The Sun.
London, England, 1860-09-21 00:00:00

271 E NAVY.

Yesterday the Lords Commissioners of the Ad-
miralty paid an oficial visit of inspection to the
dockyard and the naval establishments at Chatham.
The members of the Board present were the Duke
of Somerset, Vice-Admiral the Hon. Sir IL S. Dun-
das, K.C.8., Captain C. Frederick, Mr. S. Whit-
bread, M.P., Rear-Admiral Lord Clarence Paget,
C. 8., M.P., Rear-Admiral Sir Baldwin W. Walker,
X.C.8., Controller of the Navy ; Col. G. T. Greene,
Director of Admiralty Works ; and Capt. J. Moore,
C. 8., private secretary to the First Lord. Their
lordships' arrived at the Stroud junction shortly
before 12 o'clock, and at once embarked on board
the Admiralty State barge, which conveyed them
across the harbour to the Queen's-stairs, where they
lauded. A guard of honour of the Royal Marine
Light Infantry, with the divisional band and
colours, under the command of Capt. A. Butcher and
Lieuts. Creighton and Mascall, was drawn up at
the head of the stairs, and received their lordships
with the customary honours. Their lordships, on
landing, were received by Capt. G. Goldsmith, C. 8.,
the Superintendent; Col. E. Rea, Commandant of
the Royal Marines ; Commander Pope, Master-
Attendant ; Mr. 0. W. Long, Master-Shipwright
Mr. R. Laws, Storekeeper; Mr. Clatworthy, Ac-
countant, and other leading officials of the establish-
ment. Prior to commencing their inspection of the
dockyard their lordships proceeded to the office of
the Captain-Superintendent, where they were occu-
pied some time in the transaction of official business.
Passing along the various ships their lordships pro-
ceeded on board the iron-cased steam floating bat-
tery Trusty, 14, 200-horse power, which is in dock
for the purpose of being surveyed and repaired. Some
time was spent by their lordships in examining the
effects of the shot and shell upon her during the re-
cent experiments at Shoeburynesswiththeelongated
shot from the Armstrong guns. Mr. Lavie, master-
shipwright;pointed out to their lordships the ravages
which the rot has made in the timbers of this
powerful battery, several of which are so far gone
that they will have to be entirely removed. Their
Lordships gave directions for the necessary repairs
to be proceeded with. Their Lordships then in-
spected the works in progress for lengthening and
making a new entrance to No. 1 Dock. The altera-
tions when completed will enable a line-of-battle
ship to be docked with ease. The entrance part of
the dock has had an addition of nearly 20 feet made
to it, and new gates are being erected, the entrance
portion being at the same time considerablywidened.
Their Lordships next proceeded on board the Are-
thusa, 51, and Bombay, 91, in adjoining docks,
which are undergoing the process of conversion
from sailing ships into screw steamers. They are
both in a very forward state, and will soon be out
of the hands of the shipwrights. The next vessel
visited was the improved screw frigate Undaunted,
51, 600-horse power, which is about three-fourths
completed. Another new 51-gun frigate, named the
Belvidere, of 600-horse power, is building on the
adjoining slip. The other vessels over which their
Lordships were conducted were the two fine line-
of battle steamers Bulwark, 91, and Royal Oak, 91,
the latter recently commenced. In addition to these
their Lordships were also shown the Rattlesnake,
21, the Reindeer, 17, and another screw steamer
building, but not yet named. The steam vessels
ITing off the dock fitting for the steam reserve were
next inspected. They were the Orpheus, 21, 400-
horse power, which has the greater portion of her
machinery on board ; the Racehorse, 4, 200-horse
power ; the Plover, 4, 200-horse power; the Linnet,
2, 60-horse power; and the Pigeon, 2, 60-horse power.
