The Sun.
London, England, 1828-08-18 00:00:00

NAVAL INTELLIGENCE.

PortrOtoui•ti, Aun. 16.—His Royal Highness
the Duke of Clarence, has resigned the exalted office
of Lord High Admiral. Irarion rumours are in
circulation upon the motives which have induced his
Royal Highness to this step, all varying from the
correct one. It is known that a misunderstanding
exists between his Royal Highness and the Noble
Duke at the head of the Administration, and be-
lieved that as it is of a nature to render reconcilia-
tion improbable, his Royal Highness, rather than
disturb the harmony of the Cabinet, has taken
thiS course. Muth- comment has been made upon
the subject of his Royal, Highness's travelling ex-
pences : they have been CaMidi...rably over stated.
The expenditure, whatever it might have then, is
considered by many to have been well applied. His
Royal Highness has effected benefit to the service by
his personal visits to ships, and his sedulous attention
to the gunnery of them will be effectually evinced by
this country, if we should unfortunately be called upon
to bring it into hostile practice. Much has also been
said Of the lititiiber of erothotione, that haVe Wien place
since the Roytil tic42..ptailee Of office. There
has been profusion, certainly; but among the number
promoted are to be found deserving officers, who,
through the justice of his Royal Highness, have met
that advancement in the profession to which their
gallant and valuable services entitled them, some ten,
and others fifteen years since.

The Volage frigate was lying at Callao on the
30th of March last, when the earthquake, which is
described to have taken place at seven in the 'morn-
ing; occurred. The sensation produced limn its
effect, Ott board, resembled that of a ship's beat-
ing on a sand.bank-; the sea, which was before
calm, suddenly bubbled and boiled all around,
and became very turbid with mud and sand,
although they were anchored in 25 fathoms water.
Oa looking towards the shore, the buildings were
scarcely discernible, the dust flying upwards in such
immense density. The upper part of the Church
and the Castle were however both seen to totter and
fall. The motion of the earth, and evidently of the
bottom cf the sea, lasted nearly three minutes ;
scarcely a house in Lima, Callao, or Caloris, escaped
injury, and about 100 persons were killed. In some
places eight and ten contiguous houses are thrown
down, and the damage is estimated at twelve millions
of dollars. The former considerable earthquake oc-
curred eighty years since, and though 4,000 persons
perished at that time, the buildings were by no me:ins
so much injured. The new Constitution of Peru
had been sworn to with all possible religious and mi-
litary
display, on the 20th of April; but it was
doubtful how long the new order of things would
last, each leading character looking suspiciously on
his neighbour, and no honesty in any one of them.
The Doris frigate was to leave Coquimbo for Eng-
land, with a freight of silver, on the 25th of May,
provided the Blossom did not arrive by that time
from Behring's Straits, in which case the Doris
would look for a fresh cargo. The Menia frigate left
Callao with silver for Valparaiso on the 10th April ;
the Baltic Merchant transport was to leave Callao on
the Ist of May, for Valparaiso, Rio de Janeiro, and
England. The Alert sloop of war was at Arica.
The following is an extract of a letter from Hali-
fax, dated the 14th July, which, we regret to state,
removes all doubt as to the total loss of the Acorn
sloop and Contest gun brig on that station :—" The
squadron of this station is very much reduced in
consequence of the unfortunate loss of the Acorn
and Contest; the former was coming from Bermuda,
in company with the Admiral's ship and the Tyne;
the latter going to Bermuda with 10,0001. for the use
of the Commissariat, and both must have foundered
in the Gulf Stream, in a very severe gale of wind on
the 16th April. Hope had always flattered us that
they had reached the Floridas, or one of the West
Indian Islands, but the numerous and late arrivals
from all quarters, and no intelligence of them, con-
' firm the worst fears that they have perished A
merchant schooner was coming to Halifax from Ber-
muda at the same time, and is also supposed to have
been lost, nothing whatever having been heard of
her. The squadron is disposed of as follows :
Hussar, Capt. Boxer, in the Gulf of St. Lawrence;
Tyne, Capt. Sir R. Grant, with the Manly gun-
brig, at Newfoundland; Ringdove, Capt. English,
in the Bay of Fundy; and the Columbine at Ber-
muda, where it is intended that a ship of war shall
be stationed constantly, as a security in case of any
disturbance amongst the convicts. The Admiral's
flag is at present flying on board a tender in the
harbour."

