The Sun.
London, England, 1864-10-26 00:00:00

Naval and Military Intelligence.

VALETTA, Oct. 21.—The Admiralty yacht En-
chantress, Staff-Commander John E. Petley, having
on board the Duke of Somerset, K.G., Rear-Ad-
miral the Hon, James Robert Drummond, C. 8.,
and Mr H. C. E. Childers, M.P., Lords of the Ad-
miralty, Rear-Admiral Robert S. Robinson, Capt.
Hore, R.N., Major Clarke, R. E. Lord Edward St.
Maur, and Mr Alfred Buckley, left port on Mon-
day last for Monday last for England, touching at
Algiers and Gibraltar. She passed through the
principal ships of the Mediterranean fleet—consist-
ing of Gibraltar, 81, flag of the Commander-in-
Chief; Revenge, 73, flag of Rear-Admiral H. R.
Yelverton, C.B. ; the Meanee, 60 ; Royal Oak, 35 ;
the ironclad Resistance, 16; the ironclad Orlando,
46; the Magicienne, 16 ; the Chanticleer, 17 ; the
Racer, 11—which had preceded her, and extended
itself outside the harbour in two lines. The flag.
ship of Vice-Admiral Smart gave her a parting
salute, and all the ships manned yards. The Com-
mander-in-Chief returned into port the same even•
ing on board the Psyche, Lieut.-Commander R.
Sterne, on which vessel he continued to hoist his
flag till the return of the fleet on Thursday, when
it was again transferred to the Gibraltar. The
Orlando re.entered on Monday evening, for the
purpose of giving leave to the men. The Racer
went on to Tanis. It is reported that the decision
of their lordships on the great naval dock question
is in favour of the views of the naval officers and
engineers who have given an opinion on the sub-
ject. It is at the same time in consonance with the
wiehea of the Chamber of Commerce and the intel-
ligent portion of the population. There is to be no
naval dock in mercantile waters. The docks, which,
it is said, will be three in number, are to be con•
structed in the French Creek, not far from the spot
indicated by M'Clean. In order as much as possible
to avoid disturbing the merchant shipping in the
French Creek,the formation of the docks will be com-
menced inland, while at the same time the works at
the Mersa will be pushed on so as to accommodate
as soon as possible a portion at least of the merchant
shipping. When the Mersa extension is ready the
French Creek will be given over to the navy. The
Marlborough, 121, Capt. C. Fellowes, left port on
Thursday week last forEr gland to be paid off, taking
with her the following passengers :—Lieut. H. B.
Winter, 2d battalion 7th Regiment-1 officer and
72 soldiers of the Royal Artillery-1 sergeant, Royal
Engineers-1 soldier, 2d battalion 4th Regiment-
-1 sergeant and 5 soldiers, 2d battalion 7th Regiment
—1 sergeant and 3 soldiers, 2d battalion Bth Regi-
ment-12 soldiers, Ist battalion 22d Regiment-1
corporal and 3 soldiers, 2d battalion 22d Regiment
—1 corporal, 2d battalion 4th Regiment-3 women
and I children, Mrs Berry and 3 children, Mrs A.
Irving, Mrs Zeidler, Mrs Abery and son. Lieut.
Hartwell, R.N., left by the Milano, on Monday, for
Sicily and Italy. Sir -William Smith, K.C.8.,
formerly chief of her _Majesty's Commissariat De-
partment, arrived last week, with Lady Smith and
family, from England to pass the winter at Malta.
The following have also arrived during the week—
The Hon. Mr Legh, Capt. Whiffing, Lieut. O'Grady
Haly, A.D.C.—Capt. Sesino, R.111.F.A., and Lieut.
Col. Malassez. The Italian corvettes, training ships,
Cristina, Captain Cavaliers F. Montemayer, and
Zafiro, Capt. Cavaliere S. Solari, arrived here on
Monday from Corfu, and left on Thursday for Sicily.
They gave and received the usual salutes, and on
passing the ships of the English fleet outside again
saluted the English flag as a parting compliment.

