The Sun.
London, England, 1829-01-05 00:00:00

NAVAL INTELLIGENCE.

PORTSMOUTH, JAN. 3 -The Undaunted, 46, Captain
A. Clifford, C. 8., which took out Lord William Bentinak,
the Governor-General of India, returned to this port on
Tuesday from Calcutta, which she left on the 21st of
August. On her passage home she visited the Mauritius,
the Cape, and St. Helena, and is only twenty six days from
the latter island. All the colonies were very healthy, and
India was perfectly quiet. The cholera morbus had nearly
disappeared, and the Government uuder Lord William
I3entinek was exceedingly popular. All parties were loud
in their complaints against the late Government of Lord
Amherst, whose rashness in bringing on the Burmese war
had completely exhausted the Coin pany's treasury, in
which, previously, there had been an immense accumula-
tion of surplus. The result of die war had not been be-
neficial to the mercantile interests, nor did the returns
from the new settlements by any means reach those that
were anticipated. The stamp question still excited much
heart-burning at Calcutta; but it was hoped that the re-
presentations that had been made to the mother country
would cause the measure to be abandoned. General
Bourke, the late Governor of the Cape of Good Hope,
with Colonel Wade and Major Andrews, came passen-
gers in the Undaunted, as well as Colonel Nichols, of the
Royal Marines, late Commandant at the Island of As-
cension.

Extract of a letter, dated Simon's Bay, Cape of Good
Hope, October 29, 1828 :—" Our new governor, Sir
Lowry Cole, paid a visit to Simon's Town last week, Sand
inspected all the public departments and buildings. His
Excellency has given directions for reducing the huge size
of the latter, erected by. Lord Charles Somerset, and for
their being fitted up in as economical a manner as possible.
The public wharf and water-works-are to undergo improve-
ments; the military barracks, which have been in ruins
for a considerable time, are to be rebuilt ; and the erection
of a light -louse, on the rock Noah's Ark, is contemplated.
Had a light-house' been placed on this rock ten years since
many vessels would have been saved : the Andromache,
with the broad pendant of the late Commodore Nouse,
was nearly lost un one occasion, coming in at night, from
the absence of a beacon, Sir Lowry Cole has already de-
clared that not an individual holding office under his go-
vernment shall be an absentee—that every man shall be at
his post. King Chaka, that powerful savage, has sent
in an Englishman as an ambassador, to request per-
mission of the Government to trade with the Colony.
This individual has been twenty-eight days from Port
Natal, and states that Chaka, having quarrelled with
the Portuguese at Delagoa bay, wishes the colonists to
take his ivory in exchange for other articles. This day an
order has been sent to Capt. Aitcheson, of the mounted rifle
corps, to hold himself in readiness, with a subaltern and
twenty men, to proceed direct to Chaim ; the latter's Am-
bassador. to accompany hint. The decision of the Gover-
nor has not tianspired. Chaka had greatly ridiculed the
presents which had been sent him by Government, and
which, among the rest, comprised a quantity of medicine;
Chaka, to try its effects, compelled Captain King and.
Lieutenant Farewell to take large doses of it for several
days. In many parts of this colony the crops will totally
fail this year. Our wheat crops last year were so plen-
tiful, that a great quantity was exported to New South
Wales, Mauritius, and Rio de Janeiro. This is the first
month the farmer is allowed to bring in his wines of last
vintage to market, Which are now selling from 3/. to
3/. lOs. per leaguer (a cask of 152 old wine gallons).
The vessels in Table Bay are—the Duke of Bedford, Usk,
George, Eagle, St. Leonard, Elizabeth, William Parker,
Calypso, Lavinia, Thomas, Madras, Caesar, George Can-
ning, Success; Mary, Rockingham,' and Prince de Neder•.
landes ; and in Simon's Bay, his Majesty's ships Un-
daunted and Tweed. COmmodore Skipsey, in the Maid-
stone, sailed for the Mauritius on the 24th of Septem-
ber, accompanied by the Helicon, Captain Stanhope, as
a tender. The Maidstone is expected soon to return to
this port."
The Galatea, 46, Captain Sir C. Sullivan, Bart., will
be paid off on Wednesday or Thursday, and. will be re-
commissioned.

The Ranger, 29, Captain Walpole, and the Nimrod,
20, Captain Radford, sailed this evening on secret service;
and with one or two exceptions the whole of the outward
bound, amounting to nearly eighty vessels, taking advan-
tage of a fair wind, have sailed tor their respective des-
tinations. The Ranger will eventually proceed to the
Jamaica station, and the Nimrod to Coik.

The Shannon, 46,• Captain Clement, came into harbour
on Monday; for the purpose of having a leak stopped ;
liet.guns having been taken out, she was this afternoon
brought into the dock out of which the Briton, 46,
Hon. Captain Gordon, M.P., was taken this morning.
Sir Robert Seppings and Commissioner Tucker have
arrived here this week, for .the purpose of surveying the
Shannon.

His Majesty's ship Aurora has been surveyed and found
unfit for service. The Pyramus has in consequence been
ordered to be fitted out in her room.

