The Sun.
London, England, 1845-09-30 00:00:00

7

NA VAL INTELLIGENCE.
PORTSMOUTH, SEPT. 29.—The Eclair steam-sloop,
Commander Walk'. C. 13. Eatcourt, came up to the
Motherbsnk this morning, ehnut nine o'ehek, with the
yellow flag, with a black hall in its centre, flying from
her mainmast head, emblematic of death on heard.
She has been so awfully visited with sickness since she
has been on the coast of Africa that she has been sent
home. The awful number of G 2 have died in the vessel,
and others are dying hourly. We regret to state that
Commander Estcourt is among the dead. The names of
the other officers a-,d men we cannot at present tell, no
communication being allowed. We arc informed there
are now 23 ill on board. The surgeon was alive this
morning, and on the quarantine officers going alongsHe
the vessel, we are informed, he answered their inquiries,
and said the mortality was from a fever, something
between the yellow and the black. One of the men
died this morning. The Customs authorities are fear-
ful of removing any one en beard. We believe, how-
ever, fresh provisions have been sent to the vessel, but
whether any human assistaace, we cannottied out; we
believe neue, owing to tha fear of contegian. If' she
remains at the Mollie:tend:, al:e will have to ride out
1 forty days' quarantine; but we arc informed it is mast
probable she will be supplied with fuel and fresh provi-
sions, and be sent for a cruise ift the North Sea.
Admiralty dispatches are laeded, but nothing else.
boat rows guard round the vessel to prevent cemmuni-
cation and consequent contagion, as well as to pr, vent
any one escaping from the ve,:sel impreperly.•
The Eclair enAS only e, Henri -trio:led last A teleist te dye
months, and is a new vess, I (first mimed the Luei'er), of,
350-horse power.
The Formidable, 84; Captain Ride flag of Vice-Ad-
miral Sir Edward Owen, late Commander-in-Chief On
the Medit, rraneatt station, arrived at St. 11, son's during
the night, and got under weigh at nine Wdock this
morning for the anchorage at Spithead, when she came
in under royals, teptallant sails, topsails, and courses,
jib, flying jib, and spanker. At tweety minutes to ten
she in royals, hauled down the flying jib, and stood in
for Spithead. At about a quarter to eh yen she up
courses, put about, and run up to her anc' orage, with
the quarantine bout alongside, the Formidable having
come in with the yellow flag flying from her main, which
she hauled down alien the quarantine biat shoved off:
She then let go her anchor and brought up. Ott ap-
proaching the anchorage the Victory saluted with 13
guns, when the Formidable returned 11 (Rear-Admiral
Parker's complement). The Admiral came from Sirit-
head in the Portsmouth yacht, and when nearly abreat
of the Platform Battery, a salute of 13 guns welcomed
the gallant Sir Edward Owen home, a compliment not,
paid here to a naval officer since the war.
The Superb, 80, Captain Corry, which arrived yester-
day from Plymouth, has come to be fresh col pered and
re- stowed and trimmed, prior to rejoining the experi-
mental squadron, which sailed yesterday morning on
their winter cruise. She has had her guns, powder.
&c., taken out, and will come into harbour to-morrow
morning.
The Athol troop-ship, Master-Commander Peat-n,
sailed from St. Helena this morning for Plymouth.
The Dasher steam-yes:A, Lieutenant-Commander
Sherringham, left this morning for the eastward.
Rear-Admiral Dacres proceeds on Admiralty leave for
a fortnight. His flag was struck on board the President,
50, Captain Stanley, this evening at sunset.
The appointment of Admiral Sir Charles Ogle, Bart.,
as Commander-in-Chief at this port, has received her
Majesty's confirmation, and will be down to-morrow.
The gallant Admiral will hoist his flag in the Excellent
or President pro tem. Captain Sir Richard Grant will be
flag captain, a gentleman respected by all ranks in and out of the service who have the pleasure of knowing hint.
The flag (red at the fore) of Vice-Admiral Owen was
struck this evening at sunset, on board the Formidable,
84. It is reported this ship will repair a few defects,
and then join the experimental squadron. No orders
were down to that effect at five o'clock this evening.
`WOOLWICH, SEPT. 29.—The Devastation steam.
frigate, Commander Kitchen, has arrived at Purfleet
from the Mediterranean and Portsmouth, and when she
has unloaded her powder will come up to Woolwich to
be paid off,
The Avon steam-vessel, Commander Denham, filtin
in the basin at Woolwich, is nearly ready for sea, and
g
of Africa.
By letters received to-day at Woolwich the Agincourt,
72, flag-ship of Rear-Admiral Sir T. J. Cochrane, Knt,,
C.B. ; the llEedalus, 20, Captain Peter M'Quhae ; the
Vestal, 26, Captain C. Talbot ; the Cruiser, 16, Com-
mander E. G. Fanshawe ; the Wolverine, IG, Corn-
manderli. G. Clifford; the Vixerl irigate, Commander
G. Giffard, and two of the lion. East India Company's
th- ;Straits of I.lu/acca, all well, on tbo
23d of July. The money sent out in the Dmdalus had
been transshipped to the Osprey, 12, Captain E. Patten,
for conveyance to New Zealand ; and the Fly, 18,
Captain E. P. Blackwood, had just sailed far Sydney,
New South Wales.

