The Sun.
London, England, 1862-08-11 00:00:00

I.llr NA'.

The Royal yacht Osborne, Master-Commander
G. K. Bower, with the Lords Commissioners of the
Admiralty on board, anchored at Spithead late On
Friday evening, on her return from Southampton
Water. On Saturday morning she steamed into
Portsmouth harbour, when their lordships left the
yacht in their barge and paid a visit of inspection
to her Majesty's ship Excellent, Capt. It. S. Hew-
lett, C. 8., the gunnery ship of the port. At 7 30
a.m. a signal had been hoisted ou board the Victory,
flagship of Vice-Admiral Sir H. W. Bruce, to "man
gunboats, take in powder and seven days' provisions,
get up steam, and rendezvous at Spithead." Two
gunboats left the harbour at 10 40 a.m., and the re-
maining four 10 minutes afterwards, the flotilla
being under the command of Capt. Coote, flag
captain to Vice-Admiral Sir H. W. Bruce. All the
crews were passed men in the Armstrong gun drill,
with which weapons, 100 and 40-pounders, the boats
were armed. Two assistant-surgeons formed part
of the flotilla's complement of officers. Considering
that the officers and men were called together by
unexpected signal from various parts of the harbour,
and taking also into consideration the fact that
each boat had her crew complete on board, and had
also taken on board her ammunition and provisions
in little more than an hour from the time of the
signal being made, the officers and men deserve
great credit for the promptitude with which they
answered the signal. The result gave at the same
time satisfactory proof of the efficiency of the system
under which our first-class gunboat reserves are
organized. On leaving the harbour the gunboats
steamed out to the vicinity of the works erected for
the construction of the foundations for the proposed
marine forts on the " Horse" and Noman shoals,
where they were drawn up in line to await the
arrival of the Lords of the Admiralty, who soon
afterwards arrived in the Vivid paddle yacht. A
variety of manoeuvres under steam were afterwards
gone through for some considerable time,
accompanied with practice from the Armstrong
guns, the movements being confined to the vicinity
of the forts and the southern approaches to Spit-
head from the sea. Their lordships returned to the
harbour at 2 p.m., and, re-embarking on board the
Osborne, left Portsmouth at 5 30 p.m. for the Chan-
nel Islands, under salutes from her Majesty's ship
Victory, the saluting battery of the garrison, and
from the Arcona, Prussian screw frigate, anchored
at Spithead. The Osborne took the West Channel,
and would probably anchor in Yarmouth Roads for
the night, resuming her voyage yesterday morning.
His Royal Highness Prince Adalbert (Admiral
of the Prussian Fleet) embarked from Portsmouth
Dockyard on Saturday on board Her Majesty's
steamer, Fire Queen, Master-Commander Paul.
He proceeded in her to Spithead, when he went on
board the Prussian screw frigate Arcona, Commo-
dore Sundewall, which arrived there within the
last few days from China and Japan. The Prince
veas occupied some hours on board the Arcona in-
specting the crew at general quarters, making and
shortening sail, Sac., and in the various details of
duty. At the conclusion he returned to the harbour
in the Fire Queen, under a salute from the Arcona's
guns. On Friday evening the Prince entertained
a distinguished party at the Portland Hotel, South-
sea, to dinner. He afterwards visited the Prussian
Vice-Consul, the Chevalier Van Den Berg.
The Prussian screw frigate Gazelle, Capt. Heldt,
arrived at Spithead yesterday morning from Green-
hithe, to be in attendance upon his Royal High-
ness Prince Adalbert during his stay at Ports-
mouth. On coming to an anchor in the roadstead
the Gazelle exchanged salutes with the Victory,
flagship of the Naval Commander-in-Chief, and
with the saluting battery of the garrison.
Her Majesty's screw steamer corvette, Cossack,
20 guns 250-horse power, arrived at the Little
Nore on Saturday morning from Plymouth,
where she arrived on the sth inst., as noticed
in the limes of the following day. Shortly
afterwards the Admiral proceeded to inspect
the ;vessel, and was received by the officers
and crew in the customary manner. Since the
Cossack was refitted in England in 1861 her
boilers have been so defective that she has
