The Sun.
London, England, 1861-12-09 00:00:00

THE NAVY.

The steam transport Melbourne, laden with a
heavy freight of war stores for America, having em-
barked her troops at 'Woolwich on Friday, as an-
nounced in The Sun, sailed on the following day
at half-past 2 p.m. The long and spacious platform
of the Royal Arsenal Pier was thronged during the
process of getting under way by officers of the gar-
rison and their families, including General Sir
Richard Dacres and his Staff, Commodore Sir Fre.
derick Nicolson, &c. As soon as the ship had
veered round from her moorings, and was fairly on
her course, the spectators gave a hearty " God
speed," which was immediately followed by the
waving of caps and handkerchiefs and shouts of
applause. The shouts then commenced on board,
and were repeatedly heard when the Melbourne
was far down the Thames, testifying in a perfectly
unmistakeable manner to the feelings of the troops.
The screw steam frigate Emerald, 51, Captain
Arthur Cumming, at Plymouth, has received super-
numeraries for the ships on the West India station,
and waits the arrival of the Melbourne.

The Hero, 89, screw, Captain A. P. Ryder, sailed
from Spithead at 3 p.m. yesterday, to join the squa-
dron under the command of Vice-Admiral A. Milne
on the North American and West India station,
The Hero left the anchorage under canvass, the wind
fresh at S. W., and proceeded by the eastern channel.
The Euryalus, 51, screw, was placed in No, 10
dock at Portsmouth on Saturday to clean copper,
examine valves, &c., as is usual prior to commission.
It is probable, however, that the Euryalus will re-
quire some slight caulking in the vicinity of her
water line before she is again taken out of dock.
The Sutlej, 51, screw, received her three lower
masts and bowsprit under the steam basin shears the
same day, and will bo hurried forward with despatch
for commission. A body of the Trafalgar's men are
employed upon her. It has been mooted as not im-
probable that the Sutlej will be commissioned by
the captain of the Trafalgar should events reach
their expected climax with America. Shoald this
be carried into effect, a fine frigate would be at once
manned, 200 men left disposable for other vessels,
and an addition would be made to Vice-Admiral
Milne's squadron of a fine, fast 50 gun frigate, in
lieu of a line-of-battle ship of a greater draught of
water, and with stowage for only 300 tons of coal.
An additional notice has been posted at the gates
of Portsmouth dockyard for the entry of the follow-
ing workmen, &c.—viz., 130 shipwrights, 8 copper-
smiths, 22 millwrights, 2 ship's plumbers, and 20
labourers. This order will make in round numbers
about 950 mechanics and labourers that have been
entered at Portsmouth since the orders for the in-
crease of hands employed in the dockyards have
been issued from the Admiralty.
Admiralty orders reached Chatham yesterday,
directing, in addition to the other screw steamers
ordered to be brought forward for commission, that
the line of-battle screw steamship Meanee, 81, 2,591
tons, 400 horse power, be immediately docked and
brought forward for service at sea. The Meannee
is one of the finest of the 81 gun screw liners, and
is at present attached to the first division of the
steam reserve in the Medway. She is masted and
rigged, and only requires to undergo a few trifling
repairs to be made ready for service. It is probable
she will be docked a Sheerness, provided she can be
accommodated at that dockyard.

The 91 gun screw liner Orion, 600 horse power,
under repair, and fitting for the third division of
the steam reserve at Chatham, is to have her repairs
discontinued for the present, special orders to that
effect having been forwarded from the Controller of
the Navy. The Orion will require very extensive
repairs to be executed upon her before she can again
hoist the pennant, in addition to which she will be
required to be furnished with new boilers, her pre-

PRICE..... ~.4d.
STAMPED ....sd.

sent boilers being very unsound. Her masts were
removed during the time she was in the steam basin
at Sheerness.

The screw steamship Rosario, 11, 637 tons, 180-
horse power, one of the steamers fitting for com-
mission, has been again taken to the measured mile
at the Maplin Sands for a further trial of her speed,
but the results were not altogether satisfactory.
After some necessary adjustments have been effected
in her engines, which are on the direct-acting ho,i-
zontal principle, she will be again tried. On the
occasion of her first trial the speed attained was
only nine knots an hour.

The Wildfire, paddlewheel steamer, Mr. G.
Brockman, master-commander, proceeded from
Chatham to Sheerness on Saturday, taking in tow
one of the Government lighters, containing the re-
mainder of the masts, yards, and other gear for the
Severn, 51, 500-horse power, making ready for sea.
A naval court-martial assembled on Saturday on
board the Formidable, 84, Capt. W. G. Luard, flag-
ship of Vice-Admiral W. J. Hope Johnstone, com-
mander-in-chief at the Nore, for the trial of Mr.
Charles Paget Hodges, second master of her Ma-
jesty's paddlewheel steamer Dee, 4, at Chatham,
on a charge of having, on the 23d of November,
been drunk and incapable of performin— his
duty on board the said ship. The
sidered the charge fully proved, and sentenced the
prisoner to forfeit two years of his seniority as
a second master, to be dismissed from her
Majesty's ship Dee, and to be severely reprimanded.
The undernamed gentlemen havebeen nominated
to naval cadetships :—S. F. Dashwood, 0. C. Read,
C. W. Dickinson, R. W. Fawkes, E C. Pooke, and
A. S. Hamilton.

The following appointments were made on Satur-
day at the Admiralty :—Lieut. W. R. Kennedy to
the Hero; Lieut. G. C. Musters to the Victory, as
supernumerary, for disposal; F. E. Shean and J.
Dingwall, acting second-class assist. engineers, to
the Cumberland, as supernumeraries; W. C. P.
Grant, paymaster, to the Asia, for the Defence; and
J. E. Skinner, assist.-paymaster, to the Asia, for the
Defence.