The Sun.
London, England, 1861-11-18 00:00:00

IHE NAVY.

Her Majesty's steam vessel Rifleman, recently
commissioned by Master-Commander J. W. Reed,
went down to 'Woolwich on Saturday from Dept-
ford, after thorough repair, She is ordered to be
completed with the utmost despatch, and is
intended for survey in the China Sea, to replace the
four-gun brig Saracen, Master-Com. W. Stanton.
The steam storeship Supply, Master-Commander
Balliston, arrived at Woolwich on Saturday with
her cargo of ancient marbles from Cyrene.
The iron screw frigate Resistance, 22, sister fri-
gate to the Defence, 22, fitting at Chatham, is or-
dered to be removed from the Victoria Docks to
Chatham, at which port she is to be completed and
fitted for sea with all possible despatch. The Resis-
tance will mount an armament of 12 68-pounders,
each of 95 cwt., and two 100-pounder Armstrong
guns on the main deck ; and two 100-pounder Arm-
strong pivot guns on the:upper deck. The same
armament will also be supplied to the Defence.
The iron plated frigate Royal Oak, 51, 800-horse
power, under construction at Chatham, is ordered
to be fitted with tube scuttles on her lower deck to
afford air and light to the officers' cabins. In carry-
ing out this improvement arrangements are to be
made to enable the holes through the armour plates
to be plugged or otherwise secured when required.
A further supply of the massive iron armour plates,
without either tongues or grooves, were received
at the dockyard on Saturday from the Parkgate
Iron Works, Yorkshire, the company having entered
into an arrangement with the Admiralty to furnish
all the armour plates required for the Royal Oak,
the whole of which supply will be of rolled iron. By
direction of the Admiralty the exterior armour
plates of the Royal Oak are not to be tongued at
the edges, and the plates so constructed which have
hitherto been supplied at the dockyard will, it is
understood, be used in the interior of the Achilles,
50, in the formation of the bulkhead compartments
of that frigate.

Under the new regulations recently issued by the
Admiralty for the apprentices in the royal dock-
yards to serve the last two years of their appren-
ticeship on board her Majesty's seagoing ships
in commission, a certain number of apprentices
at Chatham dockyard, consisting of shipwrights,
caulkers, and sailmakers, who have entered the
fifth year of their service, have been selected to
embark in the Firebrand, 6, paddlewheel steam
sloop, 410-horse power, Commander J. W. Bruce,
which is under orders to sail from Plymouth on
Thursday next. Each of the apprentices will re-
ceive a free railway pass from Chatham to Ply-
mouth, and during the time they are serving afloat
will, in addition to their dockyard pay, receive one
day's pay per week for Sundays, besides being
victualled on board. They will also bo paid tool
money. On the expiration of their period of ser-
vice they will receive a certificate of their charac-
ter and conduct, the progress they have made in
their trades, and in the knowledge of the subjects
I prescribed for dockyard apprentices. The steamer
has been thoroughly cleansed and fumigated in
order to eradicate every trace of the yellow fever,
which made such havoc among her crew when in
the West Indies. According to present arrange-
ments the Firebrand proceeds to the Mediterranean.
Admiralty orders have been received at Chatham,
directing the screw steamer Swallow, 9, which is
now in dock at Sheerness undergoing a thorough
repair, to be prepared for immediate commission for
surveying purposes on the coast of Japan. She is
to have a crew of 90 men, including marines. The
Swallow has had a commodious office erected on
her quarterdeck for the accommodation of the officers
employed in the surveying operations.
The line-of-battle screw steamer Collingwood, 81,
400-horse power, which has been converted from a
sailing ship to a screw steamer, is ordered to pro-
ceed on a trial trip on Dec. 3 for the purpose of
testing her engines and machinery, after which she
will join the steam reserve at Chatham.
The screw gunboat Lively, 2, 60-horse power,
having completed her repairs, was taken out of the
great basin at Sheerness on Saturday, and placed
under the crane in the north camber to ship her
new boilers, the engines having been converted from
high pressure to condensing. When completed she
will resume her duties as tender to the Cumber-
land, 70, guardship of the Chatham steam reserve,
Capt. C. F. Schomberg.
The Wellesley, 74, completed shipping
her new
masts under the floating shears, on Saturday, and
this morning will be towed up
harbour,to her formerwhere
ings at the bead of Chatham
will complete fitting for a receiving and training
ship for boys and lads entering the Royal navy.
The Julia, 2, 60 horse power, attached to the
first-class steam reserve at Chatham, completed the
alterations in her Kingston valves on Saturday, and
was removed from the basin to the harbour.
The M-gun screw frigate Leander, rpeontly con•
verted from a sailing ship to tl screw frigate, and
lengthened amidships 30 feet, was taken out of
Sheerness harbour on Saturday, for the purpose of
making her trial trip at the Maplin Sands, the
weather on the previous day having prevented the
trial taking place. The result of the trial was con-
sidered very satisfactory, the engines working
smoothly, and with M revolutions of the screw per
minute she made 10 knots per hour. The trial
trip was under the direction of the officials belong-
ing to the dockyard.

ROYAL COLLEGE OF SURGEONS.—The following
gentlemen, having undergone the necessary examinations
for the diploma, were admitted members of the College
at a meeting of the Court of Examiners on the 15th inst.—
viz., Messrs. George Framingham Hoff, Calcutta ;
Thomas Rutherford Adams, L.S.A., Kilkenny; James
Sheetz, Etawah, Bengal Presidency ; William Matthew
Sheppard, L.S.A., Geelong, Australia ; John Daniell,
Sydney, Australia ; and Ran lienry Troy, Clarendon-
square,