The Sun.
London, England, 1861-04-17 00:00:00

THE NAVY.

The party of seamen, 100 in number, despatched
to the Victoria Docks for the purpose of masting
the Warrior, yesterday returned to Woolwich in
command of Mr. Thomas, master of the flagship
Fisgard ; and this morning Mr. Jones, master
rigger, with a party of 50 of his department, pro-
ceeded from Woolwich to commence rigging. The
Warrior's chain cables (2i inch), manufactured by
Messrs. Lennox and Co., were yesterday tested at
Woolwich, and bore the strain of 101 tons, ordered
by the Admiralty as thG, regulated test, well.
The remainder of the masts, yards, spars, and
other gear for the 'Warrior, iron steamer, were
shipped at Chatham dockyard yesterday on board
one of the 'Government lighters, and towed round
to the, Victoria Dock, to be put on board that vessel
by the shipwrights sent from Woolwich dockyard
for that purpose. The main and foretopmasts are of
large size and great strength, each measuring 65 ft.
11lligand weighing rather more than three tons.
111seeti,
mizentopmastl measures 50 ft., and its weight is
about two tons. The fore and mainyards are each
as large as the masts of many large ships, each
measuring 105 feet in length, and weighing up-
wards of six tons. The length of the mizen yard is
71 feet. The three topsail yards are also of great
size and strength, the two largest being each 74 feet
long, and weighing about two tons. The whole of
the masts, yards, &c., for the Warrior have been
constructed of unusual strength under the imme-
diate superintendence of the officials connected with
the masting department at Chatham dockyard.
The lower masts of the Warrior have all been fixed
in their places by means of the Chatham sheer hulk,
which was sent to the Victoria Docks for that pur-
pose.

Her 111 ijcsty's paddlewheel steam sloop Vixen,
6, Commander Frederick W. Richards, from the
Pacific, has arrived at Woolwieh to be paid off.
Commander Hawker, acting in the absence (on a
week's leave) of the Commodore Superintendent of
the dockyard, went on board yesterday morning
and inspected the ship, and having mustered the
crew, 165 in number, on the quarter-deck, he
expressed his admiration of their fine and healthy-
looking appearance, and the clean and admirable
condition of the ship throughout. The Vixen had
an exceedingly prosperous voyage home, and has
arrived without having experienced a single case of
sickness in the ship. She commenced dismantling
immediately after her arrival, and will be ready to
be paid off by Saturday next should the Admiralty
so decide. She was fitted out at Woolwich in
October, 1857, having been previously employed in
transporting machinery and naval stores during
the Crimean war, and bore the cognomen of the
" Saucy Vixen," The authorities at Woolwich are
desirous of testifying that the character of the
Vixen, and her neat and orderly trim, are deserving
)f the highest official encomiums. The present
Commander (Richards) was appointed to the
Vixen in February, 1860, on the death of Com-
rnandcr Lionel Lambert, who was brutally
murdered at Lima, in Peru. The boilers and
engines of the shit) are in excellent order, and
every compartment appears free from any
defect. She will, however, undergo a com-
plete overheul before being re-commissioned.
Commander G. F. Meehan, who commissioned
the Vixen on her departure from Woolwich for the
Pacific, died after a short but severe illness from the
tlfects of a cold caught while in the execution of his
duties on board.

The screw steamship Princess Royal, 91, Capt.
Charles FeHowes, flag of Rear-Admiral Robert
Smart, K.H., who was on board, having been re-
paired in Keyham steamyard, went yesterday
morning outside the Breakwater, on an experi-
mental trip. She returned into the Sound, intend-
ing t 9 go up Hamoaze ; but at 3 o'clock, in conse-
quence of a brigantine being in the fair way, ran
on the Wintershoal, and remained there till 5 o'clock,
when, as the tide rose, she was got off and went
into harbour.

The Isis, 44, Capt. Barnard, in Plymouth Sound,
had the recall flag up yesterday afternoon, and she
would probably leave in the evening for Ascensi3n.
The screw steam frigate Orlando, 51, having been
cleaned and had her valves overhauled, will be put
out of No. 1 Dock in Keyham steamyard to-day,
and to-morrow the screw steam troopship Himalaya
will be placed there, and her repairs will be com-
pleted with all despatch.

