The Sun.
London, England, 1861-01-18 00:00:00

THE NAVY.

The Princess Royal, 91, screw, in the first-class
steam reserve at Portsmouth, will be commissioned
at that port for the flag of Rear-Admiral of the
White Robert Smart, K.H., as Commander-in-Chief
of the Channel fleet. The date of Rear-Admiral
Smart's seniority is the 9th of July, 1857. Rear-
Admiral John E. Erskine, the second in command
of the Channel fleet, dates on the 4th of November
of the same year. Rear-Admiral Smart entered the
naval service in October, 1810, being then 14 years
of age, 'as first-class Volunteer on board the Ada-
mant, 50, Capt, M. Backle, bearing the flag of Rear-
Admiral Otwak, on the Leith station. The gallant
Admiral's services afloat have been of a very exten-
sive character, comprising the bombardment of
Algiers, the battle of Navarino, in addition to being
wrecked during an attack on a nest of pirates at
Carabusa, on January 31, 1828. He attained the
rank of Commander on April 21, 1828 ; post rank,
January 10, 1837.
The Immortalite, 51, screw, Capt. G. Hancock,
at Spithead, will proceed from Spithead to join the
division of the Channel fleet at Lisbon.

Letters received from the Urgent, screw troop-
ship, Commander H. W. Hire, dated Hongkong,
Nov. 12, 1860, state that the ship was then ready
to receive troops, and was expected to be ordered to
proceed to England. The Vulcan, screw troopship,
was filling up stores, and it was expected she would
remain out in consequence some little time longer.
The Cossack, 20, screw, Capt. Richard Moorman,
has sent down topsail yards and topmasts, and is
stripping for a refit. Lieut. E. Barkley, her senior
lieutenant, leaves her.
The Philomel, 5, screw, Commander L. Wildman,
has received her ordnance and. stores alongside the
north wall of Portsmouth dockyard. She has a
number of joiners and shipwrights still on board,
and is being fitted with a wash strake to her bul-
warks forward, in lieu of the hammock netting
being carried round fore and aft. She looks deep
in the water.

The Desperate, 7, screw, Commander Ross, at
Spithead, was signalled yesterday afternoon to IT-
ceive supernumeraries. She was expected to sail
this morning for the North America and West India
station.

The Pelican, 17, screw, will make her official trial
of speed, on completion of machinery by contrac-
tors, at the measured mile in Stokes Bay as soon as
the weather will permit.
The Aid, naval store vessel, artived at Ports-
mouth yesterday, in tow of the Comet, Government
steamtug, with loss of rudder, boat, &c., having
been ashore off Eastbourne during a thick fog and
strong breezes in working down Channel.
Our Portsmouth correspondent says the manning
of the fleet has, during the past summer, been much
discussed in the public journals, and has greatly
occupied public attention. This interest in a most
important subject is, unfortunately, not so steadily
kept up as it deserves, but the late court-martial
on the captain of the Cossack will again draw at-
tention to the subject. Civilians cannot be ex-
pected to be thoroughly up to the mark in this
matter, and it is doubtful whether even naval offi-
cers themselves, employed or unemployed, unless
serving in the Channel, or on board some of the
ships belonging to the Mediterranean fleet, arefully
aware of the useless thousands of men who are now
receiving pay as seamen on board those ships—use-
less because they never were nor will be seamen.
Never was a greater contrast presented, or the dif-
ference shown in stronger colours between the real
seamen of some few years back and the sham class
of the present day than when the Retribution was
lately paid off at Portsmouth. During the process of
stripping her and returning her stores her men, as
they moved about the yard, were looked upon as
living curiosities, the type of a race of seamen now
all but extinct. Take three ships now in commission
—the Edgar, 91, screw ; the Trafalgar, 90, screw ;
and the Cossack, 20, screw. These ships all fitted
out at the eastward at the same time ; they have all
been in commission since June, 1859. An inspec-
tion of the crews of these vessels would startle
even naval officers who had not previously seen
them. Seamen on board are the exception, and not
the rule. As to the greater portion of their crews,
they.look anything but the material out of which
seamen can be made. The Cossack, for instance, has
only flogged three men since the date of her com-
mission ; but her " black list" and " defaulters'
book" will not bear thinking of. The " defaulters'
book" of each ship in the Channel fleet must be an
interesting collection of facts and observations.
Mr. John Tuker, master of the guardship of steam
ordinary Indus, 78, at Plymouth, having been ap-
pointed to the post of Harbourmaster for the port
of Falmouth, is to be entertained to-day on board
his old ship. Capt. A. Key will preside, and among
the company will be Capt. Risk, of the Narcissus,
51, previously commander of the Indus.
The paddlewheel steam sloop Spiteful, 6, Com-
mander Wilson, at Plymouth, is short of several
petty officers and seamen.
The screw steam frigate Emerald, 51, Capt. A.
Cumming, at Devonport; has been supplied with a
main yard.
The sails of the screw steam corvette Satellite,
Capt. Prevost, at Devonport, are unbent, and the
crew have begun to dismantle her.
All the guns belonging to the screw steamship
Royal Albert, 121, Capt. Henry Lacon, at Devon-
port, are being removed. When they are on shore
she will be placed alongside the sheer hulk Kent,