The Sun.
London, England, 1862-11-01 00:00:00

711 E NAVY,

Her Majesty's paddle yacht Victoria and Albert,
Capt. G. H. Seymour, C. 8., has filled up with coal
at Portsmouth, and will sail thence about the 10th
November for Antwerp, to embark the Prince and
Princess Louis of Hesse, and, it is also expected, the
Princess Alexandra of Denmark, with her parents,
on a visit to the Queen at Osborne. The yacht will
leave Antwerp on her return to England on the 13th
November, and will proceed either direct to Osborne
or to the Thames, according to the state of the
weather. Last Monday the yacht made from the
Downs to Spithead, against a heavy gale and head
sea, in eight hours and a quarter. It is believed
that no other steamship could accomplish the same
feat under similar circumstances.
Yesterday Rear-Admiral S. Robinson, the Con-
troller of the Navy, visited Chatham Dockyard, and
was occupied some time in the transaction of official
business. During his visit to the dockyard Admiral
Robinson proceeded to the factory and dock in
which the iron steam frigate Achilles, 6,000 tons,
is under construction, for the purpose of inspecting
prcgress. He also inspected the armour-plated steam
frigate Royal Oak, 3,700 tons, in the adjoining dock.
Rear-Admiral John Kingcome was yesterday ap-
pointed Commander-in-Chief on the Pacific station,
in the room of Vice-Admiral Sir T. Maitland,
K.C.8., whose period of service is about to expire.
The paddlewheel steamer Vixen, 1,054 tons, 280-
horse power, in Chatham harbour, is ordered to be
sold out of the service, a notification having been
received at the dockyard that sealed tenders for
her purchase will be received at the Admiralty on
Tuesday next, at 1 o'clock. She is to be sold with
her boilers, engines, fittings, and all her spare gear,
the latter lying at Woolwich. A careful survey of
the vessel has been made by the officials of Chatham
Dockyard, and a confidential report of her value
forwarded to the Admiralty. The Vixen was built
not many years since, and is sister ship to the
Virago, Dragon, Fury, and some other paddlewheel
steamers of that class.
The screw steamship Trafalgar, Capt. Dixon, from
the Downs, arrived in Plymouth Sound on Wednes-
day afternoon, and exchanged salutes with the flag-
ship Royal Adelaide. The canvas of the Trafalgar
has been much damaged by the late severe weather.
The lighter Devon, T. Jennings master, from
Woolwich, with iron plates for the Ocean, arrived
at Plymouth on Wednesday night. She lost a main-
sail in the passage, and was compelled to put into
Dartmouth.
The screw ateamsloop Perseus, 17, Commander
Ringston, left Plymouth on Thursday for Australia,
via the Cape of Good Hope and China.
The screw steam corvette Barossa, 21, Captain
Dowell, having had defects made good, was appoin-
ted to leave Plymouth Sound yesterday for the
Cape of Good Hope, East Indies, and China.
The trial of the machinery of the paddlewheel
steam frigate Leopard, 18, Capt. C. T. Leekie, on
Thursday at Plymouth, not having given satisfac-
tion, she returned to Hamoaze, and resumed her
berth alongside the hulk Bellona.
The second trial of the engines of the screw steam
frigate Placebe, 51, Capt. T. A. Fortescue,' at Ply-
mouth, which took place on Thursday, having
shown that they were still defective, she returned
to her berth off Keyham ateamyard.
The screw steam frigate Galatea, 26, Capt. R.
Maguire, left Plymouth Sound on Thursday after-
noon for Bermuda and the West India station.
The Revenge, 86, screw, Capt. Charles Fellowes,
bearing the flag of Rear-Admiral R. Smart, K.H.,
and the Defence, 16, iron ram, Capt. A. Phillimore,
sailed from Spithead at daylight yesterday morn-
ing for Lisbon and Gibraltar. The Revenge
entered Plymouth Sound yesterday afternoon.
In consequence of the extensive damage sustained
by the Vigilant, 4, screw steam gunvessel, 200-
horse power, Commander Lord Elphinstone, when
on shore on the Gunfleet Sands during the recent
gales, instructions have been received at Sheerness
that she is to be put out of commission as soon as
the necessary arrangements can be made.
The Lily, 4, screw steam gunvessel, 200-horse
power, Master in charge T. D. Switzer, will be
placed in the basin in Sheerness yard for immediate
commission for service in the East Indies in place
of the Vigilant.
The Fox, screw storeship, 200-horse power, Com-
mander Thomas C. Pullen, was taken out of Sheer-
ness basin on Thursday last, where she had been
discharging the iron masts belonging to the Cale-
donian, 50, iron-cased screw ship, 800-horse power,
which will shortly arrive at Sheerness to be fitted
for the steam reserve. Previous to leaving the
basin, the Fox shipped the boilers belonging to the
Curaeoa, 31, screw steam frigate, 350-horse power,
at Portsmouth. She then proceed to Woolwich to
take in machinery for the western ports.
It is reported that Mr. Moody, recently appointed
master shipwright at Deptford Dockyard, will be
removed to Sheerness, in the place of the late master
Shipwright, Mr. Loyalty Peek, deceased ; that Mr.
Ladd, late master shipwright at Malta, will be ap-
pointed to Deptford, vice Moody; and that Mr. W.
B. Robinson, late assistant master shipwright at
Sheerness, will shortly take np his appointment as
master shipwright at Malta Dockyard, vice Ladd.
Mr. Ebenezer Wood, acting assistant master ship-
wright at Sheerness Dockyard, has been confirmed
assistant master shipwright, and it is expected wi
be removed to Portsmouth.

The following appointments were made yesterday
at the Admiralty :—Sub.-Lieut. James R. Marsden

to the Nile ; Robert J. C. Grant, master, to the
Cumberland, for the Pylades ; John T. Moore,
assist.-surg., confirmed to the Brisk ; Charles Bod-
dington, confirmed as second class assist,-engineer
in the St. George. Arthur Freslonger has been
nominated to a naval cadetship.