The Sun.
London, England, 1861-12-26 00:00:00

THE NATY.

The whole of the screw gun Tessels attached to
the first division of the Chatham steam reserve have
been supplied each with a 100-pounder and 40-
pounder Armstrong pivot-gun, which are placed on
the upper deck. The whole of the squadron of
gunboats can be made fit for active service in a few
hours, as, with the exception of some minor stores,
they are all ready for sea. The Britomart and
Sauey have been placed in the great basin at
Sheerness to take on board a few additional stores.
The other gun vessels remain in the Medway await-
ing orders.
Some amended orders have been received at
Chatham relative to the armament of the screw
steamers fitting for commission. The screw cor-
vette Rattlesnake, 21, 400-horse power, is to have
four 40-pounder Armstrongs substituted for a
similar number of 8 inch :60 cwt. cast iron guns,
and one 12 pounder Armstrong, in lieu of a 12
pounder howitzer, for boat service. The Zebra, 17,
200 horse-power, will have two 40 pounder Arm-
strongs on her main deck, instead of two 32
pounders, and one 40 pounder Armstrong pivot gun
on her upper deck, instead of one 32 pounder 58
cwt. The Rosario, 11, 150 horse-power, is to have
a 40 pounder 32 cwt. Armstrong pivot gun substi-
tuted for a 32 pounder 58 cwt. gun, and four 20
pounder Armstrongs for four 32 pounders of 25
cwt. The Lee, 5, 80 horse-power, will have two 20
pounder Armstrongs, instead of two 24 pounder
howitzers.

The screw steam frigate Orlando, 51, left Ply-
mouth on Tuesday, with a strong breeze from the
eastward for Halifax. As she has on board some
guns for the Liffey, and a supernumerary officer for
the Aboukir, it is probable that she will touch at
Gibraltar. The Orlando was commissioned in Ha-
moaze on Tuesday week, the 17th inst., at noon,
At 4 p.m., the seamen were embarked. On Wed-
nesday the Marines joined her and sails were bent.
On Thursday she received provisions and stores,
and on Friday went into the Sound. When it is
recollected that this 50-gun frigate had to receive
provisions, slop clothing, mess utensils, and more
than the usual supply of ammunition, and that the
officers had to join her from different parts of the
country to station the crew in watches and at quar-
ters, and to supply themselves with mess traps and
stock, the fact of her having been commissioned
on Tuesday, and got ready for sea on the Sunday
following, is creditable to all on board, to the
steam reserve at Plymouth, and to the officials in
the Devonport Dockyard.
The War Department screw steamship Lord
Panmure left Plymouth an Taesday with munitions
of war for Liverpool.
The screw steam frigate Emerald, 51, Captain
Cumming, which has been some days at Plymouth
expecting to sail direct for Halifax, received orders
yesterday to leave the Sound to-morrow for Liver-
pool, to await further instructions,
Eighty additional shipwrights are ordered to
be entered in the Devonport Dockyard, to expedite
the completion of gunboats.
The mail steamship Tagus, Capt. W. B. Hall,
bound to Southampton, which put into Plymouth
yesterday, Christmas-day, short of coal, passed an
English frigate at half-past three on Tuesday after-
noon, standing south-west and supposed to be the
Orlando, 51, which left the Sound on Tuesday morn-
ing for Halifax, touching probably at Gibraltar.
The screw steam frigate Phoebe, 50, has been
fitted out at Devonport with great expedition. All
her guns and sea stores are on board. Yards were
crossed tind sails bent on Saturday, and she is now
in all respects ready to receive her crew.