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

Naval a.

Ltelligence.

The detachment of non-commissioned officers and
men of the Royal Engineers selected to proceed to
India to take the place of the late East India Com-
pany's engineers have received orders to hold them-
selves in readiness four embarkation, and, according
to present arrangemeelts, will leave head quarters,
Chatham, about the middle of the present month,
and embark for Calcutta, The whole of the non.
commissioned officers and teen who have been
placed under orders for Indite have been selected
from the depot and other cotapanies at the Royal
Engineer establishment. By direction of Col. Har-
ness, C. 8., they have been relieved from all duty at
head quarters, in order that they may devote the
whole of their time to the completion of their
studies at the various schools.
Lieut.-Col. H. Schaw, Royal Engineers, who
superintended the demolition of the forts and other
defences at Corfu previously to its evacuation by
the British forces, has been appointed instructor in
fortification and military engineering in the Royal
College, Sandhurst. He is succeeded in his duties
at the Royal Engineer establishment, Chatham, by
Capt. Persons.
A party of non-commissioned officers and sappers
of the Royal Engineers at Chatham have commenced
the necessary s apping and mining operations for
destroying a large cliff near the banks of the Med-
way at Caxton, Bochester, a portion of which wee
successfully removed by the Royal Engineers about
three years since. During the time the detachment
of officers and men are employed ie driving the
galleries and sinking thee shafts they will be en-
camped near the scene of operations, in order that
no unnecessary delay may arise in proceeding to
and from head quarters. On the completion of the
mines and other excavations the cliff will be dee
stroyed by means of heavy charges of gunpowder,
in the presence of all the Royal Engineer officers
and men now at Chatham.
The colaneley of the 91st Foot (Argyllshire
Highlanders) has become vacant by the death of
Lieut.-Gen. Charles _Murray Hay. The gallant
officer attained the rank of Lieut.-Gen. in 1861.

Major-General Warde, C. 8., commanding the
garrison at Woolwich, yesterday held a field day on
Woolwich-common and inspected the troops in
heavy marching order. There were present two
troops of Horse Artillery in command of Lieut.-Col.
the Hon. D. Fraser, two field batteries in command
of Lieut.-Col. W. Middleton, C. 8., with 24 Arm-
strong guns and battery equipments complete, and
a powerful and efficient corps of Liglat Infantry,
consisting of the dismounted portion of the 13th
brigade garrison artillery and the local division of
Marines, in command of Brevet-Col. J. Travers,
Royal Artillery. The batteries were supplied with
ten rounds of blank ammunition for guns, and the
infantry fired 15 rounds per, man. The file and
volley firing, practised only on rare occasions, was
nevertheless remarkably cJrrect, and the whole
m,.-,nutuvres did infinite credit to the officers and
men combined.

Commodore Hugh Dunlop, C. 8., Superintendent
cf Woolwich Dockyard, attended by his Naval Se-
cretary, Mr. Ponsonby, yesterday inspected her
Mjesty's ship Racer, at the powder buoy off Wool-
wicn Arsenal, and mustered the crew in preparation
for her departure. The Commodore afterwards went
on board the iron screw steam troopship Dromedary,
Master Commander Brown, returned to Woolwich
from the latiao Islands, and cow discharging at
the pi.s;r. Her cargo consists of 100 casks of powder,
90 tens cf shot, and soldier's equipage from Corfu,
Cephalonia, and Zente. She sailed from Malta on
the 12th of June, Gibraltar on the 20th, and arrived
at Spithead on the 3d inst., having experienced a
six days' severe gale, with a succession of heavy
weather during the voyage, but suffering no mate-
rial damage to the ship.

The Royal Sovereign, 5 gun turret ship, will have
her pennant of commission hoisted this morning at
Portsmouth, by Captain Sherard Osborn, C.B. The
Duke of Somerset and Admiral Sir Frederick Grey
are expected to arrive at Portsmouth during the
day, from the Admiralty, for the purpose of in-
specting the ship now that she is in commission
and ready for active:service. Yesterday Rear-
Admiral the Hon. James R. Drummond, C. 8., the
:Fourth Lord of the Admiralty, visited the Royal
Sovereign. During his stay on board he entered une
of the turret:4, which was manned for the occasion,
and a3sumed the office of director. Under his direc-
tion the 12-tou gun was elevated and depressed, and
the turret was turned round. The facility with
whic the whole was done evidently aff;rded the
Admiral considerable pleasure. Thn ship's funnel
has been lengthened 12 feet to improve the draught
of her furnaces. The trial of her guns and turrets
outside the harbour is looked forward to with great
interest. If the Admiralty decide upon trying the
guns with full 50Ib. charges of powder and shot, the
results will be really valuable as fully testing both
the guns and the turre principle. If, however, only
blank charges are fired, or 401 b. charges with shot,
the results will be valueless.

Orders were received yesterday at Portsmouth
from the Admiralty to pay the Immortalite screw
frigate, Capt. Hancock, out of commission on Fri-
day, the 15th inst. Oa the previous day the orders
were for the Inamortalie to be placed in dock and
prepared to join the Channel fleet at Spithead. On
the receipt of the orders to pay out of commission
on board yesterday "three cheers for the captain"
were called for, and given enthusiastically ; for,
although the Immortalite may be taken as the most
favourable specimen of a happy ship, a ship's com-
pany, after upwards of three years' service on a
foreign station, Lila with delight the prospect of
release and subseqaent run ashore on their return
to England. The Immortalite will be officially in-
spected this morning by Vice-Admiral Sir Michael
Seymour, G.C.8., Port. Admiral and Commander-
in-Chief at Portsmouth.

The French Imperial screw yacht Jerome Napo.
icon arrived off Ryde, Isle of Wight, on Tuesday,
and sailed again yesterday.
The following appointments have been made in
the Royal Naval Reserve :—James Manley Outridge
to be lieut., and the Right lion. the Earl of Wilton
to be bon, lieut.