The Sun.
London, England, 1860-09-06 00:00:00

THE NAVY.

A letter dated Valetta, Sept. 1, says :
" Her Majesty's ship Orion, Capt. J. Frere, left port yes-
terday afternoon, and, with the Queen, is still sailing in
sight of the island. The frigate Melpomene and the cor-
vette Greyhound are under sailing orders, the former for
Corfu and the latter for Beyrout. It is reported, says a
Malta paper, that the Marlborough, nAv at Beyrout, will
be relieved by the Hannibal, and that the Marlborough will
take the place of the Hannibal at Naples.
"Her Majesty's ships of war in port are the St. Jean
d'Acre and the James Watt liners ; the Melpomene frigate ;
the Greyhound corvette ; the Boxer gunboat ; the Caradoc
despatch boat; the Hibernia receiving-ship (bearing the
flag of Rear-Admiral Codrington, C. 8.) ; and the Hearty
tug.
" The French steam-frigate Asmodeo returned from Bey-
rout to-day on her way to Toulon.
" The Peninsular and Oriental Company's steamer Mas-
silia arrived last night from Marseilles with the overland
portion of the outward Calcutta, China, and Australian
mails, and proceeded on to Alexandria after coaling. The
Indus, of the same company, arrived the same morning from
Alexandria with the heavy portion of the homeward, Bom-
bay, and Mauritius mails, and left a few hours afterwards
for Gibraltar and Southampton.
" The Russian frigate Grand Admiral, which has been
staying in our port for the last two or three days, resumed
her voyage to -day for Beyrout. She is a very fine ship,
and, although rated only as a frigate, is said to be larger by
1,000 tons than our line-of-battle ship the Marlborough.
During her stay here she was visited by a good many naval
and military officers and civilians. Yesterday Rear-Admi-
ral Codrington paid her a visit and received a salute due to
his rank, which salute was returned by the Hibernia, his
flagship."
The Immortalite, 51, screw frigate, made her offi-
cial trial of speed yesterday at Portsmouth. The
frigate left the steam basin at 1.30 p.m., in charge
of Capt. G. T. Gordon, commanding the steam re-
serve at the port, and steamed out of harbour for
the trial ground in Stokes Bay. Messrs. Murray
and Murdock, the chiefs of the dockyard ashore and
afloat in the engineering department, were on board
to superintend the trial on behalf of the Govern-
ment, while Mr. Warrener represented the contrac-
tors of the machinery, Messrs. Maudslay, Field, and
Sons. The Immortalite has had her bow length-
ened by 16 feet, with the purpose, as stated by Sir
J. Pakington when First Lord, of ascertaining what
additional speed ships of war would gain by a longer
bow and finer lines forward. Unfortunately, old
principles could not be set aside altogether even in
this instance, and the ship has now the same im-
mense overhanging weight of bowsprit, &c., out-
side her cutwater as before her alteration, and, what
is more preposterous still, her catheads with her
anchors and foremast have been carried as much
further forward as the ship has been lengthened.
The Immortalite is of 600 nominal horse-power,
but the engines have been constructed since 1855.
They yesterday worked beautifully, and showed
but very little variation in their revolutions. Under
full steam, with little vibration, the ship appeared
to part the water in a cleaner manner than usual
forward, raising but little sea under the bows ; but
she exhibited a great tendency to depress her bows
in the water. Her steering qualities were very good
indeed. Six runs were made at the mile, the ship
drawing 21 feet forward and 21 feet 10 inches aft.
The screw was Maudslay's adaptation of the com-
mon or Admiralty screw to,. their shifting blades,
with the leading corners cut off. The average of
the six runs gave a speed in knots of 12.533 ; revo-
lutions of engines, 55; pressure of steam, 20;
vacuum, 23. There was a total absence of hot
bearings, and no machinery could have worked more
evenly and satisfactorily.
The screw steamship St. George, 91, Capt. the
Hon. F. Egerton, from Holyhead, arrived at Ply-
mouth on Tuesday.
The sailing line-of-battle ship Boscawen, 70,
Capt. Richard A. Powell, C. 8., bearing the flag of
Rear-Admiral the Hon. Sir Frederick Grey, K.C.8.,
arrived in Plymouth Sound on Tuesday night. She
left the Cape of Good Hope July 7, St, Helena
July 22, and Ascension July 30. She has experi-
enced fine weather all the voyage, and has passen-
gers Lady Grey and Mr. Bewicke and son. The
Boscawen was put in commission on the let April,
1857, and has been constantly engaged as flagship
at the Cape. She will go into Hamoaze, where her
crew will be paid off. She spoke and signalised,
July 7, off the Cape of Good Hope, the Clara, from
Simon's Bay for England, with the 84th Regiment,
and an English ship, 3d distinguishing pendant
4,786 ; on the 16th, a barque, 3d distinguishing
pendant 2,160; on the 26th, the barque Philo ;
August 7. the ship Star of the North, from Foo-
chow-foe, 91 days, for England; on the Bth, the
ship Sir Robert Sale, from London, 24 days, for
Madras, and an American ship, 3d distinguishing
pendant 3,195 ; on the 10th the barque Wentworth,
from London for Calcutta; on the 11th, the barque
Warrior; on the 13th, the barque Thebes,los days
from Cochin for London; on the 20th, the barque
Victoria, of London; on the 27th, a brig, 3d dis-
tinguishing pendant 5,379 ; on the 28th, the ship
Castle Eden, from Moulmein ; and September 1, a
ship, 3d distinguishing pendant 720.

The following appointments were made yester-
day at the Admiralty :---H. Brown, Ist class assist.-
engineer; in lieu of a chief, to the Spiteful ; W. D.
Beaton, Ist class assist.-engineer, to the Ariel ; W.
Donnison, acting Ist class assist.-engineer, to the
Foxhound; S. Swan, 2d class assist.-engineer, to
the Landrail ; J. Master, 2d class assist.-engineer,
to the Pembroke, for service in the Magnet ; J. R.
Slade, acting 2d class assist.-engineer, to the Cora-
wallis, for service in the Fly; J. R. Agates, 3d class
assist.-engineer, to the Landrail ; E. E. Williams,
3d class assist.-engineer, to the Spiteful ; R. Dixon,
3d class assist.-engineer, to the Ariel ; A. H. Symes,
acting 3d class assist.-engineer, to the Spiteful; T.
Willmott, acting 3d class assist.-engineer, to the
Landrail ; W. Allen, acting 3d class assist.-engi-
neer, to the Foxhound ; J. T. Kelly, acting 3d class
assist.-engineer, to the Asia; and J. Jones, acting
3d class assist.-engineer, to the Dasher.