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, K.C.8., Commander in Chief at the
Nore, who died very suddenly on Friday last. From the
evidence of the secretary it appeared that the deceased ad-
miral had been complaining for several days previous, but
not to excite any apprehensions of a fatal termination.
On Thursday last he had so far recovered as to be able
to have a party at dinner with him. On Friday fore-
noon, about eleven o'clock, he was seized with a return of
the pain in his chest while putting his signature to some
official papers brought into his room by the secretary, and
expired in a few moments. Dr. Miller, the surgeon of
the flagship, 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, 120, 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, Gros-
venor. square, and of Ilmer, Bucks, has departed this life
in the 78th year of his age. Although plain Admiral Ra-
per, the deceased was a most gallant 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 navy is not known, but he
was midshipman of the Cambridge at the relief of Gib-
raltar, and was wounded in the actions off the Dogger
Bank, in 1781. He was made a Lieutenant 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 Os-
tend, in 1798. He afterwards commanded L'Aimable,
and in that ship, in 1799, gallantly engaged the French
frigate. Syrene and the Bergare corvette. He obtained
his rank of Rear-Admiral at the general promotion of
the 12th August, 1819, that of Vice-Admiral on the
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 Lodwick, 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 not 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 feet
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. This vessel was a
beautiful little craft, and, on being captured, was
manned from the Waterwitch, and sent into a slave-
dealing port, to lie in wait for this felucca. Not
aware of the capture and altered character of this
vessel, but deeming her to be still in the iniquitous
pursuit, the felucca stood into the place within a quar-
ter of a mile of the Pretty Polly, and, we believe, had
nearly got down her large sail, when she discovered
she was in the vicinity of an enemy. She immediately,
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 off; 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,.1845

" 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 Morning Herald has taken in its column, 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
Carrzere qui exige tout ce que les connaissances humaines
ont de plus ab:trait,' 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 fight, 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 seat at the French
Admiralty Board to the office of Minister of Marine.
Every impartiA naval man, from the last debates
in the House of Commons, will see the ne-
cessity, if we desire to preserve our superiority
over the French, and keep inviolable our shores
from French invasion, of reviving the school
of naval architecture, and of emancipating a
science, so important to our very existence, from the
trammels of political interest and of ignorant prejudice.
Some of your readers, Sir, may not be acquainted
with the means employed by our neighbours to
obtain efficient ships. The following are the plans
which the French Admiralty adopt for 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 minutiae, 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
the Admiralty have chosen his model and plans, and
he is directed to commence building a vessel in ex-
act accordance therewith, the Government furnish-
ing every material requisite ; and during its con -
stru3tion. a Member of 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 agrt ed 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 he, Sir,
your obedient servant, "EPAULETTES."
—Herald.

(Abridged from the Hampshi, e Telegraph.)
Her Majesty's ship Eurydice, Captai❑ George Elliot,
was at Sacrificios on the 3d of March, and also two
Spanish and one French vessel of war. Her Majesty's
ships Illustrious, Inconstant, Spartan, Hyacinth, Persian,
and Bermes steamer, were at Bermuda on the 23d of
March. The Inconstant had arrived there with specie
from Tampico.
The Pique, 36, left Barbadoes for Demerara, on the
sth of March.
The Espiegle, 12, Commander Thompson, sailed from
Devonport on Thursday, for the East Indies and China.
The Actceon, 26, and Firebrand, steam-frigate, both on
their way to the Brazils, and the Lily, 16, for the coast
of Africa, were at Madeira on the 7th of March.
The Espoir, 10, Commander Hand, was at St. Helena,
all well, on the Ist of February. On the morning of the
sth of January (says a private letter just received from
her), while cruising off Cape Lopez about daylight, the
signal-man at the mast-head announced a suspicious-
looking craft, when, the wind being light, the gig and
cutter were ordered to give chase. They returned about
noon, with a fine schooner of 100 tons, named the Casem.
When taken the prize had 41 leaguers of water and a
cargo of rice on board, and her slave deck laid. The
Espoir took her prize into St. Helena, where she was
condemned.
Vice-Admiral Sir Edward King, K.C.8., is appointed
Commander-in-Chief at the Nore, vice Sir J. Chambers
White, deceased.
Admiral Sir John West, K.C.8., is to succeed Sir 1).
Milne as Commander-in-Chief at Plymouth.

