The Sun.
London, England, 1864-10-03 00:00:00

Naval and Military Intelligence.

The Duke of Somerset, as First Lord of the Admiralty,
accompanied by Rear-Admiral the Hon. J, R. Drummond,
C. 8., Rear-Admiral Robinson ; Capt. Hall, private secre-
tary to the Duke; Mr Alfred Buckley, the director of
engineering and architectural works, &c., left town on
Saturday evening at 8 o'clock for Paris, to proceed via Mar-
seilles to Malta. Her Majesty's steamer Enchantress awaits
the Duke's arrival at Marseilles to convey the party to
Malta, for an official inspection of the contemplated new
docks.

A most extraordinary rumour was current on Saturday
and yes!orday at Portsmouth, and from inquiries made
there is every reason to believe that it is well founded. It
is that the Royal Sovereign turret ehip is to be paid out of
commission and placed in the first class of the Steam R 2,
serve.

The Himalaya, screw troopship, Capt. E. Lacey, arrived
at Portsmouth on Saturday from Plymouth, with the 31st
Regiment on board, under the command of Lieut-Col Eager.
The regiment was landed at the dockyard soon after the
Himalaya's arrival, and forwarded by special train to Alder-
shot.

During the past week a trial of naval rifles, converted to
breech loaders on the Mont Storm principle, has taken place
on board the Excellent, gunnery ship, at Portsmouth, under
the superintendence of Capt. A. C. Key, C.B. The trials,
we are informed, have teen attended with the most com-
plete success, and Capt. Key has expressed himself tho-
roughly satisfied with the principle and its adaptability to
the present naval rifle. Several slight improvements have
been made in the mode of fitment, and in the ammunition,
sinee the last trial. The special ammunition prepared for
the ordinary Mont Storm rifle, or the ordinary Enfield am••
munition, as now issued, can be used with the converted
navy rifle. This weapon can also be used as a muzzle or
breech-loader. It can also be Laded at the breech with the
prepared or Enfield cartridge. The cost of conversion is
stated to be about 30s per arm.
The Pcreheater, which has been chartered by Govern-
ment for the conveyance of convicts to one of the penal
settlements, embarked this morning 90 convicts from the
Chatham convict prison, for conveyance to Gibraltar, where
they will be employed on the public works. The Porchester
will also call in at Portsmouth and Portland, at each o:
which places she will embark convicts for conveyance to
Gibraltar. On Saturday a detachment of 40 troops em-
barked on board as a guard over the convicts.

The iron screw steamship Orontes, 2, Captain Henry W.
Hire, left Plymouth on Saturday morning at 2 o'clock for
St. Helena, the Cape of Good Hope, Mauritius, Ceylon, and
the East Indies, conveying a number of Royal Artillerymen
and some engineers, under command of Col. M'Clean and
in medical charge of Dr. Voss, together with several naval
supernumeraries. She got as far as the entrance to the
Channel when a first-class boy, Henry Kitt, having ex •
hibited inlication3 of sickness which Mr Sabben, her sur-
geon, considered might terminate in smallpox, she returned
immediately, and arrived in the Sound in the afternoon ;
and having lauded the patient, resumed her voyage within
an hour. The boy is now in the Royal Naval Hospital,
Stonehouse, but up to yesterday (Sunday) morning the
disease indicated had not developed itself.

The screw steam corvette Wolverine, 21, Capt. Algernon
F. de Horsey, left Plymouth on Saturday for North Ame-
rica and the West Indies, taking supernumeraries for ships
on these stations.

A detachment of the 31st Regiment, numbering GO non-
commissioned officers and men, under the command of Capt.
F. J. Cassidy, with Ensign A. A. Yeo, left the depot of
that regiment, at Chatham garrison, on Saturday for Alder-
shot. camp, for the purpose of augmenting the service com-
panies, which have been considerably reduced from casual-
ties and discharges. The officers who left Chatham in charge
of the draught will rejoin their depot at the garrison.
The unusual ceremony of what is termed "drumming
out" one of the c.)rps of Royal Engineers took place at
Brompton Barracks, Chatham, on Saturday morning. In
accordance with an order from the Horse 0 uards a full-
dress parade of the whole of the officers and men now at
headquarters was held on the barrack parade ground for the
purpose of witnessing the proceedings.
The prisoner, Wm.
Watkins, of the 37th company, although he has only been
in the corps about three years, has been tried 11 times by
court-martial for various offences, and he has hardly done
a single day's duty since ho has been in tho service, almost
his whole time having been spent in prison and wider pun-
ishment. On the last occasion of his being tried by court-
martial—which was for desertion and making away with
uniform and regimental necessaries—he was sentenced to
be branded with the letters
B. C. (bad conduct), to be
marked with the letter " D," to be imprisoned for three
months in Canterbury gaol, and to be dismissed
the service with ignominy. After the corps had
been formed the various courts-martials held on
the prisoner were read, as well as the order of the Duke of
Cambridge for his discharge with ignominy. The prisoner's
buttons were then cut off, and he was marched through the
ranks to the tune of the " Rogue's March," and finally
handed over to a strong escort at the barrack-gate fur con-
veyance to Canterbury to undergo his imprisonment. The
prisoner danced and jumped while going through the ranks.
A strong disposition was manifested by his late comrades
to hiss him, and it was with some difficulty that they could
be prevented disregarding in this manner the strict rules of
the service.

