The Sun.
London, England, 1827-11-19 00:00:00

THE BATTLE OF NAVARIN.

We perceive that some of the. London Papers are dis-
posed' to attach blame to the brave Officer who fought this
battle, because, as they affirm, of the ." hostile manner" in
which the combined squadrons entered the port of Nava-
yin, thereby indicating a determination of commencing
!hostilities. We should not be much surprised at this, if
we did not know that one of his Majesty's late Ministers,
who ought to be better informed, joined in this groundless
accusation. The measure of " demanding" an •armistice
'between the Turks and the Greeks might admit of dispute,
as a great political question ; but it cannot be made to at-
tach to the . conduet.of the' Admiral who carried the de-
mand into effect, because he has made evident, at-least to
the perfect. satisfaction of all naval men, that he conducted
the service with great judgment and gallantry, worthy of a
companion in arms of our immortal Nelson. It may be
necessary, however, to explain to such persons as labour
,under. this mistake, that, according to the. rules, of all
countries, ships of war never approach those of another
nation:without having evary thing ready for action ; and
British men-of-war are- particularly directed so to be, by
Order in. Council ; indeed,' it has often been proved that
it would not he safe for them to approach each other unless
they were so. The Admirals of the combined fleets would,
therefore, have been highly culpable, had they not been
prepared for .the event which followed upon their peaceably
entering the port of Navarin.
The! private letters which we have seen, written by
officers serving in the British squadron. at Navarin, com-
municate but few facts relative to the battle not contained
in the official dispatch. An officer of the Asia writes
" During the conflict, many of the enemy's ships took fire,
and blew up with tremendous explosions. Upwards of
fifty ships fell victims to the devastating fury of the flames,
before the engagement had entirely ceased. Lieutenant
MM., of the Cambrian, fell by a cannon-shot
iof the batteries. Lieutenant Maine Lyons has
lostiSr Qt Sturgeon,
g'o
9niesleg. The Asia and Genoa have lost their mizen
masts, and the masts and yards of the Albion have also
sustained, considerable injury. During the, action we were
frequently; in the Most Imminent danger of coming in
contact with the-.burning ships of the enemy, which were
6ifting about, and awfully exploding in' all directions:"
The honOura bestoWed on the officers engaged at Navarin,
whicht appear in Tuesday's gazette, dci not include those
excellent officers, Captain Gawen: and W. Hamilton and ;
Thomas FelioWes, of the Cambiian and Dartmouth fri-
gates, as they were previously Companions of the Bath ; a
higher honour no doubt awaits them.
Conimituder Lewis Davies, of the Rose, is prenioted to
the- rank 'of Captain, and . appointed to command the
• Genoa, 71, vice Walter Bathurst, killed in action:—.LieuL
P. W. 'Robinson (h). Flag. Lieutenant, to Sir Thomas
Hardy, during the experimental-cruises, to the rank of
• Commander: '

Toes CommaxnEtt.s.--Lieutenants—Jas._Nia, Asia;
John Drake,' Albion; Thmitas Smith (I►), Genoa ; P.
Christie, Cambrian.; Spencer Sinyth, Dartmouth ;- R.
Peyton, Glasqqa, ; R. S. Hay, Talbot;' Maine Lyons
Rose ; John Hamilton' (It), Brish ; George Daniell, MuE,
;4uito ;: and It. S. -Thmkins,
• Lieutenant SpAcer -Smythe, whpse• name appears
among the returns • of the wounded (slightly, we are glad
-to see), on board the Dartmouth,. at Nayarit', was lately
in command of. the Portsmouth Semaphore signal station.
Maine Lyonsi of -the Rose, severely • wounded, is
brother to Captain Edmund Lyons, 'R. N. Mr. Douglas
Curry, severel;,,wounded in the Rose, is the third son of
Captain-Curry, R.N., Mr. Charles BuSsell, Midshipman
of the-Genoa, Who 'Was unfortunately killed, was Son of
the Rev. J. G. Russell, formerly Curate of St'. Thomas's
:Church; in-thistown. • ~

• We do not Jeatrr that any orders have • been, given for the
Guardships at either of the ports to be fitted out for the
Mediterranean seryice, in the room of the -Asia, Albion,
and 'Genoit,
.which are coining borne to be repaired. Pro
bably the' Wolf, 18, Captain George Hayes, which sailed
hence, bit Sunday afternciou last, with sealed orders,
,and for the Mediterranean station,. took out orders to Lis-
bon for the Spartiute, Wellesley, and Warspite, to pro-
ceed on. Dispatches for Sir E, Codrington were foe-

