The Sun.
London, England, 1862-12-27 00:00:00

711 E NAVY.

We have reeeived the following letter from
Malta, dated Dec. 16 :-" The following is the pre-
sent distribution of the Mediterranean fleet :-
The Alacrity, 4, Commander S. K. E. Baird, Corfu.
The Chanticleer, 17, Commander C. Stirling,
Malta. The Cockatrice, 2, Lieut.-Commander R.
M. Gillson, Danube. The Doris, 32, Capt. Sir F.
M'Clintock, left Gibraltar on the Bth inst. for Eng-
land, to be paid off. The Edgar, 71 (bearing the
flag of Rear-Admiral S. C. Dacres, C. 8.), Capt. the
Hon. F. A. Foley, Corfu., The Firebrand, 6, Com-
mander S. B. Piers, Gibraltar. The Firefly, 5,
surveying vessel, Commander A. L. Mansell, Malta.
The Foxhound, 4, Commander the Hon. A. Hobart,
Nauplia. The Gannet, 11, Commander the Hon.
M. H. Nelson, arrived at Gibraltar on the 9th
inst., from Malta, homeward bound. The Hiber-
nia, receiving ship (bearing the flag of Rear-
Mreiral H. J. Codrington) C. 8., Commander R.
11, Harvey, Malta (with her tenders, Boxer and
Growler). The Icarus, 11, Commander N. Salmon,
V.O , lonian Islands. Liffey, 39, Capt. G. Parker,
left Malta Dec. 12, for the Piraeus. The London, 83,
Capt. H. Chads, arrived at Malta on the 15th inst.,
and left on the 18th, for England, to be paid off.
The Magicienne, 16, Capt. H.S.H. the Prince of
Leiningen, Naples, ordered to return to Malta. The
Malacca, 17, Capt. G. J. Napier,coast'of Syria. The
Marlborough, 131, Capt. W. H. Stewart, C. 8., left
Malta on 17th inst. for a few days' gun practice,
and is still in sight of the island. The Vice-Admi-
ral Commander-in-Chief Sir W.F. Martin, K.C.8.,
has temporarily transferred his flag to the Phoebe,
35, Capt. T. D. A. Fortescue. The Mars, 80, Capt.
J. N. Strange, which arrived at Malta on the 11th
inst. from the coast of Syria, proceeded on her voyage
to England on the 15th, to be paid off. The Medina,
4, surveying vessel, Lieut.-Com. G. R. Wilkinson,
(temporarily, in the absence on leave of Capt. T. A.
B. Spratt, C. 8.), Salonica. The Pelican, 17, Com.
P. Brock, Piraeus. The Phoebe, 35, Capt. T. D. A.
Fortescue, Malta, is to, go out in a day or two for
gun practice. The Procris, 2, Lient...Com. the Hon.
J. B. Vivian, Gibraltar. The Psyche, 1, despatch
vessel, Lieut.-Corn. Sterne, left Malta on the Bth
inst. for Alexandria and Constantinople. The
Queen, 76, Capt. G. F. Hillyar, Piraeus. The
Scylla, 22, Capt. R. Lambert, on her way to Eng-
land to be paid off. The Shannon, 35, Capt. 0. J.
Jones, Patras. The Surprise, 4, Commander W. H.
Whyte, Coast of Syria. The St. George, 86, Capt.
the Hon. F. Egerton (having on board Prince Al-
fred), left Malta on the 15th inst. for Naples, to re-
lieve the Magicienne. The Trafalgar, 72, Capt. the
Hon. T. Bailie, left Malta on the 13th inst. for
Corfu, taking with her a general mail for that island.
The Trident, 3, Commander C. J. Balfour, Alexan-
dria. The Wanderer, 4, Commander M. C. Seymour,
Coast of Syria. The Weser, 6, Commander A. H. J.
Johnstone, Danube. The Royal yacht Osborne,
Master Commander Bower, arrived at Gibraltar on
the 3d inst. from Marseilles, and left on the 6th for
England. Midnight.-The Massilia has arrived
from Alexandria with the passengers of the late
ship Colombo and the portion of mails saved from
that vessel, which, since her going ashore on the
Minicoy Island, has broken in two pieces and be-
come a total wreck."

The Salamis, 4, paddlewheel despatch steamer, of
250-horse power, the next vessel to be launched
at Chatham dockyard, is being rapidly completed
by the large body of shipwrights employed on her,
directions frem the Admiralty having been received
for her launch to take place in March next. She
is sister ship to the Psyche, built at Pembroke dock-
yard, and like that vessel is expected to attain a
high rate of speed, which will render her exceed-
ingly serviceable as a despatch steamer.
The Rhadamanthus, 4, 220 horse power, Master
Commander F. R. Sturdee, arrived at Chatham on
Christmas-day from Scotland, having on board the
stern-post and some heavy portions of the iron work
for the Achilles, 50, 1,250 horse power, which have
been forged at one of the Glasgow foundries. The
stern-post was unshipped yesterday by means of
the floating shears in the harbour, after which the
Rhadamanthus left Chatham for the Nore.
The following appointments have been made at
the Admiralty :—Lieut. W. H. Heaton, to the Rus-
sell ; Lieut. F. P. Renshaw, to the Firefly ; V. F.
Johnson, master, to the Malacca ; C. leely, chief
engineer, to the Cumberland for the Scylla, when
thc latter is paid o$; Dr. G. Davidson, surgeon, to
the Meanee ; W. Bremner, second class assist. en-
gineer, to the Cumberland, as supernumerary; T.
Owen, acting second class assist. engineer, to the
Indus for the Prospero ; S. S. C. Hall, assist. pay-
master, to the Hogue; R. S. Grey, second master,
to the Fisgard ; J. W. Lecombe, clerk, to the Im-
pregnable ; and G. J. Boys, clerk, to the Hawke.
Mr. M. Johnson has been nominated to a cadetship.