The Sun.
London, England, 1862-11-22 00:00:00

7HE, NAVY.

The Meeanee, i3l, 2,591 tons, 400-horse power,
attached to tl.4e first division of the Chatham steam

reserve in the Medway, has been commissioned by
Capt. George Wodehouse (1854), late of the screw
steamer Russell, 60, 200-horse power, employed on
the coastguard service. The Meeanee is intended
for service in the Mediterranean, and is to have a
complement of 650 officers and men, including
Royal Marines.

The Hero, 89, 600-horse power, Capt. Ryder, dis-
mantling at the yore, has been taken into the great
basin for the purpose of having her masts taken
out. Accc.rding to present arrangements the crew
will be paid off to-morrow, when the ship will be
place'd in the steam reserve.
In accordance with orders received from the
Admiralty, particular attention is to be paid by the
officials at the various dockyards to the trial trips
of all steamers fitting for commission, in order
that the slightest defect in the working of the
engines or madinnery may be detected and remedied
before the vrzssel proceeds to sea. Directions have
also been received at Chatham that under no cir-

cumistrAnces is a ship to remain less than 24—hours
in harbour after her trial trip prior to proceeding
on her voyage.
The lighter Aid, E. Grundy, master, left Ply-
mouth on Tuesday with stores for Pembroke.
Port Admiral Sir Hcaston Stewart, K.C.8., ac-
companied by Capt. Leopold Heath, of the gunnery
ship Cambridge, went on Wednesday in the gun-
boat Redwin4,
where the-y from Hamoaze to Plymouth Sound,
inspected the paddlewheel steam frigate
Leopard, 18, Capt. C. T. Leckie, and examined her
crew, This frigate has received her draught of
marines, and has embarked supernumerary seamen
for the squadron in the China seas. She left Ply-
mouth Sound on Thursday afternoon for China,
calling at the Cape of Good Hope.

The paialewheel steam sloop Virago, 6, Corn.
mender William Hope Johnstone, from King-
ston, Monday, November 17, and Milford, Tues-
day, 18th, arrived in Plymouth Sound on Thursday
morning. The Virago sailed from Plymouth on Nov.
3, with supernumeraries, and accompanied by the
cutter Sylph. She left the supernumeraries at Mil-
ford and Kingston, landed stores at Kingston, and
then proceeded to Greenock, where she discharged
stores and left the Sylph. The Virago then pro-
ceeded to Liverpool, completed her discharge of
!totes, and received supernumeraries from the Ma-
jestic, from the Ajax, at Kingston, and from the
Blenheim, at Milford.
A naval court-martial assembled on Wednesday
on board the Forthidable, 84, Capt. Luard, flagship
of Vice-Admiral AV. J. Hope Johnstone, comman-
der in-chief at the Nore,and was occupied the whole
of that, day and Thursday in the trial of Comman-
der W H. Anderson and the officers and crew of
her Majesty's screw sloop Flying Fish, 6, 350-horse
power, on a charge of having run that vessel
aground on the New-town Gravel-bank on sth Nov.
Capt Thompson, of the Cumberland, president. Mr.
Knight, solicitor, Rochester, officiated as deputy-
judge advocate. After hearing the evidence of the
officers of the V'tylng Fish, and other witnesses exa-
mined, the n"ourt was of opinion that the following
facts were established :—The Flying Fish passed
Hurst Lights at 745 p.m. on Nov. sth. The weather
vti afa then clear, but it soon became misty. The course
steered after passing Hurst Lights appears to have
been east, the speed about 61 knots, the tide flood,
and running about 2 knots an hour. After passing
Hurst Lights, when the Flying Fish could only
have gone over the ground about 41 knots, and was
therefore abreast Hampsted ledge, the loom of a
point of land was seen on the starboard bow, and
the course was altered to south-east, half east, under
the impression the point seen was Egypt point,
which was really five miles further on. Saturday,
820 p.m., the vessel grounded. The court was of
opinion that Com. Anderson showed great want of
Judgment in not diminishing the speed of the ship to
less than O knots after losing sight of Hurst Lights,
the weather iant being sufficiently clear to distin-
guish more than the loom of the land the ship was
then passing ; and that he also showed great want
of :judgment in not anchoring the falaip after passing
Yarmouth rods, when the weather became too thick
to see the lights or distinguish the points of land, as
it does not appear from his sailing orders that there
was any necessity for running the least risk. The
Court was further of opinion that Lieut. Eaton, hav-
ing professed an intimate knowledge of both sides of
the Solent, did incautiously volunteer an opinion
that the land seen on the starboard bow, previous to
tb e course being altered, was Egypt Point, and that
this opinion materially assisted in forming an erro-
neous judgment on the part of the master; the Court
was also of opinion that the master, Mr. Percy V.
James, showed great want of judgment in not asking
to have the speed of the ship reduced, or the ship
herself anchored when the weather became thick ;
and that he showed culpable negligence and want
of ordinary precaution in not testing the distance
run from Hurst Lights before altering the course to
round the land supposed to be Egypt Point. It was
held that no blame whatever attached to the officer
of the watch, or to the other officers or crew of the
Flying Fish, and they were therefore acquitted.
Mr. Jame.l, Commander Anderson, and Lieut. Eaton
were admonished to be more careful in future, and
Mr. James was sentenced to forfeit one year of his
seniority as a master. Before separating the Court
pr eqs e d the opinion that Commander Anderson is
in error in considering it unnecessary for the captain
to consult the master previous to a pilot being en-
gaged, and that he has been in error in not enforc-
ing their Lordships' directions regarding the lieute-
nant's working the reckonings and taking obser-
vations.
The following appointments were made yesterday
at the Admiralty:—Lieut. Cuthbert It. Buckle, to
the Excellent ; William B. Goldsmith, master, to
the Lily ; John Lambert and John Horrocks, M.D.,
acting assist.-surgs., to the Victory, for Haslar
Hospital ; John Buckler and A. Yule, M.D.,
acting assist.-surgs., to the Royal Adelaide, for Ply-
mouth Hospital ; and George Edward Hastings
Deacon has been nominated to a naval cadetship.