The Sun.
London, England, 1865-09-27 00:00:00

Naval and Military Intelligence.

VALETTA, Sept. 22.—Her Majesty's 'surveying
steamer Firefly, Commander G. R. Wilkinson, re-
turned on the evening of the 11th inst., after an
absence of more than two months. She left Malta
on the Bth of July, and called at Mazzara, but could
not communicate, owing to the strict quarantine re-
gulations. She then proceeded to Cagliari, where
she arrived on the 12th of July, and was detained
seven days in quarantine, the surgeon having to
report daily the state of health of the ship's com-
pany. She then went in search of the reputed Fox
Rock. After an elaborate survey no indications of
shallow water were found, the least depth being over
60 fathoms, with a coral bottom, on which about 50
boats are employed fishing for coral in the summer
months. The Firefly then returned to Sicily, and
resumed her survey of last year, completing the
coast from Castellamare, midway between Trapani
and Palermo, to Cape St. Marco, east of Mazzara,
including the islands Maritimo, Favignana, and Le-
vanzo. The new charts, when published, will show
many important alterations, and it is highly credit-
able to the surveying officers of this ship to have ac-
complished such an amount of work in the short
period in which they have been engaged on this im-
portant survey, the necessity for which had been re-
peatedly pointed out in The Sun. The Firefly leaves
to-day to complete the:survey of the coast of Tunis,
between Soussa, Sfax, and Jerbah. It is much de-
sired when this is accomplished that attention should
be again turned to Sicily. The whole island re-
quires re-surveying. The inaccuracies of the present
charts are constantly being forced into notice, owing
to the increasing Italian trade,and consequent more
frequent navigation of these waters. It has only
lately been discovered that Cape Granitola, the
first land made by the Peninsular and Oriental
steam packets leaving Malta for Marseilles, is
placed on the charts now in use three miles west of
its true position, and Cape St. Vito two miles and a
half to the northward and eastward of whereitreally
lies. Judging from these inaccuracies, which are
being corrected, it may be fairly concluded that
others of a similar kind exist on other parts of the
coast. We know that till the visit of her Majesty's
ship Marlborough in August, 1864, a very serious
error existed in the plan of the Bay of Palermo, and
gross errors are also known to have been made in
the neighbourhoods of Licata, Cape Passaro, and
Syracuse. The reason why more shipwrecks have
not happened is doubtless owing to the general bold-
ness of the Sicilian coast. For the honour of Eng-
lish hydrography these errors, or rather blunders,
should not be allowed to remain uncorrected ; for
our surveys of Sicily are daily sneered at by Italian
navigators, who say theyare obliged to depend more
upon the correctness of their eyesight than the Eng-
lish charts. Some time ago a story was published
in the Patrie of an alleged act of vandalism on the
part of some officers of the Firefly, in one of their
late visits to the coast of Tunis. As might have
been anticipated, this story turns out to be untrue.
It was not at all probable that officers of a survey-
ing ship would wilfully destroy or deface any object
of antiquarian interest they might meet with in their
researches. The true circumstances which gave rise
to the charge are stated to me to have been as
follows, and some importance is attached to them,
as they have been, I understand, the subject
of a diplomatic correspondence between M. Drouyn
de Lhuys, Lord Cowley, and Lord Russell.
About the 20th of June an Arab named Gahbish,
of Bab-el-Arabi, Soussa, coast of Barbary, met Mr.
Gray, acting master of her Majesty's ship Firefly,
then surveying on the coast, and offered to take
him to the Arab's grounds and excavate some
Roman tombs. Mr. Gray consented, and spoke
to Mr. Carpenter, the acting chief engineer, as
he had to go on duty in the country. Next
morning Mr. Carpenter asked the surgeon of the
ship to accompany him, which he did. They were
taken about a quarter of a mile from the town on
the main road, a few yards from which was a small
tumulus on a kind of common, and unenclosed.
This the Arab opened with the assistance of his two
labourers. On the floor a mosaic representing se-
veral descriptions of fish was shown to them. This
was then washed, and would have been carried away
by the party, but the hour was late, and the place
was left uncovered. The officers intended to return
next day, but on the following morning they heard
that a French engineer, M. Daux, had the Bey's
exclusive permission to excavate in that part of the
regency. Mr. Carpenter immediately sent and had
the spot covered in and everything replaced as before.
This was done by the same Arab and his labourqs,
and the expense Mr. Carpenter paid. Before leaving
Soussa, Mr. Levi, the Acting British Vice-Consul,
assured the officers that he had settled the affair,
and they were much surprised to read the unwar-
ranted charge in the letter published in the French
newspaper. Her Majesty's screw corvette Pelican,
Commander R. P. Cator, arrived on the 15th inst.
from Spezzia. The screw gun-vessel Surprise, 4,
Commander G. Tryon, left port on the same day,
with a mail and despatches for the Commander-in-
Chief, calling at Leghorn. The despatch vessel
Caradoc, Lieut. E. Wilkinson, arrived on the 11th
inst., from Constantinople, and left on the 18th for
Trieste. Two Prussian ships of war, the Nympher,
17, and the Delphine, 3 guns, arrived on the 17th
inst. from Gibraltar and Algiers, and left the fol-
lowing day for Athens and Constantinople. The
Tunisian steam corvette Mansour, which had been
undergoing extensive repairs in this port for some
time past, left on the 14th inst. for Tunis. Yesterday
the Italian mail brought letters from the squadron
at Leghorn and Castellmare (Bay of Naples), the
Commander-in-Chief, with the wooden ships, being
at the former place, Rear-Admiral Yelverton, with
the Caledonian and the iron-clads, at the latter.
The Victoria (flagship of Vice-Admiral Smart), Gib-
raltar, Orlando, and Chanticleer arrived at Leghorn
on Sept. 13, the Psyche having passed them on their
way from Spezzia, which port they left on Tuesday
morning, the 12th inst. They expected to remain at
Leghorn about a week, and then proceed to Castella-
mare to join the iron squadron. A notice was issued
in the squadron on the 14th that letters for the Vic-
toria, Gibraltar, Orlando, and Psyche leaving London
after the 19th inst. should until further orders be di-
rected to Castellamare. The works in course of con-
struction at Spezzia are very extensive. A large
dockyard is being built, and the approach to it
dredged, and the work appears to be pushed on with
energy. Many of our naval officers were preparing
for excursions to Pisa and Florence. The Resistance
left Spezzia on the Ist inst. for Genoa. Capt. Cham-
berlain joined her on the Bth, on which day she was
to sail for Castellamare. The Royal Oak left Spezzia
for Castellamare on the 7th, and both vessels arrived
at Naples on the 12th. The Magicienne joined the
Commander-in-chief at s
after remaining
pratique was to leave on
a week for Pezzia on the 4th, and
the 13th for Castellamare.The Racoon arrived at
Genoa on Aug. 13 from Portsmouth,
bauntdowwiansg totn
have received Trince Alfred on board,
some alteration in his Royal Ilighneees
movements,
she left on his return to Portsmouth, and caned
at,
Spezzia on the 6th, taking home invalids &e, on
the 13th she passed through the Straits of Gibraltar,
and communicated with the Fortress by signal, in_
tending to call at Tangier for provisions. Mr. R. M.
Le Geyt, naval cadet of the Gibraltar, deserted from
that ship on the 6th inst., three days after joining
her; nothing had since been heard of him. The Racer
arrived at Leghorn from Malta on the 14th, and
had a week's quarantine to perform. Three courts-
martial were held on board the Gibraltar at Spezzia
on the sth inst. Capt. Coote was president of the
first two, and Capt. Dickson of the third ; Mr. F.
J. Fegen, secretary to the Commander-in-Chief,
officiating Judge-Advocate. Mr. W. Flowers, act-
ing gunner of the Chanticleer, for drunkenness,
was sentenced to foifeit all seniority and to be dis-
missed his ship ; John Weaver, boy, first class, of
of the Pelican, for stabbing T. Beach, able seaman,
to 48 lashes and nine months' imprisonment, with
hard labour ; and T. Wall, ordinary seaman of the
Gibraltar, for desertion, to only three months' hard
labour, being a man of previous good character.
The following appointments have been made by the
Commander-in-Chief from the flagship :—Lieut.
W. G. Le Cocq to the Royal Oak ; Mr. F. N. Howe,
clerk, to the Hibernia ; Mr. H. Howell, assist.-clerk,
to the Gibraltar ; Mr. C. E. Goulsbary, assist.-clerk,
t° the Chanticleer ; Mr. G. W. Russell, midsbip-

