The Sun.
London, England, 1865-07-08 00:00:00

Naval an

;lligence.

The Research, 4, ironclad, Capt. A. Wilmshurst,
got up steam early yesterday morning at Spithead,
and proceeded outside the anchorage, southward of
the Isle of Wight, where she made her concluding
trials with a discharge of 6-ton guns, mounted on
iron and wooden competitive carriages, the former
constructed on the plan proposed by Commander
Scott, R.N., and the latter the improved wooden
carriages manufactured on the Woolwich Arsenal
plan. Capt. A. C. Key, C. 8., of H.M.S. Excel-
lent, conducted the experiments. The roll of the
ship was from 3 deg. to nearly 10 deg. ; the firing
was abeam. The wind was from the S.W.,
moderate, fresh. Arsenal pattern carriage, worked
with twelve men, fired 15 rounds, with 201 b.
powder charge, in 14 min. 52 sec. ; five rounds
with 251 b. powder charge, in 2 min. 48 sec. ;
five rounds, with 251 b. powder charge, in 2 min. 50
sec. Commander Scott's iron carriage, worked with
i nine men, fired 15 rounds, with 201 b. powder charge,
in 2 min. 34 sec. The compressors of both carriages
acted very well. At the conclusion of the firing the
Research returned to Spithead.
The Royal Sovereign, 5, turret-ship, Captain A.
Herbert, at Portsmouth, is ordered to make ready
to proceed to Plymouth Sound, to form one of the
Anglo-French fleet, by the 15th inst.
The Caledonia, iron-cased frigate, flagship of
Rear-Admiral Hastings R. Yelverton, C. 8., second
in command of her Majesty's fleet in: the Mediter-
ranean, sailed from Spithead for Gibraltar and
Malta on Thursday.
The Netherlands paddlewheel steam yacht Cyclop,
which conveyed her Majesty the Queen of Holland
and suite to England a few days ago, met with an
accident on Thursday while lying at her moorings
off the Royal Arsenal at Woolwich. About noon
of that day a merchant screw steamer heavily laden,
was passing up the river, while a number of other
craft were making their way towards the docks,
when, in her endeavour to keep a clear course, she
ran into the Dutch yacht, cut through her forward
port sponson, and caused other damages to the
yacht, which are ordered to be repaired without
delay at the Woolwich dockyard, whither she pro-
ceeded yesterday for that purpose.
Her Majesty's 3-gun iron paddlewheel vessel
Antelope, brought home from the West Coast of
Africa in charge of Second-Master Alfred Thomas,
will be paid out of commission this morning at
Woolwich, by Mr. Charles E. Nash, assist.-pay-
master A considerable sum in prize money will
be given over at the same time. The Antelope will
be then docked and repaired for a future commis-
sion as before, in the preventive slave service on the
same station.
The sailing troop transport Hindostan, Captain
Anderson, yesterday commenced discharging at
Woolwich her freight of stores from Hongkong,
among which are several valuable guns of varied
calibre, captured from the Japanese. The remain-
der of the cargo consists of beds, bedding, and Tower
stores.
The North Star and Billow Crest, hired trans-
ports, yesterday commenced shipping war stores
from Woolwich Arsenal for Malta and the Mediter-

ranean.

