The Sun.
London, England, 1861-05-17 00:00:00

THE NAP

The Duncan, 101, screw, Mr. W. G. Barr engi-
neer, made ber second experimental trial on Wed-
nesday in Stokes Bay, the propeller being a two-
bladed one, with the blades of the common Admi-
ralty form, and affixed to the boss on Messrs Mauds-
lay and Field's system. The vibration and lateral
motion of the ship were considerably greater than
on her first trial.

Letters received from Shanghai state that deser-
tions have taken place from among the crews of
her Majesty's ships at that port. From the Janus
gunboat, Lieut.-Commander Davidson, five of the
seamen were known to have deserted expressly to
join the Taepings, taking with them a revolver
each.

The Western Division of the Channel fleet,
which has been lately lying at Portland, hove in
sight off the east end of the Isle of Wight at 3 30
p.m. yesterday.

The Marlborough, 131, screw, Captain W. H.
Stewart, C. 8., in No. 10 dock at Portsmouth, has
been examined, her bottom found to be in excellent
condition, and the caulking as firm as could be
desired. Her copper is exceedingly foul.
The Prince Regent, 90, converting from a sailing
two-decker to a screw, at Portsmouth, is ordered to
be undocked on the 27th inst., and removed into
the steam basin, where she will be immediately
fitted with her machinery.
' The following are the principal dimensions of
the Helicon, 1 gun paddle despatch boat, ordered
to be constructed forthwith at Portsmouth dock-
yard :—Length between perpendiculars, 200 ft. ;
length of keel for tonnage, 200 ft. 1.,1 in.; breadth
extreme, 28 ft. 2 in. ; ditto for tonnage, 28 ft.;
ditto moulded, 27 ft. 2 in. ; depth in hold, 14 ft. 6
in.; burden tons, 834 53-94 ; horse-power (nominal)
250. Each vessel of this class will have for arma-
ment one of Sir W. Armstrong's naval pattern 70-
pounders, the gun with which it is said to be the
intention of the authorities to supersede the present
100-pounder on board ship, so soon as a sufficient
number have been manufactured for the purpose.
It will be seen by the dimensions of the Helicon
that vessels of her class and description are destined
in any future naval war in which this country
may be engaged to play even a more important
part in relation to our steam fleets than did the
fast frigate to the sailing fleets of Nelson and Col-
lingwood.
Messrs. Napier and Sons, of Govan, the builders
of the Black. Prince, have commenced a smaller
armour-plated ship, 280 feet in length, 56 feet in
breadth of beam, of 4,080 tons burden, and of 800-
horse power. The contract has been taken at £4l
10s. per ton, an advance of £4 10s. per ton on the
price paid for the Black Prince, the augmentation
arising from the fact that the new vessel will be
plated entirely round from below the water-line
upwards. The stem will be ram-shaped, formed
inwards at the top ; and the plates employed will
be 4 inches thick, and of the' beat description of
iron.

The Iris, 20, late the flag-ship of Commodore IV.
Loring, C. 8., which is daily expected to arrive from
Australia, is ordered to be paid off at Chatham.
The Rattlesnake, 22, screw ccrvette, 400 horse-
power, building under the first shed at Chatham, is
ordered to be launched on the 29th of July. The
shipwrights are busily engaged preparing the
launching-ways.

In the naval promotions in our Military and
Naval Intelligence yesterday, Lieut. F. Harvey's
name was misprinted " Hardy."
The following appointments were made yesterday
at the Admiralty --Commander E. Lacy to the
Castor, for service with the Royal Naval Reserve
in the minima, vice Gardner, promoted; Com-
mander W. H. Anderson, to the Flying Fish, vice
Hope, promoted; Richard C. Dyer, master addi-
tional, to the Asia, for the Euryalus ; Robert H.
Armit and Adolphus H. Barnard, midshipmen, to
the Driver ; John Henry Trelwing, Robt. Wemvss,
Wm. Wootton, Thomas Feilowes Simmons, Henry
Brown, and W. R. Fabian have been promoted to
the rank of chief engineers; W. 'Wotton, chief engi-
neer to the Cumberland, for the Leander; T. F.
Simmons, chief engineer, to the Gorgon ; Henry H.
Henri, first-class assist.-engineer, to the Spiteful ;
Richard Holman, first-class assist.-engineer, to the
Alecto ; W. C. Archbold, third-class assist.-engi-
neer, to the Desperate ; and A. G. Young, assistant
paymaster, to the Aboukir.

