The Sun.
London, England, 1864-05-09 00:00:00

The Mediterranean.

(From the Correspondent of the Times.)

VALETTA, May 2.
Her Majesty's screw storeship Fox, 2, Staff Commander
T, C. Pullen, returned here on April 23, from collecting
Ordnance stores from the principal lonian Islands for Malta
and England. She left this island on April 6, and arrived
at Zante on the Bth, leaving on the 12th, and reaching
Argostoli (Cephalonia) on the same day. While at Zante
the weather was exceedingly severe, none like it having
been experienced within the memory of the " oldest inhabi-
tant." Heavy rains, strong wind, snow and hail storms pre-
vailed. On the 10th so much snow fell on deck that the offi-
cers amused themselves by making a snowball, weighing
641 b. She embarked at Z into Lieut. Brown and a party of
Royal Artillery for Corfu. After taking on board a large
quantity of War-office stores she :eft on the 15th for Bathi
(Ithaca). The troops were anxiously waiting to get away,
and the Greeks apparently as desirous of being rid of them.
Great fears were entertained for the current crops, on ac-
count of the cold. Only a few stores were embarked at
Ithaca, as there is merely a company of soldiers there.
Count de Roma, late President of the Council at Corfu, is
resident at Ithaca. The Fox arrived at Santa Maura on the
17th, and embarked all the remaining stores at that island.
The Greeks there also appeared anxious for the departure of
the English troops, when it is generally supposed plunder
and assassination will commence. A number of fine athletic
Albanians came on board at Ithaca to look at the ship, and
fromsome th
of
ethoeppeorsei coast would commence their ope-
rations in confidence, that their country-
men
as soon as the English left. They fully anti-
cipate a scene of plunder and anarchy throughout the
islands on the departure of our troops, as the Greek Go-
told
vernment has no troops to replace them, and mutiny is
spreading among those it possesses. It is on this account
that the removal of our troops has been delayed until some
measures can be taken—what it is difficult to say—for the
protection of the peaceable inhabitants. The embarcation
of the English troops will commence in the first week in
June.
The demolition of the fortifications at Corfu may now be
said to be completed, one bastion alone at Vido remaining,
and this was to have been blown up on the 21st or 22d ult.
tSoowmeer gun-cotton
pn-u"rtpto? was tried upon the walls of the Martello
es of experiment, but it did not succeed so
well as gunpowder. A small portion of wall of this tower
is still standing. The roofs of the barracks at Vido were
considerably injured by the falling atones from some of the
explosions. They have been repaired, and are now inhabited
as usual. The Fox brought to Malta a soldier belonging
to the Gth Regiment for England. She left at Corfu the
Orlando, 46, Captain G. G. Randolph, and the steam tender
Growler. The Hydra, surveying vessel, Commander A.
Mansell, was in the Corfu channel, The Fox took her de-
partureinstead of Tues-
dey;r e e
H f. xo
Jones, r
peEetnegdl, and on Saturday evening,
in consequence of pressing orders from the
Admiralty. The following passengers proceeded by her :
R.N., secretary to Vice-Admiral Smart,
e
and family, on sick leave ; Assistant-Paymaster Chaffers,
R.N. ; Mr Robert, R.N., clerk ; Mr Nichol, R.N., clerk ;
RM.rNP.,eaanred nu h;
master,mbe
R.N., on sick leave ; two gunners,
of invalid seamen and Marines.
Her Majesty's screw troopships Tamar, Orontes, and
Himalaya are expected here this month, as well as the
storeship Supply, to proceed to Corfu for the embarcation
of troops and tho remaining • stores there. It is said that
the Admiralty have ordered the immediate construction of
several transport ships of the Himalaya class.
The Dromedary, 2, Master-Commander A. Brown, left
Malta on the 27th ult. for Gibraltar, with supernumeraries
and stores for the Racoon, 22. Captain Count Gleichen, and
will return to Malta and Corfu to embark ordnance stores
for England. The
as waited in a former letter, is
t)
take on board Prince Alfred, and
( proceedtn Marseillesto e° n ,
it is reported, return with him to :pithead, the voyage to
the Cape of Good Hope and Australia having been, it ap-
pears, given up for the present.
The Royal Oak. 35, screw ironclad, Capt. F. A. Campbell,
left port for a cruise and target practice on the 25th ult., and
re. entered the Grand Harbour on the 27th.

The surveying vessel Firefly, 5, Lieut.-Commander G. R.
Wilkinson, arrived here on the 25th with the intelligence of
the insurrection of the Arabs in the Regency of Tunis,
owing to the increase of the capitation-tax. Immediately
afterwards the Meanee, 60, Captain G. Wodehouse, which
was cruising outside, was despatched to Tunis, and the Ma-
gicienne, 16, Captain W. Armytage, and the Pelican, 17,
Commander 11, W. Comber, followed in the same direction,