The Sun.
London, England, 1859-11-12 00:00:00

IHB NAVY.

The whole of the preparations for the launch of
the Victoria three-decker this day at Portsmouth
and for the accommodation of her Majesty and the
public on the occasion were nearly completed yes-
terday. The final measures preparatory to the
latinch were taken at three a.m. yesterday, when a
body of shipwrights, labourers, &c., were ordered
to be in attendance for the purpose of (under the
superintendence of the master builder, Mr. Abethell)
" setting up" the ship on her "ways," knocking
away the shores, &c. The staging erected at the
ship's bows represents the half of an octagon, with
a raised platform in the centre for the use of the
Queen and the Royal family during the cerempny.
Raised tiers of standing places afford room for
1,000 persons ; seats have been dispensed with
on this occasion, both as a mark of re-
spect to Royalty and as a means of affording
room for as large a number of spectators as pos-
sible, at the point of greatest interest. The
Royal entrance is in the centre of the building,
opening into a small reception room suitably fur-
nished and decorated, thence an easy ascent of 12
steps leads on to the platform at the bows of the
vessel, which will be covered with a rich carpet and
the necessary drapery and other ornaments. From
this platform the ship will be named. The Queen,
with his Royal Highness the Prince Consort and
the members of the Royal family, will arrive in the
dockyard in the Royal train, entering by the eastern
gate, as stated in The Sun of Thursday, and will
alight on a temporary platform erected for the pur-
pose opposite the new foundry, and alongside the
dock in which is the Bacchante, 51, screw. Car-
riages will be in attendance, and the Royal party
will at once proceed across the caisson of No. 7
Dock, past the steam factory, and along the north
wall to the entrance of the building. At the con-
clusion of the launch her Majesty and suite will
proceed to the Admiralty house, the residence of
the Commander-in-Chief, Admiral W. Bowles, C. 8.,
where, after partaking of luncheon, the august
party will proceed to the train, returning by the
same route by which they arrived. Some uncer-
tainty prevailed as to the precise time of the ar-
rival of her Majesty, and a rumour was current in
the town last evening, which, however, had nsit
been confirmed in any official way at the time our
parcel left, that her Majesty would not after all be
present on the occasion, but that the Princess Fre-
derick William would be delegated to represent her
Majesty. The Lords of the Admiralty were to ar-
rive in Portsmouth last evening, and the necessary
accommodation had been prepared for their lord-
ships on board the Osborne, which has been moored
off the King's Stairs for the purpose. The Royal
servants and carriages arrived in the town by rail
yesterday. The mayor and corporation will be pre-
sent. In addition to the space provided for the
public at the bows of the ship ample room has been
made for the accommodation of some thousands of
people on each side of the ship, as also in galleries
erected on the port side of the Duncan, building in
the adjoining shed.
The ships reraaining in Portland harbour are—the
Royal Albert, 131 ; the Hero, 91; the Aboukir,
91 ; the Mars, 81 ; the Blenheim, 61 ; the Mersey,

40 the Emerald,sl • and the Melpomene, 51. -
The screw steamship Trafalgar, 91, from Port-
land, arrived in Plymouth Sound yesterday morn-
ing.
The Algiers, 91, screw, Capt. G. D. O'Callaghan,
arrived at Spithead from Portland yesterday.
The Sprightly paddle steamer, Master-Com-
mander Allen, arrived at Portsmouth yesterday
from Cherbourg.
The Prussian man-of-war schooner Frauenlob
arrived at Spithead yesterday from Dantsic for
China and Japan.
The Lancashire Witch, with the families of sol-
diers in the East, left Plymouth Sound mi Thurs-
day for Bombay.
The transport Dartmouth, with 'military, from
London for Calcutta, was off Plymouth on Thurs-
day morning. All well.
Capt. Glanville, of the screw steamship Donegal,
101, in Hamoaze, Plymouth, was sufficiently re-
covered from his severe illness to be landed on Wed-
nesday. Capt. Broadhead has succeeded to the
command, and on Thursday sent up lower yards
and topmasts.

