The Sun.
London, England, 1853-03-21 00:00:00

REINFORCEMENT OF THE MEDITERRANEAN

FLEET.

We stated some days since that the Mediterranean
fleet would most likely be reinforced, and we expected,
from an order given last week, that none of the men be-
longing to the steam squadron at Spithead should be
allowed leave on shore, that before this some of the ships
would have taken their departure for Malta. It appears,
however, that on Saturday orders were received at
Portsmouth for Rear-Admiral Corry's baggage to be
landed from the Prinee Regent, 90, and on that day,
our correspondent states, "the Prince Regent, 90, CaP-
tain Frederick Hutton. and Leopard, 16 (paddle-frigate),
Captain George Gifford, fired a signal-gun at 1.30
p.m., and hoisted the blue peter 'at the fore; and it
was supposed that' sudden orders had come down for
them to put to sea, and their destination the Mediter-
ranean. They unmoored, and awaited further orders.
Yesterday, our oorrespondent says, writing at four
p.m., " London, 90, Captain Mundy, has just fired a
signal-gun, and hoisted the blue peter at the fore.
4.20 p.m., Sidon, 22, Captain Goldsmith, has just
hoisted the blue peter at the fore. Prince Regent and
Leopard are quiet." At all events, the ships are on the
qui vive, and, with the exception of the London, which
ship is still above 150 short, are fully manned, and
ready for any service.
We have intelligence from Malta to the 14th inst.
The Wasp, 14, screw-ship, Commander Lord John Rey,
had arrived with dispatches from Constantinople, to the
effect, it was believed; that the nearer Admiral Dun-
das's fleet was to the Dardanelles the more satisfactory
it would be to the Turks, and the more advantageous to
the preservation of the peace of Europe. ' The gallant
admiral's fleet was in the highest state of excellence, and
perhaps there never was a small force so united and so
effective for any service it might be called upon to
perform.

The detail of the British force in the Mediterranean
is nearly-as follows

SHIPS OF THE LINE.

Guns. Men.
Britannia 120 1000 Capt. Carter (flag-ship)
Trafalgar 120 - 960 Capt. Greville.
Albion 9O 820 Capt. Lushington.
Rodney 92 820 Capt. Graham, C.B.
Bellerophon 7B 650 Capt. Lord G. Paulett.

Arethusa.
Modesto l6 145 Com. Lord Compton.
, ; ' .STEAM-VESSELS.
Guns. Het. h.p. •
Retribution...2B 300 4W Capt. Drummond.
Tiger 14 220 400 Capt. Giffard.
Furious 10 220 400 Capt. Loring.
Fury 6 160 515 Com. Tatham.
Wasp (screw)l4 170 100 Com. Lord J. Hay.
Niger (screw)l4 170 400 Com. Heath.
Caradoc 2 ' 63 350 Lieut.-Com. Derriman.
Triton 3 65 260 Lient.-Com. Lloyd.
Shearwater 3 54 160 Lieut.-Com. Gordon.

, Thus making a force of five sail of the line, a heavy
frigate, and a sloop, three steam-frigates, three steam-
sloops,-and three other steamers. Total, 16 ships, 666
guns, 6319 men, and 2980-horse power in steamers. In
addition to the above, there is a steamer, the Antelope,
at Gibraltar ; the depot ship Ceylon, at Malta, and a
steam-sloop at Lisbon, the Inflexible, 6 guns, 160 men.
—Herald.• .

PORTSMOUTH, MARCH 20.

