The Sun.
London, England, 1861-02-11 00:00:00

TILE NATI.

The launch of the Chanticleer, 17, screw corvette,
took place at Portsmouth Dockyard on Saturday,
at 'a a.m., in a very satisfactory manner. The
ceremony of christening the vessel was performed
by Miss Grey, the eldest daughter of the Rear-
Ad.miral Superintendent.

The Geyser, 6, paddle, Commander Jackson,
sailed from Portsmouth yesterday for the eastward.
The screw steamship Centurion, 80, Capt. H. D.
Rogers, C. 8., was placed in No. 3 dock, Keyham
steamyard, on Saturday to be overhauled. Some
of the sheets of copper at the water line being thin
are in course of removal.

The screw steamship Howe, 121, at Devonport,
is now ready for the second division of the steam
ordinary, and towards the close of the present week
will be removed from the basin of the Keyham
steamyard to her moorings in Hamoaze.
While entering Plymouth Sound, under canvas
only, on Thursday morning, the screw steam
frigate Immortalite, 51, Capt. George Hancock,
lost anchor and cable near the west end of the
Breakwater. Steam was got up immediately, and
she dropped another anchor a little further to the
eastward, where some supernumerary seamen were
disembarked for various ships in Hamoaze. On
Friday the first anchor was picked up by a Govern-
ment lump and restored to the frigate, which also
received some chain from the Devonport Dock-
yard. The Immortalite was appointed to sail yes-
terday (Sunday) morning for Lisbon.
The screw steamship Aboukir, 90, Capt. Douglas
Curry, has been removed from Keyham steamyard
to the moorings in Hamoaze.
The screw steamsloop Pantaloon, 11, at Devon-
port, is ordered to berigged for the steam ordinary.
The War Department screw steamer Lord Pan-
mure, H. T. Moore, master, from Woolwich, arrived
at Plymouth yesterday, with gunpowder and other
war materials for the gunwharf at Devonport, and
gun powder for the magazine at Bull Point.
Vice-Admiral W. J. Hope Johnstone, Port Admi-

Sal at Sheerness, attended by Capt. Luard, Com-
mander Jackson, and Lieut. Mackenzie, flag offi-
cers of the guardship of oidinary Formidable,
visited Woolwich Dockyard on Saturday for the
purpose of inspecting the screw steam frigate Bris-
tol, intended to be launched to-morrow. The Ad-

miral was accompanied over the Bristol by Com-
modore Superintendent the Hon. J. R. Drummond,
C. 8., Commander Hawker, and Mr. Thornton,
principal officers of the shipbuilding department of
the yard. After the inspection the Admiral and his
officers return on board the steam tender Myrtle,
and proceeded to Miliwall to pay an official visit to
the steamship Warrior, in process of being ar-
mour-cased, and receiving her engines, which will
be in readiness for harbour trial about. the middle
of next month. In addition to the launch of the
Bristol at Woolwich to-morrow and the Black
Prince at Glasgow, already announced in The Sun,
the screw steam gunvessel Speedwell will be
launched to-morrow at Deptford. Her principal
dimensions are as follows !—Length between per-
pendiculars, 145 ft. 1 lin. ; length of keel for tonnage,
127 ft. 10 3-40 in. ; breadth, extreme, 25ft. 4in. ;
breadth for tonnage, 25ft. ; breadth moulded, 24f.
6in. ; depth of hold, 13ft.; burden in tons, 425
14.94 ; horse-power of engines, 84, by Messrs. Day
and Simmons, of Southampton. Her armament
will consist of one 68-pounder and four 24-pounder
howitzers.
An official trial of the two patent systems of
ships' pumps (Downton's and Roberts's) commonly
in use on board her Majesty's ships of the navy,
took place on Wednesday and Saturday, on board
the Rinaldo, in Portsmouth Dockyard, in the, pre-
Emu of Rear-Admiral Superintendent the Hon.
George Grey, and the several officers of the ship-
wright and engineer's departments, one of Roberts's
double-action twin pumps, of 54 inches, being
'tested in competition with a seven-inch Downton
or regulation pump. The result proved that five
tanks, measuring 200 gallons each, were filled with
water by Roberts's pump in 17 min. 27 sec., with
_ _

529 strokes, and by Downton's, with 746 strokes,
in 21 min. 40 sec., being 42 per cent. in favour of
the former in capacity, and about 20 per cent. in
lime. In getting at the valves of Roberts's pump,
they were taken out, returned to their place, the
air chamber on, and water procured in the short
space of 42 seconds, one man only being at work,

-while six men were occupied during 12 minutes in
performing the same operation with the Downton,
each under the superintendence of the officials of
the dockyard.