On reaching the eastern extremity of the dockyard
their Lordships briefly inspected the site of the pro-
posed new docks. Leaving this part of the establish-
ment their Lordships passed the iron gunboats laid
up, most of which are in excellent condition, and
proceeded to the several factories, passing through
the metal mills, and spending some time in witnes-
sing the working of the ponderous machinery for
rolling and performing other operations on the cop-
per and other metal required in shipbuilding. They
also went through the smithery, where the heavy
Nasmyth hammers were at work. After completing
this portionof the inspection their lordships partook of
luncheon at the official residence of the Superin-
tendent, at the conclusion of which the Duke of
Somerset and the other members of the Board in-
spected the improved diving apparatus recently
introduced by Mr. Heinke, who pointed out the
improvements he had effected, which do away
with any possibility of accident to the diver. Their
Lordships were also occupied some time in examin-
ing the results of some experiments which havJ
been undertaken in order to lessen the loss result-
ing to the copper casing for protecting ships of war.
One piece of copper was exhibited to their Lord-
ships which originally weighed 91b. 60z., but after
four years was found to have lost 21b. In weight.
The next establishment visited was the ropery,
where the process of making the largest ships'
cables was witnessed, after which their Lordships
proceeded to the Royal Marine Barracks, where
the division of Royal Marines, numbering 800 men,
was drawn up in line, under the command of Col.
E. Rea. The men marched past and performed
other manoeuvres, reflecting the highest credit on
both officers and men. The site for the additional
barracks for the Marines was then inspected by
their Lordships, the proposed alterations involving
an outlay of about £lOO,OOO, of which £50,000 has
already been voted. Their Lordships will resume
their inspection of the storehouses, &c this day,
and also visit the extensive works in &c., this
St, Mary's Island.
The guardship of steam ordinary Wellington, 72,
Captain Astley C. Key, C. 8., in Hamoaze, has been
shifted to another pair of moorings to give place to
the Indus, 78, which was towed there yesterday
(Thursday) from Devonport Dockyard.
The screw, steamship Brunswick, 80, is appointed
to be put out of Keyham basin, Plymouth, to-day
(Friday), and the gunboat Speedy to be taken in
to receive her machinery.
In a letter to his relatives at Plymouth, a young
officer on a Government . transport in the China
Seas writes as follows, under date Ta-lien-whan
Bay, July :—" The transport, Lady Ann, No 6,
CaPt—Sinclair, left Calcutta on the 20th of March,
with Sikh cavalry on-board, in tow of the steamer
Sydney, ter Hong
Kong, and arrived there on the
21st, having called on
the passage at Singapore for
coal. She landed her cavalry there for a few weeks,
and then re-embarked them and left in tow of the
Arracan steamer en the Bth of June; the gunboat
Drake, No. 78, Lieut. and Commander Arthur R.
Blane, being also in tow. After proceeding with
the Lady Ann as far as her orders, the Arracan cast
her off, but retained the gunboat. All three_ arrived
here on the 21st of June. The Sikh Cavalry were
landed from the transport about a week since, and
it is expected they will re-embark on the 25;h—I
suppose for the Peiho, but this is not at all certain.
The,bay here has two or three villages on its shores,
but the Chinese deserted them entirely, and our
troops and the Commissariat have taken partial
charge of them. A market tent is established for
the purpose of buying cattle, provisions, Bto., from
the Chinese who come in from the country, in charge
of r provost-Marshal. We are not at war here
exac'ay, still a vedette is stationed about 20 miles
out from the camp and is relieved every two days.
The nearest fortified, town is over 40 miles distant.
Lord Elgin is it
have
also
General
to have arrived here. We
Sir R Napier, Sir Hope Grant,
and Vice-Admiral °Pe, Chesapeake 51, blue at the
fore, and Admiral, jonsa,
Imperieuse 61, blue at the
mizen. We are in lat. between
38 and 39 N., and
long. 121, 122 E., and although the climate is very acted to be extremely
temperate in summer, it is exp
month
th
four of the
d
severe and cold in the winter. The
Peiho is very little to the north, and about
to the westward. It appears that the French have.
a rendezvous at another place, some distance from
here, and are not yet ready. Of them we hear but
little, except through the rumours and yarns,
w&cil.l,
of the men-of-war's men. I believe this place
be retained by forces left to guard it during the
war. Two Armstrong guns are being mounted on
the top of a hill, which has the interior open. A
pier is buildthg, under the superintendence of the
sailing meter, Mr. Hockley, of the steamship
Odin, 16;, it is
called Hockley Pier after him.
It is built for the
troop more ezpoPurpose of landing and embarking
ki
94vulY by ;MU of gunboat ,