TILE ARMY.

The IC troop of Royal Horse Artillery, now sta-
ioned at Dorchester barracks, were inspected by
Major-General Lord William Paulet, C. 8., on Tues-
day last, when they performed a number of evolu-
tions and fired several rounds of blank cartridge on
the Fordington Downs.
The Alfred troopship, Captain Pope, was towed
into Portsmouth harbour yesterday from Spithead,
and disembarked the division of the 2d (Queen's
Royals) Regiment from on board, under the com-
mand of Lieut.-Colonel Thomas Addison, alongside
the dockyard, whence they marched into garrison
quarters in Portsmouth.
The York troopship, with a division of the 87th
(Royal Irish) Fusiliers on board from China, took
on board provisions at Spithead yesterday, and at
7 p.m. had her blue peter flying at the fore, being
ordered to Dublin, where the regiment will be
quartered.
At Spithead yesterday arrived the Adelaide
screw transport having on board the remainder of
the 2d (Queen's Royals) and other detachments
from China. The Khersonese screw transport from
China also arrived, bringing the officers and crew
of her Majesty's ship Acorn and detachments of the
44th and 98th Regiments and invalids. A third
arrival of the same date was the Herald, sailing
frigate, Captain Denham, from the Pacific.
The East Indianian Salamanca, 1,000 tons, Capt.
Livesey, belonging to Messrs. Duncan Dunbar
and Sons, London, which arrived in the Thames,
at Gravesend, on Tuesday afternoon, with
British and East India troops on board,
disembarked her military invalids at Government-
quay, Gravesend, yesterday morning, under the
direction of the staff officers connected with the in-
valid department at Chatham. She took these
troops on board at Calcutta on the 22d of January
last, and left the Hooghly the following day. The
only placed touched at was the Cape of Good Hope,
which was reached on the 7th of March, the vessel
remaining there one week. during which time a
quantity of merchandise was shipped on board, in-
cluding a quantity of copper ore and a number of
bales of cotton brought from the interior of Africa.
The troops, who belonged to various regiments,
numbered 168 men of all ranks, 15 women, and 24
children. During the voyage four deaths took
place on board, the whole from diseases contracted
prior to embarcation. A melancholy incident oc-
curred on board during the passage when the ves-
sel was near the Cape of Good hope. Cornet T.E.
Elrington, 2d Dragoon Guards, who was suffering
from aberration of intellect, caused by exposure to
the sun in India, and was returning to England on
leave, succeeded in breaking away from the atten-
dants who had him in charge, and precipitated him-
self into the sea. Every effort was made to rescue
the unfortunate officer, but s ithout effect. Cornet
Elrington had only been in the service about two
years.

COOLIE EMIGRATION.—Her Majesty's Emigration
Commissioners chartered two vessels yesterday afternoon,
the 16th inst., viz., the Prince Consort, of 1,235 tons, be-
longing to Messrs. James Baines and Co., of Liverpool,
and the Utopia, of 90 tons, belonging to Mr. Chas. Mozley,
of Liverpool, for the conveyance of Indian emigrants from
Calcutta to British Guiana at £l2 17s. 3d. par statute adult,
the former vessel to be ready for the reception of passengers
on Nov. 1, and the latter on Dec. 1. The two ships sailed
ft9lA this comtry f9r Nclimirae i 4 Nara, Int,