The Sun.
London, England, 1840-11-14 00:00:00

EVEN]

NG PDITiON).
ROYAL NAVY.

The Lords Commissioners of the Admirahy, havieg
reason to believe that in several instancts young gen-
tlemen have been received into the service With therat-
ing of clerk's assistants, although in many cases they
have never performed the duties of the class into which
they were ostensibly admitted and paid, thereby de-
feating the object of training up resprct able young men
for the service as clerks and for which rating as clerk's
assistants was established,

Their Lordships, therefore, call the attention of the
captains and commanding officers of her Majesty's ships
and vessels to the seventh article of the printed instruc-
tions, and are pleased to direct that henceforth no por-
tion of the time served as alerk's assistants shall he al-
lowed towards the qualifications of servitude for the
rating of midshipmen or masters' assi Aunts.
Their Lordships having received information that it
is the custom in some ships to employ the Masters'
As-
sistants entirely in the charge of the deck and hold,
thereby depriving them of the opportunity of acquiring
that knowledge of practical seamanship and acquaint-
ance with the coasts and harbours on the different sta-
tions so essentially necessary to quality them for the im-
portant duties of Masters in her Majesty's Navy, for
which they are intended ; and it is their Lordships' di-
rection that this very objectionable practice be imme-
diately discontiLued, and that every facility be afforded
both to Second Musters, and to Masters' Assistants, to
enable them to improve themselves as much as possible
in the several branches of seamanship, navigation, and
pilotage.
_ _ •

The Trafalgar, 120 guns, building in the Woolwich
dockyard, is progressing rapidly, but it will be some
time before she can be launched. Orders have been
issued to lengthen the ways into the river, to faciaate
the launching of this splendid vessel. The new dry
dock intended for her reception is proceeding fifth the
greatest despatch. At the four corners of every stone,
of which the bottom is composed, and they are from
three feet six inches to four feet deep, groves have been
made, and pieces of the finest quality of slate, about
five inches square, and one foot in length, have been in-
serted with cement, which gives it a beautiful appear-
ance, and renders it so strong that springs or any
other internal cause will have no effect in moving one
stone without moving the whole,
_rendering this dock
the safest and best in the kingdom.
Fourteen large guns, 68-pounders, have been labelled
this week for Chatham, and the greatest activity pre-
vails in every department of the Royal Arsenal. It is
probable a number of additional horses will be employed
with artillery drivers, those presently employed being
insufficient for the quantity of work in progress.
The Abercrombie Robinson, No. I transport, did
not sail on Tuesday afternoon, although under orders to
that effect. The delay took place in consequence of
the detachment of the 79th Regiment only arriving on
Wednesday. She sailed, however, yesterday, and passed
Woolwich, towed by two hired steamers, about half-past
three o'clock in the afternoon. The spectacle presented
on this occasion was magnificent ; the officers stanuing
on the deck above the poop, and the whole of the men
on the maindeek, dressed in duck j-icketa and tromers,
which they arc all under the necessity of procuring by
a recent general order, rendered their appearance very
animated. As they passed they gave three hearty
cheers, having formerly been stationed in the garrison,
the band playing during the whole time " The girl i left
behind me."