The Sun.
London, England, 1865-07-29 00:00:00

the proposed site for the large fitting out basin, the
entrance to which will be from the extreme west-
ward end of the dockyard, communicating with the
river at its deepest part by means of locks, with a
depth of water, at neaps, of 30ft., and a wharfage
front of 5,800 ft. Of the entire area of 380
acres which have been taken in and added to the
existing dockyard, 74 acres will be taken up with
basins constructed on the natural line of creek sepa-
rating St. Mary's Island from the mainland. The
lines of flags running in various directions across the
island will indicate the great extent of surface which
will be covered by the several docks, basins, fac-
tory buildings, and wharves, the works connected
with which will extend over the next ten years,
before the whole can be completed. Accepting the
estimate of £1,250,000 as the cost of the entire works,
a sum estimated at £50,000 per annum will be re-
quired to be paid during the next four years for the
employment of convict labour, which is the most ex-
pensive possible. TJp to the present time compara-
tively little in the way of excavating for the docks
and basins has been done by the convicts, who have
been employed chiefly in constructing the embank-
ment forming the sea boundary of the island and in
making bricks, the whole of those required for the
works being made by the prisoners. During the
visit of their lordships yesterday they inspected two
of the brick-making machines by Varney and Clay-
ton, each of which turns out between 20,000 and
30,000 bricks daily. As soon as the additional
buildings at the St. Mary's Convict Prison have
been completed about 400 more convicts will be sent
to Chatham, increasing the number of prisonerswho
will be employed on the extension works to about
1,200. Before completing their inspection of the
repairing basin their lordships decided that the
western and factory basins, with two of the four
docks communicating with the former, each of which
is intended to be 500 ft. in length, together with the
factory buildings, shall be proceeded with, so that
they may be completed within the period decided
upon. Their lordships completed their inspection
shortly before 11 o'clock yesterday morning, and
quitted St. Mary's Island at Cookham-wood-reach,
where the Enchantress was in waiting, with her steam
up, for the conve: ante of the members of the board
to Sheerness, for the annual inspection of that dock-
yard. They arrived in Sheerness Harbour from
Chatham, in the Enchantress, about 12 o'clock. The
ships in the harbour manned yards in honour of the
occasion, and the usual salutes were fired from the
guns of the Cumberland, guardship of the Steam
Reserve, and from those on the Camber, manned by
the Royal Artillery. As soon as the Enchantress
hove to Vice-Admiral Sir Charles Talbot, K.C.8.,
Commander-in-Chief at the Nore, went alongside in
his gig and conveyed their Lordships to the landing-
place in the dockyard, where they were received by
Capt. Hall, Capt. Superintendent of Sheerness
Dockyard ; Capt. Fulford, of her Majesty's ship
Formidable ; Capt. the Hon. G. D. Keane, of the
Naval Barracks ; Capt. Reginald J. G. Macdonald,
of her Majesty's ship Arethusa ; Col. Freeth, com-
mandant Royal Engineers, and the chief officers of
the various departments in the dockyard. A guard
of honour, consisting of a detachment of the Royal
Artillery, accompanied by their band, under the
command of Capt. and Adjt. Eden and Capt. Hit-
chins, were drawn up in line and saluted their lord-
ships on landing. After transacting business in the
Captain Superintendent's office, their Lordships
visited the Icarus, 11, screw steam sloop, 150-horse
power, which is undergoing repair in No. 1 dock.
Thence they proceeded to the North Star, which has
been lying in an unfinished state for several years.
The Favourite, screw iron-cased corvette, 400 horse
power, one of the experimental vessels built from the
plans of the Chief Constructor of the Navy, and
which is being brought forward for commission in the
large basin, was next inspected. Their Lordships then
visited the /Etna, one of the old floating batteries
constructed for the late Russian war, which it is pro-
posed to turn into a station for the water police, now
stationed on board the Nymph, about two miles
up the river. The present station is found to be
very inconvenient and very difficult of access
in rough weather. The new station will be placed
between the town pier and the dockyard jetty, and
will be, in every respect, much more convenient than
the one now in use. The factory was next visited
and the tubes of the Arethusa inspected. Their
Lordships then proceeded to the Naval Barracks,
which they thoroughly looked over, especially the
new recreation rooms and skittle alley, which
have recently been fitted up for the use of the sea-
men. The Duke of Somerset and the other Lords
then proceeded to take luncheon with the Captain
Superintendent at his official residence in the yard.
At the conclusion of the luncheon a visit was paid
to the saw mills and the joiners' shop, after which
their Lordships again adjourned to the Captain
Superintendent's-office, where they received deputa-
tions from the joiners and shipwrights of the yard
relative to an increase of pay. These interviews
occupied nearly two hours, during which time the
whole of the naval and engineer officers, stockers,
seamen, and marines belonging to the Steam Reserve
were mustered in the dockyard and inspected, as
were also the officers and seamen of tho Naval
Barracks. Their Lordships then went on board the
Arethusa, after inspecting which they dined with
Admiral Sir Charles Talbot, K.C.B. Early this
morning their Lordships were to leave Sheerness
and continue their tour of inspection.

