The Sun.
London, England, 1863-06-11 00:00:00

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NEWS fil-PEB
confident about the issue of the struggle in hid ,P trp'24lr7Tr?„,.,,P—L-4-,.113:4i7-11,
State, and no one in Richmond is so well qu ' *44, ..),, a 4;
to form a correct opinion as he is. It would a Isikii3-ii,-Pfd pyk,
that if Grant advances directly against the ritiWITVINA,
t(
wendous works at Vicksburg he is prepared the'`*l
stake his all upon that cast of the die. Unless he a`Z- .1 S
succeeds, and succeeds at once, he will apparently
have General Johnstone in his rear and General
Pemberton in his front, the number of their col-,
lective forces being fully equal to those of Grant.
This prospect does not seem very promising for the
Federals, but they have got into such a stolid atti-
tude of insouciance at New York and Boston that
nothing but some such casualty as the peril of Wash-
ington will ever disturb them. What is likely to
be the result of the operations of the next few
weeks your readers can judge as well and perhaps
better than I; but let them rest assured that the
activity of the Confederates is likely to be nut less
remarkable, and, as it seems to me, likely to be
more successful than the activity of their opponents.
In only one spot will a defensive attitude probably
be preserved—along the iiee which General Bragg
and his army are holding in front of General Rose-
eraus. Whether the latter will be able to main-
tain himself where he is when the Cumberland and
Tennessee rivers, along which his supplies are drawn,
have fallen so low as to be no longer navigable
seems very problematical. Anyhow, it seems
scarcely possible that a great crisis, momentous as
regards the future issue of this weary war, can fail
to be reached before the Ides of June.

Naval and Military Intelligence.

THE NAVY.

Mr. E. J. Reed, chief constructor of the navy,
paid an official visit to Sheerness dockyard on
Monday last, attended by Mr. Moody, master ship-
wright. He inspected the dockyard school for
apprentices, while the candidates for admission
were undergoing examination. He then proceeded
to inspect the Scylla, 20, screw steam corvette, and
thence went to the factory. He finally went on
board the Arethusa, 30, screw steam frigate. While
on boord this vessel a telegraphic message arrived
from the Admiralty, requesting his presence imme-
diately, and he left for London by the 3.15 train
from Sheerness.

The Orlando, 46, screw steam frigate, 3,740 tons,
I,ooo.horse power, Capt. George G. Randolph,
having completed coaling, was removed from the
coal bulk to moorings in Sheerness harbour on Mon-
day last, where she is now receiving her stores and
ammunition, being ordered to ship 100 tons of the
latter. These duties concluded, she is to be got
ready for sea with all despatch, and will proceed to
Devonport for the West India and North American
stations.

The Scylla, 21, screw steam corvette, 400•borse
power, chief engineer in charge Mr. James Gillies,
is being brought forward in No. 1 dock, Sheerness
dockyard, for the first-class steam reserve of that
port. She is expected to be ready for sea about the
20th inst.

The Cossack, 30, screw steam-corvette, 1,296
tons, 250-horse power, Capt. W. Rolland, was
swung for the adjustment of her compasses, yester-
day, in Sheerness harbour, and her crew have been
transferred from the naval barracks at Sheerness to
the ship. She is expected to be ready for sea by
the 16th inst.

The Herring, gunboat, Commander Lieut. John
H. D. Cooper, tender to the Edinburgh coastguard
vessel at Queensferry on the Firth of Forth, has left
Sheerness to resume her duties in the north, after
having been refitted and supplied with new boilers

in Sheerness dockyard.
Her Majesty's steam storeship Rhadamanthns,
Master-Commander Raymond, has commenced re-

turning stores at Woolwich, in preparation to go
down to Sheerness to be repaired, in consequence
of the entrance of the outer basin at Woolwich
being closed by a coffer darn. The officers and
crew of the Rhadamanthus will be transferred to
the Dee for service, with the exception of Mr>
Edward R. D. Mayne, acting second master, who
has been dismissed the service.

The Vivid, steam tender to the Fisgard at Wool.

with, went down the river on Tuesday on trial of

her boilers and machinery. Mr. John Frickett,
chief engineer and inspector of machinery, attended
on behalf of the Admiralty. The trial was satis-
factory, the speed realising 13 knots 8 decimals per
hour. Her boilers, manufactured in Woolwich
dockyard, her engines, by Messrs. Penn and Sons,
were thoroughly repaired, and the vessel com-
pletely renovated and made good throughout.
The powerful hydraulic press for bending armour
plates, manufactured by Messrs. Westwood, Baillie,
and Co., of the Isle of Dogs, for her Majesty's
dockyard at Pembroke, underwent an official trial
on Tuesday, Mr. Patridge, inspector of machinery
at Woolwich, being in attendance on behalf of
the Government authorities. The press is a dupli-
cate of the one erected a few weeks ago in Wool-
wich dockyard. The plates of 41 inches and one of
3 inches in thickness were placed on the ram cold,
and were subjected to a pressure of 461 cwt. per
circular inch of the ram, which is equal to a pres-
sure of 1,823 tons, being the greatest pressure yet
obtained by any machinery. All the joints of the

pumps and press were perfectly tight. The plates

bent were 3ft. 3ic. wide, and were curved 11 inches
in the width. Two plates, one 41 inches thick and
one 3 inches thick, were then turned over and
placed in the press with the li-inch curved side
downwards, and by working thepress up to 24 cwt.
per circular inch, or 940 tons on the ram, the plates
were bent 21 inches—viz., from 14 hollow to
round in the width. The same firm are manufac-
turing three similar presses for the Russian Go-
vernment, and also the huge iron rudder, to
weigh 13 tons, for her Majesty's 30 gun iron steam
ship Achilles, 6,079 tons, building at Chatham. The
rudder will be ready for delivery at the end of the
present month.

The following appointments were made yes-
terday at the Admiralty :
Dr. Donald M'lver, acting assistant•surgeon, additional,
to the Royal Adelaide.
John Frazar, do.
Dr. Joseph Whitaker, do.
Alfred Wm. Whitley, to the Victory.
Wm. D. Wodsworth. do.
John Ward (a) surgeon, to the Trincomalee."
Edward J. Bennett, paymaster, do.
Dr. Geo. V. M'Donogh, surgeon, to the Active.
R. F. E. Morison, paymaster, do.
Commander John A. Shears, to the Aboukir,