The deaths of the following officers have been reported
at the Admiralty since the 29th of Juno last :—Admirals
the Right Hon. the Earl of Cadogan, 0.8., H. 0. Grady,
B. C. Cator, W. Popham, and H. Litchfield—Vice-Admi-
rals the Hon. 'l'. Best, J. Brasier, W. Monier, and J. Drake
--.Capts. J. F, C. Hamilton (killed in action), G. Brown, J.
Lindsey, the Hon. A. S. DonKlas, F. Grove, A. D. Fordyce,
C. H. Jay, J, H. Brown, 0.13., W. Robinson, and J. F. L.
,
Wood —Commanders F. A, Ellis, E. Hay, C. K. Scott, J.
Long, C. Robinson, J, George S. Hill,
T. Mowbray, T.
Atkinson, C. Caldecott, E. Blight, A. Samthill, and J. C.
obinson—Lieuts. C. H. Smith, G. A. T. Drake, A. An-
derson, C. Hill, C. F. Ryder, H. Izod, It. 0. L, Madden,
and G. W. Lewis—Stall Commanders J. Dillon and R.
Beecroft—Masters H, Hutchings and J. H. Ryan—Chap-
plain the Rev, T, Howo—lnspector-General of Hospitals

J. Drummond—Surgeons S. Bailey, J. H. 49.cheson, and
J. Davis, M.D.—Assis,-Surgs. W. H. O'Toole, M.D., J.
O'Brien, F. A. Curran, and H. 8. Willmott—Paymasters
H. Gray, J. Watton, W. K. Cnwley, E. Griffin, and A.
H. Gilbert—Assistant-Paymasters W. A. Crump—Chief
Engineer A. W, Buist. Royal Marines—Col, E. T. P.
Shewen—First Lieuts, W. R. Alder, J. Chambers, and R,
G. Hallilay—and Second.L.eut. F. Hewett.

The deaths of the following officers have been officially
reported at the War-office since the Ist ;of September :
Lieut,-Generals E. Byam, col. of the 18th Hussars, 'and
J. W. Frith, col. of the 3d Buffs—Major-Generals A. F.
Crawford, Royal Artillery, and E. Vicars, Royal En-
gineers---Col. F. Browne, C,8., 66th Regiment. Capts. W.
M. Gowan and C. L. H. M'Ternan, Royal Artillery—A. E.
Lockhart, Royal Engineers—W, Stewart, Ist battalion 3d
Regiment—T. B. Holloway Ist battalion 21st Royal North
British Fusiliers—G. Thorne, 4th West India Regiment—
R• Macdonald, 12th Regiment—and T. M. Cockerill, pay-
master, 3d Prince of Wales's Dragoon Guards. Lieuts. B.
C. Cochrane, Royal Engineers—G. Turner, instructor of
musketry, 2d battalion Queen's Royals—J. Parsons, 31st
Regiment—W. H. Gore, 33d Regiment—E. Harding, 76th
Regiment—D. J. Boileau, 90th Light Infantry—W. H. B.
Fitzgerald, 107th Bengal Infantry—A. F. P. Cosens, Ist
West India Regiment—H. W. Frampton, Royal Marines—
A, M'Duff, 100th Regiment—B. S. Pinniger, Est West
India Regiment--and A. M. Hay, Lieut. and Adjt. J.
urause. Ensign B. B. H. Popham, 2d battalion Queen's
Royals, Staff Surg. Major H. Franklin—Surg. J. Clarke,
M.D., Ist battalion 15th Regiment—Assist. Surgs, H. S.
Lodge, M. 8,, 2d battalion 2d Regiment—D. Milroy, M.D.,
30th Regiment—and G. Youell. Deputy Purveyor H. Hen-
derson. Deputy Aesist. Superintendent of Stores C. Wore-
fold,

The following appointments have been:made at the Ad-
miralty :—Lieut, W. Moriarty, to the Britannia, additional,
for service, in command of the Dapper—Lieut. H. C. Kane
to the Excellent—Lieuts. H. York and E. G. Maddock to
the Achilles—Sub-Lieut. R. F. Britten to the Achilles
—B.. H. Armit and J. Philips, midshipmen, to the Victory
—The Hon. D. 0, Murray and S. G. Smith, ;midshipmen,
to the Achilles—G. A. Smith, nominated to a naval cadet-
ship—Dr J. W, Reid (B) and J. D. Macdonald to the Vic-
tory, additional for Hasler Hospital—James Parker, assist-
surg., to the Sharpshooter—G. H. Maunsell, assist.-surg.,
to the Cambridge—C. R. Mulvany, assist.-surg., to the
Nimble—T. Robinson, second master, to the Nimble—J.
M. Ross, master's assistant, to the Nimble—W. Ramsey,
assist,-paymaster, in charge, to the Nimble—G. B. West-
cott, assist.-paymaster. to the Impregnable—J. Dearden,
engineer, to the Nimble—W. Roberts, engineer, additional,
to the Saturn, for the Asp—J. Stocks, promoted to first
class assist.-engineer—R. H. Dobney, first class assist..
engineer, to the Nimble—and E. C. Scourer, second class
assist.-engineer, to the Nimble.