The Sun.
London, England, 1844-01-08 00:00:00

NAVAL INTETIAGENCE.

PORTSMOUTH, JAN. 6.—The Lords of the Admiralty are
effecting a very great improvement in the steam navy, by
giving, as often as opportunities occur, additional propelling
power to such steamers as may require it, which form a con-
siderable majority in the service. Hitherto the space occupied
by the engine-room has been too extensive to admit of engines
beyond a certain power being supplied to vessels, which power
has been found to be inadequate to the s'zo and tonnage of the
respective ships. The recent improvement in the engiaes, and
the introduction of the tubular boilers. have given much ad.
ditional space, that vessels can now be tiqed with engines of
nearly double the horse-power they have hitherto carried,
which will occupy even less space than the original smaller en-
gines. The Firefly, which is about to be commissi, tied for the
surveying service by Captain "Iveyhv, has had her engines
taken out, and been ,supplied with others of greater power.
They were the engines of the Pticenix, of 2...0 horse-power,
which vessel is to be supplied with others of upwards of 300
horse-power.
The Bonetta, 3, brigantine, Lieut.-Commander E. E. Gray,
has arrived at Chatham, where she is to be paid off. Previous
to her leaving the coast a Africa, the Rapid, 10, Lieut. -Com-
mander E. C. Earle, had captured a Brazilian brigantine,
named the Janerario, with 290 slaves on board, ls Ilia art ive,l
at Sierra Leone on the 27th of November. Two other slave
vessels arrived at Sierra Leone on the same day, a Brazilian
brigantine of 199 tons, called the Independencia, and a schooner.
These vessels were captured by the Madagascar, 44, Captain
J. Foote. The Spy, 3, brigantine, Lieut.-Commander S. Ot-
way Wooldridge, had also captured a Brazilian slaver, the Furia
brig, with 530 slaves on board. She art irt dat Sierra Leone
on the 28th of November.

'The Larne, 18, Commander J. W. Brisbane, is expected
here next week from Sheerness. She is fully equipped for sea
and has her full complement of men on board.
The Styx, 6, Captain A. J. E. Vidal, has arrived at Sheer-
ness from the Azores, where she has been employed surveying.
She put into Plymouth before proceeding eastward.
The Sealark, 10, Commander J. L. Gooch, has sailed for
the coast of Africa, with Commander W. H. Hill, the Go-
vernor at Cape Coast, and not of the Gambia, as Las been
erroneously stated. The Governor of the Gambia is Com-
mander Edmund Norcott, who will sail for Bathurst in a few
days.
The Helena, 16, Commander Sir Cornwallis Ricketts,
which sailed from here on Monday last, had to beat down
Channel against a very heavy gale. She proved herself to be a
very capital sea-boat, and succeeded in reaching Plymouth on
Wednesday.
The report of the Cornwallis, 72, Captain P. Richards,
with the flag of Vice-Admiral Sir W. Parker, being on the
eve of returning home to England is incorrect.
The Firebrand steam-frigate, at this port, and the Comus,
18, at Chatham, are the two vessels that will next be put in
commission.

There has been a considerable mortality on board the Wil-
berforce iron steamer, on the Coast of Africa. The Com-
mander, Lieutenant Moore, and several of her seamen have
come home in the Bonetta invalided. Mr. W. D. Howe,
clerk in charge, is stated to be among the number ti those who
have died.

The Vestal, '26, Captain Charles Talbot, is to leave Sheer-
ness to-day for Devonport, where she is to embark the Right
Honourable R. Pakenham and suite, and convey them to
New York.

The Volage, 26, Captain Sir W. ackson, has been taken
into dock at Devonport, and overhauled. It is found that she
has not received much damage in getting on shore at lierehaven,
on the coast of Ireland.

