The Sun.
London, England, 1863-06-19 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, FRIDAY EVENING, JUNE • 19, 1863.

Naval and Military Intelligence.

THE NAVY.
VALETTA, Jane 14.—H.M.S. Pelican, 17, Com. P.
Brock, arrived on Thursday last in six days from the
Pirmar, having been relieved there by the screw

sloop Icarus, 11, Com. N. Salmon, V.C. Lieut. R.
Sperling, of the Icarus, arrived by the Pelican, o❑

sick leave, and proceeded to England in the Penin-
sular and Oriental Company's steamer Delta on
Saturday. Lieut. Hanson, R.N., and Capt. Norris,
4th battalion Rifle Brigade, also went home in this
vessel. Her Majesty's screw gunvessel Wunderer,

4, Corr. M. C. Sismour, left Malta on the Bth inst.
for Corfu, with despatches for the Commander-in-
Chief ; and the screw gunboat Cockatrice, 2, Lieut.
Corn. Gillson, left on the same dey for Constanti-
nople and the Danube, taking with her a general
mail. On Saturday, the 6th just, a court-martial
was held on board H.M.S. Revenge, 73, in Malta
harbour, under the presidency of Rear-Admiral
Yelverton, C. 8., to try Mr. W. P. Jolliffe, a midship-
man of H.M.S. Meannee, for drunkenness. The
accused was found guilty, and sentenced to be dis-
missed the ship and to lose two years' service. Capt.
the Hon. F. A. Foley arrived yesterday in the Pen-
insular and Oriental Company's steamer Ripon to
take the command of H.M.S. Revenge, 73, flagship
of Rear-Admiral H. R. Yelverton, C.B. Comman-
der G. D'Arcy Irvine, R.N., and Lient. Hamersley
arrived from England in the same vessel. A pro-
ject is on foot to connect the islands of Malta and
Gozo by an electric submarine cable, and to esta-
blish land lines between the two capitals and the
principal easels or villages. Mr. Gibson, the Govern-
ment Inspector of telegraphs, has offered to provide
the local government with the necessary materiel
from the surplus stores belonging to the Malta and
Alexandria Telegraph. The local government is
only called on to provide the manual labour for
fixing the posts along the route, and to allow
the men actually on signal service to be taught
how to work the modern line, which is so simple
that an hour's teaching would render them
capable of carrying out the new duties re-
quired of them. Her Majesty's ships in port are
the Hibernia, receiving ship (bearing the flag of
Rear-Admiral H. T. Austin, C. 8.), Commander R.
B. Harvey ; the Revenge, 73 (bearing the flag of
Rear-Admiral Yelverton, C. 8.), Capt. the Hon. F.
A. Foley; the Meannee, 60, Capt. G. Wodehouse ;
the Pelican, 17, Commander B. Brock ; the Alacrity,
4, Commander J. K. Baird; the Caradoc, 2, Lieut.-
Commander E. W. Wilkinson; the tenders Boxer
and Growler; and the surveying vessel Medina,
being broken up.
On Wednesday Vice-Admiral Sir W. J. Hope
Johnstone, K.C.8., Commander-in-Chief at the
Noro, paid an official visit to the Cumberland, 74,
Capt. J. Hall, guardship of the Chatham steam re-
serve, prior to giving up his command. The Vice-
Admiral, accompanied by his staff, made a minute
inspection of the ship, and afterwards mustered the
whole of the men belonging to the ships comprising
the steam reserve. At the close of the inspection of
the Cumberland Vice-Admiral Johnstone proceeded
to the naval barracks. There he mustered the offi-
cers and men, under the command of Commander
Barnardiston, and witnessed their drill with the

110-pounder naval Armstrongs and the 68-pounder
ship guns on the exercising battery adjoining the
barracks. He expressed himself highly pleased at
the manner in which both officers and men had ac-
quitted themselves. Sir W. J. H. Johnstone will
haul down his flag on the Ist of July, and resign
the command of the Nore squadron. It is stated at
Chatham that be will be succeeded by Vice-Admi-
ral of the What), Sir George R. Lambert, K.C.B.
(Dec. 18, 1858). _ _

. .
The Esk, 20, screw, Capt. Hamilton, sailed from
Spithead yesterday at 4 p.m., for the Australian

station.

