The Sun.
London, England, 1859-08-01 00:00:00

THE NAVY.

Her Majesty steamed through the fleet at Spit-
head on Saturday evening, and was received with
a royal salute from the entire fleet, &c. Her Ma-
jesty afterwards returned to Osborne.
Mr. W. H. Ward, of Auburn, United States of
America, who exhibited his signal telegraph for
the Ocean Marine service at Woolwich on Monday
last, as stated in The Sun of Tuesday, again at-
tended at the dockyard on Saturday, by order of
the Board of Admiralty, for the purpose of super-
intending a practical exhibition of his newly in-
vented flags for day signals, suggesting from their
form and adaptation of the colours as likely to ob-
viate the difficulty experienced in the use of our own
signal flags of distinguishing the colours when
twisted, entangled in the rigging, or in a dead calm.
The new flags are 13 in number, and are made in
pendant form with their colours divided trans-
versely, as follows :—The blue flag with white
centre 150 ; the blue flag is 1; the blue and red flag
is (the blue part attached to the halyard) 2 ; the blue
and white flag is (the red part attached to the hal-
yard) 3 ; the red flag is 4 ; the red and blue is (the
red part attached to the halyard) 6 ; the white flag
is 7 ; the white and blue flag is (the white part
attached to the halyard) 8 • and the white and red
is (the white part attached to the halyard) 9.
Being in a pendant form they float in a gentle
breeze, and from the arrangement of colours the
signals can be distinguished floating or drooping at
great distances. They are systematically arranged
to the alphabet for spelling phrases, sentences, &c.
The flags for " repeaters" are the same in form and
size as the numeral flags. The division of colours
is lengthwise, rendering them capable of acting in
a twofold capacity by reversing them. A definite
trial of their advantage in a dead calm over the old
signals is to be made at the masthead of the various
ships lying at Woolwich on the earliest opportu-
nity. Mr. Ward has received instructions from
the Lords of the Admiralty to exhibit his apparatus
for night signals at Portsmouth Dockyard also.
The hired transport Alma, Sharp master, 27 days
from Halifax, arrived at Woolwich pier on Satur-
day, laden with war stores.
Her Majesty's paddlewheel steam-sloop Prome-
theus went into basin on Saturday at Woolwich,
and will shortly be commissioned. The Rhada-
manthus was also taken into basin to be laden with
steam gear for the western yards. The Dee has
sailed with a cargo of boilers and machinery for
Portsmouth and Plymouth, and also took 150 no-
vices for the fleet. The Widgeon left Woolwich
on Saturday, taking a number of newly-engaged
sailor lads to Sheerness.
The Dauntless, 32, screw, Capt. IV. Edmonstone,
swung for adjustment of compasses in Portsmouth
harbour yesterday.
The sailing ship Cumberland, 70, Capt. Henry
D. Rogers, from the south-east coast of America,
arrived in Plymouth Sound yesterday.
The Nile, 91 guns, Capt. Wilmot, C.B. which
has been stationed in the Mersey for the fast few
weeks, has now completed her complement of men,
and is expected to sail to-morrow or Wednesday.
It is stated that she will be succeeded at that
station by the Duke of Wellington.
The French aviso Galilee has left Great Yarmouth
and proceeded to the north.
On Saturday afternoon the eeremony of launch-
ing the Mntine sloop-of war, 17 guns, took place at
Deptford Dockyard. The following are her dimen-
sions:—Length between perpendiculars, 172 ft. 6in.;
length for tonnage, 175 ft. Sin. ; length of keel,
152 ft. breadth (extreme), 33ft. 21,in. ; breadth
for tonnage, 33ft. ; breadth (moulded), 32ft.
; depth of hold, 17ft. Sin. ; burden in tons,
881 72.94. It is expected she will be taken to
Woolwich to-morrow to be fitted with her ma-

chinery.
Two hundred and fifty-six seamen volunteers have
arrived in Portsmouth during the past week from
London, Liverpool, Bristol, and the coast of Scotland,
.and have proceeded on board her Majesty's ship
Victory, for service in the fleet.
The Agamemnon, 91, screw, Capt. T, Hope,
:joined the fleet at Spithead yesterday from a cruise
in the Channel.