• The efforts of the Russian squadron for the Me-
diterranean, to avoid an English port, have been un-
availing, six of the ships having put into Plymouth,
on Monday, for provisions and to repair damages,
having parted from the Admiral off Scilly, on the Ist
instant, in foul weather.
Lieut. Thomas Richmond, of the Owen Glen-
dower, has been dismissed his ship, and put at the
bottom of the list, by sentence of a Court Martial,
held a few days since, in the Medway, on charges of
un-oilicer-like behaviour, preferred against him by
Commodore Christian.

Field-Marshal his Royal Highness the Duke of
Gloucester arrived here on 'Wednesday, being the
first official visit paid by his Royal Highness since
his appointment as Governor of this garrison. His
Royal Highness, on reaching Mile-End, a short
distance from the town, alighted from his carriage,
and attended by his aid-de-camp's, mounted his horse,
and proceeded to the gates of the garrison, where the
keys were presented to him by the Lieutenant-
Governor. His Royal Highness, on entering the
garrison, was received by the whole of the troops
under arms, which lined the streets as far as the
George Inn, where his Royal Highness took up his
abode. The Duke dined on that day with the
Lieutenant-Governor, Sir Colin Campbell. On the
following morning, the Mayor, Aldermen, and Bur-
gesses of the Borough waited upon his Royal High-
ness to offer a congratulatory address, which was gra-
ciously received.

PROMOTIONS.—Commander Hon. W. Walde-
grave to the rank of Captain; Hon. Lieut. Edward
Gore, to the rank of Commander; Messrs. John
Saunderson, W. C. Nowell, John Barrett, George
tioldsmith, F. P. Blackwood, H. T. Harris, Mid-
shipmen and Mates of the Royal Sovereign yacht, to
the rank of Lieutenant.

APPOINTUENT.—Commander Charles Paget, to
the Proeris sloop-of-war, intended for the Irish
station.

Lieutenant W. J. Cole, of July, 1810, now in
command of his Majesty's ship Onyx, was promoted
to the rank of Commander, on the Bth inst.

R. Blake, Esq. of this •bock-yard, has projected
a bow for ships of war, which will give an astonish-
ing advantage to vessels in chase, beyond what is
attainable by the present construction. The great
improvement in Mr. Blake's bow consists in its ca-
pacity to bring twelve guns to bear in that part of
the ship, in a first rate; whereas, by the present
plan, four only are effective. Every naval officer of
experience, who has seen the model, speaks of it as
a construction reflecting the highest credit on this
scientific gentleman; they affirm, indeed, that it
posesses so decided a superiority over the present
plan,
in moments so critical as those of chasing, that
it will doubtless be adopted.

There are a great number of ships building in the
Dock-yard at Woolwich. The timber is in prepara-
tion for a vessel of 120 guns, named the Tiafalgar,
and for a steam vessel of 700 tons, to be called the
Dee. A large basin or wet dock is being constructed
for ships to float in. It is 400 feet long, and 250
wide. Considerable reductions have taken place in
the Royal Arienal' and Repository during the last-
three weeks.

The Royal George, Embleton, arrived on Thurs-
day, to take on board male convicts for New South
\Vales. One hundred and sixty were transferred to
her to-day from the hulks at this port. She will
sail in a few days. Captain Briggs, and Surgeon
Bohm' and Lady, of the 63d Regiment; Mr. Han-
sord, and Surgeon W. Gregor, R.N., Superintend.
ent, will take a passage in her.
The Hippomenes, Ross, for Sumatra, and the

taing, LA, for New South Wales, arrived on Wed-
nesday, from the River, and will sail to-morrow.
The Duke of York steam-packet sailed on Wed-
neslay, for Lisbon, Gibraltar, and Malaga.
Mr. Moffatt has invented an improved capstan and
windlass, which possess three powers with great
simplicity, taitd Cannot be put out of order; he has
also Invented a patent slclttr for a chain cable,
which we have seen, and can reEatinnend for
its safety and security. Both these articles would
be highly useful for all descriptions of craft.. The
windlasses in particular occupying but a small space,
and there an lie iw leakage round them.