The Sun.
London, England, 1846-06-05 00:00:00

main staysails, main and mizen trysails, housed topgallant
masts, and made all snug, Rattler, was the only one of the
steamers in company, and she keeping her station admirably,
and otherwise doing well.
Lat. in, 47 deg. 52 min. N. ; long., 8 deg. 48 min. W.

No. VI.
MAY 20.
RE3IARKS.

This day has been passed under a close-reefed maintop-
sail, fore and main staysails, main and mizen trysails the
wind W„ blowing from Bto 9, with a heavy sea on. Some
observations were made to day on the motion of the different
ships in heavy weather. The result is that Albion rolled
five times to Trafalgar's once, and rolled her main channels
under, taking the sea in on her quarter-deck ; in short, it
was frightful to look at her. Superb rolled her main-deck
ports in, and filled her ward-room from the officers' cabins.
Vanguard rolled heavily, but net so much as Albion or Rod-
ney. Queen was best of the Symonites. St. Vincent rolled
27 deg. to starboard and 20 min. to port ; was very easy,
but shipped a good deal of water on her lower deck, from the
new fangled way of securing the ports with screws, instead
of the old port-bar and forelock. Rodney behaved well,
and, take her in every respect, is the best two-deck ship
among us. Queen was obliged occasionally to set her reefed
foresail, to prevent her falling off so much to leeward.
Rattler, was the only one of the steamers with us, and
making very good weather.
Lat. m,48 deg. 46 min. N. ; long., 8 deg. 52 min. W.

No. VIL
Mar 21.
REMAIIKS.
The wind to-day has been blowing hard from the N. W.,
and the Superb was early ordered to look out to leeward,
and the Trafalgar to windward, the utmost sail they could
carry being double-reefed topsails, whole courses, fore and
main top-gallant sails, jib and spanker ; the remainder of
the squadron under the same sail as yesterday, with a good
deal of motion for the want of more (sail). The Brilliant
was brought back among us to-day, and repo led having
seen two of the steamers on Tuesday, Rattler being the only
one with us ; the other rive, viz., Terrible, Cyclops, Gla-
diator, Scourge, and Retribution, having come out to have
their ;ailing qualities tested, are to be yet found ere they
undergo that operation.
Lat. in, 48 deg. N. ; long., 9 deg. 48 min. W.

No. VIII.
MAY 22.
REMARKS.

The wind and sea had considerably abated during the past
night, so much so that St. Vincent in the forenoon exercised
firing her middle and lower deck guns from her stern ports ;
the reason why she did not exercise before being owing to
the dangerous illness of one of the men, who is now conva-
lescent. It occupied one hour to remove bulkheads, &c., and
10 rounds from each of the four guns—namely, 2 in ward-
room, and 2 in gun-room—making in all 40 discharges, were
fired in 15 minutes. The effects of the concussion were more
serious than those produced in the other ships, but it may in
some degree be attributed to the loosening of the fastenings
of some of the ornamental fittings of the stern, from the
working of the ship during the last few days, and not alto-
gether from the firing. At it was, however, she lost a great
part of her stern ornaments during the exercise, and her
stern galleries were loosened and suffered proportionally.
Carpenters and joiners were called in to assist in putting mat-
ters in place again, from the other ships of the squadron,
though many articles of glass and coarser material were found
to be beyond repair. In short, this cruise will be a most ex-
pensive one to the Government, and an almost ruinous one
to the officers' messes, by reason of the many breakages.
Gladiator and Scourge rejoined the squadron this evening:,
Cyclops, Retribution, and Terrible being still missing. Too
mach praise cannot be given to Rattler for the way in which she
has kept her station. The weather we have experieneed has
been just such as was wanted to test the steamers' sailing and
other qualities, but their separation from the rest of the
squadron has prevented most effeernally the comparison from
taking place, and it may be a long time now before such
another opportunity offers.
a
Lat. in, 48 deg. 8 min. N. ; long., 9 deg. 8 min. W.
i
453

No. IX.
MAY 23.

