The Sun.
London, England, 1846-11-09 00:00:00

NAVAL INTELLIGENCE.

PORTSMOUTH, Nov. 6.—An order is down from the
Admiralty for the reduction of the complements of all
men-of-war, taking fifty men from first rates, and from
thereo enable
appears
toe Board a radh tou as commission m
muchm si s ion
reason
all others in proportion to their class; and also taking
t
away one lieutenant from each ship. It is said this
ships,
measure is
that idea as in the showman's, who commenced his ex-
hibition by saying, he'd " put out the candles to show
more light."
Her Majesty is expected to revisit Osborne early next
week. The Fairy is being got ready to convey the royal
party over. She tried her engines to-day.
Orders have been given this morning to repair the
defects of the Resistance, and get her ready for the con-
veyance of troops with all possible dispatch. It is un-
derstood that on her being paid off; 'Commander Gower
Lowe, of the Crocodile, will recommission her, and that
his officers and crew will be turned over to her, that
vessel being reported as unfit for any service, but that of
a hulk or coal depta. It is a pity, in these circumstances,
that her refit should have been allowed to proceed, as
much expense has been incurred which might as well
have been spared.
The Scourge steam bomb-vessel, Commander James
C. Coffin, went to Spithead this morning, and remains
ready for immediate service, if required.
Nu orders have yet been received for launching the
Dauntless steam-frigate. She is cradled, and can be
prepared for launching in a few hours, but it cannot take
place now for nearly a fortnight, on account of the tides.
The other steam-frigate (the Arrogant) is also in a very
forward state.

Thirty-seven blue jackets were draughted yesterday
from the Victory and sent on board the Sphynx steam-
sloop, Commander J. B. Cragg, for passage to join Vice-
Admiral Sir W. Parker's squadron. The Victory is,
in consequence of the frequent draughts lately made
upon her, getting very short of hands, nearly all the dis-
posable men and boys having been sent away.
An order has been received here from the Admiralty
to superannuate all the' dockyard riggers of 60 years and
upwards, and all such men as are incapable from infirmity
of service at sea. (If this rule were generally ap-
plied, we wonder where the Admiral Superintendent
would be.)
The Vengeance, 84, Captain Lushington, is very fast
progressing in her fitting, and will be ready to leave the
basin next week. Seamen are rather scarce.

George M. Balfour (1843), at present in the Hibernia,
100, flag-ship in the Mediterranean, is promoted to the
rank of Lieutenant.

The Birkenhead steam-sloop, of 1,400 tons and 500
horse power, built by Laird, of Glasgow, is commis-
sioned at Sheerness, by the appointment of Commander
A. H. Ingram, 1841, who was Lieutenant of the Blonde,
42, in the operations at Canton.
The Medea steam-sloop, of 835 tons and 220 horse
power, built in 1838 by Lang, is commissioned at Wool-
wich by the appointment of Commander G. E. W. Ha-
mond (1843), si ho was midshipman of the Blonde at the
taking of
RosamondM or ea
Eclair)B2B).
steam-sloop, of 1,050
ton; and 286 horse power, built in 1844 by the Sur-
veyor of the Navy, is commissioned at Sheerness by
Commander John Foote (1845), late 'lieutenant of the
Dublin, 50.
The Albatross, 16, recently from the coast of Africa,
is commissioned at Chatham by Commander A. The
Far-
quhar (1844), who was mate of the Princess Charlotte
at St. Jean &Acre.
The appointments of the above officers appeared in The
Sun of yesterday.
The Salamander steam-sloop, Commander A. S. Ha-
mond, arrived at Valparaiso from Otaheite, en route to
England, to be paid off, on the 17th of August.
The Talbot, 26, Captain Sir T. Thompson, Bart., ar-
rived at Valparaiso from St. Blas on the 24th of August.
The Sampson steam- frigate, Captain Henderson, sailed
from Valparaiso for Coquimbo on the 25th of August.
We are happy to state a subscription is set on foot in
the endeavour to raise some respectable sum for the
relief of the family of the late Lieutenant W. P, Green,
whose hard case appeared in The Sun of yesterday.
Everything remains in stutu quo on borrd the St. Vin-
cent, 120, Captain Milne.. She is all ready for bending
sails, and leaving the harbour at a day's notice, if re-
quired.
The Rattlesnake surveying ship, Captain Owen Stanley,
is painting, and in a state of great forwardness.
The Naiad coal depot, Master Commanding W. L.
Brown, is rigging with great dispatch. Her topsail
yards are crossed, lower yards across the bulwark, top-
gallant masts pointed, and rigging ratlined down.
The Penelope steam-frigate, Captain Giffard, does not
make much show yet. Men are very scarce; and as she
is being rigged alongside her hulk, there is not the
facility for getting the requisite materiel that there is
alongside the jetty, or in the basin.
In the Harbour—St. Vincent, Vietory, Excellent,
Victoria and Albert, Rattlesnake, and Resistance; Pene-
lope, Sphynx, Myrtle, and Echo, steam-vessels.
In the Basin—Vengeance, Naiad, Fairy, and Amphi-
trite. _ _ _

In Dock—Ajax, Ediaburgh, Prince Regent, Leander,
Crocodile, Champion, and Serpent.
At Spithead—Scourge.

