NAVAL INTELLIGENCE. [From the Times.] Poitsmouth, May 28.

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume III, Issue 228, 6 October 1847, Page 4

NAVAL INTELLIGENCE. [From the Times.] Poi tsmouth, May 28.

Rear- Admiral Sir Charles Napier's squadron has commenced assembling at Spithead.

The Howe, 1 20 ; the Terrible and Birkenhead steam frigates joined the St. Vincent this morning. The Queen and Caledonia are hourly expected from Plymouth. The following ships and vessels will form the chief members of Sir Charles Napier's squadron ; the greater number of them are already assembled at this port : — Guns. St. Vincent, Captain Milne, flag of Sir Charlea Napier, K.CB 120 Howe, Captain Sir James Stirling- 120 Caledonia, Captain Dixon 120 ♦ Trafalgar, Captain.Nott 1 20 Queen, Captain Sir H. Leeke 110 Vengeance, Captain Lushington 84 • Canopus, Captain Moresby 84 * Superb, Captain A. L. Corry 80 Amphion, (300 horse-screw), Captain Williams 36 Nautilus, Lieutenant-Commander Rivers 10

Steamers. . Horse-power. Terrible, Captain Ramsay 800 Odin, Captain the Honorable D. Pelham 560 Sidon, Captain Henderson 560 Dragon, Captain Hall 560 Centaur, (captain not appointed) 540 Birkenhead, Commander Ingrain 500 Bulldog, Commander Key 500 Gladiator, Captain Robb 430 Polyphemus, Commander M'Cleverty . . 200 Whether the ships marked thus (*), at present under the command of Vice-Admiral Sir W. Parker, will be detached from their service in the Tagus to follow Sir C. Napier, remains to be seen. The Vengeance is on her way to this port and is hourly expected from the West Indies. She will refit, take in her lower deck guns, and equip for other than troop service, placing herself under the order of Sir Charles Napier. The Odin is getting ready to join with as much despatch as possible, and the Centaur will be put in commission in a day or two, and if not ready to join when the sailing orders arrivj, will most probably follow. The squadron above enumerated comprises the finest and best ships in the world, built on designs by the most approved architects or after the most perfect models, the St. Vincent, Howe, Caledonia, and Trafalgar, having been built by t^e late Sir William Rule, the litter improved/ by Mr. Lang ; the Queen, tuperb, Centaur, Gladiator, Bulldog, and Polyphemus, by the surveyor of the navy ; the Vengeance, and Amphion by Seppings ; the Terrible by Lang ; the Sidon by Sir C. Napier : and the Birkenhead by Laird. The squadron will victual here, which will be a source of considerable benefit to the tradesmen of the locality and the watermen, who invariably reap a rich harvest from the traffic carried on with the shore ; the latter especially, on account of the vast number of visitors who flock from the metropolis and and other places to visit the " wooden walls of old England." We are informed that Lord Frederick Fitzclarence, Lieutenant-Governor of Portsmouth and Commander-in-Chief of the South-west District, contemplates having the quarters of the various troops in this garrison cleansed and repaired next month, pending which proceedings the stroops 5 troops will all be encamped on Southsea Common. Should this prove correct (and we have no reason to doubt it at present, the military and marine quarters being alike destitute of comfort and cleanliness) the spectacle will be one of the most imposing and gratifying ever exhibited on our shores. A large fleet at Spithead and a small army encamped under the walls, will give Portsmouth the appea>ance of a citadel blockaded by sea and besieged by land, the drawbridges being drawn up and the moats filled serving to assist the illusion. In the above list we have enumerated the ships and steamers actually under the orders of Sir Charles Napier, and those most likely to be placed under his command, and taken as a whole will, we doubt not, be found ultimately correct. Rear-Admiral of the Blue, William H. Shirreff, late Captain-Superintendent of Chatham dockyard, is named amongst others as most likely to succeed Rear-Admiral Sir George Seymour, K. 8., K. G. H., in the chief command on the Pacific station, and to hoist his flag in the Asia, 84, at Sheerness.