The Sun.
London, England, 1853-03-17 00:00:00

NAVAL INTELLIGENCE.

PORTSMOUTH, MARCH 17.
Vice-Admiral Sir Thomas Cochrane, K.C.8., the
Commander-in-Chief, went out to Spithead this after-
noon, with his flag flying, on board the Fanny yacht,
Second Master Scarlett in charge, and inspected the
Sidon 22, paddle steam-frigate, Captain Goldsmith.
The Sidon, the Odin, 16, paddle-frigate, Captain Francis
Scott, and the Leopard, 12, paddle-frigate, Captain
George Giffard, got up steam this afternoon, at 3 10,
and stood out to the westward under all sail. The Sidon

took the lead with Sir Thomas Coehrane's flag flying at
the fore. They appear to have gone on a short cruise
only, as the Port Admiral's yacht is awaiting his return
at Spithead.

The Duke of Wellington, screw three-decker, 131,
Captain H. B. Martin, C. 8., has received her new
figurehead, which is an admirable likeness of the late
Duke of Wellington, by Mr. Hellyer, of this dockyard.
The Illustrious, 72, having been partly re-coppered,
as a floating battery for Spithead, was undocked this
afternoon.

The ship's company of the Agamemnon, 91, Captain
Sir Thomas Maitland, C. 8., are not yet convalescent,
several fresh cases having broken out this week.
The Fire Queen, steam-tender to Victory, Master
Commander W. F. Paul, having been docked this morn-
ing, an opportunity was afforded of getting under and
examining her bottom. Hay's composition had been
applied upwards of a twelvemonth, the Fire Queen hav-
ing been afloat the whole time, and we found on in-
spection that nothing save a little slimy dirt was visible,
and which, in one hour, was scrubbed off by birch-
brooms, leaving her bottom perfectly fair and as clean as
though it had been black leaded. Her commanding
officer, Mr. Paul, has made application to have the
inside bottom of the vessel coated with this excellent
preventive to rust from the iron work.

THE SCREW FLEET.

We understand that in the course Of the next three
. __ _

months we shall have a very strong addition to our fleet
screw-line-of-battle ships. The St. Jean &Acre, 101,
will be launched at Devonport on the 23d instant. The
James Watt, 91, will be launched at Pembroke in the
course of next month. The Royal George, 120, will be
completed at Chatham by the 30th of next month. The
Royal Albert, 131, at Woolwich • and the Hannibal,
91, at Deptford, will be launched about next June.
The armament of the Sanspariel, 81, at Devonport, is
to be reduced to 70 guns. It was originally intended
after she had been advanced on the stocks as an 84-gun
ship that she should be converted into a 60-gun frigate,
and yet she was subsequently an 81-gun screw-ship.
We must not regard her as a regularly designed screw-
ship, but as an experiment in conversion. She would
have done better, perhaps, if Captain Dacres's health
had been good ; but this is the fault of the Admiralty in
not giving an experimental ship a commander equal in
every respect to the working out of the qualities of the
experiment.

The Illustrious, old 72-gun ship, in course ofadap-
is to have an armament of 39 broadside guns and
tation, like the Edinburgh, to receive screw-machinery,
one pivot, so that she will be enabled to fight 20
guns on each side. Captain Chads, of the Excellent,
has the arrangement of her armament. Her pre-
sent fittings are not to be disturbed, and by the
plan proposed for her conversion it will be a more eeo.
nomical job than the adaptation of the Edinburgh, con.
verted at less cost than the Ajax, the bill for which ship
was considerably less than the Hogue, converted by
Messrs. Green at much less expense than the Blenheim
was made a screw-ship by Messrs. Wigraill.
THE ARMAMENT OT THE HANNIBAL
3fogr3eca2-pstolue,nd2e4rs,32s.6puctd.
/ SCREW-EatiP.—
The armament of the screw line-of-battle-ship, Hannibal,
to be launched at Deptford Dockyard next June, is
,en 9 fee4t26cwint..!
follows :—Lower deck-28 guns, 8 inch, 65 cwt., 9 feetas
lqounagr ter- dae cnk aea
enkd
8 feet ; and 1 pivot, 68-pounders 95 ewt
her'
Total 91 guns. The Hannibal will •e
.
receiv armament
at Sheerness.

PRIZE-MONEY FOR THE OREBTES.—Messrs. °nun'
ney, Son, and CO., have given notice to the officers an
crew of the Orestes, entitled to share for the oulitTorclapo-t-
-tured on the 22d of March, 1851, that
the net
distribution
for the
proceeds and tonnage bounty gra.n
_cross on
said capture, will be made at No. 40, g ?
the 28th of March, 1853, and that thea
place, according to paid will be re-called, at the same ,4 44. ; third
336 c. s•
act of Parliament :—Commander, 71.
5 10s. 11d. ; fifth,
class, 951. 18s. 3d. fourth, .
seventh, 191. 3s. 7d. ;
331. lls. 4d. ;sixth, 281. 15s. 5c1:1 19s. 10d. ; tenth,
eighth, 9i. us. 9d. ;
31. lls. 11d. ninth, D
--............•,......"'"'".
shares not then

DISCOVERY OP A LEAD MINE IN DOWN.—On Satur-
day last a discovery like to prove of great value to the
country was made at Tully-ratty, near Strangford, by
William Coates, Esq., of the Lagan Foundry, Belfast.
We allude to the exposure of a lead mine, rich in the
in
ore,n'circumasttaonnelyes3o3tfhaetrhwomises be-
lowre.rspaoubirllet.aynodlft was at a late hour last night
rnabarukantdhbaelnyscueraavanocdue
that we received intelligence of the discovery, accom-
panied by specimens of the minerals, so that we are not
at present able to enter into particulars. Of the accuracy
of the information, however, we (Belfast %maxi.) have
no reason to entertain a doubt, and the ore, which may
be seen at our office, will afford the best evidence as to
its
e baths,
andori
wash v
BATHS AND WASH-HOUSES.-Yesterday
h
houses, and lecture hall, erected at a
twpbuoaroti
Lta ue.
cost of 7,0001. by a company, for the purpose
ecoofu.reailsalirgnhgee
premises
the moral and intellectual character of theneighbourhood,
were sold by public auction, in
oicnfon2ts,he4eq6iusrel.encr e otf th
de b t whichon
lhya
realised been
the incurredum