The Sun.
London, England, 1861-12-04 00:00:00

SHIPS OF THE LINE.

The Pennsylvania, 120 guns, 3,241 tons, builkin 1837—re•
ceiving ship, Norfolk.
The Columbus, 80 guns, 2,480 tons, built in 1819 ; in ordi-
nary—Norfolk.
The Ohio, 84 guns, 2,757 tons, built in 1820—receiving
ship, Boston.
The North Carolina, 84 guns, 2,633 tons, built in 1820—re-
ceiving ship, New York.
The Delaware, 84 guns, 2,633 tons, built in 1820; in ordi-
nary—Norfolk.
The Vermont, 84 guns, 2,633 tons, built in 1840 ; in ordi-
nary—Boston.
The New Orleans, 84 guns, 2,805 tons, built in 1815 ; on
the stocks—Sackett's-harbour.

The Alabama, 84 guns, 2,633 tons, built in 1818 ; on the
stocks—Kittery.

The Virginia, 84 guns, 2,633 tons, built in 1818; on the
stocks—Boston.

The New York, 84 guns, 2,633 tons, built in 1818 ; on the
stocks—Norfolk.

FRIGATES.

The Constitution, 50 guns, 1,607 tons, built in 1797; in
commission—Annapolis.
The United States, 50 guns, 1,607 ton., built in 1797; in
ordinary—N,.rfolk.
The Potomac, 50 guns, 1,726 tons, built in 1820; in ordi-
nary—New York.
The Brandywine, 50 guns, 1,726 tons, built in 1825; in
ordinary—New York.
The Columbia, 50 guns, 1,726 tons, built in 1836; in ordi-
nary—Norfolk.
The Congress, 50 guns, 1,867 tons, built in 1841; in com-

mission—South America.
The Raritan, 50 guns, 1,726 tons, built in 1843 ; in ordinary

—Norfolk.
Tim St. Lawrence, 50 guns, 1,726 tons, built in 1847 ; in
ordinary—Philadelphia,
The Santee, 50 guns, 1,726 tons, built in 1855 ; in commis-
sion—Home station.
The Sabine, 50 guns, 1,726 tons, built in 1855 ; in commis-
sion—Home station.

SLOOPS.

The Cumberland, 24 guns, 1,726 tons, built in 1842 ; in

commission—Home.
The Savannah, 24 guns, 1,726 tons, built in 1842; fitting

out—New York.
The Constellation, 22 guns, 1,452 tons, built in 1854 ; in

commission—Africa.
The Macedonian, 22 guns, 1,341 tons, built in 1836; in

commission—Home.
The Portsmouth, 22 guns, 1,022 tons, built in 1843 ; in

commission—Home.
The Plymouth, 22 guns, 989 tons, built in 1843; in ordi

nary—Norfolk.
The St. Mary's, 22 guns, 958 tons, built in 1844; in corn,

mission—South America.
The Jamestown, 22 guns, 985 tons, built in 1814 ; fitting
out—Philadelphia.
The Germantown, 22 guns, 939 tons, built in 1846; in
ordinary—Norfolk.
The Saratoga, 2) guns, 882 tons, built in 1842; in com-

mission—Home.
The John Adams, 20 guns, 700 tons, built in 1831 ; in

commission—East Indies.
The Vincennes, 20 guns, 700 tons, built in 1826; in ord

nary—Boston.
The Vendalia, 20 guns, 783 tons, built in 1828 ; in commis-
sion—East Indies.
The St. Louis, 20 guns, 700 tons, built in 1828; in commis-
sion—Home.
The Cyane, 20 guns, 792 tons, built in 1837 ; in commission
—South America.
The Levant, 911 enn., 709 tons, }milt in 107; in commission

- home.
The Decatur, 16 guns, 56C tons, built in 1839; in ordinary
—San Francisco.
The Marian, 16 guns, 566 tons, built in 1839; in ordinary
—Portsmouth, N.H.
The Dale, 16 guns, 666 lons, built in 1839 ; in ordinary—
Portsmouth, N.H.
The Preble, 16 guns, 666 tons, built in 1839; in ordinary
—Boston.

BRIGS.

