The Sun.
London, England, 1863-02-10 00:00:00

Naval and Military Intelligence.

THE NAVY.
Admiralty directions have been received at Chat-
ham for a number of shipwrights and caulkers'
apprentices to be attached to the Racoon, 22, 400
horse power, Capt. the Count Victor Gleichen, pre-
paring for sea. Under the new regulations of the
Admiralty the whole of the apprentices in her Ma-
jesty's dockyard are to serve the latter portion of
their apprenticeship afloat, in order to accustom
them to service at sea. _ _

The Vigilant, 4, 250 horse power, attached to the'
Chatham steam reserve, is now being fitted for im-
mediate commission, and is expected to be ready
for the pennant by the 28th inst. She has made
good most of the defects she experienced from hav-
ing got on shore on the Gunfleet Sands, Essex, and
the mechanics are now employed in fitting the

lifting gear for the propeller. The Vigilant will be
attached to the first division of the steam reserve
until required for service at sea.
The screw corvette Scylla, 21, 400 horse power,
recently paid off into the third division of the
Chatham steam reserve, has been placed under the
boiler shears for the purpose of having her boilers
and engines overhauled.
The paddlewheel steamer Locust, 2, 100 horse
power, is ordered to be fitted as a supernumerary
tender and steam tug, for service between Chatham
and the Nore. She is to be officered and manned by
the crew of any other steam tender at Chatham or
Sheerness which may be under repair.
The Prince of Wales's paddle yacht Osborne,
Master Commander George K. Bowers, is complete
in the repairs to her machinery and paddlewheels,
Yesterday she got up steam in the steam basin at
Portsmouth, where her repairs have been executed,
to make a preliminary test of the working of ma-
chinery and wheels. To-day it is, intended to
remove her from the steam basin, and try her more
completely outside the harbour.
The Sharpshooter, 8, iron screw sloop, now un-
dergoing extensive repairs to her hull in No. 2
dock at Portsmouth, has bad the ribs and plat-
ing of her old bow removed from the foremost
compartment to her stem, and the wooden mould
for the new ribs and framing in connection with
Commander Warren's patent bow rudder, with
which she is ordered to be permanently fitted, have
at last been got into position. It will yet be some
time before the vessel will be in a position to test
the rudder's merits at sea.
The Charger screw gunboat, of 60 horse power,
is ordered by the Admiralty to test a plan proposed
by Mr. Curtis, C.E., of Liverpool, for improving the
steering capabilities of single screw ships. This is
proposed to be effected by the application of an uni-
versal ball-joint to the boss of a Griffith's screw. The
rial is looked forward to with considerable interest.

The three wrought-iron tubular lower masts and
bowsprit for the iron-cased frigate Royal Alfred,
at Portsmouth, have been received at that dockyard
from the manufactory of Messrs. Finch and Heath,
of Chepstow. To all outward appearance they are
excellent specimens of iron workmanship. The masts
of the Great Eastern were from the same manufac-
tory.
The number of hands employed upon the Roy al
Sovereign turret ship at Portsmouth is gradually
increasing. The total number, however, does not
exceed 100. It is probable that in a few days the
number maybe very considerably augmented, owing
to the forward state of the repairs to the Curagoa
and the Esk.
Two complete batteries, the one a 24 pounder or
51 inch naval howitzer, and the other an 8 inch sea-
service mortar battery, intended for Capt. Sherard
Osborn's China fleet, are now in readiness for ship-
ment at Woolwich,
A large number of Messrs. Brown and Lennox's
anchors, intended for the Caledonia and other iron-
cased ships of war, were yesterday tested at Wool-
wich. The weight of each anchor average 5 tons
12ewt., and the maximum test amounted to 72 tons.
The work of bringing forward the Caledonia is pro-
gressing rapidly in dock at Woolwich ; 72 plates
have been prepared by the local machinery, and have
been successfully fitted amidships ; 275 men and
boys are now employed as shipwrights on board,
and each compartment is advancing simultaneously
towards completion. A temporary model frame-
work of three round towers, to be built up on the
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