The Sun.
London, England, 1864-04-07 00:00:00

Naval and Military Intelligence.

THE NAVY.
The Duke of Somerset will hold levees for the reception
of officers of the Royal Navy and Royal Mat ines on the fol-
lowing Thursdays, at half-past 2 o'clock—April 21 and 28

and May 5, at the Admiralty, Whitehall.
The Geyser, 6, paddle sloop, Commander T hrupp, arrived
at Portsmouth yesterday from Sheerness and landed a crank

shaft from the Chesapeake frigate for the use of the Urgent,
screw, troopship, Capt. Henderson, now fitting out at Ports-
mouth for foreign troop service, the crank shaft (A the
Urgent having been discovered to possess a flaw which
would render it unsafe for lengthened service. The repairs
and outfit of the Urgent are being rapidly effected under
1 the superintendence of Capt. Henderson, while at the same
time all that is being now done in the way of fitting will
not undergo a fresh series of alterations and arrangements
on commission, as they are being effected under the supe-
rintendence of the officer who will cammand the ship. The
ordinary comae followed with ships fitted out for classes
in the steam reserve and subsequent commission is for

the officers of the dock) ard and steam reserve
to have the work done according to their ideas.
A short time afterwards the ship is commissioned, when
the captain appointed to command her generally alters
everything on board, although she has been so carefully
and expensively fitted by the steam reserve and dockyard
officers. This of course doubles the expense of outfit. By
the appointment, therefore, of a captain by the Admiralty
to superintend the fitting of his own ship, as in the case of
Capt. Henderson and the Urgent, the Admiralty have done
wisely. In the French Imperial Marine the matter is much
more simply managed. lf a captain is appointed to a French
man of war with her outfit and fittings completed, or in
part completed, he must return all such fittings in the state
he received them, and must not alter a rope-yarn or the
of p.iot witnout special leave from the proper
authorities.

Yesterday Vice-Admiral the Hon, Sir F. IV. Grey,
K C. 8., one of the Lords of the Admiralty, visited Chat-
ham Dockyard, accompanied by Rear-Admiral K. S.
Robinson, the Controller of the Navy, and was occupied
some hours in the inspection of the principal vessels build-
ing and fitting at that establishment, and in the transaction
of other official business. In the early part of the day he
went over the Bombay, 67, 400 horse power, in No. 3 dock,
where she has been vying several months for the purpose of
undergoing the necessary alterations and fitments to adapt
her for a flagship. She is now completed, and to-day will
be floated out of dock fully rigged and equipped, with most
of her officers and a considerable number of her crew on
board. Passing along the slips on which are lying a squa-
dron of wooden vessels of various sizes and in different

stages of progress, Admiral Sir F. W. Grey visited the shed
under which the Lord Warden, ironclad, is building, which,
with the exception of the Bellerophon, is • the only new
vessel on which there is a single hand now employed at
Chatham Dockyard. Notwithstanding the brief period
which has elapsed since the keel of the Lord Warden
was laid down, the vessel is now well in frame, although
the number of hands employed on her is necessarily
limited in consequence of n early every workman being
required to complete the fitting of the Achilles. In the
afternoon, accompanied by Rear-Admiral Robinson, Capt.
Stewart, C. 8., Mr. Thornton, master-shipwright, 'and the
other officials, he embarked on board the City of Rochester
and steamed out to the Achilles, which is being fitted for
sea. During the interval which has elapsed since the vessel
was visited by any of the members of the Admiralty consi-
derable progress has been made in getting her ready for
sea, although there is much to be effected before she can
take her departure from the harbour. The whole of her
machinery and engines have been fitted, and she is getting
well forward with her rigging, most of her lower rigging
being now sot up in its place. After spending same time
in the inspection of the iron frigate Admiral Grey returned
to the dockyard, and, having transacted official business
with Captain Superintendent Stewart, returned to the
Admiralty,
The America target ship, at Portsmouth, wi'l be placed
under fire again to-morrow, to test a 41-inch plate from
Messrs. Beale, of Parkgate, Yorkshire for the Pallas, and a
41-inch plate from Petin, Gaudet, and Co., of France,
The Royal Sovereign turret ship at Portsmouth has a large
number of hands employed upon her completing her outfit,
but her decks are in an indescribable state of confusion,
owing, apparently, to the peculiar nature of the greater
portlon of the work, the necessity for leaving as much room
as possible about the decks, and the indecision of the
authorities as to many matters connected with her equip-
ment which ought to have been settled long since.
The Adventure, screw troopship, Capt. Waddilove, sailed
from Spithea. I yesterday atternoun for a cruise in the
Channel. if the ship continue, as at present, free from
sickness of any kind she will most probably not return to
Spithead, but proceed to Dover and embark troops there for
China,and call is afterwards at Plymouth on her way down
Channel for the military and naval detachments conveyed
to that port from Portsmouth by the screw troopship lii-

malaya.
The Victoria, screw three•decker, of 1,000 horse-power,
fitting out at Portsmouth, is ordered to be ready for com-
mission by the end of May next. She has her spars all
aloft, and the riggers are now engaged in fitting the ratlines
on her lower and topmast rigging in readiness for a final
blacking down. A good deal of the filling-in round the
upper part of her stern, externally, is being replaced with
new work, the old having been found quite rotten, although
the Victoria is a new ship.
The Pekin gunboat, Commander Burgoyne, from Shang-
hai, having discharged her guns and ammunition at Wool-
wich Arsenal, was yesterd,y towed into basin in the dock-
yard to strip and return stores.
Capt. W. Crispin has been appointed one of the Queen's
naval aides-de-camp, vice Capt. Forbes, promoted to the
' rank of rear-admiral.
The following appointments were made yesterday at the
Admiralty :--Staff Commander Alex, B. Usborne to the
Fisgard, for surveying service— Lieut. Caesar H. Hawkins
to the Research—Geo.Robinson, master, to the Duncan, for
surveying service—L, J. Monteith, surgeon, to the Cum-
berland—John J. Willcocks, assistant-paymaster, to the
Adventurer ; Georgo T. Blundell, engineer, to the Sut-
lej ; David Robb, engineer, to the Stork; George Hole,
Charles Heyward, and Robert M. Bryant, master's as-
sistants, to the Bombay ; Philip B. Aitkins, Thomas
S. Hoghton, Francis N. N. Harvey, Marcus L. Bridger,
Henry P.
midshipman,
hTip.
ulSkaininer, Robert C. Gorst, James C. C. Dennis,
Edmund S. Poe, Charles V. Strange, Richard G. Day, and
midshipman,sßo , Kemp,Digb
Charles E, Morison, midshipmen, to the Bombay—Baldwin
W. Walker, midshipman, to the Orlando—Thos. E. Suli-
J. H. Hamilton, Douglas E. D. Curry, and Charles A.
to
thetEo
Edgar
--ir
sa.nßcisobßer
Stephenson, naval cadets, to the Bombay—H. J. Wocle-
house and Wm. G. E len, naval cadets, to the Revenge—
Francis C. B. B. Simpson, naval cadet, to th© Liffey—H.
F. Haszard, naval cadet, to the Duncan--Wm. N. Atkin-
son, naval cadet, to the Hector—Alfred R. Sims, naval cadet,
to the Edgar—and Henry P. Routh, nominated to a naval
cadetship.
:The sergeants of the 10th depot battalion at the camp at
Colchester have presented a handsome tea and coffee service
to Sergeant•Alajor Donolan as a mark of respect on his re-
tirement from the service.