The Sun.
London, England, 1864-01-02 00:00:00

Naval and Military Intelligence,

THE NAVY.
VALETTA, DEC. 27.—The Peninsular and Orien-
tal Company's steamer Massilia, Captain Roberts,
arrived on Thursday last from Alexandria. She
brought no China or Calcutta mail, haring left

before their arrival, in order to have a new shaft

fitted, which will be ready on the arrival of the
Ripon, when she will proceed with the mail for
Marseilles. In the meantime I take the opportu-
nity of the French steamer leaving to-day to
send you a few lines. The Massilia goes out to-

-
morrow to Gozo to try her engines. The delay of

the China and India mails is beginning to cause

some anxiety, as by the last accounts by telegraph
they had not reached Suez. Her Majesty's screw
corvette Racoon, 22, Capt. Count Gleichen, arrived
unexpectedly on. Tuesday from Gibraltar,having re-

ceived orders to proceed to Alexandria, with the
Psyche, 2, despatch vessel, Lient.-Commander R.

_ .
Sterne, to await the Countess of Elgin, who is on
her way back to England. These vessels left for
Alexandria on Thursday. It is axpected that Lady
Elgin will proceed in the Psyche direct to Mar-
seilles, accompanied by the Racoon, without touch-

ing at Malta, being desirous of reaching England
without any unnecessary loss of time. There have
been no other movements in the fleet, except the
departure, on Monday, of the Cossack, 20, Capt. IV.

R. Rolland, for Tunis. She is enpeeted back
shortly. The Marlborough, 121, Capt, C. Fellowes,
will leave for a short cruise and target practice as
soon as the weather moderates. The Prussian pad-
dlewheel war steamer Preussischer Adler, 4, Capt.

G. Klatt, arrived on Wednesday in four days
from Constantinople, and is still lying in the
Great harbour, together with the Prussian gun-
boats, Basilisk, 2, and Blitz, 2, lately arrived here
from Greece. All three vessels have received
orders to return to Prussia. The Swedish
screw frigate Vanadis, 22, Captain F. Haver.
man, arrived on Thursday from Carlskrona in 85
days, and Algiers in 15. She is bound for Naples.
An Egyptian frigate, the Brahimis, Captain F.

Mustapha Bey, laden with cotton and other mer-
chandise, arrived here on Friday from Alexandria,
and proceeded to-day for Marseilles to embark
horses for the Egyptian Government. The murrain
among the cattle in Egypt continues to effect dread-
ful ravages, and is extending to the animals lately
imported from abroad to a very alarming extent.
Her Majesty's ships in port are the Marlborough,
121 (bearing the flsg of Vice-Admiral Robt. Smart,
K.H.); the Hibernia, receiving ship (bearing the
flag of Rear-Admiral H. T. Austen, C. 8.) ; the St.
George, 86 (this vessel is under sailing orders for
England) ; the Trafalgar, 70 ; the Phoebe, 3.5 ; the
Mdgicience, 16 (this vessel is lying in Sliema
Creek); the Chanticleer, 17 ; the Hydra, 3, and the
Firefly, 3, surveying vessels ; and the gunboat
Growler.
Yesterday the official annual return of the nunaT
ber, name, tonnage, station, and every particular
regarding the steam and sailing ships composing
the British navy, together with the horse power and
armament of each, was published under the autho-
rity of the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty.

