The Sun.
London, England, 1845-04-14 00:00:00

NAVAL INTELLIGENCE.

THE LATE COMMANDER IN CHIEF AT THE NoRE.—A
coroner's inquest was held on Monday forenoon, at Admi-
ralty House, Sheerness, on view of the body of Vice-Ad-
miral Sir J. C. White, 1i.C.8., Commander in Chikf at the
Nore, who died very suddenly on Friday last. From the
evidence of the secretary it appeared that the deceased ad-
miral had E ern complaining for several days previous, but
not to excite any apprehensions of a fatal termination.
On Thur .day last he had so far recovered as to be able
to have a party at dinner a ith I im. On Friday fore
noon, about eleven o'cleck, he was seized with a return of
the pain in his chest while putting his signature to some
official papers brought into his royal by the secretary, and
expired in a few moments. Dr. Miller, the surgeon Of
the flag-ship, attributed his death to an affection of the
heart, and the jury immediately returned a verdict
" That the gallant officer had died from a disease of the
heart." The Trafalgar, 100, Captain Martin, is painted
black, and all the ships in commission and in ordinary
have their colours half-mast high.
DEATH OF ANOTHER FLAG OFFICER.—Admiral of the
Blue Henry Raper,
Esq of South Audley-street,ros-
venor-square, and of Ilmer, Bucks, has departed this life
in the 78th year of his age. Although Vain Admiral Ra-
per, the deceased was a mostgallant officer, and served with
great distinction, but his services must have been too an-
cient to be remembered in the more recent distribution of
honours and additions to a name. Admiral Raper was
second on the list of Admirals of the Blue. The precise
date of his entry into the ravy is not known, but he
was midshipman of the Cambridge at the relief of Gib-
raltar, and was wounded in the actions off the Doggt-r
Bank, in 1781. Re was made a Litutenant on the
22d November, 1790, and was Flag-Lieutenant of the
Queen Charlotte on the glorious Ist of June. He ob-
tained his promotion to a Commander for that service
on the 4th of July, and was made a Post-Captain on
the Ist of February, 1796. He commanded the
Champion in the unfortunate expedition to 05-
tend, in 1798. He afterwards commande.l L'Aimable,
and in that ship, in 1799, gallantly engaged the French
frigate Syrt'me and the 13ergire corvett'. He obtained
his rank of Rear-Admiral at the general promotion of
the 12th August, 1819, that of Vice-Admiral on the
1 22d July, 1830, and Admiral on the promotion in
honour of the birth of the Prince of Wales on the 23d
November, 1841.
THE NOTORIOUS SLAVE FELUCCA —The slave fe-
lucca that beat off the Growler's boat, so gallantly com-
manded by Lieutenant Lodwiek, has escaped no less
than six times from our men-of-war cruisers—once
from the celebrated Waterwitch, 10, commanded by
Captain (then Lieutenant) Matson ; once from a
prize of the Waterwitch ; twice from the Iris,
when commanded by Captain Tucker ; once from
the Kite, steam-vessel ; and once from the boat
of the Growler, steam-sloop. She is well known to
all the men-of-war officers, and there is not a
man on the coast who would rot be delighted to
give that account of her punishment and capture
which we hope soon to record. She is a long, low,
sneaking craft, with a stump of a mast not six fet t
above the deck, but having a yard running up at an
angle of 45 degrees above 180 feet long, with a sail that
propels her through the water at such a rate as to dis-
tance the swiftest cruiser. We have heard that she was
built at Barcelona, and has a crew of between sixty
or seventy of the worst description of men-
stealers. Captain Matson, we believe, captured a
sister vessel to her, which for a long time had
been notorious on the coast of Africa for her impunity
and success. The Waterwitch came within range,
and, by a well-directed shot through the slings of her im-
mense yard, knocked it about their ears, and thereby the
slaver became entirely at her mercy. On this occasion the
semi-pirate captain seized a musket and shot dead the man
whom he had placed on the top of the mast to
look out. The escapes of the felucca that beat off
the Growler's boat have been very narrow. On one oc-
casion she was almost caught by a tender of the Water-
witch, named the Pretty Polly. Thia vessel was a
beautiful little crafr, and: on being captured, was
manned from the Waterwitch, and sent into a slave-
dealing port, to lie in wait for this felucca. Nut
aware of the capture and altered character of this
and,she discovered
vessel, but deeming her to be still in the iniquitous
pursuit, the felucca stood into the place within a quar-
ter
nearlyof a mile of
down
got
she was in the vicinity of an enemy. She immediately,
Pretty
large Polly,s
sail,
when
we believe, had
by great exertions of a numerous crew, got up her sail
again, the Pretty Polly firing at her, and endeavouring
to get nearer ; but, having such few hands, and
the felucca being so fully manned—the wind also
falling, and the felucca capable of being rowed
with ease—the tender had no chance with her.
When the felucca got out, and perceived her
advantage over the Pretty Polly, she several times most
impudently bore down on her, fired a shot, and then ran
away in no time. The Waterwitch was only about
fifteen miles oft and the tender made all haste to com-
municate with her ; but when the Waterwitch and the
Pretty Polly arrived at the slave port the next morning,
they found that the felucca had been in, and by force of
arms had seized a cargo of slaves, and had departed.
Her escapes from the Iris were almost miraculous. It
is generally believed that nothing but a steamer will
catch her.
FRENCH AND ENGLISH NAVAL ARCHITECTURE.—
We have received the following letter from a naval
officer who is intimately acquainted with the French
and English navies, and the state of naval architecture
in both countries:—

