The Sun.
London, England, 1858-08-07 00:00:00

THE NAVY.

It is sail that in consequence of the royal yacht Victoria
and Albert drawing too much water to allow of her entering
Antwerp hat bour the Queen will proceed thither in the
Osborne; and thit the Lords of the Admiralty, who were
about to proceed in the Osborne on a tour to the various
hartouts of refuge on the coast, will embark in one of the
steam frigates—the Curacoa or Diadem. It is certain that
the Curacoa is beim,: fitted out for some extraordinary pur-
pose—rumour has said, to convey Lord Stratford de Redcliffe
from Marseilles to Constantinople.
The Cumberland, 70, Captain John B. Dickson, attended
by the paddlewheel frigate Terrible, 21, Captain Glasse, left
Spithead yesterday afternoon for Plymouth, the former to
be paid off and repaired.

The Erebus, 16-gun battery, was taken into the ship basil
at Portsmouth yesterday, for repairs, &c.
The Sutlej freight-ship sailed from Spifhcad at 1 p.m
yesterday, with troops for Calcutta.
Admiral Lord Lyons's squadron, consisting of the Royal
Albert, 121; Renown, 91 ; Euryalus, 51; Diadem, 32 ;
Curacoa, 31, and Racoon, 21, came up to Spithead about 6
o'clock last evening, from Cherbourg.
Tate screw steam-ship Hawke, 60, Captain James Will-
cox, C. 8., from Ireland, arrived at Plymouth Sound on
Wednesday evening, and was towed up Hamoaze, oa
Thursday.
His Netherlands Majesty's screw steam-frigate Everstee,
Captain play, from flushing, for a cruise in the Channel,
arrived in Plymouth Sound yesterday morning. She is a
new ship, and is reported to sail well. Her engines are of
400-horse power.
The Dee steam-vessel, Master Commander Thomas C.
Pullen, arrived at Sheerness yesterday at 8 a.m., from P:r
mouth.

The Hydra steam-sloop,Comtnander Hamilton; eft Sheer-
ness at 10 a.m. yesterday, ou a trial of her machinery, pre-
paratory to her receiving her sailing orders.
The Norwegian man-of-war sloop Edith', Commander
Lorange, left Sheerness at 8 a.m. on Thursday, for Frede-
rieksvaern.

The important advantages derivable from the povrer
and eflicacay of tiie poi table ships' pumps employed in the
service of her Majesty's navy have induced a number
of inventors to bring forward various kinds of machinery
adopted for that purpose, a number of which have recently
undergone experiments in Woolwich dockyard, with the
sanction and approval of the Board of Admiralty. Yester-
day a competitive course of experiments, continuing
ce.ssantly for about four hours, was carried out betweea
Downton's and Roberts's pumps, the former having
been in use in her Majesty's service during the greater
portion of the present century—Roberts's pump, which
works on the principle of a steam-engine,or piston play'
with two barrels, 61 inches each, double action, and 7-inch
stroke, calculated to throw 927 cubic inches of water per
stroke, against Downton's, with one single 9.inch barrel,
and 9-inch stroke, equal to 572 cubic inches of water Per
stroke. Consequently from the respective dimensions of the
two pumps, the one possesses 60 per cent. power or capacill
more than the other. Yesterday's experiments consisted is
filling and emptying a number of measured tanks, and
finally the barge itself on which the two pumps were fixed,
each pump being worked by six of the dockyard
labourers. Throughout the trials Downton's purnpy_lilat"
withstanding its inferiority in size, was pronounced 85 Per
cent, superior in its effect. Two extra hands were added to
the working power of Roberts's pump, leaving the original
number of six to Downton's; nevertheless the superiority
remained in favour of the latter. Several preceding glide
reported to the Admiralty have also taken place with the
like results, exhibiting the superiority of the old pump.
The iron paddlewheel steamer Princess Alice, for the eel"'
veyance of Commodore Shepherd, Superintendent of 'Wo'
with Dockyard, to Gravesend, to be in attendance ou the
Royal yacht, was yesterday hauled out of Woolwich basin'
Preparations are in progress at Gravesend on a scale simner
to those arranged for the departure of the Princess Royal
from England. lier Majesty is expected to embark $,
Gravesend on Tuesday morning for Antwerp. The present.
preparations are under the direction and at the expense 0'
Government solely.
The Aid, Grundy, master, left Sheerness yesterday With
stores for Portsmouth and Devoqport yards.