The Sun.
London, England, 1862-02-11 00:00:00

THE NAVY.

The Sidon, 22, paddle, Capt. R. B. Cranford,
steamed into Portsmouth Harbour yesterday, and
berthed alongside the dockyard, unbending sails,
preparatory to dismantling and paying off.
With reference to the order alluded to in The Sun
of yesterday for reducing the number of guns and
men
th on
war,instructions are given
for armament, the character of
e reduction
ed board
uction shipsof
which may be illustrated by a few examples :—The
Tribune, screw frigate, now fitting for commission
in lieu of 32
2
gatunPs,oratssmhoeurtehtofiosroer,doerneldy3, as follows :-3lain to Carry,
deck, 16 65 cwt. 8-inch; upperdeck, 4 40-pounders,
, Armstrong (pivot);
2A r3m2s.
pt rooungnds 1 p o
32-pounder.
. 100-pounder,
Shannonunder and Euryalus are
each to land 16 guns, and, like the Tribune, will
carry only 8-inch guns on their main decks. The
Duncan,
he s
u ti
99, lands
bstiltOuofonher guns, reducing her to
an 8 of
on e
calibre of gun on
the main deck of our frigates and on the main and
lower deck of our line-of-battle ships will tend to
considerably simplify the " projectile" question.
The reduction of the number of guns on board ship
in peaceable times must be for the ship's benefit in
rendering her easy in a seaway, and, besides, the
guns can be easily replaced on board whenever they
be required. The reduction of the number
t—ord. however, does not admit of such
.f the Warrior, for instance,
vecent stay at Ports-
',tilers by one of
*--4- of the
.nt

..ieve tau:

1 her crew was in,,
,ard of Admiralty, of
e crow allowed het

rrcqates now exceed the s . :
thrt,. det— --ars back, and this reduc-
tion of their crL 'ooked upon by the pro-
fession generally 'w. it ,_ nCeiOD.

The completion of the C •nw frigate, at
Portsmouth, at the hands of t, 1. depart-
ments, has been deferred from qinal time
fixed—the Ist of March, to the gist ; and
the Glasgow, screw frigate, frcra the 2bth of Feb-
ruary to the 30th of April. The work on the Dun-
can has been suspended, and the hands taken from
her placed upon the Tribune. The Megzcra is re-
ported for completion at the hands of the engineer-
ing department on the 7th April. The work on the
Prince Regent has also been suspended for the pre-
sent.

The Jasper, screw gunboat, 80 horse power, has
been masted in the steam basin at Portsmouth, pre-
paratory to commission.

The Balaklava,Ordnance screw transport, Master-
Commander Pellatt, is discharging 12 100-pounder
Armstrong guns and a large cargo of fittings at the
gun wharf stores, Portsmouth. A large number of
Armstrongs of lighter calibre was received on Sa-
turday.

The wooden model of Captain C. P. Coles's cupola
or shield was completed on the deck of the Hazard
in the steam basin at Portsmouth yesterday, and
the experimental firing will at once take place to
enable him to prepare the specifications, &c., for the
new shield ship which the Admiralty have deter-
mined upon constructing. Information is sought
from the intended experimental firing as to the
minimum area of a shield capable of working two
100-pounder Armstrong guns; the amount of con-
cussion produced by the guns' discharge ; the re-
moval of smoke ; and any other points which may
occur to Captains Hewlett and Coles during the
time the firing is being carried out.
Directions have been received at Chatham pock-
yard from the Admiralty for every exertion to be
made to complete the Resistance, 18, 600 horse
power, by the second week in March, in order that
she may be undocked and tried as speedily as pos-
sible after.

The Scourge, Commander the Hon. W. J. Ward,
was put out of commission on Saturday and paid off
in Woolwich Dockyard. The report circulated by
some of the daily papers, to the effect that Com-
mander Ward would commission the Rapid, after
paying off the Scourge, is without the slightest
foundation. The Rapid is perfectly ready for
commission. Her speed will be tested shortly, for
the first time, at the measured mile. She carries
an armament of 11 guns and engines of 150 horse
power only.