,
L
,;::.....: - •' , ` esr-
(lie 61i:•11s.$111. e.
,
~,...,,,,,:.,,,,...„.....,„,,,,,,,, ,
•,,.... ~.,.._i__.,,..:„
,‘_•., •
~
warded 'by her. The Challo9erlMl*ttlat at Plll3l
on Thursday, for the arrival of .an Admiralty Messenger,
charged with dispatches, with which' she was instantly to
proceed to join Sir Edward Codrington. The Rattlesnake,
28, Captain Hen. 0. Bridgeman, is on her passage to
this port, from the River, with supernumerary seat..: " on
board for the Squadron in the Mediterranean. The Britot.
frigate, Captain Hon. W. Gordon, will proceed for Ply-
Mouth, as soon as she has been caulked, being intended, it
is supposed, for the same service.
SHEERNESS, Nov. 13.—An express arrived, at the
Dock Yard, on Sunday evening, from the Admiralty, with
orders to fit out the Gloucester, '74 guns, for sea imme-
diately, to go, it is reported, against the Turks; consequently
all is activity on board the Gloucester.—Kentish Gazette.
Immediately upon hearing that Lord Ingestrie was de-
tained at.Ancona under the quarantine regulations, the Pope
sent. an order that his Lordship might be released. His
Lordship says, we understand that the Albion would have
been sunk, in all probability, but for the aid of a French
frigate, that took off one of the double-banked frigate.,
ivhieh, with a ship of the line and a corvette, were then
firing upon the Albion.
Among those who gloriously fell at Nayarit', we sincerely
lament to record the death of Lieutenant George William
Howe Fite-Rey, R.N., of his Majesty's ship Dartmouth
(Fsietoarittdoysionofo
Kt' Leniepitsentanan.it-oGgeen, eria the
in this
11onoCo4nu;yar,e who\ill
Vwiatans
killed, nobly fighting fur his King and Country, against the
Turks, on the 20th of October, 182'7. He was a gentle-
man of great promise, in the prime of life, an enthusiast in
his profession, an ornament to the service to which he be-
longed, and beloved by all who knew hint—for he was ho-
nourable, good, and valiant. Lieut. Fitz-Roy was born at
the Rectory, Great Witchinghant, and had attained the
24th year of his age. " There is (says our correspondent
at Swaffhant) great reason to believe that Lieut. G. W.
li. Fitz-Roy, whom Sir Edward Codrington states to hive
been killed by a fire of musketry in the late glorious en-
gagement, fell by the very first shot discharged by the
Turks. He was a tine, gallant, open-hearted youth, de-
voted to his profession, and promising highly to adorn it.
, It is little consolation to his lamenting friends that the ball
k whicleleare„ the
_fataleineult, prorked the utter destruction
of the insttltirif:-7I &cep sensation or grief pervades all sib°
knew him, descending, from the General and his noble're-
latives and connections, to the lowliest domestic at Kemp-
ston-lodge."—Norfo/k Chronicle.
We have been fatottred with the perusal of a letter 're-
ceived on Monday morning from an officer on board his
Majesty's
eeyssestt;ressr dsslia'isiip-p,
uh:thribcohuirs,
overand :Ina:
re
isghetv::
oNona,vaarbinouHt atrihvoouro,,cOlocetkoh, eern2telr,edlBt2i7iis.
Asia.Aafsteiain, Time following is an extract :---,, His
eoubida tetil.,e
which
i efio, Upgri.:ll:eotnutsirsn
drntevsei,dth,
using,lanhde
whole of the Turkish fleet, which we have entirely des-
troyed. I have received two or three contusions, one of
for the present, my right hand. Our loss generally-on
board the English ships, has been very
the Russians and French have also suffered very much,—
The Asia's raizen.mastle entirely gone over the side, and
the main and foremasts badly wounded. We are now re-
pairing damages with the other ships to go to Malta. The
Asia; Oenoa, and Athion, must, I think, all go to Eng-
land, The Admiral escaped in the most miraculous man-
ner. I was close alongside him on the poop, and saw many
I brave fellow laid low, and the shots flying about us ,like
a shower. We had four or five -large ships alongside us
to fight at one time, having led the squadron in.—Ply-
mouth Journal. .