The Sun.
London, England, 1847-04-03 00:00:00

NATAL INTELLIGENCE.

PORTSMOUTH, FRIDAY.—The late hour at which the
Lords of the Admiralty returned to Spithead last
evening precluded us front giving any report of their
cruise, which, being interesting, and as regards the real
merits of the Sidon stea'n-frigate important, we now
subjoin.
The Sidon left Spithead at half-past nine o'clock, pro-
ceeding towards Cowes ; the Undine, with Admiral
Sir C. Ogle on board, keeping at some distance astern.
When off Yarmouth the Undine was estimated to be
about a quarter of a mire astern, and then the signal
was made to her from the Sidon to " close," and in
17 minutes the Undine was abreast of the frigate, and
displayed on a chalked board that she was going
at the rate of 12 knots, the Sidon, at the same time,
going 11.
After this trial their Lordships ordered signal to be
made to the Undine to "go 10," and during a ran of
some considerable time and distance the Sidon passed
her, obviously at the rate of the additioeal knot which
her (Sidon's) log at that time indicated-11 knots being
the Sidon's rate of speed at the time.
During an experiment, in passing Freshwater, when
the Undine was proceeding at her greatest speed, she
telegraphed to the frigate she was going 13.5 knots.
The weather being fine at half-past eleven, the Sidon
rounded the Needles, and made for St. Katherine's, the
Undine in company, under steam alone, with a fresh
head-wind. During the progress towards that point,
the Lords of the Admiralty wont below and inspected
the engine-rooms and machinery, and descended into
the stoke-holes, and particularly noted the position of
the coal-tanks, which Sir Charles Napier pointed out to
them, explaining that when the coals in them were
expended they could be filled with water, and thereby
prevent a variable immerision of the ship, the apertures
from which the coals were being taken being hermeti-
cally closed when they become simple water-tanks.
These tanks are calculated to contain about 320 tons of
water. Their Lordships' attention was also drawn
while in the stoke-holes to Houldsworth's water bulk-
heads. Sir Charles Napier also drew the attention of ,
the board to the escapes with which his vessel is fitted,
being rooms leading from the stoke-holes, into which
the stokers can rush in the event of a shot unexpectedly
tapping the boilers, and letting out the water and steam.
These escape rooms being closed by iron-plate doors
would afFord the safety calculated upon in the event of
such an awful emergency as that thought of arising ;
they lead up to the mess-deck, and are quite shut off
from the possibility of being choked by steam or water.
After this inspection by their Lordships below they
went on deck, and Captain George Smith's paddle-box
boats were ordered to be got out ; in a moment, or little
more, the port boat was raised and ready to be passed
over the ship's side for use, the davits by which it was
suspended being on the plan of Mr. Barr, Inspector of
Shipwrights of Woolwich Dockyard.
As the wind promised to be favourable for setting sails
on rounding St. Katharine's Point, which the vessel was
now fast approaching, their Lordships were entertained
by seeing the foremost funnel and steam-pipe lowered,
telescopewise, through the decks, a manoeuvre exclusively
confined to the Sidon, which highly gratified Admiral
Sir John West, Commander-in• Chief, and Rear-Admiral
Superintendent Sir John Louis, at Plymouth, on Tues-
day, so as to admit of setting the foresail, if desirable.
in an exceedingly short space of time the tunnel was
shrunk within its shell altogether out of sight, and was
raised again to its original position. During this expe-
riment the steam was blown off and the dampers closed,
so that no inconvenience was felt on deck in consequence
of the fires being under the boilers.
It was while these experiments were going on in the
Sidon that the Undine had nearly met with a fearful
accident, having got under the bows of the frigate, and
was as near as anything ever witnessed on the water of
being run over and sunk ; by the good management of
both vessels, however, so lamentable a catastrophe was
averted.

