The Sun.
London, England, 1861-12-02 00:00:00

2HE NAVY.

The Hero, 89, screw, Capt. Rider, at Spithead,
nas dockyard artisans working on board her extra
hours to expedite her departure to join Vice-Ad-
miral Sir Alexander Milne's squadron on the North
America and West India station,

A body of seamen, from Woolwich, arrived at
Portsmouth, by railway, on Friday evening, and

joined the St. Vincent, flag-ship of Rear-Admiral
Hon. George Grey, for disposal.
The Orpheus, 21, screw, Commodore Burnett,
C. 8., commissioned as flagship for the Australian
station, will go oat of harbour at Portsmouth this
morning and make her official trial of machinery

prior to sailing for her destination. This is the
_ . _

Orpheus' first commission. She was launched from

Chatham Dockyard on the 23d June, 1860, and is
one of the improved class of full-powered corvettes,

admirably adodpted for service in the American
waters could her presence be dispensed with for a

short time in Australia. She is 226 ft. 6in. extreme

length, and 40ft. Bin. breadth, with a tonnage of

1,70-5-55-94. Her engines are 400-horse power,

nominal, by Messrs. Humphreys and Co.
The following are the names and conditions of the
vessels in the reserve at Portsmouth to this date :
—The Duncan, screw, 99 guns, 800-horse power,
and 3,727 tons ; the Shannon, screw, 51 guns, 600-
horse power, and 2,667 tons ; the Euryalus, screw,
51 guns, 400-horse power, and 2,371 tons; the
Pandora, screw, 5 guns, 80-horse power, and 426
tons ; the Vigilant, screw, 4 guns, 200-horse power,
and 680 tons ; the Stromboli, paddlewheel, 6 guns,
280-horse power, and 967 tons. There are 7 gun-
boats of 60-horse power and 2 Armstrongs each.
The total of the first-class reserve is then 216 guns,
2,360-horse power, and 14,838 tons, exclusive of gun-
boats. Of these the Duncan is being rigged by the
dockyard authorities, and can be made ready in a
very short time. The Shannon, the Euryalus, the
Pandora, and the Stromboli are rigged, stored, and
armed, and require only their crews, powder, and
shell to be put on board to enable them to proceed
at once to sea. The Vigilant received her arma-

ment on Saturday, consisting of one of Sir W.
Armstrong's 100-pounders for her after pivot, a 68-
pounder smooth bore for her forward pivot, and
two 32. pounders for broadside guns. A few days
would place her in the same position as the four
preceding vessels. The gunboats are ready for sea
at an hour's notice in accordance with regulations
previously noticed, and their officers and crews and
engineering staff are told off to them on board the
harbour guard and gunnery ships. The second class
reserve consists of the following vessels :—The
Royal Sovereign, screw, 131 guns, 800 horse power
and 3,765 tons ; the Victoria, screw, 121 guns, 1,000
horse-power, and 4,127 tons; the Prince of Wales,
screw, 131 guns, 800 horse-power, and 3,994 tons ;
the Duke of Wellington, screw, 131 tons, 700 horse-
power, and 3,771 tons; the Nelson, screw, 86 guns,
500 horse-power, and 2,748 tons ; the Frederick
William, screw, 86 guns, 500 horse-power, and 3,241

tons; the Sutlej, screw, 51 guns, 500 horse-power,
and 3,066 tons ; the Sharpshooter, screw, 8 guns,
202 horse-power, and 503 tons ; the Plumper, screw,
12 guns, 60 horse-power, and 490 tons ; the Coquette,
screw, 4 guns, 200 horse-power, and 677 tons. There
are besides six gunboats of 60 horse-power and two
guns each. The total of the second class being, ex-
clusive of gunboats, 761 guns, 5,262 horse-power, and
26,382 tons. Of these the seven first named can be
made ready for sea at a very short notice,the Royal
Sovereign, Victoria, and Prince of Wales are newly
built vessels with new machinery of the most modern
character. The Nelson, Frederick William, and Sut-

