The Sun.
London, England, 1862-02-12 00:00:00

THE NAVY.

♦
The iron screw frigate Defence, 18, Captain.
Powell, C,8., got up steam at Chatham yesterday
morning, with the ititentien of getting under way
and proceeding to the gore. -The protracted de'
lays, however, which have hitherto 'attended the
completion of this vessel again prevented her leav-
ing, as, although everything was yesterday ready
for her quitting her moorings at Folly Point, it waei
found that her screw could not be got to work in
the " banjo." In the afternoon one of the divers
was sent down to examine the cause of the obstrne-
tion, but, although the bottom was minutely ex^•
mined, it could not be ascertained. It appears
likely, therefore, that should all further attempts to
get the screw into working order fail, the Defence
will have to be again docked for the defects to be
mado good. There appears to be little doubt that
the sternpost must have became injured during the
time; the Defence was lying moored to the sheer-
hulk in Chatham harbour, when she grounded at
every spring tide, and was subjected to very severe
strains, although at the time it was believed that no
injury had been caused.

Preparations were yesterday commenced at
Chatham dockyard for the construction of a lofty
and commodious shed adjoining No. 7 slip, on which.
will be erected the whole of the machinery required
to be used in preparing, shaping, and fitting the
enormous slabs of iron intended to cover the steam.
frigate Royal Oak, 51, 1,000-horse power, which.
will have her sides encased from stem to stern. So
anxious are the Admiralty to have the Royal Oak
completed by as early a date as it is possible to be
accomplished that an extra number of shipwrighta
and other operatives have been placed upon her,
making the number of workmen now at work ont
her about 470. In addition to these, however,
about 50 smiths are constantly employed in the
smithery preparing the iron girders which bind
togeitrhoenr
work,th a
the timbers, bweerlsl a
, knees,
uandotshaweryersand 4
portions o:
the
joiners, thus swelling the total number of

hands emploped on this iron - cased frigate.
to 600 of all trades. Three of the steam saws
are also constantly employed in preparing the
timber for the ship. The whole of the outsideplank,
ing is now worked, and in readiness to receive the
armour plates—and a considerable portion of the
inside planking is also completed. The main and,
lower deck beams are also fixed ; the upper deck
beam will be of iron, and these are now being pre-
pared at the Butterley Ironworks, Derbyshire. The
Royal Oak will not be covered with armour plates
of an uniform thickness, as was at first intended.
Her broadside plates, on both sides, will be 4
inches thick, those at the stem and stern being 3
inches in thickness, tapering to 2 inches at the
least exposed parts, The shed which is to be erected
adjoining the slip on which the Royal Oak is
building is to be sufficiently large to contaip the
whole of the machinery required in building three
other vessels of the same description, the Admiralty
having decided on constructing two additional
stone slips at the eastern end of the dockyard, for
building iron-plated vessels of the Royal Oak class.
In:addition to these the line-of-battle screw:steamer
Bulwark, 91 guns, standing ma the No. 5 slip, where
she is about two-thirds finished, is to be altered to
a 51-gun iron-clad frigate immediately after the
Royal Oak is out of hand.

The War Department transport Gorilla, Mr,
Long shipped a complete battery of
12
potuenr having
d,
erArmstrongs,
and 2 20-pounder
100 122-
as
Armstrongs, with sights, screws, carriages, &c.,
sailed from Chatham yesterday, for Sheerness,
where the "guns will be landed, and mounted on
the fortifications commanding the entrance to the
Medway. A quantity of the Armstrong shot and
shell was also shipped in :the- same transport for
the supply of the guns. -
Mr. John. Waite, 'of the Medina Dock, Cowes, Isle of Wight, has received an order from the Ad-
miralty for the construction of 20 lifeboats, cutters,
and gigs, their lordships having determined that
every ship serving on the West Coast of Afric&
shall in suture be supplied with one of each descrip-
tion. The cutters will be capable of carrying a gun
and ammunition in addition to their ordinary crew,
and will possess buoyancy sufficient to prevent the
hull of the boat, with its gun, ammunition, and
crew, from sinking in the event of its being struck
by shot, or stove from any other cause. Her Ma-
jesty's yachts are all supplied with the same de-
scription of boat, as are also all the vessels of the
Peninsular and Oriental Company's fleet. Her
Majesty's ship Hero, when conveying his Royal
Highness the Prince of Wales to Canada, was also
supplied with one of them. An order has also been
given by the Board to Mr. White to furnish three
additional boats, for the use of the Government
pilots at Portsmouth, Plymouth, and Sheerness,
when their duties call them afloat. This order has
been given in consequence of the late fatal accident
at Spithead, when, by the capsizing of an ordinary
gig in rough weather, Mr. Jones, jun., Government
pilot, and three men were drowned. It is said to
be under the consideration -of the Admiralty to
supply her Majesty's ships on the East Coast of
Africa and the Cape stations with the lifeboats, as
well as those on the West Coast.

The Emerald, screw frigate, Capt. A. Cumming,
arrivsd at Spithead yesterday morning from the
westward.

Rear-Admiral of the Blue Augustus C. Kuper,
C. 8., hoisted his flag, as the successor of Sir James
Hope on the East India and China station, yester-
day at Portsmouth, on board the Euryalus screw
frigate, and afterwards proceeded on short leave of
absence. Capt. John J. S. Josling (1861), who has
succeeded Capt. Gordon in command of the Eurya-
lus on the change of flag, also joined the ship yes-
terday. Capt. Gordon, whe has accepted the com-
mand of the Amphion, screw frigate, on the Medi-
terranean station, vice Birch, invalided, will pro-
ceed to take the command of his ship probably in
her Majesty's ship Himalaya.
The Glasgow screw frigate, recently launched at
Portsmouth, and fitted with engines of 600-horse
power nominal, by Messrs. Ravenhill, Selkeld, and
Co., got up steam in the steam basin to test her ma-
chinery for the first time. The Glasgow is one of the
latest and noblest specimens of our wooden frigates.
Her Majesty's paddle yacht Victoria and Albert,
Captain George H. Seymour, C. 8., sailed from
Portsmouth yesterday at 7 a.m. for Gravesend to
embark his Majesty the King of Belgium for Ant-
werp. The Royal yacht returns to England with
the Princess Frederick William of Prussia.