The Emerald, 51, screw, Capt. A. Cumming, at
Spithead, has a defect in her auxiliary feed-engine
pump-box, which will haye to be made good before
she proceeds to sea.
The Icarus, 11, screw, Commander N. Salmon,
V.C., at Portsmouth, is filling up coal, preparatory to
swinging and going out of harbour to Spithead.
The Melbourne, No. 13, screw, hospital ship, Capt.
Henry B. Benson, will go into Portsmouth Harbour
this morning from Spithead to land invalids and
stores.

The Henry Fernie, hired transport, commenced
shipping her provisions and medical comforts in
Portsmouth Harbour yesterday. She will be offi-
cially inspected by the military and medical au-
thorities to-day, and .embark her detachments of
troops for New Zealand to-morrow.
The following appointments were made yester-
day at the Admiralty :—Lieut. Albert Dent, to be
Flag Lieut. to Rear-Admiral Warren; Paymaster
Hugh F. Pullen, to be secretary and assistant-pay-
master; Valentine D. J. Rickcord, to be secretary's
clerk to Rear-Admiral Warren ; Charles D. Shep-
hard, to be surpon to the Imaum ; William B.
Fabian, to be ast-class assistant-engineer to the
Fisgard, in charge of the machinery of the Driver.
Laurence Moreton is promoted to the rank of se--
cond-class assistant-engineer in the Indus, as a su-
pernumerary.

TILE ARMY.

Major-Gen. Sir Richard Dacres, attended by
.Major Reilly, his aide-de-camp ; Major Milward,
Brigade Major, and Major Field, Deputy-Assist-
ant-Quartermaster-General, yesterday commenced
his half-yearly inspection of the garrison at
Woolwich by going over the barrack quarters
and books of the 4th Brigade. The General
inspected the Royal Horse Brigade this morning
at 10 and the 16th Lancers at 11. The two corps
paraded at the time stated above on Woolwich-
common, in marching order, on ground pointed out
by the Deputy-Assistant-Quartermaster General.
At 1 o'clock the general inspected the hospital be-
longing to the Horse Brigade, and examined the
books and barracks of the brigade shortly afterwards.
The 30th and 31st companies of Royal Engineers
have each been augmented to their full number of
100 non-commissioned officers and men, and have
been medically inspected at head-quarters. As soon
'as the order for their leaving Chatham shall have
been received from the Horse Guards, they will
embark for Malta and Corfu, to relieve two corn_
panics which have been doing duty in the Medi-
terranean for several years past.

THE DERELICT SHIP.—PLYMOUTH, Tuesday._
The merchant steam vessel Sir Walter Ralei6..una,
made fast to
the derelict yesterday, at 4 o'clock in the afternoon, and
towed her about three miles north-west, when the warp
parted. The wind is blowing very strongly from the eastward,'
and there is much sea on. The steamer resumes the attempt
on Thursday, and will be able to continue on the duty until
Monday. The wreck is a dangerous obstruction to naviga-
tion. On Sunday no less than four vessels had narrow
escapes; one of them would have been inevitably lost in
tlip evening but for the lights exhibited by the trawl sloop,
which continues fastened to the capsized ship. The star-
board, anchor can be seen, and the chain cable is through
the hawse pipe. The suspended Clain hangsanchor fartrached
decl;-, and is not now 'supposed to have an anered--:y-
to it. This chain was partly and by
it the 'wreck was at one time towed.
15 inches through,
or mails. She is
bgone,nilt
of
fnpdi
tthere
pine,is noan
and
her indicationke e
I, o f yardsi
whichis there • any tar on the
neverhas
saces'builder's cleats, so that
r her continued buoyancy
she must be a new ship. - "11.
originally been tarred
covered, neither
by
the
s confirmed by the fact that the water
This suppiositsiouni
seems
Seethrough the seems in her sides which
it is new judged that the cargo is not timber, but cotton.
occasbioenillrystinpg
open by the swelling of the cotton. Thia
mmoaryning, at two o'clock, the wreck was 35 to 40 miles
S.S.W. of Plymouth Sound, or say, 25 miles 'south of the
Eddystone.