DEPARTURE OF THE EXPERIMENTAL FLEET
ON THEIR SECOND TRIAL.
The experimental fleet, undcr the command in chief
of Rear-Admiral Sir Samuel Pym, K.C.8., left Ply-
mouth Sound on Sunday morning, at a quarter-past
seven o'clock, for their second trial cruise. '1 he fleet
was composed of the St. Vitrzent, 120, flag-ship
of the Commander-in-Chie:, Commander Rowley
the Trafalgar, 120, Capt,:in T. F. Martin ; the Qecn,
110, Capt. Sir Bald% ia Walker, three deckers; and
the Rodney, 92 Capt. Collier, C.B. ; the Albir.u,
90, Captain N. ,Lockyer, C.B. ; the Canopus 84,
Capt. Fairfax Moresby, C.. and the Vanguf.rd, 80,
Capt. Willes, two deekers ;with the Daring, 12, brig,
Corn. 11. J. Matson. They passed out at the western.
end of the breakwater in the following order, with a fine
topgallant breeze from the -N.W.:—Canopus, Trafalgar,
Rodney, St. Vincent, Vanguard, Queen, and Albion.
They are ordered to proceed to the former cruising
ground ; but the Admiralty have very wisely left ever).-
thing to the discretion of the Gallant Commander-in-
Chief; giving him permission to extend the cruise farther
to the westward, to encounter such weather as shall fully
put to the test the qualities of the various ships com-
prising the fleet.
We cannot announce the departure of the squadron
without again calling attention to the condition in which
the surveyoi.'s ships go to sea. Whatever the result.„
that great ship, the Albion, has been lightened so much,
that her draft of water is only 23ft. lin. forward, and
24ft. 3in, aft, with a height of midship port of Eft.
10in.
Now in order to bring her to this draught of water, her
provisions, water, and ammunition have been all reduced,
and she goes to son less efficient as a man of war than the
old Canopus, of nearly 800 tons less burden, and swim-
ming so light, with her midship ports actually muck
lower in the water than the Rodney, a ship with a muesli
greater stowage, heavier armament, and a great many
tons more ammunition.
It is now admitted that the Albion, as a man of Nciar,
has failed in her performances to realise the expectations
of her constructor. She never mounted the armament
she was designed to carry, and now she proceeds to sea
with 13 tons 17 cwt, less shot and shell th':m was consi-
dered sufficient store for her lighter gum:. Had she her
Proper armament she would be more than one foot deeper
in the water than her consiruction drawings intended,
and although guns, shot, ballast, provisions, water, wad.
other stores are taken out of her, and with a total we fight
on board of only 1,593 tons 2 cwt., she has the eoonnous
aspread of canvas of 30,800 square feet. The Vanguard
nd Superb, 80-gun ships, of about the same tonnage as
the Rodney, 92-gun ship, and 230 tons lalger than the
old Canopus, 84-gun ship, have had thet:- stores, provi-
sions, water, &c., also reduced in a sir ma
nes,
manner; any
of smaller armament, and spreatPng the same quantity
of canvas, they thus proceed on f:ne next trial.
Now with such odds agains.. the Rodney and Canopus
it is absurd to call the tor' "the
trials fair to those
foonclusions as to their respective
ships, or to draw any
.4 late trials have not been such as to
capabilities. If th
