The Sun.
London, England, 1861-12-05 00:00:00

111 E NAVY.

The Defence, 22, 600 horse power, 3,668 tons, is
still in dock at Chatham, 13,tt from the energy now
shown in fitting her, and the number of hands em-
ployed about her, a very short time only will elapse
before she is ready for sea. Her crew will be sent
to ner linmeatatety,-tmallaring the time the vessel'
is being completed theyerwill be employed at Chat-
ham in preparing the screw frigate Galatea, 26, 800
horse power, for sea. The necessary provision is to
be made at Chatham for their accommodation.
In accordance with orders received at Chatham
yesterday the screw corvette Pylades, 21 guns,
1,278 tons, and 350 horse power (nominal), will be
placed in the fourth dock this afternoon, to be
brought forward for sea with all despatch.
The line-of battle ship Collingwood, 80, which
has been converted from a sailing ship to a screw
steamer, proceeded to the measured mile at the
Maplin Sands, on Tuesday, for the purpose of mak-
ing a trial trip, for the purpose of testing her ma-
chinery. The average rate of speed attained during
the several runs, was nearly 10 knots per hour.
The engines worked very satisfactorily. _ _

Detailed instructions were yesterday forwarded
to the Commander-in-Chief at the Nore, directing
the following steamers referred to in Me Sun of
yesterday to be prepared with the utmost possible
despatch for active service—viz., the Severn, 51 ;
the Galatea, 26; the Barrossa, 21; the Zebra, 17;
the Rosario, 11, and the Dragon, 6. A special re-
port is to be forwarded to the Admiralty, stating
the shortest possible time in which the foregoing
ships can be made ready for sea, allowieg for
the increased number of hired mechanics and
labourers ordered to be entered. The Severn, 51,
500 horse power, and 2,767 tons, is now in the steam
basin, and yesterday had her lower masts put in
under the masting shearEi. The dockyard authori-
ties state they will be enabled to complete her and
have her ready for sea 114 the course of three weeks
or one month from this date. The Galatea, 26 guns,
3,227 tons, and 800 horse power, is one of the finest
frigates in the royal navy. She has been attached
to the second division of the steam reserve in the
Medway, but has been sent to Chatham, where she
will be rigged and fitted. 'She steamed into Chatham
harbour yesterday afternbon at 3 o'clock from the
Nore. Immediately on her arrival she was placed
under the floating shears, and had her bowsprit put
in, and to-day her lower masts will be got on board.
The Barrossa, 21 guns, 1,700 tons, and 400 horse
power, is completely rigged and fitted, and attached
tothefirst-class steam reserve. She can be made
ready to proceed to any part of the world in a few
days. The Zebra, 17 guns, and 200 horse power
(nominal), is in No. 1 dock, fitting. She is in a very
advanced state, is almost completed in her rigging,
and with the exception of painting little else re-
quires to be done to her. The Itosario, 11 gun
steam sloop, 150 horse power, is attached to the first
division of the steam reserve, She is completely
rigged and most of her stores are on board, and will
be ready for sra in a few days. The Dragons 6,
paddlewheel steamer, 1,056 tons, 360 horse power,
is making good defects in the second dock, and
from her present condition some time must elapse
before she is ready to be commissioned.
The screw steam frigate Orlando, 51, was brought
on Tuesday from her moorings in llamoaze to Key-
ham basin. She will be taken into No. 1 dock to-
morrow to have her bottom cleaned, valves over-
hauled, and be coppered to her load line ready for
sea. The screw steam frigate Plicebe, 51, at Devon-
port, is receiving her masts. She will be placed
alongside the dockyard to-morrow to be rigged.
Orders were received yesterday at Devonport, for
the artisans employed forwarding the repairs of
these and other ships, to work extra hours for their'
advancement.

In consequence of the large number of steam
vessels ordered to be fitted out forthwith, in antici-
pation of a war, Admiralty instructions have been
forwarded to the superintendents of the several
Government dockyards directing that the whole of
the continuous service seamen, who have recently
been paid off from I,er Majesty's ships returned
respee:tyB flag ships, to be available when required.
from 3 foreignorder .cations, shall immediately join at the
also applies to petty offi &T., and

Privateers, both Federal and Confederate, were
yesterday reported to be in the chops of the Chan-
nel near Scilly.
Letters from the South American coast, received
by our Southampton correspondent, report that
her Majesty's ships Curlew and Ardent and the
French brig Beaumanoir, 14 guns, were at Buenos
Ayres on the 27th of October. The follow-
ing ships of war were at Montevideo on the 30th ;
Her Majesty's ships Curacoa and Spy, the Bra-
zilian gunboats Ycquetinnonna (f. s.), and the Ara-
guary, the Spanish brig Gravina, 18 guns (f. s.),
Spanish gunboats Concordia and Covadonga ; the
French frigate Pandore, 50 guns (flagship) ; the
French gunboate Fulmonate ; and the French store-
ship Fortune.
A notice was yesterday affixed at Chatham Dock-
yard gates, announcing that 50 additional ship
wrights, five caulkers, eight joiners, and 16 smiths
were required at that establishment. The addi-
tional labourers are to be selected from the seamen
pensioners discharged from the Wellesley, 74.
Yesterday Sir Richard Mayne, Chief Commis-
sioner of the metropolitan police, accompanied by
Mr. Superintendent Mallalieu, inspected the A
division of the police force doing duty at Chatham
Dockyard under the direction of Mr. Superinten-
dent Richardson. The members of the force were
drilled in the presence of Captain Fanshawe, Su-
perintendent of the dockyard, and the other offi-
cials, after which they were exercised at the fire
engines. In order to test the speed in which the fire
engines could be brought into play after the first
alarm of fire an order was given to the men to man
the engines. Although they were in their fall uni-
form at the time the whole operation of changing
their clothes to the fire suit, fetching the engine
from another part of the yard, fixing the hose, and
getting it into play, consumed only 31 minutes, as
timed by Capt. Fanshawe. On the previous day
Sir R. Mayne made his first annual inspection of
the force at Sheerness Dockyard, and expressed
himself well satisfied with the result of his inspec-
tion. Before quitting Chatham Dockyard Sir R.
Mayne inspected the quarters occupied by the
police, and also inspected the books and police re-
turns.

Admiralty orders were yesterday received at
Chatham, directing 30 non-commissioned officers
and men of the Royal Marines, together with 40
gunners of the Royal Marine Artillery, to be selected
for service on board the iron steamer Defence, 22,
commissioned at Chatham by Capt. Powell, C.B.
The following appointments were made at the Admiralty
last-evening :

Lieutenants—Charles G. Jones to Ihe Trafalgar, Alfred
J. Check to the Majestic, Spencer M. Wilson to the
Colossus.

Masters—Daniel J. May (additional) to the Fisgard,
John P. C. Clements to the Mars, H. Goldsmith to the
Cumberland for Galatea, N. Coen to the Cumberland for
Barossa, Alfred J. Veitch to the Indus for the Phcobe.
Master's Assistant—Joseph B. Doyle to the 'Warrior.
Surgeon—Charles F. A. Courtney, to the Defence.

Assistant-Surgeon—Dr. James Paterson, to the Defence.

Assistant-Engineers—Thomas Griffiths, acting second-
class, to tho Cumberland (supernum3rary) ; Wm.
to the Hogue.

Anti:MOTIONS.
%Vm. Burgess, engineer, to the Waterman.
Charles Bulford, assistant-engineer seeimi-class, to tho
Urgent.