The Sun.
London, England, 1865-01-12 00:00:00

Naval and Military Intelligence.

VALErrA, Jan. 6.—The only arrival of her Ma-
esty's ships is that of the Tyrian, 2, screw gunboat,

Lieut.-Commanding P. J. Murray, on Tuesday
last, from Tunis. She had been relieved by the
Cockatrice, 2, screw gunboat, Lieut.-Commanding

R. M. Gibson. She brings no news of importance.
The Cossack, 20, screw corvette, Capt. W. R. Rol-
land, will leave in a day or two, after the arrival of
the English mail, for Patras and the lonian Islands,
I to relieve the Pelican, 17, screw corvette, Comman-
der W. C. Comber, which will return to Malta.
The Cossack is expected back in about six weeks.
The Meeanee, 60, screw line-of-battle ship, Captain
G. Wodehouse, will also shortly leave for the Pi-
ncus of Athens, as likewise the Revenge, 73, screw
line-of-battle ship (bearing the flag of Rear Admiral
Yelverton, C. 8.), for Naples, on a cruise. Captain
the Hon. F. A. Foley, of this ship, is absent on
leave. Rear Admiral Kellett hoisted his flag
on board the Hibernia on Friday last, when Vice-
Admiral Austin shifted his to the Psyche, 2, Lieut.-
Commanding Robert Sterne, which vessel will take
the Vice-Admiral and family to Naples, en route to
England. Vice-Admiral Austin gave a dinner on
Thursday at the Admiralty-house, Vittoriosa, to
introduce the officers of the naval establishments to
the new Superintendent. It is expected that he
will take his departure about the 11th or 12th inst.
The 'Victoria, 102, screw line-of-battle ship (the
new flagship of the Commander-in-Chief), Captain
J. G. Goodenough, is refitting and having offices
constructed on board to accommodate the Admiral's
staff. The Fox, 2, screw storeship, Master-Com-
mander Moriarty, lately arrived from England, is
alongside the Victualling-yard wharf discharging
stores for the fleet. The Royal Oak, 35, screw iron-
clad, Capt. F. A. Campbell, is still in dock, having
scuttles cut in her sides and undergoing other altera-
tions for the purpose of better ventilation. It is ex-
pected she will be out of the hands of the workmen
by the middle of the present month. The small-
arm men of the squadron, under the command of
Capt. G. G. Randolph, commanding her Majesty's
ship Orlando, with two Commanders acting as
Majors, and a Gunnery-Lieutenant as Adjutant,
assembled yesterday on the Floriana parade-ground,
and were put through several manoeuvres. Frede-
rick Moore, privtte Royal Marines Light Infantry,
of her Majesty's ship Cossack, was tried on the 28th
ult. by court-martial, held on board her Majesty's
ship Hibernia, for striking Serg. John Green, of
the same corps, when in the execution of his duty.
Capt. F. A. Campbell, commanding the Royal Oak,
presided, and Mr. F. J. Fegan, R.N., Judge Advo-
cate. The prisoner was found guilty and sentenced
to receive' 48 lashes, to be imprisoned for two years
with hard labour in one of her Majesty's gaols, and
then be dismissed the service with disgrace. The cor-
poral punishment will probably be remitted, owing
to the prisoner's weak health. The Resistance, 16,
ironclad ; Magicienne, 16 ; Wanderer, 5 ; Lizard,
2 ; and the surveying vessels Hydra, 6, and Firefly,
5, are also in port. The other ships of the squad-
, ron are distributed as follows :—Liffey, 35, Chanti-
cleer, 17, and Assurance, 4, Greece ; Phoebe, 35,
' and Suprise, 4, Beyrout ; Caradoc, 2, despatch ves-
sel (having on board Sir Henry Bulwer), Levant ;
Weser, 6, Danube ; Racer, 11, Tunis ; Gibraltar,
81, Gibraltar.

The names of the Dryad screw steam frigate, of
3,207 tons, and 600-horse power of engines, and the
Harlequin screw corvette, of 950 tons, and 200-
horse power of engines, both of which vessels have
been standing in frame for some time past on Nos.
2 and 3 building slips of Portsmouth dockyard,
have been removed from the Admiralty official