The Orlando, 51, screw, Capt. G. G. Randolph,
sailed from Spithead yesterday afternoon, for Port-
land and the Channel Fleet.

The Warrior, 40, screw iron frigate, Capt. A.
A. Cochrane, C. 8., was docked at Portsmouth yes-
terday in the large double dock.
The iron frigate Recruit, 6, 150 horse power, has
nearly completed her heavy repairs at Chatham
dockyard, which have been in hand several months,
and will be ready for floating out of the dock during

the ensuing spring tides. The starboard side of her
hull has been coated with one of the numerous new
anti-corrosive substances for the prevention of foul-

ing in the bottoms of our iron ships, which are
constantly being brought under the notice of the
Admiralty. The composition applied to the bottom
of the Recruit is the invention of Mr. Crispin, but
instead of being placed on the iron in its original
state, the ship's bottom was previously covered with
red lead, which is stated to be detrimental to the
efficacy of the new composition. It has long been
mstter of surprise that none of our eminent chemists
have directed their attention to the preparation of
a substance which will effectually prevent fouling,
the compositions brought under the notice of the
Admiralty up to the present time being more or less
failures. Both fortune and fame are to be made in
the discovery of an effectual anti-fouling composi-
tion for iron ships' bottoms.

The paddlewheel steamer Salamis, 250 horse

power, is in No. 3 dock at Chatham, where she is
being brought forward for the pennant. Her boilers,

condensers, and all the heavy portions of her machi-
nery are on board, and no time is to be lost in get-
ting her ready for sea, the dock in which she is fit
ting being required for the reception of the iron fri-
gate Tamar, 500 horse power.
The Cadmus, 21, 400 horse power, attached to the

,hird class steam reserve, is to be placed in the

fourth dock at Chatham, where she is to undergo
some extensive repairs, involving an outlay of
£lO,OOO. Sbe will after wards be commissioned to
take the place of one of the vessels ordered home.
The War Department screw steamvessel Lord
Penmure, T. Moore, master, from Woolwich, with
stores for the gun wharf and Bull Point, arrived at
Plymouth on Wednesday.
The screw steam corvette Pelorus, 17, having
been thoroughly repaired, was removed from No. 4
dock at Devonport yesterday. The Gibraltar, 98,
will be removed from No. 1 dock to-morrow.
The ships of war on the Australian station at the
date of the last advices were the Harrier, 17, Capt.
Sullivan, at New Zealand ; the Miranda, 14, Capt.
Jenkins, at Sydney ; and the Eclipse, 4, Comman-
der Mayne, at New Zealand. Her Majesty's ship
Pioneer left the Australian waters for England on
April 14.
The annual regatta by the officers of the Royal
Engineers, at headquarters, Chatham, took place
yesterday, in the Medway, near Rochester-bridge,
in the presence of a large number of spectators.
The following appointments were made at the Admiralty
yesterday :
Alfred G. Hill, assistant-clerk, additional, to the Edgar.
W. F. Bunbury, do., do.
Russell Osborn, do., to the Fisgard.
C. K. Maloney, do., do.
Cecil Reid, do., supernumerary, to the Royal Adelaide.
Edward U. Whitemore, do., do.
IL W. Paul, do., additional to the Indus.
William H. Fox, do., to the Majestic.

102 d (Royal Madras Fusiieers) Regiment, now in
India, being considerably below their proper
strength, the Duke of Cambridge has issued orders
for volunteering to be opened for that corps from
the other regiments now in England. Up to
the present time volunteering has been attended
with considerable success, nearly 100 men having
arrived at Chatham garrison from vartous regiments
to join the depot of the 1021 In accordance with
directions received at the garrison volunteering is
to remain open until the whole of the required num-
ber of 300 men have been obtained.

