The Sun.
London, England, 1858-08-19 00:00:00

THE NAVY

Her Majesty's ship CtEsar, 91, Capt. Frederick, arrived
in Portland harbour on Sunday alteraoon, and left for the
westward on the following evening.
Notwithstanding very heavy rain at Devonport on Tues-
day the Lords of the Admiralty managed to get through a
considerable portion of their official duties. The weather
detained them on board the Diadem until half-past 11, when

Ley pro a to inspect the ships under repair at Keyham
steam-yard, and the imputaut works now in progress there.
In Dock No. 1 is the steamship Himalaya, fitting for the
conveyance of troops • this vessel was about two years since
taken into the same dock, her rudder was then obliged to be
put hard over, and it touched the bilge of the caisson
placed in the outer stop, and when the vessel was grounded
the front of her stem was only three - quarters of an
inch from the rock at the fore part of the dock. The dock
has since been lengthened, and will now allow a vessel
about 14 feet 6 inches longer than the Himalaya to be
docked—viz., 365 feet 6 inches, just about the load line.
The Himalaya is to be undocked in the course of the
week to receive her boilers, and the Orlando, having her
boilers in place, will he taken halo the same dock in order
to remove her launching gear and to c,pper her bottom, &c.
When ready for undi,cking she will he replaced br the
Himalaya, to have her propeller shipped, which cannot be
done otherwise, as she has no well communicating with the
upper deck. Tire Himalaya is being fitted for the rec- ption
of 1,200 hoops, me-s accommodatian for 850 of whom will be
on the main deck, and 350 on the lower deck. A separate
berth for 40 women is fitting en the lower deck forward.
Instead of the military hospital being below, it is now pre-
pared on the main deck forward, in a better ventilated posi-
tion on the starboard side. The navy hospital is opposite.
Her engines are undergoing a thorough repair. While
lying at Calcutta some large native rats went on board, and
iner,asing on the passage swarmed the ship on arrival. They
infested the wood casings round the iron beams, cut through
the soil-pipes of the water closets, and stole the officers'
light clothing from their dressing tables. The stench from
these vermin is almost insupportable in some parts of the
ship, and measures are to be attempted for their external-
nation.
In Dock No. 2, is the Turkish ship of the line Fethia, re-
ceiving machinery and fitting for a screw. The foremost
sternpost of this ship has been found very rotten and must
be shifted, also many of the after timbers. These defects
will keep her much longer at Keyham than was at first
considered necessary.
In Dock No. 3, or the Queen's dock, is the steam frigate
Encounter, 14, receiving a large repair, preparatory to her
joining the second-class steam reserve.
In the South Basin are the paddle-wheel steam sloop
Virago, 6, Commander Dunn, and screw steamship Hawke,
60, Captain James Willcox, making good defects; screw
steamship Doris, 3d, complete; screw steam sloop Brisk,
16, complete; and the steam sloop Geyser, 6, waiting to be
repaired.
In the North Basin is the new screw steam frigate Or-
lando, 50 (recently launched at Pembroke), under large
crane, taking in her eight large boilers, and other machinery
suitable for her engines of 1,000 horse power.
Much less, comparatively, has been done to Keyham
works during the current year, in consequence of the re-
duction by the present Ministry of the amount of the pro-
posed grant for extending the new works as originally in-
tended. Excepting the north-western portion of the great
storehouse now in hand the whole of the great quadrangle
and adjoining buildings is nearly seven acres in extent.
The quadrangle with the fitting and erecting shop, large
boiler shop, the various blacksrniths'shops in the quadrangle,
large foundry, storehouses, &c., are now occupied by the
workmen under the chief engineer, Mr. Trickett, and his
staff ; and, from the splendid collection of new machinery,
constructed by the first manufacturers in the world, Key-
ham may in a few years be superior to any similar esta-
blishment at home or abroad.
In consequence of the abandonment of the committee's
vote of £20,000 the connexion of the Keyham works with
the Cornwall Railway is for the present suspended, as well
as the extension of the yard northward. A short specimen-
line of light rails, with a 7-foot gauge, has been laid along
the east wall of the north basin to the boiler shop, and has
proved highly beneficial for the transmission of Huge steam
boilers, some of which weigh 30 to 35 tons. On tire river
front of the old powder works borings, varying from 5 feet to
70 feet deep, have been taken, with a view to the extension
of the north basin (yet in an unfinished state), and of pro-
ceeding with the works northward. The north basin is now
only 500 feet long; when extended it will be 1,060 feet, or
thereabouts, and will include a long dock of 500 or 600 feet,
with suitable entrances.
On the south of Keyham-yard Moon Cove is to be im-
proved by deepening the water, so as to enable merchant
vessels to discharge coal or other merchandise into the
Government vaults at the mouth of the Keyham-tunnel.
On this inspection Sir John Packington was accompanied by
a full Board. They inquired into every detail, and ex-
pressed their unqualified admiration of the works and
machinery completed and in progress. Their lordships gave
an hour's interview in the Superintendent's office, and
granted the men the usual half holiday. The guardship in
ordinary, the Royal William, 120, Captain Woodward J.
Williams, was then visited, and the men of the ordinary
mustered. After spending half an hour on board the Dia-
dem, Sir John Pakington proceeded, at 4 o'clock, to the
flagship Impregnable, 104, Captain William H. Stewart.
His lordship, who was accompanied by Admiral Milne and
Mr. Corrie, was received with a salute of 19 guns and yards
manned. The ship's company was first mustered, the ship
was then inspected, and the naval apprentices exercised at
general, quarters. Their discipline excited the admiration of
their noble visitors, especially Captain Jerningham, of the
gunnery ship Cambridge. While on board the flagship Mr.
Riddle's new " cone" code of signals was exhibited. Their
lordships dined on Tuesday with Major-General Eden on
Mount Wise. Before leaving the port of Plymouth it is their
intention to inspect the Great Western Commercial Docks,
which were examined above four years since by the Board
if Admiralty, who considered that as a coaling depot they
would become a valuable adjunct to the other Government
establishments, to which they are contiguous.
The screw steamship Royal Albert, 121, Captain the Hon.
Francis Egerton, will be put out of commission in Devonport

