The Sun.
London, England, 1861-03-26 00:00:00

THE NA Vl'.

The following circular has been issued from the
Admiralty to the Commanders-in-Chief and Super-
intendents of her Majesty's dockyards, and dated
March 22 :
" The attention of the Lords Commissioners of
the Admiralty having been called to the great ex-
pense incurred in the alterations of the fittings of
ships, their lordships acquaint you that in future
the captain of the steam ordinary, who is directed
in page 1 of the general instructions for that service
to superintend the fittings of ships and vessels, in
the same manner that the captain of a ship in com-
mission does, is to be made acquainted with all the
fittings proposed to be placed in the ships under
his charge; and that no fittings of any kind are to
be put up, either by the dockyard artificers or engine
fitters, without a previous consultation with that
officer.

" He will then be held responsible that on a ship
being put in commission the ship's fittings are per-
fect, and that no alterations will be required, and
that permission to make alterations will not be given
until a survey has been held, and a report made of
the reasons for making such alterations,
" The captains of the steam ordinary will be pre-
sent at the morning readings at the office of the
superintendent of the dockyard, in order that they
may be fully enabled to carry out the duties of
seeing the ship properly fitted, and to take the
place of the superintendent when the latter is un-
avoidably absent for 25 hours.''

Minute guns were fired yesterday from the forts
and shipping at Portsmouth, from 1 until 6.30 p.m.,
in accordance with orders to that effect, consequent
upon the interment of the remains of her Royal
Highness the Duchess of Kent. The firing was
commenced from Fort Moncton from 1 until 2 p.m.
Her Majesty's ship Mersey, 40 guns, Capt. H. Cald-
well, C. 8., lying at Spithead, next took up the
firing, and 'continued it until 3 p.m. ; Southsea.
Castle followed until 3.30 p.m., when the Town
Battery, on the King's bastion, opened, and fired
until 4.30 The shipping ifi the harbour next
took up the' firing, and the batteries at Hurst Castle
and Fort Victoria, near the Needles, closed it 'at
6.p0 p.m.

In considering the best form to be given to iron-
cased ships the size of the ports has received natu-
rally a good deal of attention, and various means
have been
i suggested for reducing the aperture. In
it one instance is proposed to lessen the width of
the Warrior's ports by iron bars placed vertically,
giving, in fact, iron cheeks to the sides of the ports
or embrasures. To enable a gun to be worked effec-
tually through this narrowed port iron legs are
affixed to the fore part of the gun slide, which,
meeting in front of the carriage, form a V, with the
base to the carriage and the apex in front. The
apex fits-over a bolt in the centre of the port, and
thus, whichever way the gun may be trailed, con-
fines the gun's axis to the centre of the port. The
port must, tiowever, be cut deeper than usual to
admit of this plan being carried out, but it presents
a much less area for the admission of shot or shell
than as constructed at present. It is said this plan
has been viewed by the authorities with consider-
able favour, and that it is the suggestion of an offi-
cer of great and acknowledged authority on all
matters connected with naval gunnery. Among
the rejected plans is one for preventing altogether
the ingress of shot or shell through a ship's :ports.
This was proposed to be effected by a circular port,
the gun working through an iron ball, the latter
moving in the port on brass bearings, and the two
forming a ball and socket. This plan is stated to
have effectually cloied the port against an enemy's
projectile, bat the increased weight it brought to
bear on the ship's side was objected to. The inventor
of this principle, on finding it rejected by the autho-
rities at home, at once puthimself in communication
with the Freneh Government, and in compliance
with Imperial commands was to leave for Paris this
morning, the Emperor having appointed Thursday
next for the inventor to wait upon him with models,
&c., to give the necessary explanations to his Ma-
jesty.
The detachment of Royal Marines ordered for
service on board her Majesty's ship Marlborough,
131, screw, Captain W. H. Stewart, C. 8., em-
barked yesterday under the command of
Captain J. H. Maskery. Caulking has been com-
menced on. the ship's upperworks, and the ship's
masts are having their cheeks taken off for exami-
nation andlto report upon.
The Osborne paddle yacht, Master Commander
G. R. BoWer, will be taken out of the steam basin
of Portsmouth dockyard to-day, and berths at the
mooring-Buoy, where she will be swung for the ad-
justment of her compasses on Thursday.
The Mersey, screw, 40, Capt. H. Caldwell, C. 8.,
will go into Portsmouth harbour, from Spithead,
this morning. The greater part of the defects to this
vessel's machinery has been caused by the extraor-
dinary manner in whieh she works when at sea.
The Isis, 44, Capt. F. L. Barnard, is expected to
sail from Chatham this day, when she will drop
down to the Nore, there to be inspected by Admiral
Hope Johnstone, the Commander-in-Chief. She
takes out Marines for the detachment now serving
at Ascension, under the command of Capt. Webb.
The War Department lighter Inkerman, from
Woolwich, with war materials for the Gun-wharf,
arrived at Plymouth on Sunday.

The screw steam corvette Jason, 21, Capt. Von
Donop, in Plymouth Sound, got up steam yesterday
(Monday), and proceeded outside the breakwater on
her trial trip.
Commander Trevenen, who arrived in Plymouth
on Saturday, Acting Commander of the paddle-
wheel steamsloop Buzzard, 6, and was conveyed
immediately to the Royal Naval Hospital, died in
the establishment on Sunday.
I 'Mr. Ernest N. Rolfe and Mr. Ambrose Carbon-
nell have been nominated to naval cadetships.
The following appointments were made yester-
day at the Admiralty :—J. Ellis and C. J. Martin
promoted to the rank of acting first-class assistant-
engineers in the Clio.