The Sun.
London, England, 1856-04-24 00:00:00

first had time to reach. In a moment after the
heavy swelling roar came sullenly up against the
wind, increasing as it rolled forward, until the air
seemed to vibrate painfully with the tremendous
concussions. In few seconds the hulls of the whole
fleet 'were enveloped in the clouds of white smoke,
from which in regular order, from port and star-
board, came' the broad flashes of the discharges like
sheets of yellow lightning. It had a
.grand and
tremendous effect. - The salute only lasted about
two minutes. _

BAthe time the salute was over her Majesty's
yacht had made considerable progress in passing
down the port side of the port line, ere the last
heavy echoes of the guns had died away among
the hills of,Ryde like distant thunder. The yacht
was followed by a concourse "of vessels of all kinds,
all of which, however (no doubt much against
their will), were compelled to keep a respectful
distance. Nothing afloat could overtake the speed
of the Royal yacht ; and save And except her own
shadoW, we think there are few things to be seen on
the water that would keep pace with her. C,z-
tainly, if her equal in speed, does exist, it is un-
known at present. All the yards continued
manned while the Royal yacht passed. Her
Majesty entered, between the port and starboard
lines at the most extreme end of the line of gun-
boats; These, the instant the yacht had passed,
got under way, and followed her up between the
screw-liners in the order in which they had been
moored. The Royal yacht halted a little ahead
of the two flag-ships. As the 'gun-boats arrived
abreast of the Royal yacht, the white and light
squadrons went round the Duke to port, and the
red and blue squadrons round the Royal George to
Starboard. .

The speed and care which the gun-boats • die-
played in executing-this manoeuvre spoke well for
the discipline of the crews and officers of all. The
average rate attained by them was most respectable;
few seemed to run less than 7 or 7 knots, and
there were a large number that would clear their
9or 10. The time occupied in the passage of the
whole four squadrons was upwards of an hour.
Just as the leading gun-boat came up, a dirty-
looking tug tried to cut in between, the yacht and
the column, of boats. The attempt would have
been certain to have resulted in au, accident,.had
not the flag-ship (the Duke) brought the tug to
a proper estimate of 'her position by firing two
cannon shots in rapid succession across her bow,
and one just over her bridge. With these iron
reprimands, the tug instantly fell back into her
proper post outside, and to leeward of the squadron.
The instant the last of the gun-boats had passed
the pivot-ships, signal was made -to the line-of-
battle ships to undress ship and prepare to weigh.
All these were already hove short, and as the
gun flotilla turned off to, seek their post near
Monckton Fort and Southsea Castle, a little foam
showed under the sterns of each of the ponderous
two and three deckers—a little ripple appeared
ahead of them, and with less confusion than a half.,
penny river steamer makes in • coming alongside a
pier, the long columns of line-of-battle ships and
frigates were under weigh. A general signal was
made to steam at five knots per hour, then to pass
close order (a cable and a half between each ship),
theil a particular signal to the Ajax, 60, to " keep
her proper station in the line." All the vessels
steamed in the order in which we have already given
,them at their anchorages. The port line was led
by Admiral Sir Richard Dundas in the Duke of
Wellington ;.the starboard by Rear Admiral BayneS,
in the Royal George..
The whole now went in the most perfect preci-
sion and good order out to the 'east. The pivot
ships, LondOn, 90, and Rodney, 90, were anchored
in the centre of the Channel, about a mile distant
from the Nab Light. Ahead of and between these
the Royal yacht hove-to, while the screw, liners
came up in.their regular order, and turned off to
port and starboard, as the gun-boats had previously
done. The wonderful.ease and rapidity with which
the enormous vessels went round almost in their
own lengths` appeared perfectly astounding. The
Conqueror seemed to turn as if upon some well-oiled
stationary pivot ; so did the Imperieuse, Euryalus,
ass. At this stage of the review there was an evi-
aent desire on the part of the authorities to bring
it to as speedy a termination as possible, so that
almost before the last of the liners had passed' the
pivot ships the Royal yacht was on its way back to
where the gun-boats were mustered off the forts
in overpowering numbers. The line-of-battleships
then increased their speed, and back came the whole
gigantic armada towards the shore, covering the
sea almost from land to land, and (in spite of all
the precautions taken and the Welch coal used),
darkening the very heavens with their- mass of
smoke.
On a long, low spit of land, to the east of Ports,
mouth Harbour, is Fort Monekton. It is partly
surrounded by a ditch, and well situated for offer-
ing a close and vigorous defence to any attempt to
force the entrance of the harbour. It crosses fire
with Block Fort (a most powerful two-tierbattery,
only inferior to the granite impregnabies of Cron-
stadt), which in turn crosses fire with Southsea
Castle. Monckton mounts 40 long 68 and 32-
pounders, and is itself protected to the eastward by
Browndown battery. Southsea Castle is on the
east side of Portsmouth harbour. As a strong fort
it is nothing particular. We have no great faith
in freestone walls, which we have seen sadly mauled
in a very short time, and by vessels, too. Southsea
mounts 38 long 68 and 32-pounders, and was
chosen from its fine open situation to assist in
fighting the swarm of gun-boats.
The gun-boats had, after passing the Royal
yacht, taken up their positions in, close proximity
,o Southsea Castle on one side, and opposed to the
_ _

