The Sun.
London, England, 1862-11-29 00:00:00

711 E NAVY,

Tb,e screw steame:r Meanee, 81, 400-horse power,
wtach has been commissioned at the Nore, by Capt.
G. Wodehouse, for service in the Mediterranean, in
the course of a few weeks will be ready for sea. A
number of her crew have already joined from the
Coastguard and other ships. The Meanee is a teak-
built ship, and was constructed Some years ago in
the East Indies. She is sister ship to the Bombay,
81, both vessels having originally been built as sail-
ing ships at Bombay dockyard, but subsequently
converted in this, country to line-of-battle screw
steamers. The Meanee is an exceedingly fine ship,
and is believed to be one of the strongest in the navy.
Since her alteration to a screw steamer she has been
attached to the steam reserve in the Medway. The
following appointments to the Meanee had been
merle by the Admiralty up to yesterday, most of the
officers having joined and taken up their commis-
sions :—Commander B. S. Pickard, Lieuts. the Hon.
F. (Yl3. Fi!atnaurice, A. Tarbuteau, J. L. Way, C.
E. Dorweile, and W. Bailey; Master W. F. Par-
sons ; Sub-Lieuts. J. W. Harvey, F. It. Bromilaw,
and E. A. F. Baxter ; Surg. J. Andrews, M.D. ;
Assist.-Surg. G. B, Beale, M.D. ; Acting Assist.-
Surg. A. Robertson, M.D. ; Paymaster S. Fisher ;
Assist.-Paymasters F. Parker and E. B. Pillans ;
Chief Engineer G. Aitcheson ; Engineer J. J. Blun-
den ; Acting First-class Assist.-Engineer W. C.
Batty ; Acting Second-class Assist.-Engineer T.
Griffiths ; Second-class Assist.-Engineer H. Bur-
stow ; Second Master J. E. Price; Master Assistants
A. Wallis P,,nd C. A. Browne : Assist.-clerk A. Court.
The Itacer, 11, screw sloop, Commander Lyons,
whose arrival at Spithead from Halifax was an-
nounced in The Sun of yesterday, landed her in-
valids during the morning and sailed in the after-
noon for the eastward, to be dismantled and paid
out of commission. She sailed from Charleston on
the 19th, Baltimore on the 27th, and Fortress Mon-
roe, Hampton Roads, on the 28th October. She
arrived at Halifax on the 3d of November, and
sailed again on the 6th. On the 25th inst. the Ame-
rican ship Shak°.peare was spoken, from London,
bound for Nevi/ York.
The Arrogant, 47, screw, bearing the broad pen-
dant of Commodore Elphinstone, arrived at Spit-
head `early yesterday morning from the West Coast
oafrica, having sailed from Sierra Leone on the
22d Oct. A succession of northerly and easterly
winds were experienced throughout the homeward
passage. She is ordered for inspection at Spithead
to-day, and will afterwards go into Portsmouth
harbour to strip, return stores, and be paid out of
commission. The Arrogant's officers and crew have
rendered important services during their period of
service on the coast, and particularly during the
Badiboo war and in an attack on a formidable stock-
ade in front of Sabba. On Nov. 21, in lat. 46 54 N.,
long, 15 44 W., the Arrogant spoke the bark Silvia,
from the Cape of Good Hope, bound for Falmouth.
The Algiers screw line-of-battle-ship, Capt. E. B.
Rica, arrived at Spithead yesterday afternoon from
the Mediterranean. She sailed from Malta on Nov.
4, and from Gibraltar on the 15th. On the 22d, in
lat 42 31 N., long. 12 55 W., she spoke the bark
Dee, for Sierra Leone. Strong north-easterly winds
were encountered after leaving Gibraltar. The
military and naval officers, troops, and seamen
who have arrived in the Algiers as passengers and
invalids comprise, from Malta, Lieut. Smyth, 9th
Regiment ; Lieut. Leigh, 22d Regiment ; Mr. Hen-
wood, R.N.; Mr. Curry, R.N.; 47 invalids from
various regiments ; 24 naval invalids, 23 women,
28 children, and a few military and naval invalids
from Gibraltar. The invalids are ordered to be
landed at 8 a.m. to-day, after which the ship will
be officially inspected, and discharge her ammuni •
tion preparatory to going into Portsmouth harbour,
where she will be dismantled, cleared of her arma-
ment and stores, and paid out of commission.
The Sutlej, screw frigate, Captain M. Connolly,
flagship of Rear-Admiral J. Kingcombe, commenced
swinging in Portsmouth harbour yesterday to
ascertain the deviation of her compass, prepara-
tory to leaving the harbour for Spithead and the
Pacific. In the midst of the operation of swinging
the hawser broke, and the completion of the work
had necessarily to be postponed until to-day.
Rev Majesty's screw steam gun TesselLily,4so2
tons, 200-horse-power, which has recently been
commissioned by Commander Henry Harvey for
service on the North American and West India
Station, was taken from Sheerness harbour to the
Maplin Sands on Thursday last, for her final official
trial of speed and machinery. The vessel was in
charge of Commander Ofiley Crewe Read, of her
Majesty's ship Cumberland, guardship of the steam
reserve at Sheerness. Mr. Rumble, inspector of
machinery afloat, had the superintendence of her
machinery, and Mr. S. L. Townsend, foreman of
engineers in the dockyard at Sheerness, was also in
attendance. The Lily attained an average speed at
full boiler power of 10.087 knots per hour, pressure
of steam being 191; vacuum, 25 ; revolutions of en-
gines, 80 ; at half-boiler power the average speed
Was 8.466 knots per hour ; pressure of steam, 161;
vacuum, 25 ; revolutions, 69. The circle was made
at full speed in five minutes, being equal to a rate
of 101 knots per hour. The machinery and vessel
worked in amost satisfactory manner, and the result
of the trial was highly gratifying. The Lily will
be inspected by Vice-Admiral Sir W. J. Hope John.
stone, K.C.8., Commander-in-Chief at Sheerness,
this day, and on Monday will proceed to Plymouth,
where she will await final orders.
The officers of the steam reserve at Sheerness
paid an official visit to Chatham yesterday in the
Fearless, tender to the Cumberland, to inspect the
Pylades, 21, screw steam corvette, 1,278 tons, 350-
horse power, which has been undergoing thorough
and extensive repairs, and has been strengthened
in her hull, in Chatham Dockyard. The vessel was
ascertained to be quite complete, and ready for the

