The Sun.
London, England, 1863-10-03 00:00:00

THE TENDER FOR THE THAMES EMBANKMENT FROM WEST.

MINSTER-BRIDGE TO WATERLOO BRIDGE.

The Board sat upwards of two hours with closed doors to
receive from the solicitor of the Board a report of the result
of his inquiries into the sufficiency of the sureties proposq,
by Mr. Samuel Ridley, to whom the tender was last week
conditionally awarded. As the reporters were excluded no
information could be obtained as to whether they were
considered to be satisfactory or not.
After transacting some uninteresting business the Board
adjourned.

Naval and Military Intelligence.

THE NAVY.

The Scylla, 20, screw, Capt. Courtney, is expected
to sail from Spithead this morning for Japan, tak-
ing out supernumerary seamen and marines for ships
serving on that station.
The Sharpshooter, iron screw sloop, of 503 tons
and 200 horse power of engines, is drawing near
the completion of her repairs in dock at Portsmouth.
She has been fitted with Commander Warren's pa-
tent bow rudder, and her inner skin, from her keel
to a level with her water line, has been coated with
Spence's paten; non-conducting and preservative
composition. An official trial of Commander War-
ren's bow rudder will be made by the officials of
Portsmouth dockyard on the Sharpshooter coming
out of dock.
Yesterday the iron screw frigate Marley Hill ar-
rived alongside the dockyard at Chatham from
Liverpool, having on board about 50 tons of machi-
nery and tramways ordered by the Admiralty to be
erected beneath the building sheds on which it is
intended to construct the iron frigates about to be
laid down.

Her Majesty's ship Majestic, 80 guns, Capt. Ingle-
field, C. 13., left Holyhead for Liverpool on Thursday.
She was stationed at llolyhead for nearly three
months for the purpose of training her crew and the
Naval Coast Volunteers on the station.

Her Majesty's ship Hydra, now completed at
Woolwich for surveying duties in the Mediterra-
nean, yesterday returned to the dockyard after a
two days' trial trip of her machinery down the river.
Her average rate of speed was i 1 knots, the wind
blowing fresh the whole time. On Tuesday she will
be swung at Greenhithe for the adjustment of com-
passes, and onWednesday will proceed on her voyage,
calling at Plymouth on her way down the Channel.
She is expected to arrive at Malta about the 21st inst.
She was commanded by Lieut. George R. Wilkin-
son, of the Medina, who, on his arrival at Malta,
will transfer his command to Capt. Spratt. The
officers and crew, being appointed for the voyage
only, will be turned over as supernumeraries to the
flagship Marlborough.
Four of the large iron cylinders cast at the foun-
dry of Messrs. Aveling and Porter, Rochester, have
been received at Chatham dockyard, to be used in
the works now in progress for the enlargement and
extension of that establishment by taking iu the
whole of St. Mary's Island. The cylinders, which
are the largest of the kind ever manufactured for
that particular operation, are intended to be used in
the construction of the new basins and docks, the
foundations for which aro now being excavated. In
the construction of the new basins and docks, ad-
vantage has been taken of St. Mary's Creek, which
intersects the southern portion of the island, and the
bed of the creek, which is now being drained, will,
in fact, form the site of the three basins, the united
area of which will be nearly 90 acres, or about
double the extent of the whole of the existing avail-
able basin accommodation at all the Royal dock-
yards. Up to the present time the entire work in
connection with the enlargement of Chatham dock-
yard has been performed by convicts, of whom be.
tween 800 and 900 are daily employed.
The whole of the shipwrights and other dockyard
mechanics have been withdrawn from the paddle.
wheel steamer Salamis, 4, 250-horse power, lying
alongside the dockyard in Chatham harbour, and
that vessel is now entirely completed and in all re-
spects ready for commission.

THE AR?IY.

Field-Marshal his Royal Highness the Duke o
General Commanding-in-Chief,
Cambridge, LH.,
arrived yesterday at the Gosport terminus of the
South-Western Railway on a visit to the garrison
and fortifications of Portsmouth and the South-
Western District. His Royal Highness, on alight-
ing from the train, was received by Major-General
Lord W. runlet, C. 8., the Lieut.. Governor of the
garrison and commanding general officer of the
district, attended by Col. Thackwell, Deputy-Ad-
jatant-General ; Col. E. Somerset, C. 8., Deputy-
Quartermaster-General ; Col. Warde, C. 8., com-
manding the Royal Artillery ; Col. Gordon, C. 8.,
commanding the Royal Engineers; Capt. Paulet,
Aide-dc-Camp, and other officers; the Royal Stan-
dard being hoisted on the flagstaff of the garrison
on the King's Bastion, and a Royal salute fired
from the garrison saluting battery and also from
the guns of her Majesty's ship Victory. On alight-
ing from the train, the duke, accompanied by the
officers named and his own personal staff, rode
round the outer lines of the defences of Portsmouth
—from Stokes Bay to Portsmouth harbour, and
thence past Forts Fareham and Wallingford to the
commanding position of Portsdown, crowned with
the gigantic works now drawing near their first
stage of completion. Descending from Portsdown,
his Royal highness entered the island of Portsea,
through the extensive and but partially completed
lines of Hilsea, and proceeded to the Government-
house, Portsmouth, where he remains the guest of
Lord William Paulet during his stay in Portsmouth•
Major-Gen. Sir Richard Dacres yesterday 7;
sp?eted the local division of Royal Marineerfilvigas
Infantry on Woolwich C.munon, The G
attended by Col. Buchanan and C°l rearras:
13th Brigade Royal Artillery, Ir'iftr.,affip, Capt.
Brigade Major, Mr;jor Ai,edrein' dtiter.Gen.,
and
Nan gle, DeputyAssistan - (,2"_9(iniyision mustered in
other officers of the staff. ° th, with the ex-
heavy marching order, in full strength,
of Capt.
Fraser
ception of a detachment loin co
the Pianist d
ea marsh.
engaged in rifle practice
they
visions, rctired, marched past in grand di-
After the inspection
formed out in companies, and went
f battalion ni •
overuents, Before
through a series 0,
Gen.
dismissing the In" i -"acres testified his appro-
bation to the common( ant, Col. Mitchell, of the effi•
c:eney of the corps.
colour-Sergt. John Willoughby, Royal Marines,