The Sun.
London, England, 1862-01-02 00:00:00

THE NAVY.

The annual official return of the condition and
situation of every vessel in the navy was published
yesterday, under the authority of the Admiralty.
From this return it is satisfactory to know that, so
far as the navy is concerned, England was never in
a prouder position. The number of vessels on the
Ist of January was 856 of all rates and classes.
There were, besides, 150 line-of-battle and other
sailing ships stationed at the various ports in Eng-
land and the colonies for harbour duty, thus swell-
ing the total to upwards of 1,000 vessels of all
descriptions. Of the 860 vessels actually in com-
mission:or building or preparing for service, only
154 are sailing ships, the whole of the remainder
being propelled by steam power. The list of vessels
is made up of 81 line•of-battle ships, each mount-
ing from 74 to 131 guns; 22 vessels, each with an
armament of from 60 to 70 guns; 44 51-gun
frigates, the whole, with the exception of about 10
of that number, being screw steamers ; 57 ships,
each mounting from 22 to 50 guns, and the majo-
rity of which have a tonnage as large as ships of
the line; 29 screw corvettes, or frigates, each
mounting 22 guns; 317 screw and paddlewheel
steamers, each carrying less than 22 guns ; and
185 screw gunboats, each provided with two
Armstrong guns. The following screw ships of the
line, and other steamers, composed the squadron on
the coast of North America, under the orders of
Vice-Admiral Sir Alexander Milne, K.C.8., on the
Ist of January, exclusive of the vessels of war now
on their passage to that station :-The Conqueror,
101, 800 horse power ; the Donegal, 99, 800 horse
power ; the Nile, 91, 500 horse power ; the Hero,
91, 500 horsepower; the Agamemnon, 90, 600 horse
power ; the St. George, 90, 500 horse power ; the
Aboukir, 86, 400 horse power ; the Sanspareil, 70,
400 horse power ; the Immortalite, 51, 600 horse
power ; the Liffey, 51, 600 horse power ; the Phae-
ton, 51, 400 horse power ; the Melpomene, 51, 600
horse power ; the Orlando, 51, 1,000 horse power ;
the Mersey, 40, 1,000 horse power ; the Diadem,
32, 800 horse power ; the Ariadne, 26, 800 horse
power; the Challenger, 22, 400 horse power; the
Cadmus, 21, 400 horse power ; the Jason, 21, 400
horse power; the Orpheus, 21, 400 horse power;
the Greyhound, 17, 200 horse power; the Rinaldo,
17, 200 horse power ; the Racer, 11, 150 horse
power; the Desperate, 7, 400 horse power; the
Bulldog, 6, 500 horse power; the Barracouta, 6, 300
horse power; the Hydra, 6, 220 horse power; the
Medea, 6, 350 horsepower ; the Spiteful, 6,280 horse
power; the Nimble, 5, 80 horsepower; the Steady,
5, 80 horse power; the Plover, 6, 80 horse power;
the Landrail, 5, 80 horse power; and the
Cygnet, 5, 80 horse power. The squadron stationed
on the South-East Coast of America, under the com-
mand of Rear. Admiral R. L. Warren, consisted of
the Forte, 51, 400 horse power; the Curacoa, 31,
350 horse power; the Satellite, 21, 400 horsepower;
the Curlew, 9, 60 horse power; the Stromboli, 6,
280 horse power ; and the Ardent, 3, 200 horse
power. The fleet composing the Mediterranean
squadron, under the orders of Vice-Admiral Sir W.
F. Martin, K.C.8., consisted of 29 vessels of all
rates, several of which, however, have received
orders to return to England for service elsewhere.
During the past year the following vessels were
completed and launched from the various royal and
private dockyards :-The Defiance, 91, 3,475 tons,
800 horse power; the Perseus, 17, 955 tons, 200
horse power; the Shearwater, 11, 669 tons, 150
horse power ; the Pandora, 5, 426 tons, 80 horse
power ; the Aurora, 51, 2,558 tons, 400 horse power,
at Pembroke; the Bristol, 51, 3,027 tons, 600 horse
power, at Woolwich ; the Glasgow, 51, 3,038 tons,
600 horse power; and the Chanticleer, 17, 950
tons, 200 horse power, at Portsmouth; the Rattle-
"snake, 21, 1,705 tons, 400 horse power, at Chatham ; '
the Speedwell, 5, 428 tons, 80 horse power, at
Deptford ; the Black Prince, 36, 6,039 tons, 1,250
horse power, at Glasgow ; the Defence, 18, 3,668
tons, 600 horse power, at Newcastle; the Resistance,
18, 3,668 tons, 600 horse power, at Poplar ; and the
Lily, 4, 695 tons, 200 horse power, at Millwall. The
following is a list of the vessels of war now in
construction, with the places at which they are
building :-The Achilles (iron), 50 guns, 6,079 tons,
1,250 horse power-Chatham; the Africa, 4 guns,
669 tons, 150 horse power-Devonport ; the Agin-
' court (iron), 50 guns, 6,621 tons, 1,250 horse power
-Birkenhead ; the Alligator, 22 guns, 1,857 tons,
400 horse power-Woolwich ; the Belvidera, 51
guns, 3,027 tons, 600 horse power-Chatham ; the
) Bulwark, 91 guns, 3,716 tons, 800 horse power-
Chatham ; the Caledonia (iron cased), 50 guns, 4,045
tons, 800 horse power-Woolwich ; the Columbine,
4 guns, 669 tons, 150 horse power-Deptford; the
Dartmouth, 36 guns, 2,478 tons, 500 horse power
-Woolwich the Dromedary, 4 guns, 500 tons, 100
horse power-Millwall ; the Dryad, 51 guns, 3,027
tons, 600 horse power-Portsmouth ; the Enchan-

