The Sun.
London, England, 1863-09-28 00:00:00

Naval and Military Intelligence.

THE NAVY.

VAL XI 'TA, Sept. 22.—The 7th Royal Welsh Fusi-
liers lie embarked from her Majesty's troopship
Orontes on the afternoon of the 14th inst., and now
occupy barracks on the other side of the great har-
bour. On the 16th the Orontes went round into
the 11 J.arsamascetto harbour, and brought up along-
side the Lazaretta Buildings to embark the 4th
Battalion Rifle Brigade, which was effected on the
folio wing day, and she steamed off soon afterwards
on h.er return to Gibraltar to bring the 2d Battalion
Bth Regiment, which is to relieve the 2d Battalion
15th Regiment here, the latter regiment having
been ordered to Gibraltar to take the place of the
Bth Regiment. She will then make a third trip,
bring here from Gibraltar the 100th Canadian Re-
giment, and return with the 23d Royal Welch Fusi-
leers from that garrison. The arrangements of the
Orontes as a troopship have created some disap-
pointment. The accommodation for the soldiers, or
troop deck, as regards height and ventilation, is ex-
celle.iat. The women, also, have a separate com-
pertsient, and likewise a sick bay for themselves.
Bat the officers' quarters on the lower deck are very
badly ventilated, and in a long voyage, or in bad
wee Cher, would scarcely be tolerable. It seems curi-
owl that naval and military officers cannot mess in
one saloon, as much valuable space is taken up in
this ship by separate saloons for the officers of the
two services. The Orontes is a fine vessel, but
the arrangements as to space are certainly de-
ficient. I understand that she has been commis-
sioned for only three months, and that she will
afterwards be taken into dock in England, refitted,
and a poop added. Her Majesty's screw line-of-
battle ship Queen, 74, Capt. C. F. Mayer, left
Malta harbour on Tneeday morning last for Athens,
taking with her a mail, stores, and provisions, and
£24,000 for the use of the fleet. Her Majesty's screw
gunboat Baser ,Lieut.-Com mender F. S. D. Brough-
ton (from the Queen), left on the same day, also to
join the Commander-in-Chief, to be employed in
carrying telegrams and despatches between the
Pi' '..et.ra Syria,' &e. Her Majesty's iron paddlewheel
sloop Trident, 3, Commander C. S. Balfour, lately
are..ved from Gibraltar, will leave to-night or to-
"xue7 row morning, after the arrival of the Overland
Mail from Marseilles, also for Athens, and will pro-
%ably be employed in keeping up communication
between the Commander-in-Chief and the ships on

the west coast of Greece, under the command of

Rear-Admiral Yelverton. The Foxhound, 4, Com-
Inaader W. H. Anderson, will take up the next
mail to Athens on the 30th inst., and the Meannee,
£O, Capt. G. Wodehouse (which arrived here from
the Pirwus on the 19th) the following one on the
Bth proximo. The Meannee is at present refitting,
and previous to departure will fill up with stores
and provisions for the fleet, which is not expected
here till the end of November, after the arrival and
Coronation of the Xing of Greece. Up to the 15th
inst. everything continued quiet in Athens. There
was to be a. Coronation Ball, as well as other enter-
tainments, when the King arrived in October. The
officers and men of the different ships were very
tired of the monotony of the Pima, and longing to
get back to Malta. Her Majesty's surveying vessel
Firefly, 5, Commander A. Mansell, was at Corfu on

:the Bth inst., having put in on account of bad wea-
ti'ler, and was to leavo next day for deep-sea sound-
in gs, and to work up the coast-line to the west-

