The Sun.
London, England, 1864-12-21 00:00:00

Naval and Military Intelligence.

The War Department transport Petrel left the
Ordnance wharf, Chatham, yesterday, with 50 tons
of solid 8-inch Armstrong 110 pounders and other
shot, for the screw corvette Scout, 21, 400 horse
power, fitting in the steam basin for the first divi-
sion of the steam reserve, in readiness for com•
mission. The Scout has been fitted with a poop as
well as with a topgallant forecastle, and she ie
well forward with her fitments both inboard and
aloft. It is expected that she will shortly hoist her
pennant.
Messrs. Taylor and Co., of the Britannia Irons
works, Birkenhead, have commenced the erection
of two of their largest portable steam cranes along-
side No. 2 dock at Chatham yard, to be used in
lifting the 6-inch and other armour plates for en-
casing the sides of the Bellerophon, 14, 1,000 horse
power, ironclad frigate, under construction in that
dock. Each crane is capable of lifting a weight of
20 tons, but in order to prevent accidents 15 tons
will be the maximum weight they will be used to
raise. Four of the smaller steam cranes manufac-
tured by Messrs. Taylor tyre also in use alonksiac
the Bellerophon dock. -

Her Majesty's iron paddlewheel sloop Trident, 3
guns, Commander Charles Balfour, from the Medi-
terranean, was yesterday p aid out of commission at
Woolwich. She was fitted out in that dockyard and
commissioned in Jan., 1861, and has since passed
an eventful term of service. One commander and one
first lieutenant have been removed from the service
one ran away from the ship; one paymaster and
oae master were dismissed ; one surgeon was in-
valided ; and a chief engineer died. The vessel was
considerably short of her complement on being paid
off yesterday in consequence of a number of the
crew, before leaving the station, having volun-
teered for continuous service in other ships in
commission, and to which they were transferred.
The total number mustered for the Commodore's
inspection on her arrival at Woolwich was 89 of
all grades. Commander C. Balfour was appointed
to the command of the Trident in January,
1862. The ship's company on being paraded
yesterday morning on the wharf to attend to the
pay-table set up three shouts for the first lieutenant
and three rounds of hieses for the commander,which
were at once ezppressed by the officer in charge.
Lieut. Dennistoun, who was promoted to first
lieutenant, and who joined upon her being com-
missioned for service, yesterday received a strange
testimonial. Personal manifestations in the shape of
presents to officers being strictly against the rules
of the service, the ship's company found out a way
to carry out their designs without infringing the
regulations. Accordingly a silver collar was pro-
vided for Lieut. Dennistoun's dog, oa which was-
engraved, " Presented to the dog Shot, as a mark of
respect and esteem for his master.'

The War department steamship Balaklava, Wil-
liam Pelatt, master, yesterday left Woolwich laden
with guns and war stores for Davonport. She dis-
charged at the Royal Arsenal a cargo from Ports-
mouth, consisting of 110-pounder guns, brought to
Woolwich for repair of ventpieces, tubes, platforms,
carriages, and general stores,. and immediately come
menced loading for Devonport.
The Royal Alfred frigate remains with but few
hands employed upon her in No. 3 dock at Parts-
month, and with the peocess cf plating still suspended
no decisive instructions having been received in the
yard as yet from the Admiralty as to the adoption
of Rear-Admiral Elliot's plan for the eilip'a armour.
We understand from the best authority that if the
Royal Alfred is fitted with a turret-tower and built
on the plan proposed by Rear-Admiral Elliot, that
course will in no way prejudice Captain Coles's
claim to have the turret principle fuiy tested in a
seagoirg ship. Captain Coles, however, is no
shipwright, and has, therefore, handed in to the
Admiralty no model or drawings for a seagoing
turret ship, which, if constructed, will most pro-
bably be designed for Capt Coles by the Chief Con-
structor's department, or one of Mr Reed's recently
designed iron ships may be adapted for the purpose
in accordance with suggestions from Capt. Coles.
The iron frigate Achilles, Capt. E. Vansittart,
'weighed her anchor yesterday morning at Spithead,
and" proceeded under easy steam to Cowes Roads,
where she will remain during the stay of her Mas
jesty and the Royal family at Osborne, or until
relievsd by another ship. No orders have yet been
received at Portsmouth relative to the Achilles' sub-
sequent movements ; but it is reported thatshe will
make her first cruise under her present conditions
of rig and draught of water, and with her four-
bleded Mangia screw. In a ship like the Achilles
the E crew is a fieture, and the result of the screw
being four bladed is that whenever she is under
sail alone two of the screw blades must be standing
out at right angles to the vessel's course, imped-
ing her way through the water and damaging her
steering power. A trial of the Achilles at sea,
however, with her four-bladed screw may furnish
some very valuable data to the Chief Engineer of
her Majesty's Navy; but to make the data still
more valuable, the Achilles' second cruise should be
made with our acknowledged best form of screw—
the two-bladed improved Griffith. The blades
could be fired in a vertical position when the ship
is under sail alone, and would thus not impede the
ship's way through the water or damage her steer-
ing properties. There is another and equally for-
cible argument for a trial of the two-bladed
Griffith. It is that the Warrior's Griffith developed
the full power of that ship's engines on her trial,
while the Achilles' Mangin has not developed the
full power of her engines; and yet both ships' en,.
gines were made from the same patterns.
Portsmouth dockyard will be closed for the
Christmas holidays on Saturday, the 24th, and
Monday, the 26:h inst.

