The Sun.
London, England, 1864-09-23 00:00:00

Naval and Military Intelligence.

In accordance with instructions received at Chat-
ham from the Admiralty, the whole of the smiths
and joiners employed on the Achilles, ironclad fri•
gate, and the Cadmus, 21, 400. horse power, com-
menced working extra hours yesterday, in order
that both those vessels may be completed with as
little delay as possible.
Between 300 and 400 of the crew of the Achilles,
20,1,250-horse power, Capt, E. W. Vansittart, have
arrived at Chatham from the Steam Reserve at
Portsmouth and Plymouth, and the remainder of
the ship's complement will join that frigate in the
course of the ensuing week. Yesterday the paddles
wheel steamer Fearless, 'Master Commander W.
Taylor, tender to the Cumberland, 70, Capt. W. K.
Hall, C. 8., arrived at Chatham with a number of
men, chiefly for the engineer department, for the
Achilles. During the time the iron frigate is at
Chatham her officers and crew are berthed on board
the receiving ship Glocester, 50, in Chatham har-
bour. 0 wing to the length of time the Achilles has
been lying in the river her bottom has become ex-
ceedingly foul, and the examination of her hull by
one of the professional divers has resulted in the
discovery that the whole of her bottom is completely
covered with marine insects, barnacles, and sea•
weed, some of the latter being as much as two feet

Ja length. The bottom of the Achilles, it may be
remarked, was coated over with the Hay anti-foul.
ing composition before the frigate was undocked,
and as she has been lying same nine months in
Chatham harbour, a pretty correct estimate may be
formed of the state the bottoms of our ironclads will
be in if detained only for a very short period in
tropical waters. In the case of the Achilles, fully
two knots nn hour may be deducted from her speed
if sent to sea in her present condition.
The Terrible, 21, 800shorse power, paddlewheel
steamer, fitting in the great basin at Sheerness,
and ultimately destined for the first-class Chatham
Steam Reserve, is getting well forward with her
fitments. Nearly the whole of the standing wire
rigging and her running rigging are in place. Her
engines and machinery are being fitted on board by
a number of mechanics from the steam factory.
Although the Terrible is ordered to be prepared
for the Steam Reserve, she is intended for imme-
diate commission.
The Serpent, 4, 200 horse power, Mr Jackson,
master in charge, is undergoing a complete over-
haul and repair in the Sheerness steam basin, pre-
paratory to being placed in the first division of the
Steam Reserve in the Medway.
The screw frigate Bristol, 39, 600 horse power,
3,027 tons, is being pushed forward with all de.
spatch for the first class Chatham Steam Reserve,
for commission, and is now undergoing a thorough
overhaul to both hull and machinery in the dry
dock at Sheerness. She has shipped her lower
masts, and the riggers are now employed setting up
her lower rigging. Owing to the amount of work
still required to be executed on board it will be
some time before she will be out of the hands of the
shipwright department.
The ships of war on the Australian station at the
date of the last advices were the Harrier, 17, Capt.
Sullivan, at New Zealand (ordered home) ; the Mi-
randa, 14, Captain Jenkins, at New Zealand ; the
Eclipse, 4, Capt. Mayne, at Sydney ; the Curocoa,
23, Commander Wiseman, at Sydney; the E sk, 21,
Captain Hamilton, at New Zealand; the Falcon,
17, Capt. Parkin, at New Zealand ; the Salaman-
der, 4, Capt. Carnegie, at Cape York. The Curacoa,
the Eclipse, and the Falcon have each received a
thorough overhaul at Sydney. The repairs, which
in the case of the Falcon were very considerable,
were effected by Mr Cuthbert.
The following appointments were made yesterd
day at the Admiralty :—William H. Adlan, master,
to the Indus; Stephen S weetman, assist.-surgeon,
to the Excellent; Frederick A. Bailey, chief engi.
neer, confirmed, of the Fisgard, for the Basilisk ;
David Leitch, in the Rattlesnake, promoted to act.
ing engineer ; and John Tth.eS.AFolyinunes, acting second-
.
class assist.-engineer, to
,m-

A LOAN FOR THE UNITED STATES.—The Index
publishes the following •—" We are credibly informed
that the Government of the United States is about to ne-
gotiate a loan at the Hague on the terms of 4) cents in the
dollar to the contractors; the issue price is to be 42 cents
in the dollar. All profits over that to be divided between
the contractors and the United States Government. Owing
to the low rate at which this loan is contracted, the nego-
tiation is, for the present, kept a profound a secret. IVe are
not positively informed of the amount, though rumour
speaks of 100 million dollars. The promised interest pay-
able in gold is stated to be 7 per cent. At least one half
of the amount is to be paid by the contractors in greenbacks.
supposing the loan to be effected on these terms, the United
States Government will receive for 100 million dollars in
stock at 7 per cent. specie interest only 28 1.34 millions in
specie. Consequently, the rate of interest paid on the
amount actually received will be 24 12-17 per cent. In
this calculation we have supposed the premium on gold to
be 140 per cent., and that one half of the 40 per cent. is to
be paid in greenbacks.
THE LYCURGUS OF CROQUET.-0 wing to the
,
recent decision of the law courts, Captain Mayne Reid 's
book, which was the first in the field to tell how croquet
must be played to be en regle, now stands wurivalled as the
. , expounder of the mysteries of the game.