The Sun.
London, England, 1865-10-23 00:00:00

DOWN HAM, STOKE FERRY, AND BRANDON.

A line is projected between these points. Mr.
Harkness, the engineer, estimates the cost of the
line, 161 miles in length, at £B,OOO per mile.

Naval and Military Intelligence.

The paddlewheel steam frigate Terrible, 21, Capt.
G. J. Napier, left Plymouth on Saturday afternoon
for the Mediterranean to relieve the Magicienne.
The screw steamship Black Prince, 41, Capt. Lord
F. H. Kerr, is expected at Plymouth from Ireland.

The screw steam storeship Fox, 2, Staff-Corn-
mander H. A. Moriarty, left Plymouth on Saturday
with stores for Pembroke.

The screw steamship Revenge, 73, Capt. T. 11.
Mason, left Plymouth on Friday for Coastguard
duty at Pembroke.

The Basilisk, 6, paddle, Capt. Hewett, V.C., is
expected to sail to-day from Spithead for China,
calling in at Plymouth Sound on her way down
Channel. It certainly seems rather an incongruous
proceeding on the part of the Admiralty to appoint
a captain wearing the Victoria Cross to the command
of a vessel that will have to perform tug duties in
China.

The Admiralty have given instructions for another
of the iron mortar boats belonging to the squadron
laid up at the eastern end of Chatham dockyard
since the termination of the Russian war to be
converted into a dockyard tender for service at
Woolwich, where the work of converting her is to
be carried out. Although several of the mortar-
boats have recently been brought into use for
various purposes there is still a large number
lying high and dry at Chatham. From an inspection
of the squadron recently instituted the whole were
found in generally sound condition, each boat being
roofed in and the exterior coated with a thick mix-
ture of red lead, to preserve it from the effects of
the weather.

An admiralty order has been received at Chatham
dockyard announcing that it has been decided to
adopt throughout the naval service a new pattern of
quill friction tubes, fitted with loops and studs, on
the gun, the detonating hammers and tubes, as well
as the friction tubes now in use, being accordingly
withdrawn, and the new tubes universally adopted.
The order further directs that all guns now in store
at the home stations, whether in ships in commis-
sion or in the steam reserve, are to be fitted with
the stud, and the vents enlarged at the top, as re-
commended. Ships on foreign stations will retain
the present proportion of detonating tubes until put
out of commission.

Saturday last being the anniversay of the battle
of Trafalgar, the ship that carried Lord Nelson on
that occasion, the three-decker Victory, now and for
many years past doing duty as the flag-ship of the
Port-Admiral and naval Commander-in-Chief at
Portsmouth, was decorated with laurel wreaths at
each of her royal mastheads, and on the heads of
her bowsprit jack and ensign staffs. At noon Capt.
F. Scott, C. 8., A.D.C. to the Queen, the present
captain of the Victory, provided a substantial din-
ner on board for all those who served under Nelson
still remaining in the vicinity of the port, and who
could put in an appearance on board Nelson's ship.
We are informed that Lieut. Dundas, of her Ma-
jesty's ship Zebra, is not the son of an admiral, as
has been stated, and also that many circumstances
connected with the recent trial by court-martial of
that officer have since the trial been greatly misre-
presented in the discussions that have arisen. The
previous conduct of Lieut. Dundas while in her Ma-
jesty's service, it is said, fully warranted the lenient
sentence passed by the Court before whom he
was tried, and it would therefore be unfair to him
to draw a parallel between his case and that of any
other officer tried subsequently for a similar offence
without all the matter bearing upon each case being
fully gone into. A paymaster in her Majesty's
navy was tried by court-martial almost immediately
after Lieut. Dundas. While the latter was repri-
manded and allowed to retain his rank in the ser-
vice, in consequence of the high professional cha-
racter he bore, the unfortunate paymaster was dis-
missed from the service, but with a "recommenda-
tion to mercy." There is nothing to complain of
in the treatment Lieut. Dundas has received, but if
the paymaster of the Basilisk, who, we are told, is
a man with a large family and no private income—
has received an undue meed of punishment, owing
to the faulty constitution of our naval courts-mar-
tial, it remains for the Admiralty to remedy the
defect by tempering justice with mercy, and restor-
ing the name of the offending officer to the official
Navy List, accompanied, of course, by such condi-
tions as they may see fit to impose.
A naval court-martial assembled on board her
Majesty's ship Victory at Portsmouth on Saturday
for the trial of Sidney Bray, ordinary seaman, serv-
ing on board her Majesty's ship Basilisk, on a charge
of having struck, on the 13th inst., Frederick Trent,
captain of the foretop, in the same ship, while the
latter was in the execution of his duty. The Court
was composed of Capt. A. Herbert, . Royal Sove-
reign, president ; Commanders Sheers, Victory ;
Simpson, Victoria and Albert ; Greville, St. Vin-
cent ; Arthur, Excellent ; and Brett, Asia ; Mr. E.
Hoskins officiated as deputy-judge-advocate. The
Court found the charge proved, and sentenced the
prisoner to be reduced to the second class for con-
duct, to receive 36 lashes, and to be imprisoned for
six months, with hard labour, in the Naval Gaol at
Lewes.

An announcement has been received at Chatham
garrison from the Horse Guards thit the next exa-
mination for direct commissions will commence at
Chelsea Hospital, before Major-Gen. F. W. Hamil-
ton, C. 8., vice-president, and the members of the
Council of Military Education, on Monday, Novem-
ber, 6th, under the regulations dated the Ist of
January, 1864. The examination of candidates
for admission to the Royal Military College, Sand-
hurst, will commence on the 11th of December ;
and that of candidates for commission in the Royal
Artillery and Royal Engineers admission for a to the
Royal Military Academy, Woolwich, on the 3d of
January. The next examination of candidates for
the medical department of the army will take place
in February, and that for admission to the Royal
Staff College in July.

BREAKFAST BEVERAGE.--HOMCCOpahiC practitioners, and
the medical profession generally, recommend cocoa as being
the most healthful of all beverages. When the doctrine of
homoeopathy was first introduced into this country, there
were to be obtained no preparations of cocoa either attrac-
tive to the taste or acceptable to the stomach ; the nut was
either supplied in the crude state, or so unskilfully manu-
factured as to obtain little notice. J. Epps, of London,
homoeopathic chemist, was induced in the year 1839 to turn
attention to this suhje t, and at length sue:ceded, with
the wsistance of elaborate machinery, in being the first to
proluce an article pure in its composition, aaci so refined by
the pert et trituration it re:eives in the process it passes
hrongh, as to be most acceptable to the delicate stomach.
For general use Epps' cocoa is distin2uished as an Invigo-
rating, grateful breakfast beverage, with a delicious aroma
Dr. riassall in his work, "Food and its Adulterations,"
says-_" Cocoa contains a great variety of important nutritive
principles ; every ingredient necessary to the growth and
sustenance of the body." Again, "As a nutritive, cocoa
stands very much higher than either coffee or tea." Direc-
tions : —Two teaspoonfuls of the powder in a breakfast cupfilled up ,
b withand l b. labelled
bolting or milk. Secured in tin-lined
packets, and sold at Is. 6d. per
lb. by grocers, confectioners, and chemists.