APPOINTMENTS.
Captains—H. J. Worth, to the Trafalgar ; Sir H.
Leeke, to the Caledonia; Sir B. Walker, to the Queen.
Lieutenants—W. M. J. E. Pasco, to command the
Jackall; H. J. Dicken, from the Linnet to the Seagull;
John Hay (e), and J. H. Crang, to the Grecian; A. G.
Edye (additonal) to the Tartarus; B. S. Pickard, to the
Melampus; H. B. Jones, to the San Josef, vice Maxwell,
superseded at his own request; W. F. Feed, to be flag-
lieutenant to Vice-Admiral Sir E. I). King; E. J. B.
Clarke (additional), to the Vesuvius; H. W. L. Thomas,
to the Arrow, for service in the Woodlark; Wm. Crook,
and C. R. Jackson, to the Queen; John Harding, to the
Cyclops; C. G. Glynn, and Henry King, to the Apollo.
Masters—A. B. Usborne (additional), to the Cyclops;
Peter Francis, from the Linnet, to the Seagull; F. J.
Kent, to the Lizard.

Paymaster and rurstr—hons Fletcher, ts) Qua,

Surgeon—John Park, to Espiegle; Dr. J. M‘Bain, to
Mastiff ; Henry Morris, to David Malcolm, and Robert
Dobie, to Ro.dcliffe, convict ships.
Second Mssters—James Matthews, from Acheron, to
be Acting Master of Devastation; Ezekiel Angier, to
Vanguard; T. B. Wells, to Mastiff ; G. A. Water, to
Dee ; E. J. H. Tucker, to Melampus; William H. Wil-
liams, to Jackal].
Assistant Surgeon—John Leifer, from Linnet to Sea-
gull; Dr. Borthwick, to Queen.
Secretary—James Pinhorn, Esq., to be Secretary to
Sir E. D. King.
COAST GUARD.—Commander Orbell Oakes, to be In-
specting Commander of the Gosport district, vice Ranr
sey, service expired.
The Mates undernamed passed for Lieutenants at the
Royal Naval College, on Tuesday .—Mr. Edmund
Webber, Excellent ; E. A. Blackett, late Harlequin
Charles Vesey and T. T. Hambly, late Belvidera.

RO 't AL MESSENGERS.
A very curious document (Sessional Papers, house
of Commons, No. 93, ordered to be printed 4th March,
on the motion of Mr. Warburton), has just been
issued from the Vote Office. It is a "Return relative
to the Expense of Royal Messengers for the years of
Edward I. and 1433 ; Accounts of the Master of the
Posts in the reign of Elizabeth ; Order in Council,
1626, repecting Transmission of Letters; Extracts
from Rolls of Parliament respecting Statutes of Pro-
visors, 1306-1350 ; and Catalogue of Writs de
_ _

