The Sun.
London, England, 1865-01-20 00:00:00

Naval and Military Intelligence.

The "screw corvette Scout, 21, 1,462 tons, 400-
horse power, Mr. A. J. Burniston, master, in charge,
fitting for the first division of the Steam Reserve in
the Medway, is complete in her rigging, and is get-
ting well forward iu other respeets that she may be
ready for commission by the end of the ensuing
month. She has been fitted with a topgallant fore-
castle and a poop, with the necessary offices of a
flagship, and it is stated at Chatham that she will
relieve the Rattlesnake, 21, 400-horse power, car-
rying the broad pennant of Commodore A. P. E.
Wilmot, C. 8., as flagship on the West Coast of
Africa.

----
The screw frigate Bristol, 39, 3,027 tons, 600-horse
power, Mr. J. T. C. Webb, master, in charge, pre-
paring for the first division of the Chatham Steam '
Reserve, in readiness for commission, is all ataunt
in her rigging, and is being pushed forward in her
fitments as rapidly as possible, in order that she may
be out of hand and ready for the pennant before
the end of the • ensuing month. The station for
which she is intended is not yet known.
The Challenger, 21, screw corvette, Captain Ken-
nedy, arrived at Spithead yesterday from the North
American and West India station, and on anchoring
exchanged salutes with the Victory, the flagship of
the Port Admiral at Portsmouth, Admiral Sir Mi-
chael Seymour, G.C.B. The Challenger sailed
from Bermuda on the 31st' of December with the
Virago paddle steamer, coming home for repairs,
disabled in her machinery after having been ashore,
but parted company with her in a gale when about
1,000 miles distant from Bermuda, and had not seen
her since. The Challenger is ordered to proceed to
Sheerness to dismantle and pay out of commission.
The fever had entirely disappeared at Bermuda at
the time the Challenger left.
The enormous sheer-legs, made of masses of
angle and plate iron, and intended to form the 40-
ton hoist at the head of the inner fitting basin in
Woolwich Dockyard, are now lying in readiness to
be planted in position, and will probably be com-
pleted to-day. The steam traction engine (Bray's
patent) employed in the service of the yard during
the past three years has been found most effectual
in their removal, as without its aid the difficulty of
transporting the unwieldy bulk along the confined
avenues leading from the factory to the place of erec-
tion—impassable for a team of horses—would have
been insurmountable. The operation of transport by
this peculiar means was witnessed by the various
officers of the yard, and many other persons. The
question was frequently raised, " Why has the Ad-
miralty sanctioned the outlay, stated to be £2,000,
for new sheers, while a crane of equal capacity and
similar manufacture, received a short time ago, is
lying on the wharf unemployed ?"
A few days ago some of the dockyard men were
ordered to assist one of the contractors in a work
which it was necessary to complete as early as pos-
sible, and as a requital for their extra labour the sum
of ss. each was allotted to them, and deducted from
the contract payment. After a lapse of some days
the men complained of not having received their
money. As an explanation of the cause of the delay
it was alleged that the Paymaster had not been able
to calculate the amount of income-tax which it
would be necessary to deduct. The men were finally
paid 4s. 114 d. each, a farthing being withheld from
each amount.

