The Sun.
London, England, 1863-01-17 00:00:00

Naval and Military Intelligence.

THE NAVY.

Private letters, dated Fortress Monroe, Virginia,
Jan. 1," received by our Chatham correspondent,
announce several items of intelligence connected
with the movements of a portion of the North
American squadron. The screw-frigate Melpomene,
51, 600-horse power, Capt. C. F. E. Stewart,
arrived at Fortress Monroe on Christmas Day, and,
having given provisions to the vessels at that place,
sailed again on the 29th ult.- The Melpomene was
to proceed to Bermuda, at which she would call on
her return to England to be paid off after being in
commission upwards of three years and a half. The
Petercl, 11, 150-horse power, Commander G. W.
Watson, left Fortress Monroe for Charleston on the
26th of December, after which she was to proceed
on a short cruise. Her Majesty's screw corvette
C dams, 21, 400-horse power, Capt. J, F. Ross,
was at Fortress Monroe at the departure of the

mail.

A numerous party of shipwrights and other
mechanics are employed on the iron paddlewheel
steamer Recruit, 6, 166 horse power, in No. 4 dock
at Chatham, where that vessel is undergoing some
extensive repairs preparatory to being commissioned.
At present she has her decks ripped up and her
paddleboxes removed, in order to be supplied with
new ones. She is also being furnished with new
bulwarks. Her engines, boilers, and machinery
have undergone a thorough overhaul at the hands
of the dockyard officials, and a report of their con-
dition forwarded to the Admiralty. In the internal
fittings of the Recruit provision is to be made on
board for the following quantity of allot and shell :-
240 filled 32-pounder shells; 15 filled and 20 empty
of the common, and 10 filled and 30 empty of the
segment 20-pounder shells ; and five boxes of the 12
pounder diaphragm shells. Her solid shot will in-
clude 480 32-pounders and 60 20-pounders. In the
powder magazines she will take 73 cases of pentagon
whole, and five cases of metallincd half.

Letters received at Portsmouth from the West
Coast of Africa state that her Majesty's screw gun
vessel Espoir, Commander Douglas, had sent into
Loando, for trial before the Court of the Mixed Com-
mission, a Portuguese boat captured at sea. The
boat at the time of capture contained only five
slaves, but it contained £l,lO sterlieg in cash for
the purchase of others. This would be the first time
of the Court being called upon to exercise its func-
tions during a period of seven years. Considerable
excitement prevailed among the traders and slave
dealers on shore in consequence of the capture, but
no doubt existed but the boat, slaves, and treasure
would be condemned and become prizes to the Es-
poir. A large Dutch barque and a brig under Eng-
lish colours had been detained by the Espoir and
sent in to Sierra Leone. The second master of the
Espoir, who joined the last Niger expedition in
search of Dr. Baikie by order of Commodore Ed-
monstone, had returned to his ship at the conclusion
of the expedition. The Investigator, screw steamer,
employed in the expedition, being a 'et ssel of very
light draught, was enabled to pass over the nume-
rous shoals existing in the river's course up to a dis-
tance of 200 miles from its mouth. Nothing could,
however, be heard of Dr. Baikie. He was said to
have started for a place called Sokatu, of the situa-
tion or extent of which but little is known by Eu-
ropeans. In other letters received from the same
quarter slavers were said to be plentiful, and all the
officers and me❑ in the squadron were on the qui
vive for captures and prize money.
The Leveret, screw gunboat, tender to the Daunt-
less, screw guardship, in Southampton Water, will
make her official trial of machinery at the measured
mile, in Stokes Bay, on Monday, on the completion
of her refit. The Tyrian, screw gunboat—of a
new and improved class for foreign service—will
make her official trial on Tuesday, and the En-
chantress, new paddle yacht, will make her
trial of speed on Wednesday, weather permitting in
each instance.

The Egmont storeship remains at Spithead for
final orders. Capt. Crauford has cpplied to the
Admira ty for Phipson's ventilating apparatus to be
fitted on board prior to the ship sailiug for her desti-
nation. As it could be fitted in ebout five (Lys,
and has proved its merits in the most satisfactory
manner during a lengthened trial on board the St.
Vincent training ship at Portsm9uni, there is every
reason tor Capt. Crauford's request being acceeded
to, especially as the Egmont will
,be placed at Gatis-
factory harbour moorings in a part of the world
where a supply of pure air is one of the necessaries
of life. The cost of fitting the apparatus on board
the St. Vineent did not exceed £2OO.

Her Majesty's ship Caradoc, 2, iron paddle vessel,
was yesterday commissioned at Woolwich by Lieut.
Wilkinson.

The following appointments were made yester-
day at the Admiralty :—Alfred J. Pratt, assist.-
Burg., to the Triton, and J. N. Compton, master's
assistant, to the Caradoc.