The Sun.
London, England, 1854-03-09 00:00:00

4, /~Go~z Glr

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NAVAL INTELLIGENCE.

C REPARATIONS FOR WAR.

PORTSMOUTH, MARcH 8.
Signal was made by the Port-Admiral's flag-ship
Victory to-day, about four- p.m., to Sir Charles Napier's
fleet at Spithead and in harbour, " Prepare for sea."
This was followed immediately afterwards by, " Be pre-
pared to sail at the shortest notice." By this it is
expected a movement will be made sooner than has
been anticipated. It is reported afloat that the fleet
will rendezvous in Kiel Bay, which has been surveyed
by the officers in her Majesty's steam-sloop Heels, and
found capable of harbouring a large naval armament.
The screw two-decker, Ajax, 60, Captain Warden,
arrived to-day from Queenstown.
The Neptune, 120, Captain Hutton, flag of Rear-
Admiral Corry, bent sails this afternoon, and is ready
to go to Spithead.
Lieutenant John Clayton Cowell, of the Royal Engi-
neers, is ordered to embark to-morrow in Sir Charles
Napier's flag-ship, for service in the fleet. Rear-
Admiral Chads has been exercising the respective crews
again to-day in shot practice, beyond which
we have
not noticed any movement afloat. The wind is rising,
and the barometer falling.

PLYMOUTH, MARCH 8.
Her Majesty's paddle•wheel despatch steam-frigate
Magicienne, 16, Captain T. Fisher. arrived at Queens-
town on the sth hist, from Spithead, having been sent to
collect the remainder of the coast-guardmen selected for
active service in the fleet. She was to leave on the Gth
for Castletown, and to call at Valentia, Limerick, Gal-
way, Clifden, Westport, Killala Bay, Sligo, Donegal,
and Loch Swilly, returning to Plymouth about the 20th,
and thence to Spithead. Mr. Aylen, Master of the royal
yacht, has been appointed to the Magicienne for this
service.

Commander William Walker, late Queen's Harbour-
master at Plymouth, has been appointed Master of the
Baltic fleet.

WOOLWICH, MARCH 8.
The embarkation of the troops and batteries of the
Royal Artillery under orders for the Mediterranean is
postponed until Friday and Saturday, the 10th and 11th
inst., when they will be put on board the transport-ships
at Woolwich Dockyard.
To-morrow (Thursday) all the troops in the garrison
will assemble at 10 o'clock a.m., and proceed to the
Common, each gun of the troop of Horse Artillery to be
served with 12 rounds of ammunition, and at 11 o'clock
his Royal Highness Prince Albert, his Royal Highness
the Duke of Cambridge, and Lieut.-General Lord Rag-
lan, G.C.8., with a splendid staff, will arrive on the
ground, and inspect and review the troops of the Royal
Artillery under orders for foreign service.
Her Majesty's steam-sloop Hecla, Master-Command-
ing P. Wellington, arrived at Wyborg, from cruising on
the coast of Norway, at sunset on the 2AI of March, and
sailed agais on a cruise before daylight on the 3d. All
the officers and crew were well.

COAST-GUARDMEN SERVING IN THE FLEET.

The Admiralty have issued the following notice rela-
tive to the pay and allotments of Coast-guardmen serv-
ing in the fleet :
All men discharged from the Coast-guard service to
serve in her Majesty's ships will be entered on the ships'
books on the day succeeding that on which they are dis-
charged from the Coast-guard, and will be borne at the
same rate of pay as that which they received in the
Coast-guard.
" No abatement will be made on account of their
being victualled on board.
" They may allot to their wives or families at the
maximuna rate of 28. a-day, or at the minimum, rate of
ls. 6d. a-day, at their option ; but, as some delay
must necessarily take place before the declarations of
allotment can be completed and become payable, orders
will be given for immediate payment of the allotments
they may desire to make to their wives or families, at
the above rates, for one month in advance.
" An advance of two months' wages, at the Coastguard
rate, will be paid in the usual course to the men, of
which it will be in their power to remit the whole, or
any portion they may think proper, to their wives and
families, and these resources will afford the means of
subsistence until the allotments will come in the course
of payment. " W. A. B. HAMILTON."

THE TRANSPORT SERVICE TO MALTA.—The Admiralty
has given notice at Lloyd's that eight more ships will
be required for conveying cavalry and troops to Malta.
They will be engaged for four months certain.

PORTSMOUTH, MARCH 8.

The Conway, 26, Captain Fulford, fitting to carry the
flag of Rear• Admiral Carroll on the Irish station, will be
ready for undocking on Monday, when the Gorgon, 6,
steam-sloop, Commander Cumming, will go in to have
her bottom examined. _ _

The Fairy and Elfin, Royal steam-yachts, Masters
D. N. Welch and A. Balliston commanding, got steam
up to try their engines to-day, and are now ready for the
service of her Majesty.
. .

