The Sun.
London, England, 1863-09-30 00:00:00

dockyards at Sheerness, for the purpose of tho-
rotghly testing the effioiency of his 'invention for

Dimon ring with accuracy the speed of ships sea.
The metal curves on the decks of the whole of ti`se
ships fitting for the first division of the Chathat
steam reserve, as well as of those already attached'
to
dockyard officials, who will report on their condi—
tion previous to the vessels being commissioned for
sertvhicaet division,a are to be carefully inspected by the,
t sea.

The Fawn, 17, 100 horse power, is being brought
forward for sea at the Nore, with all possible de-
spatch. Orders having been received at Chatham
for her to be hastened forward :or commission, as

she is intended to relieve the screw steamer Despe-
rate, 8, 400 horse power, CommanderlA. T. Thrupp,
attached to the West India squadron, and not the

Greyhound, 17, 200 horse power, as previously au-

nounced.

The old line.of-battle sailing ship Daman, 74, for
several years past employed as a lazaretto ship at
fitaugate-creek, is almost entirely demolished, and.
by the close of the present week the shipwrights
and labourers at Chatham dockyard will have en-
tirely broken her up. Many of her timbers are still
exceedingly-Bona, notwithetanding that the Dun-
can was built upwards of half a century since. The
best are being conveyed to St.-Mary's Island, where
they will be used in the works in progress for the

yscwreawr
2 t egrudi
extension of Chatham dockyard'.
1
11
Woolwich, and floated into No. 2 dos* to be pre-
pared for sea service. The Wolverine is Wilton the
ertoMnsei,e:astiaye
orvette
same principle as the unfortunate Orpheus, anda
peeT oWf
intended for the Australian station. lverir
aet,
1,702

The armour-clad ship Caledonia, undocked on
Monday at Woolwich, and afterwards moored at
Partleet, was yesterday morning towed up the river
and received in the Victoria Docks, where she will

remain until the spring tide at the commencement

of November, to be fitted with har boilers and ma..

chinery. The shipwrights and other artificers, 300
in number, employed in the construction of the in-
terior accommodation of the ship have been granted

