to Plymouth on the arrival of the
Albion at Cork.

Ship at Spithead—The Helena.
Ships in Harbour—The St. Vincent, Victoria, Excellent,
Victoria and Albert (Royal steam yacht), Penelope ksf eam
&tate), Fearless and Echo (steamers), Satellite.

OBITUARY of the NOBILITY and
ARISTOCRACY for 1843.

Amongst the other important events connected with the past
year may be enumerated the great number of deaths which have
taken place in that class of society termed the aristocracy of
the country. Many of those who have played prominent parts
on this world's stage have departed. Amongst them we find a
Prince of the Royal Blood—
His Royal Highness the Duke of Sussex.
The Dukes of Manchester and Dorset.
The Marquis of Winchester.

Earls—Re Reede De Ginkell, Athlone, Abergavenny, Hope-
toun, Coventry, Glasgow, and Plymouth.
Viscounts—Ferrard, and Hinton, the skied son of Earl
Poulett.

Lords —Duffus, Abercromby, the son of Sir Ralph Aber-
cromby ; Forbes, (General); Fitzgerald and Vesci Robert ;
Ker. Rodney, Lynedoch, and Inverury, th'e eldest son of the
Earl of Kintore.

Baronets— J. Hesketh, C. B. CoUrington, J. P. Murray,
F. Sykes, T. W. Vaughan, A. K. Jackson, E. Synge, M.
Wood, J. Shaw, R. Fitzwygrath, J. Gordon, and J. W. Mac-
nau ghten
Knights—T. Robinson, and T. C. Morgan.
Bishop Lichfield.
Judges—The Right Hon. Charles Kendal Bushe, ex-Chief-
Justice of Ireland ; and the Right Hon. J. Radcliffe, Judge of
the Irish Prerogative Court.

Generals—The Hon. Sir Charles Colville, Sir W. Brooke
Thompson (the senior General but one in the British service),
Sir John Fraser, G. C. H., and Sir John Taylor.
Majors-General—Percy Drummond, C. B. , Director-Ge-
neral of the Royal A ttillery ; Sir John Thomas Jones, Bart.,
K.C.B. ; Edward Hutchins Bellasis, Sir Donald Macleod,
K.C. B. ; Sir J. O'Halloran.
Lieutenants-General—O'Loghlin, Beever, R. A., and Sir
Archibald Campbell, G. C. B.
Colonels—Clements, M.P., for the county of Cavan ; Sir
Horatio G. P. Townsend, K. C.H., Lieutenant-Governor of
Windsor Castle; Fortescue Ellison, and Dertemet G. Muirhead.

Lieutenant-Colonels—Forbes, Champagne, Ullert on , William
L. Wood, K. H., Archibald Cameron, Richard Murray, Sir
William Thom (Author of .‘ The History of the War in
India, under General Lord Lake,") Morgan, George Hart
-Dyke, and Williamson.
Admirals—Thomas Alexander, and Sir R. Barlow, K.C. B.
Rear-Admirals—R. Henderson, and Sir Arthur Farquhai,
K. C. B. and K. C. H.

Vice-Admirals—Sir Edward Brace, K.C.8., Commander-
in-Chief at the Nore. _ _ _

Right Honourables—J. A. Stuart Mackenzie, Governor of
Ceylon, and afterwards Lord High Commissioner of the lonian
Islands. _ _ _ _

Honourables—Wm. Howard ; Robert Kennedy, brother of
the Marquis of Ailsa ; Henry Browne, the youngest son of
Lord Oranmore ; R. G. Quin, brother of the Earl of lOunraven ;
and F. T. Tollemache, brother of the Earl of Dysart.
_ _

Members of Parliament—Major G. Brown, for the county
of Kilkenny ; and Valentine Maher, Esq.; for the county of
Tipperary.
Late Members of Parliament—C. F. Palmer, G. A. Mus-
kat, W. 11. Sarsfield, A. Blennerhassett, J. B. S. Merritt,
J. B. Hoy, G. W. Wood.
Private Secretaries—Edward Drummond, Private Secre-
tary to Sir Robert Peel ; and Colonel Shaw, Private Secre-
tary to the Marquis of Wellesley, when Lord Lieutenant of
Ireland.

It will thus be seen that during the past year one Prince of
the Blood, two Dukes, one Marquis, six Earls, two Viscounts,
eight Lords, twelve Baronets, two Knights, one Bishop, two
(Irish) Judges, five Generals, five Majors-General, three
Lieutenants-General, seven Colonels, nine Lieutenant-Colo-
nels, two Admirals, two Rear-Admirals, one Vice-Admiral,
one Right Honourable, five Honourables, two Members
of Parliament, seven late Members of Parliament, and two