The Sun.
London, England, 1865-08-11 00:00:00

On Wednesday the Duke of Somerset, attended
by his private secretary, Capt. Hall, R.N., as First
Lord of the Admiralty, held a levee in the office of
the Admiral Superintendent, in the dockyard, Devon-
port. It began at 11 o'clock, and was not concluded
until half-past 1, when the Duke returned to the
Enchantress. Meanwhile, Admiral Grey and Admi-
ral Eden went down into the Sound and inspected
the ironcased cupola ship Scorpion, 4, Capt. John C.
Commerel, V.C. They returned about 3 o'clock,
when they landed at Keyham Steamyard, where
1,100 men belonging to the ships in ordinary were
drawn up, under the command of Capt. William
Edmonstone, C.B. Port-Admiral Sir Charles Fre-
mantle and Admiral-Superintendent Symonds were
present. From Keyham Admirals Grey and Eden
went to the training ship Implacable, 24, Cominander
H. L. Ray, where there are from 250 to 300 boys
under instruction ; the usual complement is 440.
They also went on board the screw steam frigate
Doris, 30, and then returned to the Enchantress.
Admiral Grey went on board, but Admiral Eden,
with Sir Richard Mayne, proceeded to the residence
of Admiral Symonds, with whom they dined; they
left Plymouth by the South Devon Railway yester-
day morning. The yacht left the Sound on Wed-
nesday evening for Portsmouth. The inspection at
Devonport by the Lords of the Admiralty has been
much shorter this year than formerly, which is pro-
bably owing in part to 'their presence on the occa-
sion of the visit of the Prince and Princess of Wales.
At that time the Duke of Somerset made several
unofficial inspections of the new ground to the north
of Keyham Steam-yard, the ultimate appropriation
of which appears to be as difficult a problem now as
it was on the occasion of the last annual inspection.
Whether the new docks are to be at right angles
with the sea, or parallel to it, is unknown ; indeed,
it is uncertain whether any docks will be constructed
at present, especially while the disputes continue in
the building trades. It is, however, almost certain
that measures will shortly be adopted for the erec-
tion of naval barracks on the new ground. In
the meantime, in order to save the crews
of ships refitting or altering from the necessity of
going afloat four or five times a day in all weathers
to join their temporary home, a floating hulk, the
Lords of the Admiralty have had the Vengeance
fitted for their use, and she is placed outside the
wharf at the north end of the north basin, so that
the seamen can walk on board at all times of tide.
Their lordships did not visit the breakwater, which
is now complete. Neither did they inspect the
Shovel Fort, erecting inside it. This fort is in-
tended to form one of the chain of forts round Ply-
mouth. Its construction was intrusted to the late
Mr. Walker, the engineer to the Admiralty and
Trinity Boards, and after his death it was continued
by Mr. M'Clean, of Great George-street, West-
minster. Considerable difficulty was experienced
in laying the foundation, as the rock is about 40ft.
below low water, and the position is greatly exposed
to the weather. Up to about high water it is solid,
built of concrete blocks of about 7 tons each, and
cased on the outside with large blocks- of granite.
Above high water to the present level, about 25ft.,
there is a thick wall of granite backed up with brick-
work. It encloses the magazines, warehouse, latrines,
coal stores, water tanks, &c. The work has been
executed by Messrs. H. Lee and Sons, the contrac-
tors of the Dover-pier and various other Govern-
ment works, and the Amsterdam Canal. The part
of the fort below water was built by bell and hel-
met diving, the machinery being worked from above
on a large timber staging constructed so as to com-
mand the whole foundation. The part above water
is now carried up to near the embrasure or gun
level ; the remainder will be built under the super-
intendence of the Royal Engineers. At present the
work is believed to be in abeyance, on account of
some alteration of the original design caused by the
successive improvements in artillery and fortifica
tions.

The Admiralty yacht Enchantress, Staff- Comman-
. der Petley, arrived at Portsmouth yesterday morn-
ing, Plymouth, with the Lords of the Admiralty,
comprising the Duke of Somerset, K.G., Admiral
the Hon. Sir F. W. Grey, K.C.8., Vice-Admiral
the Hon. J. R. Drummond, C. 8., and Mr. H. C.
E. Childers, accompanied by Vice-Admiral
Lord C. Paget, C. 8., First Secretary to the Board;
Rear-Admiral E. S. Robinson, Controller of the
Navy ; Capt. R. Hall, private secretary to the First
Lord, and Major Clarke, R.E. Their Lordships
were received by the customary salute from the flag
ship Victory. Admiral Sir M. Seymour, K.C.8.,
Commander-in-Chief, Rear-Admiral Wellesley
(Admiral-Superintendent), Capts. Scott, A. Key,
Herbert, Seccombe, C. Coles, &c., proceeded on
board the yacht to pay their respects to their Lord-
ships, who shortly after 10 o'clock landed at the
King's-stairs, in the dockyard, and went immedi-
ately to the Admiral Superintendent's office, where
they were some time engaged examining plans and
estimates for the new works in connection with the
extension of the dockyard, &e. Afterwards their
Lordships, accompanied by the Admiral Superinten-
dent and principal officers of the yard, made a visit
to various parts of the yard, taking a cursory of the
ironkflads Wiven, alongside the new jetty; the Va-
the Minotaur, in No. 11
liant, yo. 1 0 dock ;
17yarrior and other ships in the steam
dock ;and the
ki
the ng's-stairs to the En-
basin, returning from'
pa;laking of luncheon, their
chantress, where, after
Lordships again entered the bt;_rge, and, landing at
Anchor-wharf, walked through anti inspected the
works in progress so far as the new laticling wharf
and the extended works beyond. They retuutd to
the dockyard, to the Admiral Superintendent's office;
where their Lordships had arranged to receive de-
putations from the shipwrights and others. At the
conclusion of the interview with them their Lord-
ships again returned to their yacht, where they en-
tertained a select number of officers to dinner. Sir
R. Mayne, Chief Commissioner of Police, and Mr.
Mallileau arrived from Plymouth by train. To-day
their Lordships will be engaged at Clarence yard,
Haslar Hospital, and will inspect the Royal Marine
Light Infantry and Royal Marine Artillery on South-
sea-common. They will dine with Admiral Sir M.
Seymour in the evening, and afterwards be present
at the annual ball at the King's Rooms, in aid of the
funds of the Royal Naval and Marine Orphan School.
Staff-Commander W. W. Dillon yesterday took
up his commission at Woolwich, having been ap-
pointed to the flagship Fisgard, for command of the
steam reserve in the dockyard, in succession to Staff-
Commander Luke, superseded, who, after a con-
tinuous service of 30 years, retires on half-pay.
The Royal Sovereign turret-ship, Capt. Herbert,
went out of Portsmouth harbour yesterday and
anchored at Spithead. It is expected she will leave
to-day for Cherbourg.
The Octavia screw frigate, Capt. C. F. Hellyin ;
the Liverpool, Capt. R. Lambert; and the Con-
stance, Capt. Barnard ; left Spithead yesterday for
Portland, to join the Channel squadron.
Her Majesty's ship Agincourt safely left the
' Morpeth-dock, Birkenhead, yesterday, and took
anchorage in the Sloyne. She leaves the Mersey
for Plymouth to-morrow.
The screw frigate Arethusa, 35, 500-horse power
(nominal), Capt. Reginald J. J. G. Macdonald, one
of the vessels composing the experimental steam