The Sun.
London, England, 1856-04-23 00:00:00

cables apart. Two other pivot vessels will be similarly
placed at one mile west of Cowes%

A royal salute will be fired by the fleet on her Ma-
jesty's yacht reaching the Spit Buoy, and the Elaine on
her Majesty's returning into harbour after the review,!
but not until the Royal yacht shall have reached the;
inside of the Spit Buoy. No other salute is to be fired.l

The Meander and floating batteries will not salute, nor;
auy vessel under the number of guns prescribed by the]
Admiralty order.
_ .

All the ships, while at anchor, are to be dressed in
colours, and, on the Royal yacht passing, each ship is to
man the rigging, and the crews are to cheer. The
Meander and stationary ships are to man yards and,
cheer.

If the weather is tolerably fine, anal there is not much
swell in the offing, the fleet will have steam ready (but
with the fires banked), and be hove short by 11 o'clock
in the forenoon.

Eer Majesty's yacht, on leaving Portsmouth harbour,
will probably steam past Gilkicker Point, and, enterine
between the columns at the western or Cowes end, wall
proceed through their whole extent. As soon as herd
Majesty shall have passed the eastern vessels of the
flotilla, the flotilla will weigh, and will follow the Queen'si
yacht between the lines in the same order in which they
Were anchored, preceded by the officer in command off
the division in one of the larger gun-vessels.
On reaching the flag-ships, the van and rear squadrons
of the flotilla will return in succession to port round the
Duke of Wellington. The van ',squadron (White) will
take up a position, at anchor, for attacking the Meander
and stationary line, their right opposite to the floating-
batteries near the Spit Buoy, extending to the westward
in line. The rear squadron (Blue) will place itself to the
eastward of the Bogue Buoy, opposite to Southsea Castle,
the centre and light squadron of the flotilla will turn i. •
succession to starboard round the Royal George, and,
passing to the southward of the south column of the line of
ships, will cross the westward of both columns. Tlar
centre squadron (Red) will take up a position, and an-
chor their left opposite to the Meander and Belleisle, if.
Stokes Bay, and extending thence to the east, and oppo-
site to the mortar-vessels. The light squodron (White
and Red) will follow the centre division, and will place
itself in opposition between the centre and van squadrone.'.
Gun-boats ordered to attack are not to fire more than
Six rounds.

The whole flotilla will be prepared to open fire on a
signal from the Royal yacht or Commander-in-Chief.
As Boon as the flotilla shall have passed the flag-ships in
the van of the columns, the whole fleet wilt weigh on
the signal being male by the C )mmander-in•Caief,
lowering their flags simultaneously with the flag-ship,
and will proceed in close order of sailing towards the
pivot ships, at such a rate as will allow the prescribe,'
order to be maintained, closing the columns to a cable's
length apart.

On reaching the pivot ships to the E.N.E. of the Nab,
each column, after passing between them, will turn out
wards round these ships, the starboard turning to star
board, and the port column to port. Manning the
rigging, and cheering the Royal yacht as they pass, they
Will then return to Spithead in the same order—closing
their columns after the ships returning westward shall
have passed the rear of the fleet, and thus regain their
anohorage at Spithead, unless otherwise directed by,

PLAN TO BE ADOPTED IN CASE A SIGNAL SHALL BE

lUDE FOR THE PURPOSE.
No. IL

The position of the fleet at anchor as in No. 1, and
prepare to weigh ; but should the signal be made for the,
flotilla alone to weigh, accompanied by the signal which
will refer to this plan, the gun-boats, after paisirui
round the flag-ship, as in No. 1, instead of proceedingl
at once to the points of attack, will return to the west-
ward outside the columns ; having passed beyond
which they will close the squadrons, each of which
will remain in their original order of formation, and
passing between the pivot vessels off Cowes, the White
and Blue squadrons will turn in succession to starboard
and the Red and Light squadrons to port, and return to
the eastward. When the whole have passed the pivot,
leßgels, the flotilla will form into single columns of
squadrons—White leading, Blue second, Red third, and
Light fourth—and will pass on north of the fleet (which
will have remained at anchor), to their respective posi-
tions of attack in the order prescribed, and be ready to
Open their fire on the signal being given for the
parpore.

