The Sun.
London, England, 1860-08-22 00:00:00

THE NAVY.
- 4, -

Her Majesty's sloop Elk, 12, Commander
Campion, which was paid off at Chatham yester-
day, has been in commission upwards of four years,
during which period she has seen a great deal of
active service both in China and in other distant
parts of the world. She was commissioned at
Chatham on the 6th of May, 1856, by Commander
J. Hamilton, who was succeeded in August, 1858,
by Commander Campion, formerly of the Vulcan,
6, on being promoted. The Elk, on leaving Eng-
land, proceeded to China, and formed one of the
squadron engaged in the Chinese waters until the
termination of hostilites. The whole of the crew
who could be spared formed a portion of the naval
brigade under Commodore Stevens of the Nankin,
50, and were present at the capture of Canton, and
other places. After the discontinuance of opera-
tions in the China seas, the Elk sailed from Hong
Kong for Australia in the month of April, 1858,
and after arriving was employed for several months
in making a minute search along the coast and
through every part of Bass's Straits for her Ma-
jesty's missing ship Sappho, but without success.
The Elk left Sydney on the Ist of March for Auck-
land, which was reached on the 12th of March,
just at the time the insurrection was raging in
New Zealand. A portion of the crew and several
of the ship's guns were landed to form a part of
the naval brigade, and the men volunteering for
this service were left behind. On the 26th of April
the Elk left Auckland for England, at which time
the following vessels of her Majesty were at
New Zealand—viz., the Iris, ,26, Commodore
W. Loring, C.B. ' • the Pelorus, 21, screw cor-
vette, Commodore F. B. P. Seymour ; the Niger,
13, screw steamer, Capt. P. Cracroft ; and the Cor-
delia, 11, screw steamer, Commander C. E. H. Ver-
non. During the voyage home, and when near the
entrance to the River Plate, the ship was caught in
a tremendous typhoon, which raged for 48 hours,
during which the vessel sufferei severely, and it
was only by the very best seamanship that vessel
and crew were not lost. The Elk, since she has
been in commission, has been constantly em-
ployed on service,_ and has sailed over upwards of
132,000 miles. Upwards of 20 of her crew have
died from cholera, dysentery, and other causes, ex-
clusive of a number invalided home. The crew
have been exceedingly well-behaved, and the inflic-
tion of corporal punishment has been very rare.
On the crew being paid off yesterday a silver medal
together with a gratuity of £lO, was awarded by
the Admiralty to John Turner, captain of the after-
guard, for good conduct and long service. The
Elk, which is in very good condition, is to be at-
tached to the reserve ordinary at Chatham. Second
Lieut. O'Grady and the boatswain of the ship are
under arrest, awaiting their trial by court martial.
Her Majesty's troop ship Dee, Master Com-
mander Pullen, yesterday embarked 130 second-
class naval lads from the flagship Fisgard, at Wool-
wich, 70 of whom, over 17 years of age, are for
present service on board the flagship Victory, at
Portsmouth, and 60 under that age to be despatched.
to Milford Haven, to commence their career in the
Coastguard service ship lEagle, Capt. E. Tatham.
The Dee was warped out of basin and sailed down
the river at a quarter past three, having likewise
120 tons of boilers and machinery for Portsmouth—
namely four boilers for the screw steam frigate and
sloop Tribune and Harrier, and machinery for the
Prince of Wales, Pelican, Sutlej, and Victory.
An Admiralty order was yesterday transmitted.
to the Steam Reserve•office,Woolwich, reducing the
number of lads to be entered for the navy from 50,
as at present, to 30 per week, until further orders.
Her Majesty's steam vessel Rhadamanthus,
Master Commander Sturdee, having repaired
damages, yesterday commenced shipping a heavy
cargo of steam gear in Woolwich basin for trans-
, port to Plymouth, for the screw steamship Gib-
raltar, under construction at Devonport, and is to
sail on Friday.
Two additional screw steam gunvessels, the
Snipe and the Sparrow, of the new class, built at
Millwall, to carry five Armstrong guns each, were
yesterday hauled into basin at Woolwich to be pat
forward for service.

The hired transport Eleanor yesterday sailed from.
Woolwich Arsenal, laden with materials, as already
stated, for the construction of hospitals and huts
about to be erected at the Cape of Good Hope. The
Venilia, with a similar cargo, will sail in a few
days; and the James Armstrong, having been
taken up to complete the shipment, yesterday
commenced embarking the remainder, consisting of
850 tons.

The Vigilant, 6, screw despatch vessel, at Ports-
mouth, has commenced taking in her boilers and
machinery in the steam basin preparatory to fitting
out for further servioe.

The Prince of Wales, 131, screw, and the Princess
Royal, 91, screw, in the steam basin of Portsmouth
yard, have both had steam up to prove machinery.
The Himalaya screw troopship, Cayt. John Sec-
combe' is coaling alongside the south jetty of Porta-
mouth dockyard for further troop service.
The Dutch transport Heldin, Lieut. P. Tauten-
hoofd, which put into the Motherbank a few days
since from Amsterdam, sailed yesterday for the
coast of Syria, with provisions and stores for the
Dutch fleet.

The following appointments were made yesterday
at the Admiralty :—Lic-uts. R. T. Clark and C. J.
Vidal to the St. George • Lieut. F. Hammond, to
the Centurion; E. P. Bed well, master additional,
to the Plumper ; H. G. Barlow, assistant paymaster,
to be secretary's clerk in the Formidable ; and W.
Nottidge, clerk, to the Cambridge.