prove or este:wish anything on account of the fine
weather, ‘7,:ny not stow and store all the ships as Yuen-
of-war about to proceed on real fair or foul weather see-
1t...* ? The surveyor's ships had advantages enough in
geaunavrdas;
weightarm am armament, tp,
raonvdi
sei
ovnesn
and ought to have been fully tried against the old ships
raeteferreinnctehetolasthtecrluraisrei:
'awndithw
under these circumstances, and not be allowed to strip
in the manner they have for a second trial, unless the
superiority of the Rodney and Canopus, stowed as mew
Superb, is conceded.
of war ought to be, over the Albion, Vanguard, anti
The Superb, 80, Captain Corry, has been ordered
from Dovonport to Portsmouth, to be docked and newly
coppered, and, it is stated, to be re-stowed, under the
superintendence of the Navy-office. She left Plymouth
Sound at half-past five on Saturday evening, beating out
into the offing. She arrived at Portsmouth on Senday
afterno
ropen, and yesterday commenced discharg'aig her
powdeparatory to going into harbour. Tide Harle-
quin, 16, will be taken out of dock to make rr.,om for the
Superb. It is not more than •six montlis since the
Superb was in the same dock at Portsmouth. Ehe will
join the fleet as soon as the surveyor has doctored her.
flag of Vice-Admiral Sir Edward W.
(7.lltßgpthweeadln,
The Formidable, 84, Captain G. F. Rich, bearing the
K.C.8., G.C.A. (red at the fore), .
cancryhosraeluted with 15
early yesterday morning. The
ae
his respects to
off to the Formidable to pay
yacht, went .
guns. At ten,
Rich returned on shore whit
Sir Edward. Captain
Rear-Admiral. D Victory
in the Portsmouth
morning. The Formidable hoisted the quaff
this
pratique immediately. She was
tine flag, but received
~ .
Rear-Admiral Dacres, but the Admiral will not land
until
that gallant officer's promotion was commanded by Sir C.
commissioned by Sir E. T. lroubridge in 1841, and on
S
ullivan, who exchanged with Captain Rich into the
Queen in April, 1844. The Formidable will be docked
to have
tai her copper cleaned, and will then join the expe-
rimen fleet.
THE RETIREMENT.—The folloe;ing statement will
show the progress of the scheme of naval retirement for
post captains. It will be seen that of the proposed
havetified to
t the
.
Oisetotboer,be2l6no
number (300) above a certain nge, whose acceptance of
Athdemiprarryerbeedforreettihrienglstpoafy
111.
their names,
Of the first 100 on the navy is l' t
...
Of the next 150 ....
Of the remainder..... .....

40
................................ 63
.................. 113

Total number .......................... 21G
The above includes five holding good-service pen:ions,
nine holding out pensions from -Greenwich limpital, and
fifteen Companions of the Bath.

LYNN, SEPT. 25.—THE RAILWAYS.--We
that the ground is already staked out for th perceive
e rails
in the immediate neighbourhood of the town, sow wye
may expect by the latter part of autumn to find them in
the course of formation.—Norfoa Chronicle.
HOP-PICKING.—Hop-pcking has commenced in
the county of Nottingham, and the produce is very light.
The average weight per acre is now estimated at not exceed-
ing two hundred weight. The hops in Farnham are also a
defective crop.—Notting4ant Journal.