The Sun.
London, England, 1860-12-10 00:00:00

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yQsterday tit
The Retribution, 28, padd Car mmedore 11. A.. s
Edgell, C. 8., arrived at Spith,
Sher
before sunset, from China and t he East Indies.
sailed from Trincomalee on Sei 15th, arrived at
the Cape of Good Hope on 0ct0.13 er 23d, took in a
nd sailed again
few military and naval invalids, a
on the 27th ; put into Teneriffe, burning the
last of her coals, on the 28th of No ember ; and,
after taking in coals, water, and provis. ions, sailed
flenee for England on the 30th Nov 10 crossing.
the Bay of Biscay she encountered a heavy gale of
wind from W.N.W. The ship and her machine ry
are in a very disabled sttate, and at one part of La "r
voyage it was doubtful whether she would eve.,"
reach England. She awaits girders at Spithead.
The Firebrand, 6, paddle, Commander J. M..'
Bruce, sailed from Spithead on Saturday morning
by the Needles passage, for the West Indies.
The Geyser, 6, paddle, Commander G. M. Jackson,
sailed from Spithead on Saturday for the westward.
The Himalaya screw troopship, Capt. J. Sec-
combe, is ordered to be fitted with new cylinders
at Keyham-yard. The cylinders now on board have
been in a very defective state the whole period of
the ship's commission, but, nevertheless, the ship
has gone over upwards of 80,000 miles with them
since Capt. Seccombe has commanded her,
Some interesting experiments have been made at
Spithead from the Traveller gunboat, under' the
supervision of Capt. Sir L. M'Clintock, with two
new sounding instruments from her Majesty's ship.)
Bulldog. The first instrument is the one invented"
by Mr. Steil, assist.-engineer of the Bulldog, and
used repeatedly on board that vessel during her
recent expedition to the coast of Labrador. A de-
scription of this instrument appeared in the The
Sun of Thursday last. Its weight is 241 b., and it
has always answered admirably in both deep and
shallow water. In deep water sling shot can be
attached to it, which detach themselves on reaching
the bottom. The other instrument is only for deep
water, for which it is specially intended. It is
named by Sir L. M'Clintoek. "the Bulldog ma-
chine," as it owes its existence to the experience
obtained in that ship. It consists of two parts—
a detaching cylindrical weight, and a pair of
hemispherical scoops, of the same nature as Mr.
Steil's, but larger, which, until the instru-
ment has reached the bottom, are kept open by'
the detaching cylindrical weight above them.
On reaching the bottom the weight is de-
detached and the scoops closed by a stout india-
rubber band. The application of this indiarubber
band is due to Dr. Wallich, the naturalist of the
late expedition, and experience has proved that it
retains its retractile force undiminished as far down
as 2,000 fathoms. It is expected that a new instru-
ment now making in the dockyard on this plan will
only weigh 101 b empty, notreckoning the detaching
weight, and 141 b when filled with sand or mud.
The experiments with both were highly successful.
The Amethyst, 26, Captain S. Grenfell, from the
Pacific station, will, on being paid off' at Chatham,
be placed in the reserve ordinary at that port.
The Myrmidon, 4, one of the new class of screw
despatch gunvessels now building at Chatham, seve-
ral of which are in progress at the other yards, was
commenced being planked on Saturday, the utmost
despatch being used in completing her.
Vice-Admiral Sir W. H. Stewart, K.C.8., struck'
his flag as Port Admiral on board the Impregnable,
104, Captain Lord F. H. Kerr, at Plymouth on
Friday evening. His duty during his absence
devolves on Rear-Admiral Sir T. S. Pasley, Admi-
ral-Superintendent of the Devonport dockyard.
The screw gun vessel Nimble, 5, was taken out-
side Plymouth Breakwater under steam on Satux-
day, to prove her machinery, the previous trial not
having given entire satisfaction. The screw gun-
boat speedy was taken from Hamoaze into the
Sound on Saturday to try her engines. Both re-
turned to Hamoaze.

The shipwrights in Devonport dockyard are pre-
paring the frame of the African, which will be laid
down in No. 2 slip, where the Petrel, 11, was re-
cently launched.
The paybooks of the screw line-of-battle ship
Hero, 91, Commodore G. H. Seymour, at Plymouth
h:ve been returned from the Admiralty, and the
crew will probably receive their wages early in the
week.
Commander J. Brown, Master-Attenduni- of
Devonport Dockyard, returned to his duty there
from Portsmouth on Saturday.

Steam was got up on Saturday on board the gun-
boat Porpoise, tender to the Royal Albert, 121, and
she went from Hamoazo into Barn Pool, Plymouth,
where she took on board her powder. She is now
ready to attend the Royal Albert on her arrival
with the fleet, which is shortly expected.
The screw steamship Howe, 121, was hauled on
Saturday under the sheers in Keyham-basin to
have her propelling apparatus lifted.
The coppering of the new screw steam frigate
Liverpool, 51, at Devonport, was completed on
Saturday ; she will probably vacate dock No. 3
early this week: when the Flying Fish will go on.
Mr. Robert B. Nicholson aid Mr. Wm. Hawks-
ley were on Saturday appointed as acting third-
class assistant engineers to the Asia as supernu-
meraries.