lej are converted vessels, with new machinery equa
to the preceding. The Sharpshooter, Plumper, and
Coquette require some repairs before they can be
commissioned. The gunboats would also require to
have their outfit completed. The third class com-
prises—the Octavia, screw, 51 guns, 500 horse-
power, and 3,161 tons; the Prince Regent, screw, 86
guns, 500 horse-power, and 2,762• tons ; the Tri-
bune, screw, 31 guns, 300-horse power, and 1,570
tons ; the Glasgow, screw, 51 guns, 600-horse
power, and 3,038 tons ; the Furious, paddlewheel,
16 guns, 400-horse power, and 1,287 tons ; the
Nimrod, screw, 6 guns, 175-horse power, and 859
tons ; the Roebuck, screw, 6 guns, 175-horse power,
and 857 tons; the Fury, paddlewheel, 6 guns, 515-
horse power, and 1,124 tons; the Highflyer, screw,
21 guns, 250 horse power, and 1,161 tons ; the
Sparrowhawk, screw, 4 guns, 200-horse power, and
676 tons ; the Vulture, paddlewheel, 6 guns, 470-
horse power, and 1,191 tons; the Sampson, paddle-
wheel, 6 guns, 467-horse power, and 1,299 tons ;
the Inflexible, paddle, 6 guns, 378 horse power, and
1,122 tons; the Cruiser, screw, 17 guns, 60-horse
power, and 752 tons ; and nine gunboats, of 2 guns
and 40-horse power each. The total of the third
class, not including gunboats, is 784 guns, 5,700-
horse power, and 28,256 tons. Of the fourth class
the Fox, screw storesbip, of 200-horse power and
1,131 tons, can only be reckoned fit for sea service
on a distant station. In addition are the Rosomond
and Volcano paddle steamer floating factories, the
former of 280-horse power and 1,059 tons, fitting
up as a factory, the latter recently fitted as such,
and rigged and stored in readiness for immediate
service, of 140-horse power and 720 tons. The
three classes of reserve thus comprise eight line-of-
battleships, 6 frigates, 4 corvettes, and 12 sloops,
giving a grand total of 1,861 guns and 72,386 tons,
propelled by 13,942-horse power of engines,
nominal. The gunboats attached, not included
in the above figures, are 21 in number, with 42
guns, and a horse-power of 960. This, how-
ever, does not include gunboats and mortar-
vessels laid up at Hasler, neither does it in-
clude the Black Prince. All doubtful vessels in the
reserve at the port, such as the Retribution and the
Penelope, paddle frigates, have also been thrown
out of the ret urn in order to confine its list to ships
really effective at present, or could be rendered so
with but little delay in the event of an emergency.
The ships in commission for service at the port are
the Edgar, screw, 89 guns, 600-horse power, and
3,094 tons ; the Hero, screw, 89 guns, 600- horse
power, and 3,148 tons; the Warrior, screw, 40 guns,
1,250-horse power, and 6,039 tons ; the Orpheus,
screw, 21 guns, 400-horse power, and 1,706 tons;
the Trafalgar, screw, 86 guns, 500-horse power, and
2,900 tons ; the Chanticleer, screw, 17 guns, 200-
horse power, and 950 tons; the total being 342 guns,
3,550-horse power, and 17,837 tons. Of these all are
ready for immediate service in any part of the
world, except the Chanticleer, which vessel has to
receive the officers and crew of the Wasp.
The fine steam transport Melbourne, Capt. Ben-
son, 1,411 gross tonnage, chartered on Saturday
and surveyed by the Admiralty Commissioners, for
the despatch of troops and war materials to
America, arrived at Woolwich pier the same even-
ing, and commenced shipping yesterday morning.
She will continue receiving the supplies night and
day until her cargo is complete. She is under orders
to sail on Thursday from Woolwich for Halifax, or
any other port more available in our American pos-
sessions. The cargo will consist of the following
stores :-25,000 stand of arms
and accoutrements, a
large number of brass howitzers and other smooth-
bore guns, one battery of 12-pounder and one bat-
tery of 9-pounder guns, gun-carriages, platforms &e.
Capt. G. H. Vesey's sth Battery, 4th Brigade, Field
Artillery, supplied with Armstrong guns, consisting
of seven officers and about 240 men, will arrive at
Woolwich by special train on Wednesday from
Bristol, and will embark on the following morning
on board the Melbourne.
Some further experiments with the Armstrong
guns took place last week under the direction of
the Ordnance Select Committee, when two 100-
pounder guns of the ordinary service pattern fired
a large number of consecutive rounds at the Wool-
wich butt. The rapidity of fire was nearly
50
uniform
throughout. One 100 pounder fired its last
_,
rounds in 311,- minutes, and the other 100-pounder
fired its last 50 rounds in 331 minutes. This in-
cluded every stoppage. The guns were not sponged
for 70 and 80 rounds respectively, and remained
clean to the end. There was no escape whatever of
gas from the breech.

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