The sailing frigate Iris, 26, attached to the re-
serve in Chatham harbour, having been handed
over by the Admiralty to the Atlantic Telegraph
Company, to be used in the shipment of the Atlantic
telegraph cNble on board the Great E Istern, the
nating mas'iirlg shear's were yesterd3y towed down
from Chatham Dockyard to the Iris, for the
purpose of lifting out the boilers for the screw gun-
vessel Myrmidon, 5, 200-horse power, which have
been shipped on board that frigate until the Myr-
midon is ready to receive them on board. The
boilers were afterwards transferred to the upper
deck of the floating battery Thunder, 14, which is
moored in the harbour, off Upnor Castle.
The Cadmus, 21, 400-horse power, landed her
two screw propellers at Chatham Dockyard yester-
day, where they are to undergo some alterations
before they are again placed on board. They are
both old Admiralty blades, one pair having the
l=ading corners cat off to assimilate it to the
Griffiths blade. At the late trials of the Cadmus
under steam at the Maplin Sands the new Griffiths
screw with which she had been fitted worked so
unsatisfactorily, after two trials, that it has been
unshipped and returned to Woolwich. The Cad-
mus will be detained about a week or ten days at
Chatham while the alterations to her propellers are
being carried out by the engineer department at
the dockyard.
The Chesapeake, 39, 400-horse power screw
frigate, attached to the second division of the Steam
Reserve, is to be docked in the vacant dock at
Chatham, to undergo a thorough repair in her
engines and machinery, preparatory to being
brought forward for commission. She will be floated
into N 0.3 dock during the approaching spring tides.
Tier Majesty's screw corvette Niger, 13 guns, at
Woolwich, is now completed, and is again ready
for the pennant. She is comparatively a new vessel,
and was yesterday placed in the firstsclass Steam
Reserve, commanded by Commander Luke, at
Woolwich.

The Lord Vivan, War Department vessel, yes-
terday completed shipping a cargo of general war
stores at Woolwich for Dublin.

The iron screw steamship Achilles, Capt.Ee ward
W.Vansittart, from Torbay, arrived in Plymouth
Sound on Tuesday afternoon.

The Swedish screw steam frigate Vanadis, Capt.
Melander, left Plymouth Sound on Monday afters
noon for Gibraltar.

The first-class, A division, gentlemen cadets at
the Royal Military Academy at Woolwich (45 in
number) went down to Shoeburyness yesterday, in
command of Major C. H. Owen, R.A., for the purer
pose of going through a course of Armstrong long
range gunnery. By a new regulation issued by the
Commander-in• Chief the whole of the classes will
undergo similar instruction, following each other in
succession.

Orders were yesterday received by Gen. \Verde,
C.B, commanding at Woolwich, to give instructions
for the commencement of the werkly " marching
out" of the garrison troops, to take place on Wed-
nesday, weather permitting. Officers commanding
brigades and divisions are to be careful in drawing
up and forwarding weekly statements.of the result.
A detachment consisting of 50 recruits and five
old soldiers was yesterday dispatched to Deal to join
the depot from the Woolwich division of Itlyal
Marine Light Infantry.
A number of 12 pounder, 18 pounder, 32 pounder,
and 100 pounder gun clrriages and platforms
and other stores were yesterday dispatched from
Woolwich Arsenal to St. Katharine's Docks to he
shipped on board the transport Polly for the Mau-
ritius.

A notification has been promulgated at Chatham
Dockyard that there will be a competitive examina-
tion for the admission of apprentices to that esta-
blishment during the month of January next, under
the new regulations laid down by the Admiralty.

The following appointments have been made at
the Admiralty :--Walter Ash, engineer, to the Ex,,
cellent, for the Royal Sovereign--J. W. M'Kenzie,
engineer, to the Asia, as supernumerary—John
Dinwoodie, assist-engineer, to the Excellent, for
the Royal Sovereign—Henry Onions, assist.-en.
gineer, to the Asia, for the Royal Alfred—E. E.
Lucas, assist,-engineer, to the Asia, for the Mersey
—and John A. IL Marcus, assist,engincer, to the
for the Octavio—Henry Gilpin, paymaster, to

the Clio—Charles F. Buchan, acting assist.-surg., to
the Himalaya ; Dr Pierce Mansfield, assist..surg.,
to Plymouth Hospital—Andrew M'Farlane, chief
engineer to the Asia, for the Vesuvius, when paid
off—Samuel E Singer, promoted to chief engineer,
and appointed to the Indus, for the Beahorse—and
Francis E. Juliani in the Donegal, promoted to
engineer.