" Le Havre, April 3, 1843.

" Sir,—The naval officers of the old sChool,.living in
retirement at this port and its environs, have read with
much pleasure the constant and judicious views
which the Alorning Herald has taken in its columns of
the momentous subject of naval architecture, hitherto so
unaccountably neglected in a country where the perfec-
tion of this art, from our insular position and its
immense commercial operations, ought to be considered
of paramount importance. When, Sir, we contem-
plate the lofty structure of a first-rate man of war,
made to encounter and resist the wildest elements of
heaven, we must concur in the soundness of the
remark made in this country, that ship-building is a
Carriere qui e.riye tad ce gue les connaissances humaines
ont de plus alktrait,' and the precaution and means taken
by the French in selecting the best builders, fully
account for the superiority their ships have ever
retained, both in sailing and beauty, over our own.
Indeed, so important is held the value of mari-
time genius and naval architecture in this country,
so superior are they considered to those talents
requisite to navigate or tight, that in the reign of Napo-
leon a Monsieur Forfait, of the building department,
was intrusted with the administration of the French
navy, as was also M. Charles Dupin, who about eight
years ago was promoted from a teat at the French
Admiralty Board to the office of Minister of Marine.
Every impartial naval man, from the last debates
over the
yFourerii
in the House of Commons, will see the ne-
cessity, if we
of
Some naval a voafl
from French invasion, of reviving the school
emancipating a
d
science, so important to our very existence, from the
readers,e architecture,hd, esai
ue
st
ik( en:dp preserve
ofinviolable
our
our superiority
shores
trammels of political interest and of ignorant prejudice.
way not be acquainted
with the means employed by our neighbours to
obtain efficient ships. The following are the plans
which the French Admiralty adopt fur this
important aim. When the Government want a ship built
they make it known in all the naval ports ; and the
ship-builders, who are a talented and well-educated
class, are invited to send to the Admiralty models,
perfect to the smallest minutire, and drawings, sections,
and specifications, extremely minute in their details ;
these, it is understood, are referred to a committee,
who examine them, and, if necessary, have the
ship-builders before them, to answer any questions that
may be deemed advisable. When the model most
approved of is agreed to, the builder is informed that
hthee
isAddimreeirtaeldty
toh aeveemcmhoeisieer eihish modeliiiidio gaanvdesspellanisn, aend
x.
act accordance therewith, the Government furnish-
ing every material requisite ; and during its con•
stru3tion, a Member cf this Committee frequently
visits the port, to verify that she accords with the
model and specifications. The builder receives a present
for his model, which becomes Government property, and
is paid quantum meruit, which is agreed upon before her
keel is laid, the builders having, as I understand, no
yearly salary as ours have.
"Thanking you, Mr. Editor, with my brother officers
here, for the great interest with which the Herald has
espoused the naval service, I have the honour to be, Sir,
your obedient servant, " E PAULETTES."
—Herald.