In accordance with the Admiralty circular recently re-
ceived in this dockyard, orders were yesterday issued to
all the departmental officers, announcing that all boys,
in addition to the apprentices, may attend the Mathe-
matical School after working hours, and those who wish
may attend three times a week. A large number have
already availed themselves of this opportunity in order to
fit themselves for apprentices when vacancies may offer.
The Fairy, Royal yacht, Master-Commander Welch,
went out on Friday to try another of Griffiths' patent
screws, under the direction of Captain Crispin. The
trials we lately reported of the screws on this principle
were three-bladed screws, but as the rule of the service
is to have all screws so constructed or fitted that they
can be raised to the deck through a well or shaft cut ex-
pressly for that purpose, and through which only a two-
bladed screw with the blade in a vertical position can
Pass, a doubt existed as to whether the same results
could be achieved with a propeller of two blades as was
realised with that of three. The results of the trials of
Friday, as furnished us by one •of the patentees of
Griffiths' screw, are reported as follow the pitch
of the screw at 8 feet 6 inches, 12.242 knots per hour ;
10 feet pitch, 11.742 knots ; and with a 12 feet pitch,
11.092 knots.

The Duke of Wellington, screw, 131, Captain H. B.
Martin, C. 8., has now nearly 400 men on her books ;
this number' however, includes officers, marines, and
stokers. Of able seamen she has not entered many.
The shaft had-the last piece fitted to it yesterday after-
noon ; it is altogether 100 feet in length. Captain War-
den and other officers of the steam department of the
Admiralty visited this ship yesterday. There does not
appear much probability of her being ready to get steam
up' by the 'lSt proximo, as originally intended. Nearly
500 men of different classes are at work upon her, and
every possible dispatch is being employed in fitting her
for sea, but there is yet much to do to her. Her model
propeller, of cast iron, seven tons' weight, was cast in
this dockyard foundry on Thursday, in the presence of a
large concourse of officers.
The Hastings, 72, Captain Austen, was to sail from
Simon's Bay for England on the 6th to be paid off.
Captain Erskine, of the Royal Marines, of the Winches-
ter, 50, died on board the Hastings at sea on the Ist of
December from the exhausting effects of the cliinate of
Burmah.

It is rumoured that Rear-Admiral Corry will give up
the command of the Channel squadron for the office of
Superintendent of Malta dockyard ; that Rear-Admiral
Berkeley, C.B. M.P., will leave the Admiralty to take
the command of the Channel squadron ; and that Rear-
Admiral Houstogn Stewart, C. 8., will succeed Rear-
Admiral Berkeley at the Admiralty.
The quarterly muster of the artisans of this dockyard
was made yesterday by Rear-Admiral Superintendent
Fanshawe, C.B.

The Megmra troop steam•ship, Commander Johnston,
at Spithead, will embark detachments of the 36th, 67th,
and 6th Regiments at this port on the 26th inst. for
the West Indies, to join the head-quarters of their re-
spective corps.

- The Illustrious, old 72, fitting here as a block-ship for
Spithead, has been undocked after partial recoppering,
&c. She is to have an armament of 39 broadside guns
and one pivot, so that she will be enabled to fight 20
guns on each. side.
Government, after ,the various specimens they have
had of contract meats, have at length, we are informed,
wisely decided to supply henceforth from their own re-
sources, instead of by contractors, as hitherto, salt beef
for the navy, in order that implicit reliance may be
placed on the good quality of this article of consumption.
Thirty bullocks have for the last four or five weeks been
slaughtered weekly at the Royal Clarence Victualling-
yard, Gosport, and the beef there carefully cured under
the vigilant and zealous superintendence of Mr. John
Davies, RN., the master attendant of that establish-
ment. An order for the supply required for the vessels
about to proceed to the arctic regions was completed at
this, yard on Thursday, the beef being of prime order,
and far superior both in quality and curing to that here-
tofore obtained. It is believed this new and considerate
arrangement will afford very great satisfaction.
The Prince Regent, 90, Captain Hutton, and the
Leopard paddle-frigate, 12, Captain George Giffard,
were ordered yesterday to prepare for see. They ac-
cordingly unmoored in the afternoon, and hoisted the
blue peter, for all persons to repair on board. It is re
ported they sail for the Mediterranean, the Leopard to
tow the line-of-battle ship in light winds or calms. They
start to-morrow. - - -