" COVE OF CORK, Nov. 3.—The Myrmidon, steam
vessel, Lieutenant Commander Jenkin, still carries the
flag of Rear-Admiral Sir Hugh Piga, Commander-in-
Chief. The Dee steam-vessel, Master Commander
Driver, is taking on board 1,500 bags of bread for
Valentia, whither she will go when she has completed
with these provisions. The Rhadamanthus steam-
vessel, Lit utenant-Ccmmander A3l( n, and the Comet
steam. sloop, Lieutenant-Commander Johnston, are in
harbour, awaiting orders and cargo. The latter has
been put upon the war establishment, a corporal and
seven additional marines have been added to her com-
plement, which also was strengthened before she left
Portsmouth. The Blazer steam-vessel, Captain Wash-
ington, and the Acheron steam-sloop, Lieutenant-Com-
mander Dunlop, have left; the former for Ilintry Bay,
with marines, and the latter for Galway, with marines
and pn visions.''
CHATHAM, Nov. 6.—The Gloucester, 50 guns, was
put out of the first dock into ordinary on the sth inst.
The Elk, a new 12-gun brig, will be built in the same
dock immediately, as she must be completed in the pre-
sent financial year.
The Warspite, 50 guns, fitting in dock foe com-
mission, will be ready fur the pendant by the end of this

month.
The Albatross, 16 guns, fitting for sea, has got
her lower rigging over the masts' heads, and will be
ready for the pendant by the middle of this month.
The Rochester, Sedgwick master, arrived yesterday
with stores from Plymouth and Portsmouth yards.
The Duck, Savage master, arrived on the 4th instant,
with stores from Deptford and Woolwich yards.
The Gun hoy, from Woolwich, arrived on Wednes-
day, the 4th inst., with guns and stores, and is reloading
with guns for Woolwich. She conveys on board 44
guns (32-pounders, 9 feet, 45 cwt.); and 7 guns (32
pounders, 8 feet, 41 cwt.) She sails to-morrow from
the Gun-wharf.
The Marlborough hoy is loaded with guns and un-
serviceable arms and accoutrements, recently brought
home by the lielleisle troop ship from Quebec and
Montreal, for the Tower.
Professor Moseley paid his first annual visit to the
Apprentices'-school in Chatham-yard on the 4th inst.,
and commenced with the examination of the apprentices,
of which number there are 141 in the school. The Pro-
fessor will close his examination to-morrow.

Sir William Burnett, Physician-General of the Navy,
arrived on the 4th inst., on his annual inspection of
Melville Hospital, and the dockyard surgery, &c.
Two clerks have been sent from the Admiralty to
assist in taking a general survey of the stores of this
dockyard, consequent on the appointment of Mr. Miller,
as storekeeper of the yard.
In harbour is the Mutine, 12 guns, Commander R.
Tryon ; she will be out of the hands of the dockyard on
Monday next. No day is yet fixed for her leaving the port.
The Wildfire steam-vessel arrived from Sheerness last
evening, and landed at the Sun-pier Colonel Fox, the
Surveyor-General of the Ordnance, and Sir T. Hastings,
storekeeper at the Tower. The vessel returned to Sheer-
ness this morning.
WOOLWICH, NOV. 6.—The Rosamond steam-vessel
was commissioned yesterday at Woolwich, by Com-
mander John Foote (1845), and when ready for sea will
proceed to the Mediterranean for service on that station.
The Geyser steam-vessel• was commissioned yesterday
at Woolwich, by Commander Graham E. W. Hammond
(1843).
The Medea steam-vesse', Commander Francis T.
Brown, who commissioned her on Monday last, was tried
down the river to-day, and gave great satisfaction.
Captain Crawford, Captain Wellesley, Captain Pleydell
Bouverie, and Lieut. Lysaght, R.N., at present studying
steam at the factory in the Woolwich Dockyard, and
Mr. Murray, chief engineer of Portsmouth Dockyard,
were on board to witness the working of the engines, and
the vessel was in charge of Lieut. Laurie, of the Sidon
steam-frigate, with Master Commander Petley, of the
Lightning steam-vessel. The vessel did not leave her
moorings opposite the dockyard until nearly one o'clock
P.M., but she then proceeded down the river with great
speed, her engines working remarkably smooth, and
during the whole of her experimental trip they had
not the least appearance of heating in any part.
The Medea was built from a design by Mr. Oliver
Lang, master shipwright of Woolwich Dockyard,
and served with great credit under Commander,
now Captain Austin, C. 8., on the Mediter-
ranean station. She possesses great breadth of beam,
and is a most commodious vessel of her class. Her en-
gines were originally of 220 horse power, on the beam
principle, and constructed by Messrs. Maudslay, Field,
and Sons. These engines have been removed, and two
new enginos of 350 horse power have been substituted,
on the double cylinder principle, by the same engineers.
to attain the desideratum in speed now expected in steam
vessels belonging to the Royal Navy. The present en-
gines, although 130 horse power greater than the for-
mer, are only of the same weight of metal, and occupy
12 feet less space, which affords ample room for the en-
gineers and stokers to work them to the greatest advan-
tage and comfort of all employed in connexion with
them. On arriving at the measured mile in Long Reach,
the speed of the yes: el was ascertained to be, on the
average with and against the tide, 10.99 knots per hour;
the time occupied in accomplishing the mile against
the tide being 6 minutes 45 seconds, and with the tide
4 minutes and 35 seconds. The measured mile was
run twice up and twice down, and tae
result was al-
most precisely the same. The engines have a stroke
of 5 feet 3 inches, and acquired twenty-nine revolu-
tions per minute. The
stokers have an excellent friend
attached to their boilers in the form of a smail engine
having a power of 10 men, which is set in motion by the
waste steam, on the engines being stopped, to supply the
boilers with water by pumping, which it dies most
effectually. The Medea, on her return to Woolwich,
kept abreast of the Railway steamer, one of the fast
boats to Gravesend, and was only distanced by the latter
being of light draught and taking the shortest course
of the river. The Medea had 215 tons of coals on board,