The Sun.
London, England, 1858-11-10 00:00:00

THE NAVY.

Port-Admiral Sir Barrington Reynolds, K.C.8.,
struck his flag on board the Impregnable, 104, in
Hamoaze, on Monday evening, the gallant Com-
mander•in-Chief having been granted a fortnight's
leave of absence.

The paddle-wheel steam frigate Centaur, 6, Cap-
tain William Clifford, was inspected at Plymouth
Sound, on Monday, by Admiral Superintendent
Sir T. Pasley. The crew were exercised at the
guns.

_
The surveying gunboat Shamrock, Master Wil-
liam Calver, is to be put out of commission in De-
vonport until the spring of 1859, when she will
resume her duties.

Experimental firing by the gunners of her Ma-
jesty's ship Excellent, on board the gunboat Snap-
per was resumed yesterday against the iron-cased
steam-battery Meteor, at Portsmouth. The range
was 400 yards, at which distance five shots were
fired against the battery. None penetrated but they
battered the iron considerably where they struck,
making a very visible indentation ; the shot flew off
into fragments like a shower of grape or canister
after striking, from which it is augured they were
common cast-iron shot, instead of wrought or turned
as were those which penetrated the Erebus, and the
one which went through the Meteor on Monday,
and which did considerable damage to the wood
framing or lining of the broadside. As soon as the
firing was over both yesterday and the preceding
day a pall of black tarpauling or canvas was low-
ered over the parts fired upon to exclude the gratifi-
cation of curiosity by " outsiders." The Meteor has
been under fire before, and under less ignoble cir-
cumstances. She was commissioned on the 22d of
May, 1858, by Capt. F. B. P. Seymour (now of the
Pelorus, 21-gun corvette on the China station),and
was towed out to the Black Sea ; and although she
could not (nor any of the same family) carry her
armament out with her, yet when she had remounted
it she carried herself very respectably under fire
from certain Russian batteries at Kinburn.

A court-martial, comprising Rear-Admiral the
Hon. G. Grey, President ; Capts. H. Eyres, C. 8.,
of the St. Vincent ; G. H. Seymour, C. 8., Aide-de-
Camp to the Queen, of the 'Victory ; R. H. Hew-
lett, C. 8., of the Excellent ; R. Harris, of the Il-
lustrious ; and Mr. Heller, Deputy Judge-Advo-
cate of the Fleet, assembled yesterday on board the
Victory, in Portsmouth harbour, to try Commander
J. W. M‘Donald and Mr. W. P. Braund, the mas-
ter of her Majesty's troopship Urgent, for negli-
gently navigating that vessel, whereby sho took
the ground off Chichester on the night of the Ist
of Nov., 1858. Lieutenant Cowper, the officer of
the watch at the time of the accident, and other
witnesses, were examined in support of the charge
The Court, after hearing the evidence and com-
pleting the inquiry, was of opinion that sufficient
allowance was not made for the speed of the ship
and set of the tide between 5.50 and 6.50 on the
evening in question, but as the commander and
master showed great anxiety and attention to their
duty on that occasion, the Court only recommended
them to be more cautious for the future.

'His Netherlands Majesty's steam squadron, con-
sisting of the frigates Evertzen, 50, Capt. May,
carrying the flag of Rear-Admiral t'Hooft ; the Ad-
miral Wassenaer, 45, Capt. de Vaynes van Brakell;
and the corvettes Vice-Admiral Koopman, Captain
Van der Moore ; Citadel van Antwerpen, Capt. de
Gelder ; and Vesuvius, Capt. de Casembroot,weighed
from Spithead under sail yesterday morning at an
early hour, the flagship Evertzen firing a parting
salute of 17 guns, which Sir G. Seymour's flagship
Victory returned. During the stay of the Dutch
squadron at Portsmouth the crews have behaved in
an exemplary manner, and their officers have exhi-
bited the most gentlemanly demeanour in their in-
tercourse with the inhabitants. The naval and mili-
tary dignitaries have vied with each other in show-
ing the gallant -visitors the utmost courtesy and
hospitality. His Netherlands Majesty's Consul,
Chevalier Van Den Bergh, has been also indefati-
gable in his attentions to them, and coaled the whole
squadron by his own means. The Dutch Admiral
weighed for Madeira.
The following appointments were made yesterday
at the Admiralty :—W. Warburton, paymaster ad-
ditional to the Wellesley ; J. Whittall, paymaster
additional to the Formidable ; T. M. Jenkins, assis-
tant paymaster to the Cressy ; D. J. Yeoman, as-
sistant paymaster to the Urgent ; R. H. Hansell and
M. 0. Markham, clerks to the Marlborough; A.
G. Young, clerk to the Hawke.