The Sun.
London, England, 1863-04-09 00:00:00

Orders from the Lords of the Admiralty were re-
ceived at Devonport on Tuesday evening to despatch
the paddlewheel steam sloop Virago, 6, Commander
Hope Johnstone, to the coast of Morocco, in conse-
quence of the disturbances there. She was then
alongside the coal depot Jupiter, in Hamoaze, re-
pairing, but was attached immediately to the stea)n-
tug Prospero, which towed her into the Sound. She
took her departure at midnight. About 20 of her
crew, with the paymaster and steward, were left
behind, the vacancies being supp.,ied from the Royal
Adelaide. The Virago will in the first instance go
to Gibraltar.

The iron screw steam troop ship Orontes, 3, built
for the Government by Messrs. Laird Brothers, of
Birkenhead, has been formally delivered up by their
agent, Capt. Henderson, to Commander Brown,
R.N., the Master Attendant at the Devonport
dockyard. She has been called " iron-clad," but
like the Himalaya, is constructed entirely of iron.
The plates from the keel to the wales average three-
quarters of an inch thick ; at the wales they are
double, and above them about iths. Her lower
masts are stepped, and with 300 tons of coal her
draught is 18 feet. When fully equipped for sea
it will be about 20 feet. The Orontes left Birken-
head at 12 15 p.m- on Saturday, and arrived at
Plymouth at 630 p.m. on Monday. From Birken-
head to the Land's-end a strong contrary gale, with
a heavy sea, was encountered. The sea caused her
to pitch a little, but, although so light, the Orontes
did not roll much, and in all other respects behaved
well, whether under steam only, or when aided by
her fore and aft canvass, after rounding the Land's-
end. Her eqnipments will be completed by the
dockyard authorities forthwith.

Yesterday some trials took place at Chatham dock-
yard in the presence of several of the heads of de-
partments at that establishment to test the lifting
powers of a new description of pulley, patented by
the inventor, Mr. Weston, and manufactured by the
firm of Messrs. Ransome and Co. The advantages
claimed for the invention are its extreme simplicity
and portability, and also the great saving of power
in lifting weights of the heaviest description. The
pulley tested yesterday was one calculated to raise
weights under four tons, and that with less than
half the power required under the ordinary arrange-
ment of blocks, as used in the dockyard. The pulley
was suspended from one of the cranes, and the
" endless" chain attached to one of the four ton iron
armour plates just landed. The ropes, or rather
circular rope, attached to the pulley were then taken
in hand by four men, and in half a dozen turns of
the wheel, and without any undue exertions on the
part of the workmen, the slab was hoisted to the
required height. Another ton weight of iron was
then added, r,nd the large wheel which sets the
pulley in motion again made to revolve, when five
men in a few turns raised the slab and the additional
pigs of iron, the whole being held in its place with-
out any need of men retaining their hold on the
rope. ' The pulley is intended to be placed on board
the Royal Oak, where it will prove of the greatest
use in lifting anchors, chain cable, and all the heavy
gear of a vessel of that class.

Preparations have bean made at No. 1 slip at
Chatham dockyard for the launch of the paddle-
wheel Admiralty despatch steamer Salamis. The
bilgeways were yesterday removed from the mast-
pcnd, and will be floated into their place at high
tide to-day. The launch will take place during the
first spring tides in the ensuing month. The Sala-
mis is to be fitted with a pair of 250 horse power
engines, by Messrs. Ravenhill, Salkeld, and Co.

The Active, 36, sailing frigate, fitting at Chatham
as a training ship for the Naval Coast Volunteers
has had a portion of the copper stripped from her
bottom, in order that an examination may be made
of the state of her hull, The planking in several
parts has been found so rotten that the workmen
are now employed in removing the defective planks
and substituting new. Her timbers are considered
to be very sound.

The Pandora, 4, screw, Commander W. Ruston,
hos completed her trials of speed at Portsmouth
with full and half boiler-power, realising a mean
speed in knots with the former of 8.528, and with
the latter of 5.430. At the full boiler-power trial
the temperature ranged :—On deck, from 51 to 58
deg. ; in the engine-room, from 65 to 70 deg. ; and
in the stokehole, from 80 to 95 deg. The Pandora
awaits sailing orders at Spithead, and is expected
to proceed to the West Coast of Africa, calling at
Plymouth for mails.

The Lyra, 9, screw corvette, recently returned
from service on the Cape of Good Hope and
Mozambique station, has been placed in dock at
Portsmouth for survey and repair.
The court-martial now being held on board her
Majesty's ship Victory, at Portsmouth, on Captain
Hillyar, C. 8., and Lieut. Lillingstone, the former
lately and the latter now serving on board her
Majesty's ship Cadmus, resumed its sittings yester-
day, and received evidence for the prosecution rela-
tive to the charges of cruelty and oppression, and
again adjourned until to-day. From the number
of witnesses remaining to be examined the proceed-
ings are likely to be protracted.