The Sun.
London, England, 1863-11-27 00:00:00

Ne vial and Military Intelligence.

THE NAVY.

Her' 'Majesty's screw steam frigate Arethusa, 35
guns, / vas taken on Wednesday from her moorings
in She erness harbour to the measured mile off Map-
lin Sands, for the final trial of her machinery, pre-
vious to her being place on commission, Capt.W.K.
Hall, commanding the Steam Reserve at Sheerness,
having command of the vessel. Mr. John Dinnen,
inspector of machinery, from the Admiralty ; Mr.
W. Rumble, inspector of machinery afloat at Sheer.
mess ; and Mr. G. Blazland, chief engineer of Sheer-
ness dockyard, were in attendance on the part of
the Government; and Messrs. Matthews and Holli-
day were also present from the firm of Messrs. John

Penn and Sons, constructors of the engines. The
Arethusa was built as a sailing vessel at Pembroke
18 years ago, from designs by Sir W. Symonds,
the then surveyor of the navy, but she has since
been lengthened 41 feet amidships, and con-
verted into a screw frigate at Chatham doe's-
yard. Her dimedsions now are Extreme
length between perpendiculars, 252 ft.; length of
keel for tonnage, 217 ft. ; extreme length, 52ft. Bin.;
breadth for tonnage, 52ft. sin.; depth of hold, 17ft.
lin.; and total amount of burden, 3,142 tons. The
Arethusa, together with the Octavia and the Con-
stance, vessels of a similar class, have each been
fitted with machinery constructed with a view to
obtain a greater amount of power at a less working hel
co st than any yet introduced into the navnavy
Arethusa is fitted with a pair of expansive trunk
engines with two cylinders in diameter, the
trunk being 33in. in diameter, and the length of
stroke 42in., with surface condensers, containing
boilers, four containing
'
nearly six miles of 1-inch tubing.
in number, with four furnaces to
Theeach,are
fitted
ell fier is
with superheating apparatus'
Griffith's Pe,tent, pitch 20ft. to
26ft., present pitch,
23ft. Dueing the trial 6 runs were made at full
boiler power. The results were an average speed
of 11.43 knots an hour ; the revolutions of engines,
65 per -minute ; pressure of steam 231 b. ; vacuum,
2741 b. At half boiler power only two runs were
ma do. The results were an average speed of 8.780
kuote, 52 revolutions, pressure of steam 161 b., va-
cleam 261 b. The circle was made with full boiler
:power, helm port 231 degrees, in seven minutes one
second, the diameter of the circle being 501 yards;
with half boiler power, helm starboard 28 degrees,
in seven minutes 47 seconds, the diameter being 309
yards. The draught of water during the trial was
20f. 3in. forward and 22ft. 7in. aft., the vessel being
fully rigged, with guns on board, and in heavy sea-
going trim. The day was fine and the sea smooth,
with a wind from west-south-west, with a force of
from 3 to 5. The trial, which occupied about 6 hours
from the time the vessel left her moorings till her re-
turn, was most satisfactory. The Arethusa, with
her sister competing vessels the Constance and the
Octavia, will shortly be placed in commission
and taken on a competitive trial as to the eon•
shmption of fuel and speed, as it is almost impos-
sible to arrive at the exact comparative results in
these respects from a trial of to few hours at the
measured mile.
In accordance with instructions received at Chat-
ham yesterday from the Admiralty, the line-of-battle
screw steamer Bombay, 500 horse power, is to be
fitted as a flagship for the East Indies. The ship-
wrights and mechanics were employed until a late
hour on Wednesday night in shoring her up on her
blocks on the water being pumped out of the dock.
On lacing docked the Bombay's draught of water
wae, 19:t 10in aft and 17ft forward. Notwithstand-
ing the long time she was in harbour, her bottom
w-as found to be very clean, and her copper to be in
excellent peeservation. She will have to undergo
,extensive alterations to adapt her for an admiral's
ship.

'I he detachment of Royal Marines Light Infantry
sele,:ted for service in the Conqueror, 78, 500 horse,
Capt. W. G. Luard, ordered to proceed to Japan,
assembled at headquarters, Chatham, yesterday,
under the command of Capt. T. H. A. Brenan. The
offi..lers and men were inspected by Col. S.N. Lowder,
aide-de-camp to the Queen, and in the afternoon
were joined by the Royal Marine Artillery, from
Portsmouth, after which the entire force embarked
on board the steam tender which conveyed them.to
the Gonqueror, at the Nore,
The following appointments were made yesterday
at the Admiralty:—J. E. Datham, master to the
A 4ia, for the Duncan; C. E. Gissing, J. C. Witkin-
son, E. G. F. Law, and G. A. Giffard, midshipmen,
to the Aurora ; Edmund W. Speck, Ford E. W.
Lambart, Henry C. C. Wynyard, S. F. Dashwood,
and Frederick Hutchinson, naval cadets, to the
Aurora ; W. J. S. Shand, nominated to a naval cadet-
ship ; Arthur H. Kelly, assist.-surg., additional, to
the Fisgard ; Constantine Keenan, assist.-surg., to
Haslar Hospital ; and W. Johnston, assist.-surg., to
the Impregnable.
The Rev. E. J. Hitchings has been appointed
chaplain and naval instructor of the Conqueror,
commissioned at Sheerness.