The ship Calcutta, 84, Capt. W. K. Hall, C. 8.,
from China, arrived in Plymouth Sound on Satur-
day evening. She called at Singapore, the Cape
of Good Hope, and St. Helena, having left the
latter port June 13. The equator was crossed on
the 17th in long. 21, 48 W., since which very fine
light airs, with occasional strong squalls from the
north-east have been experienced. The Calcutta
brings passengers Dr. Fitzgerald, Mr. P. T. R.
Hodges, Master Henry Hance, and Mrs. Herbert,
besides 60 British and 11 French invalids, two of

each nation died on the passage. The ship was com-
missioned March, 1856, and has been constantly in
China, chiefly in the Gulf of Pecheli. In an action
with a junk, January 4, 1857, her master's-assistant,
Mr. C. W. Pearn, was killed. During the commis-
sion three officers have died—viz., Lieut. Frederick
J. Campbell, December, 27, 1856 ; Mr. William
A. Watson, acting clerk, January 7, 1858 ; and Mr.
Vincent Eyre, naval cadet, February 10, 1858, at
Hongkong. Mr. James Wilcocks, first-class car-
penter, died on the passage home, April 20, 1859.
The Calcutta exchanged colours, May 26, with the
French bark Antonia, and June 18, with the Eng-
lish ship Tropic, and communicated, June 22, with
the ship Countess of Fife.
The gunboat Hind, tender to the Russell, was
placed in dock at Devonport on Friday for repair.
She carried away her bilge `streak by striking
against the edge of a half sunk pile.
The screw steam ship Caesar, 91, Captain Mason,
at Plymouth received her powder on Friday.
The steam gunboat Seagull, Lieut. Chimmo,
tender to the Porcupine, left Plymouth on Friday
for her surveying station.
Rigging was got over the mastheads of the St.
George at Devonport, on Friday.
The naval instruction brig Ferret, 8, Commander
Fisher, was towed by the Zephyr, on Saturday, from
Hamoaze into Plymouth Sound.
The. paddlewheel steam vessel Firebrand, 6,
Captain Denman, which has been taking soundings
between Plymouth and Gibraltar, for the purpose
of laying a telegraph cable, returned to the Sound
on Saturday.
The Turkish line-of-battle-ship Shadiah, which
has been some time under repair and conversion at
Keyham steam-yard, was undocked on Saturday,
and put into the basin.

The launchof the Bacchante frigate at Portsmouth
on Saturday took place in the most successful man-
ner. His Royal Highness Prince Alfred Arrived
in the Fairy, Royal yacht, from Osborne, and was
present during the proceedings, attended by his
Serene Highness Prince of Leiningen and Major
Cowell. His Royal Highness appeared to take
much interest in the explanations made to him of
the position of the cradle and " ways," the action
of the dogshore screws, the hydraulic pump, &c.
About 11 a.m. Admiral W. Bowles, C. 8., Naval
Commander in Chief, Rear-Admiral Superintendent
the Hon. G. Grey, with Miss Bowles, sister of the
t Commander in Chief, and who was to per-
t'aorlanthe ceremony of christening the vessel, made
their appearance on the platform close to the ves-
sel's bows, and over which was suspended the bottle
of wine wreathed with red, blue, and white
ribands. The preparations for the launch of the
ship being completed, Miss Bowles came forward,
and, with the words " Success to the Bacchante,"
swung the bottle forward. The dogshores were now
knocked away, but for some few minutes the Bac-
chante appeared to hang. At 20 minutes past 11
she began to move, and the noble fabric slowly and
majestically glided into the water amid the cheers
of the assembled spectators, and the strains of the
National Anthem from the band. of the Royal Ma-
rine Light Infantry, present to do honour to the
occasion. His Royal Highness Prince Alfred, at
the conclusion of the proceedings, took leave of
Admirals Bowles and Grey, and proceeded on board
the Fairy, which soon afterwards left for Osborne.
The Bacchante is built from the designs of Sir B.
W. Walker, and is pierced for 51 guns. Her engines
are of 600 horse (nominal). The following are her
principal dimensions :—Length between perpendic-
ulars, 235 feet;
length of keel for tonnage, 203
feet 5 inches ; extreme breadth 50 feet ; breadth
for tonnage, 49 feet 6 • h moulded breadth,
48 feet 8 inches ; depthin ' e es
;
hold, 17 feet 8 inches ;
burden in tons, 0.m., 2,651 39.94. Another
frigate, to be called the Glasgow, will be immedi-
ately laid down in the same shed from which the
Bacchante was launched.
The following appointments were made on Satur-
day at the Admiralty :—Lieut. C. C. Robinson, to
the Vulcan; Charles Grahan, master to the Im-
pregnable; Alexander Crosbie, acting assistant-
surgeon, to the Neptune ; Adam B. Messer acting Noble
assistant-
surgeon, to the Mars ; and Sohn:
assistant-surgeon, to the Impregnable.