The screw steamship Diadem, 32, Capt. Cock.
burn, left Plymouth on Thursday, under canvas,
for Portland. While in the Sound John Bottin,
able seaman, belonging to the foretop, dropped from
the futtock rigging, and, cutting his head while
falling, went overboard. Mr. Curtis, the boat-
swain, and another man immediately jumped in
and saved their comrade.
Mr. Stoddart, recently appointed Assist.-Snrg. to
the apprentices' brig Nautilus, at Plymouth, died
suddenly on Wednesday evening last while proceed-
ing from the mess-room in the Royal Naval Hos-
pital, Stenehouse, to his lodgings.
The screw steamsloop Jason, 21, having been
christened by Lady Parker, the youngest daughter
of the Earl of Morley, was launched at Devonport
on Thursday.
A deputation, introduced by Mr. Crawford,
M.P. composed of Messrs. F. P. Stringer, William
De Watts and W. H. Challis, had an -interview
with the First Lord of the Admiralty and Lord C.
Paget yesterday, with reference to the supply of
coals to the Royal Navy being made by public
tender.

In all the departments at Chatham Dockyard the
utmost activity now prevails, the mechanics em-
ployed in the smithery, metal-mills, and saw-mills
working extra hours in order to complete the works
ordered in connection with the several ships of war
now building at Chatham, and to furnish the other
dockyards with the necessary articles that may be
required. The ship-building department is also
exceedingly active, there being three line-
of-battle ships and two 51-gun frigates,
besides other smaller vessels, now in hand, in
addition to which two large first-class ships
are ordered to be commenced as soon as there are
vacant slips on which they can be laid down. Seve-
ral extra shipwrights are still required to complete
the additional number ordered to be entered at the
establishment, and yesterday a number of addi-
tional convicts arrived by railway from London, at
an early hour, for the purpose of being employed
in Chatham Dockyard with the convicts who are
already engaged in forced labour at that establish-
ment.

Mr. Ward, patentee of the Ocean Marine Tele-
graph, yesterday returnzd. to Woolwich from Paris,
having succeeded in exhibiting his apparatus to the
satistiction of -the Marine authorities in France.
Three sets of his signal flags, adjusted to the pre-
sent codes, have been received from America by the
Commodore Superintendent for making experi-
ments at sea, by order of the Lords of the Admi-
ralty. Lieut. T. Ward, of the gunnery ship Ex-
cellent, and Mr. Spry, master gunner of the Cam-
bridge, in charge of 15 seamen gunners, yesterday
returned to Woolwich from Shoeburyness, having
terminated a course of experimental firing with the
80 and 40 pound Armstrong guns, intended for ser-
vice on board her Majesty's screw steamvessel
Wrangler.

Her Majesty's paddlewheel steamsloop Ardent,
Commander Parish, yesterday left Woolwich for
Green hithe, to adjust compasses, in readiness for
departure on service on the West Coast of Africa.

The gunboat Ruby, of 60 orse-power, sailed
yesterday likewise, to be swung at Greenhithe, in
preparation for sea.

The following appointments were made yester-
day at the Admiralty :—Thomas Hamilton, acting
assistant-surgeon, to the Trafalgar ; Robert J.
11,1‘Morris, acting assistant-surgeon, to the Donegal;
George Kent, chief engineer, to the Hydra; Wm.
Holland, first-class assistant-engineer, to the En-
counter, on promotion ; John W. Smith, acting
first-class assistant-engineer, to the Cumberland,
from the Wrangler; Robert Bacon, second-class
assistant-engineer, to the Inflexible; Edward
Brown, second-class assistant-engineer, to the
Partridge ; Donald Sinclair, acting third-class assis-
tant-engineer, to the Hydra; Charles Ware, third-
class assistant-engineer, to the Partridge.