The Sun.
London, England, 1865-09-26 00:00:00

Naval Intelligence.

The screw frigate Bristol, 39, 3,027 tons, 600
horse-power, fitting for the flag of Commodore
Geoffrey T. P. Hornby, has been floated out of the
dock at Sheerness in which she has been fitted, and
is now moored near the entrance to Chatham har-
bour. She is fully rigged and complete aloft, and
only a comparatively small amount of work remains
to be completed on board, where the greatest expe-
dition is being used to have her ready for sea by the
middle of the ensuing month. Her armament has
been put on board from the ordnance-wharf, Chat-
ham, consisting of 14 8-inch 65cwt. guns and 12
64-pounder rifled guns, each of 64cwt., on her main
deck ; and five 110-pounder rifled Armstrong guns,
each of 82cwt., on her upper deck. The Bristol
relieves the Rattlesnake as flagship on the West
Coast of Africa.

The Recruit, 6, iron paddlewheel steamer, which
recently underwent extensive repair at Chatham
Dockyard, since which she has been lying idle in the
Medway, is recommended to be sold out of the navy,
in consequence of her unfitness for further service.
This vessel was selected by the Admiralty a few
months since as a test ship, to try the value of the
various anti-fouling and anti-corrosive mixtures
for the protection of the bottoms of iron vessels
submitted from time to time to the Admiralty.
Various compositions were at that time applied to
the ship's bottom, but the results in every case were
pronounced unsatisfactory. Previously to her being
sold the Lords of the Admiralty have again directed
her bottom to be coated over with an anti-fouling
composition, and an opportunity accordingly pre-
sents itself of testing the value of Gisborne's mer-
curial anti-corrosive and anti-fouling composition
for the bottoms of iron ships, which has already
been used largely in the mercantile marine with the
most satisfactory results, and is now being applied
to the hull of the iron-clad frigate Valiant, 24, 800
horse power, at Portsmouth.
Yesterday Mr. G. W. Beardslee, United States'
officer, accompanied by Mr. Donald M'Kay, of. Bo-
ston, America, both of whom are now in this country
for the purpose of bringing under the notice of the
Government the value of torpedoes, visited Chatham
Dockyard to make the preliminary arrangements
connected with the experiments about to be made at
that port.. The Terpsichore, sailing frigate, which
has been selected by the Admiralty to be experi-
mented upon and destroyed, had previously been
removed into the deep-water channel, near Gilling-
ham Creek, and the whole of her internal fittings
and gear removed. In the course of yesterday after-
noon Beardslee and M'Kay, accompanied by Capt.
Stewart, C. 8., and other officials connected with
the dockyard, went out to the frigate, proceeding
on board and inspecting the vessel with the view of
deciding on the best spot in which she can be moored
with the object of giving full effect to the experi-
ments about to be undertaken. Yesterday the
whole of the apparatus, together with the torpedo
shells and other appliances used in the undertaking,
arrived at the dockyard, and the work of preparing
the torpedoes will be commenced to-day, under the
immediate superintendence of Mr. Beardslee, the
powder required for the shells being supplied
from the Government magazines at Upnor Castle
and the Volage powder vessel. Only one of the
torpedoes will be used for destroying the
Terpsichore, the remainder being placed in
various parts of the river and discharged
under every variety of circumstance, to show the
value of this agency in destroying small boats. A
test torpedo shell will be deposited several feet in
the mud and sand, at low water, and allowed to re-
main in that position 48 hours, after which it will be
exploded, this experiment being undertaken with
the view of showing that however long a torpedo
may be kept submerged its destructive powers are
not in the least diminished.

The Favourite, 10, screw ironcased corvette,
2,094 tons, 400 horse power, Capt. F. G. Shortt,
having been completely fitted, was yesterday taken
out of the basin at Sheerness dockyard. Having got
up steam, she proceeded on a run of a few miles to
test the working of her machinery, prior to the trial
of her engines on the measured mile. The ma-
chinery, which has been erected by Messrs. Hum-
phrey and Tennant, worked very satisfactorily dur-
ing the cruise. The vessel afterwards returned to
the Little Nore, where she awaits her trial, which
will +alit: pkLVe co-day.
The Basilisk, 6, paddlewheel sloop, 1,031 tons,
400 horse power, recently commissioned at Sheer-
ness by Capt. W. N. W. llewett, V.C., was taken
into dock yesterday for the purpose of having her
bottom cleaned and examined prior to sailing for
the China station. According to present instruc-
tions she will proceed to her destination in the
beginning of next week.