an additional 2s.per day, termed "sleeping money,"
to indemnify them for the extra expenses incurred
by their absence from home. Admiral Gold-
smith, C. 8., and other naval officers, awaited
the arrival of the Caledonia yesterday morning
in Woolwich Dockyard as she passed up the
river, and expressed admiration of her appearance.
Notwithstanding the enormous weight of her ar-
mour and other appliances added since she was
launched, weighing over 1,500 tons, she floated up
on the surface of the tide with remarkable steadi-
ness and buoyancy. Being intended to act as a
ram, she is unprevided with a figurehead On her
removal from dock she will be taken down to Sheer-
ness to be completed for sea.
Mr. Thornton, assistant-master shipwright of
Woolwich, having completed his survey of the
Calais and Dover packet Breeze, about to carry the
French mails, yesterday left Woolwich, by order of
the Admiralty, to survey the Pacific Steam Navi-
gation Company's ship Chile, at Liverpool.
Her Majesty's steam storeship Fox yesterday
arrived at Woolwich from Pembroke, and was
hauled into basin to ship boilers and machinery for
Mr. Reed's experimental iron-cased ship Repulse.
The Hecate, war steamer of 700 tons burden,
carrying six guns and under the command of Capt.
Richards, which was lying in Port Jackson at the
last dates, was about to leave for England via Ba-
tavia and the Cape of Good Hope. The Hecate has
been engaged on a scientific and surveying voyage
extending over seven years. She left Vancouver's
Island Dec. 22, 1862, and having touched at San
Francisco, proceeded to Honolulu, where she ar-
rived March 17. She left the Sandwich Islands on
April 21, and made Fanning's Island May 8. She
tcuched at Humphrey's and Reardon's Islands, and
also at several island from which the natives have
been recently been kidnapped by slavers. Sunday
Island has been stripped of its inhabitants, and the
plantations and settlements in the other islands in
The victoity nave also been completely ticatroyga.
it iq Tintlergtood that the plans and reports sub-
mitted by Mr. Scamp, C.E., Depot, Dtreeior of
Works, to the Board of Admiralty for the extension
and improvement of Portsmouth Dockyard have
been approved, and that a bill embodying the de-
tails of this scheme will be laid before Parliament
early next session. Of late Mr. Stansfeld,
Junior Lord of the Admiralty, has visited Ports-
mouth daily, and in addition to investigating the
dockyard system of accounts has spent considerable
time in acquainting himself with the requirements
of the port.
The ships of war on the Australian station at the
date of the last advices were the Harrier, 17, Capt.
Sullivan, at New Zealand ; the Miranda, 14, Capt.
Jenkins, at Sydney ; the Eclipse, 4, Capt. Mayne,
at New Zealand ; and the Hecate, 6, Capt. Richards.
The Miranda has been undergoing extensive re-
pairs for some time at the hands of Mr. Cuthbert,
of Sydney. Dry rot was discovered to have pene-
trated the hull in so many places that it was neces-
sary to lay both bides open. She was, therefore,
placed in the Government dry dock and stripped ;
several portions of the frame have been taken out
and replaced by colonial timber, and the frigate is
now again ready for service. The Australian Steam
Navigation Company has constructed a gunboat for
the New Zealand Government, intended for service
on the inland waters of that colony. She is 140 ft.
in length, 201 t. beam, Bft. Gin. depth of hold, and
will draw only 2ft. Gin. of water. She is built of
iron, is fitted with four water-tight compute
meats, and is ballet-proof. The propelling power
consists of an overhanging stern wheel with feather..
ing floats, driven by two 30-horse engines. On deck
are placed two cupolas, each 7ft. in diameter, the
sides being pierced for rifles ; these cupolas are
placed on forward and the other aft, the communi•
cation being from below. As it was important to
protect the gunboat in the event of her getting
aground, a 3-inch pipe is carried fore and aft, flush
with the gunwale, and connected with one of the
two boilers in which steam is generated. The
series e swoaft
water
holes,
pipetinoiusspjieetr pierced ds
scalding
iidt with
nag ao that a con-
tinuous could be thrown
f-om the gunwale should an enemy come alongside,
The gunboat affords accommodation for 300 men.
Cap:. Harris, three sergeants, and four corporals
Royal Marine Light Infantry, were yesterday
ordered to leave Woolwich for Lincoln on recruit-
ing service, the strength of the corps, 18,000 of all
having diminished
ranks, about 1,000 in consequence
of dismissals, deaths, See.
The following appointments were made yesterdey
at the Admiralty :--Commander Stapleton J. Ore-.
ville to the St. Vincent, vice Commander Lowther ;
Lieut. George 111
.vr. Carter to the Asia ; the Rev.
Francis Hannan, chaplain, to the Gibraltar ; George
Foster, naval instructor, to the Gibraltar ; and Jas,
N. Hall has been nominated to naval cadetship.

TUE ARMY.
On Monday the 100-pounder Armstrong gun on
;he Rock Perch battery, near Liverpool, was fired
for the first time by the men of the Coast Brigade,
under the command of Lieut. Marshall, R.A. The
range was 3,400 yards. Throughout the practice a
strong wind was blowing. The following was the
result
O
i the
firing
:—The first solid shot, 150 yards
right,
elevationgood ; second shot, 160 yards do.;
third shot, 50 yards do.; fourth shot, 25 yards right,
20 yards. short ; fifth shot, 10 yards right, elevation
good ; sixth shot, 15 yards do. The first shell, with
eme"Bion fuse, fell 100 yards short in good line,
but did net explode. The second shell fell 15 yards
short and 55 feet to the left, and exploded. Two
segment shells with time fuses were then fired at a
rooga of about 1,200 yards, it having become too
dark for practice at the longer range. Good prac-
tice was made. The gun was worked with ease. At
the same time a 66-pounder gun was fired at a range
of about 1,200 yards, and made excellent practice
with shot and slaell• it was tried once at the same
range as the Armstrong, but the shot fell 200 yards
and 300 to the right.