The Sun.
London, England, 1862-09-15 00:00:00

711. E NAVY.

Letters from the West Indies report the following
movements of her Majesty's ships on that station :
The Challenger, 22 guns, Capt. Kennedy, C. 8.,
arrived at Barbadoes on the 18th of July, 26 days
from Halifax, Nova Scotia, to relieve the Immorta-
lite, which vessel had sailed for St. Thomas, and
was there when the mail left. The Ariadne, 26
guns, Capt. Vansittart, left Port Royal, Jamaica,
on the 14th for Vera Crnz, with provisions for the
Phaeton, lying there, and was afterwards to go to
Halifax. The Aboukir, 80 guns, replaces the
Imaum at Port Royal as the receiving ship on the
station, the crew of the latter vessel being turned
over to her. Capt. Morsh, late of the Imaum, has
left for England on account of continued ill-health.
The Agamemnon arrived at Port Royal on the 16th
ult. from Halifax, and was to leave for England on
the 7st inst., bringing home the officers and crew
of the Aboukir. The Spiteful arrived at Jamaica
on the 12th ult. from the Spanish Main, and the
Orlando on the 13th for Bermuda. The Topaz was
at Callao, and the Chameleon at Panama. Five
large steamers, supposed to be French reinforce-
ments for Mexico, had been seen passing within
sight of Port Royal, going westward.
The Peruvian steamers of war Marone, Capt.
Ferrara, and Bastassa, Capt. Barcke, both screws,
put into Falmouth on Thursday afternoon, from the
eastward, and, after being coaled at the depot,
sailed again on Friday morning for round the Horn.
The iron-plated steamship Black Prince arrived
at Portland early on Friday morning, and anchored
close to the Warrior. The latter vessel, having
filled up with coals and provisions, is expected to
leave the harbour shortly for a cruise. The Black
Prince will probably remain at Portland some days.
The other Government vessels in the harbour are
the Colossus, 80, the cadet ship Britannia, and the
gunboat Biter.
The whole of the false keel of the Caledonia
iron-cased frigate, in a forward state of construction
at Woolwich, has been put in place during the past
week, and preparations are in progress for laying
the launching ways. Directions have been received
from the Admiralty to ventilate the cabins and
lower deck of this ship, as well as others of the
same class, on the principle on which the Warrior
was fitted at that yard, and which has been found
to answer so satisfactorily. A large amount of pre-
paration has been commenced for the accommoda-
tion of visitors during the launch, by the erection
of booths and platforms, &c.
The Sutlej, 36, screw frigate, in the Ist class re-
serve at Portsmouth, is ordered for immediate com-
mission. This fine craft, the handsomest of our
converted frigate, has been cut in two, lengthened
amidships, a new bow given to her, and her stern
adapted to carry a propeller, engines of 500-horse
power being put on board by Maudslay, Field, and
Son. When fitted out for sea she was tried at the
measured mile in Stokes Bay, working a Griffiths
screw of 17ft. 6in. diameter and a pitch 20ft., and
realized a mean speed of 13.067 knots.

The Powerful, 84, old sailing vessel, left the
Medway on Friday, in tow of the Medusa paddle-
wheel tender, Master Jabez Loane, for Portsmouth,
where she will be converted into a target ship.
The Porcupine, 3, surveying vessel, which has
been employed surveying on the coast of Ireland,
after landing her sounding gear at Devonport,
arrived at Sheerness on Friday to make good
defects.

As part of the plans of the Admiralty for increas-
ing the dock accommodation at Portsmouth Dock-
yard, No. 4 docks is now being deepened sft. by
Messrs. Bramble. During the night of Friday an
accident occurred. The entrance to the dock is
from the old ship basin, and is closed by a caisson
in the ordinary manner, water being kept in the
basin to render it available for the general work of
the yard. The greater portion of the old dock flooring
next the caisson, consisting of heavy planking,
brickwork, concrete, and piling has been removed,
and a semicircular wall built across the entrance to
keep the work clear of water, &c. The task of pull-
ing up the old flooring had been found to be a tedi-
ous one, and the work proceeded slowly up to Fri-
day evening, when the men left their work and
everything appeared to be perfectly safe, with no
indications of any coming disaster. On Saturday
morning, however, the dock was found to be filled
with water, the flooring, at the point where it had
been weakened by the removal of the planking,
brickwork, and piles, having blown up from the
pressure of water from the basin, and filled the whole
work with water.

The following appointments have been made at
the Admiralty :—James M. Share, master, to the
Meander ; the Rev. C. Chapman, chaplain, to the
Rattlesnake ; G. A. Tuck, chief engineer, to the
Cumberland, for the Royal Oak; Silas H. Liddell,
second master, to the Royal Adelaide ; R. H. M.
Cornwall and Malcolm M'Neile, midshipmen, to the
Edgar. Mr. S. Banker Roupell has been nomi-
nated to a naval cadetship.
The following appointments have been made in
the Royal Naval Reserve. To be honorary lieute-
nants :—Conrad H. Greenhow, John Lambton, and
Thos. Smith.

The 2d battalion, 20th Regiment, under the com-
mand of Lient.-Col. Radcliffe, has replaced the 24th
Regiment in Portsmouth garrison, the latter having
joined the camp at Aldershott.