The Sun.
London, England, 1864-07-08 00:00:00

Naval and Military Intelligence.

The Duke of Somerset, K,G., First Lord of the Admi-
ralty, Vice-Admiral the Hon. Sir F. W. Grey, K.C.8.,
and Rear-Admiral Charles Eden, C. 8., Lords Com-
missionera, accompanied by Captain Hal, R.N., private
secretary to the Duko of Somerset, arrived at Portsmouth
dockyard yesterday by morning train from London on their
expected visit to Portsmouth. Their lordships soon after
arrival went on float and on board the Royal Sovereign, 5-
gun turret ship, lying off at moorings in the harbour stream,
and just commissioned by Capt. Sherard Osborn, C. 13. At
the conclusion of the inspection of this fo: mida )1e ironclad,
they embarked on the Fire Queen, paddlewheel yacht,which
conveyed them out to the Channel fleet anchored at Spit-
head. They paid a visit to Rear-Admiral S. C. litcreo,C. 8.,
ou board his flagship, the Edgar, mew line of battle ship.
On returning from the harbour to the fleet they disembarked
at the dockyard, where, accompanied by Admirals Sir M.
Seymour and G. Elliot, they visited the royal paddle yacht
Alberta, No. 5, steam launch, twin screws, the steam basin,
and other objects of interest in the yard, afterwards embark-
ing on beard the Admiral Super ntendent's barge, and pro-
ceeding on board their new paddle yacht Enchantress. On
landing from the Enchantress their lordships, with Capt.
Hall, were conveyed in the Admiral's carriage to the rail-
way station, whence they proceeded to London.
The Iminortalite, screw frigate, Capt. Hancock, was yes-
terday officially inspected at Portsmouth by Vice-Admiral
Sir M. Seymour, G.C.B. As soon as the inspection teas
over her crew commenced the process of stripping and dis-
mantling, preparatory to paying out of commission.
Yesterday the Sydenham, 1,050 tons, Captain D. Tosh,
belonging to Messts Wilson and Cook, which has been
chartered by the Hon Council of India for the conveyance
of reinforcements to the East Indies, embarked the follow-
ing troops from Government-quay, Gravesend, for Calcutta
—viz,, Capt, P. Jackson, Cape. R. L. Tottenham, Lieut. R.
J. Bonner, and 103 non-commissioned officers and men of
of the Royal Artillery, from Woolwich; Lieut. C. Jones and
25 men of the gat battalion 20th Regiment, from Chatham ;
Lieut. W. James and wife and 61 non-commissioned afters
and men of the 42d Royal Highli.nders, from Stirling ;
Capt, W, Gair and wife and 20 men of the 77th Regiment,
from Chatham; Capt. A. Willes, Lieut. E. V. Hunt, and
77 men of all ranks of the 104th Bengal Fusileers, from
Parkhurst; Capt. G. C. Lane, Ensign C. V. Eccles, and 48
non-commissioned officers and men of the 2,1 Battalion of
the Rifle Brigade, from Winchester; total, 366 men of all
ranks, with 31 women and two children, the whole in
medical charge of Staff-Assist -Surg. Johnson. Prior to the
troops proceeding on board the Sydenham was inspected by
Major-General Eyre, and the embarcation was effected under
the superintendence of Brigade. Major Congreve and the offi-
cers connected with the Quartermaster's Staff from Chatham
garrison. The Sydenham is fitted with Dr. Normandy's
marine distilling apparatus, which is capable of producing
400 gallons of fresh water daily. The arrangements con •
netted with the embarcation of thq troops were carried out
on the part of the Hon. Council of India by Capt. Cow, and
the Sydenham will leave the Thames to-day. The chartered
troopship Conflict will embark 400 cavalry and infantry
troops at Gravesend to-day for India, and the Michael Scott
a similar number on Saturday.

Naval Engagement off the Island of Rugent

BERLIN, July 5.

The official Staataanzeiger publishes the following
particulars of a slight encounter between the Prus-
sian and Danish naval forces off Itugen :
At noon, on the 2d, five Prussian gunboats were engaged
with a Danish frigate, believed to have been the Tordensk-
jold, and a paddlewheel steamer, to the north of the island
of Hiddensee, west of Rugen. The Prussian 3d gunboat
division fired 46 shots, the enemy about 150, many shells
bursting in the immediate vicinity of the boats. Officers
and crews behaved admirably, but were obliged to break off
the fight after an hour's engagement, as three of the guns
had become useless. The rifled battery of the 3d division
of Pomeranian artillery occupied Dranske, a point upon
the Wittow peninsula, opposite the north of Hiddensee, to
support the gunboats, and the despatch boat Grille put out
from Swinemunde.

At 5 p.m. on the 3d, the Tordenskjold, 34, and the
Schleswig, 12, came wi.hin a short distance of Rugen to
reconnoitre the coast of Wittow. Lieut.-Colonel von Pod e-
wils occupied Dranske with two companies of the 11th
Regiment and the 3d mortar battery of the Pomeranian
Artillery. The Danes remained passive. The Prus.iala
artillery fired 20 shells, 7 of which were seen to strike the
enemy. The Danes withdrew in a damaged condition, and
were 10 nautical miles to the east of Arcona by the
tvening."

Advices from Stra;sund of the 31 give another
account of the same kffiirs. They state :

"In consequence of the en:agernent yesterday off Wit-
tow, in which the 3d division of screw gun boats attacked
a Danish frigate and a paddiewheel, the Ist and reserve
division, with the Grille, put to sea in the course of the
afternoon. Upon arrival they found the engagement had
ended some hours. The fight was begun by the gun-boats.
The frigate replied to their first shots by a full broadside,
which was received by the Prussians with a general hurrah.
The Danish missiles struck the water at a considerable dis-
tance from the boats. The Prussians succeeding in plant-
ing several undoubted hits in the frigate's side, and fire
beginning to issue from her port-holes, the Danish paddle-
wheel, which had been lying at a right angle to the frigate,
commenced a well-aimed fire at fivo-minute intervals, en-
veloping the boats, especially the Jager and Salamander,
upon the right wing, in a dense rain of shells, while the
frigate slowly withdrew. Notwithstanding this heavy fire,
none of the boats were injured save the Salamander, which
received a slight damage to her outer timbers. The flotilla,
however, was unable to continue the engagement, owing to
four et the 10 guns of which it consisted becoming unfit for
service, and, therefore, retired after three-quarters of an
hour's fight.