The Sun.
London, England, 1865-06-15 00:00:00

Naval and Military Intelligence.

VALETTA, June 6.—A mail has been unexpectedly
made up for France and England by the steamer
Prods, which leaves this afternoon for Marseilles.
This affords the opportunity of announcing the de-
parture of her Majesty's storeship Supply, Staff-
Commander C. Bawden, on the Ist inst., for Gib-
raltar and London, and of her Majesty's corvette
Cossack, 20, Capt. Saulez, on the 2d, for the coast
of Syria. The latter ship will call at Alexandria to
pick up some provisions, which were sent there for
the use of her Majesty's despatch vessel Caradoc,
Lieut.-Commander E. H. Wilkinson, the movements
of which have since been changed. The Caradoc left
last night for Constantinople. The English schooner
yacht Fair Rosamond, Mr. F. P. D. Radcliffe, pro-
prietor, left on the 31st May for Sicily and Mar-
seines. The Sybil left port the same day with Mr.
H. Kennard, and the Misses Kennard, for Tunis,
Algiers, and England. The Destiny, with Mr. C.
J. Kennard and family, left on the 3d for Constan-
tinople. The following English schooner yachts have
arrived :—The Zoe, with Sir Bruce and Lady Chi-
chester, on the let inst., from Smyrna ; the Pilgrim,
with Mr. A. E. Hope and the Rev. D. 31'0 wen, on
the 2d, from Syracuse ; and the Lizzie, on the same
day, from Corfu. The Malta 7imes of the Ist inst.
says We understand that Sir Robert Smart has
obtained the sanction of the Admiralty to allow the
half-pay of invalided men of the fleet to be con-
tinued to their families until they arrive home, in-
stead of, as heretofore, stopping it immediately on
their being invalided, which, it is hardly necessary
to say, often caused great inconvenience and even
positive misery to their families. These men are
also, with time-expired men, when waiting for a
passage home, to be allowed to receive a portion
of their pay monthly, which will admit of
their solacing their weary waiting . for the day
when they are to be homeward-bound by purchasing
fruits and other small creature comforts, which,
while they received none of their pay until their
arrival at home, they were unable to do while hang-
ing on here."

Her Majesty's screw steam corvette Scout, 21
guns, 1,560 tons, 400 horse power, Capt. J. A. P.
Price, left Sheerness harbour at 10 30 a.m. on Sa-
turday morning last, under under the charge of
Commander A. Barrow, of the Steam Reserve, for
the final trial of her engines at the measured mile
off Maplin Sands, previous to her departure for the
Pacific. On that station she will relieve the Tri-
bune, 23, screw steam frigate, Capt. Lord Gifford,
which is ordered home. The Scout left the harbour
under steam with topgallant across and looking in
good trim, being in every respect ready for sea,
with four months' provisions and 12 months' stores
on board. The mean speed attained after six runs
at the measured mile with full-boiler power was
10.875 knots per hour, and at half-boiler power
8.825 knots. The force of wind from two to three.
The ship was also tried at the circle ; with helm hard
to port at full-power the half circle was completed
in 2m 40s ; hard to starboard in 2m 555. The com-
plete circle at full-power was completed in 4m 48s,
half-boiler power 5m 26, the diameter of circles
being about 345 yards. There was a pressure of
steam at full-power of 181 b, and at half-power of
171 b ; vacuum, 25g. The trial was considered most
satisfactory, and the vessel was anchored at the little
Nore, and is waiting final orders.
The iron frigate Black Prince, 40, screw, Capt.
Lord F. W. Kerr, arrived and anchored at Spithead
on Saturday from the westward. She requires new
funnels, and, as her defects are somewhat large, she
may be very shortly paid cut of commission and
placed under a course of thorough repair, similar to
that now being given to her sister ship, the Warrior.
Her Majesty's ships now lying at Spithead, in
addition to the Black Prince, consist of the Liverpool,
35, screw wooden frigate, Capt. R. Lambert; the
Terrible, 20, paddle wooden frigate, Capt. G. Napier;
the Research, 4, iron-cased sloop, Capt. Arthur
Wilmshurst ; the Royal Sovereign, 5, iron-cased
turret-ship, Capt. A. C. Key, C. 8., pro tem; and
the iron screw troopship Orontes, Capt. H. W. Hire.
The hired sailing transport, Albert Victor, Com-
mander Clarke, arrived at Spithead on Tuesday
morning from Calcutta, with the left wing of the
71st Highland Light Infantry on board, under the
command of Major Gore, and soon after arrival re-
ceived orders to saij again for Gravesend to disem-
bark her troops. In addition to the 71st, she has
also brought home 14 time-expired men of the 94th
Regiment, and a few other military supernumeraries.
The left wing of the 71st proceed from Gravesend
to Leith to join headquarters. The latter recently
arrived from India in the hired screw transport
Mauritius. The Albert Victor sailed from Calcutta
-on the 17th of February, and called in at St. Helena
on the 25th of April. She sailed from Spithead on
Tuesday at 4 p.m., with a slight southerly wind.
The hired sailing transport Donald M'Kay, 2,600

tons, Commander R. Richards, belonging to
Messrs. James Baines and Co., arrived at Spithead

yesterday morning with troops, from Kurrachee,
having sailed thence on the sth of March. Very
light and baffling winds were experienced throughout
the voyage home. The officers and troops on board
comprise Major Miller and Lieuts. Busfield and
Borthwick, of the 79th Regiment; Lieut. Rudall, 24th
Regiment ; Lieut. Wilmer, 90th Regiment ; Lieut.
Holley, 101st; Assist.-Sorg. Ironsides, R.A. ; 177
invalided soldiers, 316 time-expired do., 25 women,
and 39 children from various regiments. Six soldiers
and 3 children died during the voyage. The Donald
M'Kay was towed into Portsmouth harbour yester-
day afternoon from Spithead and berthed alongside
the transport jetty of the dockyard, where the
troops will be disembarked this morning, and the
invalids sent to the Royal Victoria Hospital at
Netley, and the time-expired men to the depots of
their respective regiments. The ship excited much
attention yesterday on arrival alongside the dockyard
by her unusual size for a merchant ship, spacious
between decks, and admirable accommodation as a
troop-carrying ship. The officers who came home
in her with the troops spoke warmly in praise of the
ship in these respects and also of the attention paid
to their wants and those of the troops during the
voyages by Commander Richards and his officers.
The paddlewheel steam sloop Medea, 6, Com-
mander D'Arcy S. Preston, from Bermuda May 18,
arrived in Plymouth Sound on Monday morning.
She brings home the following invalided officers—
viz., Capt. Henry, RN., her Majesty's ship Gala-
tea ; Lieut. Godfrey, 2d Queen's ; Dr. Hastings, of
the Liffey ; Mr. Savage, midshipman, of the Py-
lades ; and Mr. Boyling, gunner, of the Galatea,
with 24 naval and military invalids, 52 marines of
the Bermuda Dockyard Battalion, 5 women, 7
children, and 9 prisoners. Dr. James M. E. Wal-
lace, surgeon, of the Medea, died on the 15th of