The Sun.
London, England, 1863-02-20 00:00:00

siTN, LoNIwN, FRIDAY EVENING FEBRUARY 20, 1863

TH

Naval and Military Intelligence.

THE NAVY.

The Duke of Somerset, as First Lord of the Ad-
miralty, held his second levee yesterday at the Ad-
miralty, Whitehall, at which the undermentioned
officers attended :—Admiral Sir L. Curtis, C. 8.,
Gen. C. Menzies, K.H., Vice-Admiral Duntze,
Rear-Admiral Sir E. Belcher, C. 8., Rear -Admiral
G. R,msay, C. 8., Capt. W. Gore James, Capt. R.
J. Sullivan, Capt. F. Patten, Capt. F. Martin, Capt,
A. De Horsey, Capt. B. Drury, Capt. T. Mason,
Capt. G. S. Hand, Capt. H. Boys, Capt. R. W.
Courtenay, Capt H. M. Denham, Capt. W. A. R.
Pearse, Capt. R. Lambert, Commander H. M. Bing-
ham, Commander L. R-vnolds, Commander R.
Jenner, Commander J. Douglas, Commander J.
Geary, Commander G. F. Cottam, Commander C.
Forbes, Commander H. Campion, Dr. R. M'Cormack,
and Mr. J. W. Johnstone.

In addition to the Formidable, 84, the Cumber-
land; 70, and the Leander, 51, ordered to proceed to
the Nore, on the sth of March to form the squadron
under the orders of Vice-Admiral Johnstone, K.C.8.,
that will salute the Princess Alexandra on her ar-
rival at the entrance to the Thames in the Danish
frigate Slesvig, it was stated at Chatham yesterday
that the Channel squadron, under the command of
Rear-Admiral Smart, K.H., will be sent home
from Lisbon and stationed at the Nore, in order to
make the reception of the Princess as imposing as
possible. The Channel squadron consists of the
Revenge, 73, 800 horse power, Capt. C. Fellowes,
flagship of Rear-Admiral of the Red R. Smart,
K.H. ; the Warrior, 40, 1,250 horse power, Capt.
the Hon. A. A. Cochrane; the Black Prince, 40,
1,250 horse power, Capt. J. F. B. Wainwright; the
Defence, 16, 600 horse power, Capt. A. Pnillimore ;
and the Resistance, 16, 600 horse power, Capt. W.
C. Chamberlain. Although no positive orders to
that effect have been received at Chatham, it is pro-
bable that the Wellesley, 72, the training ship for
supplying seamen to the various vessels of war at
the eastern ports, will also proceed from Chatham
to the Nore to form one of the squadron of honour
on the occasion.

Admiralty orders have been received at Chatham
for another of the fleet of mortarvessels laid up in
Yantlet Creek to be handed over to the Controller
of the_Coastguard for use in that service, the Admi-
ralty having wisely ,determined on bringing the
whole squadron of mortarboats into use as opportu-
nities occur, instead of allowing them to remain
rotting in inactivity at their present berths. Be-
side the numerous mortarvessels at Yantlett Creek,
there is likewise a large squadron of iron mortar
boats, built during the Russian war, laid up at Chat-
ham Dockyard, costing the country a considerable
sum to keep them in repair, and to prevent rust eat-
ing into their iron plates. Each vessel is housed
over with a covering of wood to protect it from the
weather, but, although every precaution is adopted
in this respect, nothing can prevent their under-
going a certain amount of injury. The number of
these iron mortarvessels cannot be much less, if it
does not exceed, 100.

Her Majesty's paddlewheel steam sloop Hydra,
6, in the inner basin at Woolwich, paid off by Capt.
Douglas on the 23d of March, 1862, is ordered to be
brought forward for commission for North America
and the West Indies. Her boilers have been re-
moved preparatory to a thorough overhaul.
The Archer, 13, screw corvette, 973 tons and
202-horse power, in progress at Woolwich, will be
leady for commission on the 10th of March. Her
station is to be the west coast of Africa, where she
will be employed in the prevention of the slave
traffic, reported to be on the increase. The Archer
will relieve the 16-gun corvette Brisk, Capt. Luce,
ordered home.