man, to the Chanticleer ; Mr. R. M. Le Geyt, naval
cadet, to the Gibraltar ; Mr. R. L. Bayly, naval
cadet, to the Resistance. Col. Kennedy, command-
ing the 3d Brigade Royal Artillery, inspected the
troops under his command on the 20th inst., pre-
previous to his departure for Italy, on two months'
leave of absence. He was much pleased with the
good appearance of the men on parade, and with
the steadiness with which the several evolutions
were performed. Captain Astley, 49th Regt., has
been appointed District Inspector of Musketry in
this command, vice Major Hill, 40th Regiment.
Her Majesty's steam tug Hearty yesterday con-
veyed the wing of the 29th Regiment, which, dur-
ing the summer, was stationed at Pembroke Bar-
! racks, St. George's Bay, to its former barracks in
the Cottonera district. Prince Frederick of Schles-
wig-Holstein arrived in the Syria from Alexandria,
and proceeded in the same vessel for Marseilles.
Capt. Norris arrived in the Ripon from Southamp-
ton and Gibraltar for this garrison. Capt. Willan
arrived in the Massilia from Marseilles. Ensign
Fitzherbert and Sergeant-Major Hibbert arrived in
the Tanjore from Southampton. Quartermaster J.
Nally, 84th Regiment, left in the Crimean Liver-
pool. Capt. Bower, 4th Regiment, and Mrs. Bower
left in the Una for London.

