The Sun.
London, England, 1859-01-03 00:00:00

THE NAVY.

The annual return of the names, number of guns,
and tonnage of the whole of the vessels in the navy
was published on Saturday, from which it appears
that the British navy, at the beginning of 1859 con-
sists of 523, vessels, including screw steamers of
every description, exclusive of which there are 167
gunboats. Of the number of vessels composing the
navy no less than 176 are in commission, and doing
duty in every part of the globe. The vessels in
commission are distributed as follows :-32 line-of-
battle ships, frigates, and smaller vessels are
attached to the East Indies and China station ; 25
on the coast of Africa ; 16 in the Mediterranean;
15 on the Pacific and on the Austr2lian station ; 15
on the North America and West India station ;
on the south-east coast of America, and 5 at the
Cape of Good Hope. The remaining 61 vessels
are employed on particular service, or attached
as guardships to the princial ports in Great Britain
and Ireland, including the Channel Squadron, which
is composed of the following screw steamers :—The
Royal Albert, 121, bearing the flag of Rear-Admiral
Sir C. H. Fremantle, K.C.B. ; the Orion, 91, Capt.
E. C. I'. D'Eyncourt ; the Renown, 91, Captain J.
Willcox; the Brunswick, 89, Capt. E. Ommanney ;
and the Racoon, 22, Captain J. A. Paynter. In
addition to the number of vessels in commission

there is a powerful steam reserve in harbour- at.
Chatham and Sheerness, consisting of 36 line-of-
battle screw steamers, floating batteries, steam fri-
gates, and other smaller vessels, all of which could
be equipped for sea at the shortest possible notice,
many of them having been launched during the
last few years. There are also 11 line-of-battle
screw steamers of from 80 to 131 guns each, build-
ing at the several Royal dockyards, together with
15 other screw steamers, all in various stages of
progress. From this return it appears that the
navy of England is in a most efficient state, both as
regards the number of vessels and the manner in
which those vessels are equipped. Of the list of
steam gunboats given in the return nearly the whole
are described as ready for service. The majority of
them are of 60 horse-power.
The following vessels have been chartered by the
Hon. Council of India for the conveyance of rein-
forcements and stores to India :—The Sourisqt els,
911 tons, the Clive, 598 tons, and-the Eunomia, 446
tons, for Madras ; the Ardbeg, 925 tons, for Ben-
gal ; and the Red Riding Hood, 720 tons, for Bom-
bay.
The Enterprise, 4, one of the Arctic discovery
ships, which was abandoned, but afterwards given
up to the British Government, is ordered to be sent
from Chatham to Sheerness, to be used as a coal
depot for the steamships belonging to the steam
reserve in the Medway. The Resolute, Arctic
discovery ship, which was also presented to the Go-
vernment by the people of the United States, still
remains at Chatham, where she has been lying for
some time entirely dismantled.
The Aid, naval storeship, has arrived at Chat-
ham from Portsmouth, and is now discharging
war stores for the dockyard.
The troop transport ship Tartar, Captain Jeans,
from London, which put into Plymouth Sound on.
the 24th ult. with 83 men of various regiments for
Madras, sailed again on Friday morning. Captain
Anderson, 32d Light Infantry, and the other mili-
tary officers have addressed a letter to Capt. Jeans,
approving his conduct during the late severe
weather.

Her Majesty's three-decker Britannia was com-
missioned at Portsmouth on Saturday by Captain
Harris, of the Illustrious, as the future training-
ship for Royal Naval Cadets.
In paying off the Illustrious, Captain Harris
complimented the crew belonging to the ship, and
said he had the pleasure of presenting good-conduct
medals to Thomas Bowyear, master-at-arms ;
William Naish, boatswain's mate ; and John Isum,
quartermaster. Captain Harris has superintended
the training of upwards of 2,000 lads during
his commission, many of whom have turned out
excellent characters. and good sailors, and havebeen
draughted into ships for foreign service. The Il-
lustrious was paid off by Captain George Henry
Seymour, C:B., of the flagship Victory.
Her Majesty's paddle-vessel Pigmy, 4, Master-
commander William Johnston, was re-commissioned
at Portsmouth by that officer on Saturday.
The Bloomer freightship, Captain Smith, which
was reported in The Sun of Saturday as having
been in collision coming down channel, was towed
into Portsmouth by the Government stcamtugs on
Saturday. She had been struck heavily off St. Al-
ban's Head by the United States' vessel Highland
Light of Boston. The Bloomer was freighted in
London with nearly 400 troops bound for Kurra-
chee. During the repairs of the vessel the men
will be accommodated on board the Victorious
hulk in Portsmouth harbour.

The paddlewheel steam troopship Dee, 4, Master
Commander Thomas C. Pullen, from Portsmouth,
arrived at Plymouth on Friday night. On Satur-
day she went up Ilamoazo, received a topmast-yard
for the Nile and supernumeraries for the fleet, and
sailed in the afternoon for Queenstown.
The paddlewheel steam-vessel, Avon, 3, Second
Master James H. Lawrence, which has been in the
Channel seeking a vessel, the crew of which is
afflicted with smallpox, returned to Plymouth un-
successful on Saturday.
The lighter Hanioaze, Mr. Webber master, is
appointed to load bread at Plymouth to-day, Mon-
day, for the fleet at Queenstown.
The crew of the screw steamship Desperate, 8,
Commander Robert G. Cragie, were paid off along-
side the dockyard at Devonport on Saturday.
The screw steam guardship of Coast Guard Rus-
sell, 60, Captain H. A. Storey, was paid off at
Plymouth on. Friday and recommissioned on Satur-
day by Captain George Wodehouse. Her tenders,
the gunboat Hind, and cutters Silvia and Royal
Charlotte, were paid off at the same time.