The total strength of the effective ships of the navy
on the Ist January was 975 of all classes, not in.
eluding a number doing duty in the various har-
bours both at home and abroad, the whole of which
would be speedily converted into block ships for the
defence of the coast, together with a numerous fleet
of iron and wooden mortar boats laid up at Chatham.
Of this number there are 72 vessels ranking as line
of battle ships, each mounting from 74 to 121 guns,
42 vessels of from 60 to 74 guns each, 91 steamers
and other ships, carrying an armament of from 22
to 46 guns each, and the majority of which
are of a size and tonnage equivalent to line
of battle ships, 25 screw corvettes, each carrying
21 guns, and 500 vessels of all classes, including iron
ships of great power and tonnage, carrying an
armament of from four guns to 21 guns each. Ex-
clusive of the above there is a squadron bf 185 screw
gunboats, each mounting two Armstrong guns, and
nearly the whole of which are fitted with high pres-
sure engines, each of 60 horse power. The total
Lumber of ships of all classes in commission and
serving in nearly every part of the world is upwards
of 300, the remainder being attached to the reserve
sqnadrons at the various naval ports, and partially
equipped in readiness to proceed to sea whenever
their serviess may be required. Daring the past year
the following vessels have been completed and
launched at the several deckyords-vz., the
iron-clod, 35, 6,080 tons, 1,250 horse
power, and the Sshercis, 4, 835 tons, 250 horse
power, paddlewheel sttamer, at Chatham; the
Ocean, 35, 4,045 tons, 1,000 horse power, armour
plated frigate, et Devonport ; the Research, iron-
cased ship, 4 guns, 1,253 tens, and 200 horse power,
at Pembroke; the Minotaur, iron clad, 50, 6,621
tons, 1,350 horse power, at Blackwell ; the Hector,
32, iron clad, 4,063 tons, 800 horse power, at Glas-
gow ; the Valiant, 34, iron clad, 4,063 tons, 800
horse power, and the Tamar, 3, 2,812 tons, 500
horse power, iron troop ship, at Millwall; and the
Wolverine, 21, screw corvette, 1,702 tons, 400 horse
power, at Woolwich. Daring the same period the
following vessels, the whole of which are either of
iron, or iron cased, have been commenced at the
several dockyards-viz., the Lord Warden, 36,
4,067 tons, 1,000 horse power, and the Bellerophon,
at Chatham ; the .Lord Clyde, 36, 4,067 tons,
1,000 horse power, at Pembroke ; and the Pallas,
6, 2,372 tons, 600 horse power, at Woolwich.
The iron clads now building for the Admi-
ralty, in addition to those above enumerated, are
the. Northumberland, 50, 6,621 tons, 1,250
horse power, at Millwall; the Agincourt, 50,
6,621 tons, 1,250 horse power, at Birkenhead; the
Royal Alfred, 35, 4,045 tons, 800 horse power, at
Portsmouth ; the Zealous, 20, 3,716 ton, 800 horse
power, at Pembroke; and the Favourite, 8, iron-
cased corvette, 2,186:t0n5, and 400 horse power, at
Deptford, together with the iron cased shield ship
Enterprise, 4, 990 tons, and 160 horse power, build-
ing at Deptford, and the Royal Sovereign, 3,963
tons, and 800 horse power, which is being con-
verted into an iron cased cupola ship, at Ports-
mouth. The vessels now on the stocks at the vari-
ous Royal dockyards, exclusive of the iron and iron
cased ships, aro the Bulwark, 91, 3,716 tons, 800
horse power, the Belvidere, 51, 3,627 tons, 600
horse power, the Menai, 22, 1, 857 tons, the Rein-
deer, 17, 951 tons, 200 horse power, and the Myr-
midon, 4, 695 tons, 200 horse power at Chatham ;
the Dryad, 51, 3,027 tons, 600 horse power, the
Harlequin, 6, 950 tons, 200 horse power, and the
Helicon, 4, 835 tons at Portsmouth ; the Dart-
mouth, 33, 2,478 tons, 500 horse power, the Re-
pulse, 89. 3,716 tons, 800 horse power, and the
Sy 'cis, 4, 695, tons, 2(.0 horse power, at Woolwich ;
the Robust, 89, 3,716 tons,BCo horse power, thelster,
36. 3,027 tons, 500 horse power, and the Bittern, 4,
669 tons, 155 horse power, at Devonport ; the En-
dymiee, 36, 2,478 tins, 500 horse power, at Dept-
ford; the North Star, 22, 1,623 tons, 430 horse
power, at Sheerness ; the Tweed, 51, 3,027 tons, 600
horse power, the Trent, 6, 950 tons, 200 horse
power, the Newport, 5, 425 tons, 80 horse power ;
the Nassau, 4, 695 tons, 200 horse power, and
the Tartarus, 4, 695 tons, 200 horse power, at
Pembroke ; and the Prince Albert, 5, 2,529 tons,
500 horse power, iron cased cupola ship, at Mill-
wall. The names of the following vessels, ordered
by the Admiralty to be built at the several dock-
yards, have been removed from the .Navy List-
the Circassian, 4, 669 tons, 150 horse power, and
the Sappho, 0, 950 tons, 150 horse power, ordered
to be built at Deptferd; the Alligator,22, 1,857 tons,
400 horse power, at Woolwich ; and the Guernsey,
4,605 tens, 200 horse power, at Pembroke. In addi-
tion to the above vessels there is a squadron of screw
gunboats in course cf construction at Portsmouth
dockyard. The number cf line-of-battle ships and
vessel of all classes,
in:tidies; gunboats which com-
pose s
the East India and China squadron, is 51,
under the orders of Vice-Admiral A. L. Kuper,
with Coremodore F. B. Montressor, in command of
the' East Indies division. The North Amsricn and
West Indio. equedron,
under the command of Vice-
Admiral Sir A. Miiee, K,C..41, consists of 29 ves-
sels. Tb 6 squadron in the Mediterranean, underi
'the command of Vice-Adrniral SlSmart,K i
whose fligship is the Marlborough, 12 „ 00 Ms",
800-hors power, CTt. C. Fallo7e2, numher.oneds 29
ships and gunboats. The number of ships stati