The Sun.
London, England, 1861-12-24 00:00:00

THE ' SUN, LONDON, TUESDAY EVENING, DECEVII3ER, 24, 1861.

we take for granted, being greater than that of the
latter, they can readily choose their position and
keep out of harm's way entirely. Recent improve-
ments in the form and preparation of projectiles,
and their increased capacity for destruction, have
elicited a large amount of ingenuity and skill to
devise means for resisting them in the construction
of ships of war. As yet we know of nothing supe-
rior to the large and heavy spherical shot in its de-
structive effects on vessels, whether plated or not.
Rifled guns have greater range, but the conical shot
does not produce the crushing effect of spherical
shot. It is assumed that 41-, inch plates are the
heaviest armour a sea-going vessel can safely early.
These plates should be of tough iron, and rolled in
large, long pieces. This thickness of armour, it is
believed, will resist all projectiles now in general
use at a distance of 500 yards, especially if the ship's
sides are angular. Plates hammered in large
masses are less fibrous and tough than when rolled.
The question whether wooden backing, or any
elastic substance behind the iron plating, will tend
to relieve at all the frame of the ships from the crush-
ing effect of a heavy projectile, is not yet decided.
Major Barnard says, To put an elastic material
behind the iron is to insure its destruction. With
all deference to such creditable authority, si e may
suggest that it is possible a backing of some elastic
substance—soft wood, perhaps, is the best—might
relieve the frame of the ship somewhat from the
terrible shock of a heavy projectile, though the
plate should not be fractured. With respect to a
comparison between ships of iron and those of wood
without plating, high authorities in England differ
as to which is the best. The top of ships built of
iron, we are told, wear out three bottoms, while the
bottoms of those built of wood will outwear three
tops. In deciding upon the relative merits of iron
and wooden framed vessels, for each of which we
have offers, the Board is of opinion that it would be
well to try a specimen of each, as both have distin-
guished advocates. One strong objection to iron
vessels, which so far as we know has not been over-
come, is the oxidation or rust in salt water, and their
liability of becoming foul under water by the at-
tachment of sea-grass and animalcules to their bot-
toms. The best preventive we know of is a coating
of pure zinc paint, which so long as it lasts is be-
lieved to be an antidote to this cause of evil. After
these brief remarks on the subject generally, we
Vroceed to notice the plans and offers referred to us
for the construction of plated vessels and floating
batteries. It has been suggested that the most ready
mode of obtaining an iron-clad ship of war would
be to contract with responsible parties in England
for its complete construction, and we are assured
that parties there are ready to engage in such an
enterprise on terms more reasonable, perhaps, than
such vessels could be built on in this country, hav-
ing much greater experience and facilities than
we possess. Indeed, we are informed there are no
mills and machinery in this country capable of
rolling iron 41 inches thick, though plates might
be hammered to that thickness in many of our work-
shops. As before observed, rolled is considered much
the test, and the difficulty of rolling it increases ra-
pidly with the increase of thickness. It has, however,
occurred to us that a difficulty might arise with the
British Government in case we should under-
take to construct ships of war in that country,
which might complicate their delivery, and more-
over we are of opinion that every people or nation
who can maintain a navy should be capable of con-
structing it themselves. Our immediate demands
seem to require first, so far as practicable, vessels
invulnerable to shot, of light draught of water, to
penetrate our shoal harbours, rivers, and bayous;
we therefore favour the construction of this class of
vessels before going into a more perfect system of
iron-clad sea-going vessels of war. We are here met
with the difficulty of encumbering small vessels with
armour, which from their size, they are unable to
bear. We, nevertheless, recommend that contracts
be made with responsible parties fur the construc-
tion of one or more iron-clad vessels or batteries, of
as light a draught of water as practicable, con-
sistent with their weight of armour. Meanwhile,
availing of the experience thus obtained, and the
improvements which we believe are yet to be made
by other naval Powers in building iron-clad ships,
we would advise the construction in our dockyards
of one or more of those vessels upon a large and more
perfect scale, when Congress shell see fit to autho-
rise it. The amount now appropriated is not suffi-
cient to build both classes of vessels to any great
extent."
The " stone fleet" was off Tybee Island on the
6th. General Stevens, with 1,000 men, occupied
Beaufort.

