The Sun.
London, England, 1861-10-08 00:00:00

•
, Letters received from the island of Johanna, in
the Mozambique Channel, dated August 29, state
t hat the Narcissus, 51, screw, with Rear-Admiral
Sir Baldwin Walker, on board, was daily
expected at the island. The. Ariel, 7, screw, had
sailed the same day on a cruise. The Penguin, 5,
screw, Lieut. M'llardy, tender to the Narcissus, had
arrived at the island ,in advance of the Narcissus,
and was to await her arrival. The Lyra, 9, screw,
was also there, but was to sail on the 27th of August
for the Cape, and probably thence on to England.
Orders have been at length received at Ports-
mouth to break up and remove the ruins of the
Meteor floating battery from No. 2 dock at
that port. The Meteor was placed in this dock
on the 10th of November, 1860. She bad after-
wards her armour plates removed from her sides
and was opened up for examination, when she was
found to be in such a defective state throughout the
whole of her frame that it was evident the cost of
rebuilding her would greatly exceed any value she
could represent when complete. The dock will
once again become available for the public service.
This dock ;,will take in line-of-battle chips of the
Princess Royal class.
' The Warrior, 40, screw, Capt. the Hon. A. A.
Cochrane, C. 8., will not make her trial at the
measured mile in Stokes Bay at so early a date as
was originally determined on—the 10th inst. The
exact time has not yet been fixed. A great improve-
ment has been made in the appearance of the ship's
hull, by substituting white, picked out with gold,
for the former heavy looking bronze of the figure-
head, and also the carving on the stern and quarter
galleries. Rear-Admiral Charles Eden, C. 8., left
the Admiralty, Whitehall, yesterday afternoon for
Portsmouth. It is understood that the gallant Ad-
miral will not return to the Admiralty until after
the trial of the Warrior over the measured mile.
The Nelson, 90, screw, is ordered into dock at
Portsmouth to ascertain the whereabouts of a leak
that has been in existence for some time in her
bottom.

Yesterday a number of additional shipwrights,
joiners, and smiths were placed on the Defence, 22,
iron frigate, in the the third dock at Chatham, in
order that every effort may be made to fit her for
sea. Nearly the whole of the hands placed on
board her have been hired for that purpose, the
various vessels now building at Chatham prevent-
ing any of the shipwrights and artisans being
taken off them. Daring the last few days about
200 extra mechanics have been entered at Chatham,
and a number of hands are still required, preference
being in all cases given to those workmen who
were discharged a few months since, on the reduc-
tion being made. There is still a great deal of
work in the way of fitting to be completed on board
the Defence, but, from the energy shown by the
dockyardt a few weeks will, it is con-
dny anticipated,
authorities,ated,
see her fit to be undocked to ea
re-
ceive her masts on board. She is to be ventilated
after precisely the same system as that adopted on
board the Warrior, which has been found to answer
so satisfactorily.

The President, 51, fitting in the fourth dock at
Chatham as a training ship for the London Naval
Reserve Volunteers, to be stationed in tho Thames,
has had a number of additional hands placed on her,
in order that she may be completed during this
month, when, according to present arrangements,

the Rattlesnake, 21, screw corvette, 400-horse
power, will be admitted into the same dock, to be
fitted for the steam reserve.

A portion of the additional shipwrights and
other hired mechanics recently entered at Chatham
dockyard will be placed on board the line-of-battle
screw steamer Bulwark, 91, which is to be cut
asunder and otherwise altered to adapt her for a
51-gun iron•cased frigate as soon as the plans and
drawings for the proposed alterations have been
finally approved by Admiral Robinson, the Con-
troller of the Navy. The engines for the Bulwark,
which are of 800-horse power, nominal, being
nearly completed, will, it is understood, be placed
on board the Royal Oak, 51, iron-plated steamer,
at Chatham, which will be ready for them some
time before the alterations arc effected in the
Bulwark.