tress, 4 guns, 835 tons, 250 horse power—Pem-
broke; the Endymion, 36 guns, 2,478 tons, 500
' horse power—Deptford; the Enterprise, 4 guns,
669 tons, 150 horse power—Deptford ; the FaTo-
rite, 22 guns, 1,623 tons, 400 horse power—Dept-
ford; the Guernsey, 4 guns, 695 tons, 200 horse
power—Pembroke ; the Harlequin, 6 guns, 950
tons, 200 horse power—Portsmouth ; the Hector

(iron), 32 guns, 4,00 tons, 800 horse Power-61;;-
gow ; the Helicon, 4 guns, 835 tons, 250 horse
power—Portsmouth ; the Ister, 36 guns, 3702 tons,
500 horse power—Devonport ; the Jaseur, 5 guns,
425 tons, 80 horse power—Deptford ; the Menai,
22 guns, 1,857 tons, 400 horse power—Chatham ;
Minotaur (iron), 50 guns, 6,621 tons, 1,250 horse
power—Blackwell; the Myrmidon, 4 guns, 660
tons, 200 horse power—Chatham; the Nassau, 4
guns, 695 tons, 200 horse power—Pembroke ; the
Newport, 5 guns, 425 tons, 80 horse power—Pem-
broke ; the North Star, 22 guns, 1,623 tons, 400
horse power—Sheerness; the Ocean (iron-cased),
50 guns, 4,045 tons, 1,000 horse power—Devon-
port ; the Orontes (iron), 3 guns, 2,812 tons, 500
horse power—Blackwall ; the Psyche, 4 guns, 835
tons, 250 horse power—Pembroke ; the Rattler, 17
guns, 951 tons, 200 horse power—Deptford ; the
Reindeer, 17 guns, 951 tons, 200 horse power—
Chatham ; the Repulse, 89 guns, 3,716 tons, 800
horse power—Woolwich ; the Robust, 89 guns,
.3,716 tons, 800 horse power—Devonport ; the Royal
Alfred (iron cased), 50 guns, 3,716 tons, 800 horse
power—Portsmouth ; the Royal Oak (iron cased),
50 guns, 3,716 tons, 800 horse power—Chatham ;
the Salamis, 4 guns, 835 tons, 250 horse power—
Chatham ; the Sappho, 6 guns, 950 tons, 200 horse
power—Deptford ; the Sylvia, 4 guns, 695 tons, 200
horse power—Woolwich; the Tamar (iron), 3 guns,
2,812 tons, 500 horse power—Millwall ; the Tarta-
rus, 4 guns, 835 tons, 200 horse power—Pembroke;
the Trent, 6 guns, 950 tons, 200 horse power—Pem-
broke ; the Triumph (iron cased) 50 guns, 3,716 tons,
800 horse power—Pembroke ; the Tweed, 51 guns,
3,027 tons, 600 horse power—Pembroke ; the
Salient (iron), 32 guns, 4,063 tens, 800 horse power
; the Wolverine, 21' guns, 1,623 tons,
400 horse power--Woolwich; the Zealous, 89 guns,
3,716 tons, 800 horse power—Pembroke. -

The Defence, 18, 3,668 tons, 600 horse power,
Capt. R. A. Powell, C. 8., was undocked at Chatham
Shortly after noon yesterday, the operation being
Successfully performed under the direction of Com-
mander Pope, Master Attendant, and Mr. Lang,
Master Shipwright. Her draught of water aft was

22 feet 9 inches, and forward 20 feet 6 inches, there

being about a foot of water beneath her keel and the
floor of the dock at the time she was undocked. Al-
though there were only a few inches between the

frigate and the stonework at the entrance to the

dock, the vessel did not once touch the side. During
the afternoon the Defence was placed alongside the

floating shears and had her iron foremast, weighing
15 tons, shipped on board. In consequence of the De-

fence being still in a very unfinished state, and not

likely to be ready for some 3 or 4 weeks, a❑ order
was received from the Admiralty by telegraph yes-

terday, directing that in the event of hostilities
with America the whole of the officers and
crew would be turned to the Galatea, 26, which

• ~ _ _____
is just ready for sea, and which would be immedi-
ately despatched to America. This order has created
a considerable amount of disappointment and some

dissatisfaction amongst the officers, all of whom
appear to be satisfied that the Defence will prove
herself a smart ship, and they were consequently