The Sun.
London, England, 1855-09-07 00:00:00

THE PATENT SLIP AT SYDNEY.

oTntitiis
ag
bannutirc work has
—afaet been b
which
the result of
no but
little
thirteeneredimt
upon the enterprise and resources of the city, particularly
when it is considered that this is the largest work of its
kind in the world, and not only the largest, but alto-
gether the most complete. There is every convenience
for three large ships being shored at the same time,
although up to the present no more than two have been
on the slip together. The first vessel taken on the slip
for an experiment was the Shamrock, one of the Com-
pany's boats ; this was at the close of April. Subse-
quently the Thistle, Collaroy, and the Belong were taken
.e and cleaned. On Friday, the 18th May, the barque
Favourite was taken on, and within 15 hours her copper
was taken off, and the vessel', side caulked and re-cop-
pered. On Thursday, May 31, the paddle-steamer Acheron
was launched from the slip, after having undergone a
thorough repair. This vessel was built, and has hitherto
been employed in her Majesty's service, and while on a
surveying cruise three years ago, ran aground near New-
castle, where a great portion of her copper was scraped
off. Her injury being ascertained, she was condemned,
and remained useless in our harbour until April last,
when she was purchased at auction by Messrs. G. A.
Lloyd and Co., for 2,1501. On being received on the
slip the Acheron was raised by the hydraulics a height
of twelve feet, to give the workmen sufficient space
under the keel to perform their tedious repairs. It was
then found that, except in one or two places, where the
sheathing had been removed, and the worm bad entered,
all the ship's timbers (of English elm) veers as sound as
on the day she was launched ; no damage whatever was
visible inside, and not one of the fastenings' showed any
signs of having started. The keel, however, was
eaten through by the worm, as was also the bottom
plank. These have both been replaced by new ones,
and the vessel has been thoroughly new coppered,
and is now in all respects as good as a new
ship. Whilst on the slip her paddle-wheels were un-
shipped, and she will go home to London as a sailing
ship, taking her engines with her. The total expense of
constructing the slip, including both the cost of the ma-
chinery and the labour required to complete the slip, is
stated as a little over 60,000/. Its termination in so short
a time, and in so effective a manner, presents one of the
fairest results of colonial wealth and enterprise, and may
may be taken as. an earnest of the varied developments
of engineerin? skill, which, under auspices equally fa-
vourable shall, in quick succession, rise in all directions,
to promote both the public benefit and individual fame.

THE MILITIA.—TWO fresh returns have been published
relating to the Militia, on the motion of Colonels Buck
and Duncombe. The one shows that on the 30th of
June, 1855, the strength of the English militia was 1,764
officers, 2,123 sergeaes, 780 drummers. and 29,885 rank
and file present, and 272 officers, 122 sergeants, 21
drummers, and 6,048 rank and file absent. The strength
of the regiments on foreign service (on the 30th of
June) was 198 officers, 286 sergeants, 95 drummers,
and 4,608 rank and file. This makes a total effective
force of 2,234 officers, 2,531 sergeants, 896 drummers,
and 40,541 rank and file. The second return shows
that the total number of rank and file embodied in
England on the 14th of March, 1855, amounted to
44,198, the total number embodied on the 14th of April,
1855, to 39 945, de quota of volunteers to the regular
army to 13,021, and the portion of the quota given
by all regiments to the regular army to 11,268. In
Scothiud the number of rank and file embodied on the
14th of April, 1855, was 5,119, the quota of volunteers
1,693, and the portion of the quota given by all regi-
ments to the regular army 886. In Ireland 15,119
rank and file were embodied on the 14th of April, the
quote of volunteers to the army was 4,736, and the
portion furnished to the line by all the regiments 2.353
Thus, the grand total ninnber of rail an file embodied
on the 14th of April, 1855. ‘N ou'cl he 51,183. the quota
of volunteers to the line 19,450, and the quota furnished
by all the regiments 14,507.