The Sun.
London, England, 1860-06-27 00:00:00

TILE NA Vl'.

Her Majesty's steam storeship Rhadamanthus,
Master Commander F. Sturdee, sailed yesterday at
6 p.m. from Woolwich for Portsmouth, laden with
a heavy cargo of boilers and steam Machinery
for the Prince of Wales, Pelican, and Frederick
William, line-of-battle ships, recently launched and
in course of fitment for service. The Rhadaman-
thus has also embarked 50 second-class boys for
ships at Plymouth. The present voyage will con-
stitute the first trial trip of the superheating steam
apparatus fitted on board under the special sanction
of the Board of Admiralty, and with which a
series of trials is to be carried out to decide the
merits of the invention. Mr. Dinnen, inspector of
steam machinery afloat, was despatched from the de-
partment of the Surveyor of the Navy, to accom-
pany the Rhadamanthus, in order to render a strict
and impartial detail of the working of the engines
under superheated in contrast with the ordinary
steam ; and Mr. Wetherhed, the inventor, also
took passage, to watch the performance on his
own behalf. The result, which is of considerable
importance in reducing the consumption of fuel
and enhancing the value of the machinery, is an-
ticipated with considerable interest.
The steam storeship Dee, Master-Commander
Pullen, from Portsmouth yard, was yesterday ad-
mitted into the basin at Woolwich to reship steam
gear, on her return to the west.
The Mullet, a new class of screw steam gun-
vessel, to carry 5 guns, and similar in construc-
tion to the Landrail, in course of fitment for ser-
vice in the basin at Woolwich, was yesterday
brought down from Deptford to be equipped for
sea.

Commodore H. R. Yelverton, C. 8., and A.D.C.
to the Queen, yesterday hoisted his broad pendant
on board the Colossus, 80, screw line-of-battle ship,
at Portsmouth, as Commodore of the Reserve Chan-
nel Fleet, about to assemble in Torbay, and which
will consist of 10 line-of-battle ships and frigate.
The Channel Fleet, on their return from the Firth
of Forth, will prepare to accompany the Royal
squadron partly across the Atlantic, on the occa-
sion of the forthcoming visit of his Royal Highness
the Prince of Wales to Canada.

The Ranger, 5, screw, Commander H. R. Wra-
tislaw, got up steam yesterday at Spithead, asd
proceeded to the trial-ground in Stokes Bay, in
charge of Commander Thorpe, of her Majesty's
ship Asia, to test her speed at the measured mile.
Five runs were made, the average of which gave
the ship a speed of nine knots ; revolutions of
engines, maximum, 99 ; draught of water—forward
10 feet 6 inches, aft 12 feet; force of wind during
the trial about 4. The Ranger is one of the
newly-constructed three-masted screw schooners,
armed with a heavy pivot gun and four 24-pounder
howitzers, and is fitted with 80-horse (nominal) en-
gines by 11essrs. Rennie. Her destination is the
West Coast of Africa.

The Lords of the Admiralty have applied to the
authorities at the Devonport Dockyard for a return
of the cost of converting old sailing ships into
steamships.
Rear Admiral Sir Thomas Maitland, C. 8., arrived
at Portsmouth yesterday, and re-hoisted his flag on
board the Baccbante, 51, screw, Capt. M'Kenzie, at
Spithead.

The Bacchante will sail for the Pacific to-morrow,
to succeed the Ganges, 84, sailing two-decker, flag
of Rear Admiral Baynes, C. 8., in command of the
station.

The Immortalite, 51, screw, lighte d fires yesterday
morning in the steam basin at Portsmouth, to
prove boilers and engines. She had an ample sup-
ply of steam, and her engines worked beautifully.
When the repairs of the paddlewheel steam
frigate Terrible, 21, Capt. Glasse, at Devonport, are
completed, she will return to her duties at Malta.
The screw steam frigate Phoebe, 51, has been
hauled from under the north crane in Keyham
steamyard prior to being removed from the basin.
In consequence of the fall of a stage slung to the
side of the screw steamship Orion, 91, Capt. John
J. B. Frere, in No. 3 dock at Keyham Steamyard,
Plymouth, a seaman named Caesar belonging to
that ship was unfortunately killed on Monday
afternoon, and John Vallack, a boy, was much in-
jured in the head, and was conveyed immediately
to the Royal Naval Hospital at Plymouth.
The paddlewheel steam sloop Hecate, 6, Com-
mander Hoskins, left Plymouth on Monday for
Vancouver's Island.

The steam troopship Himalaya, Capt. Seccombe,
is ordered to be removed from Keyham Steamyard
to-day. She is appointed to convey the Astrono-
mer Royal and staff to Spain to witness the eclipse
of the sun.

The Lords of the Admiralty have been pleased to
promote Lieut. William Hans Blake, First Lieut.
of the Niger, to the rank of Commander, for gal-
lant conduct in New Zealand. The captain's cox-
swain will also receive a warrant.

The following appointments were made yester-
day at the Admiralty :—Lieut. John J. Martin to
the Torch; Alfred R. Brown and A. W. A. T.
Coward, masters' assistants, to the St. George ;
William Hamilton, paymaster, to the Monarch;
James Lyall, paymaster, to the Asia; J. C. All-
dridge, paymaster, to the Ajax,•' W. L. Norcock,
paymaster, to the Impregnable ; Robert Daveson,
paymaster, to the Saturn ; Robert J. B. Smart,
clerk, to the Ajax; Thomas Frith Pyatt, acting
third class assistant-engineer, to the Asia,
for service in the Lucifer; J. Kay, acting
third class assistant-engineer, to the Wel-
lington, as supernumerary; John T. Ally, third
class assistant-engineer, to the Asia, for hospital
treatment; Thomas Pringle, third class assistant-
engineer, to the Flying Fish ; Thomas Young, third
class assistant-en gineer, to the Flying Fish, as super-
numerary ; J. A. T. Bruce, P. P. Aitkins, C. Y.
Francis, H. A. Walters, and J. S. Luckraft, naval
cadets, to the St. George ; H. Ching, J. E. Bowley,
E. G. Festing, and V. J. English, naval cadets, to
the Orion ; E. Herrick and A. M. Ducat, naval
cadets, to the Neptune ; G. T. Bolton and H. B.
Lang, naval cadets, to the Ariadne ; P. W. S. Mon-
teith, naval cadet, to the Agamemnon ; F. M.
Bland, naval cadet, to the Donegal; W. E. E. Free-
land, naval cadet, to the Algiers; T. H. Leven-
thorpe, naval cadet, to the Diadem ; C. J. Prevost,
naval cadet, to the Centurion; R. B. Needham, naval
cadet, to the Queen ; H. M. Grenfell, naval cadet,
the Melpomene ; E. C. Drummond, R. H. Harris,
E. S. Watson, C. W. Talbot, T. P. W. Nesham, H.
A, Mandeville, Hon. H. G. P. Meade, and W. E.
Bourke, midshipmen, to the St. George; C. G.
Whitelock, midshipman, to the Donegal; and A.
w. Bcnyon, midshipman, to the Algiers.

- TIIE CENSUS RILL.