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

TFr- GRAND NAVAL REVIEW.

The naval review of yesterday must assuredly
have attracted to the coast of Hampshire the great-
est multitude ever assenibled in that busy and
populous portion of our island. On no one occa-
sion were Portsmouth and the adjacent towns ever
before visited by so, vast a concourse of people ;
nor'will the scene they presented fade rapidly from
the memory of the spectators.
The architectural arrangements of ,Portsmouth,
Landport, Southsea, Portsea, Langston, and Gos
port are such as to, euggest the idea that these kin-
dred towns are not on speaking terms—that, in
fact, there has broken out among them a family
feud of the deadliest description, but the entente
cordiale was yesterday complete. Portsmouth and
Landport, Portsea and Southsea, Langston and
Gosport made common cause in the presence of a
common invader, whom, however, it is but right
to say, they received with open arms ; and never
certainly was there such an invasion as that to
which the seaports of Hants were yesterday and on
Tuesday subjected. Every train, both of the South-
Western and the South Coast Railways, brought
thousands of new arrivals, till at last the streets
became so densely-crowded. as to be scarcely pass-
able. The demand for lodgings greatly exceeded
the accommodation the various hotels could possi-
bly afford, and after 7 o'clock on Tuesday evening
the traveller could not be sure of obtaining, either
for love or that yet more powerful agent, money, a
shelter for the night. To -those who had had the
good luck to secure beds for themselves, but to
none others, it was infinitely amusing to see their
less fortunate fellow-travellers wandering through
the streets and " mooning" about, weary and foot-
sore, in search of similar accommodation. Beds
fetched fabulous prices. Three or lour guineas
was the ordinary charge at midnight, and we have
been credibly assured that in some instances the
lodging-house-keepers had the conscience to de-
mand 151. for a single bed ! Whether they per-
mitted the tenant to take the bed and bedding
away with him in the morning is more than we
were able to ascertain, but they ought to have done
so. Thousands of persons sat up all night ; many,
we are assured, slept on board various vessels in
the harbour, and many, no doubt, spent the night
walking about on the ramparts, and took no hori-
zontal refreshment whatever. Fortunately, it was
a fine night, and there was a good view of the
moon. The day broke*gloriously, glasidening the
external world and sending sunshine to the breast
of every one. They may say what they like about
our gravity and so/idite, and all the rest of it, but
no people on earth can enjoy a holiday with a;
keener relish than the Eaglish ; and the re never
were hearts—if our climate would let them—better
formed to be joyous and happy than ours. And
really it is no such bad climate, after all. It is
the best-abused in the world, but it scarcely de-
Serves all the reproaches heaped upon it. It is all
very well to talk about " a London particular,".
and a summer that is only winter painted green,
and a year that consists of eleven months
wet and one month moist ; but there is no
country in the universe where, when there is a
fine day, it is finer than in England. But, let this.
be as it may, it is at least certain that yesterday
the weather was glorious. The sun was on his good
behaviour, and it was gala day with him as with
everybody else. The guns in Portsmouth were,
however, somewhat erratic in their mode of an-
nouncing the dawn.' First came a fusillade of
musketry, the firelocks of the sentinels on board
the ships of the fleet being discharged as the mi-
nute arrived that day was "calculated " to dawn.
This seemed quite en, regle, but several minutes—
some 10 or 15—afterwards a huge 32-pounder was
fired to denote sunrise. After the lapse of another
ten minutes a third explosion announced that the
garrison recognised the daylight, this last visitation
being accompanied by a flourish from a most asth-
matic bugle. Soon after 6 the town was astir, and
gradually the streets became peopled with anxious
throngs crowding towards the various places of
