The Sun.
London, England, 1860-12-06 00:00:00

IRE NAVY.

The Royal Commissioners who have inspected
her Majesty's dockyards in succession, with a view
of examining the system and reducing the expen-
diture complained of, yesterday returned to Wool-
wich. The Board consisted of the Earl of Gifford,
Sir H. P. Willoughby, Mr. R. Daiglish, M.P.,
Rear-Admiral Robinson, and Mr. A. Price, R.N.,
secretary. They arrived at the dockyard at 12
o'clock, and promptly commenced their duties in
the office of Mr. Thornton, assist.-master shipwright
of the yard, by a lengthened examination of the
Commodore Superintendent, the Hon. J. R. Drum-
mend, Mr. Turner, master shipwright, and others.
The proceedings were strictly private.
The following vessels have been taken up by
Government to ship stores for foreign stations in
her Majesty's dominions—viz., the Zebra, West
Indian, Sardinian, Point, Viceroy, Providence,
lonia, Napoleon 111., Margaret, Bessie Searight,
Thames, Bosworth, Traveller, Era, and Effort.
The sheds and other temporary buildings erected
between the first and second docks in Chatham
dockyard were yesterday completed, being taken
down in order to clear away the site for the work-
shops, forges, and sheds which are to be built close
to the second dock for the accommodation of the
workmen who will be employed in the construction
of the large mail-clad iron steam vessel of war
about to be commenced in No. 2 basin. The new
workshops and other buildings will be built of
corrugated iron, and will be immediately taken
in hand by Messrs. Grissel, the same firm which
constructed the iron roof and covering of the new
building slip completed at Chatham Dockyard a
short period since. The exterior shot•proof armour
plates for the new steamer will, it is understood,
be constructed at the works of the Thames Iron
Shipbuilding Company, who it is stated have entered
into an engagement with the Admiralty to supply
them. About 1,000 hands will be employed on the
new iron steamer.

The Undaunted, 51, screw frigate, which is to be
launched at Chatham on New Year's-day, had her
rudder successfully fixed in its place yesterday.
The Firebrand, 6, paddle, Commander J. Bruce,
will go out of Portsmouth harbour to-day to Spit-
head, and is expected to sail the following day for
the West Indies.

In the notice in The Sun of yesterday of the
" North Atlantic Telegraph Expeditions" reference
is made to the instruments used on board her Ma-
jesty's ship Bulldog for the purpose of obtaining
specimens from the bottom of the sea on the line of
soundings taken. Those supplied by the Admiralty
were an American invention, and proved so entirely
useless for the purpose that other means had to be
devised to obtain the desired result. This was ob-
tained through the ingenuity of Mr. W. H. Steil,
assistant engineer on board, who devised an instru-
ment of a very simple and effective nature, which
answered the purpose required admirably, and
which has brought up 24 ounces in 1,913 fathoms.
On one occasion, in 180 fathoms, it brought up two
ounces of gray mud and .12 stones, some of the
latter as large as a fowl's egg, and others the size
of a hazel nut. It is adapted for either deep
or shallow waters, as in using it in water over
200 fathoms two slung shots are hung on branching
hooks, and are disengaged by the same motion
which opens the jaws of the instrument on its con-
tact with the bottom. Dr. Wallich, the naturalist
to the Bulldog's expedition, suggested the applica-
tion of indiarubber bands for the purpose of closing
the jaws more forcibly, and which were used on
some occasions. It is intended to .carry out some
experiments with Mr. Steil's instrument, and one
on a principle suggested by Sir F. L. M'Ciintoek,
in the course of a few days, at Spithead. Capt. Sir
F. L. M'Clintock will be succeeded in the command
of the Bulldog by Commander H. F. M‘Killop, who
distinguished himself highly while in command of
the Viper in the Black Sea and Sea of Azoff. The
present senior lieut. of the Bulldog, C. Parry, will
join the Hero, 91, screw, at Devonport, and will be
succeeded by Lieut. E. 1). Acklow.
The following gentlemex have been nominated to
a naval cadetship :—John Mackenzie M'Quhae,
Edward Blakemore Fletcher, James Vere Darley,
Edward Amphlett, and Douglas Methuen Forsyth.