The Sun.
London, England, 1862-01-16 00:00:00

THE IVA VT.

Her Majesty's screw steam store vessel Bsffalo,
Master in command. Alexander Brown, from the
West Coast of Attica., yesterday went into basin at
Woolwich, to be stripped and paid off.
The iron steam vessel Avenger, brought up to
Woolwich from Portsmouth about eight months
ago to be docked and thoroughly overhauled, was
yesterday undocked and hauled into basin, to be
prepared for the pennant. On account of its great
length (280 feet) the dock had to be lengthened,
and the repairs, which are of an extensive charac-
ter, will be promptly carried out. She is ordered
to be completed by the 13th of next month.
The hired screw steam transport Adelaide, Capt.
Lambert, which left Cork on the 4th inst. for Hali-
fax, and put back to Plymouth yesterday, as re-
ported in The Sun, experienced very severe weather
in the Atlantic. She has on board 35 officers and
725 men, nearly the whole of the 15th Regiment
of Foot, under command of Col. Cole, and various
munitions of war, commissariat stores, clothing,
&c. On the Btb, in lat. 52 N., long. 24 W., the
wind freshened from the south-west, with dull,
dark weather ; barometer 29 50, falling rapidly.
The ship was hove to under storm mizen, and the en-
gines worked slow. At 6 p.m., barometer 29 00 a
furious hurricane broke out. The vessel lurched
with her lee gunwale under water, when part of
the bulwarks and the waist lifeboat were washed
away. At 8 p.m. it blew yet harder; the sea broke
over the ship fore and aft, and got into the engine-
room and troop decks; the lee quarter lifeboat was
washed away, the gig on the weather quarter was
blown away, and the storm mizen (a new sail) split
to pieces. At 10 p.m. barometer 28 60, the wind
had veered westerly ; the hurricane was at its worst,
and threatened to blow the masts over the side. At
midnight the wind gradually decreased, veering
north-west. At 8 a.m., in a heavy lurch, Henry
Moore, one of the ship's boys, fell overboard; he
caught hold of a rope, but from exhaustion let go
again, and was unfortunately drowned. During the
tempest the commander, Capt. Lambert, considered
that the ship was occasionally in imminent peril.
At one time Mr. Hoskin;;, chief engineer, reported
the water to be gaining on the stokehole, and
threatening to extinguish the fires. Mr, Harris,
the chief officer, went down, and by his presence
successfully encouraged the firemen to persevere
in their work. On the troop deck three horses
and the officers' baggage broke adrift, but were re-
placed under the direction of Lieut. Blake, Admi-
ralty agent, by the military officers and the men,
whose discipline continued excellent throughout.
On the 9th, and the morning of the 10th, the
weather became finer. Little progress was made,
however, in consequence of the disabled state of the
engines, which stopped suddenly at 5 p.m. It be-
ing then found that one of the cylinder covers was
split, it was deter mined to bear up for port. On
the 11th, at daylight, another furious gale com-
menced from the westward. In trying to scud
under close-reefed maintopsail and foresail, the ship
broached to, and would not answer helm with the
screw not working. At noon the engines were
started with three cylinders only, after which
strong gales from the north-west were experienced.
Our correspondent at Plymouth has received a
letter from the screw steamship Sanspareil, 70,
Capt. George Le G. Bower, dated Port Royal,
December 20, 1861, which states that she arrived
there December 16, after a passage of 33 days from
Plymouth. The Sanspareil was to sail on the
21th for the rendezvous off Cape St. Antonia, the
north-west extremity of the island of Cuba, to
anchor in the bay, and there wait a few days until
the French and Spanish squadrons were ready,
when the combined fleet would proceed to Vera
Cruz.

The screw steamship Cmsar, 86, Capt. Thomas
H. Mason, left Plymouth yesterday for Spithead,
to be paid off.
An Admiralty order was yesterday received at
Chatham directing the screw frigate Galatea, 26,
800-horse power, which has been removed from that
port to Sheerness, to be sent round to Plymouth,
whera she is to be retained in readiness for commis-
sion. A number of riggers and seamen are to be
furnished from Sheerness Dockyard to assist in
navigating her round to her destination.
The paddlewheel steamer Dragon, 6, 1,270 tons,
560-horse power, having completed her temporary
repairs, was yesterday taken out of the steam basin
at Sheerness and removed to Stangate-creek, where
she will remain until the final decision respecting
her has been received from the Admiralty.
The iron steamer Defence, 18, 600 horse power,
Captain R. A. Powell, C. 8., was yesterday removed
from her berth, alongside the floating shears at Chat-
ham harbour, and towed lower down the river to
Folly Point, where she will remain to complete fit-
tings. Her destination is not yet known, but it is
probable she will be sent on a short cruise to the
Mediterranean, or some other less distant station.
to test her steaming and sailing powers, and to as-
certain her behaviour in a gale. Oa her return she

is likely to proceed to reinforce Admiral Milne's

squadron on the North American station. Her decks
are still crowded with workmen, and, although the
utmost expedition is being used by the whole of the
hands, there still remains a considerable amount of
work to be completed.