REMARKS.

6 The weather to-day has been tolerably fair :no evolutions,
and nothing doing, save that Gladiator took eight hours to
unship her floats, and the ships of the squadron had per-
mission to communicate wiah each other.
MAY 24.
REMARKS.
To-day there has been a nice breeze from the N.E., blowing
3to 3i. In the morning Trafalgar was ordered to look out
to leeward, and Brilliant and Rattler to windward ; the rest
of the squadron in the prescribed order of sailing, in close
order. St. Vincent and Queen equal ; Superb better than
Rodney; and Vanguard and Albion on a par, as far as sailing
went; but the great feat of the day was Rattler beating
Brilliant 2 miles to windward in 4 hours. It really was
painful to see so noble-looking a corvette do so badly. Query
—would either of the other steamers have done half as
much ? Every day proves more and more their inutility
under sail alone.
May 23—Lat. in, 47 deg.4B min. N. ; long. 9 deg. 38 min.W.
May 24—Latin, 47 deg. 47 min. N. ; long., 8 deg. 53 min.W.

NO. X.
MAY 25.
RICMARKS.

To-day the weather has been fine, the water smooth, the
wind from the N.E., blowing about 3. At 9h. 30m. the
squadron exercised at general quarters, firing blank cart-
ridge. As this was done principally to give the newly-
raised men an opportunity of reducing to real practice what
they have been regularly drilled at without firing siace
leaving Portsmouth, there is no room to say a great deal
about it. Better kept-up firing will of course be attained as
soon as the men know tore of the drill ; and perhaps real
firing more frequently with a few number of rounds would
give them more confidence than going through the mere
motions, and at last expend all the powder allowed for
exercise at one great battue. To-day three rounds from
each ship was the prescribed allowance. "Terrible" and
" Cyclops" are still missing.
Lat. in, 40 deg. 10 min. N. ; long., 9 deg. 30 min. W.

co. XI.
Noy 26.
TRIAL •F SAILING 02f A WIND.

At 11h. 85m. A.M., Brilliant, Superb, and Rattler started
on port tack, the wind N.E. Sail carried, single-reefed top-
sails, royals, and flying jib ; with a slight swell from the
northward, and the force of the wind from 4 to 41,4.

Ships' Names
Brilliant
Superb
Rattler

RESULT.

Superb.
103

Rattler.
199
196

REMAJI. Ks.
This trial terminated very differently from what had been
expected, and every one is at a loss in what way to account
for it. Brilliant appeared to move without life, even her sails
required to be setby signal from the Commodore, and yet by
diagram and by eye she held the first place ; Rattler, Scourge,
and Gladiator, the only steamers in company; the rest of the
squadron in the prescribed order of sailing under double-
reefed topsails and topgallantsails, St. Vincent maintaining a
slight advantage over Queen.
Lat. in, 48 deg. 30 min. N. ; long. 10 deg. 13 min. W.

No. XII.
MAY 27.

Last night, at 11 o'clock, the unusual sound of " Lash up
hammocks," followed by beating to quarters, was heard, and
the night signal to engage was hoisted at the mizen. Ham-
mocks were up and stowed; stools, tables, kc., cleared away,
and the first gun fired in ten minutes. The time which
elapsed between making the signal and firing the first gun
was nearly as follows :—Number of rounds fired—three.
Time signal was made being at 11 P.M.
h. m. sec. h. m. sec.
Queen, Ist gun at ... 11 5 00 ceased firing 11 20 00
Vanguard, ditto ... 11 530 ditto ... 11 17 30
Rattler, ditto ... 11 6 20 ditto
Superb, ditto ... 11 6 30 ditto
Rodney, ditto ... 11 6 40 ditto
Brilliant, ditto ... 11. 6 50 ditto
Albion, ditto ... 11 7 00 ditto
Trafalgar, ditto ... 11 7 30 ditto
St. Vincent, ditto ... 11 10 00 ditto
Gladiator, ditto ... 11 10 30 ditto
Scourge, ditto ... 11 12 00 ditto

