The Sun.
London, England, 1863-01-16 00:00:00

Naval and Military Intelligence.

THE NAVY.

VALETTA, Jan. 10.—The naval movements of the
week comprise the arrival of her Majesty's gunboat
Alacrity, 4, Commander J. Baird, on the 7th inst.,
from the Ph Syra, and Candi, ; and the arrival,
on the sth, of the Russian frigate (screw) Asliabs,
Capt. N. Nasimoff, from Villafranca and Syracuse,
on her way to Athens. She proceeded on her voy-
age on the Bth inst. Telegraphic news having been
received Out pirates were in the neighbourhood of
the Piraeus, plundering Greek merchants, her Ma-
jesty's sloop Pelican, 17, Commander P. Brock, and
a French and an Austrian gunboat were sent from
the Piraeus in pursuit of them. The Hon. M. Scar-
lett was to proceed on the 3d inst., in H.M.S.
Queen, 76, Capt. C. Hillyar, from Athens to Pares
end Nauplia. Vice-Admiral Sir Jas. Hope, K.C.8.,
passed through Malta, in the Delta, on Saturday
last, on his way home from China, having been re-
lieved by Admiral Kuper.
In Portsmouth dockyard the main force of the
shipwright department continues to be employed
upon the Curacao and Esk, wooden frigate and cor-
vette. The iron cased frigate Royal Alfred and
turret ship Royal Sovereign are comparatively aban-
doned. The money allowed for the yard by the last
voted estimates having been already expended, and
ships of war being required to proceed at once to
foreign stations to relieve others whose term of ser-
vice has expired, and no small iron cased ships being
yet available, the Curava and Esk have to be at
once prepared, while the experimental ships Royal
Sovereign and Royal Alfred are necessarily delayed
in their completion. No. 1 dock is vacant. In No.
2 is the iron corvette Sharpshooter, undergoing ex-
tensive repairs to her hull and ordered to be fitted
with Commander Warren's patented bow rudder
for experimental trial. This trial will possibly take
place, if the ship's repairs are continued at the
present rate of progress, by the time Commander
Warren receives his promotion by seniority as an
Admiral. In No. 3, as we have said, is the Royal
Sovereign. N 0.4 dock is having its floor and entrance
deepened by contract. No. 5 contains the Esk,
21 gun screw corvette of 1,169 tons and 250 horse
power, one of the wooden vessels in the yard for
the repair of which all other important work is
abandoned. In No. 6 dock an old paddle tug is
being repaired, at an expense that would have pur-
chased two tugs each far more efficient than the old
rotten tub now being repaired at such an enormous
expense. No. 7 dock is empty. No. Bis occupied
by the Curacoa, 31 gun screw frigate, of 1,571 tons
and 350 horse power, one of the two wooden ships
that are just now absorbing the entire resources of
the master shipwright's department of the yard.
No. 9, the breaking-up dock, is vacant. No. 10,
the Warrior dock, is also vacant, and available for
the public service. On the north-east side of the
steam basin, No. 11 dock, a second Warrior dock, is
fast progressing in its construction by the contrac-
tors, Messrs. G. Smith and Co., of Pimlico. As in
the case of the experimental ships Royal Sovereign
and Rua' Alfred, the work would proceed at a much
more satisfactory rate if the Lords of the Treasury
would allow the Lords of the Admiralty to draw
upon them for the required cash. On the build-
ing sips stand—first, the Helicon, a paddle
despatch vessel, of 835 tons and 250 horse
power, a sister vessel to the Psyche and Enchan-
tress ; second, the Harlequin, 6, screw sloop,
of 950 tons and 200 horse power, waiting for Mr.
Reed's transformation ; third, the Dryad, 51 gun
screw frigate, of 3,027 tons and 800 horse power, in
frame only, and waiting Mr. Reed or some other
magician to convert her to an " iron-case ;" fourth,
the to be iron-cased frigate Royal Alfred, of 34
guns, 4,045 tons, 800 horse power. A few hands are
pottering about the Royal Alfred,but the remainder
of the ships on the slip ways are deserted. In the
steam basin the Enchantress, 2, paddlewheel de-
spatch vessel, of 835 tons and 250 horse power en-
gines, by John Penn and Son, got up steam yester-
day for the first time since fitment, and every part
was found to work in a most satisfactory manner.
Her official trial is expected to take place about the
22d inst. The other vessels in the basin consist of
the Prince of Wales's yach t,Osborne, under repairs;
the Highflyer, 21 guns, 1,161 tons and 250 horse
power ; the Wasp, 13 guns, 974 tons and 100 horse
power; the Bulldog, 6 guns, paddle, of 1,124 tons
and 500 horse power ; and the Tyrian, Charger, and
Cracker gunboats, all also having repairs carried out
in hull or machinery. Alongside the south quay
of the steam basin stand a long line of railway
trucks,each truck containing a si-inch armour plate
for the Royal Sovereign, from the manufactory of
Messrs. John Brown and Co., of Sheffield. At the
north-east wall of the steam-basin is the battered
target frigate Alfred, waiting to be broken up; the
newly adopted target ship Powerful, waiting for
new experimental armour plates for testing by the
guns of the Stork gunboat; the Pigmy, paddle ten-
der, and Leveret, gunboat, the latter tender to the
Dauntless, in Southampton Water, refitting; and
the Lyra, 9 guns, screw sloop, of 488 tons and 60
horse power, lately paid off on arrival from foreign
service at the Cape of Good Hope, and now brought
down the harbour for survey,and repair. In close
vicinity to the steam basin stand a large number
of boilers and a quantity of new and valuable ma-