The Russian steam corvette Morge, Commander
Crown, from Southampton, put into Plymouth
Sound yesterday morning, with slight derange-
ment of machinery, and, having landed two fire-
men, was preparing to leave again immediately for
ber destination—China.
Two powerful tubular steam cranes having been
erected for the Government by Messrs. Fairbairn
and Sons, of Manchester, at the gun-wharf adjoin-
ing Chatham Dockyard, both were subjected to a
series of powerful tests on Friday afternoon, in
order to obtain proof of their power and strength
before being formally taken possession of by the
Government. The experiments of testing the
cranes attracted a great deal of interest, and were
carried out under the superintendence of Mr. San-
deman, assist.-inspector at the Royal Gun Factory,
Woolwich ; Mr. Morris; principal storekeeper at
Chatham ; Mr., Thomson, assist.-storekeeper, Mr.
Green, principal clerk of works at the Royal Engi-
neer establishment, and several of the officers of the
lioyal Indian' Engineers. The largest of the two

cranes is a fine specimen of mechanical engineering,

and has been constructed of sufficient strength to
sustain nearly double the number of tons that it
will ever be rcuired to bear. In order to carry
the enormous wtight thrown upon the foundation,
excavations were made to the depth of nearly 30
feet, where a arm bed of concrete was laid, support-
ing a number of iron cylinders, each of 15 feet in
length, the whole being bolted firmly together, and
surrounded ' with brickwork. The arm of the
crane, forms the segment of a circle of t xenty-
five feet radius, the whole being formed of wrought-
iron half-inch plates. By a simple contrivance it
can be so adjusted that the crane may be worked
by munual labour as well as steam, eight men being
required to life weights of 15 tons, while the
nominal power of the engine when steam is used is
7-horse: During the experiments made on Friday
the crane was first tested with a few tons' weight,
-which was gradually increased until a strain of
13 tons 7 &wt. was obtained, three of the heaviest
guns on the wharf being raised with the greatest
apparent ease. In order to show the perfect con-
trol of the engine, the guns were repeatedly raised
and lowered—NOth the greatest rapidity, while, by
4naple contiivance, the weight was moved round
to any reqUireid, spot by means of a spur segment,
on which tha cranes travel. At the period of the
heaviest' strain it was ascertained that the deflection
of the eland .Was only two inches, returning an
inch and. three quarters when the weight was re-
moved, leaiipig .a quarter of an inch of settled
deflection, or dead loss. Similar experiments were
made with the second crane, the results of which
"ffererss. equally satisfactory to the officials who '
e°Perintended the trials. The heaviest weight the
largesterane Will be required to lift in its ordinary
work will b, 10 tons, and the smaller one a few
tons less.

By an-accidental admission of sea water a few
days since int& a Portion of the intended wet ditch
rin fronot line
theoft defences in Stokes Bay, it
has been discovered that the salt water penetrates
through , the interveng soilin to the wells in Fort
Gomer and renders'the-water in them unfit for the
use of tbo garrison,
The coast defences in the nedighbourhood of Hari•
wich arc c.benit•to be.repere
a
and it is i:t Lt'L tl that new batteriesn'adresttroebileg, tehreendeedd,
Int wee 4 Yell:i.:l.,w and Walton.
, , .
43,,,spepi4cpurt of inquiry- is orderea to assertible
toklayr; its:: the ..Gun-wharf Barracks, Portman
reipeetfiVithe oulase. of the Emerald, Southampton
and Portsmouth passenger steamer, having been

struck by a shot on her port quarter some weeks
since during her passage through Stokes Bay, on
her way from Portsmouth to Southampton, practice
being carried on at the time from the auxiliary
batteries of Fort Moncton by a party of the Royal

Artillery. This accident was reported in The Sun 1
at the time of its occurrence, and was fortunately
unattended with any personal injury to a,,y of the
vessel's crew or passengers. On the sore ,-; trials of
the men-of-war in the bay it has often teen a mat-
ter of speculation among the officials on board, as
to when and what part of the vessel would be
struck by some of the shot or fragments of the
shells exploding at no great distance fir.::ii her
course.

