The Sun.
London, England, 1858-12-23 00:00:00

THE NAVY.

Great efforts are being made at Chatham Dock-
yard to complete the line-of-battle screw steamer
Hood, 90, which has been on the stocks several
years, having been originally designed for a sailing
ship, in order that she may be launched early in
the ensuing year, when another 91 gun screw
steamer will be immediately laid down on the same
slip. About one-half of the shipwrights are
employed on the Hood to complete her by the
required time. The Atlas, 91, is also progressing
at Chatham, and it is expected to be completed by
the latter end of next year.
Her Majesty's ship Biter (tender to the screw
steam guardship Blenheim, at Portland), Lieut.-
Commander J. B. Groves, sailed from Woolwich
yesterday morning, after a thorough repair of
boilers and machinery. Rear-Admiral Shepherd, in
his inspection of the ship prior to her departure,
expressed to Lieut.-Commander Groves his extreme
satisfaction at the admirable order and perfect dis-
cipline of the service on beard the Biter, and re-
marked that, when he had an opportunity, as on
the present occasion, of expressing his admiration
of the mere than ordinary pains employed to carry
out the efficient rules of the service, it gave him
great pleasure to evince his satisfaction for the
laudable encouragement of every one concerned.
Her Majesty's troop ship Perseverance, Com-
mander E. R. Power, the arrival of which was an-
nounced in The Sun, went into Portsmouth yes-
terday afternoon. She brings home about 80 in-
valids, military and naval, some women, and a
great quantity of Government stores from Malta
and Gibraltar, which she left on the 10th inet. She
met with exceedingly heavy weather across the
Bay, and in coming up channel spoke the schooner
Eclipse from Xeva, which desired to be reported.
She has some trifling defects to make good.
Her Majesty's troop ship Urgent, Commander J.
W. D. M'Donald, arrived at Spithead yesterday
morning, having left Gibraltar on the 17th inst.
She brings home a few military and naval invalids,
a great quantity of old stores, and also many
bundles of blankets sent out during the Russian
war, but which have never been used. She went
into Portsmouth harbour in the afternoon.

Her Majesty's ship Argus, Commander H. F. W.
Ingram, went out of Portsmouth harbour yesterday
morning for Channel service.
Her Majesty's troopship, Rhadamanthus, Master-
Commander F. 11. Sturdee, sailed from Portsmouth
on Tuesday for Woolwich.
Her Majesty's troop ship Dee, Master Commander
T. C. Pullen, has received orders to proceed to the
coast of Ireland with bread, &c.

Her Majesty's Screw steamsloop Icarus yesterday
left Woolwich Dockyard at 10 25, under her own
steam, to test the engines of 150-horse power, sup-
plied by Messrs. G. Rennie and Sons. She was
abreast .of Gravesend at 12 10, a distance of 20
miles, against a three-knot tide. Her speed was
found to be about 11 knots per hour. The trial was
considered highly satisfactory.
The Avon, steam tender, sailed from Devonport
on Sunday for Pembroke, to bring some boys to
this port. _ _ . _ . . _

The Conway, 26, at Devonport, is being rigged
in the basin preparatory to proceeding to Liver-
pool, where she is to be stationed as a training
ship for the mercantile marine.
The Curacoa, 31, screw, Capt. Thomas H. Mason,
will go into Portsmouth Harbour to-day, and be
placed in' dock for examination.
The Royal William, 120, ordinary guard-ship,
Captain Woodford Williams, at Devonport, is to be
converted into a screw-ship, the Royal Adelaide,
104, taking her place as guard-ship.
THE NEW FLAG-SHIP FOR THE EAST
The whole of the joiners and plumbers of Devon-
port Dockyard are employed until six o'clock p.m.,
being two hours extra daily, in order to expedite
the fittin of the London, 90, screw, destined to
take the place of the Calcutta, as flag ship of the
new commander-in-chief ...on the East India and
China station. It is expected the London will be
out of the hands of the dockyard about the end of
next month.

DOCKYARD APPRENTICES.—An Admiralty cir-
cular, relating to the entry of apprentices, has been
republished. One-half the piloted number to be
entered are to be selected according to the highest
n umber on the schoolmasters' list, the other half to
be selected from among the sons of workmen ac-
cording to length of service, but in no case is a boy
to be entered who cannot read, write, and do the
first four rules of arithmetic.

The following appointments were made yester•
day at the Admiralty :—B. Woolley has been pro-
moted to Master; J. E. B. Bruee and H. Pearson,
Midshipmen, to the Liffey; A. T. C. Warrington
and H. D. Evans, Midshipmen, to the Curagoa ; S.
W. Moore, Paymaster, to be Secretary to Commo-
dore the Hon. J. It. Drummond ; E. A. William-
son, Paymaster, to the Excellent ; I. C. Little, Pay-
master, to the St. Vincent ; and H. P. Houghton,
Clerk, to the Pylades.
The undermentioned naval cadets were yesterday
appointed as follows :—S. C. Holland, A. R. Cooper,
E. C. Abbs, and P. Tudor, to the Victor Emmanuel;
H. D. Macaulay and W. NCilson, to the Racoon ;
H.. Rose, S. Hutchings, A. R. Mallock, aud A.
41. Lloyd, to the Renown ; M. M'Ncile, F. H.
Keyser, A. K. Bickford, and J. H. F. Owen, to
the Liffey ; R. H. Eyre, R. C. Pole, R. W. Hope,
and H. L. Ryder, to the Orion ; C. A. W. M. John-
son, J. C. Higginson, G. M. Loch, and W. Dutley,
to the Royal Albert ; H. A. Mandeville, S. L. Os-
borne, R. H. Paul, and G. H. Rainier, to the Marl-
borough ; G. P. Somerset, to the Conqueror, and
A. W. Whish, to the Chesapeake.