The Sun. — 1850-12-26 (London, England)

EXPEDITION OF THE DEDALUS IN TILE PACIFIC. The following is an extract of a letter from the Dm lalus, 20, Captain Gennys Fanshawe, with which we have been favoured. It is dated Lansolita Bay, San Francisco Harbour, October 29 :—" We have just returned from Vancouver's Island, bringing back a good many spars for the use of the squadron. Some Indians of the Newitte tribe having murdered some English seamen, and refused to deliver up the culprits, we sent some of our boats with the first• lieutenant and second-master to destroy some of their villages, and, if possible, to take some prisoners; the-latter we _did not succeed in doing, but burnt their houses, 840, Scott, the second-master, and two  That this statement of the Albion's rolling is not imaginary I would ask " W." to refer to Captain Milne for his relation of the facts he witnessed when he was out with the experimental squadron, and I would alao beg of " W." to refer to Sir George Seymour as to the Collingwood's rolling going round Cape Horn ; and, with regard to the Vanguard, I will rely on the statement of any unbiassed, unprejudiced officer that ever belonged to her, and had witnessed her rolling in a heavy swell, or in a seaway, particularly when under low canvass. When the Albion was last in commission I remember to have heard it said that her killed and wounded, from her rolling, during the three years she was ememployed, was equal to that of many of the ships in the battle of Trafalgar  Indeed I perfeCtly recollect hearing her master, who appeared to be always strongly prejudiced in her favour, admit that in a swell or sea she did constantly roll above 35 degrees. The Queen, since the expensive alterations she has undergone, is, I believe, much better than either of the other line-of .battle:ships of Sir W. Symonds's:construction, though when right before the wind in heavy swell, I have heard that she still rolls so much that they would have difficulty in pointing her guns with any degree of precision. And now, Sir, with regard to your correspondent's observations relative to the statements made by Sir Charles Napier. I will not presume to doubt the accuracy of his representations generally, with respect to what occurred in the squadron under Sir Puiteney Malcolm, and elsewhere; but as regards the M'diterranean fleet in the early part cf 1840, he is greatly in error, as no doubt Sir Charles Napier will very soon show him.' Instead of Sir John Jones having been detached with a portion of Sir Robert Stopford'n fleet to the Archipelago, as " W." has represented, Sir John Jones, after having been long looked for by the commander-in-chief, came to Vourla Bay to take the temporary command of the squadron during Sir Robert Stopford's absence for a short time at Malta ; but I believe it will be found that there was no exercises of masts and yards, &c., bylthe rear-admiral's directions. It was during Sir John Louis's absence in a 20-guR ship on a shooting excursion, some fifty or a hundred miles from the squadron, that Sir Charles Napier, who, as senior officer in command of the Powerful, made the signals for those exercises, after seeing how well the French had shifted their topmasts ; but he did not do this until the French squadron had put to sea, fearing, as he said, that we might not excel them ; and this the result proved ; for whilst the French ships shifted their topmasts, the majority of them the first time in about two hours, and ultimately within one hour, some of our ships were from three to four performing the same, on the first trial, though three or four of ours did it within one hour.  _ ........ However, Sir Charles Napier will best set " W." right on these points ; but I believe I have closely adhered to the facts as they occurred. _ _ _  That the French fleet, which consisted of nine heavy ships under the zealous and indefatigable Lalande, was one of the best trained and most efficient that the French navy ever possessed, I am confident that every officer of our squadron will admit ; and had we met them as foes, the contest would have been a more severe one than any on our naval records.