The Sun.
London, England, 1861-01-28 00:00:00

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The Emerald, 51, screw, will be completed by
the 28th inst.
The Hero, 91, screw, will have her defects made
good at Deconport by the 2d of February next.
:The Geyser, 6, paddle, Commander C. M. Jack-
son, arrived at Portsmouth on Saturday, with
supernumeraries from the eastward, and sailed
again the same day for the westward.
The Caradoc, 2, iron paddle steamer, Lieut.-Com-
mander Charles M. Buckle, arrived at Spithead on
Saturday, from the Mediterranean, and sailed again
in the afternoon for Woolwich, it is supposed to
pay off. The following are her dates :—Sailed
from Malta, Jan. 12. Arrived in the Tunis bay on
the 13th, and sailed again on the 14th. Arrived
at Gibraltar on the 18th, and sailed on the 19th,
arriving in the Tagus on the 20th, and sailing
again on the 22d.
The Cossack, 20, screw, Capt. R. Moorman, was
docked on Saturday at Portsmouth for overhaul
and repairs.
The Vindictive sailing frigate was towed from
Portsmouth Dockyard on Saturday to Messrs.
White's yard at Cowes for conversion to a coal
depot. _ _ _

We regret to, hear that Commander M‘Killop,
commanding her Majesty's steamer Bulldog, fitting
out at Portsmouth for Channel service, was severely
injured on board his vessel on Saturday by a gaff
falling from aloft and striking him on the head.
The gallant officer was at once removed to the
Royal Naval Hospital at Hasler, where his injuries
were attended to.
The trials of the engines of the gunboats Trin-
culo, Heron, aud Delight, last week, at Devonport,
were satisfactory.
The screw of the screw steam-corvette Satellite,
21, Capt Prevost, were paid off at Devonport on Sa-
turday, She was commissioned there in 1856. The
ship will be temporarily placed in the second divi-
sion of steam ordinary. She is in fair condition.
That portion of the Channel squadron stationed
at Plymouth is still lying snug for the winter, with
lower yards and topmasts struck.
The iron screw steam troopship Megzera, Com.
Henderson, from Woolwich, with draughts of royal
artillerymen, arrived in Plymouth Sound on Satur-
day afternoon, on the way to Gibraltar. The coal
vessel was immediately sent to her, and as soon as
she is coaled will proceed to the Mediterranean.
The Trincomalee, 24, Commander T. Heard,
having completed fitting for the naval reserve at
Sunderland will, according to present arrange_
ments, be towed this morning from Chatham to
that port by the paddlewheel steamer Geyser, 6,
Commander G. M. Jackson, which will arrive at
Chatham, from the westward, with Royal Marines,
for head-quarters.
Her Majesty's screw steam frigate Ariadne, 26
guns, 300-horse power, arrived at Sheerness on Satur-
day, and embarked 450 men and 60 women belonging
to the Tipperary Artillery Militia, under the
charge of Capts. Quin and Pedder and four subal-
terns. The Ariadne sailed the same afternoon for
Queenstown. It is expected that the remainder of
the men of this regiment, with the head-quarters,
will shortly leave Sheerness.
The dock labourers at Woolwich yesterday com-
menced laying down the ways in preparation for
launching her Majesty's 51, screw steam-frigate
Bristol, nearly completed. The launch is ordered
to take place on the 12th of February next.
The total number of hired and supernumerary
artisans and labourers ordered to be discharged from
Chatham Dockyard amounts to nearly 800 men,
being nearly the whole of the additional hands taken
on at that establishment during the busy period
which occurred a few years since. Of this number
340 are hired shipwrights, and the remainder arti-
sans of various callings, and labourers. By direc-
tion of the Lords of the Admiralty each man is to
receive a month's notice before being discharged.
The first discharge of the hired men will commence
on Feb. 25, and be continued weekly until May
25, by which date the whole number ordered will
have left the establishment. Their lordships have
given directions for the railway fare of each man
discharged to be paid for him from Chatham to the
town to which he belongs, but as most of the me-
chanics are married men with families, a great ex-
pense will be entailed on them, unless the Admi-
ralty also pay the fares for the wives and children,
the cost of which will not be considerable.
Instructions have been received from the Admi-
ralty by the authorities of Sheerness Dockyard to
reduce the number of hired workmen employed
in the yard, the reduction to commence on the 23d
of February and to terminate on the 25th of May,
The number of men to be discharged is as follows:
—3l joiners, 8 sawyers, 40 smiths, 16 millwrights,
23 labourers, 208 shipwrights, and 27 caulkers,
making altogether a total of 425 men. The
instructions are that 36 men shall be discharged
weekly, of when 15 will be shipwrights. The men
as they are discharged to have travelling expenses
to their respective residences.
With reference to the application received from
Mrs. Kynaston requesting a contradiction of our
statement, given on Monday last, as to Clifford's
patent boat-lowering gear being in general use in
her Majesty's ships of war, we are enabled to an-
nounce that, from inquiries carefully instituted at
Woolwich, it has been ascertained that the number
of ships fitted at that dockyard with Clifford's and
Kynaston's gear are found to be at the rate of 20
to lin favour of the former. Lieut.-Commander
Robert H. Burton, of her Majesty's ship Triton,
just paid off, at Woolwich, asserts in confirmation
of the above statement, that during his commission
on the west coast of Africa, since the year 1857, he
never once fell in with or heard of a vessel on that
coast fitted with any patent boat-lowering gear
except that of Clifford, which is there and elsewhere
in general use; and hatadds, with a view to benefit
the service, that " tha method of lowering boats
was constantly used by him at all speeds from 6
to 11 knots per hour, that on ail occasions it worked
admirably, and that he cannot speak too highly in
its favour." lie further adds " that he should be
neglecting his duty to himself and crew if he ever
left England in command of any ship without
making application for the fitment of Clifford's
boat-lowering gear on board."

The following appOintments were made on Sa
turday at the Admiralty :—Commander G. W.
Watson, to the Princess Royal ; Lieut. H. T. Mars-
den to the Meander ; Lieut. T. K. Hudson, to the
Immortalite ; Lieut. M. B. Medlycott, to theßacoon;
Lieut. E. St. J. Daniel, to the Victor Emmanuel;
Lieut. W. L. Martin, to the London ; Lieut. W, J.
Walker, to the Queen Lieut. C. H. Murphy, to
the Cressy; George B. Bedford, naval cadet,
to the Ariadne ; Edwin Boulton, chief engi-
neer, to the Princess Royal ; John Snell, first
class assistant-engineer, to the Princess Royal; W.
R. Donald, promoted to the rank of first class
assist.-engineer, and appointed to the Fisgard for
service in the Eclipse ; Alfred 41Iason, promoted to
the rank of first class assist.- engineer, and ap-
pointed to the Asia as supernumerary; James a
Barrow, second class assist.•engineer, to the Prin-
cess Royal ;, William P. Guyer, promoted to the
rank of second class engineer in the Narcissus ;
Henry W. H. Pellew and John Leigh, acting third
class assist.-engineer to the Princess Royal; Ste-
phen Judd,third class assist.-engineer, to the Asia,
for charge to the Blazer ; W. llarris, acting third
class assist...engineer, to the Fisgard for service iu
the Bustler; C. A. ghapeote, paymaster additional,
to the Indus ; and G. V. Grugelier, aseist.-paymas•
ter, to the Victory as supernumery.