The Bainbridge, 6 guns, 259 tons, built in 1842 ; fitting•

Boston.
The Perry, 6 guns, 280 tons, built in 1843 ; fitting—New

York.
The Dolphin, 4 guns, 224 tons, built in 1836; ordinary.
Norfolk.

STORE AND TROOP VESSELS.

The Relief, 2 guns, 468 tons, built in 1836 ; commission•

Africa.
The Supply, 4 guns, 547 tons, purchased in 1846 ; commis.

sion—Home.
The Release, 1 gun, 31 tons, purchased in 1846 ; commis.
sion—the Mediterranean.
Sc REIT FRIGATES.

The Niagara, 12 guns, 4,580 tons, built in 1855—Japan.
The Roanoke, 40 guns, 3,400 tons, built in 1855—New

York.
The Colorado, 40 guns, 3,400 tons, built in 1855—Boston.
The Minnesota, 40 guns, 3,200 tons, built in 1855—Boston,
The Wabash, 40 guns, 3,200 tons, built in 1855—New York,
The Franklin, 59 guns, 3,680 tons, built in 1854—Kittery,
building.

FIRST-CLASS STEAM SLOOPS.
SCREW.

The San Jacinto, 13 guns, 1,446 tons, built in 1850—Home.
The Lancaster, 22 guns, 2,360 tons, built in 1858—South

America.
The Pensacola, 19 guns, 2,158 tons, built in 1858—Norfolk,
The Brooklyn, 25 guns, 2,070 tons, built in 1858—Home.
The Hartford, 16 guns, 1,990 tons, built in 1858—East

Indies.
The Richmond, 14 guns, 1,929 tons, built in 1858--Home.

SIDE- WHEEL,

The Susquehanna, 15 guns, 2,450 tons, built in 1850—

Home.
The Powhattan, 11 guns, 2,415 tons, bullt in 1850—Home.
The Saranac, 9 guns, 1,446 tons, built in 1843—South
America. _

SECOND-CLASS STEAM SLOOPS.
SCREW.
The Mohican, 6 guns, 994 tons, built in 1858—Home.
The Narragansett, 5 guns, 804 tons, built in 1858—South

America.
The Iroquois, 6 guns, 1,016 tons, built in 1858—Home.
The Pawnee, 4 guns, 1,289 tons, built in 1858—Home.
The Wyoming, 6 guns, 997 tons, built in 1858—South

America.
The Dacotah, 6 guns, 998 tons, built in 1858—East Indies,
The Pocahontas, 5 guns, 694 tcns, built in 1855—Home.
The Seminole, 3 guns, 801 tons, built in 1858—Brazil.

SIDE-WHEEL.
The Fulton, 4 guns, 698 tons, built in 1837—Pensacola,

THIRD-CLASS STEAMERS.

Scuzw.

The Wyandotte, 5 guns, 461 tons, built in 1858 ; in corn.

mission—Home.
The Mohawk, 5 guns, 464 tons, built in 1858 ; in commis-

sion—Home.
The Crusader, 8 guns, 549 tons, built in 1858; in commis•

sion—Home.
The Mystic, 5 guns, 464 tons, built in 1858 ; in commission
—Home.

SIDE-WHEEL.
The Waterwitch, 3 guns, 378 tons, built in 1845; fitting.

Philadelphia.
The Michigan, 1 gun, 682 tc us, built in 1844 ; in ordinary

—Erie.
The Pulaski, 1 gun, 395 tons, built in 1851; in commission

—South America.
The Saginow, 3 guns, 453 tons, built in 1858 ; in commis•
sion—San Francisco.

STEAM TENDERS.