to-morrow.
The steam frigate Terrible, Capt. Frederick 11. H. Glasse,
C. 8., &c., and the steam-frigate Valorous, Capt. William C.
Aldam, arrived at the Nore at 6.30 p.m. on Tuesday—the
former having the Queen, 116, in tow, from Plymouth; the
latter in attendance in case of need. Yesterday, at 8 a.m.,
both frigates lashed alongside the Queen, and brought her
into harbour, where she remains moore
The Locust steam-vessel, Lieutenant-Commander John B.
Field, has arrived at Sheerness with volunteers from the
Northern ports. The Locust will be refitted and leave again
for the protection of the fisheries on the east coast of Eng-
land and of Scotland.
The following appointments were made yesterday at the
Admiralty :
Lieutenant Edward White, to the Victor Emmanuel;
Lieutenant E. A. luchraft to the Hawke, vice White; F.
L. Kelly, master, to the Hannibal, for service in the Falcon;
Samuel W. Brown, second master, to the Oberon; J. T. C.
Webb, second master, to the Hannibal ; and George Pat-
terson, second master, to the Orion.

THE ARMY.

Yesterday Major-General Peel, the Secretary of State
for War, accompanied by Sir H. Storks and by
Colonel W. F. Forster, K.H., the Deputy Adjutaxt-
General, resumed his inspection of the troops at
Chatham, and the barracks, hospitals, and other military
establishments at that garrison. At 10 o'clock the
whole of the recruits belonging to the three battalions
of infantry, consisting of the depots of the 7th Fusiliers, 9th,
10th, 19th, 20th, 23d Royal Welsh Fusiliers, 24th, 29th, 3.211
Light Infantry, 35th, 43d Light Infantry, 52d Light Infan-
try, 53d, Gist, 74 h, 81st, 84th, and 04th Regiments ,were
drawn up on the parade ground at Chatham-barracks, under
the command of their respective commanding officers, when
Gen. Peel made a minute inspection of the men, passing up
and down the ranks of each depot. The General also visited
the extensive barracks which are occupied by the East India
Company's depots, and inspected the ablution-rooms, bake-
houses, cooking-houses, libraries, schoocroorns, &e., and d or-
int.,: his inspection made frequent inquiries of the troops
whether their kits were good, receiving, without a single
exception, an answer in the affirmative. Gen. Peel, who
was accompanied by Col. Eyre, the commandant of the gar-
rison, during his tour of inspection, th n visited the mili-
tary hospitals, and afterwards proceeded to Fort Pitt, where
he was received by Dr. J. R. Taylor, C. 8., the principal
medical officer, who, with the medical staff at the hospital,
conducted him over that extensive establishment, where lie
remained some time. On quitting Fort Pitt Gen. Peel pro-
ceeded to the military prison at Fort Clarence, over which
he was shown by Capt. Manners, the governor, the inspec-
tion of the several departments belonging to the prison oc-
cupying him until late in the afternoon.
Yesterday tenders were received at the East India-house
for the conveyance of nearly 3,000 additional reinforements
to India, the War authorities having decided on despatching
that number of cavalry and infantry troops to India imme-
diately. The reinforcements are to be apportioned to the
three presidencies as follows—viz., 1,350 men for Calcutta,
to embark at Gravesend on the 2d mud 3d of September; 470
to Bombay, to embark on the Ist of September ; 240 to Ma-
dras, to embark on the 7th of September; and 190 to Kurra-
chee, to embark on the Ist of September.
The last trial for the purpose of testing the superiority of
the Lancaster rifle musket over the Enfield rifle, in prac-
