The Sun.
London, England, 1860-11-21 00:00:00

7.HE NAVY.

On, Saturday her Majesty's screw steam sloop
Mira nda, 15 guns, 250 horse power, Commander H.
C. G lyn, under the charge of Commander 0. B.
Cm; ws Read, and Mr. W. Price, inspector of machi-
nery afloat at Sheerness (on the part of the steam
ordLinary), and Mr. G. Blaxland, chief engineer in
her Majesty's dockyard (on the part of the dockyard
authorities), left Sheerness harbour and proceeded
to Mapling Sands for a trial of her machinery at
the measured mile, previous to her leaving this port
for Portsmouth. She attained the mean speed of
tif knots per hour, but it was found necessary to
bring her into the harbour again, to undergo some
alterations in her boiler, consequent upon the too
great accumulation of water. She will remain at
Sheerness for some days further until the defects
are made good.

The Charybdis, 21 guns, Screw steam corvette,
400 horse power, Capt. the Hon. G. D. Keane, was
minutely inspected, and the crew exercised at quar-
ters and target practice on Monday, by the Com-
mander-in-Chief at Sheerness, Vice-Admiral W. J.
Hope Johnstone, and staff, after which she left that
port for Devonport to a wait final orders.
The Bulldog, 6, paddle, Captain Sir F. L. M, Clin-
took, steamed into Portsmouth harbour yesterday
from Spithead, and awaits further orders from the
Admiralty. The appearance of this vessel—her
damaged. stern and paddlewheels, shattered bul-
warks, and empty boats' davits, sufficiently indi-
cate the tremendous weather she must have gone
through since leaving England. The voyage of the
Bulldog has satisfactorily proved the great infe-
riority of a paddlewheel vessel to a screw in navi-
gating the Polar Seas, especially in reference to the
damage the wheel and boats received by their con-
tact with the ice.

The Fancy, screw gunboat, has been placed in
dock at Portsmouth to have her beds lowered prior
to receiving her new boilers. The latter are fitted
on the tube-protecting plan of Mr. Langley, in-
spector of machinery afloat, and attached to her
Majesty's Royal yacht Victoria and Albert.
The following ships were in Plymouth Sound
yesterday afternoon :—The screw steamship Hero,
91, Commodore George H. Seymour, C.B. ; the
screw steam frigate Ariadne, 26, Capt. Edward W.
Vansittart ; the screw steam sloop Flying Fish, 6,
Commander Charles W. Hope ; the screw steam-
ship Sanspareil, 70, Capt. Arthur P. D. Wilmot,
C.B. ; the screw steamship St. George, 90, Capt.
the Hon. F. Egerton ; and the paddlewheel steam
sloop Geyser, 6, Commander George M. Jackson.
The defects of the Sanspareil are being made good
where she lies. She will be ready in a few days.
The crew of the St. George were inspected yester-
day by Port-Admiral Sir Houston Stewart, K.C.8.,
who was conveyed from Mount Wise in the
steamer Avon.

The Royal yacht Victoria and Albert, with her
Imperial Majesty the Empress of Austria, is ex-
pected to-morrow in Plymouth Sound. After coal-
ing, the yacht will proceed to Madeira.
The paddlewheel steamsloop Spiteful, 6, Com-
mander Wilson, in Hamoaze, is filled with coal,
and is having defects made good by the artisans of
the Devonport dockyard.
The enginesof the gunboats Heron and Dotterel,
in Keyham steamyard, were tried yesterday, when
the boats were secured in the basin.

The paddlewheel steam storeship, Dee, 4, Master
Commander T. C. Pullen, was hauled yesterday
into the basin at Keyham'steamyard, to unload
boilers and marine gear:
The supernumeraries brought from Portsmouth
to Plymouth on Sunday by the paddlewheel steam
sloop Gorgon, 6, Commander Jackson, have been
transferred to the reserve depot ship Royal Adelaide,
104, Capt. William K. Hall, in Hamoaze.
Steam was got up on Monday on board the screw
. steam corvette Jason, 21, at Plymouth, and she went
from Hamoaze outside the Breakwater to try her
speed at the measured mile, and returned to
Hamoaze.

The' entry of additional blacksmiths and other
mechanics who will be required to be employed on
the iron-cased war steamer about to be commenced
at Chatham, is still proceeding, and hands are
being taken on at the dockyard daily.
The Supply, screw storeship, Master Commander
Balliston, arrived at Spithead yesterday from Malta
with returned stores, &c. At sunset she was making
preparations to proceed to Woolwich.
The Balaklava ordnance steam-vessel, Master W.
Pellatt, and the Lord Panmure, Master F. H.
Moore, have each received a cargo of shot, shell,
and military stores at the Royal Arsenal for various
home stations.

On Saturday his Imperial Majesty the Emperor
of Russia's frigate, the Olege, 50 guns, screw
steamer, arrived at Sheerness from the Downs, and
saluted the garrison with 21 guns, and the flag of
the Commander-in-Chief, Vice-Admiral W. J.
Hope Johnstone, with 15 guns, which were respec-
tively returned with the same number. The Olege
is now engaged in taking in a supply of coals pre-
vious to her departure for Plymouth.

