The Sun.
London, England, 1862-10-24 00:00:00

211 E A'AVIc

An officer on board H.M.S. Black Prince, in de-
scribing her passage out, says, in a letter dated the
Bth inst.:—" We left Portland on the morning of
the Ist; on that and the two following days we
were knocking about the Channel. On Saturday,
the 4th, we encountered a heavy sea, and rolled
considerably, but the weather was fine. This morn-
ing before breakfast our ship passed Belem Castle,
at the entrance of the Tagus, and a little before 9
we anchored off the city of Lisbon. Early next week
we proceed to Gibraltar, where we shall probably
remain. Our ship answers remarkably well. It
was thought these ships were useless as sailors, but

we did 72 knots under canvass alone. The Warrior

beats us steaming, but it is doubtless owing to our
armour plating being thicker, giving an increased
weight of between 300 and 400 tons."
The screw steam frigate Liverpool, 51, at Devon-
port, was masted on Tuesday.
The ships of war on the Australian station at the
date of the late advises were the Fawn, 17, Capt.
Cayter, on a cruise ; the Harrier, 17, Capt. Sir M.
M'Gregor, at New Zealand ; the Miranda, 14, Capt.
Jenkins, on a cruise to the Feejees ; the Pioneer, 6,
C,apt. Reilly, at Sydney ; and the Orpheus, 21„ Com-
modore Burnett, at Sydney. The Orpheus and Pio-
neer have been undergoing an extensive course of
repairs, and the latter was expected to leave shortly
with the Commodore for the purpose of opening a
settlement at Cape York.
The Barossa, 21, screw steam corvette, 1,700 tons,
400 horse power, Capt. Wm. M. Dowell, was again
taken out to the measured mile off Maplin Sands on
Monday last, on trial of her machinery, after hav-
ing had the internal arrangement of her steam-pipes
altered. The result of the trial was very satisfac-
tory, considering the heavy gale which was blow-

ing at the time, the force of wind being from 7 to 8.
The results attained were—Average speed per
hour, 10 knots ; revolutions, 12 ; pressure of steam,
18 ; and vacuum, 24. After the trial the vessel
was taken to the Little Nore, and next day
was inspected by Vice-Admiral W. J. Hope
Johnstone and staff. The gallant Admiral
made a minute examination of the state of the ves-
sel, and put the crew through their various evolu-
tions. He expressed himself highly gratified with
the ship's serviceable condition. The Barrasa was
to have left Sheerness the next day, but owing to
the extreme roughness of the weather orders were
given for her to remain. She left, however, yester-
day morning for Devonport, en route for her desti-
nation, which it is rumoured will be the Cape of
Good Hope instead of China, as was originally in-
tended. Positive information relative to her desti-
nation will not be obtained until her arrival at
Davonport.
The Rosario, 11, screw steam sloop, 673 tons, 150-
horse-power, Commander James S. Graham, which
has been employed during the summer in the pro-
tection of the Scotch fisheries, and has since been
refitted at Sheerness for the West Indies, is still in
the harbour. Orders were received for her depar-
ture on Tuesday last, but in consequence of her
having run foul of the Pembroke, 60, Coastguard
vessel, while dxagging her anchor during the gale
of Sunday night, by which she carried away her
jib-boom and received other slight damage, it will
be some days before she is ready for sea.
The Terrible, 21, paddlewheel frigate, 1,850 tons,
800-horse power, is now in No. 2 dock in Sheerness
yard, undergoing extensive repairs to her hull,
which it will take upwards of 12 months to com-
plete. She will then ship new boilers, her old ones
having proved so defective that they have been
broken up. The engines are in the hands of the
engineering department of the yard, also under-
going thorough repair. Wben completed, there is
little doubt that she will soon be placed again in
commission, as she is considered the finest paddle-
wheel frigate of her class in her Majesty's navy.
The Vigilant, 4, screw ste m gunvessel, 650 tons,
200-horse power, Commander the Right Hon. W.
B. Lord Elphinstone,arrived at Sheerness on Thurs-
day morning from Scotland, where she has been
employed during the summer in the protection of
the fisheries. On her passage to Sheerness she ran
ashore on the Gunfleet, in the gale of wind on
Wednesday morning ; she remained aground till
the following tide, when she again floated and pro-
ceeded to the Nore, where she anchored for the night.
She will be taken into dock to be overhauled to
ascertain what damage has been sustained. It was
intended that the Vigilant should be refitted for fo-
reign service, and she will doubtless be so, if the
damage sustained is not very great.
Yesterday morning another numerous party of
convicts arrived at Chatham from the metropolitan
convict establishments, to be employed on the pub-
lie works in progress at the dockyard and other
places. I