The Sun.
London, England, 1865-06-28 00:00:00

Naval and Military Intelligence.

Her Majesty's screw frigate Dauntless, 31, 580-
horse power, Capt. J. N. Strange, arrived at the
Nore at an early hour yesterday morning from the
Humber, where she has been stationed as coastguard
ship. Before coming to anchor she saluted the flag
of Vice-Admiral Sir Charles Talbot, K.C.8., naval
Commander-in-Chief, and the salute was returned
by the Formidable, 84. The Dauntless afterwards
steamed up the Medway and took up her berth near
the west shore, where she will unship her guns and
ammunition into one of the ordnance transports
from 'Chatham. She will afterwards be placed in
dock for, the purpose of undergoing a thorough
overhaul and repair, and to make good defects. The
Dauntless has twice had a narrow escape from de-
struction by fire.
The screw frigate Arethusa, 35, 500-horse power.
(nominal), Capt. Macdonald, until recently attached
to the first division of the Steam Reserve in the
Medway, but lately commissioned by the Admiralty
for experimental purposes, is not expected to be
ready to join the other vessels composing the squa-
dron for about a fortnight or three weeks. The Are-
thusa is one of three frigates—the others being the
Octavia, 39, 500-horse power, and the Constance,
39, 500-horse power—selected by the Admiralty to
be fitted with the newest and most approved en-
gines it is possible to construct, to be used to obtain
correct data with regard to the comparative con-
sumption of coal. In order that each of the frigates
named might be fitted with the best engines, eminent
engineering firms were invited to tender for their
construction without any restriction as to price, &c.
The Arethusa, which was the last of the 50-gun
sailing frigates" converted" at Chatham Dockyard,
was accordingly fitted with engines of 500-horse
power (nominal) by Messrs. John Penn and Sons,
the Octavia with engines of 500-horse power by
Messrs. Maudslay, Son, and Field, and the Con-'
stance with similar engines by Messrs. Randolph and
Eller. Each of the engines is, however, constructed
on an entirely different principle, the Arethusa
having the ordinary two cylinders, while those
of the Octavia have three cylinders and the Con-
stance six. All the engines are fitted with super-
heaters and surface condensers, and each can be
worked up to an indicated horse power of 3,000. It
is to be hoped that arrangements will be made for
having the results of the trial of each vessel obtained
with as much accuracy as possible, as on them will
depend the form and character which our future
marine engines will take. The present average con-
sumption of coal in her Majesty's steamers is 3.51 b.
per indicated horse power per hour, but with the im-
provements effected in the machinery of the vessels
named confident anticipations are formed that the
consumption will be one-third less, or 2.51 b per
actual horse power per hour. The Arethusa, the
Constance, and the Octavia are expected to be ready
to commence their experimental cruise in the Chan-
nel some time during the month of July.
The dockyard, the ordance-wharf, and the whole
of the other Government establishments at Chatham,
will be closed to-day, the anniversary of her Ma-
jesty's coronation.
The transport Tyburnia, Capt. Coote, which ar-
rived at Plymouth on Saturday evening, left on
Monday afternoon for London. The four companies
of the 66th Regiment, including the head-quarters,
which landed from her on Monday morning, are
now stationed at Plymouth Citadel. The regiment
left Portsmouth on Aug. 30, 1857, and landed on
Dec. 13 at Cananore, in the Presidency of Madras.
In this district the men have been employed ever
since, chiefly at Cananore and on detachment at the
coast stations of Mangalore, Sirce, Calicut, and
Mallaporam. In Jan., 1863, they'removed to Ban-
galore, where they continued until the date of the
embarkation for England on March the 9th. The
regiment throughout its stay in India has been
healthy, and the general appearance of those who
have come home is creditable. On departure from
England the 66th was under command of Col. Law,
who sold out of the service in 1863, and was shortly
after succeeded by the present chief, Col. Benson.
The iron screw steamship Achilles, 20, Capt. E.
W. Vansittart, left Plymouth Sound yesterday
morning, for Portland, to join the Channel
squadron, and make experiments of her sailing qua-
lities now that she has been relieved of her bowmast
and bowsprit. This mast, which was iron, weighed
14 tons, and the entire weight of mast, iron bow-
sprit, and all the gear.attached, including a bridge
across the deck, is estimated at 40 tons. The relief
from such a weight forward will, it is expected, make
her more lively at sea, and at the same time will ad-
mit of the increase of her armament in the bows.
The alterations have, of course, involved the neces-
sity of considerable modification of her staysails and
other sails before the mast. If the removal of her
bowmast prove advantageous, the positions of the
present foremast and of the mainmast must be altered.
Her main deck wheel has been removed to a com-
partment below, out of the reach of shot.
The following appointments were made yesterday
at the Admiralty :—Commander JohnW. James, to
be Inspecting Commander in the Coastguard, vice
Chimmo, appointed to the Gannet ; Lieut. Wm. 11.
Elton, to the Pembroke, for service in the Coast-
guard ; W. B. Forbes, midshipman, to the Research ;
Henry C. Sloggett, nominated to a naval cadetship;
Alfred S. Pratt, surgeon, to the Ganet; Fredk. M.
Aylem, clerk, to the Ganet; David C. Ker, assist.-
clerk, to the Cambridge ; Robert H. Horne, Ist class
assist.-engineer, to the Octavia; and Geo. P. Gardi-
ner, acting 2d class assist.-engineer, to the Octavia.

MARKETS—This Day,