The following appointments were made yester-
day at the Admiralty :—Dr. John Johnson (c),
surge, to the Sanspareil ; Dr. Wm. Carmichael, act-
ing assist-surg. to the Immortalite ; Charles C.
Mitchinson, acting assist.-surg. to the Jaeon ; Wm.
Stewart and Geo. Sullivan, acting third-class assist.-
engineers to the Cumberland, as supernumeraries ;
John Reeth, acting third-class assist.-engineer to
the Indus, as supernumerary; and Alfred Smith,
assist.-clerk to the Colossus.

7718 ARMY.

Major-Gen, Eyre, in command of the forces at
Chatham, has issued an order to the officers under
his command, stating his intention of carrying out a
system of strategical operations with the forces at
his disposal, in order to instruct the officers and
men in the nature of the duties they will be called
upon to perform when suddenly required to en-
ounter an attacking force in the field. With this
view he has issued instructions for the officers and
man to obtain a correct knowledge of the country
around this garrison, extending as far as Maid-
stone; the officers being especially required to study
the best mode of disposing of troops to attack an
enemy at Maidstone, supposing them to have ad-
vanced so far as that town, and at the same time the
most effective way of retreating on the metropolis.
In connection with these movements the entire force
of the garrison, numbering about 6,000 men of all
ranks, are to be held in readiness .or a sudden
movement from the garrison, proceeding nearly as
far as ;Maidstone, the force being distributed, and
ferent
marching towards that point by dif-
colur"teB. 'Pile Royal Engineers, accompanied
by the transport
Train, are to be waggons of the Royal Engineer
lercou thel3' iv b
concentrated in the neighbourhood
of A ylesford,w
will be waiting with their
pontoons in order tofirma bridge across the river.
Each of the troops w
supplied with a certain
number of rounds of blank abt tridge, and a line of
communicatiou will be ketu
etween the garrison
and the operating forces by Pmeans
of pickets. Simi-
lar operations have occasionally been undertaken by
the troops at Chatham during the
vast
those now decided upon by Major_G year, but
eneral Eyre
will be on a much more extended scale.
Colonel Laolonni, an officer of the Sardinian
cavalry, intrusted with a special mission to this
country, for the purpose of entering into negotia_
tions for the manufacture of English ordnance for
the Sardinian Government, yesterday visited Wool-
wich Arsenal, accompanied by Mr. Pegg, one of
the contractors, with a view of making arrange_
ments for proving at the Government butt a num-
ber of guns and mortars already completed. A few
of each description were received at the Arsenal
some days ago, but, in consequence of the pressure
at the present moment on the proof department, it
was stated that a delay of some 10 or 14 days must
necessarily:ensue before the request could be com-
plied with, due notice of which would be forwarded
to the Sardinian Embassy in London. One of the
heaviest Armstrong siege guns manufactured in
Woolwich Arsenal, under the superintendence of
Mr. John Anderson, was yesterday tested at the
proof butt. The gun was fired two rounds, each
time with a charge of 251 b. of powder and a 100 lb.
4hot. The trial was perfectly satisfactory, and the

gun was forthwith stared with others of that class
proved during the preceding days of the week, to be
issued for service. A couple of the Whitworth
cannon were afterwards subjected to the ordinary
test. The first was a 12-pounder, which stood the
trial exceedingly well, and was very much admired.
The power of the gun was of such an extraordinary
nature that the shot penetrated completely through
the mound of earth against which it was fired. The
second, an 84-pounder, was then fired—two rounds
with a charge of 241 b. of powder and a service shot.
After the second ronnd it was observed that the
joints had started, showing a crevice at that part of
the gun where the junction of the segments is
effected. The crevice, although exceedingly slight,
was clearly perceptible when pointed out by those
accustomed to that duty. Several 40-pounder guns
have been subjected to the most severe proofs at
the Royal Arsenal butt with the utmost success.
The manufacture of 80 and 100 pounders is now
being carried on extensively, relays of workmen
being employed at the faetories night and day.
The experiments with two 68 and two 32
pounder smooth-bore guns against the Martello
tower at Bexhill were brought to a close on Thurs-
day last, and the result proves incontestably that,
at the same range (1,030 yards), these weapons are
perfectly harmless as compared to the Armstrong
guns. Although a much larger amount of ammu-
nition was used than at Eastbourne, the damage
done to the Bexhill tower was unimportant, and it
has now been resolved to renew the experiments at
a range of 400 yards. . .

The Himalaya, screw steamship, Captain J. Sec-
combe, having embarked the Dublin City Militia
Artillery at Portsmouth yesterday, in addition to
the troops previously enumerated, sailed from that
port yesterday for Kingstown, where the troops
will disembark and proceed to Dublin, the City
Militia Artillery taking up quarters in the Linen-
hall Barracks until their disembodiment.
Capt. Poore, of the artillery division of Royal
Marines, two sergeants, and two corporals, belong.
ing to the Woolwich division, will proceed to St.
Albans to-day on recruiting service for the divi-
sion. Lieut. Brand, one sergeant, one corporal, one
drummer, and 45 privates are also under orders to
embark at Portsmouth, for service. The remainder
of the Marines will be draughted from the artillery
division.

The staff officers of the new battery, to be com-
manded by Major G. Davis, have been appointed,
and, with the exception of a few gunners, the bat-
tery which is attached to the depot brigade is now
complete.

Workmen are now employed in sinking wells on
the site of the new barracks at Gravesend, and the
contractors are about to commence the foundations
of the building.