The Sun.
London, England, 1855-04-05 00:00:00

THE SAILING OF THE BALTIC FLEET.

FORTsItouTH, Wednesday. The disappointment
caused by the non-sailing of the fleet on Tuesday, as ap-
pointed, was amply compensated for to-day in the eyes
of the few who remained at Portsmouth to see what an-
other day
would bring forth. As early as six o'clock in
t'
he morning the Port-Admiral, Sir Thomas Cochrane,
and the Board of Admiralty went to Spithead in the Vi-
vid steam yacht, and gave the last orders to the fleet,
after which the Vivid carried them to Sconce Point, to
inspect the new works of defence at that part of the
Needles Channel. A dense fog shut out the fleet en-
tirely from the shore, and it was not until noon that
oven the spectre-like hulls became visible to the anxious
eyes gazing seawards. It appeared uncertain in the
early part of the day whether the fleet would move, but
at 9 a.m. the flag-ship, the Duke of Wellington, sig-
nailed to the Geyser and Driver to get up steam
ra
tond
prepare to weigh ; at 10 signal was made to the fleetn
weigh the small bower anchor and raise screw propel.
lers ; the wind being fai: it was then known to be the
Admiral's intention that the ships should put to sea
under sail, and at 11.30 he signalled to the
paddle-ves-
sels
to get up steam at slow speed, while
en at the same time
tminutes after 1
. the dinner pennant was hoisted. At
signal was made "Prepare to weigh ;" the fleet insmedi-
Mel.), hove short, and at half-past "
" Weigh and form order of sailing
1 signal was made
as most convenient,
with Magicienne and Basilisk in front to look out ahead
of the Admiral, and the Bulldog and Dragon to take their
places in the Admiral's wake. At 2 general signal
was made to
“Rendezvous in the Downs in case of
parting company " The ships got under way as most
* a
convenient (per signal),
wards the . Nab, nd when standing out to-
appeared from that spot in the follow-
-n ro
g order .
zT DIPISIoN. STABBORD DIVISION.
Guns Commanders Guns Commanders.
iseegicienne... 16 Fisher Basilisk
Blenheim .... 60 Hall James Watt 91 Elliot
Colossus
Duke of Wel- Edinburgh... 58 Hewlett
lington l3l (Flag) Caesar 9l Robb
Gorgon 6 Crawford Ajax
Cressy Bl Warren Nile 9l Mundy
Bulldog
majestic
The first off was the Blenheim under courses, topsails,
and topgallantsails, the James Watt following closely
in her wake under topsails and topgallantsails, and evi-
dently having the heels of her ; at a wide Interval came
the Colossus and Hogue, the latter carrying fore and
maintopnaast and topgallant studding sails, which ex-
ample was followed by the other 60-gun blockships.
Generally, the ships carried royals, which the Blenheim
was first to hoist, and this she did when abreast of the
Pylades. The Duke of Wellington, besides the flag of
the Commander-in-Chief (at the mizen), carried the broad
pendant (blue) of the Captain of the Fleet at. her main,
although there were eight senior,captains in sight. This,
we believe, was a novelty, but perhaps a good one in some
respects, as showing an utter disregard of precedent
and "routine" in the " regulations" relating to such mat-
ters. The Port Admiral, Sir Thomas Cochrane, went
out of harbour in the Vivid while the fleet was under
way, and remained close to the Duke of Wellington for
some time, eventually proceeding some way out with the
ships. Had not the weather been so hazy, the picture
from the shore would have been magnificent ; but the
first of the fleet was out of sight before any movement
was known ashore. About half-past 3, however, the
mist suddenly lifted, and a glimpse was then obtained
of the fleet in full sail about six miles from port, between
the Warner and the Nab. The last signal seen was now
made out, flying from the masthead of the Duke,
.and
was evidently in consequence of the wind falling light ;
it was for the line-of-battle ships to "Get up steam at
slow speed." During the time these manoeuvres were
being performed by the fleet the splendid new two-
decker Orion, 91, under full steam, was cruising about
the roadstead, and trying her speed by the measured
mile ; she is a magnificent ship, and apparently of
great power. The Bellerophon, 78, sailing ship,
afforded a sad contrast to the outgoing fleet as she was
towed into harbour with sick and wounded invalids from
the Crimea. There were but few vessels of any kind
moving about the fleet, owing to the general impression
that it would not leave before Thursday. Among those
out we noticed the Vivid, the Pigmy, the Bee, the Ar-
gus, and the trim little Dutch war steamer Mercur,
which got under way and stood out abreast of the Com-
mander-in-Chief's ship. The only. casuaity was with a
schooner yacht, the property of Mr. H. D. P. Cunning-
ham, R.N., the inventor and patentee of the plan for
reefing topsails from the deck, who got under way with
the fleet to exhibit the utility of that important applica-
tion. The yacht got under the bows of the two-decker
Majestic, carried away both her topmasts, and obliged
the line-of-battle-ship to drop anchor. There were 13
sail of the line and five paddle steamers gone to-day.
The latter are the Magicienne, Vulture, Dragon, Bull-
dog, and Gorgon. There are remaining at Spithead the
Neptune, 120 ; St. George, 120 ;
_Orion (screw), 91 ;
Powerful, 84 ; Calcutta, 84; Pylades (screw), 21 ;
Cruiser (screw), 14 ; Ariel (screw), 9 ; Centaur, 6
(paddle) ; Geyser, 6 (paddle) ; and Driver, 6 (paddle).
It is reported that the sailing line of-battle-ships go
shortly to the Downs, to salute the Emperor and Em-
press of the French, on their forthcoming visit to Eng-
land.

