The Sun.
London, England, 1855-05-29 00:00:00

NAVAL AND MILITARY INTELLIGt.ENCIL.

The General Screw Company's steamer Golden Fleece,
which arrived at Southampton from Portsmouth on Sa-
turday evening, was surveyed yesterday for the convey-
ance of horses to the Crimea. It is estimated she will
carry about 300, besides a proportionate number of
troops. Workmen are busily engaged in removing the
cabins and clearing away all impediments to the erection
of the boxes. The Golden Fieece will be ready for sea
in the course of a fortnight. •
The Peninsular and Oriental Company's screw steam-
ship Simla will, according to present arrangement, em-
bark at Southampton, on Saturday next, 300 troops,
the same number of horses, and 17 officers, for convey-
ance to the Crimea. _ _

The United Screw Collier Company's steam-ship
Norman, transport No. 155, which left Southampton on
the 3d of December with huts for the English army in
the Crimea, arrived at that port last evening in ballast.
The Norman left Constantinople on the Ist of May,
Malta the 7th, and Gibraltar the 18th ; and during her
homeward passage passed her Majesty's ship Centaur,
on the 22d inst., in lat. 40.02 north, long. 10 16 west,
steering south ; she also spoke the bark Ocean Queen
on the 17th inst., in Almeira bay.
Tne Tartar, 20, screw steam corvette, was taken into

the fitting basin at Sheerness yesterday and berthed in
No. 3 dry dock. A portion of her copper on both bows
has been cut off by the ice, and her bow planks have been

partially damaged.
The Cornwallis, 60, screw steam, and the Powerful,
84, sailing ship, are ordered to land a part of their lower
deck guns and to take on board the Ermament, ammuni-
tion, shot, shell, and iron protecting fitments fur the
floating batteries Glutton and Trusty, which will be con-
veyed to the Baltic by the two former-named ships. The
Glutton and Trusty will be escorted by two efficient
steam-vessels to their places of destination in the Baltic.
Every arrangement is now made for the security of the
upper deck broadsides, ports, &c., to protect them from
shot or shell.

The Surly, Havoc, and Growler mortar vessels went
out of harbour to Spithead, under canvas, yesterday

morning.
The screw steamer Armenian, No. 225, will sail th

morning from Liverpool with 78 horses and a number
of officers of the 70th Regiment on board. She will
also embark detachments of various regiments.
The Oneida, screw-steamer, which is expected at
Liverpool from Glasgow every day, will carry 210
horses, Dr. Modin, and 11 officers, including Lieut.
Bre we, of the Royal Engineers.
The Tudor sailing vessel will embark the 2d West
York Militia at Liverpool in about a week. She will

proceed to Gib/.Altar. -
The Sarah Sands will embark 112 horses at Liverpool
in a few days.
The Simla screw-steamer is expected at Liverpool
about the 4th of June, from Southampton. At the for-
mer place she will embark 19 officers and 400 men and
horses of the Ist Dragoons.
The following extract from a letter from an officer. in
one of the ships of the Courland squadron will show
the state of things in the Riga Roads, at the dates men-
tioned therein :

"The ships composing the Courland squadron are,
the Archer, Captain Heathcote ; the Basilisk, Com-
mander Jenner ; the Conflict, Commander Browne ; the
Desperate, Commander White ; it consequently goes by
the name of the `A BC D' squadron. On the 7th of
May, about 16 days after the notification of blockade
had reached Riga, and 21 days from its being first estab-
lished, the Archer, being joined by the Geyser, pro-
ceeded into the Gulf of Riga, and, forcing their way
through light ice, arrived in the roads of Riga early in
the morning of the Bth. The batteries were quickly
manned by regiments seen to march down ; furnaces
lighted for red hot shot, and a small red flag hoisted for
the vessels to get out of the line of fire. There were two
tug steamers and several large Russian lighters moving
about, loading the numerous vessels that had come out
of the B These, on seeing the two men-of-war,
bolted instantly for the forts into the river. The mer-
&ants' vessels then weighed and came out, except two
Mecklenburg brigs, the Betty and Paul Frederick ;
these two persisted in remaining, and as soon as the
wen-of-war moved further out, took the lighters along-

