The Sun.
London, England, 1859-03-07 00:00:00

THE NAVY.

The Lords of the Admiralty having given direc-
tions for 400 additional artisans to be immediately
entered at Chatham dockyard, notices were on Say
turday posted at the Dockyard gates that the fol-
lowing workmen would be entered this day, viz.:-
270 shipwrights, 45 smiths,. 24 joiners, 18 caulkers,
17 millwrights and enginemen, 11 sawyers, and 9
painters and plumbers. The whole of the workmen
employed in the dockyard will commence working
at task work this day, and will be employed early
and late, in order to complete those vessels which
are to be launched during the present year, the first
of which will be the line-of-battle screw steamer
Hood, 91. _ _ _ _

The three-decker sailing ship Trafalgar, 120,
having been cut down to a 91 gun screw steamer at
Chatham, is now completed, and will be undocked
during the next spring tides, when the Rodney, 90,
will be taken into the same dock.

An Admiralty order arrived at Sheerness, on
Saturday afternoon for the new screw steamship
Hero, of 91 guns and of 600-horse power nominal,
to be commissioned this day. _

An Admiralty order has arrived at Sheerness
that artificers of all classes and labourers are to be
increased, and an entry is now open for them.
The Ruby gunboat, Lieut. Commander Moore,
has had her damages and defects made good, and has
proceeded out on a trial trip of her machinery.
The paddlewheel steam frigate Leopard, 18, Capt.
James F. B. Wainwright, arrived at Portsmouth
from Devonport yesterday. She will tow round to
Chatham the Rodney, 90, to be docked there and
converted into a screw steamship.
Her Majesty's paddlewheel steam yacht Victoria
and Albert, having completed her renovation, &c.,
was taken out of dock on Saturday, at Portsmouth,
and placed at her harbour moorings.
The Mersey, 40, screw steam frigate, in the steam
basin at Portsmouth, was commissioned on Satur-
day by Mr. C. Polkinghorne, the master, for Capt.
H. Caldwell.
The Agamemnon, 91, screw steamship, in the
steam basin at Portsmouth, and the Melpomene,
50, new screw steam frigate, are both to be fitted
with all despatch, and placed in the first-class
steam reserve at that port.
Letters have been received at Plymouth, from the
screw steamship Caesar, 90, Capt. Chas. Frederick,
dated Greytown, February 2. They state that
there had been very little communication with the
shore for some time previous ; heavy squalls, with
torrents of rain, had been experienced. The next
station will probably be Chagres (Aspinwall), but
there was no indication of an early movement.
Letters for the Caesar continue to be addressed to
the central station, St. Thomas.

The screw steamship St. jean d'Acre, 101, Capt.
T. P. Thompson, had her compasses adjusted in
Plymouth Sound on Saturday, preparatory to sail-
ing for Spithead and Portland.
The screw steam sloop Gannet, 11, Commander
Edward Lambert, will shortly leave Plymouth
Sound for the Mediterranean station.

The. paddlewheel steam sloop Virago, 6, Com-
mander Dunn, was placed alongside the coal depot
in Hamoaze, on Thursday. She is now ready again
for active service.

The screw steamship Nile, Capt. Arthur P. E.
Wilmot, was taken into the basin at Keyham, Ply-
mouth, on Thursday, to make good defects.
The screw steamship Doris, 32, will probably be
put in commission to-day (Monday), by Captain
Heathcote, at Plymouth. The paymaster took up
his appointment on Saturday.
The following appointments were made on Satur-
day at the Admiralty :—Lieut, G. H. Parkin, Lieut.
C. E. H. Brett, Lieut. the Hon. A. L. Corry, and
Lieut. H. M. Carre, to the Mersey ; Lieut. S. W. S.
Oakes, Lieut. IL W. D. Abercromby, and Lieut.
John Liddell, to the Doris; Lieut. B. W. Bax, to
the Orion ; Lieut. C. W. Andrews, to the Nile ;
Lieut. J. Berkeley, Lieut. J. M. Bushell, Lieut. H.
D. Fox, and Lieut. H. S. Mandeville, to the James
Watt ; Lieut. G. C. B, Wathen, Lieut. C. D. Robin-
son, and Lieut. J. B. Butler, as additional, to the
Chesapeake ; Charles Graham, master, additional,
to the Exmouth, for the Topaze ; Thos. J. Whiller,
master, to the Hero; and G. A. Waters, master, to
the James Watt.