The Sun.
London, England, 1860-01-09 00:00:00

21E NAVY.

The screw-corvette Charybdis, 21, 400-horse
power (nominal), having been fitted in all respects
for the steam reserve ordinary, has been inspected
at Chatham Capt. E. P. Halsted, superintendent
_
of the steam reserve in the Medway, who arrived
at Chatham dockyard in the steam gun-boat
Thrasher for that purpose. Capt. Halsted was
accompanied over the vessel by Capt. G. Goldsmith,
C.B. (superintendent of the dockyard), Mr. 0. W.
Lang (the master shipwright), and Mr. J. I.
Fincham, his first assistant, a considerable time
being occupied in the survey of the vessel, which
was found to be in a most satisfactory condition.
The Charybdis will, it is expected, be steamed out
of Chatham harbour in the course of a few days, to
take up her position with the first division of the
steam reserve, to which fleet she will be a valuable
addition.
Admiralty orders have been received at Chatham
Dockyard for the Arethusa, directed to be built
as a 50-gun sailing ship, to be converted into a
screw frigate.
The Brilliant, 20, the second of the vessels se-
lected by- the Admiralty for the use of the Naval
Coast Volunteers as training ships, is now under-
going the necessary alterations at Chatham, to
adapt her for the service to which she will be ap-
plied. She is to have ber main deck guns put on
board, after which she will be removed to the
Thames, where she is to be stationed. The-Castor,
36 .gun frigate, another of the vessels ordered to be
fitted for the naval volunteers, has progressed so
far in her fitments that she will shortly ready to
be towed to her destination, which is expected to be
in the neighbourhood of Blackwell. The Trinco-
malee, 24, the third vessel selected by the Admi-
ralty for the training of the volunteers, has not yet
been brought up from the ordinary in consequence
of its not having been decided to what station she
is to be sent ; it is believed, however, that she is in-
tended to be stationed on some part of the eastern
coast of Scotland.
The Mutine, 17, screw, commander W. Graham,
on Saturday steamed cut of Portsmouth Harbour
to Spithead.
The Melpomene, 51, screw, Capt. Ewart, at Spit-
head, it is expected will proceed to Gibraltar.
Capt. Sundewald and the officers of the Prussian
screw frigate Arcona, at Spithead, were on Satur-
day introduced by the Prussian Consul at Ports-
mouth, Mr. M. Van Den Bergh, to the military and
naval authorities of the Port. In the evening the
officers of the Prussian squadron now at Portsmouth
were entertained at Beresford House, Southsea, the
residence of the Consul.
The paddlewheel steamsloop Ardent, 5, Com-
mander Parish, left Plymouth on Thursday for
South America.
The sailing frigate Constance, 50, at Devonport,
is to be fitted with a screw propeller.
The screw steamship Nile, 90, Capt. E. King
Barnard, at Plymouth, was towed on Friday from
her moorings in Hamoaze into Keyham-basin. She
will be docked before going to sea, there being im-
mense quantities of mussels on her bottom.
The iron screw steamship New Felton, of London,
from Glasgow, is discharging machinery for the
Espoir, in Keyham-yard.
The mail steamship Phcebe, Capt. H. R. Clark,
left Plymouth on Friday for the Cape of Good
Hope, St. Helena, and Ascension.
All the repairs of the screw steamship Royal
Albert, 121, have been completed at Plymouth, and
she will probably sail to-day for Portland.
A letter received at Plymouth from an officer be-
longing to her Majesty's ship astir, dated Gibral-
tar, Dec. 29, says :
"As Christmas-day came on a Sunday, the Admi-
ral gave the men holi!ay on Monday. The Sunday
passed off very quietly. I wish you could have seen
our lower deck on Monday. It was adorned with
green boughs from end to end, with wreaths and
festoons of oranges and lemons. The ports were
closed, and each mess illuminated with a chande-
lier made of coloured paper and tinsel. The men
had well-spread tables, and here and there were
painted signs and mottoes. There were singing
and music all day, and we had the old Christmas
hobby-horse. In the evening many officers were
chaired, and carried round the main and lower
decks by some of the men, with lights and cheer-
ing. Yesterday the Spanish squadron moved from
Algesiras to Tetuan, in Morocco: It consisted of
one sailing two-decker, two steam frigates, one
sailing sloop, and five paddlewheel vessels of various
rates. It is doubtful if any but vessels of light
draught of water will be of much service."
The following appointments were made on Satur-
day at the Admiralty :—Commander F. A. Herbert
to the Excellent ; Thos. T. Murray, chief engineer
(additional), to the Fisgard, for charge of the
machinery of the BasiliBk when that ship shall
have been paid off ; Peter M'Allister, acting
3d class assist-engineer, to the Firebrand; John
Gordon, acting 3d class assist.-engineer, to the
Wellington, as supernumerary; John Anderson,
acting 3d, class assist-engineer, to the Conqueror;
William W. Smith, acting 3d class assist.-engineer,
to the Asia, as supernummerary ; Edward A. M.
Chaffers, assist.-paymaster, to the Nile; F. W.
Baikes and Percy C. Smith, master's assistants, to
the Himalaya ; Henry Husband, master's assistant,
to the Nile ; Robert S. Evatt, master's assistant, to
the Ariadne ; Henry W. Davidson, Gerald J. K.
M'Carthy, Frederick W. Moffat, Josh. F. Atkin-
son, William Terry, Richard P. Tully, B. M. West,
and Thomas H. Flood, master's assistants, to the
Marlborough, as supernumeraries; Robert H. Heb-
den, Henry S. Edwards, Thomas L. Mourilyan,
William Garner, George Royle, and Thos. Potter,
master's assistants, to the Chesapeake, as super-
numeraries.