The Rhadamanthus steam-transport, Master Com-
mander Belam, arrive to-day from Chatham with stores,
and came into harbour to unload.
The Tyne, 6, store-ship, Mr. Peter Wellington,
master, R.N., commanding, arrived at Spithead this
afternoon from Deptford, en route to the Coast of Africa
and the Brazils. _ _

SHIPS IN THE SOUND.—Queen, 116, Captain F. T.
Mitchell ; Vengeance, 84, Captain Lord Edward Rus-
sell ; Magicienne (steam-frigate), 16, Captain T. Fisher ;
Leander, 50, Captain G. St. Vincent King • Arrogant
(screw steam-frigate), 47, Captain S. G. ireemantle ;
Argus (steam-sloop), 6, Commander Richard Purvis ;
Valorous (steam-frigate), 16, Captain C. H. M. Buckle.
Irr ILitioAzt.—lmpregnable, 78, Captain Arthur
Lowe ; St.. George, 120, Captain Joseph Nias, C.B. ;
dinet
; isTsatueatimlu-sr
Sylph,nnery
Desperate (screw steam-frigate), 8, Captain W. W.
Chambers ; Sans Pareil (screw steam-ship), 70, Captain
R.
S. buHrgehwl (screw S. C. Dacres; Hogue (screw steam-guard-ship), 60, Cap-
tain
Avon, ship, W
scl nBo,llCfi
aa np te Ramsay‘neln ;
, Pike, and Diligence—transport.

PLYMOUTH, MARCH 19.
Her Majesty's ship Vengeance, 84, Captain Lord
Edward Russell, was towed yesterday from Hamoaze
into the Sound by the Avon and Amphion steamers,

Tha emigrant ship Albemarle, 704, tons, Captain I. F.
Trivett, belonging to Scarborough, with 21 cabin and
178 intermediate passengers from London, and 544 in-
termediate from Plymouth, sailed yesterday with a fair
wind for Port Philip and, Sydney. She took with her
111 bags of newspapers, originally placed on board the
steam-ship Australian.

The mails landed on Wednesday from the Royal Aus-
tralian Mail Company's steam-ship Sydney consisted of
146 packages and boxes, and weighed 4 tons 15 cwt. 51b.
The dimensions of her Majesty s screw steam-ship St.
Jean d'Acre, of 101 guns, and 600-horse power, to be
launched on Wednesday next, are—

Ft. in

Length from fore part of figure to after part of
taffrail 273 0
Depth from upper part of figure to lower part of
false keel ...
Ditto
Length for tonnage ...
Breadth, extreme
Ditto, for tonnage
Ditto, for moulded
Depth in hold

Burden in tons
Ditto

tath.ail ..

52 0
56 6
. 202 5
... 55 4
... 54 6
... 53 8
... 24 5
• Tons.
(old measurement ) 3200
(new measurement) 2084

Mr. Charles Besley, chief clerk in the storekeeper's
office in this yard, has been this day superannuated on a
pension of 3301. per annum, that being his present rate
of salary. Mr. Besley has been above 50 years as clerk
in the dockyard.
The Spiteful, steam-sloop, is ordered to Woolwich for
repair of her boilers.

NEW ELECTRIC FLOATING LIGHT.—In our journal of
the 3d inst. we noticed the principle of this new and
valuable patent, of so much importance to mariners.
On that occasion the gutta-percha tubing was not suffi-
ciently strong to bear the pressure• bf the gas ; since that
period some larger and stronger tubing has been made,
and the scientific inventor, Captain Sherringham, as-
sisted by the talented Lieutenant Julius Roberts, of the
Royal Marine Artillery, have brought it most success-
fully to bear. The light has been shown off Hollings-
worth Rooms, South Beach, the last two nights, and
proved beyond all doubt that, whether for 2 or 20 miles,
it is equally effective, and can be lighted and extinguished
at pleasure.

WOOLWICH, BIARca 19.
APPOINTMENTS.

