The Sun.
London, England, 1859-04-25 00:00:00

THE NA VI:

It is reported in naval circles al. Portsmouth that
ea under sealed
the Channel fleet have put to
s
orders—it is said for the Adriatic.
The Urgent screw steam troopsh:l3_wi. 11 embark
division of the
at Portsmouth, to-morroV ft, the first
her return will
15th Regiment for Alderney., and
convey the remainder of the rqirilo
pinshill, it is said,
ent to Jersey.
The Asia sailing line-of-battLe
become the steam reserve guardsLl-Lip ordinary at
ordered for
Portsmouth, in lieu of the Hanni,:•ta,
sea service. • ate G.
the
The Mersey, 40, screw steam frig , '.l23tain H.
Caldwell, C. 8., returned to Spithead frol.
Baldwin Wai:ker
Channel on Saturday evening. Sir Bald
landed from the ship the same evening and pro-
peeded by madam in to London.
A telegram been received by the naval autho-
rides at Portsmouth, directing all vessels in the
ond class steam reserve at Portsmouth to receive
on board their heavyweights immediately, such as
their cables, guncarriages, &c.; also requesting to
be furnished with the number of stokers available
for service in Pie first and second class team bee
serve.
The Doris, 32, screw steam frigate, Captain E.
Ileathcote, will steam into Portsmouth harbour
from Spithead this day. The diameter of hetr
screw will be lengthened from 18 to 20 fee ,
for her next trial, which will take place on the 26th
inst. In our notice in The Sun of Saturday of
Bed
the
unfortunate collision with a smack in Stokes ay
on the occasion of the Doris running the m9asur,
mile on Thursday last we stated that a boy jumped
overboard and was drowned. We should have '
stated that the crew of the smack, consisting of
two men and a boy, jumped overboard; that the
men were not seen afterwards, but the boy was
picked up and taken on board the Doris, where he
soon afterwards died.
The Lords of the Admiralty have given directions
for the Channel fleet to be supplied with Redrs
cone signals, and preparations are being made
accordingly in the Devonport Dockyard. Rears
mode has been practised in Plymouth Harbour for
tin last six months. It is cheap, simple, and very
rapid, and is also adapted for use by the steam
whistle of a gunboat, or by a bugle, bell, &c.,
in
case of fog. Under recent directions from Port-
Admiral Sir B. Reynolds, K.C.B.' the system has
also been carried out at night, by lights, and can
then be worked more rapidly than by day. On
Thursday night, in the presence of the Port-Admiral
and a large party, some experiments were made
from the battery at Mount Wise, for testing the
use of Robson's patent signal lights and dischargers
in conjunction with Redl's code. Robson's lights
are of three colours—red, blue, and green, and like
rockets which exhibit the same colours, are very
intense and distinct. Communication was quickly
obtained with the flagship Impregnable, lying off
Mount Edgecumbe, and the gunnery ship Cam-
bridge, in Hamoaze. The rockets throw out a ball
of fire, which floats in the air some time after the
discharge, and with the lights greatly increase the
usefulness and rapidity of the cone signals. Rob-
son's inventions have been long adopted by the
Trinity Board and the mercantile marine.
The iron screw steamship Calcutta, Captain F.
Blackmore, belonging to the European and Ame-
rican Steamship Company, arrived at Plymouth
on Saturday afternoon. She left Calcutta on
the 2d of February, arrived at Madras on the
6th of February, left on the 7th, arrived at the
Cape on the 13th of March, left on the 16th,
arrived at Vincent's on the 9th of April, and sailed
thence on the 10th. The Calcutta has 159 invalids
of various regiments, 6 women, and 15 children,
under command of Captain Provost, of the 23d re-
giment, and in medical charge of Dr. Taylor, of the
Calcutta. She has also 27 adult passengers, 17
children, and 10 servants from Calcutta, and 6
adults, 5 children, and 3 servants from the Cape of
Good Hope. Two deaths occurred on the voyage—
viz., one soldier and a child. The Calcutta ex-
changed signals February 10, lat 7 27 N., long. 82
52 E., with the British ship Blue Rock, standing to
the north. March 9, lat. 31 41 S., long 32 58 E.,
the barque Charles Walton, from Borneo for Lon-
don. March 19, lat. 28 58 S., long. 28 E., passed
the Hanoverian barque Stadtminster, from Moul-
mein for Falmouth. March 24, lat. 19 20 S., long.
5 13 W., passed the French ship Madras, for Eng-
land ; and April 21, lat. 44 55 N., long. 9 33 W.,
exchanged colours with the English brig Canter-
bury, standing to the southward. The Calcutta
had fine weather until reaching the Bay of Biscay,
when she experienced strong winds from the south-
ward. She left Plymouth Sound yesterday morn-
ing for Southampton.
Her Majesty's steam-transport Dee, Master Com-
mander Thomas Pullen, laden with steam machinery
sailed from Woolwich on Saturday for Portsmouth.
The Dee is the only service ship at present of that
crass, and only arrived on the previous Saturday.
The following appointments were made on Satur-
day at the Admiralty ; Lieut, Godfrey Taylor and
Lieut. Thomas H. Greer, to the Minotaur ; Lieut.
W. 'l'. F. Jackson, Lieut. George V. Phillips, Lieut.
W. J. H. Grubbe, Lieut. C.D. Lucas, and the Hon.
H. Baillie Hamilton, to the Cressy ; Lieut, Charles
T. W. Cerjat and Lieut. William F. Gregory, to
the Asia ; Lieut. Arthur Wing, Lieut. H. J. Challis,
Lieut. 31. A. W. Welch, and Lieut. G. W. Strong,
to the Hannibal ; Lieut. John Burgess and Lieut.
H. T. Gammell, to the Wellington; Lieut. C. A.
V. P. Robinson, Lieut. G. L. Sulivan, Lieut. Wil-
liam Spratt, and Lieut. G. Y. R. Rattray, to the
Exmouth.