The Sun.
London, England, 1863-12-29 00:00:00

We, at the time of our capture, had been at anchor
exactly twelve weeks, and had been boarded several times
by American vessels of war. On the 3d of October the
same vessel that sent us here, the Virginia, boarded us
and saw all my papers, and also the cargo fore and aft, the
hold about half discharged then ; he left me on that date
apparently satisfied, and then a month after (sth Novem-
ber) he seiz3s us for having brought contraband of war,
which, when he could have satisfied himself of the contents,
it was not worth his while, as ho expressed himself, and
appeared to be quite satisfied that we had on board nothing
but harmless and legal merchandise.
The mail closes this day and leaves weekly for New
York. I shall write you every mail, and trusting that all
will end well, I am, with best respects, yours very truly,
(Signed) JOHN READ,
Master barque Science, of Waterford.
Mr. John Angel.

Naval and Military Intelligence.

~_~~~_.

THE NAVY.
The orders given by the Admiralty for the Bellerophon
target, recently tested at Shoeburyness, to be repaired
under the superintendence of Mr. Buskcombe, one of the
foremen at Chatham dockyard, under whose direction it
was constructed, have been countermanded, and it will
consequently be allowed to remain in its present condition
until subsequent instructions have been received.
Arrangements have been entered into by the Lords of the
Admiralty with the proprietors of the Medway Company's
steamers for two of-their vessels—the City of Rochester
and the Alma—to be employed, in conjunction with the
steam tender Adder, in conveying the mechanics and work-
people employed on the iron frigate Achilles to and from
the dockyard at Chatham to Gillingham, where the Achilles
is being completed for sea. By this arrangement 1,340 of
the workmen can be conveyed to and from the dcckyard at
the same time—namely, 560 in the Adder, 400 in the City
of Rochester, and 380 in the Alma. During the time the
Achilles is stationed at Gillingham, Assistant-Surgeon J.
A. Yule, M.D., of the Cumberland, 24, is to be in constant
attendance for the purpose of giving Immediate attention to
any of the workmen who may meet with an accident.
The screw gunboat Charger, 2, 60 horse power, attached
to the first division of the Chatham steam reserve, having
completed her experimental trials with the Curtis steering
screw with which she has been fitted, a report has been
made by the dcckyard officials, under whose superintend-
ence the trials took place, on the result of the experiments.
The iron paddlewheel steam tender Locust, employed on
harbour service between Chatham and Sheerness, is ordered
to have one side of her bottoms coated with Peacock's com •
position, by way of experiment.
An investigation has taken place at Chatham dockyard
by order of the Lords of the Admiralty into the circum-
stances attending the accident which occurred to the iron
frigate Achilles, on the occasion of her being floated out of
dock on Wednesday night, an account of which was given
in The Sun. The decision of the Lords of the Admiralty
upon the facts laid before them is not yet known, but it is
understood in the dockyard that the official who was re-
sponsible for the proper management of the ship will be re-
moved from his appointment, and granted a superannua-
tion allowance.
Mr. Oliver W. Lang, who for upwards of five years past
has held the responsible position of master sbipbuilder at
Chatham dockyard, has tendered his resignation to the
Lords of the Admiralty, and yesterday ceased to perform
the duties in connection with his office. Some three or four
months since Mr. Lang placed his resignation in the hands
of the Admiralty, and requested to be relieved of his appoint-
ment, but at the express desire of their Lordships he con-
tinued to discharge the duties connected with the office of
master shipwright at Chatham until the completion and un-
docking of the iron frigate Achilles. During the time Mr.
'Lang has been at the head of the shipbuilding department
at Chatham several of our largest and best vessels of war
have been constructed, equipped, and despatched to sea
under his superintendence, including the Royal Oak and
the Achilles.
The Irresistible, 80, screw steam line-of-battle ship, 2,642
tons, 400 horse power, belonging to the third divisien of
the Sheerness steam reserve, was taken into dock at Sheer-
ness yesterday, to be brought forward and fitted for com-
mission as a Coastguard vessel.
The Cumberland, 24, guardship of the steam reserve
squadron at Sheerness and in the river Medway, Capt. W.
K,'Hall, C.D., commanding, is ordered to be paid off at
Sheerness on Thursday next, after having been in commis-
sion since October, 1859. She will be recommissioned on the
following day, resume her duties at Sheerness with the
same officers and crew, and be provided with an entire set

