The Sun.
London, England, 1861-02-08 00:00:00

THE JVA ri .

Rear-Admiral of the Blue R. S. Robinson has
been appointed by the Admiralty as successor to
Rear-Admiral Sir B. W. Walker, K.C.8., in his

office as Controller of the Navy.
The Immortalite, 51, screw, Capt. G. Hancock,
sailed from Spithead at 11 a.m. yesterday for Lis-
bon, going out by the Nab, under close-reefed top-
sails, fore and main courses, jib and spanker.
It is stated on good authority to be the intention
of the Admiralty to cut down several of the largest

and soundest line-of-battle ships, and convert them

into plated steam batteries for the defence of our
harbours and coasts, but more particularly with
reference to the defence of Spithead. If the angu-

lated system be adoptvd they may prove far more
efficient for their intended purpose than would

the proposed stone forts on the Noman and Dean
Shoals, which it has been proved by the evi-
dence taken before the National Defence Commis-
sion, would be totally unable to stop the passage
in or out of Spithead of an iron-sided ship, would
be some years in construction, and, when completed,
would chiefly serve to mark the Channel for the
passage of an enemy's fleet by day or by night.
The Narcissus, 51, screw, flagship of Rear-Admi•
ral Sir B. W. Walker, K.C.8., the newly-appointed
Commander-in-Chief at the Cape of Good Hope,
will take her final departure for the Cape from
Spithead.
The Royal paddle yacht Victoria and Albert, on
the occasion of her conveying the Empress of Aus-
tria to Madeira from Antwerp, sustained consider-
able injury to her paddle floats during the exceed-
ingly violent weather she experienced through-
out the :trip, particularly on the outward voyage.
Since she has been placed in dock at Portsmouth,
where her floats have been unshipped and examined,
it has become a question whether they could not
be made from some more durable material than that
which has been hitherto used—English oak. To
ascertain this satisfactorily a series of tests have
been tried at Portsmouth during the past few days,
and the result appears to be that it will be difficult

to supersede English oak with any other material
more durablelfor the putpose. Each float of the
yacht's paddle measures llft. 6in. in length by 4ft.
4in. in width, the wood being 4in. thick. One of
these floats—a spare one—was tested. The others
tested comprised two new ones of the same wood
—English oak, one of American oak, and one of

wrought-iron, the latter being plates rivetted to-
gether with a space between. The mode of testing
was by placing the float with its two ends resting
on balks of timber. Across the centre of the float,
transversely, ran a bar of iron four inches square,
from which was suspended the weights for trying
the float's resisting powers. The American oak
broke at 32 tons. The wood forming this float was
of the finest character and most even grain, and
without a knot in any part. One of the new Eng-
lish oak floats broke at 28 tons, and the other at
24 tons. These floats were much weakened by
having iron plates on their surface, each containing
nine or ten bolt holes. The one that broke at 28
tons, had it been without this iron plate and its ac-
companying bolt holes, would doubtless have shod
as great a strain as the American oak. The Victoria
and Albert's spare float broke at 21 tons, and the
wrought-iron one broke at 19 tons. Had the last
mentioned one stood a favourable test the galvanic
action that must be constantly going on between a
vessel's wheel floats composed of iron and the cop-
per on her bottom would prove an insurmountable
bar to its adoption.
In accordance with orders received from the
Admiralty, the whole of the mechanics and arfisans
at Chatham dockyard yesterday resumed the sys-
tem of day work, the arrangements for job and task
work, introduced a few years during the busy
period, having been abolished. The officers holding
acting appointments also resumed their former
positions. •
The Lords of the Admiralty having decided on
extending the Royal Marine barracks at Chatham,
' so as to afford accommodation for several hundred

The following appointments were made yesterday
at the Admiralty :—Edward F. Young, acting 3d
class assistant-engineer, to the Cumberland, for
temporary charge of the Lee ; C. A. Pritchard,
paymaster, to be secretary to Rear-Admiral Sir
Baldwin W. Walker, K.C.B. ; Charles H. Wells,
assistant paymaster of the Narcissus, to be secre-
tary's clerk ; J. Robinson, assistant.paymaster, to
the Narcissus; Francis H, Chown, assistant-pay-
master, to be secretary's clerk, in the Princess
Royal; an Thomas Backhouse, assistant-pay-
master, additional, to the Princess Royal.