The Sun.
London, England, 1864-02-03 00:00:00

THE NAVY.

Her Majesty's gunboat Sepoy, 60-horse power,
attached to the Sheerness steam reserve squadron,
was placed in commission on Friday last, for ser-
vice as tender to the Cornwallis, 60, screw steam
Coastguard vessel, stationed at Hull, Capt. J. R.
Strange. The officers appointed to the command of
the Sepoy is Lieut. William Walsh, who com-
manded the gunboat Lively during the wreck of
the vessel off the Dutch coast in December last,
when in search of some missing fishing vessels. '
Her Majesty's six-gun paddlewheel steam sloop
Gorgon, Commander J. C. Wilson, went alongside
Woolwich dockyard yesterday afternoon, having
discharged her ammunition and guns at the Royal
Arsenal, on the foregoing day. Commodore Dunlop,
C. 8., accompanied by Mr. Ponsonby, his secretary,
went on board and mustered the ship's company,
preparatory to their being paid out of commission.
Having witnessed the usual course of exercises per-
formed by the men, the commodore inspected every
part of the ship, and expressed himself much pleased
with the cleanliness and order which was apparent
througbout, and specially remarked the healthy and
robust condition of the crew. _ On the eve of her
intended departure for England, the Admiral of
the station, Sir Baldwin Walker, ordered her to
proceed to Madagascar, in consequence of the re-
ported death of the King. She was detained there
between four and five months. The Gorgon has
been in commission nearly five years, and has
taken some valuable prizes during the command of
Commander Wilson, who exchanged from the Fury
with Commander Pym in March, 1861. Com-
mander Wilson was enabled to render some valua- '
ble assistance to Dr. Livingstone and his mission,
for which he has received a letter of thanks from
the Bishop of Oxford. The Gorgon had a fair pas.
sage home of 54 days. She left Admiral Dupre
and several French ships at Madagascar. Com-
mander Wilson states that he has no doubt the
French Admiral is stationed there with the inten-
tion of establishing a protectorate over Madagascar,
and will probably land at Bembatooka Bay, at the
north-west end of the island—a most convenient
spot, and near the capital. The inhabitants, the
North Sacklavas, have exhibited much friendly feel•
ing towards the French rule, and are in opposition
to the ruling tribe—the Hovas.
The hired transport Triumvir yesterday com-
menced shipping war stores for Fort George, from
Woolwich arsenal.

The Royal Sovereign turret ship will be floated
out of the dock in which she has been converted at
Portsmouth on the Bth proximo. The work on this
ship is, even now it has been brought so near com-
pletion, allowed to proceed but sluggishly, who-
ever the fault may rest with.
A partial trial was made yesterday at Portsmouth
dockyard of a folding boat, intended by the inven-
tor for use with troop or emigrant ships. The boat
is flat-bottomed, with pointed ends, and will carry
50 people with a very light draught of water. In
receiving passengers from any ship under circum-
stances of abandonment at sea it would require to be
heavily weighted in addition to its human freight,
in order to render it safe, Its great merits appear
to be the very small space 20 such boats would
occupy when folded up and stowed away on board
ship, and the large amount of boat accommodation
which would thus be available in the event of
disaster.

The following appointments were made yesterday
at the Admiralty :—James S. Watts, master to the
Wellesley, for the Bombay; Andrew Edwards,
paymaster to the Castor, additional ; Charles P.
Mulvany, assist.-surgeon, additional, to the Dun-
can; Charles Belford, James Wilson, Edward
M'Leish, John P. Williams, William T. Searle,
and Edward C. Scorrer, assistant-engineers,
to the Duncan, as additional for disposal ;
James E. Bain, assistant•engineer to the Asia,
for the Echo; and James Jones, assist.-engineer to
the Asia, for the Fancy.