The Sun.
London, England, 1855-12-19 00:00:00

Naval alid Military Intelligence.

The tran,port Diligence, with stores from Pembroke,
and thl :Iml-chant ship Reaper, leaky, from Newcastle,
wth coal f.r Constantinople, arrived at Plymouth on
Monday. The Vixen and Rhadamanthus, both fur
Woolwich, sailed therefrom on the same day.
The Queen of the South steam transport, Capt. Beale,
will embark deteebrounts of troops to the number of 800
and upwards at Portsmouth this morning for Malta.
On her last voyage she took out a great quantity of 13-
inch shell and shot, which she brought home again—
why has not been explained. She csrries out to Malta
a good store of warm clothing for the troops there.
The Hydaspos steam transport, Capt. Buller, will go
into Portsmouth harbour this morning to land invalids
and stores. This ship also took out from England on her
last voyage a great quantity of shell and shot (amount-
ing, it is said, to 600 tons) for the Crimea which was
never lamied, but, after straining her very much, she de-
posited it at Malta on her return home.
The Zebra steam transport, Capt. Betts, left Ports-
mouth early yesterday morning for Deptford.
The CoLflict, 8, Commander Brown, left Spithead
yesterday for Plymouth.

- The William Hammond convict ship sailed yesterday
mornin from P,,rtsmouth for Swan River, and was to
touch at Plymouth.
The Colossus, 81, Capt. Robinson, in the basin
Portsmouth, was paid wages yesterday, and her crew
granted leave.

- The Charger gun-boat, launched from the yard of
Messrs. Pitcher, of Nortlifleet, has arrived at Woolwich,
and will be immediately placed tinder the hands of the
riggers. The gun-boats Sandfly, Lieut. B. G. W. Ni-
colas ; Plover, Lieut. Stewart ; and Seagull, Lieut. Mon-
tagu O'Reilly are now ready for service in the outer
basin, and will leave Woolwich during the week fur
Sheerness.

The Ist battalion of the Swiss Legion arrived in the
Great Britain at Smyrna on the 2d cf December, but,
as it was Sunday, they did not land ; Monday was a
p uring day, and Ro they continued on board till Tues-
day. They are a fine looking set of men, mostly Ger
man Swiss. The Colonel (Dickson) is a fine, young,
active man, and familiar with all the three languages
spoken by his corps rrench, German, and Italian.
The old Turkish hospital is given up to the sick of the
Legion, and one or two cases of smallpox occurred
among them before they landed. On the 7th inst. the
line-of-battle ships Princess Royal, Hannibal, St. Jean
'!'Acre, and two steamers, the Sidon and the Sphinx,
anchored in the bay, being part of the Black Sea fleet on
their way to England.
The following appointments were made yesterday at
the Admiralty :—Commander J. F. C. Hamilton, to the
Calcutta ; Lieut. G. W. Carter, to the A.riel ; F. R. H.
Yorke, naval cadet. to the Colossus ; C. S. W. Willis,
naval cadet, to the Duke of Wellington.
Order.= have been received at Pembroke dockyard,
fr the A !iniraity, for the immediate construction of
tour more gun-boats. They are to be built with all pos-
.ible despatch, and as nine), men as can well be employed
up 'n tbem will be at once set to work. The Ist of March
na, f=ern fixed fur their completion ; and, in ()icier to
hash them within the three months, the mechanics have
aommencel working the long hours. Toe boats are to he
100 feet. in length, 22 feet. iii width, and 61 feet in depth,
and about 200 tons burleii, and their draught will be
very slight. Tue Flying Fish gunboat is the first of
those na w building to be sent afloat.
Each of the c.-iptaina selected to command the gun-
boat and mortar-boat flotilla for the ensuing year's cam-
eaign will have a line-of-battle ship armed en flute, as a
store and depot ship attached to his squadron.
The new plan iron mortar-boat, which lately was towed
to Portsmouth from Birkenhead, has undergone a series of
effective trials within the last fax days at Spithead which
have developed its warlike properties. 150 rounds were
fired with 201 b. charges, and many of the rounds in rapid
succession, less than three minutes intervening between
eaela discharge. The vessel is quite free from any injury
beyond the bulwarks and some of the light framed wood
work on deck. The mortar bed was considered to be
rather too elastic, and some of the elastic material is now
lama removed, and another trial will then take place.
The usual arrivals at Woolwich Arsenal of numbers of
Ordnance craft and barges with shot and shell from the
Government contractor's foundries continue. Among the
several freights landed there are numerous mortars and
heavy guns of various calibre from the Lowmoor and
other works. The monster 42-inch shells have also been
lauded in considerable quantities. A formidable-looking
row of these shells is standing under the wall of dm long
store room, to the number of no less than 40. The ordi-
nary proof of guns and mortars daily takes place at the
Royal proof butt, and, with the exception of the trans-
port department, there is no diminution in the warlike
preparations iu the Royal Arsenal which were carried
out before the capture of Sebastopol. The transport Har-
binger, No. 186, passed Woolwich yesterday morning,
laden with military stores for the East.
Colour-Serjeaut James Falkner and Sergeant John
Laundry have been appointed cornets in the Land
Transport Corps. They are the first non-commissioned
officers of Sappers who have been awarded commissions
tor good and distinguished services in the field.
One hundred recruits will proceed from Woolwich to
Chatham on Friday, to go through the usual field in-
structions, under Capt. Saudham. The 21st Company,
under the command of Capt White, R.E., having arrived
at Plymouth, from Bermuda, may be expected at head-
quarters, Woolwich, about the end of the present week.
The Coast Guard on the Milford station has been placed
under the command of Capt. Forsyth, R.N., vice Capt.
Nugent, deceased.