The hired sailing transport Dilawur, 1,305 tons,
Commander Baillie,Royal Naval Reserve, embarked
yesterday at Portsmouth, the headquarters of the
26th (Cameronians) Regiment, for conveyance to
Bombay in the following strength :—Major W.
Masse, in command ; Capts. W. H. Salwey and
—Turner; Lieuts. 0. Cresswell,—Sharpe, A. B.
Wade, A. B. Eden, and E. M. Dougherty ; Ensigns
H. F. Townsend and C. 11. Dougherty, Lieut. and
Adjt. Brunker ; Surg.-Major Gamble and wife ; 328
non-commissioned officers and men, 48 soldiers' wives
and 42 children. The ernbarcation was effected at
midday in a very steady and quiet manner under the
superintendence of Capt. R. Locke, embarcation
officer to the Hon. Council of India, and the Assist-
ant Quartermaster-General of the south-west dis-
trict. The ship was appointed to sail from Ports-
mouth for her destination at 8 a.m. to-day. The
Dilawur is a new ship of very beautiful form, built
by Mr. Charles Lungley, at Deptford-green. She
has been constructed on the composite system—an
iron frame with an outer wooden skin. She has a
length seven times her breadth, has a very lofty
main deck for troop accommodation, being 7ft. be-
tween the deck planking and lower edges of the
overhead beams, and is ventilated in every part in a
very superior manner. The cabin accommodation
aft is well arranged and commodious, and the fit-
tings are in good taste. The ship's three lower
masts, with the three lower and six topsail yards,
are built of steel. The sails are tanned a light
brown colour by a patented process, and all the
running rigging aloft is of white Manilla rope, thus
reversing the old rule of white sails and brown
ropes. The yards aloft are all very square, and
will spread a large area of canvas, and are fitted
without studding sail gear. The ship was swung in
the Thames before leaving to ascertain the devia-
tion of her compass, and it is somewhat remarkable
that the disturbance was found to be greater than
it would otherwise have been had the ship been
wholly built of iron. The Dilawur belongs to Messrs.
Smith, Fleming, and Co., of London, and is one of
six ships building for the firm on the same principle.
She is a very handsome
ship, carefully fitted in
every part, and is calculated to do full justice to the
motto emblazoned on her after deck--« Let the deed
show."

afterlder j
The Royal Yacht Osborne, Commander
D'Arcy, arrived at Portsmouth yesterday,
dis-
embarking, the previous evening, their Royal High-
nesses the Prince and Princess of Wales and suite,
at Osborne, on their return from their Western

cruise.
The steam troopship Hydaspes, now in the Vic-
toria Docks, has been chartered by the War De-
partment for the conveyance of the A brigade Royal
Horse Artillery, under orders at Woolwich for Ben-
gal. The arrangements are so far complete that the
10th of August is now fixed for the embarkation,
which is to take place at Gravesend. Col. Middle-
ton, C. 8., who has been appointed Adjt.-Gen., and
who, it was previously announced, would command
the brigade out, has obtained permission to accom-
pany his family by the Overland route, and will