The Sun.
London, England, 1867-04-24 00:00:00

Naval and Military In telligeLce.

After attending Divine Service on Sunday at the
Chapel in Devonport dockyard, Mr. Corry, the First
Lord of the Admiralty, and those colleagues who
are with him, drove to the new forts at Creasdon
and Tregantle in Cornwall, erected for the protec-
tion of the arsenal. When this inspection was con-
cluded they returned by Mount Edgcumbe to
Cremyl!, and then went on board the yacht En-
chantress in Ilamoaze. Mr. Corry was prevented
by an attack of rheumatism from leaving the En-
chantress in Hamoaze on Monday. Vice-Admiral
Sir J. C. Dacres, K.C.8., one of the sea Lords, left
her at 9 a.m., and went on board the gunnery ship
Cambridge, Capt. Charles J. F. Ewart, and exer-
cised the men. At 11 o'clock, accompanied by Lord
Lennox, Capt. Brandreth, Mr. Ward Hunt, Major
Clark, and Mr. Yorke, his private secretary, the
Admiral landed in the Royal William Victualling
Yard, when he was received by Capt.-Superintendent
Edward Codd, and the principal officers. They
visited several of the stores, the mill, and bakery,
and inspected the books in the office of the Store-
keeper, and then proceeded to the Royal Marine
Barracks. Especial attention was paid to the new
front in Durnford-street, and to the ground recently
purchased from the Great IVestern Dock Company,
on which several additional buildings are to be
erected. A company of 24 men having parsed through
the Snider breech-loading drill in their presence,
they left for the Royal Naval Hospital, and there
visited most of the wards belonging to the officers
and to the men, and appeared to take much interest
in several of the cases of accident. By the time
they had inspected the men's smoking sheds and
the kitchen and store-rooms it was 6 o'clock. The
Enchantress left Plymouth at 7 the next morning
for Dartmouth.

The Racoon, 22, for the Cape of Good Hope, the
Rodney, 78, for Japan, and the Vestal, 4, for the
West Coast of Africa, left Plymouth Sound yester-
day morning. The Prussian sloop of war Niobe,
14, from the West Indies, for the Baltic, was towed
into the offing yesterday morning by her Majesty's
steamtug Scotia.

The armoured screw iron frigate Minotaur, 6,621
tons, 1,350 nominal horse power of engines, Capt.
J. G. Goodenough, just completed in her outfit at
Portsmouth al the flagship of Rear-Admiral Fred.
Warden, C. 8., as second in command of the Chan-
nel Fleet for 1867, went out of Portsmouth harbour
to Spithead on Monday, and on that day and yester-
day she was put through preliminary trials of her
machinery, preparatory to her official trial of speed
over the measured mile. The official speed trial of
the ship would yesterday have been carried out had
the weather been favourable. As it turned out, how-
ever, the wind ble w at a force from 6 to 7, or a strong
gale, and under these circumstances the speed trial
of the ship was postponed until the weather should
be suitable, in terms of the Admiralty regulations,
which expressly stipulate that no ship shall be tried
over the measured mile with the wind at a stronger
force than three. The engines of the Minotaur on
both days worked admirably, supporting the repu-
tation of the manufacturers and designers—Messrs.
John Penn and Son. The Minotaur cannot now
be tried for some days to come, owing to the flow
of the tides, and it is just possible therefore that the
ship may in the meantime be placed in dock to
" fine" the pitch of her screw, which is known to be
much too coarse to develope the ship's maximum of
speed.

The unarmoured screw gun vessel Myrmidon,
4,200 horse power, preparing for launching at
Chatham dockyard, has been fitted with the whole
of her engines and machinery by the contractors,
Messrs. Humphreys and Co., as she lies on the
building slip, and, in accordance with orders to that
effect received from the Admiralty, she is to be
ready for launching by the ensuing month of June.
She will then be enabled to get up steam as soon
as she is afloat, the Myrmidon being the first vessel
ever launched from a building slip at Chatham en-
tirely complete in her engines and machinery.
During her construction it has been found necessary
to depart from her original designs, in consequence
of the increase made iu the size and weight of her
armament, additional strength having been im-
parted to her by the introduction of angle and plate
iron wherever found practicable, to enable her to
carry the 6k-ton guns she is intended to mount at
her broadside.