Master Joseph Chegwyn (1838) to the Queen, 116,
at Devonport.
Clerks.—Edward J. Giles (1850) to the Edinburgh,
58, screw steam-ship, at Devonport ; F. F. Miller to the
Victory flag-ship, at Portsmouth.
The Tyne storeship, Master-Commander Peter Wel-
lington left Woolwich at an early hour this morning for
the islands of Ascension and Rio.

A casting took place to-day at 2 p.m., at the foundry
at Woolwich dockyard, of a brass screw propeller for the
Agamemnon, 91, screw steam-ship, at Portsmouth.
The quantity of metal required for the casting was about
11 tons, and the time occupied in running it first into
an iron pot made for the purpose, and subsequently into
the screw propeller mould, was' about 20 minutes. The
iron pot was expressly made for being used when large
castings-- take place, and is so constructed that there is
very little chance of serious accidents occuring, as has
been the case in some foundries, through some of the
boiling metal falling on the men. Lieutenant-Colonel
M'Adam, ,Lieutenant-Colonel Bury, and several of the
officers 'of Royal Marines, Dr. Burns, Mr. Atherton,
chief engineer, Mr. Macdonal, master attendant, Mr.
Trickett, assistant to the chief engineer, and several of
the' officers of the yard, were present to witness the cast-
ing, and were much gratified by the excellent manner in
which the men were enabled, by the working gear, to
gradually turn up the iron pot, containing 11 tons of
fluid metal, and pour it into the mould, while the pot
was suspended by a powerful crane, without the slightest
apprehension of danger should any of the men, with-
draw from the gear, as it would remain safely in the
position in which it was left until they again proceeded
with the operation. The screw was cast 18 feet in dia-
meter, but it will be reduced when finished to about 1G
feet, and the weight to about eight tons.

MALTA, MARCH 14, 7 A.M.
At the early hour of three o'clock this morning the
Wasp steam-frigate arrived very unexpectedly from Con-
stantinople, bearing dispatches of primary importance.
They are said to have reference to the visit of Prince
Mentschikoff, late from the Russian Court, and his non-
reception by the Sultan to an audience.

Tile out-ward Indian mails from Southampton, per
Indus, arrived at three p.m. yesterday, and those by the
Euxine, from Marseilles, at one o'clock a.m. this morn-
ing. They will be forwarded to Alexandria at 10 to-day,
and mails to Corfu also at 10, by the Triton.
The Caradoc is ordered to Marseilles with dispatches
from Constantinople for the Foreign Minister. She will
sail as soon as her steam is up.

COMMUTATION OF THE SENTENCE ON STAPLETON.-It
will be rememberd that a court-martial was held on
board H.M.S. Impregnable, guard-ship at this port, on
the 3d inst. for the trial of Francis Stapleton, boatswain's
mate of H.M. steam-ship Vulture, on a charge of con-
temptuous conduct towards Lieut. Mansell of that ship,
and for having also knocked down John Ashpole, a
sentry on board the same ship. The defendant, who it
seemed was in a state of intoxication at the time he com-
mitted these very serious offences, admitted his guilt and
threw himself on the mercy of the court, who sentenced
him to be disrated, to receive thirty-six lashes with a
cat-o'-nine tails, to be imprisoned in the county gaol at
Exeter for twelve calendar months, and then to be
discharged in disgrace from her Majesty's service.
The press has been almost unanimous in condemning the
sentence as being much too severe for the offences taking
the circumstances under which they were committed into
consideration, in which opinion the Lords of the Admi-
ralty appear fully to concur, for on perusing the evidence
given at the trial they ordered that the sentence should
be mitigated by a reduction in the period of imprison-
ment to three months, at the end of which time Staple-
ton is to be discharged but not with disgrace. Had the
sentence been carried out, he would have been prevented
ever again entering the service, and have lost all his ser-
vitude. On the expiration of his imprisonment he will,
however, now be received into her Majesty's employ-
ment on board ship should he desire it, and his servitude
will count as before.—Devonport Independent.