The Satellite, IS, Commander It. 11. 13. Rowley, will be
quite ready for sea by next Saturday.
The Daring, building by Mr. White ; the Osprey by. Mr.
Blake, both at this dockyard ; the Mut in.., by Mr. Fincham,
and the Espiegle, by the students of the Naval College of
Architecture, building at Chatham ; and the Kingti,her and
Flying Fish, building at Pembroke Dockyard by the surveyor
of the Navy, Sir William Symond,,, are all te be launched and
fully rigged by June, when they will form an experimental
squadron, for the purpose of testing their relative capabilities.
They are each being lmilt upon the lines of their respective
constructors, but the plan recently introduced in
of giving breadth of beam, has been folowed by them all. The
trial cruise will be of considerable interest.

APPOINTMENTS.--Captain Edward P. Halstead to study at
the Naval College.
Commander H. G. Morris to command thf! Wolverine.

Lieutenants—W. T. Bate, to command the Young Hebe ;
Samuel F. Short to command the Locust, vice Lunn, returned
to England on leave ; Richard M. Robert on, to the IVarspite;
E. J. 13. Clarke, to the Hecate; Thomas Hodgkinson, to the
Volage ; W. S. Wiseman, to the Excellent ; Charles Hawkey,
to the Hecate; Thomas S. Hill, to the P.que ; Arthur B.
Kingston, to the Volage; 11. T. Vieth, to the Excellent ;
Henry King, to the Apollo; James M. Bout-, to the Illus-
trious ; James Harpur, to command the Experiment ; Robert
W. Suckling, to the Allred; Cohn C. A. Kane, to the Corn-
wallis; Thonns Anson, to the Queen • F. Willoughby, to the
; Edmund L. Strangways, to ;he Electra ; Charles J.
P. Glvnn and Thomas W. Purves, to the Cab donia; John
Compton, to the Frolic; Herbert L. Griffiths, to the Imam ;
Augustus P. Green, to the Plover ; Andrew 11. Dunlap, to the
Wasp; Henry S. Hillyer, to the Wolf; James It. Ballard, to
the Cornwallis; Thomas C. L. Monte, Edward Colhn, and J.
H. Norcock, to the Caledonia; C. W. Bonham, F. E. Forbes,
and W, C, Lambert, to the Cornwallis; John D. A. C.
Agnew, to the Pique; Augustus P. (hectic, to the Plover ;
Owen P. Knott, to the Curacoa ; Ashley La Touche, to the
Illustrious; Malcolm R. Dyett, to the Scylla
Chaplains—John H. Theed, to the Pottier.° ; T. W. Ben-
nett, to the Illustrious,
Masters—Edward M. Fox, to the Hecate ; J. 11. T. Nor-
ris to the Viper.
Pursers—Wm. Norcock, to the Hecate ; Thomas Gulliver,
to the Apollo; E. D. Back, to the Pilot; James Gies, to the
Pique ; G, J, Starr, to the Electra.
Naval Instructors—Richard Oram, to the Penelope;
Johnson, to the Indus.

,
Mates—W. H, Payne, to the Blazer ; G. W. Toasey and
G. Kerr, to the Pluto.

•
Assistant-Surgeons—Walter l'arsens, to the Hecate; Wm.
Macdonald, to the Wolf; Wtn. hull, to the Apollo; D. B.
Whipple, to the Agincourt ; Albert N. Jack, to the Caledonia;
W, Bateman, to the St. Vincent ; Pretty, ick tit upai to the
Alban; F, N. Slight, to the Caledonia; Alex. Robertson, to
the Queon ; John Campbell, to the Cyclops.
Second Masters—Thomas J. NI hither, to the Alban ; Henry
Hunter, to the Imaun ; J. P. Dillon, to the Thiniderer ; Jas.
Matthews, to the Acheron ; J. Loan, to the Pickle ; Duncan
Randall, to the Alfred ; Ezekiel Aniier to thy U.
Collins, to the Shearwter,
Rerlco phorge—Jimes T. Ricealton, to the Mohawk ;
John B. Price, to the Savage ; W. T. Buldlecombe, to the
Fair Rosamond.

PROMOTlONL—Commanders--W. Smith, E. 13. Titl4.6f.
A*lll, tCO 6o Cart3ißlt