The Sun.
London, England, 1863-08-24 00:00:00

Naval and Military Intelligence.

THE NAVY.

Vice-Admiral Sir Michael Seymour, G.C.8.,
Naval Commander-in-Chief at Portsmouth, rehoisted
his flig on Saturday on board H.M.S. Victory, on
resuming his duties in command of the port, on his
return from his annual official tour of inspection
through the Channel Islands.

The Admiralty paddle yacht. Enchantress, Master
Commander Petley, is filling up coal and sores at
Portsmouth preparatory for further service. It is
probable that a part of the Board will, in the course
of a few days, embark on board the Enchantress and
pay a visit to Rear-Admiral Sir S. C. Dacres, C. 8.,
and the Channel fleet. The superheater casings of
this vessel at the base of the funnels on the upper
deck have been coated with Spence's patent non-
conducting and non-combustible composition, to
prevent the radiation of heat only in this instance,
and its use during the period of the Lords of the
Admiralty's recently concluded official tour of in-
spection has been attended with the most satisfac-
tory results.

The crew of the-screw steam corvette Brisk, 16,
Capt. Sohn P. Luce, recently returned from the
West Coast of Africa, were paid off at Devonport
on Saturday by Admiral Superintendent Thomas
M. C. Symonds, C.B. The Brisk will be placed in
the third division of the steam reserve in Hamoaze.

The Odin,l6, peddle, Capt. Lord John Hay, C. 8.,
is dismantling in Portsmouth harbour, and will pay
out of commission at the end of the present week.
In consequence of the Admiralty requiring the
whole of the land at and near St. Mary's Creek,
Chatham, for the extension of Chatham dockyard,
it has been found necessary to remove the Royal
Engineer pontoon depot to the opposite side of Chat-
ham harbour, near Upnor Castle, where a suitable
portion of the river has been selected to be formed
into a pontoon• hard. Already the principal por-
tion of the Royal Engineers' stores, boats, pontoons,
&c., have been transported across the harbour to the
new depot, where the Royal Engineers, who are
assisted in the undertaking by a party of convicts
to perform the heavy portions of the work, are en-
gaged in constructing, a large building in which all
the stores and materiel for pontooning and engi-
neering operations will be deposited.
The staff of draughtsmen and clerks connected
with the architectural department of the navy at
Chatham Dockyard are busily employed in copying
and preparing the drawings and plans sent from
the Admiralty of the interior portions of the
new description of iron .clad war frigate, the Lord
Warden, ordered to be built at Chatham, in order
that no delay whatever may be experienced in com-
mencing that vessel as soon as the hands are released
from the iron steamer Achilles, which will shortly
be out of dock at that dockyard. The internal
construction of the Lord Warden, including cabins,
magazines, and shell-rooms will differ very mate-
rially from that of all vessels hitherto constructed
for the British navy. The cabins will be arranged
upon an entirely new principle, in order to afford
light and air in abundance, and thus remove one of
the most serious defects of existing iron-clad ships.
Provision has alas been made for furnishing ample
supplies of air to the men engaged in working the
powder magazinesand shell-rooms in time of action,
so that the guns may be fought as rapidly as pox
sibie, while special care is taken to place the pow-
der and other combustible stores low down in the
ship, nearly 10ft. below the water line, so that they
may be beyond the reach of the enemy's shot and
shell.

The following appointments and promotions have
been made at the Admiralty :—Captain George
Le G. Bowyear to the Phaeton, vice Capt. Tatham,
superseded at his own request ; Edward G. Whit-
more, Cecil Reid, and Reginald O'Bray, assist.-
clerks, to the Marlborough ; Henry Cook, promoted
to acting chief engineer ; and John T. Kelly, pro-
moted to acting first•class assist.-engineer.