The composite double-screw gunvessel Beacon,
one of the squadron of iron and wood steamers of
light draught building at Chatham dockyard from
the designs of Mr. E. J. Reed, Chief Constructor of
the Navy, has been put in frame, and the first of
her water-tight bulkheads completed. A portion of
her main deck wrought-iron beams have been laid,
while her bottom wood planking has been bolted to
the iron frames. Since she was laid down the Bea-
con has been inspected by a number of the leading
iron shipbuilders connected with London, Liverpool,
and Bristol,who have been invited by the Admiralty
to tender for the construction, of the other vessels of
this class. The Beacon is being built on perfectly
flat sections, which will give her a comparatively
light draught of water, enabling her to operate in
harbours and creeks, while her double propeller will
give her superior manoeuvring powers, rendering
her, in short, a most useful vessel for the particular
service for which she is building.
Her Majesty's 7 gun steamship Chanticleer, com-
missioned on the 30th of March last at Woolwich
by Commander W. W. S. Bridges for the Pacific,
was yesterday supplied with her war materials at
the powder quay off Woolwich arsenal, and was
finally inspected by Commodore Edmonstone and
Mr. J. Lory, Naval Secretary. The result of the
official trial of speed made at the Lower Hope,
under the inspection of Commodore Dillon, is
given with Captain the Hon. Arthur Cochrane's
patent vertical tube boiler as over ten knots at full-
boiler
pressure ; and at half pressure over eight
knots. She left Woolwich yesterday after the in-
spection, and went down to Greenhithe, and swung
for the adjustment of her compasses, under orders
to take her departure this morning to call at Spit-
head for further orders.

The Admiralty steam yacht Vivid, Staff-Com-
mander T. W. Sulivan, having conveyed Prince.
Henry of Prussia and suite to Antwerp, yesterday
returned to Woolwich, and, after filling in her coal
bunkers, took up her moorings in ordinary off the
dockyard.
About 200 tons of chain cables and anchors were
yesterday despatched in dockyard lighters, from
Woolwich, for embarcation on board the steamship
Memphis, in the V•ctoria Docks, for conveyance to
Alexandria for the service of new steam transports
recently built for carrying troops to and from India,
viz., the Crocodile, built by Messrs. Wigrain at
Blackwall ; the Euphrates, built by Messrs. Laird
at Birkenhead ; the Jumna, built by Messrs. Bal-
mer at Yarrow ; the Malabar, built by Messrs.
Napier, at Glasgow ; and the Serapis, built by the
Thames Iron Works Company at Blackwall. The
whole of the ships will be very shortly stored and
ready for sea in case of being required.
The War Department store vessel Lord Vivian,
Mr. Dimond, commander, yesterday commenced
shipping from Woolwich Arsenal 32-pounder guns
and war material for the armament of Chester
Castle, and ammunition and general war stores for
Pembroke and Dublin, and the hired ship iodotria
went inside the T pier, in readiness to receive a cargo
of stores for Bermuda.

A quantity of building materials, 40-pounder
Armstrong round shot and shell, and general stores
were yesterday sent from -Woolwich to the London
Docks for shipment on board the Eliza Thornton
for Simon's Town, and the chartered ship Alfred
Vittery, for Bermuda. The steamship Cadiz and
the Ethel, also in the London Docks, received Go-
vernment stores from Woolwich for Gibraltar and
the Mauritius, and the Robert and Hannah moored
inside the 'l' pier at Woolwich, and commenced
shipping Palliser shot and shell for distribution at
Portsmouth.

The screw steamer Achilles, which arrived at
Gravesend from China on the 20th inst., landed her
detachments on Monday, when the time-expired
men were forwarded to join their respective depots.
A❑ order has been received at Chatham directing
detachments of non-commissioned officers and men,
together with three officers belonging to the depots
comprising the battalions of infantry, to be ready to
proceed to ilythe on May 1, there to undergo a
course of instruction with the Snider rifle.