Her Majesty's screw troopship Himalaya, Capt, I
J. Seecombe, arrived at Spithead on Saturday
morning from the Mediterranean, with invalids
and passengers. The Himalaya sailed from Gibraltar
on the 4th inst., having made the run thence from
Malta in three days 20 hours. Her Majesty's
ship Orion, 91, screw, was lying at Gibraltar, and
was to sail for Corfu on the following Wednesday.
The Himalaya has had favourable winds the greater
part of the passage home; strong in crossing the
Bay of Biscay. Between the Straits and Cape St.
Vincent the Peninsular and Oriental Company's
mail steamer Ellora, homeward bound, passed the
Himalaya. Was in company together the next
day, passing her in turn ps the breeze freshened.
At 640 p.m. passed a steamer on the port beam,
about 80 miles south of Ushant, which burnt a
blue light and sent up a rocket. The Himalaya's I
invalid and passenger list comprises a number of
naval invalids and the following military :
Royal Engineers—Lieut. M'Donnell, 94 men, 21
women, and 30 children ; Royal Artillery—Lieut. '
Nicholson and 18 men, Lieut. Carey, Lieut. Wad-
dington and wife; 2d battalion, 2d Regiment-6
men, 1 woman, and 3 children ; 2d battalion, 3d
Regiment—Lieut. Hearne, 5 men, 1 woman, and 1
child ; 2d battalion, 4th Regiment-2 non-com-
missioned officers and 1 woman; 2d battalion, 6th
Regiment-5 men, 1 woman, and 4 children ;2d
battalion, 7th Regiment-5 men ;2d battalion, Bth
Regiment-7 men, 2 women, and 2 children ; Ist
battalion, 9th Regiment—Ensign A. F. Cosens, 3
non-commissioned officers, 1 woman, and 2 children;
Ist battalion, 22d Regiment-5 men, 5 women, and
5 children ; Ist battalion, 25th Regiment—Assist.-
Surg. Rattrap and 11 men ; 100th Regiment—
Lieut. Rideuts, 42 men, 1 woman, and 1 child.
The passenger list comprised the Baron and
Baroness de Rottenberg, Major Gore, wife, and
child; Miss Ridley, Lieutenant Lamb, Lieutenant
Nash, Dr. West, Dr. Monteith, Commander
Reeves, R.N., Lieutenant Hodges, R.N., Lieut.
Blackett, R.N., Lieut. Foster, R.N., Lieut. Thomp-
son, R.N., Mr. Dowling, master, R.N., Lieut. Col-
lier, R.N., Mr. Taylor, R.N., Lieut. Grant, R.M.,
and 6 servants, and the Rev. J. Kaley. The Hima-
laya steamed into harbour in the afternoon to land
the passengers, invalids, and store. Her next ser-
vice
will be the cenveyanca on Friday next, from
Portsmouth to Pembroke, of the following portion
of the 15th Brigade Royal Artillery, at present
stationed at Gosport :—Col. J. H. Francklyn, C. 8.,
Lieut.-Col. Cleveland, Surg. Lewis, Major Brendon,
Capt. Cromartie (acting-adjutant), Major Hope,
Capt. Johnstone, Quartermaster Blair, Paymaster
Stewart, 7 ladies, 11 children, 9 servants, and 7
horses, 419 gunners and drivers, 57 soldiers' wives,
and 74 children. The greatest speed of the Hima-
laya on her passage home was 131 knots.
The Imperatriz screw steamer, Capt. Sharp, ar-
rived at Spithead yesterday morning from China with
invalids (naval) and passengers, and a valuable
cargo of tea and silk, the latter for London as reported
in The Sun of Saturday. The naval invalids,
about 130 in number, were in charge of Mr.
Patterson, master, R.N., the Admiralty agent
on board, and were discharged to her
Majesty's ship Victory during the course of the day.
The passengers on board consisted of—from Shang-
hai—Rev. Mr. Gouge, Mrs. Gouge, and child ; Mr.
J. Wylie, Mrs. Shalcross, Mrs. Henderson and two
children, Mrs. Collins, two children, and Chinese