Navy List for the present quarter, and work-
men are now engaged in taking down the frames
of both vessels, which will now be con-
verted for use in the construction of other vessels.
The only vessel now on the building slips of Ports-
mouth dock is the Helicon paddlewheel despatch
vessel, and her launch is ordered to take place on
the 31st inst. It is not inopportune at the begin-
ning of a new year to note that Portsmouth—the
chief naval port of England—contains ships of war
at this time having an aggregate of about 20,000
horse power of engines, and out of this large amount

of reserved force but one small vessel, the Sparrow,

hawk, 6 guns, 676 tons, and 200-horse power of
engines, is officially reported as " ready for sea."
This apparently alarming fact must, we presume, be
looked upon as an unavoidable result attendant upon
the transformation of the navy from wood to iron.
The Royal paddle yacht Alberta, Staff-Commander
Welch, arrived at Portsmouth yesterday from Cowes-
roads, to fill up stores, &c., for further service. The
yacht had steam in two only (after ones) out of her
four boilers, and under this condition, which is now
her general rule in steaming, she maintains a very
favourable rate of speed.
The sailing frigate Indefatigable, 50, fitting for a
training ship in the Mersey, was under orders to
leave Plymouth yesterday afternoon for Liverpool,
in charge of Commander Paul, and in tow of the
paddlewheel steam vessel Medusa, Commander John
IL Allard. The Lords of the Admiralty have coun-
termanded that order, and the Medusa has received
200 seamen from the ironcased ships, with ground
tackle, hawsers, &c., for the purpose of proceeding
to the coast of France, near Cherbourg, to help a
large stranded merchant vessel, said to be called the
Aurora.
Her Majesty's screw steamer Cadmus, .21, 1,466
tons, 400-horse power (nominal), Capt. Alexander
C. Gordon, having been fully equipped for sea,
made her official trial of speed, at her deep sea
draught of water, at the Maplin Sands, near Cha-
tham, yesterday, under superintendence of the offi-
cials connected with the Steam Reserve. The Cadmus
was inspected the previous day by Vice-Admiral
Sir Charles Talbot, K.C.8., Naval Commander-in-
Chief at the Nore, who visited the various portions
of the vessel, and mustered the crew at quarters.
The officials to superintend the trial embarked from
Chatham-dockyard in the paddle-wheel steamer
Adder, Master-Commander W. J. Blakey. They
included Capt. W. K. Hall, C. 8., commanding the
Steam Reserve ; Mr. Baker, chief inspector of ma-
chinery at Chatham ; Mr. W. Rumble, inspector of
machinery afloat ; and Mr. Hutchens, principal
assistant-master shipwright, and his staff. The
Cadmus with the whole of her stores, crew, &c., on
board, had a draught of water of 17ft. 2in. forward
and 19ft. 11in. aft, the bottom of her midship port-
sills being 10ft. lin. above the water. The quantity
of coals on board was about 300 tons. The engines
are by Messrs. Penn and Sons, and are fitted with
the latest improvements. The weather yesterday
was favourable for the trial, there being a force of
wind of 2to 3, with scarcely any swell. On reach-
ing the Maplin Sands six runs were taken over the
measured mile at full boiler power, with the follow-
ing results :—First run—time, 6min. 32 sec. ; speed
in knots, 9.183 ; revolutions of screw per minute,
61; pressure of steam, 201 b. Second run—time,
4min. 50sec. ; speed, 12.413 knots ; revolutions,
61 ; pressure 211 b. Third run—time, 6min. 10sec. ;
speed, 9.729 knots ; number of revolutions, 64,
pressure, 211 b. Fourth run—time 4min. 58sec. ;
speed, 12.080 knots ; number of revolutions, 61;
' pressure, 211 b. Fifth run—time, 6min. ; speed,
10.000 knots ; number of revolutions, 62 ; pressure
211 b. Last run—time, 5 min. ; speed, 10.000 knots
revolutions, 62 ; pressure of steam 211 b. Giving an
average speed of 10.978 knots, or rather a knot
. per hour less than on the occasion •of the former
trial of the Cadmus a few weeks since. . This
falling off is to be accounted for from the circum-
stance of the mean draught of water of the Cadmus
yesterday being 18ft. 7in., and on the occa-
. sion of the last trial 17ft. 6in., while in the early
part of the trial the steam could be barely kept up
to 211bs. Two runs were afterwards taken over
the mile at the half-boiler power, when the mean
speed realised was 9.105 knots, with a pressure of
steam of 20 lbs., and 49 revolutions of the screw per
minute. At the termination of the speed trial the
ship was tested in making circles, when the complete
circle at half-boiler power was made in 5 minutes
and 9 seconds, the helm being put over to starboard
at an angle of 25 deg., by six men in 2i turns. With
the helm hard over to starboard the complete circle
with full boiler power was made in 4 min. 28 sec.
The half circle at full boiler power was made in 2
min. 11 seconds, with the rudder at 22 deg. From
the order being given from the bridge to the engine-