The Sun.
London, England, 1829-08-10 00:00:00

NAVAL INTELLIGENCE.

PORTSMOUTH, AUG. B.—The Lord Cochrane
transport, Lieutenant Jefferson' agent, arrived from
Ceylon on Tuesday, with Ordnance stores and in-
valids. She left Colombo on the 4th March, and
the Cape of Good Hope on the 28th May. The
following is an extract of a letter by this vessel,.
dated Simon's Town, Cape of Good Hope, 26th
May :

‘ A new Ordinance, on the subject of the Press,
has just come out, which subjects an Editor and
Proprietor, &c. if convicted of libel, for the first
offence to a penalty of 300/. sterling,, and for the
second, to banishment from the colony. You may
believe this Ordinance is no popular one. We have
a large naval squadron in Simon's Bay, no less than
five in number; namely, his Majesty's ships Maid-
stone, Commodore Schomberg, Tweed, Comet,
Falcon, and Espoir. The Falcon is on the point of
sailing to St. Helena, to endeavour to fall in with a
reported pirate. The Maidstone is to sail in ten
days for the Mauritius. There is no merchant-
vessel here at present ; the Dutch brig Astrea, Capt.
Brandlight, bound to Batavia, sailed from this port
on the 24th. We have had, for some time back,
very pleasant weather, and some tine refreshing
rains : and there is every reason to believe that we
shall have a fine crop. Beef and mutton have al-
ready much improved, although many thousands of
cattle and sheep have died for want of grass, par-
ticularly in the new settlement of Albany. Sir
Lowry Cole and family have been living at this place
for some time past, and will remain until the middle
of June. The Commodore gave up the Admiral's
house to his Excellency, who has commenced mak-
ing a new road over Hottentot Holland Mountains,
which were almost impassable, except by the
waggons of the Dutch boor (i. e. farmer) which are
drawn up, loaded, by from twenty to fifty oxen,
nearly perpendicular; and when any part of the
tackle gives way, it is usually the case that the
greater part of the oxen are killed, and the waggon
broke. The farmers in England have no idea how
difficult it is to manage a farm in this colony. It is
reported our Government has determined upon mak-
ing several other roads, if funds can be found to
cover the expenses."
The Badger, 10, Commander Rowley, arrived at
Falmouth on Tuesday, with the mail, from Halifax,
in eighteen days., The squadron was dispersed in
various directions,—the Columbine was at Bermuda,
Rose in the Bay of Fundy, Tyne and Manly at
Newfoundland, and Hussar at Halifax. Mr. Eden,
Midshipman of the Hussar, had lost his arm by the
bursting of a fowling-piece.
The Joseph Green transport, Lieut. Robinson,
Agent, which took out troops from this and Ply-
mouth Garrison, arrived at Halifax on the sth July,
and sailed on the 12th for the Bay of Fundy.
Accounts have been received of the safe arrival of
his Majesty's shipJasseur at the Isle of France, with
specie, on the 25th of April. She found there the
Tweed and Espoir.

The Favourite, 18, Commander Harrison, sailed
on Wednesday for the Mediterranean; and on the
following day, the Athol, 28, Capt. Gordon, with
the British Consul, for Tangiers, and thence to join
the squadron on the coast of Africa.

The Algerine, 10, Commander Talbot, destined
for the South American station, was launched on
Saturday from the Dock-yard at Chatham ; and on
Wednesday the Thunder bomb, of upwards of 400
tons, was launched from the Dock-yard at Deptford.
It is understood that the Jupiter, Naiad, and
Dryad, will shortly be put in commission. The
Jupiter in all probability will be substituted for the
Barham.

A more striking proof of the great inactivity which
prevails in our naval departments cannot be ad-
duced, than the fact that there is not at this mo-
ment a vessel of war of any force whatever fitting
out at this port—a circumstance almost unprece-
dented for many years.
By an Order in Council of 1814, a stop was put
to the promotion of Captains' Clerks to the rank of
Pursers, until the number of Pursers should be re-
duced below the number of ships in the navy. With-
in these few days another Order in Council has been
issued, which grants some alleviation to this deserv-
ing class of individuals; promotion is again to go
on, provided it does not embrace more than ten in
any one year.

A Committee of Officers is ordered to assemble
at the Admiralty, of which Sir Lawrence Halstead
will be Chairman, to re-arrange the present Rigging
Warrants, and other supplies of stores which by
existing orders the men of war arc now obliged to
receive on board. With the Chairman, Sir T.
Hardy, Sir J. Brenton, Captains C. White, E.
Brace, and J. Hayes will form the Board.
At a late meeting of several Medical Officers of
the Navy in London, on which occasion Dr. W.

The Cephalus and Peruvian brigs, 18, a packet
and cutter at this port, are ordered to be broken up,
being found unserviceable.

Iris expected the Hyacinth, 18, at this port,
will be speedily brought forward for commission.
Lieut. Richard Haably, 1811, has been appointed
Chief Officer of the Coast Guard Station, Prussia
Cove, near Penzance; and an interchange of crews of
the same service, has lately been carried into effect
between England and Ireland. It is also positively
decided upon, that no person below the rank of a
Lieutenant in the Royal Navy, can be considered
eligible to be Chief Officer of a Coast Guard Sta-
tion.

Lieut. Thomas Daws (1809) is appointed to the
charge of the Semaphore Telegraph, River Hill,
Surrey.
Lieut. William Griffin (1825) is appointed to his
Majesty's ship Gloucester.
Lieut. Hopton, of the Victory, is promoted to the
rank of Commander.

Previous to the Navy Board leaving this port, a
general muster of the Ordinary took place, and we
understand in future the officers of that. department
will be considered qualified for superannuation on
completing fifty-five years of age. The boys of the
Ordinary are ordered to attend the school on board
the San Josef.

Captain Bowles, Comptroller-General of the
Coast Guard, has been for some time, and is now,
inspecting that service on the coast of England.
Since the recent survey, the office of foreman of
caulkers in this dock-yard has been abolished.