The system hitherto adoptefof placing the in-
fantry troops at Chatham under canvas for the
summer months has not been resorted to during the
present season, in consequence of there being ample
barrack accommodation for the whole of the officers
and men quartered within the garrison; and from
the disadvantages attending the encamping of nu-
merous bodies of men in close proximity to a large
town, it seems probable that the military authorities
will not place any portion of the troops at Chatham
under canvas during the present summer. By the
withdrawal of the invalid depot from Chatham, and
its removal to the Royal Victoria Hospital at Net-
ley, the commodious barracks at St. Mary's are
placed at the disposal of the authorities for the re-
ception of troops, and for some time gilt it has been
doubtful to what purpose that establishment would
be applied. The authorities, however, have now de-
termined to appropriate the barracks for the accom-
modation of the troops forming the three battalions
of infantry at Chatham, and as soon as Col. Shaw
and the staff of the late invalid depot, who still re-
tain possession of St. Mary's barracks, have been
removed, a portion of the 3d depot battalion will
immediately occupy them. Daring the late visit of
the Army Sanitary Commissioners to Chatham they
inspected St. Mary's barracke. Certain alterations
and improvements were suggested before they were
again occupied, and these are now being carried out.
With this additional barrack accommodation
at their disposal, the military authorities
have determined on reducing the number
of troops quartered in each barrack-room in
the garrison, so as to allow every man the minimum
accommodation of 600 cubic feet. At St. Mary's
barracks the number of troops formerly quartered
in each room was 30, which was afterwards reduced
to 24, and under the new arrangement will be again
reduced to 18. In the reappointment of the other
barracks the same reductions will be carried into
effect.

alteration in and two requited additions to the ship's
equipment, which, if executed, will confer a boon
upon all on board. The "pilot-house," as it is
termed, is an erection on the quarter-deck, below
the level of the bulwarks, and is a ridiculous imita-
tion of the Warrior's pilot-house, which has really
been put to a useful purpose. The Royal Oak has
not yet received its armour-plating, and tne officers
of the ship would gladly see Flier' an eyesore re-
moved. The two required additions to tht ship's
Equipment are the introduction of Gurney's oil gas

(it must be remembered that all is darkness below
the Royal Oak's main deck),as has been done, and
found to answer so successfully, on board the Re-
sistance, and the construction of a lightly built
house on the foremost bridge. for the use of the
Master, or officer of the watch—such a light struc-
ture as the Warrior, Black Prince, and many other
of our ships of war already possess.

The Royal Oak, soon after anchoring at Spithead
on Wednesday, on the conclusion of her official
trials, received orders to proceed to sea and join the
squadron in the Channel, under the command of
Rear-Admiral S. C. Dacres, C.B. She sailed before
daylight yesterday morning.
In our report of the full powered trials of the
Royal Oak it wass.stated that the ship's tanks were
stowed on the plan of Mr. Wallis. This was an
error. They arc—stowedatteoreing4edhe-plana. of

Mr. Moore, of the Tide Guage-office and Master
Attendant's Department in Portsmouth dockyard,
plans which have received the approval of the
Admiralty.

THE OXFORD COMMEMORATION.

OXFORD, June 18.

The Christ Church ball of Wednesday night was
quite as brilliant and, as may be imagined, more
select and aristocratic in its company than the fete
of the previous evening. The Duke and Duchess of
Buccleuch, the Duke and Duchess of Marlborough,
the Duke of Newcastle, Lord and Lady Derby,
Lord Granville, Mr. and Mrs. Gladstone, Mr. and
Mrs. Disraeli, Lord and Lady Dufferin, and a long
list of distinguished visitors were present, and all
the guests were assembled and waiting for more
than an hour before their Royal Highnesses ar-
rived. They came shortly after eleven o'clock,
and were received with the usual marks of pro-
found respect and welcome. With their arrival
the ball at once commenced, and from that time
until after two o'clock, when they quitted the
building, the Prince took part in almost every
set that was danced, and the Princess almost as fre-
quently. Their departure can hardly be said to
have affected the spirit in which the fete was en-
joyed by the general visitors, and the sun was shin-.
ing brightly before the last had quitted this last
display at Oxford's memorable Commemoration of
1863. With the cessation of the gaieties torpor and
dulness seemed to fall upon the ancient city to-day,
for the royal progresses in public was over, and
none knew where the Prince was going or whither.
As it was generally understood, however, that
the Prince and Princess intended to drive through
the town and inspect some of the chief monuments
of Oxford, the curious public thronged the streets
from an early hour in the forenoon, in the hope of
catching a glimpse of royalty. Great secrecy was
maintained as to the route planned for the illus-
trious visitors, and everyone had to guess what
were the points of attraction where they were
most likely to be found. On this question there was,
of course, great scope for individual prejudice or
predilections. Some went to one college, some to
another, and it was amusing to observe the clusters
of spectators and displays of flags in dingy, odd,
out-of-the-way spots to which it was thought, for
some inscrutable reason, that the Prince could not
fail to conduct the Princess. The more knowing
kept a close watch an the metropolitan police, and
when they saw two or three of them gathering round
any quaint, venerable structure, kept close on their
heels, knowing that they were there for a special pur-
pose. Others, who wished to be extremely safe and
cautious, stationed themselves under the shadow of
the Tom Tower of Christ Church, thus making cer-
tain, as they thought, of seeing the cortege on
its first egress, and observing the direction it

