The Sun.
London, England, 1863-08-26 00:00:00

has been made in fitting her wire standing rigging
I❑ consequence of the great length of the Tamar

some difficulty was experienced in turning her when
placed in the great basin, the size of which is 520 ft.
by 300 ft., and it was found necessary to open the
gates of No. 1 dock to allow the ship's head to get
clear. As soon, however, as the large basins now
in progress at Chatham Dockyard are completed,

not the slightest difficulty will be experienced in
turning vessels of double the size of the Tamar.

During the time the vessel was in dock at Chatham
she was fitted with a couple of steam cranes in the
forecastle for hoisting in and out stores, baggage,

&c. In addition to the poop and topgallant fore

castle, with which sbe has been fitted since her
launch, she is to have cabinserected for her warrant
officers, she will also be supplied with an improved
oven for baking fresh bread for the use of the troops
and ship's company on a plan invented by Mr.
Blake, of Portsmouth dockyard. The cabin for the
officers of the ship under a lofty poop, and the quar-
ters for the ship's company are placed beneath the
topgallant forecastle, by which arrangement all
communication is cut cif between the troops and the
ship's company.
The Clio, 22, 1,472 tons, 400 horse power, Capt.
'l'. Milles, is being rapidly dismantled at the Nore,
previously to her being paid off into the Chatham
steam reserve. She has been in commission up-

wards of four years, during which time she has been
attached to the Pacific station. The Clio has been
an exceedingly healthy ship, and only a compara-
tively small portion of her crew who left England
in her in 1859 have been sent home E s invalids,
while desertions have been very few. Most of her
stores have been returned to the dockyard, and her
guns and shot forwarded to the Ordnance stores,
Chatham ; her powderand shell have been deposited
in the magazines at Upnor Castle.
The ships on the Australian station at the date of

the last advices were the Harrier, 17, Capt. Sul
van, at New Zealand; the Miranda, 14, Capt. Jen
kins, at Sydney ; the Eclipse, 4, Commander Mayne,
at New Zealand. The Miranda has been under-
going repair in the Government dry dock at Syd-
ney, dry rot having penetrated the hull in so many
places that it was found necessary to lay both sides
open. Several portions of the frame have been taken
out and replaced by colonial timber of excellent
quality.
Her Majesty's steam storeship Supply, Master-
Commander Bowden, from the Mediterranean, has
been docked at Woolwich for survey and repair.
Her masts have been taken out and tested in the
usual manner by scraping, straining, and baring, to
ascertain their efficiency for further service, and
have been found defective. The mainmast has been
in place since 1849, in constant use, and the fore-
mast was heel-pieced in Malta dockyard two years
ago. The yards and topmasts are still serviceable
and good. The lower masts will now be replaced
by spars of more substantial dimensions, suitable to
the burden of the ship, with new rigging, &e. The
tunnel to the screw alley, hitherto dangerous, on ac-
count of its confined size, will be enlarged, and the
ship will be entirely refitted throughout. Peacock's
composition, which has been found to answer the
purpose of preserving the ship's bottom, is in
course of being removed, and the ship will be paid
down anew with the same process.
Mr. Reed's experimental iron cased sloop Enter-
prise, built at Deptford, is now receiving her armour
casing, which is bent in Woolwich dockyard and
forwarded to the chip, ready to be applied. Two
of the plates, 15ft. by 4ft. 9in. each, have been
fitted to the sides in an admirable and most success-
ful manner, and two others are ready to be for-
warded. The whole of the plates will be supplied
by Mr. Brown, of Sheffield, who made a large pro-
portion of those used in the Caledonia.
The paddlewheel steam storeship Dee, with vic-
tualling- and other stores, left Plymouth Sound on
Monday evening for Hawlbowline.
The screw steam gunboat Goshawk (tender to the
Majestic), having been repaired at Davonport, was
placed yesterday alongside the gun wharf to receive
artillery.
A naval court-martial assembled yesterday on
board the Formidable, 84, Captain J. Fulford, flag-
ship of Vice-Admiral of the Red, Sir G. R. Lam-
bert, K.C.8., Commander-in-Chief at the Nore, for
Hennessey, Royal Ma-
her Majesty's gunboat Mag-
net,the trial of Private Jarmo
rines, serving On board
tender to the Pembroke, 60, on a charge of
having absented himself from his post when on
sentry on board the said vessel, on the 6th August
last, and remaining absent from the said ship until
the following day, .and also for making away with
certain of his dsional necessaries. Capt. J. nil-
and Lieut.-Commander C. G. Fegan,
ford presided,
of the
Magnet,prosecuted.
Mr. Knight, solicitor,
Recbester, officiated as Deputy Judge-Advocate, and
conducted the case. The prisoner, who pleaded
guilty, and threw himself on the mercy of the court,
was sentenced to nine months' imprisonment with
hard labour in the prison of Lewes, and to forfeit two
days' pay. The court afterwards proceeded with
the trial of Private Thomas Pratt, Royal Marines,
serving on board the Magnet gunboat, on a charge
of having absented himself from the said ship, and
also with making away with hie divisional neces-
saries. The prisoner, who made no defence, was
sentenced to three months' imprisonment with hard
labour, and 21 days' solitary confinement, and also
to forfeit two days' pay.
Capt. the Hon. G. 1), Keane, who has recently
refurned from the command of the Charybdis, 21,
400-horse power, in the Pacific, has been appointed
to the cornivand of the naval barracks at Sheerness,
p his appointment, which, it is m-
end has taken u
moored, he will rotain for a short time.
One of the old anchors, of which a cargo was
brought home a few days ago from Antigua in the
Betsy Hall, was yesterday tested by the hydraulic
machinery. at Woolwich, with a view of appropriat-
ing those Ili the beat state of preservation to the
purposes of harbour moorings. Many of the an-
chors are supposed to have been forged upwards of
200 years ego, and are much corroded. Ttic