The Sun.
London, England, 1861-04-18 00:00:00

THE NAVY.

The Duke of Somerset will hold a levee this after-
noon at the Admiralty.
By a file of the Bermuda Royal Gazette, received
at Plymouth, we learn that the Delta, from Halifax,
with his Excellency Col. St. George Ord, R.E., the
newly appointed Governor, and his secretary, Mr.
H. F. Plow, Col. Munro, 39th Regiment, and
family, and Lieut. Here, 39th Regiment„ arrived
at the island on the 14th ult. The paddle steam
sloop Spiteful, 6, Commander W. C. F. Wilson,
from Plymouth and Madeira, arrived on the 13th.
She was followed on the 16th by the screw steam
corvette Desperate, Commander J. F. Ross. The
Desperate unfortunately got among the rocks to
the westward of the island during thick weather.
She was, however, soon got off, without sustaining
much injury. The steam gunboat Jasper, Com-
mander W. Pym, which arrived from Santa Cruz on
the 7th of March, was expected to sail shortly for
England.

When the Princess Royal, 91, returned from her
experimental trip outside Plymouth breakwater on
Tuesday, and grounded on the Winter shoal in the
Sound, as reported by telegraph in The Sun of yes-
terday, there was a merchant brigantine at anchor
on the south-east of the red buoy which marks the
shoal. It is now stated that the Princess Royal
should have kept to the westward under the stern
of the brigantine, to pass between the red buoy of
the Winter and the white buoy of the Asia shoal,
which is close to St. Nicholas Island. Instead of
pursuing this course, she went to the eastward of
and ahead of the brigantine, as if she were going
directly into Catwater. Her helm was then put hard
a-starboard, and an attempt made to hoist the jib,
the wind being from the eastward ; this attempt,
however, failed. In consequence of the smartness of
the breeze the jib fouled the back ropes or jibs guys,
and the sail could only be hoisted half-way, and thus
prevented the head of the ship from paying off. By
this time she was right before the wind, and, having
steam up and a tug attached to her starboard
quarter, she ran right upon the shoal, her bow
rising, according to the estimate of different
spectators, from one to four feet above the line
of floatation, and pointing a little to the northward
of west. The tug at the moment of striking car-
ried away the towing ropes with a crash, and was
sent with considerable force right ahead of the ship.
This occurred at about three o'clock. Every pre-
caution appears to have been adopted at once ; top-
gallant masts were struck, the flying jibboom sent
in, and a boat to take soundings was placed under
the bow. A pinnace from the screw steamship
Donegal, 101, Capt. Henry Broadhead, inside the
breakwater, arrived promptly with an anchor,
which was dropped astern of the Princess Royal,
made fast, and hove as taut as possible to prevent
the action of the tide flowing into Hamoaze, which,
however,
o
caught her starboard quarter and cast her
w about
north-west. This movement was after-
wardsb
counteracted by her own steam power, and
her stern was brought end on to the wind to reduce
the risk of injury to her fore foot. The steam
tenders Avon, Con -fiance, Pike, and Zephyr were
soon in attendance, and shortly after fuur o'clock
three of them were fastened to her quarters, and
assisted the efforts of the ship's engines to back her
off. All the crew then mustered on the quarter-
deck, and towards five o'clock, steam having been
kept up unceasingly, she was floated into deep
water, and was taken up Hamoaze. While on the
rock some pieces of her false keel came up along-
side. 'Fortunately, the tide was low when she
grounded, and although the wind was strong there
was little or no sea in the Sound, and the weather
was very fine. The Winter shoal is one-third of a
mile to the eastward of Drake's Island, and about
half a mile from Plymouth Citadel. The Princess
Royal draws 23 feet 1 inch forward, and 23 feet
0 inches_ aft. There was about 19 feet of water
where she struck. Commander Thompson, the
Queen's Harbour•master, is absent on leave. The
Princess Royal was in charge of Mr. Graham,
master of the flagship Impregnable, and Mr. Hoyle,
pilot, and master of the cutter Tavy, stationed in
the Sound. At the present moment several ships
of war are in the Admiralty anchorage ground, and
the other parts of the Sound are crowded with
merchant vessels, notwithstanding which it is pro-
posed to subtract some of the most valuable por-
tions for the erection of a fort, the foundation of
which alone will require about four acres.

The Henry.Fernie, hired sailing transport, pre-
paring to receive troops for Auckland, New Zealand,
at Portsmouth, was yesterday officially inspected
by the Government authorities, and was so highly
commended by them that she deserves some special
mention. The ship is the property of Messrs. Fernie
Brothers, of Liverpool; St. John's-built, of 1,549
55-100 tons' register, and, if we except her short
run home to Liverpool front St. John's, is now about
to commence her first voyage. She is fitted aloft
with double top-sail yards and with wire-standing
rigging on deck. She is fitted " Boston fashion ;"
her aft deck-house, in which is sleeping accommo-
dation for 21 officers (military), with main saloon,
&c., are all fitted with every convenience and even
luxury that can be expected on board ship. Before
the mainmast are the ship's officers' cabins, cook-
houses, &c., and Dr. Normandy's patent distilling
apparatus, by which every 20 hours 800 gallons of
the sea-water the ship floats in is transformed into
a purer and more pleasant drinking water than can
be, in meat instances, obtained on shore, the carries