Scrutinio Faciendo."
Under Class No. I.—" Extracts from the Ward-

robe Account of 28 Edw. 1., giving the total expense
for that year of the Royal Messengers"—it is stated
that in the year 1299-1300 (28 Edw. I.) the sum
paid by the Crown for messengers, exclusive of snol,
paid to messengers conveying intelligence of royal
births (which may be considered as extraordinary
payments), was 148/. 44. Bd., which contained about
the same weight of standard silver as would be con'
tained in 3001., measured by the old standard shilling
of Geo. 111. And in the Wardrobe Account, pub-
lished by the Royal Society of Antiquaries, we find
some curious items and still more curious Iltinities•
Thus, we have a fee of 2s. to a person bringing to till
King " a little dog." (" I. Dimetori portanti ad
Regem unum parvum canem.") There is something
whimsical in the notion of a present to, or purchase
by, the iron-cased and iron-hearted subduer of Wales
and Scotland of a tiny lapdog. For the expenses of
De Kyrkeby'travelling as far as Berwick-upon-Tvveed•
and returning with the utmost expedition, we read
the following item, the idiomatic and vernacular
felicity of which will commend itself to the more
fastidious of our readers :—" Expensis Radi ne
Kyrkeby euntis usque Berwickum -super-Tweedain
et redeuntis cum summa festinatione 155." It is ob.
servable that the largest of the disbursements in dila
account are made to one of the Queen's messenge"
(" Russell, Nuncio Regina:"), 10/.; to messengers
from the Duke of Brabant, 61. 13s. 4d.; and from
the King of Arragon, Si. For messengers announcing
" royal births," the disbursements made, reference,
being had to the value of money at the time referral
to, seem to have been at least as co3tly affairs as till
are now. To one set of messengers (Nunciis Mon
Martini), there were issued 1001.; and to one of the
Duchess of Brabant's gentlemen, 1261. 13s. 4d. ID
the year 1433 (12 Henry VI.) in the statement o.
the receipt and expenditure of the Crown submittal
to Parliament by Richard Cromwell, Lord Sigh
Treasurer, the expense of the " Nuncii missi tat!
extra regnum quam infra regnum" is estimated st
2001., which sum contained about the same weight
standard silver as would be contained in 4001., paid ill
the old standard shilling of George 111. This is ex;
elusive of the expense of ambassadors, which wilt
2,626/. 13s. 41. Very curious are the " Accounts 1
Thomas Randolph, Master of the Posts from Oct.
8 Elizabeth, to Sept. 30, l 3 Elizabeth." They occul,
amongst tl e Records of the Court of ExchegaLe:
(Pipe) in the Public Record Office, in custody of r,
Right Hon. the Master of the Rolls (by stat. 1 an
c. 94). Although they are signed by " Bart.
ley" and " Mildmay, ' and are audited by ","0;
Dodington," they exhibit a rude and clumsy srle e
of allowances to provincial postmasters in quittanco
of disbursements out of her Majesty's Exchequer
account of the " Maister of the Postes," and in els'
charge of the payments to " Thomas Meneage,
Treasurer of H. Majesty's Chamber," which sc° a
horrify the administrative habits of Mr. Bowie%
Hill. The " somme total' of the saide paymente
allowances aforesaid," is thus primatively stated "8/.
" m/. ml. ml. ml. ml. Dcccxxviii/i. xzxs." (or 5,82
195.)
.11
We conclude our notice of this curious paper
respectfully directing Sir James Graham's attent.l.4l
to an " Ordinance of Parliament passed in ,
(20 Ed. III.)" "No letters of aliens to be 4
spected." This ordinance should have protected r.a
Mazzini, if it could not shield Mr. Thomas Dunolliv:
from the " searching" interest, by the Horne-ofcet
the contents of sealed letters addressed to certain ill.
dividuals.

PARLIAMENTARY PAPERS.
SLAVE TRADE—SLAVE VESSELS. 73
(House of Commons' Sessional Papers, 1845, No.
ordered to be printed February 25.) .
(A.) Return showing the total number of Aftli's
Negroes, landed for the purposes of Slavery on tor
Islands and on the Continent of America, from the Yebe
1815 to the year 1843, both inclusive, distinguishing the
number so landed in each of those years, and air a,
number landed in each year on the territory 01.„eicilf
separate State or Power, so far as the same can he, w.t'y'l
up from documents in the possession of her Mai,pe:.6
Government ; also, Cases adjudged under Slave -`'.so.
Treaties, and number of slaves emancipated in e°,-,b,
quence at Sierra Leone, Rio de Janeiro, liar% tst
Surinam, and other places respectively, from the oil
1829 to the year 1844. (So much of the return )
relates to cases adjudged under Slave Trade Trestailla
(B.) Return of the number of Slave Vessels arrive-,
the Trans-Atlantic States since 1814 ; their names'tde
scription (as brig, schooner, or ship, &c.);
names, tonnage, armament, number of crew, on-„,nre
flag; whether empty or with slaves (whose numberaryo
to be stated) ; the loss by death on the voyage ; from
°
what part of Africa arrived; the length of passage 0-
date of arrival, so far as these particulars are ha,l
her Majesty's Government : also, the number o.oa
vessels clearing from Trans-Atlantic ports for Afries'„'tbet
all vessels clearing from Trans-Atlantic ports or "isifo
ports, and suspected of an intention of engaging in the ter;
trade, since 1814 ; their names, description, toss;,"01
names, tonnage, armament, number of crew, ratio to
flag; whether empty or with cargo, and what cargo;
what alleged destination, and date of departure. fidd
The first department of Return (A) is enod
" Cases adjudged under Slave Trade Treatietara
number of slaves emancipated in consequence at '1- tO
Leone, the Havannah, Rio de Janeiro, &c., from 1891-00,
1844." It is thus classified : " Cases adjudged (1):041
date, number of vessels, number of slaves emanotr:seia
remarks)." This paper comprises a series of 407 °Polk
in the vast majority of which sentence of condemns the
passed. The total number of slaves emancipated b).011
Mixed Commission Courts, 1829-1843 inclusive' ,se:
57,639. There were two cases only in which P,04
cutions were commenced, but subsequently abao°s at
by the captors. 331 of these cases were adjudgepiro
Sierra Leone ;43 at Havannah 29 at Rio de Jan the
lat Hamburgh ;1 at Cayenne ; lat Bremen ; %OS
Cape of Good Hope—in all, 408. There were 20;00
brought before the Courts as to which such `-'° for,
declared themselves incompetent to entertain thens'ool
which no adjudications took place. (B.) This RettliaortiC
the number of slave vessels arrived in the Trans-At;lB7
States. &c., gives a total of 2,313 vessels and 6a cef'
slaves. Of these vessels it appeared to have been '7l Of
tained that there sailed respectively, under the 1di1565,
France, 28 ; Spain, 297 ; Sweden, 2 ; Portugs,i'Lipti
Brazil, 80; America, 18; Holland, 2; Russia, 1; 9"1,-
Ayres, 2; Monte Video, 5; Hamburgh, 1; Denalars"

