The Sun.
London, England, 1861-08-21 00:00:00

THE NA VY.
-o-

The Pandora, 5, screw, new, is to make her offi-
cial trial of speed at the measured mile in Stokes
Bay on Thursday next. On the following day the
Duncan, 101, screw, makes her concluding experi•
mental trial, after which she will be masted and
fitted for the first-class reserve, in the room of the
Duke of Wellington, 131, screw, dismantled, and
put back to the second class. Rumours have been
current now for some time that it is the intention
of the authorities to cut down the Duke and plate
her as a frigate. There are several reasons, how-
ever, against this being done. Even if she carried
her armour plates as a frigate, she would be deep
in the water and necessarily of slow speed, and
would be anything except an efficient armoured
ship. The same remarks will apply to the greater
part, if not all, of the intended conversions of steam
line-of-battle ships to armour-clad frigates.
The Shannon frigate, 51, screw, has been removed
from the old fitting basin, and placed at moorings
in Portsmouth harbour. She is rigged, stored, and
ready for commission.
The Furious, 16, paddle, Capt. 0. J. Jones, ar-
rived at Spithead at 6 15 p.m. last evening, from
the East India and China station. She came up
by the West Channel under steam and canvas.
The Cameleon, 17, screw, Commander Harding,
sailed from Spithead yesterday morning for the
Pacific, via the Straits of Magellan, calling in at
Madeira and Rio.

(jThe Egmont, old line-of battle ship, at Ports-
mouth, ordered to be fitted for a receiving ship at
Rio de Janeiro, it is expected will be placed in the
hands of Messrs. White, of Cowes, who have now
the Vindictive frigate in hand for the Government,
owing to the great want of dock accommodation in
Portsmouth dockyard. Messrs. White's yard, from
its completeness and close vicinity to Portsmouth,
forms a most valuable auxiliary aid to the Govern-
ment yard at times of pressure.
The President, 50, sailing ship, was placed in the
fourth dock at Chatham yesterday, to be fitted for
a training ship for the volunteers of the Naval Re-
serve, and stationed in the Thames, where she re-

lieves the Brilliant, 20, which returns to Chatham.
The wind having abated in the Channel, the
Sanspareil, 70, left Plymouth Sound on Tuesday
morning, for the Mediterranean.
The Aboukir, 90, having been coaled, was expected
to leave Plymouth Sound on Tuesday evening, or
early on Wednesday morning, for Holyhead, to
join the Channel squadron in attendance on her
Majesty.

The Glasgow, 51, screw steam frigate, will be
aken out of the ship basin to-morrow.

The alterations on board the Royal Alfred, con-
verting into an iron-plated ship, are in that state of
forwardness that it is intended on Thursday to have
the interesting and scientific part of the work per-
formed, namely, cutting her in two at midships, at
which part she is to be lengthened 18 or 20 feet.
It is expected that the Herald, 8, which recently
returned from the surveying service in the Pacific,
and was dismantled and paid off in this harbour,
will leave Chatham to-morrow and proceed to
Shoreham, where she is ordered to serve as a
chapel ship.
The steam basin is to have the water let in to-
morrow, not only to ship the caisson for the entrance
of the new dock, but that the Medea may be un docked
and her place occupied by the Glasgow.
The following appointments were made yesterday
at the Admiralty :—Commander E. Maunsell, to be
Inspecting Commander of the Coastguard ; Lieut.
J. F. Lenson, to the Virago; Lieut. Chas. G. Jones,
to the Majestic; Chas. C. Scott, master, to the In-
dus, for the Styx ; Ramsay Cooke, second master,
promoted to master, and Wm. Long, second master,
to the Cuckoo.