The Sun.
London, England, 1860-12-08 00:00:00

IRE NAVY.

Her Majesty's Royal paddle yacht Victoria and
Albert, Captain the Hon. Joseph Denman, arrived
at Portsmouth yesterday at noon, on her return
from conveying her Majesty the Empress of Aus-
tria to Madeira. The yacht, after leaving Ply-
mouth Sound, on the morning of the 25th ult., on
her outward voyage to Madeira, experienced
excessively heavy weather, and was hove-to for
some time, the Osborne putting into Vigo to
repair damages and obtain a supply of fuel. The
Victoria and Albert arrived of the Deserter's Rocks
at 4 a.m. on the 29th ult., and stood on under easy
steam until daylight, anchoring in Funchal Roads,
off the Loo Rock, at 7 a.m. The health of the Em-
press appeared to improve as the yacht approached
a. warmer latitude. Much of her time was passed in
one of the paddlebox alcoves, attended by the Prin-
cess Windischgratz, who suffered the least of any
of the Empress's suite from sea-sickness. The Em-
press herself was fortunately entirely free from this
distressing malady the entire voyage, notwith-
standing the boisterous weather. The Empress,
attended by Count Nobili, the Princess Windisch-
gratz, and that portion of her suite which accom-
panied her in the Victoria and Albert, disembarked
from the yacht in the Queen's state barge, and
proceeded towards the shore under salutes from the
forts, &c. The Empress on landing was received by
the Portuguese authorities, the landing place being
gaily decorated with flags, &c., in honour of the
occasion. As the boats approached the landing place
a shower of rockets was sent up from the shore, and
came rattling down again among the boats, with-
out, however, touching any one. The Osborne ar-
rived in Funchal Roads on Saturday, the Ist inst.,
and was to leave again for England, calling at Lis-
bon, on the following morning. The sailing of the
Victoria and Albert for England was appointed to
take place at,i9 a.m. on the Ist inst. At 5 p.m. a
grand display of fireworks took place on board the
yacht, the Austrian colours being represented by
coloured lights, and salutes of mortar rockets (21
each). At 9 p.m. the yacht again lifted her anchor
and steamed oat of the reads of Funchal for the
English Channel, the weather looking wild and un-
settled. On the following day a heavy gale sprung
up from N.W., which continued with unabated vio-
lence for three days. After this it moderated, but a
tremendous swell was experienced up to making the
Needle Rocks. The wind had come round to
the S.W. the day previous. The behaviour of
the yacht in the heavy weather, both out
and home, is stated to be beyond all praise,
her machinery also working admirably. The
yacht was fitted for the voyage in precisely the same
manner as when intended for the use of her Majesty
the Queen. The Empress, prior to leaving the yacht
at Madeira, presented Capt. Denman with a mag-
nificent snuffbox, set with diamonds, with the
Emperor of Austria's portrait in the centre. Com-
mander Christien and Dr. Minter, received
eaoh a massive ring, set richly in bzilliants. To the
crews of the yachts the Empress left the munifi-
sent sum of £6OO, for distribution among them.
The officers and crew lately belonging to her
Majesty's screw steamer Perseverance, and arrived
at Spithead in the Geyser, from Lisbon, were
transferred at Spithead yesterday to the Pigmy
steam tender, and conveyed on board her Majes-
ty's ship Victory, where the officers and crew have
to report themselves in readiness for the court-
martial which will be held to inquire into the cir-
cumstances of the loss of their ship,
The Harrier, 17, screw, Commander Sir Malcolm
M'Oregor, was swung yesterday in Portsmouth
harbour for the adjustment of her compasses, prior
to proceeding to Spithead.

The Firebrand, 6, paddle, Commander J. M.
Bruce, went out of Portsmouth harbour yesterday
and anchored at Spith.ad, where she will take in
powder and shell prior to sailing for the West
Indies. She takes oat supernumeraries for ships
on the station.

The Immortalite, 51, screw, Capt. G. Hancock,
fitting out at Portsmouth, is picking up men very
slowly, there being in fact no seamen in this port,
with the exception of a few of those of the Eurya-
lus, who are' not yet quite cleared out and ready
for reshipment.

The Admiralty have given directions for some of
the massive wrought iron armour plates provided
for the iron vessel of war the Warrior, building at
Blaokwall, to be forwarded to Chatham, to be used
in the construction of the large mail-clad iron
steamer about to be built in that dockyard.
The Orpheus, 21, 400 horse power, screw cor-
vette, has returned to Chatham from her trial trip
at the Nore. During her run at the measured
distance the mean speed obtained was 12.8 knots,
her engines working admirably. She is ordered
to be taken in hand by the dockyard authorities, in
order to be completed for the second division of the
steam reserve at Chatham.