The screw steam sloop Swallow, 9, 486 tons, Mas-
ter- Commander E. Wilds, fi ting for surveying
operations in the Japan waters, adjusted compasses
at Sheerness yesterday, preparatory to taking her
departure. In order to increase the accommodation
for the officers, which under present arrangements
is somewhat meagre, it is intended to con-
struct a poop on her upper deck, which will ac-
cordingly detain her for some three weeks or a
month longer.
The Racoon, 22, 400-horse power, Capt. W. C.
Chamberlain, will be put out of commission, and
the crew paid off at Chatham, on Tuesday next.
In accordance with orders to that effect received
from the Admiralty, the whole of the workmen and
mechanics employed at Chatham Dockyard, work-
ing either on shore or afloat, ceased working over-
time yetterday. The system of task and job work
also ceased from Saturday last, and the whole of the
hands are now employed on the ordinary day-
work until further orders.

A notice has been posted at the dockyard gates,
Portsmouth, granting 10 days' additional leave to
the crew of her Majesty's ship Hannibal, recently
paid off at Portsmouth, and whose final period of
leave has not yet expired.

Letters received at Portsmouth from Vancouver
announce the death of Lieut.-Commander Robson,
of her Majesty's gunboat Forward. It appears to
have been part. of the deceased officer's duties to
superintend the management of several lighthouses
along the coast. While proeeeding on horseback to
a part of the coast where one of these was situate,
the animal he was riding became frightened in pass-
ing a large flock of sheep, and threw him. He re-
ceived such severe injuries that he died shortly after-
wards.

The Sutlej, 51, screw, in charge of the officers of
the Steam Reserve at Portsmouth, steamed out of
harbour yesterday to conclude her trials of machin-

ery, &c., prior to commission ; but, in consequence
of the dense fog prevailing, the trial was again post-
poned.

The Britannia, Capt. R. Harris, naval cadet train-
ing ship at Portsmouth, will be docked to complete
repairs and outfit, prior to proceeding to Portland
on the 29th inst. According to present arrange-
ments, the cadets will not return on board from
their leave until the 4th proximo, by which time it
is hoped that the Britannia will be ready to pro.
teed to Portland.

The Osborne, paddle yacht, Master-Commander
took her boats on board yesterday
George K. Bower,
from Portsmouth Dockyard, preparatory to sailing
for the Mediterranean, where she will be in attend-
ance upon his Royal Highness the Prince of Wales,
during his forthcoming tour. Tho Osborne is
expected to sail from Portsmouth about Saturday
next.

The work in the repair and outfit of ships of war
in Portsmouth yard is being pushed forward as
vigorously ss ever, the only difference being that,
since the removal of the American difficulty, the
efforts of the departments are not confined to the
gunboats, sloops, and corvettes, but are more evenly
distributed among all the classes of vessels under

eeptiir in the yard. The Highflyer, 21, screw, and
other vessels, have again been taken in hand by the
departments, and are receiving their share of the
skilled labour now employed in the yar 1.. Upon
the Tribune, 31, screw, fitting for the fii t-class re-
serve iu the old fitting basin, the artiik.ns aro still
working overtime. Two of the gun} oats of the
advanced reserve, the Rose and Blazer, sailed
from the port yesterday morning for Queens-
town, convoyei by the Virago, 6, paddle, Com-
mander W. G. H. Johnstone, passing out to sea
by the Needles passage.
Upon her Majesty's ship Victory and her tenders
being paid off officially at Portsmouth on the 10th
inst., there were awarded by the Admiralty, for long
services and good conduct—to J. Cummins, seamen's
schoolmaster of the Rolla, apprentice training brig,
a silver medal and gratuity of £1.5 ; to J. Wells, sig-
nalman of the Victory, silver medal and £10; to W.
Morley, carpenter's mate of the Fire Queen steamer,
silver medal, a gratuity of £l5 and £5 per annum
added to his pension ; to Drummer Partridge, Royal
Marines, a silver medal and gratuity of £5 ; and to
Charles Aitrill, a silver medal.

The divisional orders of the Royal Marine Corps
at Woolwich, in command of Col. Campbell, yester-
terday notified the appointment, by the Lords Com-
missioners of the Admiralty, of Major-Gen. Strata-
ham as Inspector-General of the Royal Marine
Forces. A previous circular memorandum from
the Board of Admiralty likewise announced the
promotion, on the 10th inst., of Major Chas. Loudon
Barnard to be Acting Lieut.-Col. of the Artillery
Division, vice Brevet-Col. G. C. Langley, appointed
to the Staff of the corps as Deputy-Adjt. General,
vice Major-Gen. Wesley, retired—such arrange-
ments being carried into effect without prejudice to
the seniority of other officers of the corps at large.

The following appointments were made at the Admi-
ralty last evening :

Lieutenant Wm. A. Gambier, to the Edinburgh, for
gunnery duties.

Master—J. May (additional) to the Swallow.
Masters' Assistant—Vincent 11. Lys, to the Rifleman.
Assistant Engineers—Hugh Thomson and Frederick
Smiley (acting second class) to the Asia.