The Sun.
London, England, 1865-12-06 00:00:00

in the same dock, a considerable portion of the iron
to be used in her construction having already been

received at Chatham dockyard from the contractors.
The paddlewheel steamer Virago, 6, 1,059 tons,
300 horse power, attached to the Steam Reserve in

the Medway, is ordered to be docked at Sheerness,

where she is to undergo a very extensive repair, at
an estimated cost of about £lO,OOO. Her engines
and machinery have been removed to the factory
where they are to be repaired. She will also require
new boilers. The repairs ordered to be executedwill
detain her in dock for some considerable time.
The Research, 4, ironcased corvette, Commander
R. A. E. Scott, arrived at Spithead yesterday, from
the Coast of Ireland. The arrival of the Research
will enable Commander Scott to superintend the
completion of the fitting of her iron carriage and
slide, and the mounting of the 12-ton gun, on board
the iron frigate Minotaur in readiness for the com-
petitive trials at sea, ordered to be made immediately
on board that ship. The trials will most probably
take place at Portland, under the superintendence
of Capt. A. C. Key, C. 8., commanding the gunnery
ship Excellent.
Mr. Cunningham's method of training heavy
guns on a ship's broadside, which has been in use on
board the gunnery ship Excellent since August
last, is now beiag fitted by Admiralty order to one
of the 12-ton gun carriages on board the Minotaur,
at Portsmouth, for further trial at sea during the
forthcoming competitive carriage trials. On board
the Excellent the working of Mr. Cunningham's
plan, fitted to a 12-ton gun, has been singularly
successful. The average time taken in the extreme
training of the gun under all circumstances may be
very fairly stated as nine seconds with two men at
the winch. One of its main recommendations is that
the training gear on board the Excellent has been
fitted and the gun brought fully under training by
it in less than one hour. However violently the ship
may be pitching at sea when the crew are at quar-
ters Mr. Cunningham claims that his controlling
stoppers hold thegun at perfect control at any degree
of training and in rapid changes of angles in firing.
Some very interesting experiments took place yes-
terday on board the Mersey screw frigate, at Ports.
mouth, with West's electrical apparatus fitted on
board as a warning indicator of possible danger to
the ship from fire or water. A 10-cell battery fitted
in the captain's cabin, with an indicator dial plate
and an alarm bell, is placed in communication with
20 isolated copper wires, each of which communi-
cates with a numbered section of the ship's hold, the
latter being set off in 20 sections. Calorimeters con-
nected with each wire are set at a given temperature
—say 50 deg. above the normal temperature of that
part of the ship—and the ever-watchful sentinel for
fire is then placed on permanent duty. If the tempe-
rature afterwards becomes increased from spontane-
ous combustion, or from a smouldering fire raised
by other causes, the temperature has no sooner
reached the heat at which the calorimeter has been
set than the circuit is completed, the alarm bell
violently and incessantly rung in the captain's cabin,
and a number displayed on the dial showing the
section of the ship in which the dangerous heat is
being generated. The rise of water in a ship's
bilge beyond a fixed height is also indicated by
the ringing of the alarm bell and the display
of the section number. The calorimeter is a
small metal vessel, some three inches in length,
three-fourths filled with mercury. The outside of
the vessel is in contact with one part of the copper
wire of the section, the other part being suspended
through the boxwood stopper in the neck of the
vessel, the distance between the point of the latter
part of the copper wire and the mercury being re-
gulated according to the temperature considered
dangerous. Should this latter event ever occur
the mercury necessarily expands, and, bringing

the end of the wire in contact, the circuit is com-
pleted. The water signal is a piston enclosed in a

