The Sun.
London, England, 1859-12-24 00:00:00

IHE NAVY.

The augmentation iv. Chatham dockyard ordered
by the Admiralty a shoit time since has now been
made, the whole of the additional mechanics,
artisans, and labourers having been entered, with
the exception of the shipwrights, a number of
skilled workmen in that department being still
required.
The paddlewheel steam vessel Porcupine, Capt.
H. C. Otter, was placed alongside the hulk Argo,
in Hamoaie, on Tuesday, and on Wednesday she
was taken into Keyham steam yard to refit.
The screw steamship Centurion, 80, Capt. Patey,
at Plymouth, is receiving- tanks, and her stores are
being stswed in the hold.
The ordinary defects of the screw steam store-
ship Himalaya, Captain John Seccombe, at
Plymouth, are made good ; but in consequence of
the condition of her decks, and the lateness of the
season for crossing the Atlantic, it has been detei-
mined to alter her destination froin the West Indies
to Alexandria. She is diecharging ordnance stores
and shipping dry provisions. ,
The paddre•wheel steam sloop "Hydra, 6, Com-
madder V. Hamilton, in Plymouth, is destined for
foreign service shorty: On Thausday she was
placed alongside the coal flepot:"Lavir*t, in the
Sound.
The paddle-wheel steam tender Avon, Second-
Master George Day commanding, left Plymouth
on Thursday for Falmouth to return 50 men bor-
rowed from the Russell, 60.
The crew of the screw steamship Nile, 90, Capt.
A. P. E. Wilmot, C. 8., at Plymouth, were inspected
on Thursday by Port-Admiral Sir B. Reynolds,
K.C.B.
The crew of the steam frigate Emerald, 51,'Cap-
tain Cumming, will be paid wages at Plymouth.
The screw line-of-battle ship Edgar, 91, bearing
the flag of Rear-Admiral Erskine, second in com-
mand of the Channel fleet, arrived at Portland
early on Thursday morning, under steam, from the
westward. The Royal Albert, 121, flagship of Sir
Charles Fremantle, got up steam and left in the
afternoon for Plymouth, in order to go into dock
and effect necessary repairs. On leaving the har-
bout. the Royal Albert saluted the flag of Rear-
Admiral Erskine, which was duly responded to.
The Blenheim, 60, Capt. Scott, is expected to
leave Portland 'for her new station at Milford
Haven in a few days, and is to be replaced by the
Colossus, 80.
The Dee, paddle, Master-Commander Pullen,
sailed from Portsmouth for Woolwich yesterday.
The Queen, 86, screw, Capt. C. F. Hellyer, has
been taken out of- the steam basin at Portsmouth,
and berthed alongside the Bellerophon hulk in the
harbour to complete her outfit for sea.
The Thetis (Prussian frigate), Capt. Jachtmann,
has been towed out of Portsmouth harbour to
Spithead.
The Mutine, 17, screw, Commander W. Graham,
at Portsmouth, will test her machinery and the al-
terations which have been introduced for the im-
proved ventilation of her fore stokehole on Tuesday
next.

The crew of the Asia, guardship of steam ordinary
at Portsmouth, were paid money yesterday and
granted leave ashore until the 28th inst. The
crews of the- other ships in the harbour and the
boys on board the Victory had also money paid
them and leave granted ashore to enable them to
visit their friends during the forthcoming festive
season.

Monday, the 2(;th, will be observed as a close
holiday in the dockyard and other public establish-
ments at Portsmouth and Gosport.
The following is an extract of a letter from her
Majesty's ship Simoom, dated St. Vincent's, De-
cember 1 :

" We arrived here to-day--11 days from Ports-
mouth. Ship sailing well. We coal here, and then
proceed on to the Cape. All well on board. Mail
leaves for England in half an bOur."
The Hero, 91, Capt. Seymour, at Spithead, is
under orders for sea. Her crew have had leave
ashore since she has lain at Spithead.
The crew of the Melpomene, 51, at Spithead, are
having leave ashore by watches.
The following appointments were made yester-
day at the Admiralty:—Commander J. K. E.
Baird, to the Alacrity, commissioned ; and James
Warren, acting third-elass assistant engineer addi•
tional, to the Fisgard, for service in the Widgeon.
The Adelaide, No. 5 transport, is shipping a
powerful supply of guns, shot, shell, and a large
amount of every necessary from Woolwich ,Ar-
senal, for the speedy subjugation of the Celestials.
She is likewise shipping 800 tons of patent fuel
brought alongside in barges. No. 6 transport, the
Sir :William Peel, is ordered down to Woolwich
Pier, on Tuesday next, to commence shipping a
similar cargo. The following transports have been
chartered by the War Department to ship military
stores from 'Woolwich :—The Trio, the John Brooks,
the Wolverene, the British Empire, the Christina,
the Malabar, the Jenny, the Incardine, and the
Symmetry. The War Department have issued in-
structions for the military guards to be re-estab-
lishee, in the Royal Arsenal, Woolwich, on the same
duties as performed Drier to the Russian. war, the
police force to rezpin in charge of the entrances as
heretofore; the regulation to commence on the Ist
of January. The main guardroom, at ;:.resent occu-
pied by Mr. Mall:1113u anl the assistant commis-
sioners of police, wiii is consequence be resigned to
military. An appropriate building for that
°ours° of erection adjacent 'to the
police-station, qi be sera:min ted by a :_4emi-
turret, to contain_ the Arsenal bell. The entire
labeerie ce blishment of the
- • e esta Arsenal, with the
exception of the storekeeper's department, were
yesterday Reid their wecl's wages, and, with the
sanction of the Se
eretary of State for 'Par, the
whole •of the departments, with . the
Wednesday
morning after Christmas, with the proviso that
10 hourg are to be,retrieved by the men at the rate
of two hours on each of the succeeding five days
of labour. The storekeeper's department will be
unavoidably deprived of an equal privilege in con-
sequence of the emergency of continuing the ship-
ment of stores for China. -

purpose is now in

ch

a.m.