A review and field day—the last under the com-
mand of Lieut.-Gen. Sir J. L. Pennefather, K.C.B.
—took place at Aldershot yesterday, in the presence
of Lord Hardinge and others. The troops, to the
number of nearly 7,000, formed on Eclmore-hill at
10 o'clock in contiguous column of brigades, and at
half-past 10 Sir John rennefather arrived on the
field. The division, having been inspected, marched
past the saluting point, the cavalry, Royal Horse
Artillery, Royal Engineers, and Military Trains in
open column of squadrons at a walk, and the infan-
try in open column of grand divisions in quick time,
the Horse Artillery and cavalry passing a second
time at a gallop. A sham fight followed. The
enemy was supposed to hold possession of the rifle
ranges. The cavalry commenced the attack, co-
vered by a strong body of skirmishers, but they
were driven in by the overwhelming numbers op-
posed to them, and retired in good order, the nine
regiments of infantry forming square. Line was re-
formed, and the infantry, in line of brigades, corn-
menced a rapid file fire, beating a retreat, meanwhile
the lines retiring through each other until the banks
of the Basingstoke canal were reached. The engi-
neers had two pontoon bridges rapidly laid down,
and the troops retired over them in good order and
in a very short time, their retreat being covered by
artillery and a strong body of skirmishers. On
reaching Cove-common line was reformed, and the
troops were dismissed to their quarters about half-
past 1 o'clock. Lord Hardinge, after luncheon with
Gen. Pennefather at Major-Gen. Russell's quarters,
on the North Camp, returned to town in the after-
noon.

The half-yearly inspection at Aldershot commences
on Monday next.
Major-Gen. Warde has just made an official visit
of inspection to Warley Barracks, near Brentwood.
The troops executed various manoeuvres, under the
command of Col. Radcliffe, and the inspecting offi-
cer expressed his satisfaction with their appearance,
and also with the state of the barracks.
The chartered steamer Duke of Cornwall is ex-
pected to arrive in the Thames to-day from Dublin,
having on board the depot companies of the 49th
Regiment, consisting of 5 officers, 120 non-com-
missioned officers and men, 1 officer's wife and two
children, 18 soldiers' wives, and 31 children. The
troops will land at Tilbury pier, under the direction
of the officers of the staff from Chatham garrison.
On disembarking the depot will proceed to Colches-
ter, where the companies will be stationed.
After a lengthened delay, the Admiralty have
admitted the claims for compensation on the part of
the workmen employed in the ropery at Chatham
Dockyard, who were thrown out of work on the re-
cent introduction of the spinning machinery at that
establishment, and an order was yesterday received
directing the payment to each of the workmen dis-
charged from the yard of a certain sum varying in
amount according tolength of service and other con-
siderations.

RAILWAY INTELLIGENCE.

• -

SCOTTISH CENTRAL.

The directors state in their report that the bill for
the incorporation of this company with the Cale-
donian Railway Company, after a lengthened oppo-
sition in the House of Commons, received the royal
assent on the sth July. By its terms the Scottish
Central was dissolved as from the Ist July last, and
merely subsisted for the purpose of enabling the di-
rectors to declare and pay to the holders of stock and
shares dividends for the past half year, and for winding
up. The Caledonian Company had been in possession
of the line since the Ist August, and it was now under
their management and formed part of their system.
By the Act of Amalgamation the Scottish Central
ordinary shareholders were secured in a guaranteed
minimum dividend at the rate of £7 per cent. per
annum, and were entitled, in addition, to rank pari
passu with ordinary shareholders of the Caledonian
Company for any excess beyond 7 per cent. The
first guaranteed dividend would be payable in re-
pect of the half-year ending the 31st of January,
1866. The directors had been engaged in taking
the necessary steps to realise the revenue assets, an
ascertain, with a view to liquidation, all the liabilities
and outstanding claims of the company. To bring
down the accounts to the date of amalgamation
the locomotive and upholding expenditure for July,
which had always hitherto been charged to the suc-
ceeding or January half-year, was now included in
that of July There was also an increased expen-
diture for wages arising from the same cause. The
aggregate extra expenditure incurred on these
items amounted to £8,086. There was an increase
of £9,802 in upholding suspense account. The Cale-
donian were bound to assume this account, along
with the other suspense accounts, Tay ferries, and
renewal of engines and bridges, as they stood on
July 31, 1864. The amount at that date was
£49,875, and the amount on July 31, 1865, was
£53,870, showing an excess to be provided for by
this company out of its own funds of £3,995.
Those items being exceptional, increased the expen-
diture largely. The traffic receipts for the half-year
and from other sources amounted to £14,390, and
the expenditure to date of amalgamation to £121,778,
leaving a balance of £21,612, but to this was added
£42 surplus balance from preceding account, and
£9,110 guarantee fund, making £34,154 avail-
able for a dividend, at the rate of fully 2/ per
cent. per annum for the half-year ; but as several
claims had been made against the company which
might be litigated, the directors recommended an
interim dividend of 5 per cent. per annum, pay-
able on the 6th of October, leaving a balance of
£8,029 on hand, till the whole liabilities and assets
had been ascertained, and for this purpose the meet-
ing of the 30th inst. could be adjourned to the 23d
of February next.