The Sun.
London, England, 1857-04-20 00:00:00

Naval and Military

Her Majesty's State yacht the Victoria and Al-
bert, Captain the Hon. Joseph Denman, has just
been taken into dock at Portsmouth to be embel-
lished for her Majesty's summer cruise.
The Royal Sovereign, 131, screw—The time
approaches for the launching of this magnificent
three-decker, and the greatest interest is felt to
witness so imposing a spectacle. Every arrange-
ment is being made by Admiral Superintendent
Martin to afford as much accommodation as possible
to the public. It is still telieved that his Royal
Highness the Prince of Wales will be present, with
other branches of the Royal family. The Royal
Sovereign is larger than the Duke of Wellington,
but smaller than the Marlborough. Her dimen-
sions are : _ _ _

Length
Breadth
Depth of hold
Burden
Her armament will consist of—

279 ft. 10 in.
60 4
25 4
3765 tons.

16 8-in. 65-cwt. guns on the lower deck.
20 32-pr. 68-cwt. guns ditto.
36 32-pr. 68-cwt. guns on the middle deck.
36 32-pr. 45-cwt. guns on the main deck.
22 32-pr. 25-cwt. guns on the upper deck.

1 68--pr. 95-cwt. pivot gun. -
Her engines, 800-horse power, can be worked up
to 2,500. Hellyar, the dockyard carver, has been
rart!cularly successful in producing a figure-head.
The launch will take place soon after 11 o'clock on
Saturday, the 25th instant.. •
The Terrible, 21, paddle-wheel frigate, is in No.
1 dry dock, Sheerness, hastening her repairs.
The Renown 90, and Emerald, 50, are both in
the Sheerness basin, fitting their machinery, &c.
The Hesper, iron screw store-ship, under orders
for China, will leave Woolwich in a few days. Her
alterations are now completed, and on atrial trip
down the river, it was found that she could main-
tain a speed.of 10 knots per hour.
The Pylades, 21, screw corvette, in charge of
Mr. W. H. Sharpe, is at Sheerness. er machinery
proved most satisfactory on her late trial ; she
forms one of the first-class steam reserve.
The Vesuvius 6, paddle-wheel sloop, is still in
the harbour. The lieutenants have joined her,
but we have not beard who is the captain ap-
pointed to the command.
The Cyclops, 6, steam frigate (not commis-
sioned), hai her compasses adjusted last week ; she
is waiting further orders.
The Fur:ous, 16, paddle-frigate, Capt. Osborne,

C.B. having fitted out for the Cliina. station, went
out Of Portsmouth harbour to Spithead on Satur-
day, and there awaits sailing orders. Her convoy
of gunboats is nearly ready. The Firm, Lieutenant
Nicolas, went out of harbour on Saturday and took
in her powder and shell. The Drake, Lieutenant
Arthur, and Janus, Lieutenant Jones, are ready
for sea. The Melville two-decker, Commander
Trollope, fitting out at Portsmouth as an hospital
ship for the Chin% squadron, is nearly complete in
her rig.
The Amphitrite, Captain Tatham, fitting out at
Portsmouth for tbe Coastguard service, is complete
in the rigging department, and will leave the fitting
bay in this day.
The Sylph, mercantile steam vessel embarked at
Portsmouth on Saturday a company of :Royal Ar-
tillery, and left with thew for. Jersey, whence she
will rdturn with the depot of the 72d Highlanders.
A letter from the Pacific squadron, dated the

27th Feb.,. gives the follc,wing amoveirefits oa that
station :—"The Monarch, 84, stag, is at Va!oaraiso.
Rear-Admiral Bruce arrived at Callao in the mail

steamer Luna, and hoisted his flag in the President,
50, Capt. Fre& r;ck. The latter leaves to-morrow
(the 28th) fur Engl,,nd, when the Tribune, 31, Capt.
H. Edged, will hoist the Admiral's flag until the
arrival of the Monarch. The Tribune had made lv r-
self popular,, ptcyL ct ng all mercantile interews.
All the ladixs of the place attended Church service
on bcard with their tamilies. The Tribune got up a
play, which went cff well ; then the American mer-
chant fleet gave a grand hancru.t, to her captain and
officers on boird a 2,000 ton cl.pper ship, at wl.ich
260 sat duwa to a banquet.. Toaits and speeches

