The Sun.
London, England, 1859-09-14 00:00:00

.7IIE

Major-Gen. Sir H. Jones, Royal Engineers, and
the other members of the Defence Commission, at-
tended by Col. Peters, Royal Artillery, and Col.
Wright, Royal Engineers, went on Monday in the
steam tender Vivid, W. H. Allen master, round
Plymouth Sound, for the purpose of exaMining the
fortifications. They landed at Bovisand Point and
on the Breakwater. The Vivid then swept round
Cawsand Bay, continuing some time under the new
battery at Picklecombe Point, Mount Edgcumbe,
and proceeded towards Hamoaze, until near Eastern
King Point, whore she waited an hour, for the
purpose of surveying the fortifications there. She
then went up the Hamoaze as far as Saltash. The
fort or battery. at Bovisand was erected about ten
years since half way up the steep part of Staddon
Heights. After its erection it was discovered that
in case of attack an enemy's balls flying over the
artillerymen would strike against the hill and,
rebounding, cause probably more destruction than
if the fort was hit point blank. With a view to
remedy this defect a wall has been carried up
behind. The batteries are built of and faced
with granite, which it is feared when struck will
prove very detrimental to the men at the guns.
Some experienced engineers consider that instead
of being on any part of the hill this battery should
have been level with the sea—a raking shot being
much more effective against shipping than one
dropped from a height. It is understood that the
military authorities have long contemplated the
utility of erecting batteries on the breakwater, and
it is stated that they intend the erection to be in-
side the present structure. It is to be hoped that
the authorities will contemplate the possibility of
erecting the proposed battery outside the break-
water, where the water space is comparatively of
no use, rather than encroach on the anchorage
ground in the Sound, where every square inch is
of so much value.
• The screw gun vessel Pioneer, 6, Commander H.
Reilly, was taken out of dock on Monday, and will
probably leave Plymouth soon for her station on
the West Coast of Africa.
The Clio, 21 guns, screw steam corvette,4oo horse-
power (nominal), Capt. Thomas Miller, at Sheerness,
on her trial trip made 10 knots-9 with a pressure of
201b.-55 revolutions and maintained a vacuum
of 24.6. She was inspected by the Commander-
in-Chief on Monday last, who highly complimented
Captain Miller and the officers on the appearance
of the ship and crew, and expressed great Satisfac-
tion with her engines, after a minute examination.
Her crew have been paid their two months'
advance in the presence of Capt. Superintendent
R. B. Watson, B.N. She is under orders to leave
Sheerness this day.
The new screw line-of-battle ship Mars, 80 guns,
400 horse-power (nominal), Capt. James N. Strange,
was inspected at Sheerness yesterday by the Com-
mander-in-Chief. Her crew have received their
two months' advance, and she is under orders to
proceed to the Great Nore this day.
The paddlewheel steam-yacht Black Eagle,
Master-Commander John E. Petley, arrived at
Sheerness yesterday with volunteers and super-
numeraries (for the ships in commission at that
port) from Portsmouth. She left again for Wool-
wich. .

Tlie Challenger, 21 guns, screw steam corvette,
400-horse power (nominal), was taken into the
iltting basin at Sheerness yesterday; also the Icarus,
screw steam sloop, 11 guns, and the screw steam
sloop Alacrity, 4 guns; these, with the Reynard,
steam sloop, and the Snake, steam sloop, are ordered
to be prepared forthwith to be commissioned for
China. The Foxhound, Victor, and Wrangler,
steam sloops, are daily expected to be prepared for
the same service.

The Queen, screw steamship, 86 gnus, has nearly
received her armament, and is being coppered to
her sea-going marks.
The paddle-Wheel steam vessel Locust, 3 guns,
Lieutenant and Commander John B. Field, is now
in No. 3 dry dock, at Sheerness, making good de-
fects preparatory to her leaving on particular ser-
vice. She Avill be ready in two or three days.
The following ships are in the fitting basin at
Sheerpess, viz.:—The Forte, new screw steam
frigate, of 51 guns and 400 horse-power; the
Goliath, 80 guns, new screw steam ship, of 400
horse-powei• ;-the Wasp, 13 guns, screw steam sloop;
the challenger, corvette ; the AlaCrity,.sloop ; and
the Prussian_ bark Frederick Scalia ; the latter is
discharging timber, deals, &c., from the Baltic,
under the Government contract.

The Ira algar, 91, screw, Laptain Fanshawe,
arrived at Spithead yesterday f7om Portland. The
Neptune and the Edgar left Portland at the same
time as the. Trafalgar, bound for the westward. The
ships remaining at Portland were the Imperieuse
and the Blenheim, with the Argus, revenue steamer,
bearing the pendant of Commodore Yelverton, and
the Great Eastern steamship.
The Beagle, 6, screw despatch-vessel, at Ports-