The Sun.
London, England, 1864-09-06 00:00:00

Naval and Military Intelligence,

M ALTA, September I.—Her Majesty's screw
steal n frigate Orlando arrived on the evening of the
25th. of August from Tunis. Her Majesty's steam
frigate Magicienne left for Patras on the 26th,
whit her the Wanderer and Hydra were despatched
from Corfu for the protection of British interests
during the currant loading season. On the arrival
of the Magieienne the Wanderer was to return to
Corfu. Her Majesty's screw steamship of the line
Meeanee has this day left for Gibraltar. Her Ma-
jesty's ship Marlborough, bearing the flag of Vices
Admiral Robert Smart, K.H., the Commander.in.
Chief, with her Majesty's ship Gibraltar and others
of the squadron in:port, leave for Naples on Satur.
day morning, returning in about 10 days, so as to
be at Malta to receive the Lords of the Admiralty.
At a court-martial held on the 27th of August on
board her Majesty's ship Hibernia in Malta harbour,
under the Presidency of Capt. Prevost, of her Ma•
jesty's ship Gibraltar, Lieut. H. H. Morgan, of the
first named vessel, was tried for having, against the
ru.les of the service, had a lad in his cabin at night
time, and the charge having been proved he was
dismissed the service; bat as it resulted that he was
labouring at the time under illness and required an
attendant, the Court recommended him to the
favourable consideration of the Lords of the Admi-
ralty, Another court-martial is this day sitting on
board the same ship having reference to some pur.
Berage accounts of her Majesty's steamer Trident.
The Malta police have been furnished with a de-
tailed account of Mr. Boddiugton and Mr. Burns,
of the Royal Navy, midshipmen, for whose capture
a reward is offered. These two young officers have
been missing from her Majesty's ship Gibraltar,
eine° the 24th of August, and are known to
have hired a small half.decked pleasure
boat, to which a boatman carried off some
ierovisions, which facts, added to others since
come to light, leave no doubt that they have
premeditatedly deserted ; indeed, their determina-
tion to leave the navy has been on several occasions
openly expressed. Telegrams have been despatched
to the opposite coast of Sicily to arrest them should
they have made for that direction, but, from the
winds and weather that have prevailed, it is more
likely that they will have been picked up by some
homeward-bound merchant vessel passing from the
eastward. We learn that there is another young
officer named Martin, said to be an assie;ant-pay-
master, missing for some days past from her Majesa
ty's ship Marlborough, no doubt under like circum-
stances, whose description has been also forwarded
to the police. Lieut. Marshall, of the Royal Ma-
rines, from her Majesty's ship Meeanee, is another
absentee without leave, to the inexpressible regret
(of some devotees of Saint Crispin, Saint Homobono,
nd other saints and eaintesses, protectors of the
ti ading classes, who will, however, be glad to learn
thst he has reached Naples in a perfect state of sa.
lub city. The Egyptian screw steam gunboat Ka-
buli h arrived at Malta, from London, Falmouth,
Vig.c , Cadiz, and Gibraltar on the 24th, and left for
Alezitndria on the 25th of August. The Peki
Cheriif, Ottoman despatch steamer, arrived at Malta
from T anis on the 28th, having on board Sabit Ef-
fendi, bearer of despatches from his Excellence
Harper Effendi, the Imperial Commissioner to his
Highnese the Bey of Tunis, from the Sultan, with
which despatches Sabit Effendi left for Constanti-
nople on the 29th, in the Arcadia screw steamer."
In accordance with a general regimental order to
that effect, signed by Col. F. E. Chapman, C. 8.,
Deputy-Adjutant-General, a full dress parade of
the whole of the officers, non-commissioned officers,
and sappers of the Royal Engineers took place at
head-quarters, Brompton barracks, Chatham, on
,Sunday, for the purpose of witnessing the in-
teresting ceremony of decorating a number of the
no n-commissioned officers and privates of the corps
wi,th silver medals, which, together with gratuities
varying in amount from £5 to £l5 each, had been
awai ded by his Royal Highness the Field-Marshal
Cotrriaanding-in-Chief to the various recipients for
long service and exemplary conduct for the year
endin g the 31st of March, 1865, under the provi.
sions of the Royal Warrant of the 13th of April,
1834. The corps having been formed on the parade
ground, in front of the Crimean Memorial Arch,
the various non-commissioned officers and men
selected for decoration were called to the front by
Col. H. D. Harness, C. 8., and presented with their
medals, in the presence of the whole of their
comrades. The following non-commissioned officers
were awarded a medal and a gratuity of £l5 each :
—Quartermaster-sergeant G. Douglas, Colour-
.Sergeant B. Castledon, Colour-Sergeant J. Porte-
o as, and Sergeant G. Coleman. The following re-
cc ived a medal with a gratuity of £lO each
Colour-Sergeant A. Cront ; Colour-Sergeant J.
Lockwood, Colour-Sergeant T. Couper, Sergeant
D. Mitchell, Sergeant E. Burnell, Sergeant I Ton.
kin, Sergeant E. Beaney, Pensioner-Sergeant J.
Finch, and Corporal L. A. Rittman. A silver
medal and a gratuity of £5 each were awarded to
the following non-commissioned officers and
sappers :—Corporal J. L. Jarrett, Corporal W.
Byford, Sapper E. Paton, Sapper J. Stillwell,
Sapper J. Stephens, and Musician T. Minrods.
The following non-commissioned officers were like-
wise awarded medals without gratuities for good
conduct, under the provisions of the Royal Warrant
of December 10, 1861 :—Bugle-Major J. Dawson,
Colour-Sergeant J. Adams, Sergeant R. Waller,
Sergeant D, Mason, Sergeant R. Lewis, Sergeant
R. Quin, Sergeant A. Gardner, Pensioner-Ser-
geant J. M'Murphy, Corporal W. Thom, Corporal
W. Adams, Corporal H. Greenslade, and Pen-
sioner-Corporal D. MlPherson. Colour-Sergeant B.
Godfrey was also awarded the silver medal and
gratuity of £l5, which is placed at the disposal of
the Duke of Cambridge, by the appointment of
Serg.-Major J. Joneslto a commission in the Royal
Engineers. After the whole of the medals had been
presented, Col. Harness addressed the men in a
suitable speech.
The detachments of non-commissioned officers and
men of the Royal Engineers, selected from the depot
and other companies at head•quarters, Chatham, to
augment the companies employed on the Ordnance
survey of Great Britain and Ireland, left the Royal
Engineer establishment yesterday to join the com-
panies to which they have been attached. The
companies of Royal Engineers now engaged exclu.
sively on surveying duties are the 13th at Edinburgh,
the 14th in London, the 16th in Dublin, and the
19th at Glasgow. The headquarters of the surveying
department of the Royal Engineers is at South.
ampton.

