The Sun.
London, England, 1864-12-31 00:00:00

Naval and Military Intelligence.

The screw corvette Cadmus, 21, 400 horse-
power, Capt. A. Gordon, fitting at Chatham for the
North American squadron, is now only some few
hands short of her proper complement of 270 men,

inclusive of officers, a number of seamen having
arrived during the last few days from the receiving
ships at the various ports. The remaining portion
of the shipwrights' work on board will be com.
plated to-day by the dockyard hands, and it is a
subject of general remark that few of her Majesty's
ships have ever left this country for a four or five
year cruise in all respects better fitted and equipped:
Her guns, solid and hollow shot, and most of her
stores are now on board, and she only awaits her
sailing orders from the Admiralty to take her de-

parture for Spithead.
The screw gunvessel Torch, 5, 80 horse power,
fitting at Chatham for the first division of the
steam reserve in readiness for commission, has been
supplied with her stock of coals, in readiness for
proceeding on her trial trip for the purpose of test-
jog her speed at the measured mile, Maplin Sands.
Her armament was placed on board yesterday.
The War Department steamer Lord Panmure,
Master Commander H. T. Moore, yesterday com-
pleted her shipment] of guns, powder, carriages,
platforms, &c., and will sail from Woolwich to-day
for Portsmouth.

A couple of heavy guns, intended for the use of
foreign Governments, have been received from the
Blakeley Ordnance Company in Woolwich Arsenal,
and wi'l be proved in a few days at the Govern-
ment butt, preparatory to their being despatched
to their destination.

An ingenious piece of workmanship was this
week turned out of the factory department in Wool-
wich dockyard,where it was manufactured. It con-
sists of the three legs constituting the new shares in-
tended to supply the place of the wooden crane
broken in February last,during the operation of hoist-
ing out one of the huge boilers from the paddlewheel
sloop Spiteful, still under repairs in Deptford yard,
and by whictvaccident a number of men were killed
and severely injured. The new shear-legs are built
up of angle and plates of furnace iron of from four
to five square, selected with great care and riveted
' together so as to form a mass of immense solidity,
and pronounced unequalled for the purpose by any
other method yet introduced. The new shears will
be so constructed as to obviate the necessity of back
guys, and will remedy the defect fatal to the old
shears—of giving one stay a greater strain than
another. The back leg, according to computation,
weights about 30 tons, and is the largest of its kind

yet made, being 144 feet in length. The removal
was attended with considerable difficulty and delay

on account of its length, its enormous weight on the
truck causing the wheels to sink and uproot the
pitched surface of the yard at every attempt to move
forward, which was, however, effectually accom•
plished by Bray's traction engine, belonging to the
yard. It would otherwise have required a team of
at least 40 horses. The system of manufacture is
patented by Messrs. Somers, Thy, and Co., of the
Northam Ironworks, Southampton.
The following appointments were made yesterday
at the Admiralty :—Lieut. T. Ramsbotham to the
Highflyer ; Lieut. W. M. Moger to the Royal Ade-
laide; Sul,Lieut. Reginard H. Thornton to the
Highflyer ; C. G. Gardiner,. midshipman, to the
Cadmus ; F. G. I. Lillingston, midshipman, to the
Highflyer ; J. Johnstone, surgeon, to the Cadmus;
T. E. Mulles, engineer, to the Asia, for the Helicon ;
F. Lewis, engineer, to the Blenheim, for the
Amelia; G. A. Wells, engineer, to the Asia, as
supernumerary ; W. M'Dowall, engineer, to the
Dauntless, for tender ; C. It. James, assistant.engi.
neer, to the Indus, as supernumerary ; and W.
Allman, assistant-clerk, to the Aurora.