At five o'clock the van of the Baltic fleet was hull
down from the extreme end of the land on the Ports-
mouth shore.

IA VAL AND MILITARY INTELLIGENCE.

Mails for her Majesty's troops in the Crimea, Greece,
Turkey, and Smyrna, and the naval forces and transport
service in the Black Sea, will be made up to-morrow
evening and despatched, rice Marseilles, whence they
will be forwarded by French packet to their destination.
Letters for persons attached to the medical staff, or in
the military hospitals at Smyrna or Scutari, should be
specially addressed, " Hospital, Scutari," or "Hospital,
Smyrna," as the case may be. Letters must be pre-
paid.

The Lords of the Admiralty have decided that the
entry of foreign seamen fur a continuous service of ten
years shall for the future be discontinued ; they will,
however, be permitted to volunteer for short periods of 6
and 12 months, to serve in the gun and mortar vessels
and floating batteries attached to the Baltic and White
Bea fleets.

The Orion, 91, Capt. Erskine tried the measured mile
.at Stoke's Bay yesterday; wind light and water smooth;
draught 27 feet ;speed per hour, average, 11 2 nautical
miles, equal to 12 9 statutuseiles per hour; revolutions
of engines 60 per minute. This performance is consid-
ered to be not inferior to that of any line-of-battle ship
yet tried at Stoke's Bay. She made 11 4 knots by log
before taking up her station in the fleet on Tuesday, on
her way from Sheerness, at 62 revolutions of her engines.
The Powerful, 84, Captain Massie, is to retain her
crew intact; they will be turned over eventually in a
body—officers and men—to a screw line•of-battle ship.
The repairs of the machinery of the screw-transport
Victory are progressing i❑ Plymouth Sound. One of the
engines broke down shortly after leaving Portsmouth,
and she came on with the aid of a single engine. The
air bucket of the foremost engine is out of order, and the
slides require to be adjusted.
The Government hired transport, Mary Ann, Captain
Fielding, No. 46, with stores from the Black Sea, last
from Gibraltar, arrived in Plymouth Sound on Wed-
nesday morning. She belongs to the estate of Messrs.
Oliver and Co., of Liverpool.