side again, and remained for two days loading un
their cargoes were completed. All the remainder
were taken to Doneness and logs and papers examined.
Those of which there was no proof of having taken in
cargo since the blockade was known in Riga were re-
leased, and allowed to proceed oa the voyage ; the re-
mainder, the logs of which mentioned Russian lighters
being alongside, were detained, and, after instructions
from the Commander-in-Chief, sent to England. The two
that remained in the roads, loading in our sight, were
captured two days atter, bound out of the Gulf, and in-
stantly sent to England. The Geyser detained two small
Danes, wanting the Latin pass. One Lubeck schooner
escaped owing to dense fogs ; three were released, on
which no decided proof could be found that they did not
come out of the port with all their cargo on board. All
sent to England should have left either in ballast or
with the cargo left on board, when the blockade was
established and known in Riga. Many launches laden
with corn and salt have been captured—carrying rye
from the Gulf to Wisby in Gothland, and returning
with salt, which they are sadly in need of. At Liban
and Riga the poorer people are in want of employ-
ment and in great distress. The merchants of Libau
have offered to ransom the town if we will cease to
capture their cargoes going down to Memel in launches.
The Geyser is conveying pr;zes to Sheerness."
A portion of the let Royal Dragoons left Newcastle
for Piershill, Edinburgh, on Saturday, in order to form
a depot. The remainder of the detachment will leave
the town on Wednesday, to embark for the Crimea.
regOrdimeenrts, hwahviechbeisen iatssued for the immediate embarka-
tionwill proceed to the seat')
of the 6th Dragoon Guards (Carbineers). This
or ef s ewnatr quupawr taerrdesd
oaf t
having received above 250 volunteers within the last
61150“ us
nt
rs oknwg ,
week from the 2d Dragoon Guards (Queen's Bays), sta-
tioned at Dundalk, and the 3d and 7th Dragoon Guards,
quartered in Dublin. A depot and recruiting establish-
ment will be left in England ; as is customary, the excel-
lent band of the regiment has been broken up prepara-
tory to going on foreign service. It is stated that the 7th
Hussars (also under orders for foreign service) will
march from York to relieve the Carbineers at Hounslow.
The 7th are in a very efficient state, and can muster
upwards of 450 sabres, notwithstanding that a very large
number of men volunteered for light cavalry regiments
serving in the Crimea.
There are at present no fewer than 137 recruiting par-
ties stationed in the metropolis, in addition to the estab-
lishment in Duke-street, Westminster ; of these 19 be-
long to cavalry regiments, 105 to infantry of the line,
including 3 belonging to the 60th Rifle Regiment, 3 to
the Rice Brigade, 4 to the Royal Artillery, 4 to the
Royal Marines, 4 to the East India Company, and 1 to
the Royal Sappers and Miners ; allowing each party to
consist of a serjeant and two men gives a total strength
of 411 men. The estimated numb rof recruits obtained
within the metropolitan districts exceeds 500 weekly.
The recruiting staff of the East India Company has
received orders to enlist men for the European Rego..
merits and the Horse and Foot Artillery in the COI re
pany's service for short periods of two years, and for a ny
term not exceeding one year in addition. The bon my
given is the same as is paid to men who enter for lea Jger
periods.
The 98th Regiment, consisting of 11 officers, 21l ser-
geants, 13 corporals, 6 drummers, 239 privates, w;. th 13
women and 16 children, proceeded at 6 a m. on tb a 28th
from Chatham by railway to Weedon, under Co mmand
of Lieutenant-Colonel E. Haythorne, with Captains
Grantham, Richmond, and Young ; Lieutenants Brown,
Ellis, and Hewson ; Adjutant Reid, Lieut. R. Stroud,
and Paymaster Leicb. On the regiment passing through
1
Chatham the troops loudly cheered, the band 'playing
" Cheer, boys, cheer. Tins regiment left Dublin in 1838
for service in China, in which country and in Indi a it has
been 17 years. At Weedon it is to be made upl to war
strength, as it expecte to go to the Crimea.