at about
h. in.
11 29

RE3IARKS

It is difficult to state precisely the time of finishing, but
the above will be found not very wide of the truth. The
particulars relative to St. Vincent were as follows :—At 1111.
hammocks were piped up; in six minutes they were stowed,
and the men at the upper deck quarters covering them. At
11b. 10m. the firing became general on the main and middle
decks; at 1111. 17m. the guns on all the decks, except those
in the cabins, ward-room, and gun-room) were in full play.
At 11h. 27m. firing ceased, three rounds having been ex-
pended. At 11h. 50m. lower deck tables and stools having
been replaced, the magazines secured, and decks swept,
hammocks were piped down, and at 12 the watch was called.
The effect was very pretty, the night fine, a little swell from
_ .

_ _....
--
the northward, and force of wind- 3, The squadron was in
the prescribed order of sailing, under double reefed-topsails,
foresail, roaintrygail, and spanker. No accident is reported,
and, often altogether, it must be considered a very creditable
performance. The Vanguard's firing wai the best su,tained.
Trafalgar fired a running broadside admirably. Brilliant
fired a broadside which told well, and the heavy guns of the
steamers produced an involuntary shudder, as their deep re-
port came booming along.
To-day has been passed very pleasantly;. two of the weresqua-
dron
sent to look out, theone
i n
to windward, the ether
ickiu up the stray
theg
spot fixed on
'
to leeward, but have not succeed
sheep. We are crossing and re-crossing
for our rendezvous, but Cyclops, Retribation, and Terrible
are no where to be found.
Lat. in, 48 deg. 24 min. N. ; long. 9 deg. 18 min. W.

No. XIII.

TRIAL OT MAY 28.
%AMMO ON A WIND. At 8h: 30m. A. 141., Quee n and Albion started on port tack.
Sail carried, whole topsails, royals, and flying jib. Force of
wind 3, from E.N.E. to E. by N. N., with a slight confused
swell. St. Vincent and rest of squadro nander single reefed
topsails and topgallantsails, with jib spluiker. The
steamers under the same sail.

RESULT.
Albion boat Queen 1,783 fathoms,
ARKS or mile.
REM.

The trial excited but little interest in those who had w •
nessed the performances of these two ships on former oca
sions. Albion, with a deck less than Queen, and cone_:
quently with less top hamper, and having a greater spread
of canvass, ought at least to prove herself the better sailer.
Rodney and Superb had a sort of trial on a S. by E, course,
in which Rodney had an apparent advantage, for i t can be
only apparent when judged of at a distance of 6 or 7 miles.
The object was more as a look-out than anything else. yet,
after all the exertions made by the Commodore to find Re-
tribution, Cyclops, and Terrible, they will not appear.
Lat. at noon, 48 deg. 34 min. N. ; long., 9 deg. 36 min. W.

COVE OF CORK, Ma' 31.
The Gladiator steam- frigate, Captain Robb, arrived
here this morning at daylight from the squadron of evo-
lution, which she left on the evening of the 29th, about
230 miles to the S.W. of this place. The squadron had
experienced all the effects of the late gale, in which the
Retribution parted company. The only steam-frigate
that remained with the squadron was the Gladiator, and
the Rattler and Scourge steam-sloops. On the night of
the 15th, the Cyclops, Terrible, and Brilliant parted
company with the squadron, and the Retribution
on the night of the 17th, in the gale of wind. The
Scourge and Gladiator also parted company, but, '
on the same night, with the Brilliant, rejoined and kept
company with the squadroa when the Gladiator left.
The larger part of the steam squadron having parted
company, there were few steam evolutions; indeed,
when the Gladiator joined, she had the signal made to
take off her paddle-floats, as she is unable to disconnect
her engine, and being obliged to drag the floats through
the water, not only strains the engine a great deal, but
requires a greater quantity, of sail to be carried. Both