The Sun.
London, England, 1861-10-22 00:00:00

ZEE NAVY.

Yesterday nearly 100 tons of angle iron, supplied
under contract to the Admiralty for the Achilles,
50, was reshipped on board one of the transports at
Chatham Dockyard, the entire quantity having
been condemned, after survey by the dockyard
officials, as not coming up to the quality required
to be used in building the vessel. During the past
few weeks some hundreds of tons have been rejected
at the dockyard, and returned to the firms supply-
ing them, the whole of that condemned being of an
inferior quality. The quantity of plate and angle
iron thus rejected accounts for the slow progress
made in the construction of the Achilles, the Admi-

ralty preferring the works to be retarded rather than
that inferior iron should be used and its faulty cha-
racter discovered when too late. Every precaution
is adopted, the vigilance exercised by the autho-
rities being such that it is almost impossible for in-
ferior metal to find its way to any part of the ship.
As soon as the difficulty in obtaining good iron has
been surmounted, several hundred additional work-
men will be immediately engaged on the Achilles.
The President, 51, fitting in the fourth dock at
Chatham, to be stationed in the West India Docks,
and used as a training ship for the naval reserve,
has undergone the most extensive alterations and
repairs, all of which are nearly completed. She
will be undocked during the next spring tides, when
the Rattlesnake, 21, will take her place. .

Yesterday afternoon 36 of the large water-tanks
were shipped at Chatham dockyard for conveyance
to the Bombay, 81, screw steamer, fitting at Folly
Point for the steam reserve fleet in the Medway.

During the past few weeks an unusually large
number of Russian and other foreign vessels have
arrived at Chatham dockyard with hemp for that
establishment, in order to deliver their cargoes be-
fore the frosts close the northern Russian ports.
Yesterday the Russian bark Juno, after landing a
large cargo of hemp at Chatham dockyard, left the
port for St. Petersburg, intending to take on board
another cargo before the frost sets in,
Yesterday being the anniversary of the battle of
Trafalgar, the Victory, now flagship of the Port
Admiral at Portsmouth, had her royal trucks deco-
rated. with laurel wreaths. Rear-Admiral Popoff, of
the Imperial Russian Navy, visited the ship during
Oa° clay.
Rear-Admiral the Hon. G. Grey, superintendent
of Portsmouth Dockyard, yesterday paid a visit to
Rear-Admiral Popoff on board the Russian corvette
Novik.

The Pandora, 5, screw, has concluded her trials
at the measured mile in Stokes Bay, the mean speed
attained being 91 knots.
A monument is about to be erected on the espla-
nade of Southsea-common, Portsmouth, to the
memory of the officers and men belonging to her
Majesty's ship Chesapeake, who were killed in
action or died during the period of her recent com-
mission in China and India. £lOO has been subscribed
by the officers and men of the ship, and to this
sum a donation of £2OO has been added by Major-

Gen. Sir Hope Grant, K.C.8., to carry out the ob-
ject in an efficient manner. The Southsea Esplanade
has already three monuments erected upon it—one
to the memory of those of the army and navy who
fell in the Black Sea and Baltic campaigns ; one to
the memory of Capt. Sir William Peel, K.C.8., and
the officers and men of the Shannon who fell during
the Indian mutiny; and the last to the memory of
a number of the officers and crew of her Majesty's
steamer Trident, who lost their lives by fever while
serving on the West Coast of Africa.
In reply to communications received from the
rival disputants for superiority in the boat-lowering
system, as tested on board the new vessel, the Maid
of Kent, built for the London, Chatham, and Dover
Railway Company, to run between Dover and the
Continent, and which was referred to in The Sun
of Thursday last, it is stated that the plan selected
by that company for the use of all their vessels is
Clifford's, as adopted and approved by the Lords of
the Admiralty, the Emigration Commissioners, and
steam-packet companies in general.
The following appointments were made yester-
day at the Admiralty :—Lieut. Edward Stubbs, to
the Edgar; Charles 0. P. Forbes, Master com-
manding the Nereus; George Reid, Master com.
manding the Naiad; Charles Crump and John W.
Peers, to be Acting Naval Instructors on board the
Britannia ; William Rowley (B), acting second-
class assist.-engineer, additional, of the Russell, for
the Hind, confirmed. Dr. Charles A. Anderson,
R.N., has been appointed Inspector-General at
Malta Hospital. Mr. Brownlow Gray has been ap-
pointed Advocate of the Admiralty Court at Ber-
muda. Mr. Jobn R; Aylen was yesterday appointed
the Queen's Harbour-master at Devonport Dock-
, yard.