The Sun.
London, England, 1861-01-11 00:00:00

THE NAVY.

Yesterday the blocks were laiddown on the third
slip at Chatham Dockyard for the screw corvette
Menai, 22 guns, which is to be built at that esta-
blishment.

Her Majesty's paddle yacht Victoria and Albert
will be taken into the steam basin in Portsmouth
dockyard to-day to make good defects.
The Bulldog, 6, paddle, Commander H. F. M‘Kil-
lop, will leave the steam basin at Portsmouth to-day
and berth alongside her hulk in the harbour to
complete for home service.
_ _

The Philomel, 5, screw, three-masted schooner,
Commander L. Wildman, fitting for service on the
West Coast of Africa, is complete in her screw and
will be very shortly ready for sea.

The Rinaldo►, 17, screw. is nearly complete in her
rigging in the steam-basin, and in the stowing of
her tanks and cables by the steam reserve at Ports-
mouth. The Sutlej, 51, screw, will next be taken
in hand. The Pelican, 17, screw, and the Volcano,
4, paddle, the latter fitted as a floating factory, are
taking in their tanks and cables.
The Cossack, 20, screw, Capt. It. Moorman, in
Portsmouth harbour, has unbent sails and unrove
all running gear. The return of this vessel to Eng-
land has arisen from the desertion of some of the
crew of one of our men-of-war, in the ship's dingy,
in the middle of the day, at Prince Edward's
Island, and their escape for the time, notwithstand-
ing a spirited pursuit. These men belonged to the
Cossack, and Capt. Moorman afterwards sent on
shore two men in private clothes, but armed, in
search of the runaways, whom they succeeded in
recapturing, and conveying back to their ship.
On the Cossack's arrival at Halifax Captain
Moorman applied for a court-martial on the men,
who were transferred to the flagship for that pur-
pose. The Cossack was ordered away to Barbadoes
and during .her absence the men were tried on the
charges preferred against them, which the Court
found proved against them. One of the men, how-
ever, who had been boatswain's yeoman in the ship,
made several statements on the trial affecting the
captain's character as to his mode of maintaining
the discipline of the ship. These were forwarded to
England in due course, and on their receipt by the
Admiralty, orders were despatched for the ship's
immediate return to England, in order that the
facts of the case might be fully investigated.
We regret to state that during the recent experi-
ments at Spithead for testing a new description of
carriage for rifled guns on boat service, Lieut. T. L.
Ward, the senior Lieutenant of the Excellent,
received a fracture of the thigh by the upsetting of
the carriage from the recoil of the gun, Mr. Ward
was removed to Haslar Hospital, and, in answer to
inquiries made yesterday, is stated by his medical
attendants to be now doing well.

The paddlewheel steam tender Avon, T. Hamilton,
Second Master, commanding, having embarked
supernumeraries and stragglers left behind by the
St. George, sailed from Plymouth on Wednesday
afternoon for Portsmouth.

It is reported at Plymouth, that the screw steam-
ship St. George, 90, Capt. the Hon. Francis Eger-
ton, after sailing next week from Portsmouth, will
call at the former port to embark his Royal High-
ness Prince Alfred for the West India and North
America stations.

The crew of the Triton, about being paid off, will
share a considerable amount of prize money, as she
captured no less than six slave ships—one of which,
sailing under American colours, had at least 600
slaves on board. The vessels have been adjudicated
lawful prizes by a legally constituted Admiralty
Court. It appears from statements made by the
officers of the Triton that the slave trade is rather
on the increase than otherwise on the coast of Africa,
and a very large number of prizes have been cap-
tured by United States cruisers as well as by the
British slave preventive squadron.
The Driver and Devastation, steam vessels, having
undergone almost entire reconstruction in dry dock
during the past eight months, are 'now under the
hands of the riggers, to be completed for the steam
reserve.

Several of the screw gunvessels built by private
firms for the Government have been completed
at Woolwich, and four of this class of vessels
are in a forward state. The Britomart and Wizard,
built at Newcastle, have been forwarded to Sheer-
ness, and the Cockatrice to Portsmouth, for the
steam reserve. The Eclipse and Star, built at
Millwall, are now under the hands of the ship-
wrights and carpenters for completion.

Two new screw steamvessels, the Alligator, 22,
and the Dartmouth, 36, are to be laid down atWool-
wich. Arrangements are now being made for the
launch of the Bristol, 51 ; and the Repulse, 91, is
in a forward state.

Vice-Admiral Sir Houston Stewart, K.C.8., Port
Admiral at Plymouth, accompanied by Flag• Lieu-
tenant Miller, went yesterday (Thursday) in the
gunboat Redwing, to the screw steam corvette
Jason, 21, Captain E. Von Donop, in the Sound,
and inspected that ship and her crew.
We have been requested to publish the subjoined
notification :