The ships were unmoored and hove short before!
eight o'clock this morning, and soon after got upl
their steam, in which stat&they awaited the ap-
proach of her Majesty. As soon as it was known
on board the Royal George that her Majesty had
quitted the land, up went suddenly three little
balls to the top of the foremast, where they burst
out into tiny flags, fluttered for an instant, and were
hauled down again. Away go as many balls to the
fore of every vessel in the fleet and repeat the
same process, and thea those ponderous dark hulls,
so silent, so deserted looking, so gloomy, spurt
Out lightning, smoke, and thunder from their grim
ports. What the Royal salute was from such a
tremendous fleet our readers can better imagine
than we describe.

The Royal yasht passed gaily through the fleet
to the flag-ship of Admiral Seymour, and received
in her progress innumerable royal salutes. Nearly
every yacht club was present in every form, from
the Clipper schooner of 200 tons down to the Thames
cutter of 10, clothed in their snow• white canvass,
big gibs and gafftop-sails set, and, flitting over the
Water in every direction, they formed the mosl
beautiful coup d'ceil that could be conceived,
stretching away for miles, tacking to and fro, run-
ning out of every creek along the isle, and firing
their tiny armament with wonderful zeal and toler-
able regularity. The dusky forms of the numerous
liteltiners struggling under the enormous loads of
living creatures who swarmed from stem to stern,
ou paddle-box, rigging, yards, strikingly contrasted
with the livelier hues of the sailing vessels, and
relieved their monotonous appearance.
The French steam-frigate Chayala, Captaiti,
tongueville, with Rear-Admiral Jurien de la
Oraviere and a deputation of naval officers on
board, was especially conspicuous for the rapidity
with which it responded to the usual naval compli-
ments, as were the Dutch officers on board their
little instruction corvette.

At about half-past eleven the order was given to
get under weigh. This was soon done, and then
gradually assuming the following order, and
escorted by an innumerable number of yachts and
steamers, the fleet put majestically to sea.

PORT COLUMN.
SCREW LINE-OF-BATTLE SHIPS.

. H.. Commander.
DukeofWellington— 1331n
.. 700-p Capt. Caldwell, C.B.
(Flig of Rear-Admiral H. Sir "R. S. Dundee, K.C.8.)
(Cora. Hon. F. Pelham, C. 8., Captain of the Fleet.)
Orion 9l .... 600 Capt. Erskine.
James Watt 9l 600 Capt. Elliot.
Majestic BO ... 400 Capt. Hope, C.B.
Exmouth
Colospus , 80 400 Capt. Koppel, C.B.
Brunswick
Edinburgh 6O ... 450 Capt. Hewlett, C B.
Hogue
Blenheim 6O ... 450 Capt. Mall, C.B.
Russell

PIVOT SHIP AT ST. imam's.
Louden
SCREW FRIGATES AND CORVETTES.
Buryalns
Arrogant
Tartar
Pearl 2O ... 400 Capt. Sotheby.
Archer l3 ... 202 Capt. Heathcote.
Desperate...
Cruiser
Rattler
Forth • lO ... 200 Capt. Lord J. Hay, C.B.
(2 mortars)
Horatio l2 ... 250 Capt. A. Cochrane, C.B.

PADDLE-WHEEL VESSELS.
Retribution 22 ... 400 Cant. Fisher.
(Flag of Rear-Admiral Baynes, C. 13.)
Centaur
Dragon
Bulldog
Geyser . 6 ... 280 Corn. Tower.
Merlin 6 ... 312 Capt. Snlivan, C.B.
Ueda.
Driver 6 ... 280 Coro. Chambers (act.).
Itydra..

• STARBOARD COLUMN.
SCRIM LINI•OP-BATTLE SHIPS.
Guns. 11.-p. Commander.
Royal George lO2 ... 400 Capt. Robinson.
(Flag of Vice-Admiral Sir G. Seymour, K.C.8.)
Nile 9O ... 600 Capt Mundy.
Conqueror lOO ... 800 Capt. Symonds, C.B.
Crean
Csar
90 ... 400 Capt. Robb.
y Algiers
... 450 Capt. Codrington, C.B.
Sauspareil . 7O ... 400 Capt. Cooper Key, C. B
Centurion BO . 400 Capt. Williams.
Ajax - 6O ... 450 Capt. Warden, C.B.
Hawke
Rastings
Rodney

PIVOT SHIP AT ST. HELEN'S.
90 ... - Capt. Wilson.
SOREN', FRIGATES AND CORVETTES.
Iluperiense
Aniphiou
Pylad es . 2l ... 350 Capt. D'Eyncourt.
Cossack
Eak
Falcon
16 ... 100 Corn. Pullen.
Conflict 8 400 Com. Cochran.