The Sun.
London, England, 1861-07-30 00:00:00

THE WAVY.

On Thursday last the Bristol, 51 guns, screw
steam frigate, which has recently been launched and
fitted at Woolwich, left that place for Sheerness.
The engines of the vessel, which are built by Messrs.
R. Napier and Son, of Glasgow, are of 600 nominal
horse-power, the indicated horse-power being
3,000.
The ship is furnished with horizontal air-pump
engines, which are remarkable for the simplicity of
their expansion motion. Two trials took place on
Saturday at Maplin Sands. The first resulted as
follows :—Average speed, with full boiler power,
12'568 knots ; pressure of steam, 201 b. ; vacuum,
261; revolutions, 66. The vessel was then tried at
half boiler pressure, when the following results were
obtained :—Average speed, 10.078 knots ; revolu-
tions, 59 (Griffiths' screw) ; pitch, 23 feet ; diameter,
18 feet ; draught of water forward, 17 feet ; aft, 20
feet 4 inches. The vessel is remarkably well built,
and very strong, scarcely any vibration occurring
even when under the full force of the
_powerful.
machinery. These trials, which lasted seven hours,
were of a highly satisfactory character. Mr. Part-
ridge attended on the part of the Government, and
Mr. George Brown, foreman to Messrs. Napier and
Son, on the part of the contractors.

The Wanderer, 4, screw steam-sloop, 400 horse-
power, recently commissioned at Sheerness by Com-
mander Michael C. Seymour, was taken out of the
fitting basin at that port on Saturday, having com-
pleted her fitments, to await sailing orders. Sbe
is supplied with two Armstrong guns.
The Sharpshooter, 6, screw, Lieutenant-Com-
mander Gibbons, was officially inspected yesterday
morning,
,at Spithead, by Captain Coote,
tain to Vice-Admiral Sir H. W. Bruce,
and afterwards steamed into Portsmouth harbour
to prepare for paying off.
The Bulldog, 6, paddle, Commander Maißop, at
Portsmouth, is under orders to proceed to Halifax:
taking out supernumeraries for the Mersey and
other ships on the station. She is expected to go
out to Spithead on Monday next,
The lighter Devon, Thomas Jennings master, left
Plymouth Sound yesterday for Pembroke with jury"
gear for the screw steam sloop Pe/Bens, 17, which
will be taken to Devonport to be fitted for the first
division of the steam reserve.

The Norwegian corvette Ellida, left Plymouth on
Sunday for the eastward.
The Donegal, 101, and the Immortalite, 61, both
in Plymouth Sound, have just been ordered to pre-
pare for sea. The Diadem, 32, also in the Sound,
is ordered to embark stores for Halifax, and then.
proceed to the West Indies.
The Pylades, 21, screw corvette, Captain M. de
Courcy, having been dismantled, will be paid off at
Chatham this day, and placed in the steam re-
serve, after being in commission upwards of four
years, during the whole of which period she hag;
been employed in the Pacific.
The following extract is from a letter received
by our Portsmouth correspondent from her
Majesty's ship Tartar, 20, screw, Captain Hayes,
dated Saturday, June 18 :
" We left Vancouver's on the 12th, and after n.
run of six days arrived here on our way to Callao,
to reieve the Calypso, 18, Capt. F. B. Montresor,
ordered to England, calling in at Panama. We
sail again from here on the 23d. When in harbour
our crew have lots of amusement provided for then
in the shape of cricket, football, and, on board, thea-
tricals. The men are actively employed in gun
practice, and gunnery is the word throughout the/
fleet."