chamber with the signal wire fixed at a certain
distance, say 2ft., above it. If water finds its way
from any cause into the ship's hold the piston rises
with the water, and on coming in contact with the
wire the circuit is here completed, and the signal
transmitted to the indicator dial and alarm bell.
The signals yesterday were sent from all parts of the
ship with unerring certainty and with calorimeters
set at various degrees of temperature, and with the
water signal at varying heights. As the use of
fire to raise the temperature of the ship was out of
the question, hot water at the required tempera-
tures was used for testing the question and the
manner in which it had been applied on board the
Mersey. filer Majesty's ship Valiant is already
fitted on the same principle, which is also to be
applied on board all of her Majesty's troop ships.
The hired sailing transport Bombay, Sellers
master, belonging to Messrs. G. G. Tyser, of
London, arrived at Spithead yesterday after-
noon from Auckland, New Zealand, with officers and
troops, invalided and time-expired, from regiments
. serving in the colony, and a number of private
passengers. The troops on board are in military
charge of Major Mould, RE., and in medical
charge of Dr. Henry Tittcrton, M.D. Capt. Vere-
ker, Ist battalion, 12th Regiment; Lieuts. Clark-
son, King, and Pownell, Deputy Commissaries-
General Robertson and M'Dermot, 135 invalids and
time-expired • men, 13 women, 23 children, and
three naval invalids. The rough weather prevailing
yesterday prevented the disembarcation and trans-
fer of the troops from the Bombay, at Spit-
head, to the Military Hospital, at Netley, and
the regimental depots, but, weather permitting, it
will be effected this morning. The Bombay sailed
from Auckland on the 3d of September last. On
the 15th of the same month she fell in with heavy
field ice, which three days later, by its density,
compelled Capt. Sellers to retrace his vessel's course,
and make a considerable detour to clear it. From the
same date to the 25th of September a large number
of immense icebergs were in sight, some of them
apparently upwards of 400 feet in height.
The following officers at Chatham garrison were
yesterday placed under orders to embark for Cal-
cutta to join the service companies of their regi-
ments in India, viz. :—Capt. R. Doyle: Barrett, Ist
Battalion 19th Regiment, and Capt. F. L. Edridge,
Ist Battalion 20th Regiment. An order has also
been received for the embarcation of Lieut. J. W.
G. Telfer, 2d Battalion 4th King's Own Regiment,
in charge of draughts for Malta.

THREE BODIES FOUND ON THE LANCASHIRE
AND YORKSHIRE RAILWAY.—Since Saturday morning last
three bodies—two of men and one of a boy—have been
been found lying on the rails of the Lancashire and York-
shire Railway, the men near Bootle Station, and the -boy
at the Sandhills Junction. All these presented marks of
having been run over by trains.
BRITISH COLUMBIA AND VANCOUVER'S ISLAND.
—A. meeting of merchants, traders, and others interested
in the prosperity of Vancouver's Island and British Colum- •
bia was held on Wednesday at the London Tavern,
Bishopsgate-street, city. Mr. Ballas was called to the chair.
Tho chairman, in opening the business of the meeting, re-
marked that he should have been glad if some one more
recently home from Vancouver's Island than himself had
been called to the chair. He described the present posi-
tion and future prospects of the colonies as very gloomy.
Trade was depressed, the population decreasing, and land
could not be sold at any price. The taxation was very
heavy, amounting to no less than %lee per head, as against
$29 per head in Queensland and contiguous places, down
to $2 12c. in Prince Edward's Island. The reaeon of this
was that the island, with a small and decreasing popula-
tion, had to bear the whole burden of a distinct legislative
machinery. The mode of levying taxes was also very
oner otuhs,o more
peculiar
mode levy, especially the exporte,,wa
tax uponsm a gold,made
at
a u which,r,o,t
l
from of its
capital and labour, instead of upontsresultsorpuronfits.
The only remedy for the evils complainedi of
Columbia,
was
aas the union
of Vancouver's Island with British
legislationsoitu
t
abemqemuibteersufficientLfeogr
ibsloatthu.rceo,l omnoi evse.
dMar.
s
followsColumbra a" nTdhVatan
thecou
vinterests a
notfi
wt htlel eboelebnetesst ocfonßsruilttiesdh
by a union based upon such terms as shall appear just to
the Imperial Government." In a speech of some length
ho urged the desirability of the proposed union, which he
stated to be in accordance with the wishes of the whole of
the colonists. He considered that it would pave the way
for a general confederation of the whole of the British
North American colonies. Mr. Burnaby seconded the re-
solution, which was supported by several gentlemen who
had been long resident in the colony, and carried unani-1
mously. Mr. Drake moved the appointment of a com-
mittee to draw up a memorial embodying the sentiments
of the meeting for presentation to the Colonial Secretary. ,
Mr. Southgate seconded the motion, which was unani-
mously adopted. The committee and deputation were
then appointed, and a vote of thanks to the chairman
brought the proceedings to a close.