M. Serafour and a committee commissioned by
the Imperial Government of France yesterday
visited Woolwich dockyard, attended by a scientific
engineer officer, from the firm of Messrs. Penn and
Co., of Woolwich, and inspected the working of
Bray's traction-engine belonging to the dockyard.
The committee were officially received by Commo-
modore Dunlop, C. 8., Admiralty Superintendent,
who accompanied them to see the working of the
engine in its ordinary duties at the yard. The ob-
ject of their visit was to satisfy themselves of the
superiority of the engine, as they are commissioned
to purchase largely for the French Government
should their inspection prove satisfactory.
A letter has been sent to Admiral Elliot, the late
superintendent of Portsmouth dockyard, signed by
the whole of the clerks in the establishment, express-
ing to him their sincere gratitude for his uniform
kindness and impartiality towards them during his
command, assuring him of their warmest wishes for
his future welfare, and their sincere regret at losing
him as their commanding officer.
The first of the 12-ton 300-pounder Armstrong
guns with which the Bellerophon, 16, 1,000-horse
power, is ordered to be armed has been received at
Chatham Dockyard from the Royal Gun Factory,
and the remaining number have been manufactured
in readiness to be sent off. The Bellerophon is in-
tended to mount ten 300-pounders, in addition to
the 110-pounder Armstrongs she will carry on her
bow battery and on her main deck.
On Thursday a detachment of the First Division
Depot Brigade, Royal Artillery, under the command
of Capt. J. R. Gloag, consisting of 119 men of all
ranks, left headquarters and proceeded to Gosport,
for transfer to the 12th Brigade.
The following'appointments were made on Thurs-
day at the Admiralty :—Lieut. Alfred Anderson, to
the Trafalgar ; George H. Allen, master, to the
Hastings ; Hussey C. Vivian, naval cadet, to the
Duncan ; Duke C. Crofton, naval cadet, to the Oc-
tavia ; John R. D. Tollemache, naval cadet, to the
Edgar ; George Stroudd Newton and John Smith,
acting second class assist.-engineers, to the Indus,
as supernumeraries ; and R. J. Phillips, clerk, to the
Terrible.
The following appointments were made yesterday
at the Admiralty :—Capt. John E. Commerell, to
the Scorpion, commissioned; Commander the Hon.
M. H. Nelson, to the Royalist, vice Pollard, inva-
lided ; Lieut. W. J. L. Wharton, to the Gannet ;
William H. Harris, master, to the Indus ; Richard
Sturgess, master, to the Canopus; Sub.-Lieut. J.
W. L. Jekyll, to the Octavia ; Sub.-Lieut. Thomas
E. Sulivan, to the Gannet ; George Grandidier,
paymaster, to the Scorpion ; and Charles Langley,
clerk, to the Scorpion.
The name Gerard J. Copes, in the naval appoint-
ments of the 6th, should have been " G. J. Capes."

A Confederate Cruiser at Southampton...
Earl Russell and Mr. Seward•

Yesterday (Friday) the Confederate cruiser Rap-
pahannock, under command of Captain Steele, was
reported to have arrived at Southampton, and, on
making inquiries, we learned that the vessel had
anchored in Southampton Water under the name of
Beatrice. There is no mistake, however, about the
identity of the vessel, as both Mr. Dudley, the United
States Consul in Liverpool; and the Hon. Mr.
Adams, the United States Minister in London,
have both been made aware of the fact. The Bea-
trice left Calais on the 2d of June, ostensibly for
Liverpool, but it is just possible that she may have
had a knowledge of Mr. Seward's despatch, wherein
he distinctly demands " that all rebel piratical ves-
sels shall, be delivered up to the United States Go-
vernment," and he also declares " the right and in-
tention of the United States Government to capture
any such piratical craft under whatever nationality
they may be placed ;" and adds, " that he will re-
fuse to recognise the validity of any transfer that
may be made." The Rappahannock, we believe, is
the property at present of a Liverpool shipowner, a
gentleman who has been most successful in " run-
ning the blockade ;" but it is just possible that Earl
Russell's despatch and Mr. Seward's reply may have
the effect of relieving the present owner of his
bargain ; and we are more justified in asserting this
from the fact that the United States Minister yes-
terday took measures to enforce the injunctions
proclaimed in Mr. Seward's despatch.

THE WEATHER AND THE CROPS.—The weather
has been favourable for the growing crops during the past
week in the eastern counties. Yesterday and on Thursday
a considerable quantity of rain fell. Reports from Essex
state that on the heaviest and richest soil there is a very
full crop, but on the light and poorer soils the yield will not,
it is expected, exceed 34 qrs. per acre. On mixed soils the
mean yield will be about 54 qrs. per acre.
VENTILATION OF THE HOUSE OF LORDS.—A select
committee of the House of Lords have reported—That the
ventilation of the House is capable of great improvement,
and the committee trust that before the commencement of
another session a better system of ventilation will have been
adopted. The committee report also that great complaints
are made of the want of ventilation in the committee
rooms ; and they recommend that the system of ventilation
adopted in the House of Commons' committee rooms Nos.
I. to 6 be applied to the committee rooms of the House of
Lords.