Commander Maitland yesterday joined her Ma-
jesty's 5-gun vessel Landrail, commissioned at
Woolwich for service on the south coast of Africa,
to assist in the suppression of the slave traffic. The
Landrail has been thoroughly repaired, and was
yesterday undocked. Her crew has been appointed
from the flagship Fisgard, and her officers, the ma-
jority of whom have been commissioned, have joined
at Woolwich. A party of royal marines has like-
wise been transferred.
The Ada, steam-vessel, with a heavy cargo for
the Mediterranean, yesterday steamed alongside the
shipping pier of Woolwich Arsenal, and took on
board 230 tons of war stores for Malta. She after-
wards hauled off to the powder buoy, and shipped
in her magazines seven tons of combustibles, like-
wise for Malta.
The War Department steamer Lord Panmure
yesterday went down to Purfleet from Woolwich,
laden with war stores for Portsmouth, and com-
menced shipping 1,000 barrels of powder for March-
wood, near Southampton.
The lighter Hamoaze, from Portsmouth, arrived
yesterday at Plymouth.
The iron screw steam storeship Megwra, 6, which
was commissioned on Wednesday at Devonport by
Capt. Montague B. Dunn, obtained seamen yester-
day from the receiving ships in Hamoaze. Her com-
plement of officers and men will be 165.
The gunboat Hyena, having had a thorough repair
atDevonport, made a satisfactory trial of her engines
yesterday at the measured mile. She is under orders
to receive her powder, after which she will proceed
to Milford to join the screw steam Coastguard ship
Blenheim, 60, Capt. Thomas 11. Mason.
The iron-cased screw steam-sloop Enterprise, 4,
Commander Charles T. Rowley, at Devonport, was
swung yesterday for the adjustment of her com-
passes, preparatory to sailing for the Mediterranean.
The paddlewheel steam sloop Geyser, 6, Com-
mander A. T. Thrupp, was putout of Keyham steam
yard yesterday morning, and in Hamoaze received
some supernumeraries. She is under orders to take
disposable officers from Plymouth and Portsmouth
to the Tagus.
It was yesterday announced at Chatham Dock-
yard that Mr. P. Thornton, principal master-ship-
builder at that establishment, and Mr. R. Laws,
principal storekeeper, had been appointed members
of the committee ordered to assemble at the Admi-
ralty, under the direction of Mr. H. C. E. Childers,
M.P., one of the Lords of the Admiralty, chairman,
for the purpose of revising the forms, orders, and
other similar documents in use at the several dock-
yards. - -

In consequence of the breaking up of several of
the depot battalions, which was resolved upon by
the Government at the close of the financial year,
various important changes will be made in the dis-
position of the regimental depots now attached to
the various battalions. The three divisions at Chat-
ham will be augmented by several of the depots
from the other stations, while most of the East India
and British depots now at that garrison will be
transferred to_other battalions and their places sup-
plied by new depots. Among the regiments which
are already named to leave Chatham are the 43d
Light Infantry and the 101st Royal Bengal Fusi-
leers, attached to the Ist Battalion ; the 31st Regi-
ment and the 83d Regiment, belonging to the 2d
Battalion ; and the 51st King's Own Light In-
fantry,
the 75th Regiment, and the 91st Highlanders,
doing duty with the 3d Battalion. The 43d and
51st proceeded to Winchester, where it is intended
t,O form a division composed exclusively of the depots
of light infantry regiments, a similar battalion being
also formed of the depot companies of Fusileer
regimen
tg, including the Ist and 2d Battalion of the
sth Northumberland Fusileers, the Ist and 2d Bat-
talions of the 7th Royal Fusileers, the Ist and 2d
Battalions of the 21stRoyalNorthBritis. fi Fusileers,
the Ist and 2d Battalions of the 23d Royal Welsh
Fusileers, the 87th Roßoyal Bengal Pus- yal Irish Fusileers, the 101st
the 102 d Royal Madras
Fusileers, the 1034111**rs Royal Bombay Fusileers, and
the 104th Bengal Fusileers.
' Captain J. C. Caffin, Director of Stores and
Naval Director-General of Artillery,
in-
spection of the ordnance departments and an
Chatham on Wednesday
and, e course
afternoon, iiTithtores at
of which he visited the ordnance-wharf,
panied by the heads of the department, proceeded
ace°ln-
- , proceeded
to the armoury, in which are deposited many thou_
sand stands of arms (rifles) for land and sea service.
He also inspected the collection of Armstrong and
other guns, together with the large supplies of war
material now in store. With the exception of the
ordinary smooth bore guns and the new 100 pounder
Somerset smooth-bore gun, the stock of guns con-
sists almost entirely of 110 pounder and 40 pounder
rifled Armstrongs, none of the 300 pounder or 150
pounder Armstrongs having yet been received at

i2hathani.
The following appointments were made yesterday
at the Admiralty :—Commander John D'Arcy, to
the Asia, additional, for service in the Osborne ;
Commander George Palmerand Commander H. H.