of new books.
Admiralty inot.uctic,,‘ have been received by the autho-
rities at Sheerness that the ithadraanth,..
storeship, 813 tons, 220 horse power, is to be removed from
Woolwich to that port, there to be taken to pieces and com-
pletely broken up.
The Medusa, paddlewheel vessel, 889 tons, 312 horse
power, Master Commanding John IL Allard, sailed from
Sheerness yesterday, in accordance with Admiralty orders,
for the mouth of the Texel, to relieve the Lively gunboat,
said to be on shore at that place.
Vice-Admiral of the Red Sir G. R. Lambert, K.C.B„
Commander-in-Chief at the Nore, received his promotion to
the rank of Admiral on Monday, when he hoisted his flag,
blue at the main, on board her Majesty's ship Formidable,
stationed at Sheerness. Admiral Lambert obtained the
rank of Captain on the Bth Aug„ 1825; of Rear-Admiral
on the 21st Jan., 1854; and of Vice-Admiral on the 18th
Dec., 1858. It is reported that he will leave Sheerness at
the end of February next, and that he will be succeeded by
Vice-Admiral. Sir Charles Talbot, S.C.B.
The Alberta, new paddlewheel steam yacht, built for the
use of her Majesty, went out of Portsmouth harbour yes-
terday morning for a trial of her speed at the measured
mile in Stokes Bay, under the superintendence of Capt. H.
Broadhead, of her Majesty's ship Asia, and commanding
tht steam Reserve at Portsmouth, and other officials of the
Steam Reserve and dockyard. On arriving at the measured
mile the yacht was turned to an even keel at seven feet
draught of water, and made two circles—first, with helm at
starboard, in 2 min 44 sec; the other, with helm at port,
in 2 min 54 sec. She proceeded to run the measured mile
and made two runs, realizing an average speed of 15'24 knots
when her port paddlewheel became defective, and she was
obliged to return into harbour. The damage appears to be
considerable, and it will take sumo time before it can be
made good. The engines of the Alberta, 160-horse power
nominal, are from Messrs. Penn and Sons, who were repre-
sented at the trial by Mr. Matthews. There was also on
board the yacht during the trial Captain the Prince of
Leiningen, of the Royal yacht Victoria and Albert.
The Octavia, screw steam frigate, was placed in No. 5
dock yesterday afternoon, to be brought forward for com-
mission.

Her Majesty's steam sloop Mutine (Capt. Graham, pro-
moted yesterday to post rank) was taken into basin at
Woolwich to commence stripping. The whole of the ship's
company on leave of absence yesterday returned to their
duties. Capt. Graham has been promoted in testimony of
much valuable service over a period of 22 years.
The steam store ship
Supply,Master-Commander
Bowden, yesterday went to Deptford, from Woolwich, to
load with victualling stores for the Mediterranean.
An important part of Dr. Edmonds's ventilating appa-
ratus has been fitted to the Royal Sovereign cupola-ship at
Portsmouth, in which, by a simple arrangement, from 300
to 350 natural channels actually existing in every large ship
have been made available for the ventilation of the ship's
bilges and the timber spaces. This is done by connecting
these latter into a long air shaft on each side of the ship,
through which a draught is created by communicating it
by a cross shaft into the funnel. The efficacy of this plan
has been already tested in the Royal Sovereign, a very '
slight increase of temperature in the funnel sufficing to
draw a current of air through the air shafts, and necessarily
through the whole framework of the ship from the bilges,
which, passing into the funnel, is carried high into the open
air. Shipowners view this mode of ventilation with great
favour, as it promises to prevent dry rot by the free circu-
lation of air which it creates over the interior timber
surfaces, a desideratum which has hitherto baffled the skill
of scientific men to accomplish. Even those who advocate
the substitution of iron for timber in their construction of
ships must admit that while we have timber ships it is not
wise to neglect taking the best means to preserve them--
but another part of the invention included in the patent is
peculiarly adapted even to iron steam-ships, and consists of
air channels which are made to form part of the deck itself
and act immediately below it. These are either united with
the previously described air shafts or ventilated separately—
both alike by exhaustion of foul air—but in wooden ships
these maybe dispensed with, although highly useful. Those
who have been a voyage to India or the colonies have un-
pleasant recollections of the foulness of the air and close-
ess between the decks and in the cabins, from bilge effluvia
being vented into them through the open timber spaces,
f here can be no excuse for this nuisance continuing,
as the means for preventing it are, by means of this inven-
tion, made easy of adoplon, and applicable to all ships, as
any of the ordinary methods of ventilation can be used in
connection with it where the funnel draught is not available.
Those destructive fevers which frequently occur and cause
such ravages in our ships of war serving in the tropics, if
they are not tensed, are often, doubtless, aggravated by
into
fatal influences arising within the ship, fomented mto
fatal activity by a high temperature, and the more insidious
equally inveterate forms of disease, such as occurred in,
but equal
the St. Jean d'Acre and Cressy, described in Dr. Bryson 's
statistical report on the health of the navy just published,
were, in the opinion of the medical officers of these ships,
gencies, When Dr. Edmonds's to be attributed to similar a