took. Numbers waited here for several hours,
and when noon passed without any sign of the
anxiously expected carriages an uneasy feeling
began to prevail that, after all, they must have gone
out by another gate. Those who waited patiently
for a little longer were not doomed to this disap-
pointment. About half-past twelve the Prince and
Princess, accompanied by Lady de Grey and Ripon,
drove out in an °yen chariot, followed by the rest
of the suite, the Dean of Christ Church, and Mrs.
Liddell in two other carriages. They were of course
loudly cheered as they passed along, and enterpris-
ing detachments of the crowd strove manfully to
keep pace with the horses, generally arriving at
each place where a halt was made a few minutes
after the Prince and Princess had entered, and
waiting till they re-appeared, when a new race
began with similar results. The police arrange-
ments, however, were excellent, and prevented any
undue crushing or intrusion.
The first visit paid was to Frewen-hall, an old

sombre-looking mansion off the High-street of Ox-
ford—the Prince's home while be was in residence
here, and for which, as associated with his academic
days he is said to entertain a strong liking. Nothing
was more natural than that he should wish to show
his bride his first family mansion, notwithstanding
that it is rather small, very old, and certainly
gloomy-looking. The entrance to it is up a narrow
and shabby court, and thence between tall old
monastic-looking walls to a small, low-pointed gate-
way overgrown with limes,the oak door in which give
entrance to a little court before the old-fashioned
house in which the Prince lived. It is sombre out-
side and plain within; and the wonder is how the
Prince and even the small suite who were with him
ever found room to live there. Over all the
rooms in this old fashioned house—and they were
not many—the Prince and Princess went, remain-
ing in it altogether about half an hour—a lapse of
time quite long enough to assemble an immense
crowd in the High-street, who started the echoes in
Oxford, far and near, with their tumultuous cheer-
ing as their Royal Highnesses came forth to their
carriage again.
The party next visited Exeter, the College of the
Vice-Chancellor, Dr. Lightfoot, where they spent a
long time in the exquisite chapel built from the de-
signs of Mr. Scott, and much resembling in style
and proportions the Sainte Chapelle of Paris. In
this a stay of some minutes was made, and then
across the courtyard to the Bodleian Library, where
the Princess was shown the veritable lantern taken
from Guy Fawkes's hand at the time of his
capture—a large, rusty, old-fashioned piers of
ironwork, which lies side by side with the por-
traits of the chief conspirators in that most
radical attempt to reform the Constitution.
The chair made from the oaken timbers of the ship
in which Drake first circumnavigated the world
was also duly pointed out, and the visitors walked
some time in this fine old library, admiring its
curious collection of pictures and the huge piles of
volumes which almost seem to form its walls.
Perhaps, however, the most interesting visit of
the day was that which was next paid to the New, or,
as it is often called, the Arland Museum, the Rrgius
Professor of Medicice having by his exertions COll-
- materially to its first establishment and sub-
sequent success. The good taste of the Gothic
style in which the structure is built has scarcely
yet ceased to be matter of controversy, but there
can be no question that it forms a picturesque
addition to the public buildings of this
monumental city.
A pleasing feature of the in-
ternal decoration, which the Royal visitors did not
omit to observe, is the employment of wrought-iron
ornaments of rare artistic merit both in design and
execution. The capitals of the pillars and spandrils
of the arches which support the roof are of this