The Sun.
London, England, 1866-01-10 00:00:00

Naval and Military Intelligence.

The screw corvette Archer, 13, Capt. Marten,
which, in consequence of sickness, was compelled to
leave her station on the West Coast of Africa for
Ascension, arrived in Plymouth Sound yesterday
with the quarantine flag flying. At the island an
assistant-surgeon and eight seamen died. The
Archer left on the 9th of December, and during the
passage the second-master, Mr. T. Turner, and three
seamen died. There is no sickness on board now.

The iron frigate Minotaur will have the defect in
her condenser repaired by the workmen of the steam
factory department of Portsmouth Dockyard by the
end of the present week. As at present contem-
plated, therefore, the original arrangements for the
first series of trials in the Channel with the new
competitive 12i-ton gun-carriages will be carried
out with this frigate ; at the same time it is most
probable the trials will be continued in other ships
—vessels of smaller tonnage than the Minotaur, such
as the Bellerophon and Royal Alfred. These two
latter would be much more suitable vessels for the
purpose than the Minotaur, having been built or
converted with the ports of their central batteries
specially framed and fitted for 12i-ton guns, and,
being of much less bulk of hull, would obtain a
greater " roll" when under trial in the Channel. The
Minotaur is too large a vessel to give a roll equal to
that obtained by the Royal Sovereign when last
under trial by Capt. A. C. Key, C. 8.-1.6 degrees
each way, unless under exceptional attendant cir-
cumstances of wind and weather.

The Wivern, 4, screw iron turret ship, Capt. H.
T. Burgoyne, V.C., ordered to proceed round to
Devonport from Portsmouth, to undergo a thorough
refit, has been detained at the latter port to receive
the iron carriages for her 12k-ton guns. The car-
riages arrived at Portsmouth onMonday in the Lord
Panmure, screw ordnance transport, from Wool-
wich, and the four guns to mount on them have
been transferred to the Wivern from the Scorpion,
recently paid out of commission at Portsmouth by
Commander Commerell, V.C. The Lord Panmure,
on arrival at Portsmouth on Monday, made fast for
the night in her usual berth alongside the gunwharf
jetty, and yesterday morning when her hatches were
opened to discharge her cargo the hold was found to
be full of water, the vessel having evidently
settled upon some stone or old pile stump at low
tide during the night, which had opened a
hole in the bottom plates. Pumps were sent
aboard to clear the hold of water yesterday
morning, so as to land the cargo and repair the
damage. It is somewhat remarkable that both the
carriages and guns which the Wivern will have in
her turrets should have been sunk in the screw ord-
nance transport in which they left Woolwich before
they could reach their destination, the Scorpion's guns
having gone down in the Balaklava off the coast of
Ireland, on her way to Liverpool from Woolwich.
The Tamar, screw, iron troopship, Capt. Stirling,
refitting in No. 8 dock at Portsmouth, is ordered to
undock on the 19th inst. Her bottom plating below
the water-line has been coated with the Admiralty
preservative and anti-fouling compositions, with also
patches of other preparations, including Roman ce-
ment, applied on the plan proposed to the Admi-
ralty by Capt. C. P. Coles, R.N.
The Salamis, 2, paddle despatch-vessel, Com-
mander Suttie, fitting at Portsmouth for service in
China and Japan, will be ready for sea about the
middle of next month. Her crew are on leave until
the 22d inst.

The Royal Alfred, 18, iron-cased frigate, 800
horse-power, at Portsmouth, has her machinery
ready for its water pressure trial, and will at an early
date make the preliminary contractor's trial of her
engines and boilers under steam outside the harbour,
preparatory to her official trial of speed at light
draught over the measured mile in Stokes Bay.
Rear-Admiral William Turner, on the retired list,
died at his residence in Portsmouth yesterday. The
deceased officer entered the navy in 1816, and sub-
sequently served on board her Majesty's ship Sea-
mander, Vengeur, and Queen Charlotte as first-
class volunteer and midshipman, and in the Sybille
as Acting Lieutenant. His promotion to a Lieute-
nant's rank was confirmed in May, 1823, and as such
he served on board the Romney troopship and his for-
mer ship the Sybille, bearing the broad pendant of
Commodore F. A. Collier, on the coast of Africa.
O'Byrne's Naval Biography, 1849 edition, says:—
" For the valour he (Lieut. Turner) displayed in
command of the Black Joke tender, carrying one
long 18-pounder on a pivot, with a crew of 43 men,
in an action of two hours with a Spanish piratical
vessel mounting 14 guns on Grover's carriages, with
a crew of 87 men of all nations, he was promoted
by the Lord High Admiral to the rank of Comman-
der on the 14th of July, 1828." His last appoint-
ment was to the Dryad, 42 (in May, 1830), Capt.
John Hayes, with whom he served as Second Cap-
tain on the coast of Africa.

The following appointments have been made at
the Admiralty:,.--Lieut. Thomas S. Jackson and
Lieut. Charles A. Blake to the Excellent; and
Archibald L. K. Murray, nominated to a naval
cadetship.