The Sun.
London, England, 1861-11-19 00:00:00

2HE NAVY.

The Black Prince, screw, iron-plated frigate, in
charge of Commander Stokes, Second Master At-
tendant of Portsmouth Dockyard, arrived at Spit-
head yesterday morning from Greenock, whence
she sailed at 2 p.m. on Saturday. She anchored at
Spithead at 10 30 a.m. The weather was fine

throughout the passage. The ship steered remark-
ably well, answering the slightest touch of her
helm, and the speed attained on the passage, as will
be seen by the time given above, was as satisfactory
as could be desired. Messrs. John and 'John D,
Napier, the builders of the ship, and Mr. T. Penn,
of the firm of Messrs. Penu. and Sons, the builders
of the engines, were on board. The preliminary
light draught trial of the Black Prince will take
place at the measured mile in Stokes Bay to-day,
under the superintendence of Captain H. Broad-
head, commanding H.M,S. Asia and the reserve at
that port.

The Octavia, 51, screw, converted frigate, got up
steam alongside Portsmouth Docky and yesterday,
and worked her engines some time at half speed.
She will go out to Spithead to-day for a preliminary
run, and to-morrow, weather permitting, will make
her official trip at the measured mile.

The Phaeton, 51, screw, Captain E. Tatham, ac-
cording to present arrangements, will have her
necessary work completed by the shipwrightde-
EMPTAcPaVNEVio#FiTeiTC6—.

The Osborne, paddle yacht, Master Commander
George K. Bower, arrived at Portsmouth at noon
yesterday, on her return from attendance upon the
Grand Duke and Duchess Constantine of Russia.

The Hero, 89, screw, Capt. Ryder, and the Edgar,
89, screw, Captain George P. Mends, have both
bent sails in Portsmouth harbour. The first named
goes out to Spithead to-day, ani the last (expected)
to-morrow.

The paddlewheel steam sloop Medea,6,Commander
D. Preston, left Plymouth on Thursday for Halifax.
A board of naval officers has been recently
appointed at Sheerness, to investigate and report
to the Admiralty upon the merits of a new code
of night signals by three lights, invented by
Mr. Edward Hawthorne, rigger in Sheerness
Dockyard. The first trial of this invention took
place on Monday last, in the presence of Vico•Ad-
miral W. J. Hope Johnstone, his Staff, and the
members of the board, when signals were passed to
and from the Admiral's signal station on shore and
the flagship in the harbour with the greatest facility
and ease. The trial was pronounced highly suc-
cessful.- Mr. Hawthorne has also invented a new
code of day signals.

Reports having been circulated that the Virago,
Commander Hope Johnstone, had been wrecked on
her passage from Sheerness to Queenstown during
the late severe gales, we have the pleasure to report
that the ship arrived safe at her destination, al-
though sho had to bear up twice for shelter from
the fury of the weather. A letter has been received
at Sheerness from one of her officers since her arri-
val at Queenstown.

The Lord Dalhousie, sailing transport, which put
into Sheerness some days ago to await the arrival
of 140 convicts from the convict establishment at
Chatham, left the Nore for Gibraltar on Saturday.
The vessel had been detained at Sheerness several
days owing to the roughness of the weather.
Admiralty orders have been received at Chatham
Dockyard for a number of additional joiners' ap-
prentices to be entered at that establishment.

The Wellesley, 74, having shipped three smaller
masts than those originally on board, was yesterday
removed from the sheer hulk and towed up the
harbour at Chatham to her former moorings oppo-
site the anchor wharf, where she will complete
fitting for a training ship for boys.
The screw steamship Bombay, 81, 800 horse power,
fitting at Chatham for the second-class steam re-
serve, is under orders to proceed, as soon as the
work of fitting her has been completed, from her
moorings at Folly-point to join the steam reserve
under the command of Capt. Schomberg. Two of
her large anchors, each weighing 95 cwt., together
with a quantity of chain cable, have been received
on board from the Welsh firm of Brown and Len-
nox. The Bombay has been fitted with the patent
ventilating apparatus recently introduced into
several of her Majesty's ships for ventilating her
engine-rooms and magazines. At her recent trial
trip the engines worked very satisfactorily; the
vessel obtaining an average of 10 knots per hour.
Notwithstanding the comparatively short period
which has elapsed since orders were given for the
construction of the batteries and fortifications at the
entrance to the Medway, fir the protection of Chat-
ham and Sheerness, very considerable progress has
been made by the several contractors engaged in
the undertaking. The works connected with the
batteries at Folly-point, and on the promontory
north-east of Pinope-reach, a short distance below
Chatham Dockyard, are being prosecuted with
vigour. These batteries will have a complete com-
mand of a most important part of the Medway,
that at Folly-point having an extensive range east-
ward, and being capable of engaging any vessel
rounding the headland of Barnet ness, while the
guns of the latter will have a direct bearing to the
westward, towards Chatham, crossing their fire
with the armament mounted at Folly-point. The
works lower down the river, which are so placed
as to have a complete command of the entire estuary
of the Medway, are also making good progress.
The principal battery at this point will be the
powerful casemated fort at Garrison-point, on the
south-east side of the river, which is already in a
very forward state so far as the first portion of the
contract is concerned, comprising as it does the