pennAnt.
Orders have been received by the authorities that
the Conqueror, 86, screw steam line-of-battle ship,
2,846 tons, 600-horse power, is to be placed in dock
at Sheerness Dockyard, in order to be brought for-
ward for the first division of the steam reserve.
In September last, while several British ships of
war were lying at anchor in the Bay of Naples, a
very severe storm occurred, accompanied by heavy
thunder and vivid lightning. The mainmast of her
Majesty's ship London was struck by the lightning,
but the ship, being protected by the conductors now
universally used in the royal navy, escaped unin-
jured. The following official communication on the
subject was sent by Capt. Chads to Vice-Admiral
Sir W. F. Martin, K.C.B. :
" H.M.S. London, Naples, Oct. 22.
"Sir, -I have the honour to inform you that, during the

. .
14eotht of the 20th September, her Majesty's ship under my
in tumid, lying in this bay, was struck by lightning dur-
-I,anbeavy thunderstorm.
seen The_ sparks from the electric fluid were distinctly
c,f`'the'neotilladouconductor abaft the mainmast, and a few nails
The 43.1p:3404: at the maintopmast head were started.
bY enrYbod and trembled with the shock, which was felt
shock of an Yeaon board, and which much resembled the
" No danZirake,
ing through the Ztever was done, the electric fluid pass-
ciency and utility olfs' et bottom into the sea, proving the effi-
el uctors.—l have ther present admirable lightning con-
honour to be, &c.,
" To Vice-Admiral Sir Nv "PliEratx CHAOS, Captain.
•
The screw steam eervette'vMarti,oraN2l, Commodore
11, K.C.8., &c."
from
th
F. B. P. Seymour,
Australian station,
z
which arrived in Ply
mouth s
afternoon, left Sydney
St. Helena on
on July 20‘114 °a Thursday
Horn on 1... t ptember 4th, arrived
at, rounded Cape
October 14th, and left on the 21st. she
I;ne on the 28th. From the Bth to the 12th August,
thguste,
in latitude about 53 S., and in longitudebBru
W., elle experienced a strong easterly gale.ohuatvl66
a force of from Bto 10. Between Sept. 10 and 71
long. 60 W.. several icebergs were,
in lat. 56 56 5,
oh-erved. From ire V to the 18th she was detained
off Cape Horn
by dead calms, the tea being
quite
smooth. On the whole very fine weatherwas experi-
encetynd AP wns underPtearn only .ai, dx,acyrs between
ea
ew
New S ,nth Wales and England.
rc
1 R bert H. Bun-
corvette Orpheus, 21, Commandero
ton, flag of Commodore 'William F • Burnett, C. 8.,
appointed to relieve the Pelorus, arrived at Sydney
on the 18th of July.
from the
The French armed transport La Rhone,
ALturitius for France, was at St. Helena. When the
Pelorus arrived at St. Helena, it was discovered
that her rudderhead had sprung, and the necessary