The screw stearrtsloop Malacca, 17, Capt. Napier,
from Sheerness and Portsmouth for the Mediterra-
nean, arrived in Plymouth Sound on Sunday even-
ing.

The Norwegian corvette Nornen left Plymouth
Sound yesterday for the West Indies.

The screw steam-corvette Orestes, 21, at Ply-
mouth, is ready to leave for the Cape of Good Hope
on the arrival of the gunboat Handy, which she
escorts to Sierra Leone.

The screw steam-gunboat Speedy, 4, Mr. Burney
master, went yesterday from Hamoaze into Ply-
mouth Sound for the purpose of trying her ma-
chinery.

The Java, one of the old 50-gun frigates, was
taken into dock yesterday to have her ballast dis-
charged, and her copper taken off her bottom before
being iron-plated for a .target vessel. This precau-
tion will be the means of preventing much pecula-
tion which has been found to exist on the ships
hitherto removed to Portchester Lake for a similar
purpose,

The Handy, screw gun-vessel, Lieutenant-Com-
mander Glover, is now ready for sea. She will go
out of harbour to-day.
The Cambrian, 40, sailing-frigate, Commodore
James M'Cleverty, C. 8., may be expected at Spit-
head daily from the East Indies and China. By a
letter from her the writer says—"
You may look out
for us almost as soon as the Chesapeake."
The Racoon, screw steam-corvette, Captain W. C.
Chamberlain. is hourly expected at Spithead from
the Mediterranean. It is anticipated she will be
paid off at this port.
Orders have been received at Chatham from the
Admiralty directing that the whole of the gun-boats
in the first division are to be supplied with Arm-
strong's rifled cannon in lieu of the smooth-bore guns
which have up to the present time been in use, and
in accordance with that order the Carnation was
yesterday brought alongside the ordnance-wharf at
Chatham, where she discharged one 68-pounder and
one 33-pounder, together with the carriages. She
then shipped two new carriages suitable for a 100-
pounder and a 40-pounder Armstrong, of which her
armament is for the future to consist, and her slides
underwent some slight alteration to accommodate
the new carriages. Neno of the vessels are, how-
ever, to take on board the new guns until they are
required for service.

We have to announce the death of Admiral G.
Le Geyt, which took place recently at St. Helier's,
Jersey, at the advanced age of 84. The deceased
entered the navy in 1791 as captain's servant, and
was subsequently appointed master's mate of the
Prince Edward, in which vessel in 1795 he wit-
nessed the capture of two French vessels ; in the
following year he was present at the capture of
a French frigate, and was shortly afterwards
nominated acting-lieutenant of the Rover, in

which he assisted at the taking of Le Jean Bart
privateer. In 1799 he was appointed Second
Lieutenant of the Tamar, and was present at the
reduction of Surinam and the capture of several
French ships. In 1803 he was promoted to the
command of the Stork, in which vessel he remained

annindesuybeaserqs
tinique until its surrender. The deceased
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admiral
obtained post-rank in 1812, and was nominated a
Companion of the Bath in 1840.
The following appointments were made yesterday
at the Admiralty :—Lieut. Wm. G. Douglas, to the
Cornwallis, additional for service in the Coastguard;
Ramsay Cooke, master to the Asia. for the Stromboli;
Joseph Lovering, acting chief engineer to the Asia,
for the Stromboli ; Henry Cook, engineer to the
InLus, for the Perseus; Alexander Bothwick, act-
ing first-class assist.-engineer, to the Asia, for-the
Highlander ; Edward D. Dooley, first-class assist.-
engineer, to the Asia, for the Snapper; Charles
Allsop, acting second class assist.-engineer, to the
Asia, for the Duncan. Mr. Scott, J. B. Willcox,
and Mr. J. E. A. Dick Lander have been nomi-
nated to naval cadetships.

REELECTION OF THE LORD MAYOR. This
afternoon the retiring Lo.d Mayor, who received the
highest number of votes from the Livery, was re-elected for
another year.