The John Hancock, 3 guns, 382 tons, built in 1850; in
ordinary—St. Francisco.
The Anacostin, 1 gun, 217 tons, built in 1858; in commis-
sion—Washington.
Stevens's iron battery, 8 guns, 4,683 tons, building since
1842—Hoboken, New Jersey.
Since May last the Federal Government has, it is
stated officially, nominally added nearly 100 vessels
to this list, a complete amount of each of which
ought to have reached our Admiralty by the last
mail. This supplementary list, however, has not
yet arrived, and it is not improbable, considering
the present state of our relations with America,
that it will not now be sent at all. The omission,
however, is a matter of very small importance, as
the additional vessels have been officially stated to
be all merchant ships bought or chartered by the
Government for the conveyance of troops, and only
in some few instances fitted with one or two light
cannon to assist in blockading the Southern ports.
The above list, therefore, in fact, comprises all the
Aetnal vessels of war belonging to the Federal Govern-

ment up to the departure of the last mail. The list
looks sufficiently well on paper, though, when we
come to examine it, its formidable aspect very rapidly
disappears. It is not too much to say that the whole
of the first portion of the list down to the screw
frigates only enumerates the names of old wooden
vessels, which can scarcely be counted as forming
any part of the effective Federal Navy. The Penn-
sylvania, 120, sounds quite large, though, in reality,
this old vessel is as harmless as our own Victory,
and would fall an easy prey to any of the really
powerful American frigates, such as the Niagara,
the Brooklyn, the Lancaster, or the Pensacola. In
fact, of the first ten ships of the line which head
the catalogue not one has ever had a gun in
her except the Pennsylvania, which mounts six.
The rest, with the exception of the Vermont, are
all about the oldest specimens afloat of the very
old school of sailing liners. Of the whole ten, four
were begun before 1820, and have lain in ordinary
ever since, and are, in fact, contemporaries of the
clay-coloured Benbows and Melpomenes that en-
cumber the waters of the Medway and Hamoaze,
Four ethers in this list were commenced in 1815
and 1818, and are still on the stocks, after a lapse of
45 years ! The same remarks apply to most of the
sailing frigates, some of which, as our readers will
see, were built nearly as far back as 70 years ago,
and even the most modern are constructed on the
old model as to size. How our own naval archi-
tects would stare at being requested to get 50 guns
into a ship of 1,600 tons, which, allowing for the
difference of American tonnage, represents little
over 1,300 tons of ours ! In fact, mast of the Ame-
rican sailing war vessels are always spoken of by
the officers in our service as being " a box of guns."
Thus, the St. Louis, Vandalia, Jamestown, and
Plymouth, though some of not more than 700 Ame-
rican tons, and none over 1,000, all carry arma-
ments as numerous and almost as heavy as our
frigates of nearly four times their size. The result
is that " the quarters" in action are so crowded
with men and confined in space that the guns can-
not be handled, while every enemy's shot coming on
board tells with appalling effect among the close
groups of seamen. It was the knowlege of the fatal
disadvantages under which they laboured in this
respect as compared with the frigates of other na-
tions that led the United States' officers to press
upon their Government for the construction of
frigates of the largest class, capable of carrying
heavy guns, and, at the same time, allowing the
crews an ample space to work them in. And here
we come to the really formidable portion of the
Federal Navy. The Niagara was the first attempt
at vessels of this class. It was built by M.. Steers,
the builder of the far-famed yacht America, He,
however, like all other yacht builders, East or
West, sacrificed everything to speed, and so it was
found on trial that the Niagara, a vessel of 4,600
tons, was so deeply immersed that the idea
of a main deck battery of 30 huge guns had
to be given up entirely, and her armament
reduced to 12 11-inch Dahlgren shell-guns,
all on the spar deck. She is still, however,
from her great speed (with steam and sail she can
always command from 14 to 15 knots an hour) and
her heavy long range armamenta formidable cruiser.
In their next efforts the American Government
were more fortunate, and in the Lancaster, Pensa-
cola, Brooklyn, Hartford, and Richmond, five large
and powerful vessels were produced, and sent afloat
in 1859. The Brooklyn is the best of these, and
the type of her class. With great sailing qualities
and high steam power, she can go at almost any
rate she pleases, and, above all, she carries well all
armament of 25 11-inch shell guns of great length.
These enormous ordnance very much resemble in
outward appearance cast-iron champagne bottles,
and their weight is so great (with their carriages,
nearly nine American tons) that the whole of her
crew is required to handle one broadside effectively.
She, however, and her sisters we have mentioned.
would still prove heavy overmatches for any slower
and lighter armed vessels of war. The San Jacinto
was the first experimental vessel of this class, and
the Brooklyn is the last and best. No vessel, we
may mention, is better known in our service than
the Brooklyn, from the part which Captain Walker
took when the outcry prevailed in America against
the British right of search for slavers. During that
exciting time, when a Mosquito fleet of ferry boats
and steamers, mounting one gun each, was sent by
the Federal Government to the West Indian sta-
tion, the Brooklyn made herself conspicuous by
beating to quarters whenever an English man•of-
war entered Port Royal, and training her guns, SO
that all might bear on the new comer. This insult
was so persistently renewed that the English ships
at last replied in kind, and beat to quarters too,
whenever the Brooklyn was seen coming towards
them off a harbour. But our strongest vessel on
the station then was only the Devastation paddle-
sloop of six guns. We may, perhaps, mention that
the Orlando, 51, and the Mersey, 32, two of the
largest frigates in the world, were designed and
built as a kind of answer to the building of the Nia-
gara, while the Ariadne and the Galatea quite
compensate to our navy for the Brooklyn and ves-
sels of her class.
Perhaps, however, the vessel from the employ-
ment of which the Federals entertain the greatest
expectations is Steven's half-submerged iron-plated
battery, which is to carry four guns of 15 inches
and four of 18 ! But everything connected with the
construction of this vessel is so utterly novel and
peculiar that it would be impossible to describe it
in this abstract of the Federal Navy.
The total number of captains, commanders, and
lieutenants in the navy, amounting in all to upwards
of 450, had, up to June last, been reduced by the
secession to nearly 200. Since that date very maul
others have joined the cause of the South,—among
them the celebrated Commander Maury, whose
name in connexion with the progress of the scientific
departments of the American Navy is known
throughout Europe.