tised hands. took place at Chatham a few days since, when
a number of non-commissioned officers belonging to the
Royal Engineers were selected to try their skill against an
equal number of non-commissionedofficers.selecte f t
dfrom he
3d battalion of the Line, the Royal Engineers, as be ore,
using the Lancaster rifle, and the Infantry non-commis-
sioned
officers the Enfield rifle. Tie experiments took place
under the direction of Capt. G. R. Lempriere, the instructor
a num
of musketry to the Royal Engineers
Each man was lied with be
2r of officers
rounds of
being present. supplied
ball cartridge, the targets being fixed at distances varying
from 350 to fide yards. After a few rounds had been fired it
was soon evident that the palm of superiority would be
again awarded to the Lancaster rifle, in the hands of the
non-commissioned officers of the Royal Engineers, whose
practice was excellent, ball after ball being sent
into the target at six hundred yards distance. At the
close of the trial it was found that out of 20 rounds the
average number of " points" made by the Royal Engi-
neers was 15.88, the non-commissioned officers of the
Line only averaging 8.00. The finest practice of the day
was that by Sergeant Cann, R.E., who made the '
un-
precedented number of 23 " points." The result of the ex-
periments is that out of three trials the average number of
tt points" made by the Royal Engineers was 15.88, and that
by the troops of the Line, with the Enfield rifle, only 12.62.
Major-General Sir William Fenwick Williams, K.C.8.,
M.l'., Commandant of Woolwich garrison, having been
granted 14 days' leave of absence to proceed to the Conti-
nent, has solicited au extension of leave of absence,for the
purpose of visiting Nova Scotia, the place ofhis birth, which
the Commander-in-Chief has been pleased to sanction. On
his arrival in Nova Scotia it is the intention of the proprie-
tors of the Acadian Iron Company there to present the gal-
lant General with an exquisitely w rought sword, manufac-
tured from die produce of the mines of their colony, the
scheme having been projected and prepared soon after the
sufferings of the hero and his companions and the evacuation
of Kars had become known to them in that distant country.
Staff-Sergeant Collins, for many years drum-major to the
Royal Artillery Regiment at head-quarters, Woolwich, has
been permitted to retire from the service on a pension of 2s.
6d. per day, having been 24 years as non-commissioned
officer and private in that corps. On receiving his discharge
from the Royal Artillery be will take up the duties of Band-
master in the Royal Antrim Rifles, in command of Colonel
the Marquis of Donegal!, G.C.H. In addition to his retir-
ing pension of 2s. Gd. per day he will receive 1150 per
annum by virtue of his new appointment.
The committee appointed to conduct the affairs of the late
Mr. Francis Pellatt, principal military storekeeper of Wool-
wich Arsenal, have received a reply from the Lords Com-
missioners of the Treasury, stating their regret that they
have no funds at their disposal to meet the request of the
committee, soliciting a pension for the widow of the de-
ceased, the salary having been paid up to the day of his
death, beyond which there is no legal or established claim.
Lieut.-Colonel Maude and the head-quarters staff of the
Royal Horse Artillery, with the mounted portion of the A
and K troops, in command of Brevet-Major Le Mesurier
Tupper and Brevet-Major Arbuthnot, marched into Wool-
wich on Tuesday evening, anti took up theirfor-ler quarters
in the west range of the Royal Artillery barracks.