The iron screw turret-vessel Alfred, building for
the Government at Messrs. Samuda's, in their yard
at Black wall, is now making rapid progress. Her
armament, consisting of five deck guns only, will
be protected by four cylindrical armour-plated
turrets, three of which will contain a
single gun each, and the fourth two guns,
making the total amount of her armament. The
construction is exactly that of the Confederate
invention, and is intended for similar purposes.
The turrets will be built up after the principle of
the Warrior's sides, with 41in. plates, backed by
solid teak timbers. The revolving platforms and
general woodwork of the turrets have been cat out
and the work commenced by the shipwright depart-
ment at Woolwich. The plating of the Caledonia is
advancing rapidly in dock at Woolwich. Some of
the upper strakes have been bolted on during the
past week. A new system practised in armour-plat-
ing the ships of the French navy has been intro-
duced, which it is expected will have the effect of
warding off the dry rot, and preventing decay. It
is effected by carbonising with a flame of gas the
surface of the timber before receiving the plates.
In order to obtain a satisfactory test of the effect of
this system, an equal number of the plates has been
laid on without the carbonising, and the system will
be applied to the remainder of the strakes to obtain
the necessary result.
The Emerald, 34, screw frigate, 2,913 tons, and
600-horse power, Capt. A. Cumming, commenced
her series of experimental speed trials with various
forms of screw propellers at Portsmouth yesterday.
As the whole series may possibly extend over a con-
siderable period, we purpose giving the results of
each trial as shortly as possible as they take place,
and to furnish a more detailed account in a summary
of the whole series at their conclusion. The trials
will be conducted by Capt. H. Broadhead, com-
manding H.M.S. Asia and the reserve at the port,
and his staff will consist of Mr. Ward, assist.-engi-
neer of the dockyard, and Mr. Murdoch, inspector
of machinery of the steam reserve. The following
were the results of yesterday's trial :—No. 1 trial—
Screw,common, Admiralty pattern, with a diameter
of 18ft., a pitch of 281 t., and a length of 31t. 6in. ;
the leading corners of the screw cut. The ship
drew 21ft. of water forward and 22tt. aft. Coals
on board, 300 tons; state of weather, a calm. Runs:
—lst run, time, 5 min. ; speed in knots, 12.000;
steam, 201 b.; vacuum, 24; revolutions, 53'5 ; 2d
run, time, 5 min. 29 sec.; speed, 10 942 ; steam,
181 ; vacuum, 24 ; revolutions, 53 5 ; 3d run, time,
4 min 46 sec.; speed, 12.587; steam, 18; va-
cuum, 24; revolutions, 53.5; 4th run, time, 6 min.
3 sec. ; speed, 9.917 ; steam, 19 ; vacuum, 24 ;
revolutions, 54 ; sth run, time, 4 min. 31 sec. ;
speed, 13.284; steam, 191; vacuum, 21 ; revolutions,
54 ; 6th run, 6 min. 8 sec. ; speed, 9.783 ; ateam,
191; vacuum, 24; revolutions, 54.5. The mean
speed of the ship is 11.529 knots. The circles were
made :—Port—half circle, 4 min. 22 sec. ; full
circle, 8 min. 40 sec. ; starboard—half circle, 4 min. ;
full circle, 8 min. 29 sec. ; port—helm put up in 19
sec. ; starboard, 18 sec. ; port—angle of under 15
deg , starboard, 16 deg. ; port—turns of wheel, 1i;
starboard, 11; port—revolutions of engines, 5P5;
starboard. 52. There were six men at the wheel.
The trials will be resumed on Saturday, if possible,
with the ship's spare screw. It is intended to
carry a uniform " pitch" of the screw throughout.
Rear-Admiral George Elliot has been appointed
Admiral Superintendent, of Portsmouth Dockyard,
vice Rear-Admiral the Hon. George Grey, whose
period of service has expired.
Some dissatisfaction has been created among the I
seamen on board ships stationed in the home ports
by an order issued from the Admiralty directing
that no person of any of her Majesty's ships shall
in future be allowed to convey on shore any portion
of the provisions issued to him on board ship. This
is the revival of an old order issued by the Board of
Admiralty, but afterwards amended by a subse •
quent order rescinding the former
,one except so far
as related to excitable articles. those men who
wished to do so have taken their allowance of meat
and biscuit on shore, and brought off in return any
description of provision for their dinners they chose.
To illustrate this as clearly as possible W 5 will
select the Excellent gunnery ship at Portsmouth,
from which vessel some 600 men go on shore every
night and return to their duties in the morning_
The greater number of these men have wives and
families on shore, and the dinner they take off the
ship is prepared by the wife. The man, therefore,
does not cook his allowance of meat on board, but,
taking his tl:rn with those of his messmates situated
like himself, takes up his allowance of beef in a 61b.
ochiresnaBbBlibl
be.
ic-
from takinglpiece,aer taicb 0 euswt,
his ha
ai
nbcndeh e
ofht
rhedeecr
rode conveys
which
ho
nhomeperteh ne to
ng t hie
sna family.
soemapm r
seamen
He does the same with his biscuit. Now, neither
e
beef nor biscuit can by any possibility be termed ex-
an biscuit on shore to his
family if he chooses to do so.

