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

7IIE NAVY.

The Royal Sovereign, shield ship, being con.
verted at Portsmouth, is making rather more eatis
factory progress now than a short time since. The
massive timber beds on which the towers, guns,
and shields will revolve are very forward,
the foremost bed, in fact, being finished, and
the manner in which it has been put together
reflects the highest credit on the shipwright depart-
ment of the yard. The circular rims of these beds
are formed of bent strips of American white oak.
The central iron cylinders, each one of which will be
fixed in the centre of each bed, as a supporting pivot
for the guns and shields, will be commenced in the
smithery, but each cylinder will take some weeks
in its manufacture, owing to the want of the requi-
site mechanical means for carrying out such unusu-
ally heavy and peculiar work. In building up each
cylinder two plates are first forged, each plate
being 7ft. bin. in length, 3ft. 7in. in width, and 4in.
in thickness. They are next bent, each longitudi-
nally in a semi-circle. After this last operation has
been completed under the Nasmyth hammer, they
are conveyed to the steam factory to have their
edges bevilled for welding, which is carried out in
the smithery with binding iron. The rough cylin-
der thus completed is afterwards turned inside and
out in the lathes of the steam factory. No. 1 cylin-
der of the Royal Sovereign has gone through about
one-half of this process. 210 hands are now em-
ployed upon the ship, chiefly on the beds for the
guns and shields, fixing the iron beams for the
upper deck in readiness for receiving the plating
and planking, and the fitting of the main deck. The
external planking round the stern is now completed,
and a gang of men are employed, under the direc-
tion of the officer who has charge of the ship's con-
version, working overtime to get out the moulds for
her after armour plates as quickly as possible. The
machinery for bending the plates is not yet in
working order, but it has now reached such a stage
that hopes are entertained of its being available in
about ten days or a fortnight. The building which
contains the hydraulic machinery and the annealing
furnaces for preparing the plates has been built at
the north end of the yard, near the shed under
which the Royal Alfred is being converted from
a 90 gun line-of-battle ship to a 40 gun iron
plated frigate. Workmen are now employed in
preparing the launching ways and cradle for
the launch of this ship, which is ordered
for January next. Upwards of 200 hands are em-
ployed upon her, but great delay has taken place
owing to the non-delivers of her iron beams and up-
per deck plating by the contractors. It is almost
needless to say that as yet she has none of her ar-
mour plating attached to her sides.
The Sutlej screw frigate, Capt. M. Connolly,
bearing the flag of the future Commander-in-Chief
on the Pacific station (Rear-Admiral of the White
went out of Portsmouth harbour
J. Kingcombe),
yesterday to Spithead on the completion of her out-
fit, and will sail for her destination about Thursday
next if her trial at the measured mile, which is ap-
pointed to take place to-morrow,should prove to be
perfectly satisfactory. A large party of ladies and
gentlemen, guests of the Admiral and officers of the
ship, went out of the harbour, in the frigate, and
1 afterwards returned to the shore in one of the steam

tenders.
The Megmra screw troopship, Commander Hen-
derson, will sail from Portsmouth to-day for Queens-
town.
The Arrogant screw frigate, Commodore \V . Ed-
monstone, bas gone into Portsmouth harbour from
Spithead after inspection and discharging ammuni-
tion, and has been berthed alongside the dockyard
to dismantle and clear out for p lying out of com-

mission.
The Algiers screw line-of-battle ship, Capt. E. B.
Rice, was yesterday inspected at Spithead by Rear-
Admiral Hon. George Grey, and, after discharging
powder and shell, &c., will steam into Portsmouth
harbour to prepare for paying out of commission.
The screw steam corvette Pelorus, 21, flag of Com-
modore F. B. P. Seymour, U. 8., just retrrned from
the Australian station, having discharged her shot
and shell, got up steam on Saturday morning and
proceeded from Plymouth Sound into Harno ze,
where she was inspected by Port Admiral Sir H.
Stewart, preparatory to her being dismantled and
paid off. She will be placed in the third division
of the steam reserve at Devonport.
3
pen-
nant b e
the
have been received at Devonport to pre-
parey April
cessrcerwew steamship Princess Royal, 73, Mr.
Wm. W. F. H •
auls, master, for the reception of the pen-
anteematm.-frigate Emerald, 33, Captain
Arthur Cumming, from the chops
where she had been to relieve the homeward
of
the Channel e
hound,
C
arrived in Plymouth Sound on Friday, and left on
Saturday morning,
under special orders, probably
to resume her previous duty.
steam
The Lily, 4 guns, screwgnnvessel, 702
tons, 200-horse power, Commander Henry Harvey,
Which has recently been fitted at Sheerness for ser-