chinery, belonging to different ships building
and in commission. A private building firm
would carefully store and shelter the latter, but
Portsmouth yard contains no provision for such a
purpose, and the rule there is to store it
in the open air, perhaps for the purpose of testing
it by the weather before fitting it in the vessel.
Alongside the south jetty of the yard the Frede-
rick, William, screw line-of-battle ship, 82 guns,
of 3,240 tons and 500 horse power, is being
brought forward for commission in May next, re-
port says, to relieve the flagship on the North Ame-
rican and West India station. At the sheer jetty
lies the Himalaya, screw troopship, Capt. Edward
Lacy, 3,453 tons and 700 horse power, after having
had extensive repairs effected by the steam factory
department to her screw shafting, stern tubing,
propeller, and other parts of her machinery. This
very useful and economical ship is now again wait-
ing orders for further service. A tremendous stock
of timber is collected in the yard, the greater por-
tion of which is American white oak and teak.
His Netherlands Majesty's frigate Daquar sailed
from Portsmouth yesterday for Batavia, calling in
at Rio de Janeiro, on the completion of her repairs
The Egmont, sailing storeship, Capt. Crau ford,
went out of Portsmouth harbour yesterday to Spit-
head, and is expected to sail immediately for her
destination, Rio de Janeiro.
Admiralty directions have been received at
Chatham for provision to be made on board the
line-of-battle screw steamer.. Conqueror, 86, 500
horse power, fitting for the first division of the
Steam Reserve, for the following supply of Arm-
strong and spherical solid shot and shell—viz., 560
filled and 2,000 empty 8-inch shells, 340 filled 32-
pounder shells, 30 filled and 20 empty of the com-
mon and 20 filled and 30 empty of the segment
110-pounder Armstrong shells, 150 filled and 100
I empty of the common and 100 filled and 150 empty
of the segment 40. pounder Armstrong shells, 50
filled and 50 empty of the common and the
same
number of the segment 20-pounder
Armstrong
shells, and 125 of the segmenthlo2t-
Pouder Arm-
will consist of
shot. Arm-
strongs. Her Armstrong solid
60 110-pounders, 300 40-pounders,loo 20-pounders
and 50 12-pounders, togethoetr
forwith69o cases penta-
gon 2 , 8 ofs
to the
beo
ordinary 32-pounder solid
Provision j
made in the powder magazines
on white and 72 cases of metal lined half.
The screw frigate Amphion,
36, 1,474 tons, 300-
horse power, which was paid off about a fortnight
since into the Chatham Steam Reserve, is to un-
dergo a careful survey at the hands of the dockyard
officials, and a report of her condition forwarded to
the Admiralty. The Admiralty have directed her
boilers to be taken out, in order that they may be
thoroughly surveyed, and a full report made of the
state of the hull of the ship, boilers, and machinery.
The iron screw steamer Tamar, 2,812 tons, NO-
horse power, just completed at slillwall, is to be
sent to the Nore, to be masted at Sheerness, pro-
vided means can be obtained at that dockyard for
accomplishing that operation. In case, however,
of the resources at Sheerness not allowing the
masting to be effected at that dockyard, the masts
and gear, together with a party of riggers, are to J