The Urgent, screw troopship, Captain S.
H. Henderson, was taken out of Portsmouth
harbour on Monday for a trial of her ma-
chinery, bat the trial failed owing to an unaccount-
able rattle and vibration attending the working of
the screw. The Urgent has been again placed along-
side the dockyard, and her screw raised to enable
the factory department to ascertain the nature of
the defect and apply the necessary remark.
Among other military changes about to take place,
it is rumoured that Lieut.-Gan, Sir J. Y. Scarlett,
K.C.Bi, and Major-Gen. Lord Wm. P Islet, C. 8,,
are about to exchange positions. Lord Win. Paulet
will go to the Horse Guards as Adjutant-General,
and Sir J. Scarlett will assume the command of the
south-west military district and the lieut..gover-
norship of Portsmouth. If this arrangement should
be carried into effect Portsmouth and the southwest
district will be raised from a major-general's to a
lieut.-general's command, and Manchester and the
north. west district will possibly at the same time be
changed from a licut.-general's to a major-gencrars
command.

The following appointments have been made at
the Admiralty :—Lieut. David Boyle and Lieut. C.
Mason, to the Cadmus—Lieut. J. W. F. Harvey,
Lieut. W. P. Barrow and Lieut. R. L. Byng, to the
Excellent—Lieut. L. Geneste, to the Hibernia—
Lieut. C. R. Maberiy, to the Irresistible—Lieut.W.
ll.loger, to the Highflyer—Lieut. C. G. Jones to
the Edgar—sub• Lieut. R.W. Evans, to the Victoria
—sub-Lieut. Laurence A. G.Roberts, to the Cadmus
—sub-Lieut. R. B. Wilkinson, to the Hightlyer—
R. P. Rampage, IL A. K. Murray, M. M'Causland,
and E. P. Brooks, midshipmen, to the Cadmus—J.
Evans, N. T. W. de courcy, F. Coddington, and J.
G. Master, midshipme; to the Hit,tilj er—L. M
Kirwan, midthiPtilan, to the Duncan—Char:e3
R.
Dawes and Herbert K.
Reyland, midshipmen, to
the Princess Charlotte— Geo.l3ediard, midshipman,
to the Achilles—George W. Rill and Samuel H.
Kay, naval cadets, to the Cadmus—Phitip IL Thro-
ming, naval cadet, to the Highflyer—phiii
P A.
Parson, naval cadet, to the Duncan—John Pittis,
paymaster, to the Princess Charlotte, additional
J, Martin, paymaster, to the E tcrl cnt— James 11.
Andrews, paymaster, to the St. Vincent—George
H. L. Wise, paymaster, to the Irresistible—William
Dewar, paymaster, to the Defence—George 11.
Whitler, paymaster, to the 1) isher—John E. Skin-
ner, assist.-paymastur. in charge to the .Asia, for the
Osborne—and Henry E. Whitley, clerk, to the
Dlsher.

The undermentioned gentlemen have been nomi
nated to naval cadetships—Herbert It. Alt under,
John D. II and Frederic B. Warren,