The Sun.
London, England, 1864-08-12 00:00:00

Naval and Military Intelligence,

The Duke of Somerset, who, with the other Lords
of the A.dmirsity, arrived yesterday morning from
Ireland in the Osborne, landed early at Davenport
dockyarc 1, where thPy were received by Port-Admiral
Sr; C. Fremantle, K.C.8., Rear-Admiral Thomas M.
C. Sy mo as, C. 8., and the principal cfficers. After a
short sojourn in the office his Grace, accompanied by
Admiral the Hon. Sir F. W. Grey, K.C.8., Lord
Clarence 139 get, C. 8., and others, proceeded to in-
speet the arsenal. Rear-Admiral Robert Spencer Ro.
binson arrived at Davenport on Wednesday, and
has countermanded the inetructicns given with a
view to protect the iron plates et the sides of the
Zealous, 20, in No. 1 Dock at leyhena, from the
galvanic action of the copper sheeting,. From 3ft
below the load line to 3ft above she is receiving a
casing of teak planking which is 3in thick above
and 4in below. To fix the planks to the plate bands
of iron, 'yin thick, were bolted on teem perpendicu-
larly, and grooves were cut in the teak to admit
the bands. By this mode fewer bolts were neces-
sary, arid the planks were considered better able to
resist outward pressure. Bat the Controller of the
Navy has thought necessary to order the abandon-
ment of the band system, and to have the planking
bolted directly on the plates ; the weakening of the
planks by cutting the grooves is thus avoided.
Towards noon Earl de Grey and Ripon and Colonel
Jervoise landed from the Admiralty yacht, accom-
panied by two officers of Engineers, and proceeded
to inspect some of the sea defences.
The screw steam corvette Clio, 22, left Plymouth
Sound yesterday for the Pacific. She convoys the
8 teamtug Turtle to
.the Island of Ascension.
The Superb, 80, line-of-battle ship, belonging to
the sailing reserve squadron in Chatham harbour,
has been removed to the Victoria docks and handed
over to the officers of the two Turkish war steamers
which have been sent to this country to be supplied
with their machinery, to be used as a receiving
ship by the crew. The Superb will he employed in
this saevice for several months to come,

The Serpent, 4, 200-horse power, screw gunvessel,
master in charge Mr B. S. Jackson, is ordered to
be brought forward for the first class Chatham
steam reserve in the Medway, in readiness for im.
mediate commission.

Her Majesty's ship Racer, Commander Sank;
with the gunboats Tyrian, Lieut. Murray, and
Wizard, Lieut. Falcon, put into Falmouth on Tues-
day evening, from Plymouth, for the Mediter-
ranean.

The Himalaya troopship, Capt. Lecy, arrived at
Portsmouth yesterday morning from Dublin, with
the folll3wing detachments—Lieut Rowan and 22
men of the Ist battalion 13 Regiment—Lent E. I.
Briscoe and 39 men, Ist battalion 14th Regiment—
Capt. C. H. Green and 73 men, Ist battalion 21st
Fusilier s-12 men 24th Regiment—Ensign Green
and 25 men, 26ft. Regiment—Captain G. W. B.
Hughes, Lieut. W. P. Clarke, and 79 men, 62d
Regiment-6 men of the 69th Regiment and 22
men of the 87th, besides 17 soldiers' wives and 25
hildren. They immediately landed at the deck-
ya rd, and were forwarded to the bead quarters of
their respective Regiments. The Himalaya passed
the Tamar at 7 p,m. on Wednesday, off Portland.
After coaling, the Himalaya will embark the 53d
Regiment to-morrow, for Dublin. The reg'.mental
baggage will be shipped to-day•

The Geys;cr, paddle, Commander Thrnpp, left
Portsmouth yesterday for Portland and Weymouth
with four companies of the 87th Fusiliers, under
the command of Mjor Lyons, who arrived from
Aldershott by road. The head quarters, under the
command of Colooel Murray will march into Gos-
port this day, to relieve the 64th, who will be re-
moved to Portsmouth and occupy the harracks,whieh
will be vacated by the 531.
The Philomel, scram gun vessel, Com. Wildman
was in.spected yesterday and paid off at Portsmouth
under the superintendence of Capt. H. Caldwell.
She is placed in the third-class steam reserve.
Major Gen. Sir R. Walpole, K.C.8., was enter-
tained at dinner last night by the cfacers of the
Chatham division of Royal Marines Light Infantry
in their mesaroom, on his assuming the command
of the Chatham district.