The Sun.
London, England, 1870-12-08 00:00:00

SHIPS FOR THE NAVY.

The following vessels are now under construction at the
various places named, for her Majesty's navy :—Arrow, 1,
double screw iron gunboat, 245 tons, and 28 horse powers
building by Messrs. Rennie, at Greenwich ;
Blazer, 1, double-screw iron gunboat, 245
tons, 28-horse power, at Portsmouth ; Blonde/
27, iron screw frigate, cased with wood, 4,039 tons►
1,000-horse power, at Portsmouth ; Bloodhound, 1, double-
screw iron gunboat, 245 tons, 28 horse power, by Messrs.
Mitchell, at Newcastle-on-Tyne ; Bonetta, 1, double-
screw iron gunboat, 245 tons, 28-horse power, by Messrs•
Rennie, at Greenwich ; Bustard, 1, double screw non
gunboat, 245 tons, 28-horse power, by Messrs. Napier
and Sons, Glasgow ; Comet, 1, double screw iron gun-
boat, 245 tons, 28-horse power, at Portsmouth ; Coquette,
4, screw composite gunboat, 295 tons, 60-horse power, et
Pembroke ; Cyclops, 4, double-screw iron armour-plated
turret ship, 2,107 tons, 250-horse power, by the Thames
Company, at Blackwall ; Devastation, turret - shirt'
armour-plated, 4,406 tons, 800-horse power, at Ports'
mouth ; Fury, 4, turret-ship, armour-plated, 6,030 tone,
1,000-horse power, at Pembroke ; Glatton, 2, double-screvt
turret ship, armour-plated, 2,709 tons, at Chatham ; the
Gorgon, double-screw iron armour-plated turret ship, 2,107
tons, 250-horse power, by Messrs. Palmer and Co., Jaffe/
on Tyn3; the Hecate, 4, double-screw, iron armour-plated
turret ship, 2,107 t0n5,250-horsepower, by Messrs. Dudgeon,
Poplar ; the Hydra, 4, double screw, iron armour-plated
turret ship, 2,107 tons, 250-horse power, by Messrs•
Elder and Co., Glasgow ; the Kite, 1, double screw iron
gunboat, 245 tons, 28-horse power, by Messrs. Napier
and Sons, Glasgow ; the Lively, 2, paddle despatch
vessel, 835 tons, 250-horse power, at Sheer-
ness ; the Mastiff, 1, double screw iron gunboat,
245 tons, 28-horse power, by Messrs. Mitchell, at Nov"
castle-on-Tyne ; the Osborne, 2, royal paddle yacht,
1,536 tons, 450-horse power, at Pembroke ; the Raleigh,
22, iron screw frigate, sheathed with wood, 3,210 tons,
800-horse power, at Chatham ; the Rupert, iron"
clad ram, 3,159 tons, 700-horse power, at Chat-
ham ; the Scourge, 1, double-screw iron gunboat,
245 tons, 28-horse power, at Chatham ; the Snake, 1,
double-screw iron gunboat, 245 tons, 28 horse-power, at
Chatham ; the Thetis, 13, screw-corvette, 1,328 tenet
350-horse power, at Devonport ; the Thunderer, turret
ship, armour-plated, 4,406 tons, 800-horse power, at
Pembroke ;_the Vigilant, 2, paddle despatch-vessel, 835
tons, 250-horse power, at Devonport ; the Woodlark,
3, double-screw gun vessel, 663 tons, 160-horse power, at
Chatham.

THE COMIC PAPERS.
(From Punch. )

•
STEREOSCOPY.—" Melancholy Ocean."—Mr. Disraeli.
" Streak of Silvery Sea."—Mr. Gladstone (fits).
" One small head can carry all I know."—Writer OD
Halfpenny Card. ,
BALL-PRACTICE AND BALLOONS.— In a letter to the
desciibin; his aerial voyage from Paris in a balloon►
M. de Funvielle relates that, in passing over the Prussians,
he was hotly fired at by them from below. " Firing," he
says, " did not prevent the balloon from continuing its
way, and ascending to 3,500 yards, when firing ceased.
It is more brave than wise to fire at an enemy's balloon-
By throwing out ballast the aeronaut can soon rise out of
range. But suppose that, for ballast, he has taken up
quantity of grape-shot, and, when he wants to ascend
above the reach of his foes, drops some of it on their
heads. He is beyond the range of their missiles, but they
are within that of his, and the higher he rises the heavier
his shot must come down upon them.