word. Her Majesty's ships Revenge, 73, Captain
the Hon. Y. Foley (bearing the flag of Rear-Ad-
sal rat H. R. Yelverton, C. 8.), and Surprise, 4,
Co.nmander W. H. Whyte, were at Patras when
last heart. from. The Liffey, 35, the Pelican, 17,
and the V canderer, 4, were also on the West Coast.
Her Majesty's frigate Phoebe, 39, Capt. T. D. A.
Fee escr ,e, which lately left Malta with stores and
provisie ns for the fleet on the coast of Greece, put
into K. alamata, having suffered serious injury to
her st a am machinery, which will most likely render
it nec;e ssary for her to go to England for repairs. A
telei cram received on Saturday from Corfu an-
nou aces her arrival there on the 18th inst., and that
she. was to sail. for Malta on the following day.
Her Majesty's screw sloop Chanticleer, 17, Com-
mander C. Stirling, is also expected here from the
coast of Syria, the Cossack, 20, Capt. W. Rolland,
having gone up to relieve her. The only ships of
'war in port are the Hibernia receiving ship (bear-
ing the flag of Rear-Admiral Austin, C. 8.) Com-
mander It. B. Harvey ; the Meanee, 60 ; the
Medina, surveying vessel; the Trident, 3; the Fox-
hound, 4 ; and the Psyche, despatcheboat.
Unt'.er the superintendence of Capt. Edmonstone
and relr. Dinnen, of the Steam Reserve at Devon-
port ; of Mr. Steil, engineer at Key ham ; and of Mr.
Warrener on the part of the contractors, the screw
steamship Prince Consort, 35, completed on Friday
last the series of trials instituted by the Lords of
the Admiralty. The first experiment was made to
'test the speed attainable by the power derived from
four large boilers forward, which are estimated at
600 horse power (nominal). Wind westerly ; force,
2to 3 ; sea smooth. The results of four runs at the
measured mile gave a mean speed of 12.093 knots
per hour ; mean revolutions, 50g. With two large
boilers forward estimated at 300 horse .power, the
mean speed was 9.427 ; revolutions, 40. With four
small boilers aft, estimated at 400 horse power, the
speed was 10.33 ; revolutions, 431 ; and with two
small boilers aft (200 horse power), the speed
attained was 7'784; revolutions, 33. All these
experiments were considered most satisfac-
tory. The attainment of a speed of over 12 knots
when using her fore stokehole only (four boilers),
and nearly 8 knots with two of the small boilers aft
(200 horse power) is looked upon as a remarkable
success.
The hired transport 10, Capt. Cottier, 52 days
from Jamaica, laden with old stores, 110 disabled
guns, hemp cable, &e., has arrived at Woolwich,
and on Saturday commenced unshipping inside the
T pier. The Fontabelle transport has shipped a
cumber of 32-pounder guns and other stores from
'Woolwich for the Cape of Good Hope.
permission having been granted by Commodore
Sir V. Nicholson, Superintendent of Woolwich
Dockyard, with the sanction of the Lords Commis-
sioners of the Admiralty, for the appropriation of
the refuse after the men's meals on board the flag-
ship Fisgud, as proposed by the commanding offie
car, Capt.
--Isaght, for the use of the ragged school
at Woolwich, the first distribution took place on
Saturday, Consisting of soup, remnants of meat, and
1511). of waste biscuit, &c. These articles, which
would otherwise have been thrown overboard, were
gratefully received by the committee, and it is
}loped that the benevolent example may be followed
in other yards.
Instructions have been received from the Admi-
ralty directing the officials at Chatham to report to
desirableness of adapting
their lordships as to the
gunboats
one of the screw ,attached to the steam
reserve at that port, for use as a steam-tender in
conveying the mechanics and wolkpeople to and
from the dockyard to the iron frigate
Achilles, when
she has been removed to Gillinghamßeach.
The Lords of the Admiralty have reconsidered their
determination of effecting a decrease in the number
of the mechanics and other workmen employed in
Chatham dockyard to the number, it was announced,
of over 1,000 hands. A telegram was received atthe
dockyard on
Saturday directing the officials and
heads of
departments to report if it were advisable
to make any redaction 'the present strength of the
establishment, and if so,
to state the lowest possible
number of workmen in each branch that should be
discharged, the proposed reduction being confined
to the hired mechanics, artisans, boys', and labourers.
The officials of the dockyard are opposed to any con-
siderable reduction at present, the work on hand
taxing to the utmost the resources of the establish-
ment ; indeed, for some time past, the mechanics em
ployed on the iron frigate Achilles have been working
yet there are still several months
extra hours, and
work to he accomplished before she will be ready to
It certainly is surprising that with
proceed to sea.
the anxiety manifested to have this vesselcompleted
as early as possible their lordships should select the
present moment for effecting a reduction of one_
fifth of the establishment. The officials, in their
reply, recommended that no considerable number of
the dockyard hands should be discharged until the
Achilles is completed, or, at all events, floated out
of dock, by which time the Lords of the Admiralty
will have made up their minds as to the commence-