A couple of Capt. W. Rodger's patent indented
small-palmed anchors were yesterday proved in
Woolwich dockyard, but instead of their being sub•
witted to the usual Admiralty test they were sub-
j ected, at the particular request of Capt. Rodger, to
the test of anchors of exactly double their weight,
and the result was as follows —The first anchor,

weighing 13 cwt. 251 b., with the ordinary proof o

15 tons tensile strain, deflected 3-16ths of an inch ;
with 221 tens, a quarter of an inch ; and with 26
tons (the usual proof of an anchor of double its
weight), s.l6ths. On the strain being removed the
arm of the anchor returned precisely to its original
form. Th© anchor was then turned over and the
second arm was tested in a similar manner with the
same result. The second anchor, weighing 9cwt,
Tilb.with the usual test of 11,1 tons, deflected 3-16ths
of an inch ; with; 17.1, a quarter of an inch ; and
with 19 tons tiqrs. 31b., being the test of an anchor
of double its weight, a quarter of an inch ; and
when the strain was withdrawn the variation was

found to be nil. These items, having been taken at
the time of trial, need no Comment, and simply
demonstrate the superior qualities of Capt. Rodger's
anchors over any others yet produced, and as mat-
ters of fact should clear the way for their lordships'
con Riderat ion.

By direction of the Ariniralty, about 100 of the
rnechln.c3 and lads employed on the iron frigate
Achilles, 30, at Chatham, will be discharged from
the dockyard at the close of the present week, their
services being no longer required, in consequence
of the Achilles being very nearly completed. In the
discharge of the number of hands ordered care will
be taken to get lid of the least efficient and steady
of the men.
The War Department transport Tlqinaraund, Mr
Spicer, master, left the ordnance wharf at Chatham
yeeterthy, and dropped down the harbour to the

Achilles, with the first portion of upwards of 1,000
of the solid spherical 100 pounder shot for that
frigate.
The Marlborough Ordnance transport, arrived at
the gun wharf, Chatham, yesterday, with the re.
mainder of the Armstrong and smooth bore arms.
ment from the screw frigate Forte, 39, 400-horse
power, Capt. A. Mellersh, which will be paid out of
commission on Thursday next.
The following appointment has been made in the
Royal Naval Reserve : To be honorary lieut., the
Marquis Conyngham, K.P., G.C.11., P. C,, Sze.