The Sun.
London, England, 1862-09-09 00:00:00

IHE NAVY.

His Royal Highness Prince Adalbert of Prussia

visited Deptford dockyard on Sunday, and in-
spected the iron-cased ships Favourite and Enter-
prise. His Royal Highness expressed great grati-
fication with his visit, and particularly admired the
corvette Favourite, which, as announced in The
Sun of last week, is now perfected in her design as
a completely protected sea-going ship of war. Mr.
Reed left London yesterday for Pembroke dock-
yard to lay down a new corvette to be constructed
after the design of the Enterprise and Favourite.
Sixty first-class lads from the flagship Fisgard,
at Woolwich, were yesterday despatched to Ports-
mouth for the service of the fleet, and an equal
number will leave shortlyby the Fex for Plymouth.
The Royal paddle yacht Osborne, Master-Com-
mander George K. Bower, arrived at Portsmouth
yesterday from Ostend, to which port she con-
veyed his Royal Highness the Prince' of Wales and
suite from Woolwich on Saturday.
The experimental firing at the armour plates on
the side of the Alfred target ship at Portsmouth
will take place on Thursday, instead of to-day, as
originally proposed. The plates comprise one
rolled 51 inch, from the Atlas Iron and Steel
Works, Sheffield; two of si-inch hammered, made
from scrap iron, one annealed and the other unan-
nealed, and two other plates made from Shopshire
puddle iron, also hammered, of the same thickness
of metal, and one also unannealed, and the other
annealed, all four forged in the smithery of Ports-
mouth yard. The trial of these four will, it is ex-
pected, set the question at rest as to the merits of
annealing armour plates, and also decide the dis-
puted point as to the superiority of scrap or puddled
iron for hammered plates. Three other plates on
the Alfred's side are from Deptford dockyard, 41
inch hammered.

The Black Prince, 40, iron frigate, Capt. J. F. B
Wainright, will, according to present arrangements,
make her trial of speed with the pitch of her screw
altered from her trial, to-morrow.

Yesterday a number of additional hands were
transferred to the iron frigate Achilles, 50. The
vacancies by the withdrawal of the large number of
mechanics from the dockyard, OR strike, have not
yet all been filled up, and first-class platers are still
required for employment on board the iron ship.
Some delay has been occasioned in prosecuting the
works connected with the building of the Achilles,
in consequence of the amended plans having been
for some time under the consideration of the Admi-
ralty these, however, have finally been decided
upon, and every effort will now be directed to the
completion of the iron frigate with the least pos-
sible delay. The whole of the improvements which
the experience of the last six months has taught the
Admiralty, will, ic is fully expected, have the effect
of rendering the Achilles as much superior in sailing
capabilities and attacking and defensive powers to
the Warrior as the latter vessel is to our Marl-
boroughs,
Renowns, and Merseys.
Nearly 100 convicts, in several parties, have ar-
rived at Chatham during the latt few days from
Pentonville, Millbank, and the other convict esta-
blishments, for the purpose of being employed on
the works in connection with the enlargement and
extension of Chatham dockyard. At the present
time there are upwards of 1,000 convicts at Chatham
establishment, nearly the whole of whom are kept
constantly employed in the embankment of St.
Mary's Island, and in the other works connected
with the improvement of the harbour and dock-
yard.

The following appointments were made yesterday
at the Admiralty :—Sub-Lieut. G. W. Allen, to
the Liffey ; James Lewis, paymaster, to the Resist-
ance ; Henry Rider and W. H. G. West, super-
nameraries in the Indus, confirmed as second-class
assist.-engineers ; Hugh Loudon, acting second-
class assist.-engineer to the Indus, as supernumerary;
John F. Hughes, and William Ambler, acting
second-class assist.- engineers, to the Cumberland,
as supernumeraries; and Thomas R. Batters and
James Elder, acting second-class assist.-engineers,
to the Asia, as supernumeraries.