The Sun.
London, England, 1860-03-12 00:00:00

TILE NAVY.

The new screw steam corvette Barron, laid down
in August, 1858, in Woolwich dockyard, and com-
pleted under the superintendence of Mr. Turner,
master shipwright of the yard, was successfully
launched on Saturday from the building shed, and
was immediately afterwards brought round to the
dry dock to be coppered and brought forward for
commission. The following are her dimensions :
Length between perpendiculars, 225 feet; length of
keel for tonnage, 179 ft. Tin. ; extreme width, 40ft.
Bin. ; ditto for tonnage, 40ft. 4in. ; ditto moulded,
39ft. Bin. ; depth in hold, 24ft. 2in. ; burthen in
tons, 1,623 48-94. Her armament, which• will be
furnished from the Royal Arsenal, will consist of
one 95 cwt. pivot gun, 10 feet long, and twenty 60
cwt. 8-inch guns, 9 feet long. A new screw steam
vessel, the keel of which has been prepared, is to be
laid down forthwith on the same slip.

On Thursday a survey was held on the defects of
the screw steam sloop Mutine, 17, Commander W.
Graham, in Plymouth Sound.
The paddlewheel steam sloop Virago, 6, Corn. M.
B. Dunn, got up steam in Plymouth Sound on
Thursday, and left with supernumeraries and stores
for Ireland. On returning she will call at Pembroke,
and accompany the Howe, 121, to Plymouth.
The screw steam frigate Diadem, 32, Capt. Cock-
burn, received her new -bowsprit alongside the
Devonport dockyard on Saturday, and was then
towed to her moorings in Hamoaze.
The screw steamship Nile, 90, Capt. K. Barnard,
having been repaired, will be removed out of Key-
ham steamyard on Thursday, and placed at her
moorings.
It is expected that the screw steamship Trafal-
gar, 90, Capt. E. G. Fansha.we, will leave Plymouth,
to-morrow (Tuesday), probably to join the Channel
squadron at Lisbon. Her crew were paid wages
under the supervision of Admiral Sir T. S. Pasley
on Friday, and the starboard watch obtained leave
until to-day (Monday).
Letters received at Plymouth from the screw
steamship Sanspareil, 70, now at Cork, state that
the crew is aUicted with smallpox to such an ex-
tent that the captain cannot obtain permission to
leave her, although he has just experienced a severe
domestic loss.
The Firefly, 4, paddle, Master-Commander S.
Kead, arrived at Spithead yesterday from Woolwich
on her way to Malta, where she will supply the
place of the Tartarus surveying vessel, recently
paid off there by Commander A. L. Mansell.
The Prussian transport Elbe, Lieut.-Commander
R. Werner, arrived at Spithead on Saturday from
Hamburg, to accompany the Prussian squadron to
China. The Elbe is fitted with a screw steam-launch.
The Sprightly, paddle, Master-Commander Allen,
and the Pigmy, paddle,' Master-Commander John-
stone, both returned to Portsmouth from the west-
ward on Saturday.
The Dee, paddle, Master-Commander Pullen,
arrived at Portsmouth on Saturday from Woolwich
with boilers and machinery for the ships fitting out
at that port, and some superheating gear for the
Royal yachts.
The Castor, 36, is being completed at Chatham
for the service of the Naval Coast Volunteers, and
will be stationed off Greenhithe. She is only to be
supplied with a portion of her armament—namely,
18 32. pounders, each 56 cwt. and 9 feet 6 inches
long, which will be disposed on her main deck.
The screw frigate Galatea, 26, 800-horse power
(noviinal), is nearly completed at Chatham for the
steam reserve.

The quarterly examinations of the candidates for
naval cadetships commenced at the Royal Naval
College, Portsmouth, on Wednesday last.
Vai ions numbers, ranging from 300 to 900, hired
artisans and others, working in Devonport dock-
yard, are spoken of as likely to be discharged, in
consequence of the diminution of the Parliamentary
grant this year. The screw steamship Robust, 91,
now_ building, will, it is said, remain some time in

Plymouthwon Thursday 18
inches below the ordinary frame. The tide receded at
°watermark, so that
Devonporta dockyard,
the
and the screw
some of the gunboats in 1110 am
stoaniship Lion, 90, alongside
grounded. The highest tide for tie
week occurred
on Saturday, when it rose over the breakwater in
the Sound.
The followilig appointments were made
Saturday at the Admiralty :—Commander... on
to the Megmro, commissioned ; H. F. yJeatmuant,
midshipman, to the Mersey ; E. C. Drummond,n
midshipman, to the Nile; and P. J. Lucas, 'd h•
nu s ip•
man, to tho Mutine.
__—............—,r—j,......