THE BRAZIL A ND RIVER PLATE MAILS-

SOUTHAMPTON, DEC. 4.

The Royal Mail steamship Magdalena, with the
above mails, has arrived here. She brings 38 pas-
sengers, £44,580 in specie, and 3,060 packages of
cargo.

There is no news of importance from Buenos
Ayres. The town of Parana bad been abandoned,
and was quiet. Derqui remained at Santa Fe, and
had refused to resign. The province of Tucuman
is in a state of complete anarchy. General Nazar
had been appointed Military Governor of Rosari.
The Buenos Ayres market showed signs of ani-
mation consequent on the better aspect of political
affairs. The clip of wool was expected to be good
in quality and quantity. Sales of unwashed had
been effected at 50do1. to 70do1. per arroba, accord-
ing to quality. Sales of dry ox and cow hides
limited, for English market, 39 to 40 reals.

At Bahia, sugar was in demand at improved
prices. Browns were quoted 2,200 reis per arroba
for regular, and 2,300 reis for good quality. Prices
of white were nominal, but little business having
been done. Cotton was purchased for home con-
sumption at 9,600 to 9,800 reis per arroba. Coffee
—no transactions had transpired, exporters refus-
ing the high prices demanded. Freights in brisk
demand at 40s. to 455. per ton to Liverpool. Ex-
change, 90 days, 251.
The arrivals of sugar at Pernambuco exceed the
average of late years. The quality of browns is
fair; prices firm, at 2,100 reis per arroba. The
quotations of cotton had advanced to 12,100 reis
per arroba. Fine quality hides, dry salted, 180 reis
per lb. Freights sought after at advanced rates•
Exchange, 25.1 to 261.
At Rio the coffee-market was active. The sales
for the month comprise 151,370 bags. Quotations
were unaltered.
Hides.-8,000 had been sold at 300 to 330 reis,
leaving 11,000 in stock.
Freights in great demand—to Liverpool, 30$.
Discount unaltered. Exchange, 25±.
There. was nothing worthy of notice in shares,
specie, and stock.

SOUTH KENSINGTON MUSEUM.—D uring the
week ending Nov. 30 the visitors have been as follows
On Monday, Tuesday, and Saturday (free days), 3,629 ; on
Monday and Tuesday (free evenings), 3,629 ; on the three
students' days (admission to the public, 6d.), 1,066; one
students' evening (Wednesday), 193; total, 8,517. From
the opening of the hattseum, 2,368,865,