men, a portion of whom were armed with side arms, and
others—appearing to be Et squad of marines—having
muskets and bayonets. Mr. Slidell was in his state room,
immediately by and in full view. The lieutenant then said
to Mr. Mason that, having his force now present, ho hoped
to be relieved from the necessity of calling it into actual
use. That gentleman again answered that he would only
submit to actual force greater than he could overcome, when
the lieutenant and several of his men, by his order, took
hold of him, and in a manner, and in numbers sufficient to
make resistance fruitless; and Mr. Slidell joining the group
at the same time, one or more of the armed party took like
hold of him, and those gentlemen at once went into the
boat. During this scene many of the passengers became
highly exasperated and gave vent to the strongest expres-
sions of indignation, seeming to indicate a purpose of re-
sistance on their part, when a squad armed with muskets,
with bayonets fixed, made sensible advance of one or two
paces with their arms at a charge. It must be added here,
omitted in the course of the narration, that before the
party left the upper deck, an officer of the Trent, named
Williams, in the naval uniform of Great Britain, and
known to the passengers as having charge of the mails and
accompanying them to England, said to the lieutenant
that, as the only person present representing his Govern-
meat, be felt called upon, in language as strong and em-
phatic as he could express, to denounce the whole proceed-
ings as a piratical act.
Mr. Slidell and Mr. Mason, together with Mr.Eustii and
Mr. M'Farland, against whom force in like manner had
been used, were taken to the San Jacinto as soon as they
entered the boat. When they reached your ship, you re-
ceived them near the gangway, announcing yourself as
Captain Wilkes, commander of the ship, and conducted
them to your cabin, which you placed at their disposal.
When the undersigned came on board, they found the men
at their quarters, and the guns bearing on the Trent. After
some time occupied in bringing on board our baggage and
effects, the San Jacinto proceeded to the northward through
the Southern channel, the Trent having been detained from
three to four hours.
The foregoing is believed to bea correct narrative in sub-
stance of the facts and circumstances attending our arrest
and transfer from the British mail steamer to the ship under
your command, and which we doubt net will be corrobo-
rated by the lieutenant present as well as by all who wit-
nessed them.
The incidents here given in detail may not have been
witnessed by each one of the undersigned, individually, but
they :were by :one or more of them. As, for the most
part, they did not pass under your notice, we have deemed
it. proper to present them in this form before, expressing
the wish, if considered incorrect in any part, the inaccu-
racies may be pointed out, with a respectful request that
you will transmit a copy of the paper to the Government of
the United States, together with your report of the trans
action, to facilitate which a copy is herewith enclosed.
We have the honour to be, very respectfully, your obe-
dient servants, JOHN SLIDELL.
J. M. MASON.
GEORGE EUSTIS.
J. E. M'FARLAND.
REPLY OP CAPTAIN WILKES.

United States Steamer San Jacinto,
At Sea, Nov. 13, 1861.
Gentlemen,—Your letter dated the 9th inst. was handed
to me yesterday. I shall transmit it, agreeably to your re-
quest, to the Hon. Secretary of the Navy, with my report
of the transactions to which it refers.
In reply to your wish to have any inaccuracies it may
contain pointed out, I deem it my duty to say the facts differ
materially in respect to the time and circumstances.
The facts in my possession are derived from the logbook
(the official record of the ship), and from the reports, in
writing, of all the officers who visited the Trent, all of
which will form a part of my report.-1 am, respectful] y,
your obedient servant,

CHARLES WILKES.
CARD OF THANKS.