THE ARMY.
arri
Tvedhe right v g
e
In of the 61st Regiment of Foot
y esterda y, by
special
Piat train on the South-
Western line of railway,
andportovtieearrt
ortsmouth from Alder-
shott. The train proceededa
terminus to the
conveyancedock-
to Jersey.
J.
officers
and numbers embarked :—Lieut.-Col
The .
the. Government
line of rail from the L
a
yard, where the troops immediately
e returnderso n ,offor the n
m board her Majesty's screw troopship
es of embarked on
yMegasra, Com.
ma: followingderS.
H.
1;
is
a u
mond i Capts. T. M. Moore, W. Blackei P. Red.
t , and F.
D. Saundoraon ; Lieuta. F. J. Griffiths, H. Bayley,

L Knipe, and E. E. Barton; Ensigns W. Frhzer,
G. H. Stockinstrom, and C. W. Murray ; Pay-
master H. Leigh, Adjt. G. H. Boileau, Surg. U.
W. Evans, and Quartermaster John Dawler, two
officers' wives, two children, and two servants, 26
sergeants, 12 drummers, 23 corporals, 357 privates,
55 women, and 35 children. The embarcation was
affected under the superintendence of Major-Gene-
ral Lord W. Paulet, C. 8., commanding the South-
-West military district ; and Col. E. Somerset, C. 8.,
Assist.-Quaitermaster-Gen. On disembarking the
right wing at Jersey the Megsera will receive a por-
tion of the 2d battalion, 18th Regiment, on board,
which she will disembark at Cowes, Isle of Wight,
the regiment being ordered into quarters at Park-
hurst until its embarcation takes place for New
Zealand. The Magwra sailed last evening, and is
expected to arrive from Jersey at Cowes early on
Sunday morning.
In order to render the officers and men of the Ist
division of the depot brigade, Royal Artillery
thoroughly proficient in the use of the Armstrong
ordnance, in readiness for their embarcation for
India and the colonies during the ensuing spring,
practice is carried on daily from the forts and
batteries commanding the entrance to the Medway
with the 100-pounder Armstrong and the 68 and
32-pounder smooth-bore guns, together with the
13in. and Bin. land service mortars, under the
direction of Lieut.-Col. Talbot. The Ist division
of the depot brigade will give nearly 1,000
officers and men; the whole of whom have under-
gone a complete course of gun drill, for embarkation
during the present year.

longed happiness of the Prince and Princess of
Wales. Never in the history of England did so
tranquil a prospect dawn upon a Royal marriage.
Never did the nation so completely sympathise
with the rejoicing of the Royal household. Tne
marriage of affection—the entrance of the eldest
son of our Queen upon his new responsibilities—
the step across the threshold of life, which com-
pletes his manhood, and brings him face to face
with the duties as well as the privileges of his
exalted position—the memory of bygone days,
when our Sovereign Lady Queen Victoria, herself
a girl, took upon herself those solemn vows, the
earnest and religious fulfilment of which has made
the Royal House of England a shrine of purity to
which the rulers of the earth have bowed—but one
prayer for the happiness of the young Prince and
Princess will rise to the nation's lips on such an oc-
casion. The people of England will cheerfully
endorse the resolution of their representatives in
Parliament.