The Sun.
London, England, 1862-08-13 00:00:00

711 E NAVI'.

The Mersey, 40, screw frigate, Capt. H. Caldwell,
C. 8., will be paid out of commission at Portsmouth
to-day. - During the presence of the British con-
tingent
of Royal Marine Artillery and Light In-
fantry at Vera Cruz, Mr. Austen, chief engineer of
the Mersey, was placed by the Commodore of the
English squadron in charge of the railway leading
M 'itt relii(Cruz to the interior.

I rT hnhe eSI 4al
Works.
ior okusr.. T o
The Stork gunboat;tender to the Excellent gun-
nery ship at Portsmouth, was engaged yesterday in
Porchester Creek testing three 4t-inch armour
plates, as sample armour for ships' broadsides, and
a 3.inch plate as armour plating for bow and stern
a
tip.
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ds poi
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Cps ceomprdae
nt
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oil
nhi eendh
Bpb
lyraottile
Thames
t
and Co., Sheffield; and Messrs. Beale, Parkgate
The Psyche, 1, g'in paddle despatch vessel, is
being completed in her outfit at Portsmouth as
rapidly as possible, and, unless in consequence of
the trial of speed on
Monday, alterations ate ordered
to be made to her paddle-floats, it is probable she
may be sent on a cruise westward for a few days.
The Shannon, 34, screw, Capt, O. J. Jones, is
ordered from Portsmouth harbour into S
pithead, to
receive her Admiralty pattern screw, and fill up
provisions and stores fer foreign service. It is said
by many naval officers in reference to the state-
ments which have been made respecting this
ship,
that Capt. Jones, and not the officers and men of
the Shannon, has most cause to complain of the
present state of the ship, and of the notoriety she
has gained since he has taken command. It is said
that from the time Capt. Jones issued his first orders
on board, a portion of the officers and men, finding
that they would no longer be able to do as they had
done hitherto, set themselves up in opposition.
Capt. Jones, however, is said to be an officer of much
firmness of character,and hence the conflict between
him and his subordinates. That the Admiralty are
determined to support Capt. Jones in his authority
is evident from the fact of the Shannon being or-
dered from the home station on foreign service.
The paddlewheel:steam sloop Hydra, 6, Comman-
-7c14 R. Y. Hamilton, from the West Indies, last from
Halifax, arrived at Plymouth yesterday afternoon.
We are requested to publish the subjoined noti
fication, dated yesterday, from the Admiralty-,
Whitehall :

" Channel Squadron—Letters for the ships of war
under the orders of Rear-Admiral Smart, in the
Baltic, should be addressed to Copenhagen up to the
end of the present month."

Letters received from her Majesty's screw store-
ship Wye, Master-Commander Valentine G.
Roberts, announce the capture by that vessel, on the
West Coast of Africa, of a slaver, with 300 slaves
on board.

711 E ARM'.
•
The numerous important additions which have
recently been made to the Royal Regiment of Artil-
lery by the amalgamation of the Indian Artillery,
together with the several improvements effected by
the Duke of Cambridge since his appointment to
the Colonelcy of the regiment, have had the effect
of rendering this branch of the service superior in
numerical force and efficiency to any in the world.
From the returns recently prepared under autho-
rity of the officials at the Horse Guards, it appears
that previous to the amalgamation of the Indian
with the Royal Artillery the latter included 35
generals, 16 of whom were colonels-commandant ;
35 colonels, 73 lieutenant-colonels, 328 captains, 445
lieutenants, 28 officers of different ranks belonging
to the Coast Brigade, 10 riding-masters, 16 pay •
masters, 28 quartermasters, 7 surgeon-majors, 9
surgeons, 76 assistant-surgeons, and 27 veteri-
nary surgeons. By the recent amalgamation these
have been increased by 17 generals, 10 colonels,
32 lieutenant-colonels, 132 captains, and 161
lieutenants from the Bengal Artillery; 6 gene-
rals, 8 colonels, 24 lieut.-colonels, 72 captains, and
91 lieutenants, from the Madras Artillery ; and 4
generals, 7 colonels, 14 lieut.-colonels, 54 captains,
and 64 lieutenants, from the Bombay Artillery.
The combined force of Royal Artillery now con-
sists of 62 generals, GO colonels, 143 lieut.-colonels,
586 captains, 761 lieutenants, 28 officers of the
Coast Brigade, 10 riding masters, 16 paymasters,
28 quartermasters, 92 medical officers, and 27 vete-
rinary surgeons, the whole of whom are distributed
over 30 brigades, consisting of 5 horse brigades, 12
garrison, 9 field, and 4 field and garrison brigades.
The brigades consist in the aggregate of 241 bat
teries, the strength of each battery numbering
g m
an average 150 non-commissioned officers and
num-
bers men.
Exclusive of officers the Royal Artillery
36,000 men of all ranks, in addition (
of four
o which
there is also the depot brigade,
consisting
divisions, two of which are stationedsh
eern . The four
at Woolwich,
one at Warley, and one at
the establishment
divisions comprise 20 batteries, the
of each battery being 200 men, giving an additional
the total strength
number of 4,000 men, thtuos swelling
40,000 men of all grades.
of the Royal Artillery
Directions have beeeerynereeeived at the head-quarters
stablishmen t, Chatham, from
of the Royal Engoirn
those non-commissioned officers
the Wareffice, f
who were selected to undergo the course of training
to qualify them
for instructors to Engineer Volun-
teer
Corps to proceed to the Ist Devon (Torquay)
Engineer Volunteer Company, the Ist Cheshire
(Birkenhead) Company, and the Ist Hampshire
(Southampton) Company.
In consequence of the increased duties devolving
upon the pay-sergeants of the Royal Marine Light
Infantry, caused by the increase in the number of
men borne on the shore strength of that branch of
the service, orders have been received at head-
quarters, Chatham, directing the employment of
eight pay-sergeants at each of the divisions of Royal
Marines, instead of four, as heretofore.
Yesterday a detachment of the 2d battalion of th©
sth Fusiliers, consisting of 5 sergeants, 45 rank and
file, 10 women, and 12 children, loft Colchester
Camp and embarked at Portsmouth on board the
Isabella, to join the service companies of their re-
giment in the Mauritius. The officers accompany_
jog the draught were Lieuts. Biron and Brome.
They will be joined at Cork by Lieut. Shegog, in
charge of a detachment
of the 2d battalion 04th
Regiment, proceeding to the same destination.
An announcement was yesterday received at
Chatham from the Admiralty that her Alajesty's
steamship Himalaya, 700-horse power, will shortly
be despatched to Canada, conveying the wives and
children of those British officers and troops recently
forwarded to Canada. The Himalaya will at the
same time take out B. full cargo of naval and military
stores. A detachment of Royal Marines will also
embark in the Himalaya to act as orderlies to the
women and children during the voyages for which
they will receive additional 07.