United States steamer San Jacinto, Nov. 16, 1861.
Sir,—Before leaving your sbip we think it proper that we
should state that since we have been on board of her we
have uniformly been treated with great courtesy and atten-
tion.—Very respectfully yours,
JOHN SLIDELL,
J. M. MAsoN,
J. E. M'FARLAND,
GEo. EUSTIS.
Capt. Wilkes, commanding United States steamer
San Jacinto.

will complete fitting. Her royals were yester-
day got on end, and she has nearly completed
rigging. Her removal from the harbour to Folly
Point is considered a very unwise one, and will re-
sult in a loss of two or three days.

The Cormorant, 4, 200 horse power, and the Race-
horse 4, 200 horse power, belonging to the steam
reserve at Chatham, are both to be fitted for com-
mission, orders to that effect having been yesterday
received at Chatham.

No. 6 screw steam transport Mauritius, Captain
Cruikshank, lately purchased by Messrs. Begbie
and Co., went down to Woolwich pier from Dept-
ford yesterday morning, for the purpose of shipping
300 tons of war stores and military clothing for
America. The troops, 720 in number, will go on
board at Cork, including Capt. Morris's battery of
the Bth Brigade Royal Artillery. The Mauritius will
ship at Woolwich about 300 tons, consisting of shot
and shell, 30 snow sledges, a battery of 12 pounder
Armstrong guns for the use of Capt. Morris's bat-
tery, 752 suits of warm military clothing, 14 non-
commissioned officers from the 3d Regiment (Buffs),
the 14th, 60th, 61st, 63d; 78th, and 84th Regiments
of the Line, who have volunteered to join the Cana-
dian Militia; and 46 horses. The Mauritius em-
barked naval provisions at Deptford sufficient for
a six weeks' voyage, and, according to her usual
rate of speed, the captain expects to perform the
voyage to America in 13 or 14 days.
Her Majesty's ship Devastation, Commander
M'Crea, commissioned at Woolwich, having em-
barked five Armstrong guns and materials for the
Bacchante and Clio in the Pacific, left Greenhithe
on Sunday on a trial of her engines, her minimum
speed having been proved as 10 knots per hour,
which was pronounced satisfactory. Her steering
was, however, notified as bad. Shortly after the
inspecting officers had left for shore, to return to
Woolwich, and when the tide was at his highest
flood, she became imbedded on the Maplin Sands, a
little below Shoeburyness. The occurrence took
place at half-past 5 on Sunday evening, After
being stranded about 17 hours she was liberated,
and continued her voyage to Portsmouth yesterday
morning at half-past-10 a.m. No material damage
was sustained.
The following appointments have been made at
the Admiralty :—Commander A. R. Henry, to the
Stromboli, vice Commander Lord Elphinstone, su-
perseded at his own request ; Commander J. W.
Pike, to the Vigilant, commissioned ; Lieuts. Bon-
ham W. Bag and George Henley, to the Vigilant ;
John G. Morgan, master, to the Vigilant ; and F.
Leonard, surgeon, to the Vigilant. The following
appointments will be made on the Hannibal being
paid off :—Thomas Bullions, chief engineer, to the
Asia, for the Hannibal ; J. Jolly, first class assistant
engineer, to the Fisgard, as supernumerary ; D. C.
Miller, second class assistant engineer, to the Fis-
gard, as supernumerary ; B. Carr, second class
assistant engineer, to the Indus, as supernumerary ;
W. T. Comerford, paymaster, to the Vigilant ; John
D. Parminter, paymaster, to the Dauntless; Alex.
F. Gain, assistant paymaster, to the Victory, as su-
pernumerary ; Benjamin Urwich, clerk, to the
Vigilant ; William F. Crosthwaite and Arthur J. C.
Clarke, assistant clerke, to the Ajax ; William 0.
Roy, assistant clerk, to the Wellesley ; Richard
Harbord, assistant clerk, to the Majestic; John T.
Greet, assistant clerk, to the Russell; J. T. Hugo,
assistant clerk, to the Blenheim ; and Aubery A.
Fauvel, assistant clerk to the Dauntless.