embarkation, many of the visitors in elegant cos-
tume. The scene at an hour later• resembled the
multitude of a Derby-day noon more than an
aquatic spectacle.
- It is now 42 years sinoe Portsmouth has wit-
nessed a parallel demonstration—parallel, at least,
in many circumstances—to that over which the
Queen has just presided.
How close and yet how different is the parallel
between the review of yesterday and that of 1814.
Forty-two years have elapsed between them, and
wrought great changes in the powers and politics of
Europe. The review of 1814 was a humiliation to
France. Russia, Prussia, and Austria had shared
in our labours, and rejoiced in the common triumph.
In 1856 the nephew of the Emperor, to destroy
whose power we formerly lavished our men and
money with almost wanton prodigality, has esta-
blished his dynasty upon the throne of France, and
Napoleon 111. is the most faithful and powerful
ally of Great Britain.
In spite of the changes which science has intro- •
duced into the art of war—in spite of the revolu-
tion which steam has wrought in all naval contests,
her position as the foremost power is the same. Old
England in 1856, as in 1814, is the mistress cf the
deep—the one great empire whose supremacy
wherever the ocean rolls is uncontrollable and un-
disputed.
To fully appreciate this proud mastery, we have
but to consider for a moment the gigantic arma-
ment which yesterday covered the waters of Ports-
mouth from land to land. There assembled at the
Sovereign's bidding no less than 26 screw line-of-
battle ships ; nearly 40 frigates, paddlp and steam ;
2 mortar batteries ; 4 wrought-iron floating bat-
teries ;50 13-inch mortar vessels ;20 sloops,. cor-
all
and 164 screw gun-boats ; in
vueptwt easr,d ands
of brigs
3boOgssail of men- of -w a rro,
armedlng
bayn
41%70-
gate tonnage of 150,000 to nand
seamen, carrying 3,800 guns, firing aotliodneir doins-
.
charge a broadside of nearly 90 tons of s
Has England, with all her ceuturieasroafbpleowtoerthains
victory, ever witnessed a fleet comp
It seems almost monstrous to think that such a
fleet should have been assembled drily to be dispersed
again—that we should, while a war was raging,
have been short of vessels for its proper conduct,
and only when a peace was declared have been able
to take the sea in a manner worthy of the chief
maritime power of the earth.
At ten the vessel on which we were located
steamed out towards the fleet, following in the
wake of the lumbering Megeera and a host of other
vessels, either sailing or steaming.
It was not until well clear of the harbour that a
good sight of the fleet in all its gigantic magnitude
was to be obtained. It is almost difficult t' say
where it lay, because it would be next to impossible
to say where it did not. One great dark line of
line-of-battle ships, frigates, and corvettes could
indeed be distinguished far and wide, but the rest
of the tremendous armada was here, there, and
everywhere. The floating batteries were anchored
off Gilkicker Point, plunging heavily before the
slight swell, and looking dark and terrible, like
over-charged thunder clouds. The mortar boats
were crammed away into Stokes Bay as well as it
could hold them. The gun-boats formed two
parallel lines, reaching almost to the mouth of the
Solent.
The whole length of the line from north to south
Was, nearly six miles. Never within the memory
Of Man' had such a fleet assembled for a mere re-

view.
Though not entirely accurate (for we firmly be-
lieve even the Admiralty will not for some days
know the precise number of vessel; taking part in
t.he demonstration of yesterday), ytt the following
of the ships will, we think, be found as correct
as it is at this time possible to have them. We give
them precisely in the order in which they were
anchored :

STARBOARD.
Vice-Admiral Sir G. SE

'MOUB.

Ships.

Cap- aA m .

iGuns.

LI . p .

Royal George.._!
Nile
Conqueror
Cressy

Caesar ............
Algiers .........
Sanspa,reil • .•.
Centurion .......
Ajar ..•• .........
Hawke ..........

Hastings
Imperieuse
Araphiou

Cossack
Esk
Falcon
Conflict
Harrier
Eurotas
Seahorse

Men. Toi

920 61
850 259
930
750 257
850 MC
523 3'9
523 23
750
600 17(
600 17!
600 171
530 23
312 18'