, .
Previously to the Auro:'a being paid off at Plymouth
last week the ship's company subscribed nearly
,60/. for a
monument to the memory of their late captain (Maxwell),
brother to Sir Murray Maxwell. They also gave an ele-
gant snuff:box, to be presented by the first-lieutenant to
Mr. Woodhead, the ship-agent, to show their sense of his
promptitude in having distributed on board at Devonport
a stun of salvage money within a few days after its having
been received by him in London. The officers made a
similar present to Captain C. J. Austen, to whom they
also gave a snmptuotts dinner the day the ship was paid off.
His Majesty's ship Melville, 74, Capt. Henry Hill,
and the convict ship Weymouth, W. Miller roaster, sailed
on Sunday from Plymouth, the former for Tangier and
Gibraltar, and the latter for Bermuda. They both put
back again on Tuesday, being unable to proceed to the
westward,

His Alajcsty s yacht Herald, Commander Astley, is
ready for sea at Plymouth, and waiting there the arrival of
the Earl of Belmore and Lieut. •General Sir James Lyon ;
the former proceeds in the Herald to assume the govermor-
ship of Jamaica, and the latter to fill the station of gover-
nor and commander-in-chief at Barbadoes.
The Zebra, 18, Commander Gilbert, sailed yesterday
for Plymouth, to be paid off. The Arrow cutter arrived
on Tuesday, and sailed
.to-day on a cruise; and yesterday
sailed the Sylvia cutter on a cruise.
At a court-martial lately held in Malta harbour, of which
Sir Thomas Staines was president, and the Hon. Capt.
Bridgeman, Capt. W. 11. Johnstone, Capt. Martin, and
Commander Gilbert, were members, the commander, offi-
cers, snd crew of the late Jasper sloop-of-war were tried far
the loss of that vessel at Santa Mauro, when Commander
Rooke was admonished to be more careful in future. It
%vas, however, observed that the accident, which occurred
on this occasion, arose from Commander Rooke's great zeal
in endeavouring to communicate his despatches to the Go-
vernor that evening.
The Sybille frigate, Commodore Collier, sailed from
St. Helena on the 2d of November, after remaining there
a ;month, having been amply supplied with beef, beer, and
vegetables by the contractor, Mr. Saul Solomon. On the

anniversary of the battle of Traftlgar the Commodore gave
a splendid ball and supper at the Ibitel to the holies and
gentlemen of the island. The ufficei s and erety were in
excellent health.

Capt. Wm. Parker, C. B , is appointed to the command
of the Prince Regent yacht, vacant by the removal of Capt.
G. Mundy, C. 8., to the Royal George yacht. Capt. J. F.
Devonshire is appointed to the catinnatol of the Warspite.
The Island of As,ese,ion is now es much imprwed at
its landing" place, that the Clinker gun-brig was lately
hauled on shore and hove down there. The land furnishes
abimdance of goats and guinea fowls; but the latter are
decttoyed by the wild cats. The rats with which the
island was formerly overrun have nearly all disappeared.
The Clinker gun-brig sent her boats into the river Binabia
on the 18th of August to look for slave vessels,; a brigan-
tine that was lying there fired at them and hoisted Bra-
zilian colours. The boats immediately boarded to resent
the insult, when'a sharp encounter, a quarter of an hour
in duration, took place, which ended in the surrender of the
vessel, her capt. and several men being killed, sevep severely
wounded, and thirteen prisoners. Mr. Coyde, .who coin
mended the boats, and tour seamen were severely wounded,
and one man was killed.

DEVON PORT, JAN. 3.—The following:, we understand,
are the final arrangements consequent upon the death of
Commissioner Sir George Grey, Bart., at Portsmouth :
Commissioner Ross, who is hourly expected from Malta,
in the Dryad, will succeed Commissioner Shield, at this
Dock-yard, who retires, after a service of twenty years, as
a Commissioner of the Navy.---Xonnuissioner Briggs, from
Bermuda, will have the Sheerness Yard; and Commis-
sioner Sir Michael Seymour, Bart., K.C.8., returns from
Malta, to fill the vacancy at Portsmouth.
The new fidvernor of Jamaica, Earl Belrnore, accom.
panied by the Counteis Belmore, Lord Curry, and the
Hon. Mr. Curry (the Earl's two sons), Lord Ilchester,
family, and suite, arrived at Elliott's Royal Devonport
Hotel, ail Wednesday last. The Earl and Countess em-
bark this day in the Herald yacht, for Jamaica, General
Sir James Lyon, Governor of Barbadoes, Major Bridge-
man his Military Secretary, and his Aid-de-Camp, Capt.
Atlierley, who have been waiting at Elliott's for the arrival
of Earl Belmore, will also embark, in the Herald.

. On Sunday the Melville, 74, and Weymouth convict
ship, made an attemp► to proceed on their destination, but
they were obliged to put back on Tuesday. The wind
having come round on Thursday, the Melville again put
to sea, and has no doubt, ere this, got well off the laud.
His Majesty's sloop Zebra, 18, Commander Gilbert, is
ordered to this port to be paid off for re-commissioning, if
found in a fit state.

The Pyramus, 42, is ordered to be docked, and there
is reason to believe that she will be commissioned as soon
ag reported ready.

Orders have been received to survey the Badger, 10,
paying off at this port, as to her state for re-commissioning.
We learn by the Plover packet, arrived at Falmouth,
that all was well on board the Britomart, 10, Capt. 11. N.
Manners, off Lisbon, the 21st Dec.

The Weymouth convict ship, Mr. P. Miller, master,
R.N., commanding ; and the Thomas Richie transport,
with provisions, &c., sailed yesterday—the former with
convicts for Bermuda, and the latter for Gibraltar.

In Hainoaze—Britannia, Warspite, Ariadne, Despatch,
Comet, Royalist, Cygnet, Leveret, Vigilant, Bramble, Me-
teor steamer, and Experiment, Swede.
Sound—Herald and Nightingale.