The Sun.
London, England, 1863-08-14 00:00:00

THE NAVY.

The Royal yacht Victoria and Albert, Captain
his Serene Highness Prince Leiningen, arrived and
came into Portsmouth harbour at 4 p.m. yesterday
from Antwerp, whither she had conveyed her Ma•
jesty and the Royal Family.
The annual inspection by the Lords of the Ad-
miralty was commenced at Devonport on Wednes •
day by Rear-Admiral Charles Eden, CM. He, in
company with the Controller of the Navy, :Rear-
Admiral Thomas Spencer Robinson, went on board
the training-ship Impregnable, 78, Capt. Francis
M. Tremlett, and her tender, the sloop Squirrel, 8,
Lieut. Arthur H. Wright, both in Hamoaze, when
the boys were exercised at the sails and guns. Sub-
sequently Vice-Admiral the Hon. Sir Frederick
William Grey, K.C.8., Admiral Robinson, and the
Director of Engineering Works, Colonel Godfrey
Thomas Greene, visited the new long dock in the
Devonport yard, the works of which were com-
pleted by the contractors about two months since.
The dock proper is enclosed by a pair of iron gates,
but, between them and Hamoaze there is a apace of
50ft., the outer part being protected from the sea by
an iron caisson. The sea can be excluded from the
the dock by the caisson only, in which case the
length of the dock is increased 50ft. There is at
present inside the caisson a quantity of mud and
rubbish ; when this is removed the dock will be
ready for use. The new long dock is constructed
on the sites of the old docks Nos. 2 ana 3,
which were one inside the other. It is 437 ft. long
over all and 415 ft 6in. below, and can take in the
Warrior class of ships: On the arrival of the Agin-
court, which is larger than the Warrior, she will
probably be placed in this dock. The sheer hulk
moored outside will, it is said, be fitted with a steam
capstan, for the purpose of hauling ships into and
out of the new long dock. From the dockyard
Sir Frederick Grey proceeded to Keyham steam-
yard, where, between 1 and 3 o'clock in the after-
noon, he mustered the men belonging to the Steam
Reserve, who are commanded by Capt. William
Edmonstone, C.B. His lordship next went on
board the training-ship Implacable, 24, Comman-
der S. B. Dolling, and the receiving-ship Canopus,
8, Capt. Charles H. May, and inspected the crews
of both. When landing at the dockyard Sir Fre-
derick examined the new lifeboat constructed by
Mr. Turner, master shipwright of Woolwich yard,
which had been sent to Devonport to be tested.
The paddle-wheel steam-yacht Enchantress, 1,
Master-Commander J. E. Petley, from the Channel
Islands and Dartmouth, arrived at Plymouth yea-
terday morning. Instead of landing at
Devonpol
dockyard or Keyham steamyard his Grace t e
l:
Duke of Somerset proceeded at once to New Pas-
sage. Thence he and his colleagues, the other
Lords of the Admiralty, obtained an easy access to
order, if
the Devonport park, where they went
possible, to settle the question of a site for naval
barracks.
The screw steam corvette Brisk, 16, Capt. John
West Coast of Africa, last from
Portsmouth, Luce, from the
Portsmouth, arrived in Plymouth Sound yesterday
morning.
composing the Ordnance Select
The officersCom-
mitteeWoolwich Arsenal have been engaged at
of
the proof butt during the week
in order to test the
Broadwell breach-loading principle, which they
have had under consideration for some months past.
As previously stated,
shaped self-actingth gas •
this system consists of a pecu-
liarly ring or valve, which
during the former trials was placed in the wedge
or breech block of the gun, the position and shape
of which Mr. P
—roadweli has since changed. The
chief object of this week's trials, it is stated, was to
test the edeantages of the alteration. The gas:ring
is now fitted
behind the bore, and acts against It
bearing in the face of the breech block. The intention
of the inventor in making this alteration appears to
be to improve the facility of its application to guns
not constructed expressly for its use. The issue
of the trials is pronounced exceedingly satisfac-
tory, and, according to the opinion freely given at
their termination, the merits of the system were
fully established, in so far, at least, as it is applica-
ble to guns of a calibre equal to an 18-pounder, with
which it had been tested. The method is now to
be tested in a similar manner with the 110-pounder
or larger guns. An important feature in the inven-
tion is, as in the case of a common steam valve, that
the greater the pressure the tighter the breech be-
comes closed against the escape of gas.
This justi
the opinion ,hat the enbeccuent triOß gh""r f"I