The Sun.
London, England, 1859-06-02 00:00:00

THE NAVI.

SIOZIS :--

iLength between perpendiculars 2OO I 0
Length of keel for tonnage .171 91
Extreme breadth
Breadth for tonnage 4O 0
Breadth moulded
Depth of hold .................. .
Barthen in tons, 1,462 91-94ths
The Charybdis is to be fitted as. a screw
steamer, and will be supplied with engines
of 400 horse power. Her armament will be very
heavy, and will consist of 20 8 inch guns, each of
60 cwt. and 9 feet in length, ranged on the upper
deck, and 1 pivot 68 pounder of 95 cwt. and 10 feet
in length. The ceremony of " christening" the ship
was performed by Miss Pope, eldest daughter of
Mr. C. Pope, Master Attendant at Chntham Dock-
yard.. The Charybdis is to be immediately supplied
with her engines and brought forward for the steam
reserve. A large screw steamer will be at once laid
down on the same slip as that from which the
Charybdis was launched.

The most complete arrangements are now being
made at Woolwich dockyard, under the superin-
tendence of the master shipwright, for the launch
of the Ariadne, screw frigate, 26 guns, on Saturday
next, at- three o'clock. Raised seats for the accom-
modation of GOO visitors, who will be admitted by
ticket, have been erected at the bow of the vessel,
in addition to a gallery at the stern ; and- an
orchestra for two bands -of musicians. who will be
in attendance. The ceremony of christening the
vessel will be performed by the wife of Admiral
Milne, and the gates of the dockyard will be opened
to the public at two o'clock. The Ariadne was
laid down at this yard abuut two years since, and
she is now in a forward state. Her machinery has
been manufactured by Messrs. Maudslay and' Co.,
and she is already fitted with the shaft to receive
the screw. She is ordered to be completed and got
ready for service with all despatch at Woolwich,
where the Galatea, a precisely similar vessel, -is
now building. The following are her exact dimen-
sions :

Pt.
Length over all
0
Ditto between perpendiculars
Ditto of keel for tonnage
Breadth extreme
Ditto for tonnage .. 49 6
Ditto moulded
Depth in hold l9 4
Burthen in tons, 3,202.
The steam troopship Simoom, 8, Commander J.
M. Coot, from Calcutta and the Cape, which ar •
rived. In Plymouth Sound on Tuesday, as reported.
in. The Sun yesterday, was commissioned at Ports-
mouth, December 18, 1856, and during her service
in India has conveyed upwards of '5,000 troops.
She left the Cape on the 9th of April, and
crossed the Line on the 27th, from which date she
experienced light winds and steamed nearly the
whole distance. She will be paid off at Chatham.
The Simoom spoke April 30, lat. 1.5 N., long. 18.59
W., the barque Cleveland, of Bristol ; April 30, lat.
1.5 N., long. 18.59 W., the Swedish ship Sevenge ;
May, 5, lat. 9.49 N., long. 21.0 W., the ship Orwell,
of London • May 14, lat. 17.53 N., long. 25.47 W.,
the ship Indian Ocean, of London; May, 22, lat.
34.20 N., long. 23.50 W., the barque Charles
Brooke; of London ; and on May 22, lat. 34.40 N.,
long. 23,30 W., the United States' barque Gay
Steed, of Boston, 52 days out, for London. Ex-
changed numbers March 29, lat. 34.18 S., long.
25.0 E., the barque Pharamond, of Bristol; April
23, lat. 12.43 S., long. 10.26.W.' the Dutch barque
Voorwards ; May 1, lat. 3.6 N., long. 19.37 W., the
ship Vortigern, of Bristol; May 6, lat. 11.1 N.,
long. 21.29 W., the Dutch barque Ottelina ; . May
8, lat. 11.56 N., long. 23.37 W., -a Bremen schooner,
flag No. 51; and gay 15, lat. 20.11 N., long. 26.16
W., the French barque Paula.
The paddlewheel steam sloop Centaur, 6, was
taken out of dock at Keyham, and the screw
steam sloop Revenge, 91, placed in dock, on
Tuesday.
Port-Admiral Sir B. Reynolds, K.C.8., accom-
panied by Capt. Jerninghatn, of the gunnery ship
Cambridge, was conveyed in a gunboat, on Wed-
nesday, into Plymouth Sound, where the former
inspected the screw steam sloop Brisk, 16, Capt. De
Horsey, and the latter the Intrepid, 6, Commander
Marryatt._

Rear-Admiral of the Blue John Elphinstone
Erskine arrived at Sheerness yesterday, at noon,
and shortly after, accompanied by Flag-Lieut.
Robert G. Douglas, proceeded on board the new
screw steamship Edgar and hoisted his flag at the
mizen, as second in command of the Channel
squadron. The gallant Admiral forthwith pro-
ceeds on short leave of absence, during the fitting
of the ship.
_ _

On Tuesday the new screw steam frigate Emerald,
M guns, Captain Arthur Cumming, got up steam,
left Sheerness Harbour at 7 p.m., and proceeded to
the Great Nore.

