The Sun.
London, England, 1859-01-10 00:00:00

THE NA Tl.

Her Majesty's steam sloop Alecto, Commander I.
Hunt, from the West Coast of Africa, after a trial
of her machinery down the river, was on Saturday
hauled into basin at Woolwich, and the operation of
dismantling and returning stores was commenced.
The crew will be paid off about the 13th inst.
The troop ship Bloomer, Capt. D. Smith, from
London from Bombay and iarrachee, the arrival of
which at Portsmouth with damage from collision
with the American ship Highland Light, was
noticed in The Sun of the 3d inst., completed her
repairs at that port on Saturday. Yesterday morn-
ing the troops re-embarked on board of her from
the Victorious hulk, where they have been berthed
during the ship's repairs, and at high water she
was towed out of harbour to Spithead, where she
will receive her troop ammunition, &c., on board.
She will sail for her destination early this morning.
The naval authorities at Portsmouth have rendered
every possible facility in expediting the Bloomer's
refit, which has been most efficiently carried out.
The officers in command of the troops on board took
the opportunity of expressing to Capt. Smith, now
that they were on the point of again proceeding to
sea, their admiration of his conduct under the trying
circumstances in which he was placed at the time
of collision and afterwards.

The Trusty floating battery on Wednesday under-
went the test of Armstrong's 32-pounder long range
gun at ranges varying from 200 to 400 yards. The
steam vessels Adder and African towed her over on
Shoeburyness flat on Wednesday, where she was
moored broadside to the southward. The gunboat
Mayflower, tender to the Cressy, took the gun on
board from Shoeburyness under charge of an artil-
lery officer and an artillery gunner. The gun,
which loads at the breech, was charged with a
6-pound cartridge, and one of Armstrong's in-
vented shot. The shot are about ten inches
and a half long and about four inches in diameter;
the shots are covered with lead, the outer end of
some of the shot very much resembles the circular
end of Mr. Hall's rockets ; others form a square of
about an inch and a-half ; the barrel of the gun is
rifle-fluted down to the chamber. Capt E. L. Hal-
sted, of the Cressy, took his station in the captain's
cabin of the Trusty. The target was marked che-
quered, taking in three parts of the broadside.
Some common shot were fired, none of which ex-
ceeded 400 yards—these shot started the plate
bolts, woodwork inside the plates, beam knees,
decks, &c. One of the newly invented shot steel-
pointed was then fired, which drove in a portion
of one of the plates, went through the side, tearing
away one of the beams, deck, &c., and passed out
over the upper deck ; another imbedded itself in
the shattered plate and lodged in the woodwork,
the outer end being just flush with the surface of
the plate. After three or fsur shots had been fired
Capt. Halsted left the Trusty's cabin, and proceeded
on board the Mayflower. From 12 to 14 shots were
fired with great accuracy on the part of the artillery
officer who on each occasion laid the gun and placed
his shot within a foot or so, in every instance,
when requested, on the target part of the ship's
side. Some idea may be formed of the powers of
the gun from the following statement :—The 12-
pounder at Shoeburyness has passed 1,500 of the
newly invented shot, one of which, at 800 yards'
distance, passed through a solid body of oak timber
nine feet thick. Mr. Armstrong now purposes
bringing out a gun of much larger calibre to carry
a 561 b. shot. After the experiments the Mayflower
returned the gun to Shoeburyness, and on the 6th
the African and Adder towed the Trusty to Chat-
ham. The whole broadside for a considerable dis-
tance before and abaft the target is started in every
direction. One shot separated one of the plates,
splitting the plate through about one-fourth of the
square of the plate.
The new screw steam frigate Forte has been
taken into No. 2 dry dock at Sheerness to be fitted
ready for being commissioned.
The Edgar new two-deck steamship in the fitting
basin at Sheerness is progressing rapidly with the
fitment of her engines.
The Hero, Eurotas, and Scylla are at present in
the fitting basin at Sheerness.
The screw steam frigate Liffey, 51, Capt. G. W.
Preedy, C. 8., is ready for sea, and was expected to
leave Plymouth Sound yesterday.
The repairs of the screw steam ship Victor
Emmanuel, 91, Capt. James Wilcox, C. 8., 'paddle
wheel steam sloop Virago, 6, Commander M. B.
Dunn, and Advice, tender to- the Nile, have been
completed at Devonport. The Victor Emmanuel
will move into Plymouth Sound to-morrow.

The lighter Rochester sailed from Plymouth on
Saturday with stores for Chatham.
The gunboat Shamrock steamed outside Ply-
mouth Sound on Saturday to try her engines.
The following appointments were made on
Saturday at the Admiralty :—Commander R. G.
Tufnell, to be Inspecting Commander of the Coast-
guard, vice Lake, promoted; W. B. Beveridge,
assistant-clerk, to the Royal Albert.