The Sun.
London, England, 1854-05-06 00:00:00

THE WAR

NAVAL AND MILITARY INTELLIGENCE.
The steamship Gottenbur, arrived in the river at 2
p.m. yesterday. She left Gatenburg on the 2d of May,
The Bulldog was coaling in Wingo Sound. The Alban
was waiting the arrival of. the French fleet off the Scaw.
At 7 on the 2d she passed an English line-of-battle ship
off the Scaw, steering for the Cattegat. At 6 p.m. ex-
changed colours with the French fleet off the Texel. The
fleet consisted of four line-of-battle ships, three frigates,
and a paddlewheel steamer, steering N.E. by E, with
a light air from S.W. An English schooner yacht was
in company with the fleet.
The Miranda, 15, screw corvette, Captain Lyons, left
Spithead at 1 p.m. on Thursday for the Black Sea,
where she will join the squadron under the command of
Rear-Admiral Sir Edmund Lyons, G.C.B. She was
ordered to return to the Baltic, and was on her way,
when counter orders overtook her in the Channel, and
she went on to Spithead to await despatches from the
Admiralty.
The Portland, 50, Captain Chads, was expected at
Portsmouth last evening from the Channel to discharge
her freight. Her Admiral, it is reported, will rehoist
his flag to pay the ship off.
Port-Admiral Sir John A. Ommanney, K.C.8,, in-
spected the officers and crew of the flag-ship Impreg-
nable, 104, Captain A. Lowe, in Hamoaze, Devonport,
on Thursday, previous to his retirement from the com-
mand at that port.
Yesterday, the Himalaya, scow steam-ship, was sur-
veyed for the purpose of discovering her capabilities in
the conveyance of cavalry. She is reported to be en-
abled to make accommodation for 300 troops, with their
horses, and 20 officers. There is, however, very little
doubt that the Himalaya will be found capable of carry-
ing 50 more of both horses and troops than at present
estimated. The preparations will commence at once,
but nothing definite is known as to the time and place
of her departure. A number of engineers will proceed
to-morrow, in the new screw steam-ship Simla, to join
the fleet in the Baltic.
The Calcutta, 84, teak built ship, which was commis-
sioned at Portsmouth on Wednesday, by Commander
Stephens, for Captain James Stopford, has been brought
alongside the dockyard for fitment. She is to have a
complement of 750, including officers.
The Trinity Board have lately placed a new light ves-
sel off the Warner buoy, Portsmouth, east end of the
Isle of Wight, having one mast and light. It is next to
impossible now (unless a ship be hauled by a lubber) for
any difficulty to be experienced in getting to Spithead
by day or night. The Trinity Board have done a good
thing, whether to the navy or merchant service.
The transport-ship Wilson Kennedy, Captain Simp-
son, with the head-quarters and last troop of the Bth
Hussars, sailed for the Mediterranean on Thursday
morning. Wind south-east.
The transport-ship Harkaway, No. 39, Captain Ste-
vens, with horse artillery from Portsmouth for the Medi-
terranean, entered Plymouth Sound on Thursday after-
noon. In coming down channel she bore up for Torbay,
on entering which she struck on a sunken wreck, and
shortly after the cap of a mast floated up from under her.
The crew state that they could discern through the water
the three masts of a large ship, and it is conjectured that
the wreck is that of the unfortunate Bremen emigrant-
ship Favourite, which was run down off the Start by the
American ship Hesper on Friday, the 28th ult., when
nearly 200 persons were lost. The Harkaway was tele-
graphed at Torbay to come to this port, and she will be
taken to the dockyard for inspection and repair.
The 6th Enniskillen Dragoons have arrived at Exeter
during the present week from Birmingham. A recruiting
party preceded them on Monday, and on Tuesday they
made their entrance into the city in the presence of a
large concourse of the inhabitants. The third an beendast
detachment followed them on Wednesday, having
billeted in various small towns near Exeter. The Ennis-
killens are not expected to remain in Exeter longer than
the present month, as the barracks will then be occupied
by the Ist Devon Regiment of Militia, which will
assemble on the 31st inst. for 28 days' training.
The 11th Hussars have at last received orders to be
ready on Saturday morning for embarkation from Kings-
town. The Glendalough, Captain Howson, which
arrived on Wednesday, together with the Tyrone, the
Asia, the War Cloud, the Panola, and the Paramatta,
has been fitted up for their accommodation, and will
convey the regiment to the seat of war. One of the
officers of the regiment was at Kingstown during Thurs-
day, making arrangements for the embarkation. Lord
Cardigan is still in London.
Captain Jerningha.m, R.N., is busily engaged in
Limerick in enlisting volunteer recruits for the Royal
Naval Coast-guard service. Since he opened the ren-
dezvous on the quays on Friday he enlisted no less a
number than 90, among whom was a large number of
people from the North Strand, well acquainted with
the use of boats, and some of whom were in the navy
before. The Rev. Mr. Moore, parish priont nf St.
Munching, on last Sunday advised such of the fishermen
as could do no better for themselves at home to embrace
the opportunity which was now presented to them of
securing for themselves a competence.

