The Sun.
London, England, 1853-09-26 00:00:00

THE CHANNEL FLEET.

QUEENSTOWN, SEPT. 24.
A court-martial was held on board the Queen, 116,
Captain Mitchell, at Queenstown, on Thursday (Rear-
Admiral Corry, president), to try Kilbury, seamen's
schoolmaster of the Duke of Wellington, on the charge
of having struck Commander Preedy, of that ship, on
the head with a book while at Spithead a month or so
since, as reported by us at the time. The prisoner ad-
mitted his guilt, and the charge was of course declared
fully proved. He was sentenced to imprisonment in a
felon's gaol for two years. The martial law empowered
the Court to hang him forthwith at the yardarm.
Among the on Bits in circulation in the Queenstown
fleet is one that the commanders of two of the largest
screw-ships of the force are likely to leave their ships,
owing to not being over-comfortable with their captains.
One of the said ships has had two commanders pre-
viously.
The St. Jean d'Acre, 101, Captain the Hon. H. Kep-
pel, arrived at Queenstown on Thursday, and joined the
fleet. She is a truly perfect ship, and most ably handled.
The fleet are all making good defects, painting, &c.
The ball in aid of the Sailor's Home at this port (Queens-
town) takes place on Wednesday next, when, from the
number of naval officers and others who will patronize
it, it is expected a large addition will be made to the
funds of the institution.
In the late cruises of the fleet, comprisintrihe time of
their departure from Spithead to their arrival at
Queenstown, the Prince Regent, 90 (Admiral Corry's
flag-ship), and the paddle-steamer Leopard, 16, have
proved themselves the smartest of the sailing division, in
which the Queen, 116, has not improved in any visible
respect since the last trial of an experimental squadron.
The Agamemnon, screw, 91, was distanced 570 fathoms
dead to windward on a trial with the Ininerieuse, screw,
51, and Tribune, 30, on the 14th inst., in a fresh breeze
with much sea, ships on the port tack, under double-
reefed topsails and topgallant sails. The trial lasted two
hours. The Tribune distanced the Imperieuse about 50
fathoms in the same trial, thus showing a superiority in
point of sailing qualities over those flowers of the fleet,
the Agamemnon and Imperieuse. In this trial the fid
of the foretopmast" of the latter broke, which it was
thought had wrung the head of the foremast, but on
examination, subsequently, in Queenstown harbour, it
was discovered sound. The Amphion sails very well for
a screw-vessel, but cannot steam over 53/4 knots, even at
full speed. The Valorous paddle-steamer sails very fast.
The Highflyer (screw) seems to have lost all her former
sailing qualities, which distinguished her under Cap-
tains Matson and Heathcote ; she was far astern in
all the trials of rate of sailing. Both squadrons were
well exercised at sea in every manoeuvre of sea-
The
cruise is considered to have been good on the whole for
manship, gunnery, steaming, night-quarters, &c.
exercising the young ships' companies, and they had
enough of exercise to keep them well in practice with-
out distressing either man or officer. The stations were
on the whole well kept, and the value of sailing in line-
of-battle and order of sailing, to the young officer, need
not be expiated upon.

PLYMOUTH, SEPT. 24.
The Madagascar frigate was commissioned on Wed-
nesday, by Lieutenant J. N. Harward. She is to re-
lieve the Crescent receiving-ship at Rio Janeiro.
The Cyclops steam-frigate, in charge of Mr. Pope,
sailed on Thursday for Portsmouth and Sheerness.
The Avon steam-tender, Second Master A. Veitch,
sailed to-day with seamen and marines for Queenstown.
It is stated that the honour of practically opening the
new and important works at Keyham will be accorded
her Majesty a ship Queen, 116, Captain Mitchell. She
laid many months inside the breakwater before joining
the fleet, and is now hourly expected. After her copper
has been cleaned in one of the new docks she will pro-
ceed to the Mediterranean.
The Valorous, 16, steam-frigate, Captain C. M. H.
Buckle, having been struck by a sea, is ordered here for
repairs.
SUNDAY EVENING.
It is reported that the St. Jean d'Acre, 100, screw-
ship, Captain the Hon. Henry Keppel, has received
orders by the Black Eagle to proceed to the Mediterra-
nean. Letters from her, dated Thursday, state that she
was to cruise off and on outside Queenstown on Friday,
and enter the port on Saturday,
The Leander, 50, Captain G. St. Vincent King, has
had the blue peter up all day. Her original orders were
to leave the Sound to-morrow for the Mediterranean.
The crew were paid last Monday, and many of them
are absent on leave.
There has been a strong gale from the north-west all
day, and it is now, 8 p.m., increasing.

SHEERNESS, SEPT. 24.
The Dolphin, 3, brigantine, Lieutenant-Commander
Webber, has had her compasses adjusted at the swinging
buoy, and has proceeded to the Nore to take in her
by C ommodore the
Hon. Montagu Stopford,
powder and shells. She has been inspected, and her
officers and crew mustered int comma nd of the Waterloo,
120 guns.
The Mariner, William A. W.alker, commander, from
Sierra Leone, laden with African teak timber for her
Majesty's dockyard, has been taken into the fitting basin
to facilitate her discharge. Mr. Walker reports that
the Mariner has been out 78 days, that on the 9th July
last John Anderson, an able seaman, ded
25, 3 pan.
onboardfrom
general debility, after the African fever ; and that on
the 7th of August. Peter Carr, the boatswain, died from
the same cause. John Anderson was a native of Sweden,
and Peter Carr was a native of Falmouth, in Cornwall.
SEPT.i
It has blown a very hard gale from the south-west,
with the barometer at 28 deg.
.59 sec., and rapidly fall-
ing. The ships in commission in port are just striking
topgallantinasts, and housing their topsail yards. There
is every indication of a very heavy gale. At intervals
the sun is very powerful.
The President, 50-gun frigate, bearing the flag of
Rear-Admiral of the White,David Price, has taken in
moorings off Folly Point, abreast of Gillingham, and
will in a few days be towed down here to complete her
armament. Her gallant and much respected admiral
nto dock in a few days stripped from her
(formerly captain-superintendent of this yard) arrived
here on Thursday last.
The Cleopatra, 26, Captain Thomas L. Massie, at
Chatham, is to be paid off on Wednesday next.
jury The Malacca,
ala,ccszacs.t,eaamnd-slwooiu go i
p is being
for some further improvement to her machinery. She
does her builder high credit.