Having fairly rounded St. Katharine's, and the wind
being favourable, all plain sail was set on the frigate,
which after some time was hauled close to the wind on
the starboard tack, and tacked ; after remaining about
five minutes on the port tack the Sidon bore up, took in
sail, and continued towards Spithead under steam, and
made the easternmost part of the anchorage at five
o'clock P.m. ; having gone round the Isle of Wight, in-
chiding five stoppages, in seven hours and a half ; the
patent log showing a distance run of 71.6 knots.
Their Lordships being desirous of arriving in town
last evening, left the Sidon (after expressing their un-
qualified approbation of her sea-going efficiency, both to
Sir C. Napier and:Captain Henderson)lon her anchoring,
and re-embarked in the Undine, under a salute of 19
guns from the frigate, and made all haste for this har-
bour, at the mouth of which, however, the Undine was
stopped to take in dispatches which had come down from
the First Lord, and this necessarily delayed them, so
that they were nearly losing the 5.30 train. Their Lord-
ships, however (except Vice-Admiral Sir Charles Adam
and Rear-Admiral Dundas, who remained to dine with
Vice-Admiral Warren, at Southsea), got into their
barge when abreast of the convict hulks, and were
steered for the Common-hard at Gosport, which, how-
ever, they could not make on account of their barge
being so heavily freighted and drawing so much water ;
the result was that their Lordships stuck in the mud,
about a couple of feet deep, at a distance of 50 yards
from the usual landing-place, at low-water time, and
were unable to extricate their boat from its embedded
position. Never was mishap so unlucky and ill-timed—
never the rulers of the waves in so " peculiarly perplex-
ing a predicament." Unfortunately their Lordships had
their flag struck in the Undine some time before making
the harbour, in order to leave her progress unimpeded,
so that the vulgar herd who stood gazing at the gentle-
men in the boat knew not exactly who they were thus
cast upon their shore, or quicker assistance might have
been afforded ; nor was the gallant hero of Acre with
them, or they might have had a second edition of
storming on the back of a sailor. As engines, unlike
coaches, are not to be stopped by putting up the finger,
their Lordships' ludicrous position was: greatly height-
ened by their manifest anxiety to get out of their scrape,
which at length they managed to do after undergoing
the jeers and jokes, many of them not very refined, of the
crowd of watermen, fly-drivers, and other lookers-on for
some time, and "pressed" into their service the first fly
they came to, into which they all got, the messenger
riding outside, and were dragged off at a Gosport pace
to the station, where the belated Lords arrived just in
time to get into the train before the engine was set in
motion. We are informed that a subscription was set
on foot among the watermen and others immediately
after the fly drove off to raise funds for erecting a land-
mark to denote the spot where the Admiralty barge
struck, as a warning to future Lords in a hurry.
The Sidon came into harbour this morning to complete
coals to 700 tons. She will proceed next week to rein-
force the squadron under Sir W. Parker, off Lisbon.
In consequence of the hurried departure of the Admi-
ralty yesterday their Lordships forgot to leave orders
about the disposal of the Cygnet, Commander Somerville,
whose arrival from the coast of Africa we noticed on
Thursday. It is expected she will he sent to the east-
ward to be paid off.
In Harbour—The Victory, Excellent, Talbot, Odin,
Avenger, Fairy, Undine, and Myrtle, and the Rochester
lighter.
In Dock—The St. Vincent, Prince Regent, Ajax,
Leander, Champion, and Serpent.
In the Basin—Victoria and Albert, Retribution, and
Kestrel.
On the Slips—Royal Frederick, 110; Princess Royal,
90; and Arrogant, 46.
At Spithead—The Cygnet.—Times.

EXPERIMENTAL TRIP OF SIR C. NAPIER'S
STEAM-FRIGATE SIDON.
(From the Deuonport Independent.)
This splendid war steamer, commanded by Captain
W. 11. Henderson, C. 8., having on hoard her gallant
constructor, Rear-Admiral Sir Charles Napier, K.C.8.,
anchored inside the Breakwater in the Sound, on Tues-
day morning last, and was visited during the day by the
Commander-in-Chief, Admiral Sir John West, K.C.8.,
Rear-Admiral Sir John Louis, Bart., Captain Sir Henry
Leeke, K.H., of her Majesiy's ship Queen, and several
other naval and civil officers, who appeared much pleased
with her internal arrangements, machinery, accommo-
dation, and equipments. She left Spithead at half-past
twelve on Sunday morning, came to anchor at a place
known as " Jack in the Basket," off Lymington, Hants,
at half-past four, where she remained all night.
Weighed anchor on Monday morning at four o'clock,
and proceeded on her experimental cruise. Put into
Dartmouth harbour at ten minutes past six on Monday
evening. On Tuesday morning, at half-past three,
Captain Henderson sent orders to Mr. Ward, chief
engineer, to get ready to proceed, and in half an hour
the steam was up, and the Sidon under weigh, notwith-
standing no intimation whatever had been previously
given of her being about to start so early ; she
reached this port, and was safely anchored in the Sound,
at 15 minutes before nine o'clock on Tuesday morning.
Her average speed from Spithead to this port was 10i
knots, draft of water 17 feet 3 inches abaft, and 17 feet 1
inch forward, having 590 tons of coal on board in coal
boxes and tanks on Sir Charles Napier's plan. We be-
lieve she is the only war-steamer that can stow her full
complement of coal, provisions, water, ammunition, guns,
and stores for three months, for a complement of 320.
Her average consumption of coals is 35 tons per day ;
her engines, from the manufactory of Messrs. Seaward
and Co., are of 560-horse power. Since the alterations
have been made in her starting gear, she answers admi-
rably, and may be fairly considered the most efficient
war• steamer in her Majesty's service. We understand
that with the exception of the Terrible no other steamer
carries her main deck guns. Her accommodation for
officers and men is complete in every respect, and taken
altogether, as a fine specimen of naval architecture, she
must prove not only satisfactory to her gallant con•
structor, but to the country generally. We were much
pleased with the beautiful order of the engines and
machinery, reflecting the greatest credit on Mr. Ward,
the chief engineer ; and here we have to express our
satisfaction at finding that he has received his commis-
sion, ranks with the master, and consequently is a ward-
room officer, with pay increased from 131. Bs. to 201. per
month. Mr. Ward is the only chief engineer that has
received his commission, and deserves this mark of pre-
cedence from the Admiralty from having zealously
served throughout the China war in the Vixen. As the
first public journal that gave its humble advocacy to
granting the naval engineers such a standing in the
service as their onerous and responsible duties merited,
we cannot but feel delight at finding the Admiralty alive
to the subject, and we doubt not commissions will
very
e
soon be given to the most talented chief engineers in our
war steamers at home and abroad. Soon after six on
Tuesday evening the Sidon got under weigh, and passed
round the east end of the Breakwater in good style, on
her return to Portsmouth. Looking at the high profes-
sional reputation of Captain Henderson, the experience
and talent of the chief engineer, and the presence and
judgment of her distinguished constructor, we are bound
to say that their Lordships of the Admiralty have shown
a determination to give the Sidon at all events a fair