THE ROYAL ALBERT.
Captain Sir Baldwin Walker, K.C.8., surveyor of the
navy, visited Woolwich Dockyard yesterday, for the
purpose . of inspecting the Royal Albert, 131, screw
steam-ship, and the preparations for the launch of that
splendid vessel on Saturday, May 13, at one o'clock.
The Royal Albert was designed by the late Mr. Oliver
Lang, roaster shipwright of the Woolwich Dockyard,
and her keel was laid down on the anniversary of Prince
Albert's birth-day, August 26, 1842. She was origi-
nally constructed for a sailing ship of the line,
when she
and was
proceeded with as such till January, 1852,
was ordered to be altered to a screw ship of the line,
and was in consequence lengthened about 14 feet at the
stern, to give space for the screw propeller. By this
increase of length, the tonnage (builder's measurement)
was increased by about 264 tons.
Her present dimensions and tonnage, &e.., are as

follows :
Length between the perpendiculars 232ft. 9in
Length of keel for tonnage 193 61
Breadth, extreme 6l 0
Breadth for tonnage
Breadth, moulded
Depth in hold
Bnrthen in tons, 3,726 4-94
Engines by John Penn and Son, on their patent trunk
principle, of 500 horse-power.
The carpentery of this magnificent ship differs in
many particulars from the ordinary mode in shipbuilding,
and evidences the great mechanical skill of the master
shipwright by whom she was designed.
On his demise, in 1853, the task of completing the
Royal Albert devolved on the present Master-Shipwright,
Mr. Wm. M'Pherson Rice, in the fulfilment of which
much good taste and ability have been displayed.
The Royal Albert is a very fine specimen of naval ar-
chitecture, and reflects the highest credit on all who have
been engaged in her construction.
The preparations for the accommodation of the Queen,
Prince Albert, and the royal family are on a grand scale,
and the number of the nobility, the members of both
houses of Parliament, and gentry, will be far greater
than was at first anticipated; the seats have consequently
been carried farther back, and will now contain sittings
for 8,000 persons. The seats are so constructed as, to
present a most spacious amphitheatre, and, as each seat
only rises three-and-a-half inches above the one imme-
dine...oly in front of it, the view will be splendid, and un-
interrupted to all who may be present, and the specta-
, tors for a. considerable distance on the south and east
side of the slip, although only standing in the yard, will
have a good view of the launch.
The Black Eagle, Admiralty yacht, Master Com-
mander John E. Petley, will be moored alongside the
wharf wall, adjoining the Queen's Royal booth, for the
accommodation of her Majesty's immediate attendants,
and the other vessels in the ordinary will be made avail-
able for parties desirous of witnessing the launch.
Speculators intend to have the stands from Epsom
put up on the opposite side of the river.