The Sun.
London, England, 1855-02-03 00:00:00

THE MAURITIUS.

The screw steam transport Mauritius arrived in
Southampton water yesterday morning with invalided
troops from the Crimea. After waiting several hours
for orders, she steamed back to Portsmouth for the pur-
pose of landing her sick and wounded. The screw
transpot t Lady Jocelyn and chartered American clipper
ship White Falcon, both laden with huts•arid stores for
the French army in the Crimea, left Southampton yes-
terday. The departure of these two ships completes the
despatch of huts for the French army m the East from
Southampton for the present. There have been forwarded
from that port since Dec. 15 the following ships, bidets
with huts and stores for the French army in tne
East
Suniroo (accompanies by the French Imperial yacht
Refine Hortense), Saladin, Coriolanus, Swiftsure,
M'Cormick, Enniskillen, Lady Jocelyn, and White
Falcon. These vessels have conveyed 1,850 barracks, in
all 44,400 packages, 1,991 stoves and pipes, in 15,928
pieces ; 6,000 barrels of pork, 75 puncheons of rum, 271
tierces of beef, 338 barrels of preserved meat, and 810
bales of warm clothing. This large quantity of huts and
stores required the use of 22 trains, consisting of 536
broad gauge and 1,300 narrow gauge waggons, to con-
vey them to Southampton. The total weight of the
huts—all of which were manufactured by Mears. Price
and Co., of Gloucester—is 3,700 tons, or equal to 7,400
tons measurement. A box of nails and tools has accom-
panied each barrack, so that no delay from want of mate-
rials may take place in their erection on their arrival at the
Crimea. Each barrack being furnished with sufficient ac-
commodation for the housing of 30 men, 55,000 troops
of the French army are thus far provided with a
means which will, to some considerable extent, secure
them from the miseries attending the inclement state of
the weather in the Crimea, which cause has been so de-
trimental to the comforts and lives of the English sol-
dier. The number of English huts which have left the
same port is 700. These commenced loading November
26, and fieishod January 23. They were conveyed by
the following screw steamships to the Crimea :—Nor-
man, Hetton, Metropolitan, John Bowes, Sir J. East-
hope, Union, Black Boy, Amity, and Itaj. The Eng-
lish huts were loaded under the superintendence of Go-
vernment officials, and, although so small a number has
been despatched from Southampton, when compared
with the large quantity sent out to the French army,
yet it is no difficult task to accoußt for the length of
time occupied. The peculiarity which exhibited itself in
all matters connected with the late War Administra-
tion was fully perceptible in this instance. The French
huts were placed on board the various vessels under the
surveillance of French authorities, and assisted by Mr.
from Superintendent
all t"hoeffipcioaclkcaCre°7"Pwaet're' sapnede-,
beingHd
i le yd gerdisconnected
despatched.

THE RETRIBUTION. '
The Retribution steam-frigate was paid down at Ports-
mouth yesterday, and the crew have goue on leave.
Th e
payc l
erks of the dockyard paid the men (300) on
board
the
vci od me
dmwi
ithaepr
'agssytaochfrtak Lim.;neaeh
ner in which the ship has been brought borne and paid
hmyarn auwwaE :y a fTtehre wracins.
ma
off reflects the very highest credit upon her First Lieu-
tenant, Mr. Montagu O'Reilly, the .gentleman whose
skill as an artist has been the means of conveying to the
world the truest pictures of the varied scenes at
the seat of war and other places in the East. All
the crew went to the pay-table in the best order and
strictest sobriety, and no complaints whatever were
laid against any man. The petty officers went aft in
a body and inquired of Mr. O'Reilly whether he was
going to remain as First. Lieutenant. This, of course,
no one but the Lords of the Admiralty could answer.
They then said that if he was promoted and got a com-
mand "every man in the ship will volunteer to sail with
you" (the Chief Boatswain's Mate was spokesman). A
Quartermaster said, " You would get your ship manned
in one day, if so be they know you are to be`skipper--
all this ship's company would wolunteer' for you,"
When the Marine detachment disembarked for head-
quarters both the divisional and artillery men gave
" three times three cheers for the First Lieutenant."
This officer is highly spoken of by the Duke of Cam-
bridge, who was on hoard during the awful gale at
Balaklava • he has received the order of the first
class of the Medjidie at the bands of the Sultan
for his information (conveyed in his drawings) of the
most important movements during the war. No
officer better deserves encouragement ; but merit is
not always recognised where its benefits are most valu-
able. The Retribution was brought home with a tem-
porary rudder of the most extraordinary make. It is
believed no other ship ever came safely into port with a
more admirably contrived substitute for a "regular built"
helm. It was made, of course, of timber, secured by
cross-yards and lashing
, with diagonal cross bands up
the the stalk, and cross lashings. This rudder was
shipped at Constantinople, and the work of its manu-
facture, particularly the iron work, was superintended
by, Mr. Pemberton, chief engineer of the Retribution,
who fitted it and secured it—an evidence of engineering
and nautical skill that we should be sorry to allow to
renriin unnoticed, as that is the only compliment Mr.
Pemberton is likely to receive It has, however, at-
tracted the attention of the Commander-in-Chief at
Portsmouth, and will doubtless be an object of much
curiosity when the vessel is docked.