immense floating batteries on the one side of the
harbour near IVlonckton and Browndown FOrts.
Signal was made to clear the decks and prepare for
action. In an instant the men hurried about—
the bulwarks were lowered—guns cast loose and,
run out, loaded and rammed home—all with a ce-
lerity which showed the value of the squadron as
quick and formidable antagonists. it was curious
to see the old castle at Southsea at the moment be-
fore the action began. The whole beach apd ram-
part literally seemed one black moving mass. Not
less than 150,000 people are computed to have been
assembled at this spot. The Royal yacht soon ran
in. Up went a little signal to the divisions of gun-
boats, their answering pennants flew up and down
in reply, and then from every side, and iu all di-
rections at once, volumes of smoke appeared, as if
a thousand whitmoz,clsmds had sprung into ex-
istence. Loud and still louder came the mighty
-
roar,.,as if thevery earth was crumbling to destruc
tion followed by the stunning echoes which every
building in Portsmouth, add every hill in the Isle
of Wight, sent back in reply. The floating bat-
teries which were attacked with the castle were
nothing loth to accept the challenge. The fort
plied every gun as fist as it could be charged
and fired, while the batteries, opening the ball
with a terrific broadside, continued to give their
numerous assailants in every quarter gun for gun.
The uproar was fearful. The sky had become
much overcast, and showed each flash with the
distinctness of lightning. On every ,side they
seemed to spring up in-fresh places, and the heavy
continuous reports at last swelled into a• sustained
roar. The batteries were soon (as, indeed; so was
everything else) hidden in the dense smoke, and it
was only by the uproar we knew the fight was con-
tinued. Suddenly, just as the line-of battle ships
were joining in at a distance, and the cannonade
promised to attain a terrific magnitude, the signal
was made to cease firing, to the manifesedisappoint-
ment of many of the spectators, who evidently ex-
pected a long continuance of the affair.
But her Majesty unfortunately was tied to time,
and her yacht stood rapidly in for the Clarence-
yard. Upon entering the harbour the 'Victory and
the St. Vincent manned yards and fired a Royal
salute, and a small Dutch sloop-of-war, which put
into the port yesterday, manned yards and cheered
at the same time.
It being at that time low water, the Windsor
Cattle lay to in the centre of the stream, and the
Queen and the Royal suite landed at the stairs in
the state barge. The Queen was received by Cap-
tain Da.cres, the superintendent of. Haslar Hospi-
tal, and Mr. Davis, the master-attendant of the
Clarence-yard, and was from thence immediately
conveyed to town.