The Sun.
London, England, 1855-02-06 00:00:00

THE BALTIC FLEET.

Portsmouth again resounds with the din and bustle of
preparations for the approaching naval campaign in the
Baltic, and " all hands" are busily employed from
morning until night, and long after the usual "routine"
hours of labour in several of the Governmental de-
partments. Night and day are the ovens at work at
the Clarence victualling establishment, which it would
be impossible to have more efficiently worked.
Portsmouth dockyard was never in greater ac-
tivity. Indeed, so much work is there that the Duke of
Wellington cannot be refitted there, but is ordered to
Keyham, and the Dragon was lately ordered to Ply-
mouth from tho same alleged cause. The James Watt,
91, screw, is in the old fitting basin with the greater
part of her machinery out, being defective, and her fore
and mainmasts are out from the same cause ; these and
also leer defective boilers are being attended to with all
despatch in the respective departments, and she will
speedily be re-rigged as soon as her crew are again mus-
tered, about 400 of whom are at present on leave. Cap-
tain Elliot, we believe, rejoined yesterday. The Blen-
heim, 60, screw blockship, Captain W. H. Hall, is in
the steam basin shipping new boilers, which were being
got in yesterday. The Pembroke, screw blockship,
Captain G. H. Seymour, was masted yesterday, and
will be equipped forthwith. The Hastings, 60, screw
blockship, Captain Caffin, was undocked yesterday after-
noon, before going under the shears to be masted ; her
boilers were not in, having been delayed by the railway
company from this accidental cause :—On attempting
to get them on to trucks their best crane-chain broke
twice, and yesterday the engineer department of the
dockyard was obliged to send gear to the station to help
to get the boilers delivered. A novel mode of shipping
the masts of thee blockships has been put in practice at
Portsmouth dockyard. Before being slung, these masts
have had their tops and the whole of their lower rigging
placed upon them, their topmasts pointed through the
caps, and all hackstays, &c., attached, all which has
been done on the jetty under the superintendence of the
Master-Attendant and Master-Rigger, and, all being
secured together, the lower masts, topmasts, and their
fittings are hoisted by the shears. One (the Pembroke)
out, and the other (the Hastings) inside the basin,
thus received their masts at the same time, and pre-
sented an immediate appearance of much forwardness
in their outward fitment. They will have crews
of GOO men each. The Hogue, GO, screw blockship,
Captain Ramsay, in the steam basin dock, has re-
fitted, and only waits the shipment of her new boilers,
which she will have in a fortnight or sooner, to be
'again ready for service. The Edinburgh, 60, screw
blockship, Captain Hewlett, and the Conflict, 8, Cap-
tain Canning, are expected at Portsmouth from Leith to
refit. The Imperieuse, 50, screw frigate, Captain R. B.
Watson in the steam-basin, is re-equipped ready for sea
all but the shipment of some stores, which she will take
on board in a few days. The Arrogant, 47, screw-
frigate, Captain Yelverton, will be refitted and out of
dock by the 10th. The Centaur, 6, paddle frigate, got
up steam yesterday morning, and proved them by work-
ing her paddles in the steam-basin. Captain Clifford
arrived in the morning, and hoisted the pendant on
board. The Falcon, 17, Commander Pullen, is complete
in•the engineer department,and all atannto 'in rig:- She,
only wants a crew to fit her out. The- oriel, 9,. Core-
manderLuce, is also all atannt in the harbour, but not
manned. The Ajax, 60, screw block-ship, Captain
Warden, is all ready for' sea at Spithead, with the
Geyser, 6, paddle sloop, Commander Dew. The Pene-
lope, 18, Captain Sir W. Wiseman, the Sampson,
6, and Retribution, 28, paddle frigates, will be im-
mediately taken in hand and refitted. The two latter
require a great deal of work to be made again fit for ac-
tion.
.The Palter gun-boat remains an experiment tender
to the Excellent gunnery ship.