The Sun.
London, England, 1861-09-17 00:00:00

Sir,—ln the notice of these works contained in
The Times of to-day it is stated that the progress
has been mainly owing to my system of laying out
the works. As this remark may be considered to
apply to the principle of construction by means of a
timber stage I will ask you to allow me space to
say that this method of construction originated with
the late Mr. Rendel.

I am, Sir, yours obediently,
JOHN COODE.
Engineer's-office, Portland, Sept. 14.

THE NAVY..

Valetta, Sept. 9.—Her Majesty's gunboat Assur-
ance, 4, Lieut. Luard commanding (Com. Aynsley
being again in hospital from a severe attack of
rheumatism), took her departure on the night of
the 7th inst., after the arrival of the overland mail
from Marseilles, with despatches for Vice-Admiral
Sir W. F. Martin, K.C.8., and a mail for the fleet
at Naples. She took up as passengers Captain
Dudgeon and Captain Vesey, both of the 22d Regi-
ment, stationed at this garrisA. The sloop Scourge,
6, Capt. W. J. Jones, having on board Lieut.-Gen.
Sir W. Codrington, K.C.8., and staff, left port the
following day for Gibraltar, and is to touch at Algiers
and several of the Spanish portsin the Mediterranean.
Her Majesty's gunboat Surprise, 4 guns, Corn.
W. W. Whyte, arrived on the Bth inst., under sail
from Plymouth 24 days, and Gibraltar, 12. This
vessel and the Wanderer, which had started from
England and put back, are to relieve the Mohawk
and Assurance, of the same class. On the same
day arrived the French transport Sevre, Capt. Oli-
vier, from Alexandria, with 178 seamen on board, for
Toulon. She left the same night. Her Majesty's
ships in port are the receiving ship Hibernia (flag
of Rear-Admiral H. J. Codrington, C. 8.) ; San s-
pareil, 70; Melpomene, 51 ; Medina, 4; Mohawk,
4; Surprise, 4; and tug Hearty. The Rangoon;
having on board a section of the Malta and Alexan-
dria telegraphic cable, is still in port, the Malacca
with the other section not having yet made her ap,
pearance. The cable is undergoing daily tests.
The screw steamer Renown, 89, Capt. Arthur
Forbes, was placed alongside the dockyard at Devon-
port yesterday morning to be dismantled. Her crew
will be paid off shortly.

The sailing yachts, tenders to the guardships in
Plymouth and the other ports, are ordered to be put
out of commission, where necessary steamers will
be substituted.

The screw steam gunvesael Arrow was removed
yesterday from her moorings in Hamoaze, and
placed in No. 4 dock at Devonport, to have her
copper stripped off preparatory to her being sold
out of the service.

The Supply screw storeship, Master Commander
Balliston, sailed from St. Helen's Roads, where she
had previously put in from the Channel for shelter
from rough weather, at 8 a.m. yesterday with storm,
&c., from the Mediterranean.

The Juno, 26, sailing frigate, at Portsmouth, has
been purchased by the authorities at Scotland-yard
from the Admiralty, and will be fitted for the recep-
tion of the " water police" in Portsmouth harbour.
Their present quarters, the Champion, sailing sloop,
built in Portsmouth in 1824, from designs by Capt.
Hayes, R.N., will be handed over to the dockyard
authorities, and broken up in dock.
The fitting of Jones's target at Portsmouth for
renewed trials with the Armstrong gun has been
completed, its face now occupying a vertical posi-
tion, and its bed being placed at an angle from the
deck of the Griper, supported by stout timber props
which are in turn strengthened by a number of
massive iron knees, to enable it to withstand in its
new position the hammering to which it will be
subjected from the Armstrong 100-pounder. The
trial, it is expected, will take place in the presence
of the Iron-plate Committee.
The following, out of 29 candidates, have passed
their examination on board H.M.S. Victory, at
Portsmouth, as assist.-clerks Bowles, W. A.
Kilner, 'B. H. E. Drayson, F. Smith, P: J.
Mould, E. B. D. Iffanger, H. Aylen, F. Robert, J.
Tatlock, and W. W. Gibbard.

The following appointments were made yester-
terday at the Admiralty :—T.Pounds, master, to the
Medea ; R. P. Pardon, midshipman, to the Aboukir ;
J. Wotton, paymaster, to the Medea; Alfred Boys
assist.-paymaster, to the Victory ; and W. H. E.
Mitchell, assist: paymaster, to the Medea.