The Sun.
London, England, 1863-01-17 00:00:00

SPORTING INTELLIGENCE.

CITY BETTING—iIIs DAY.
CHESTER CUP.
2000 to 60 agst Stradolla (taken freely)
33 to 1 agst Hartington
33 to 1 agst Dulcibella
33 to I eget Haddington
50 to 1 agst Black 'Deer
50 to 1 agst Enfield
THE DERBY.
stolon the field (offered)

MANCHESTER BETTING--Tuts DAY.
CHESTER CUP.
40 to lon the field (offered)
40 to 1 agst Double X
40 to 1 agst Plover
More inquired after, lut no betting.

Naval and Military Intelligence.

THE NAVY.

Private letters, dated " For tress Monroe,Virginia,
Jan. 1," received by our Chatham correspondent,
announce several items of intelligence connected
with the movements of a portion of the North
American squadron. The screw-frigate Melpomene,
51, 600-horse power, Capt. Cf F. E. Stewart,
arrived at Fortress Monroe on Christmas Day, and,
having given provisions to the vessels at that place,
sailed again on the 29th ult. Tne Melpomene was
to proceed to Bermuda, at which she would call on
her return to England to be paid off after being in
commission upwards of three years and a half. The
Peterel, 11, 150-horse power, Commander G. W.
Watson, left Fortress Monroe for Charleston on the
26th of December, after which she was to proceed
on a short cruise. Her Majesty's screw corvette
Cadmus, 21, 400-horse power, Capt. J, F. Ross,
was at Fortress Monroe at the departure of the

mai!.

A numerous party of shipwrights and other
raechanics are employed on the iron paddlewheel
steamer Recruit, 6, 166 borse power, in No. 4 dock
at Chatham, where that vessel is undergoing some
extensive repairs preparatory to being commissioned.
At present she has her decks ripped up and her
paddleboxes removed, in order to be supplied with
new ones. She is also being furnished with new
bulwarks. Her engines, boilers, and machinery
have undergone a thorough overhaul at the hands
of the dockyard officials, and a report of their con-
dition forwarded to the Admiralty. In the internal
fittings of the Recruit provision is to be made on
board for the following quantity of ahot and shell :-
240 filled 32-pounder shells ; 15 filled and 20 empty
of the common, and 10 filled and 30 empty of the
segment 20-pounder shells; and five boxes of the 12
pounder diaphragm shells. Her solid shot will in-
clude 480 32-pounders and 60 20 pounders. In the
powder magazines she wilt take 73 cases of pentagon
whole, and five cases of metallined half.
Letters received at Portsmouth from the West.
Coast of Africa state that her Majesty's screw gun
vessel Espoir, Commander Douglas, had sent into
Loando, for trial before the Court of the Mixed Com-
mission, a Portuguese boat captured at sea. The
boat at the time of capture contained only five
slaves, but it contained £l,lOO sterling in cash for
the purchase of others. This would be the first time
of the Court being called upon to exercise its func-
tions during a period of seven years. Considerable
excitement prevailed among the traders and slave
dealers on shore in consequence of the capture, but
no doubt existed but the boat, slaves, and treasure
would be condemned and become prizes to the Es-
poir. A large Dutch barque and a brig under Eng-
lish colours had been detained by the Espoir and
sent in to Sierra Leone. The second master of the
Espoir, who joined the last Niger expedition in
search of Dr. Baikie by order of Commodore Ed-
monstone, had returned to his ship at the conclusion
of the expedition. The Investigator, screw steamer,
employed in the expedition, being a vessel of very
light draught, was enabled to pass over the nume-
rous shoals existing in the river's course up to a dis-
tance of 200 miles from its mouth. Nothing could,
however, be heard of Dr. Baikie. He was said to
have started for a place called Sokatu, of the situa-
tion or extent of which but little is known by Eu-
ropeans. In other letters received from the same
quarter slavers were said to be plentiful, and all the
officers and men in the squadron were on the qui
vice for captures and prize money.
The Leveret, screw gunboat, tender to the Daunt-
less, screw guardship, in Southampton Water, will
make her official trial of machinery at the measured
mile, in Stokes Bay, on Monday, on the completion
of her refit. The Tyrian, screw gunboat—of a
new and improved class for foreign service—will
make her official trial on Tuesday, and the En-
chantress, new paddle yacht, will make her
trial of speed on Wednesday, weather permitting in
each instance.
The Egmont storeship remains at Spithead for
final orders. Capt. Crauford has applied to the
Admira'ty for Phipson's ventilating apparatus to be
fitted on board prior to the ship sailing for her desti-
nation. As it could be fitted in about live says,
and has proved its merits in the most c-atisfactory
manner during a lengthened tris] on board the St.
Vincent training ship at Portsmouth, there is every
reason for Capt. Ceauford's request being acceeded
to, especially as the Egmont will be placed at satis-
factory harbour moorings in a part of the world
where a supply of pure air is one of the necessaries
of life. The cost of fitting the apparatus on board
the St. Vincent did not exceed £2OO.
Her Majesty's ship Caradoc, 2, iron paddle vessel,
was yesterday commissioned at Woolwich by Lieut.
Wilkieson.
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 shipßoyal 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 oece to
foreign stations to relieve others whose term of ser-
vice has expired, and no small iron cased ships being
yet available, the Curaeoa 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 p. ogress, 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 fhor 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-
-1 chased two tugs each far more efficient than the old
rotten tub now being repaired at such ani s e
on
cocrump
eud
expense. No. 7 dock is empty. No•
by the Curacoa, 31 gun screw frigate, 8
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 clock, is also vacant, and available fur
the public service. On the north-east side of the
steam basin, No. 11 dock, a second Warri r
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 it:lyal A iced, 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 skips 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