28 DECEMBER 1844, Page 7

The Gazette is seldom so interesting as it was last

night : for it con- tains the narrative of an exploit which may vie in headlong boldness with those recorded in tales of chivalry—even of Ariosto's Orlando, " Conte d'Anglante e gran Signor di Brava." It is given in a letter by Commander Scott, of the Queen's ship Hyacinth, to Commodore Jones, the senior officer on the West coast of Africa ; dated 13th August 1844. Captain Scott brings to the favourable notice:of the Admiralty " the gallant and dashing behaviour" of Mr. John Francis Tottenham, Mate- " On the 12th of August, in or about latitude 15 deg. South, longitude 11 deg. 30 min. East, when off Fish Bay, 1 sent Mr. Tottenham in a four-oared gig with one spare hand, to communicate with the Portuguese Governor. The weather became thick, and he missed his port ; but, knowing that this ship .wall working along the coast, anchored for the night, and pulled to the Southward. On the morning of the 13th, he discovered a brig at anchor, without colours, and saw her slip and make sail; on which be gave chase. Being to windward and the breeze light, he was enabled to approach her weather-beam, and fire a musket a-head to it duce her to heave to and show her colours. This and a second were disregarded ; but a port was opened and a gun run out and brought to bear on the boat ; which caused the officer to pull into her wake • when part of the crew of the brig commenced firing musketry, while the others got the gun on the poop, and pointed it at the boat. Mr. Tottenham now commenced firing as fast as the spare band could load for him; being just able to keep way with the brig. Having bit four of the men on board, they left the gun, and, after firing muskets for twenty minutes, finding they were unable to weather the land or tack without being boarded by the boot, they ran the brig on shore, and abandoned her, to the number of eighteen' including three wounded men; leaving another mortally wounded (since dead) on board. "In the course of the afternoon, the brig was discovered on shore from the mast-head of this ship, which stood in, anchored, and hove her off—when she proved to be of 200 tons ; without papers, a Brazilian ensign in the cabin; fully equipped for conveying about 1,000 slaves; two .guns of four-pounds calibre, loaded, a barrel of powder, and a quantity of langndge shot, a number of mus- kets, swords, and bayonets, on the deck. Almost every bullet expended in the gig was traced by we to the gun-carriage or its immediate vicinity on the poop; and I trust that the coolness, decision, and gallantry displayed by Mr. Tottenham on this occasiun may obtain for him the rank of Lieutenant, for which he passed in 1841."

The following announcement will surprise none, though it must gra- tify all-

" The Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty have promoted Mr. John Francis Tottenham, Mate of the Hyacinth, to the rank of Lieutenant."

But Commodore Jones sends some further intelligence to the Lords of the Admiralty.

"And the Commodore Las also informed them of the capture, by her Ma- jesty's ship Ferret, on tLe 28th of September last, of a schooner, without co-

lours or papers, but supposed to be the Brazilian schooner Adventure, with

400 slaves on board ; of the destruction of the Brazilian slave brigantine Pie- dade, completely equipped for the slave trade, by her Majesty's sloop Albatross;

of the capture of the Spanish slave brigantine Andaz, completely equipped for the slave-trade, on the 25th of September last, by her Majesty 's steam-sloop Prometheus ; of the capture of the Spanish slave schooner Concepcion, on the

23d of September last, by her Majesty's steam-sloop Growler; of the detention, 011 the 30th of August last, of a brigantine, name unknown, completely fitted for the slave-tiade, by her Majesty's sloop Star; of the detention ot a Brazilian felucca, called 11 Grande Yoder de Dios bound to Bahia, with 40 slaves on board, by her Majesty's sloop Wasp; Of the capture of a schooner, fully equipped for the slave-trade, supposed to be the Virginia or Alerto, but with- out papers of any kind, by her Majesty's steam-ship Penelope ; which ship bad also driven on shore and destroyed a smaller schooner, of about forty WOO, equipped for the slave-trade, and probably Brazilian."

Whatever one may think of the policy of attempting to suppress the slave-trade by force, admiration cannot be withheld by those "who sit nt home at ease?" from this activity and daring in our sailors.

'The Gazette contains some minor notices-

" The Lord Chamberlain of her Majesty's Household has appointed the Ho- nourable Mortimer Sackville West to be one of the Gentlemen Ushers Quar- terly Waiters in Ordinary to her Majesty, in the room of the Honourable Bencage Legge, deceased. " The Queen has been pleased to appoint Frederick Sedley, Esq., to be In- spector of Police for the Island of Malta. The Queen has been pleased to direct letters patent to be passed under the Great Seal, granting the dignity of a Knight of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland unto Chevalier Robert Schomburgh, recently at the head of the expedition for exploring the boundaries of the colony of British Guiana."

Vice-Admiral Sir Francis William Austen is appointed to succeed Vice-Admiral Sir Charles Adam as Commander-in-chief of the North American and West Indian station.

The Queen has appointed Mr. Thomas Uwins, R.A., Librarian to the Royal Academy, in the place of Mr. C. L. Eastlake, R. A.