for a near post-office. We wish some mem-
ber Plymouth people havepurchased by subserip-
p
ane Society would look in at the Exeter
thsheietnehtihuemclerks are huddled together in that hole,
oti
no
en
one,
, 0
wfa
and air. It
and calculate how long it would take to poison them off
appears to be one of the
fever
faoxCet iet° YouthrFai
13 L
CORN
best rooms fur breeding that could be well de-
vised.— Western Times.
THE FREE coutteu.—We refer to the advertise-
ment of the Free Church (Exeter.) The engraving of the
intended edifice of Christ Church shows that it will add to
by want of room
iAtPso- aoonclrkod:peocAtl
the ornaments of the city. The building is rapidly proceed-
ing,and we hope that the friends of this good cause will
hand their donations to the Treasurer, Mr. Crofts. Those
who give promptly, give twice, as the proverb goes.
Western Times.
thus settling the pt;int that soliciting by
From the Kent Herald it appears that the Quarter
Sessions have quashed 21 of the convictions of the Graves-
Pani);;thin the door-way of the Company's office
end Magistrates against Rowe, the touter for the Star Steam
to law. In two cases in which the solicitation
contrary
ythe street the convictions were confirmed.
FRIDAY.—There is a
large arrival of Wheat this week; the quantity keeps the
market depressed, and prices are again rather in favour of the
buyer. There is, however, no desire to press sales, and at
Is. per quarter decline a large business would be done. Barley
very dull, and ls. per quarter lower. Oats and Shelling
steady. Beans do not vary in value. No aiteration in other
articles.
~:n B IRVING II
LONDON A- - ' AM RAILWAY. FAST
TRAINS. —A trial was made on Tuesday, with a three-hours'
train, from London to. Birmingham, and the distance was
accomplished,
with thirteen minutes to spare. The train
will run daily on and alter the Ist of next month.—Railway
Record.
ELY AND BRANDON RA
I LILO AD.—Messrs. Grissel
and Pete, the contractors, are making rapid progress in their
undertaking here, and will, no doubt, complete the line by
the time appointed. Qne of their engines arrived here on
Satntday, drawn by eleven fine horses, and the tender drawn
by six horses, which will soon be brouglit into action, as they
will now have to convey the materials a greater distance.
The crossing of the turnpike-road front r -,-. 1,, , to Newmarket
will be complete in a few days, when Weir work will be
merely to remove the earth across the fens, which, only a
few years since, were three-parts of the year under water.—
Cambridge Advertiser.
The Governillent co9trot fur i of..),Qep gailur.3 of
null for the navy, was on Friday takenbyMessrs:; —e
in--
on,
Hart, and. Son, 59, Fenchurch -street.

THE NEWSPAPER PRESS OF
LONDON.
(From the London Journal, April 12.)
NO. V.-BELL'S LIFE IN LONDON.

This journal is ahnost entirely devoted to matters con-
nected with the t'r,porting World. Its principal features
of attraction are therefore constituted by intelligence re-
specting the Turf, accounts of Regattas, the proceedings
of Yacht Clubs, and narratives of Prize Fights, Pedes-
ian Exploits, and all kinds of information relative to
manly pursuits, Games of Skill or Chance, &c., &c. Its
" Notices to Correspondents " settle all disputed points
in reference to the rules or customs of the above
departments. From the regulations of a brutal
prize-fight to the etiquette of a genteel game
of ccart, is this journal an undoubted autho-
rity. The result is, that Bells Life has not a class
circulation like many of its weekly Contemporaries—it
is seen on the table of the Peer and in the parlour of the
public house—it is read alike in the club and the tap•
room. In political principles it is very liberal, and ad-
vocates the popular cause. But then the Tory sports-
man who reads it carer, nothing for its politics—all he
regards is the peculiar information of its special depart-
ment. Some years ago Bell's Life was famous for its
wood-cuts, caricaturing the prominent vices or foibles of
the age. The poetical accompaniments to these graphic
designs were of the richest and raciest kind of humour
—indeed, they were remarkably clever, and, we should
conceive, might be resumed with advantage to the
journal. . _

" Poet's Corner" was also a famous feature in Bell's
Life. The metrical epistles of Scroggins and other sup-
posed characters, were in their class inimitable. They
were humorous and witty, but never ill-natured,--sa-
tirical, but never personal. The pm-try, that tow ap
pears at times in Belts Life, is written by a clergymsn
residing in the Isle of Wright. This is not, however, the
only instance of clerical talent being employed in the
composition of humorous poetry ; for, en passant, be it
observed, that those atnazingly clever legends which
have appeared in Behtleils Miscellany, and Colturn's
New Monthly, Magazine, with the signature of "Thomas
Ingoldshy" attached•to them, emanated from the pen of
a reverend gentleman of the name of Barham.

Mr. Grady is the aquatic reporter for Bells Life ; and
with the aid of one of his sons, he collates and arranges
the minor sporting intelligence. Mr. Dowling is the
principal editor. This gentleman manages the more im-
portant business connected with the Sporting World.
He is said to be the most graphic and spirited delineator
of a priza-fight that the sporting world can boast of.
His income arising from his situation is upwards of 8001.
per annum. Indeed every one connected with the edi-
torial department of Bell's Lrfe is most liberally paid.
The proprietor of Bell's Life in London is Mr. Clement,
the late owner of the Morning chronicle. This gentle-
man spares no expense in obtaining intelligence, or in
maintaining the reputation of his journal as the princiral
organ of the Sporting World. He was lately offered the
sum of 75,0001. for Bell's Life, but did not feel disposed
to part with so valuable a property. The circulation of
this journal is 25,000 weekly. The profits arising from
the advertisements alone are 801. weekly.