The Sun.
London, England, 1861-04-20 00:00:00

THE NAVY.

A letter dated Valetta, April 14, says :—" Her
:Majesty's frigate Doris, 32 guns, Capt. E. Heath-
cote, arrived yesterday from Beyrout, and the
French Government steam transport Promethe,
having on hoard stores and 40 marines for the
French ships on the coast of Syria, came in to-day
from Algiers. Capt. Sir Leopold M'Clintock, who
lately arrived from England for that purpose, will
take over the command of the Doris. On Wednes-
day last, in consequence of instructions from the
Government of his Majesty King Victor Emmanuel,
Chevalier Robert Slythe, formerly Sardinian Con-
sul at this island, assumed the title of Consul for
the Kingdom of Italy. On the occasion the na-
tional flag was hoisted on the Consular residence,
and the event was similarly marked by all the
Italian shipping in port hoisting their flags. The
new coat•of--arms, being the old one with a diffe-
rent motto—namely, Consulato di Suet Maesta it
Re d'ltalia,'—was displayed over the port of the
Consulate, amidst acclamations of the Italian in-
habitants of this town, who had assembled to wit-
ner4s the ceremony. The consul, on-the receipt of
his new honours, made a point of paying formal
visits to the chief naval, military, and civil autho-

)ities.
Her Majesty's screw corvette Cruiser, 17, Com-
mander Bythesea, V,C., put into Falmouth, on
Wednesday afternoon, short of fuel and with a
strong easterly wind, from China, bound up Chan-
nel. She left Hong Kong a fortnight later than
the Magicienne, which also put into Falmouth
a few hours earlier, and having coaled, steamed for
Plymouth in the evening. The Cruiser was com-
missioned in August, 1856, from which period, after
convoying out three gunboats, she has been on the
Chinese station, and only one ward-room officer of
her original complement (the assistant-surgeon) has
returned in her. She was fitted out by Commander
Charles Fellowes (at present flag-captain of the
Princess Royal), who was Fisted after the capture
of Canton, where she took a prominent part, being
stationed during the bombardment in front
of the yamun or palace of Commissioner Ych. She
had previously, with her boats under Capt. Fellowes
and Lieut. Broad, shared in the dashing and suc-
cessful action at Fatshan Creek, and was constantly
employed in active operations in the Peiho and in
Japan, after being joined by her present commander.
Her first lieutenant (Mr. George D. Broad), who
embarked in her, and was subsequently appointed
to the command of the Haughty gunboat, was pro-
moted for his services to the rank of commander in
January last, and now commands the Cowper de-
spatch boat, one of the eight vessels accompanying
Vice-Admiral Sir James Hope, K.C.8., on the ex-
pedition up the Yang-tse.
The Inflexible, 6, paddle, Commander Brooker,
was yesterday officially inspected at Spithead, and
her crew exercised at target practice from her great
guns, &c. She was ordered to proceed into Ports-
mouth harbour last evening to strip and pay off.
The Icarus, 11, screw, Commander U. Salmon, in
her trial of machinery on Thursday, drew 12ft. Sin.
forward, and 13ft. Sin. aft:; Fretmurc of ',team 20;
vacuum forward, 24.5 ; aft, 25.5 ; revolution of en-
gines—maximum, 94, mean, 86. The common
screw was used with its leading-corners cut off, at a
diameter of 10ft , and a pitch of 14ft. 6in. Immer-
sion 11 inches. It has been stated that the ma-
chinery of this vessel was originally of very infe-
rior construction in her trial, which lasted four
hours, some very severe tests were applied ; the re-
sults, however, proved that no fault existed in the
construction of the machinery, which was in excel-
lent working order, and the boilers throughout
gave an efficient command of steam. The time
occupied in starting the engines, stopping, going
astern, ahead, &c., was less in each instance than is
usually the case.
The Marlborough, 131, screw, Captain W. H.
Stewart, at Portsmouth, is ordered to have her coal
bunkers fitted with rectangular ventilating tubes,
on the same principle as the Victoria, 131, screw,
at that port, and as suggested by her chief engi-
neer, Mr. Eames. The tubes form a communicatioß
between the bunkers and the annular funnel.
Her Majesty's steam sloop Vixen, from the Pacific,
will be paid off tlis morning at Woolwich, com-
mencing at 11 o'clock, after which she will be ad-
mitted into basin and docked for examination and
a thorough overhaul. Her stancheon beam, sent
from England, was replaced while at Peru.
The paddlewheel steam frigate Magicienne, 16,
when put out of commission at Plymouth, will be
placed in the third division of the Steam ordinary.
The crew of the Princess -Royal, 91, Capt. Fel-
lowes, at Devonport are to be transferred immedi-
ately to the Revenge, 91, which is to be prepared
for sea service with all despatch, for the reception
of the flag of Admiral Robert Smart. She may be
ready in a month.
The Donegal, Hero, Aboukir, Centurion, and
Conqueror are swdered. from Plymouth Sound to the
chops of the Channel to relieve the homeward
bound. These ships will be under the command of
Captain Broadhead.
The protection of the sea face of Lumps Fort, near
Portsmouth, has entered upon a new phase. In the
first instance a sea wall was included in the plans,
but had to be abandoned en the contractor ells-
covering that no suitable foundation could be ob-
tained for its construction. It was then resolved to
pile it, for 1,200 feet, parallel with the line of beach,
with groins 60 feet out seaward, the piles used
being 9 feet in length. It is now discovered that
the 9-feet piles will be useless to restrain the
movement of the beach under the effects of a
strong south-easter. The 9-feet piles are there-
fore being withdrawn from ;the groins, and their
places supplied with piles of greater length, com-
mencing with a 15-feet pile at the parallel line of
piling and planking, and decreasing with 13, 12,
10, and 9-feet piles as the groin extends to sea.
The 15-feet pile is driven in 10 feet, and the othrsra
proportionally, until the last of the row—the 9-feet
one, is reached, when that is driven up to its head,
the groins thus running out from five feet in height
above high water mark to beach level below low
water mark. The 1,200 feet length of parallel
piling and planking is being strengthened by extra
piles being driven inwards at intervals, which are
iron-clamped to the outer piles, and are camped
and bolted to land ties running inwards 36 feet,
These measures, it is hoped, will restrain the waste
of the beach during a south-east gale ; but past ex-
perience of the unstable nature of the beach tends
to throw grave doubts upon the usefulness of even
the present revivified process. The most remark-
able point connected with the construction of this
work, however, is its situation. It has been built
to sweep the beach with the guns of Seuthsea
Castle, extending between the two works, but ter-
races of houses are springing into existence which
in a short time must shut out each fort from the
other's view. All these houses must be bought up
by Government and remqved, or the flanking fire
from the guns of both Southsea and Lumps will be
unavailable in the event of an emergence, and
ground which should be perfectly clear of buildings
will be covered with a class of houses which will
cost a large sum of money to remove. The autho-