The Sun.
London, England, 1864-06-24 00:00:00

Naval and Military Intelligence,

M. de Qnaade, Danish Plenipotentiary in Lon-
don, and two attaches of the Legation, yesterday
went over the departments of Woolwich Arsenal.
Their visit to the establishment had been announced
and was expected to take place on Monday last by
a special memorandum from the War-office, in
which the heads of departments were requested to
afford them the facilities necessary for their inspec-
tion. The principal object of their visit yesterday
appeared to be to inspect the laboratory, shell, and
shot foundry, and the Armstrong gun taetory. To
heir inspection of the latter department they de-
voted nearly two hours.

The Transit, chartered transport, from Corfu, hav-
ing discharged her cargo of returned military stores,
yesterday hauled off the pier at Woolwich arsenal.
Her Majesty's ironcased ship Prince Albert, re-
cently launched at Mtllwall has been received into
the basin at Woolwich, to be fitted with Captain
Coles's three cupola batteries, which have been built
up by the shipwrights at Woolwich during the
construction of the ship in the builder's yard, and
are now ready for disposal.

Her Majesty's screw sloop Racer was yesterday
commissioned at Woolwich by Commaader &urea
for, it is stated, the West Coast of Atrica. Mr. G.
W. Muir, who recently paid off the paddlewhec
sloop Ardent at Woolwich, from the south-east
coast of America, when he obtained his promotion.
has been appointed Paymaster to the Racer.
The Torch, 5 screw gunboat, havirg, since being
docked at Chatham, undergone a careful survey at
the hands of the master shipwright's staff, has been
found in such a generally rotten condition that her
repairs will detain her in dock some considerable
rime longer than was originally anticipated. The
exterior four-inch planking has been ripped off her
sides, and the rotten condition of her timbers is
easily perceptible. Although the Torch was only
built some three or four years since, and has only
been once in commisaion, many of her midship tim-
bars were found, on inspection, to be so rotten as to
crumble to powder under the fingers. The Torch,
it may be observed, is a contract•built vessel, and
in this respect bears a remarkable contrast to the
Cadmus, 21, built at Chatham dockyard, and now
under repair in the adjoining dock to that in
which the Torch is lying. Although constructed
about 15 years ago, since which she has been in
constant commission, th. o.ouaus
are as sound as when cut in the dockyard, and no
trace of decay can he deterted.
The required nunatt7cr of non-commissioned officers
and men havieg been obtained for the survey corn
panics of Royal Engineers, orders have been received
at heetiquarters, Chatham, directing volunteering for
taut branch of the corps to bo discontinued until
further orders., The men who have been transferred
from the depot and other companies at headquarters
to the survey companies have been put through a
special course of instruction in topography, military
drawing, and surveying at the schools attscned to
neadqcarters, in order to qualify them for the duties
on which they will be engaged. The companies of
Royal Engineers employed on the Ordnance survey
are the 131 h, 14th, 16tn, and 19ch.
The 2d (Capt Franklin's) company of Royal En •
gineers has received orders to embark for the Mau-
ritius, to relieve the 25th company, which returns
to headquarters, Chatham, after an absence from
England of nine years.
Capt. Alfred P. Ryder, Controller-General of the
Coastguard,is appointed Aide 'de camp to the Queen,
vice Capt. Edgell, promoted to be Rear Admiral,
The following ft ppoinunents bate been made at
the Admiralty—Leut, 11.1-
the For eley G. A. Belson to
midable—Tolle R. N. Moss, master, to the
Asia—Henry N. Alleyne and Arthur C. Jenner.
C. Ye,-
midshipmen, tha Racer—Arthur S. Leacock, G.
..og, and Wm. N. M tdan, milshipmen, to the
wn—John Murdock, assist.-engineer, to the RA.
coon—George J. H. Hogg, master's assist., to the
Racer—Joshua J. Gormally, clerk, to the Prince
Consort.