followed, and dancing wound up the evening. The
22d—Wasbiugton's birthday, the frigates saint« d
and dresied ship. On the 23d the Tribune left. On
passing through the English merchant fleet they all
dresssland saluted ;it was quite a gala day. Thy
Tribune ,returned the salutes, and the Ame-ican '
merchant.ships retnrued the ralules for Washing-
ton's birthday. The Eak, 20, is at Panama; the
Havanuah, 22, en roqte to Valpara'so ; the Alarm,
26, gone to San Blas for freight ' • 'the Brisk steam-
alcop sailed for Englind ; the Pearl, 20, at the
Caitielpts."
The iron screw steam gunvewel Mina, Lieut.-
Connaluder R. H. Roe, rowed up to -Woolwich on
Friday morning by a merchant steamer, was on
Saturday. inspected by tile,eutnelodore of the dock-
yard, when the crew was mustered, cleared for ac-
tion, and went through general quarters. The
commodore was highly wi.h the discipline
of the ship's crew and the gunnery manceuviel.
The Mui made the run fr•im sierra Leoni enirely
ender canvas, and hawing fair wind the who'e dis-
tance she performed the voyage in 35 days, and
landed the rziiils the Lizard.
Th tran3p irtMooresfort embarked her

troops on &runlayfor China, viz.. 2 companies of
the Royal Att,llery, Clots. Longden and‘Middle-
ton's companies, consi4tiug oF 14 officers, and 23)
rank and Pilo of the 13;h battalion, to,etti:r with 3
complete batteries, 130 tons of r.-s,:rve stores, and
150 tons of military baggage. The embarkation
t,ok platca at 2 o'clock, and the vessel was towed
down the river at 5 o'clock p.m., amid the eteo.rs
of the Ouiwrons.; persons who bad assembled to
witness the departure.. After the removal of the
Moores fort, the Neleu,, whichb ad been several days
anchored at th buoy, took up her position to pre-
pare fur the embarkation of Captain Knox and
Captain Barstow's companies of the and 10th
ba.talions, who are under osiers to embark on
Wednesday noxt,, likewise fur Hong Kong.
• The Cumberland is put out of No. dry dock
and berthed in the fitting basin under the shears,
to be masted and rigged. Her officers i.nd crow
were mustered on Friday last by Captain the DO
Hon. Lord F. Kerr, in command of the flag-...h'p
Waterloo.
The Vesuvius has this day been taken into No. 3
dry dock to have her valves, feed-pipe, and bottom
ezam;ned. The following officers have taken up
their commissions and joined this ship :—Mr. R.
L. B. Hea I, Acting-Aqiiwant-Surgeon, and Mr.
Wm. Wallace, Clerk.'
The Terrib'e is ordered to be ready by the ;Ist
May next. She is now undergoing 'extensive re-
pairs in her hull and machinery
The -crew of the Miranda will be paid off at
ShesAness to-morrow (Tuesday)
Sir F. Baring, Bart., M.P. for the borough of
Portsmouth, bas paid a visit to Portsmouth, and
received a deputation from the sailniakers and rope-
makers belonging to the yard, complahling that
they were not paid wages on the same scale as the
men of other department?. They felt it as a great
grievance that, while shipwrights were receiving
275. a-week, and painters 233., they only Rot 21s.
Sir Francis. thought the better course fur them to
pursue was to send a petition to the Board of Ad-
miralty, through the Admiral Superintendent Mar-
tin, and he would do all in his power to assist
them in the just object they had iu view ; he had
already forwarded their case to the First Lord of
the Admiralty, and was awaiting Sir C. Wood's re-
ply._ The deputation were introduced to Sir
Franciq; at the Fountain .13.0te1, by Mr. Alderman

Levy.
Owing to the large number of ships of war now
lying in ordinary in the Medway, it has been found
impracticable for the troops belonging to this garri-
son to continue their practice with the Enfield rifle
and ball firing, as it appeared that the lives of the
men on board were endangered. An order has ac-
cordingly been issued by the commandant, directing
that tile troops undergoing rifle instruction shall
discont:nue ball thing until the Lords of the Ad-
miralty have directed the removal of the vessels of
war from St. Mary's-creek, out of the range of the

The following appointments were made on
Saturday at the Admiralty :
Lieut.
W. E. Gordon, to the Melville ; Lieut.
F. W. Sullivan, of the C4stor, TlarY-Lientenant to
Rear-Admiral the Hon. Sir F. Grey ; R. Onslow,
mate, to she VOSUViUS ; W. A. K. Craven, mate,
to the Cumber;and ; R. Evans, midshipman, to
the Curaberlaud ; C. F. Rothatr), naval cadet, to
thz. Cordelia ; W. H. Haswell, clerk, to the Hima-
laya; and T. J. Giles, clerk, to the Hastings.
DEATH OF COMMANDER Roox.E.—Commander
Charles Thomas Rooke died on the 16th instan, at
Cheltenham, in the 51st year of his age. He entered
the navy April 11, 1821 ; and &Alined his first
commission May 10; 1827. His succeeding appoint-
mentri were—June 20, 1827 ; and Nov. 20, 1830,
to the Is's, 50, and Eclvidera, 42, Captains Sir
Thomas Staines and Hon. Richard Saunders Dun-
da.s, both in the Mediterranean ; and Feb. 11,
1833, to the Vic'ory, 104, flag-ship of Sir Thomas
Williams, at Pottsmenth, where he remained until
superseded in the spring of 1835. Sig promotion
to the rank of commander took place Nov. 23,
1841.