Lieut. Harry Smith, late Flag-Lieut. with Vice-
Admiral of the Blue the Hon. Sir Montague Stop-
ford, at Malta, has returned and joined the Formi-
dable guardship of ordinary at Sheerness.
Captain Gleig, Assistant Inspector of Military
Schools ; Mr. Wharry, Superintendent of the Edu-
cational Establishment of the Royil Artillery at
Woolwich; and other officers, have been closely
engaged at Woolwich during the past 10 days in
carrying out the half yearly examination of the
pupils of both sexes as to their progress in the va,-
rious branches of their studie3. The result of the
examination is stated to be extremely satisfactory
as to the efficiency of the system of education prac-
tised in the schools.

Rear-Admiral Sir B. Walker, K.C.8., Surveyor
of the Navy ; Commodore the IlLn. James R.
Drummond, C. 8., Superintendent of Woolwich
Dockyard ; Mr. C. Atherton, Chief Engineer and
Inspector of Machinery; Mr. A. Sturdee, Master
Shipwright of the yard, yesterday assembled in
committee, and proceeded to a special examination
and survey of the hull of her Majesty's iron screw
steam storeship Industry, in dock at Woolwich,
coated about 10 months ago, by way of experiment,
with a granite composition alleged to preserve and
protect the iron from rust and corrosion. The ship
has since performed the voyage to Rio and Ascen-
sion and back, and had collected an unusual quan-
tity of barnacles and seaweed over the composition
portions of which have been carefully removed to
admit the performance of the survey. After apply-
ing the necessary tests and entering into the most
minute examination of the new coating the com-
mittee were of opinion that the proposed advantages
had not been realised.
Her Majesty's iron paddlewheel steamvessel
Weser, 6, Commander Johnstone, was yesterday
paid off at Woolwich. The Weser was commis-
sioned at the outbreak of the Crimean war and did
good service as a
gun vessel in the Sea of 'Azoff, in
which her then commander, Lieut.. Commerell,
and Quartermaster Rickard obtained the Victoria
Cross and the Legion of Honour. A great
majority of the service men are abo-qt to join her
Majesty's ship Impregnable at Devonport. The ship
was paid off in excellent Condition. Some of the
ship's crew received as arrears of pay
large sums of
money, amountingin several cases to upwards of
£lOO.

The Melpomene, 51, screw frigate, at Portsmouth,
is expected to proceed to Spithead from Portsmouth
harbour this morning, although up to 5 p.m. yes-
terday her captain had not joined nor had the pen-
dant been hoisted. Mr. Albert, the mast n., has
received his appointment to her, and is the sole
officer on board at present. Rear-Admiral the Hon.
G. Grey visited the Melpomene yesterday, and ex-
pressed his gratification at her state and appearance.
Several names have been mentioned as her future
captain, among the rest Lord John Hay.
The Doris, 32, screw frigate, Capt. E. Heathcote.
made yesterday another trial with her Admiralty
screw, altered as described in The Sun of the 30th
ult., at the measured mile in Stokes Bay, in charge
of Capt. Gordon, commanding steam reserve, and
under the superintendence of Mr. Dinnen, Admi-
ralty Inspector, Mr. Murdoch, Inspector afloat, and
Mr. Miller, of the Steam Factory. The mean of the
runs (six) at the measured mile gave an average of
rather over lit knots. Revolutions of engines :
Maximum, 50 ; mean, 49.83. Pressure of steam,
211 b. ; vacuum, 25.5 ; pitch of screw. 26ft. Sin. ; dia •
meter of screw, 20 feet. At the conclusion of the
taial the Doris steamed into harbour and landed her
screw on the sheer jetty.
It is stated that the Aboukir, 91 guns, to which
Captain Schoenberg has been appointed, will
shortly be stationed in the Mersey, where its
gallant commander will doubtless be very successful
in enrolling volunteers for the navy, as he gained
such general popularity during his residence in Liver-

The launch of her Majesty's ship Charybdis took
place at Chatham Dockyard yesterday afternoon,
in the presence of a large number of spectators and
under the most favourable circumstances The
Charybdis was built under the superintendence of
Mr. Laird, late master shipwright at Chatham, and
his' successor, Mr. 0. W. Lang, from the designs
of Admiral Sir Baldwin W. Walker, Surveyor of
the Navy. The following are her principal dimen-