been compelled to proceed under sail the greater
part of the period that she has been engaged. The
greatest praise is due to the chief engineer, Mr.
Steil, and staff for the exertions they have used to
keep them in any way in working order. The
vessel will shortly be paid off at Sheerness, and
placed in the third-class steam reserve.
The unfortunate disagreement between the supe-
rior officers and crew of the Shannon has assumed
so grave an aspect that our correspondent at Ply-
mouth has felt it incumbent on him to ascertain the
facts for publication. The frigate was put in com-
mission on the 17th of January last at Portsmouth.
Her crew included many good men from the Orion
and Diadem, but there were also some from the
Centurion. On the whole they were a fair average,
and, under Captain Wainwright and Commander
Moore, the Shannon was what is called a "happy
ship. The present commander succeeded Mr. Moore
about the 2d of May, 1862, and the captain joined
on the 17th of June. From that period disaffec-
tion has prevailed. The new captain is stated to
be gentlemanly, but strict in discipline. The new
commander is considered even more strict; he has
strong religious views, which he endeavours to in-
culcate. Under the impression that great laxity
prevailed on board the Shannon, the new officers
increased, it is said unnecessarily, the amount of
labour. Hands were piped up every morning, Sun•
days included, at 4 o'clock, and unless they appeared
strictly at the moment they were " black-listed,"
and had their grog stopped. The captain went oc-
casionally round the ship by night to detect un-
wary officers. The commander in making his
regular rounds was frequently greeted with
greens and assailed by offensive whistling,
*which emanated from parts not within the light
of
the lanterns of his attendants. In conse-
quence of •
the captain had
receipt of an anonymous letter,
had the crew piped up at half-past'
5 instead of
, but the discipline was in other re-
spects not relaxed,
and the tangent sights of the
guns were thrown
overboard and were followed
by a number of title; an '
d then the lanyards were
cut. The frigate became
so troublesome to the au-
thorities at Spithead, she
Woe sent to Queenstown,
+
her last port previous arrival in the Sound on
Monday. As previously stated in The Sun she
Y Admiral Sir Houston
inspected b
was immediately
Stewart, who, no doubt, administered
prudent ad-
vice, as some relaxation has since been observed on
board: The Shannon can,
cted
however, scarcely
infli
ever,
con-
tinuei
atpresent, or serious injury will be • .on the service. Some 40 or 50 men are said so have
been put on the black list in one day, and thereat,,
scarcely any but defaulters on board. About ae
seamen deserted at Spithead, and many others may
follow at Plymouth when they receive their monthly
pay. But this is not all. The officers,
almost all
of whom dislike the ship, fear that, as there is a
long commission before the men, they
will resolve
on a course of action little short of open mutiny.
On Friday last she was supplied with a draught of
seamen from the ships in Hamoaze to supply vacan -
cies caused by desertions, and has now received
orders unexpectedly to leave Plymouth Sound for
Spithead. Her sudden departure is said to have

some relation to the movements of the Lords of the
Admiralty, daily expected at Plymouth.
The new Captain Superintendent of Pembroke
dockyard, Capt. Loring. C. 8., has superseded the
late chief officer, Capt. Ramsay. The latter intro-
duced his successor to the principal officials of the
dockyard. Capt. Loring has obtained leave of ab-
sence to the Ist of September, after which date he
will fully enter upon his new duties. Capt. Ramsay
takes with him the esteem and good wishes of all
the inhabitants,

The following. Appointments have been made at
the Admiralty :-:...
Taplin, engineer, to the
Argos; W. H. fißobetts,
rst-elass assist.-engineer,
to the Argun; Ebenezer
C, Spencer, confirmed as
first-class assist.
`engineer in the
Severn ; J. B.
Firth and D. Ill'lntire, secant:l-
-i(
,
atsa assist.-engi-
nears, to the Argus; Benjamino , as
second-class assist. -engineer, to the lindustryg, acting
supernumerary; and John Hall (B), acting second-
class assist.-engineer, to the Cornwallis.