eel
The Hon. Henry T. Liddell has arrived at Fgarr4-
p
Hotel, from Scotland. —doe

IRTHS. ~ (100
On the 7th inst., at Belmont, Hants, the wife 01
Sir James Stirling. R.N., of a daughter. Egg',
On the Bth inst., the wife of William Mitcalfe,
-
Fitzroy•square, of a daughter. lad of „d,'
On the 15th of February, near Kamptee, the a.bco-
P. Crest, Esq., 7th Madras Cavalry, of
Far daughter, sti
of the
On the 3d inst., at Pau, south of ance, the 1011
Hon. B. Cary, of a son. je"
On the 6th inst., at Manchester, Mrs. S. L. Behrens,
11
of a son. thelo •
On the 9th inst., in Bedford-place, Russell-square'
of J. L. Wight, Es., of a son and daughter. Sil4lll'
On the 10th inst.q, at Upper Islington, Mrs. Henry
of a daughter.
On the 11th inst., at Denmark-hill, Mrs. George
Marshall, of a son.

~ ~.. _....
........---- 4
J•
VARRIE.D. he I?..re'f. li,
At St. Osyth, J. Robert Kirby, eldest son of t fr •
L. Kirby, of Clacton, to Elizabeth, eldest daughter °
t°
Nassau, Esq., of St. Osyth. IL•
On the loth inst., at Banstead, Captain Stanhope, -go
Mary, second daughter of the late Vice-Admiral it
"-
James Foote, K.C.B. 1111'
Of
On the 11th inst., at the parish church of Chia, ary ii,,i, ~.,
dlesex, H. Crompton Booth, Esq., of Liverpool, to 'id_ott'''
second daughter of Henry Trimmer, Esq., of Stilt!'
_...-*/
Green, near Kew.

---.--I
DIE U. frej
On the 6th inst., at Notting-hill, Bayswater, Oliviit2 Aclifigy
Hall, only daughter of the late Mr. Hall, surgeon''we
J.
Berks, aged 28. „i ft,
On the 7th inst., at Edmonstone House, Cheltenu3—'
~,,
-.lla lks'
Lloyd, Esq., surgeon.
On the 7th inst. ,• at Lyme Regis, Dorsetshire, l'''''
garet Philpot. in'th, JO
On the Bth inst., in the New-road, Haulm 4
t 51j
James, eldest son of Mr. John Bul.
On the 9th inst., at Shrewsbury,)Randolph, the infilli
191/IP' only son of the Rev. Dr. Kennedy.
On the 9th inst., Oliver Colt, Esq., of Rovrallagig' op
shire, aged 85.
On the 10th inst., at Mount Radford, tiall3
the wife of Edward Trapp Pilgrim, Esq., aged 82. 1,0-
On the 10th inst., at Ward's Hous, Hackney',
Wil"slsl
Varty,
Esq., aged 76.
On the 11th inst., in C b 1 Islington,
anon ury- ane, fj'
Butler, Esq.
of Bolton's
On the 11th inst., Mr. Thomas Sowter,
South Mimms, Herts.
--.—..---- Exeter, Doll

of
1'4'6;15,
1, sz:4on Printod stnd P 3( übl; h MURDO '
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~%.;:raud, Printer. a.: The Sun Office,coov/
Strand, in the Precinct. of the Savoy, inAthe

Middlesex, blonday, April 14 1845.