nurse ; Mr. J. J. Davies, and Mr. J. Griffiths.
From Hongkong—Surgeon-Major Home and ser-
vant, Lieut. Crease, R.M.A., Mr. Charles Worthy,
82d Regiment, and Dr. Nihill, R.N., in medical
charge of invalids.i From Singapore—Mr. Brine.
From the Cape of Good Hope—Capt. Budd. From
St. Helena—Master Pennell. From Sierra Leone—
Mr. J. Addams, Mrs. and Master Addaxes. From
Madeira—Prince Thurm and Saxis, and M. Siem-
erling, attached to the Empress of Austria's suite at
Madeira, and conveying despatches thence to
Vienna. The Imperatriz landed four mails. Her
dates and shipping news are as follows :—Sailed
from Shanghai, Nov. 4, 1860; Hongkong, Dec. 14;
Cape of Good Hope, Dec. 30, landed there 140 mili-
tary invalids from Hongkong; sailed from St.
Helena, Jan. 8 ; Sierra Leone, Jan. 21 ; and Ma-
deira, February 1. The American frigate was at
anchor in St. Helena Roads. At Sierra Leone the
West India mail steamer had arrived on the 20th
of January, to embark the 2d West India Regiment
for,the Gambia. The African mail steamer Ethiope
was lying at Madeira waiting the arrival of the
Athenian screw steamer with the outward African
mail. The following vessels were spoken on the
passage home :—January 7, in lat. 17.50 S., long.
2.20 W., the Anglia, of Liverpool, 71 days from
Singapore ; February 3, in lat. 18 N., long. 15.20
W. a French bark, showing 3d pendant No. 7,196 ;
same day, the Norwegian brig Harriette, steering
S.E. ; February 4, in lat. 40 N., long. 13.20 W., the
English brig Martha and Mary and the Norwegian
bark Skogman, both homeward bound. Among
the many homeward-bound vessels that had called
at St. Helena and sailed for London between the
2d and Bth of January (inclusive) were the
following : January 2.—Wynaud, from Shanghai.
January 3.—Lord of the Isles, from Shanghai;
Friar Tack, from Hong-kong ; Art Union
from Foo-chow-foo. January 4. Evangeline,
from the Mauritius; Hound, from Akyab ; Mont-
eagle, from Bombay ; Captain Cook, from Singa-
pore ; Livingstone, from Shanghai ; Empress
Eugenie, from Bombay. Jan. s.—King Lear, from
Bombay; H. Ledunia, from Japan; Palmyra, from
Calcutta ; the Cedars, from Cochin ; Fort George,
from Whampoa ; Lydford, from Kurrachee. Jan. 6.
—Mary Lee, from Macao. Jan. 7.—War Eagle,
from Canton. Jan. B.—Menam, from Manilla ;
and Thracian, from the Mauritius. The Imperatriz
sailed from Portsmouth at 10 a.m. yesterday for
London,
The following appointments were made on Satur-
day at the Admiralty :—Lieut. T. M. M. Wynyard
to the Formidable ; Joseph H. Ellis, chief engineer,
to the Doris ; G. Tucker, chief engineer, to the Fis-
gard, for charge of the machinery of the Black
Prince ; F. C. Alton, promoted to the rank of chief
engineer, appointed to the Argus ; W. Lewis, Ist
class assistant-engineer, to the Intrepid; J. &Lodge,
Ist class assistant-engincer, to the London; Alfred
Mason, Ist class assistant-engineer, to the Asia, for
charge of the Cygnet; G. F. Crook, 2d class assist.-
engineer, to the Cumberland, for charge of the ma-
chinery of the Griffin; J. G. Barrow, 2d class as-
sistant-engineer, to the Asia, as supernumerary; J.
D. Lamont, 2d class assistant-engineer, to the Prin-
cess Royal ; W. Collier, promoted to the rank of 2d
class assistant-engineer in the Inflexible ; W. F. L.
Elwyn, midshipman, to the Sidon
; W. L. Bennett
and A. J.
W. Neville, masters' assistants, to the
Princess Royal.

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