Her Majesty's steam storeship Supply, W. H.
Balliston, master in command, commissioned in
April, 1856, was yesterday paid off at Woolwich
and was put out of commission. The crew were
granted six weeks' leave of absence. The ship will
be recommissioned this morning by the same mas-
ter, and a portion of the officers will be reappointed.
The steam condensing vessel Wye yesterday
commenced unshipping her tanks in Woolwich
basin, in preparation for being converted into a
store vessel for foreign stations, similar to the Sup.
ply. In coming up the river from Chatham during
the prevalence of a strong head wind she ran foul of
a sailing brig, jammed her own anchor through one
of the plates of her hull,`wrenching off the arm of
the anchor, and otherwise damaging the bead of
the ship. .

The Cockatrice screw despatch vessel, in Wool-
wich basin, has received her masts and rigging, and
will shortly proceed to Portsmouth to be received
into the Ist class ordinary of that yard.
The screw steamvessels Lee and Snipe, built at
Milwall, are under fitment at Woolwich for the Ist
class steam reserve, and are in a forward state.

The paddlewheel steamvessel Rhadamanthus yes-
terday went into basin at Woolwich, and com-
menced loading her first cargo of the steam boilers
and machinery intended for her Majesty's screw
steamship Black Prince, under construction at
Greenock. The engines will be of 1,250 horse
power ; their transport will occupy about seven or
eight voyages, and will engage the services of the
Rhadamanthus through-the winter.
The orders for paying off the crew of the sailing
frigate Amethyst, 26, Capt. Sidney Grenfell, at Ply-
mouth, where she arrived from the Pacific on Thurs-
day, have been countermanded, and she is now to
go to Chatham. It was at first expected that the
condition of
her foremast, which is damaged, might
have prevented her from going to an eastern
port. When this ship was blockading the coast
of China her crew
n performed a very clever and
A
daring act. Austrian brie., laden with coffee
and sugar, was captured
at sea by some Chinese
rebel pirates, who moored her under one of their
own forts. When the fact b
a came known, it was
determined to attempt
rescue by those on board
the frigate. Hertwo cutters aed
gig were manned,
and placed
under the chargeo
the
h tebberima
g isntetrh.e night With
in hand.,
muffled oars theyapproached'
and boarded her by the forechains
, cutlass Much to their surprise, the only person on board
was the Austrian mate, who instructed them where
to find the shackle of the chain cable. They then
dropped a kedge anchor some distance ahead, and,
unshackling the cable, quietly warped the brig
from under the rebels' guns into a position where
canvas could be spread, and sailed safely out of the
harbour. It is probable that the crew of the Ame-
thyst will be entitled to prize-money for this bold
recapture. When she was saluting at one of the
ports of call on the voyage home, a seaman named
Hill, a native of Plymouth, had one of his arms
shattered to such an extent that amputation be-
came necessary. Unfortunately, by the same acci-
dent he lost three fingers from the other hand.
The invalids from the Pacific and South American
stations, brought to Plymouth on Thursday morn-
ing by the sailing frigate Amethyst, were removed
in the afternoon by the paddlewheel steam vessel
Avon to the Royal Naval Hospital. Yesterday
(Friday) morning the Avon and the tug Zephyr
went from Hamoaze into the Sound to tow the
frigate
into the offing, but the weather was so
boisterous they did not make the attempt. Heavy

gales from the southward, with frequent showers
of rain, prevailed there all day.
The raaintopmast of the screw steam frigate
Narcissus, 51, at Devonport, was got up yesterday,
and as much progress is making in her fitment as
the boisterous state of the weather will permit.
Orders from the Lords of the Admiralty have
been received at Devonport to enter men for the
naval police.
The new screw steamship Howe, 121, the engines
of which were tried at Plymouth on Tuesday, was
hauled yesterday (Friday) from Hamoaze into the
basin at Keyham Steam Yard to complete her fit-
ments.

The undermentioned gentlemen have been nomi-
nated to naval cadetships :—Henry Knight Greg-
son, Richard George Acton, G. J. Lyall, Francis
O'Don.oghue Wright, and the Hon. Clarence E.
Graves.

The following appointments were made yester-
day at the Admiralty :—Benjamin Simpson, master
additional, to the Pembroke ; W. H. Balliston,
master in command, to the Supply ; Charles W.
Ross, second master, to the Supply ; J. K. Small-
horn, assist.-surgeon, to the Supply ; Francis
Pearce, chief engineer additional, to the Fisgard;
George Watson, first class assist.-engineer, to the
Supply ; Robert Wallace, second class assist.-engi-
neer, to the Supply; Thomas Spence, third class
assist.-engineer, to the Supply ; John N. Ecroyd,
acting third class assist.-engineer, to the Fisgard as
supernumerary ; Arthur Wells, master's assistant,
to the Victory as supernumerary; Valentine Spain,
assist. paymaster in charge of the Supply ; and
Edward Jago, clerk to the Miranda.