The Sun.
London, England, 1861-02-09 00:00:00

THE IV4 VI.

Rear-Admiral Sir Baldwin Walker, K.C.B , yes-
terday hoisted his flag (blue) at the wizen on hoard
the Fisgard flagship of Commodore the Hon. J. R.
Drummond, C. 8., at Woolwich, on assuming his
appointment as Commander-in-Chief at the Cape of
Good Hope. A salute in honour of the ceremony
was fired by the Fisgard's guns.
The Chanticleer, 17, screw corvette, will be
launched from No. 2 slip, in Portsmouth dockyard,

at about 11.20 a.m. to-day. She is a duplicate ves-
sel to the Rinaldo, fitting for commission at the
.me port, and which vessel completed shipping
her armament yesterday. It consists of 16 32-
pounder guns, 32 cwt. each, and 6ft. bin. in length,
mounted on rear-truck carriages; one long 32-
pounder pivot gun abaft, of 59 cwt., and two brass
boat guns and a field-piece-6-pounders. The 16
broadside guns are of 1834 pattern.
The Lords of the Admiralty have concluded a
contract with the Low Moor, the Bowling, the
Butterly, and some other ironwork companies for
the supply of the massive wroughtiron beams,
armour-plates, and other portions of the ironwork
for the iron-cased steamer about to be commenced at
Chatham dockyard, and during the past few days a
considerable quantity of the iron for the new vessel
has arrived at the dockyard from the several con-
tractors. The second dock, in which the mail-clad
steamer is to be constructed, is now occupied by the
Isis, 44, and the screw gunvessel Pigeon, 5, fitting ;
but both of these vessels are expected to be undocked
in the course of a few days, after which the prepa-
rations will be commenced for laying down the
iron steamer. Messrs. Grissell and Co., of the
Regent's Canal Ironworks, who have entered into
a contract with the Admiralty for the erection of the
iron workshops, factories, and forges close to the
second dock, for the mechanics who are to be em-
ployed on the new ship, have made considerable
progress with the buildings, which will cover the
entire space between the first and second docks. The
principal workshop will be 320 feet in length by
about 50 in breadth at its widest part, and will be
covered nearly throughout with glass. Other work-
shops, on a smaller scale, are also in progress, ac-
commodation being required for 1,000 workmen.
The whole of the iron buildings are being erected
under the superintendence of Mr. Rivers, the clerk
of the works at Chatham dockyard. •
In anticipation of the reduction at Chatham dock-
yard, several of the hired shipwrights and mechanics
at that establishment have already requested per-
mission to take their discharge, which has been
granted them.
The Isis, 44, fitting at Chatham for the Coast of
Africa, is completely rigged, and ready for the pen-
dant.

Her Majesty's iron paddlewheel vessel Trident
was yesterday hauled out of basin at Woolwich,
and was moored alongside the receiving hulk Sal-
sette, for the transfer of her crew to the ship in
preparation for sea. The gunboats Sparrow and
Dart were also taken out of basin into ordinary.
The Philomel, 5, screw gunvessel, Commander
Leveson Wildman, steamed out of Portsmouth har-
bour yesterday morning to Stokes •bay, for the
purpose of testing her speed at the measured mile,
before proceeding on service on the West Coast of
Africa, where she will be employed in the sup-
pression of the slave trade. The average of the
runs made at the mile gave the ship a speed in
knots of 9.540, using a Griffith's propeller, at a
draught of water of 12ft Sin aft, and 10ft 9in for-
forward. On her trial at light draught, prior to
her commission, drawing lift Sin aft and 7ft lin
forward, using the Admiralty, or common screw,
with its leading corners off, she attained a speed of
10.851 knots. The diameter and pitch of the screw
being in both cases nearly the same, the Griffiths
used on the present trial being 9ft diameter, with a
pitch of 12ft 6in, and the Admiralty screw used on
the trial at light draught differing only from the
Griffiths in having two inches less pitch. The
Tcrch, a sister vessel to the Philomel, on her deep
draught trial, made 8.843, the draughts of water
being about equal. The Ranger, also a sister ves-
sel, on her deep draught trial, drawing 41 inches
less than the Philomel, made 8.981 knots. It will
_ _

be seen, therefore, that the Philomel's trial has
been a very successful one, and bids fair for her
success in her future career as a " slate liberator."

The screw steam frigate Immortalite, 51, Capt.
George Hancock, from Spithead, under canvas
only, having the wind from south-east, blowing
fresh, arrived in Plymouth Sound yesterday morn-
ing.
The screw steam gunboat Hind, tender to the
Russell, 60, at Falmouth, left Plymouth yesterday,
for head-quarters.
The screw steamship Centurion, 80, Capt. H. D.
Rogers, C. 8., slipped her moorings on the west
shore of Hamoaze yesterday, and was towed
towards Keyham Steamyard, preparatory to en-
tering the dock.
The paddle steamsloop Spiteful, 6, Commander
Wilson, having embarked supernumeraries, crossed
topgallant yards in Hamoaze on Thurgday morn-
ing, got up steam, and in the afternoon, at high
water, entered Plymouth Sound through the chan-
nel between Drake's Island and Mount Edgcumbe,
and took her departure for the North America and
West India Station, calling first, it is reported at
Bermuda.
Mr. William Willoughby Howell, second lieut.
of the screw steam corvette Jason, in Hamoaze,
died on Thursday morning in the Royal Naval
Hospital, Plymouth.
The screw steamship Aboukir, 90, Capt. Douglas
Curry, having been cleaned and had her valves
overhauled, was taken out of No. 3 dock in Key-
ham steamyard yesterday morning, ready for re-
moval at high water into Hamoaze.
The screw steam gunvessel Penguin, tender to
the Narcissus, is order to be removed from her
moorings in Hamoaze and taken to the yard.
The following appointments were made yester-
day at the Admiralty :—Lieut, Russell Pasley to be
Flag Lieutenant to Rear-Admiral Sir Baldwin W.
Walker, K.C.B. ; George Hunt (a), promoted to
the first rank, of first-class assist,-engineer in the
Hogue, for service in the Harpy; Edward Brown,
promoted to the rank of first-class assist.-engineer
in the Bacchante; J. Rothery, promoted to the
rank of first-class assist.-engineer in the Asia, as
supernumerary ; John F. Channon, promoted to
the rank of first-class assist.-engineer in the Indus,
as supernumerary ; George Fitzgerald, promoted
to the rank of acting first-class assist.-engineer in
the Grappler; William A. Martin, assist.-paymaster,
to the Curagoa ; and Thomas N. Johnston, clerk,
supernumerary, to the Narcissus.