The Orestes, coal depot, came into harbour this morn-
ing from Spithead, and in doing so got ashore twice on
the Hamilton-bank. Rather miscellaneous navigation
this on the part, of those in charge.
The Sprightly, steam-tender, Master-Commander G.
Allen, returned from her troop service at Cowes this
afternoon.

REAR ADMIRAL CORRY'S CRENT.--The shifting by
Rear-Admiral Cony of his flag from the Prince Regent,
90, to the Neptune, 120, has elicited a remarkable dis-
play of feeling on the part of the crew of the first-named
vessel. The Neptune's crew was short of its compliment,
although some hundreds of coastguard men and newly-
raised men had been added to it, and to complete it it
was determined to take about 50 men from the Prince
Regent. Such number was accordingly selected, but
the bulk of the crew took umbrage at this measure, de-
siring neither to part with their comrades, their admi-
ral, their captain, or other officers. This feeling they
displayed in a most unequivocal manner on board the
ship at its anchorage at Spithead on Monday night
and it was feared that a most serious tumult would be
the consequence if the measure were persisted in.
Accordingly yesterday it was determined to abandon
the project, which had so invidious an aspect in Jack's
eye, and to turn the whole crew in a body over to the
Neptune. This was done, and the men delighted that
no separation was to take place, were brought from the
Prince Regent into harbour by the Pigmy, steam-tug,
in the course of the day and placed on board the Neptune..
The last party were brought in about six o'clock
last night, and as they passed between the Victory,
flag-ship, and the Neptune, they gave three hearty
cheers and hoisted a flag bearing the motto, " Death
shall only part us." The crew of the Prince Regent
were commissioned in March, 1851, but they had almost
all served on board her during a previous commission,
and on her being fitted for sea again at the above date,
they rejoined almost to a man. The warmest feelings
of attachment seem to have sprung up amongst them,
and it would, therefore, have been unwise to have broken
up the esprit de amps that has been formed. The whole
of the crew are, as already stated, to a man now turned
over to their admiral's new flag-ship, the Neptune, one
of the finest 120-gun ships afloat.

The frigate Pique, 40, Captain Sir F. Nicholson,
sailed yesterday for Rio Janeiro.. .

The Belleisle, 24, fitting for a hospital ship, has been
examined, and, her copper being found defective, it is or-
dered to be taken off. The bottom will be caulked and
new coppered. _ _ _

The ;Crew steam-sloop Conflict, 8, was placed at her
sailing moorings yesterday.
Forty-two labourers are ordered to be entered in the
rigging-house in this dockyard, to fill vacancies occa-
sioned by the draught of riggers on hoard the screw
steam-ship Duke of Wellington.

WOOLWICH, MARCH 8.
APPOINTMENTS.
Commander Samuel Moorish (1851), to the Imaum,
72, receiving-ship at Jamaica.
Lieutenant C. 0. Wood (1845), to the Prince Regent,
90, at Portsmouth.
Clerks-in-Charge.—John Freshfield (1847), from the
Valorous, 16, steam-frigate, to the Resistance, store-
ship, at Portsmouth ; Hugh F. Pullen (1847), from the
Royal William, 120, at Devonport, to the Alban, pad..
elle-wheel steam-sloop at Woolwich.
Second-Master George .1. Whitehouse (1847), to the
Monarch, 84, at Sheerness.
The Monkey steam-vessel, Second-Master Synder-
combo, went up to Deptford at an early hour to-day to
tow a brig and schooner to Sheerness, these vessels hav-
ing on board provisions for the ships making ready at
that port to join the Baltic fleet.

ROYAL LITERARY FUND.—The annual general meet-
ing of the subscribers to this fund was held yesterday
at the offices, Great Russell-street, Bloomsbury, but
upon a reporter presenting himself the secretary in.
formed him that he could not be admitted, and that
reporters were never allowed to be present except where
the society wanted to lay anything particular before Om

public. -
THE CHOLERA.—Leeds has had the misfortune to
stand first in the present year as the scene of the cholera's
ravages. It has broken out among the workpeople en-
pinning-mill of John Wilkinson and
gaged in the flax s
Co., one of the most respectable firms in this district,
and a mill which, for salubrity, cleanliness, ventilation,
and care of the operatives, has always ranked among the
very best. Fourteen cases of cholera have been reported.
to the Superintendent Registrar of Leeds, and of these
14 uo left than 12 were persons working at Messrs.
Wilkinson's will, the 13th being the mother, and the
14th the husband, of Will of these operatives. Up to
Tuesday morning there had been tiix deaths iu Leech,
and one or two others are reported of operatives front
this mill v,ho reside out of the registrar's district. The
matter has been communicated to the General Board of
Health by the Leeds Board of Guardians, whose medical
and other officers have been unable to account for the
visitation, the more especially as the general health of
the town is excellent. On Tuesday. Dr. Gavins, deputed
by the General Board of Health, arrived in Leeds, and
is at present prosecuting inquiries. Many causes are
assigned for the outbreak among others, that the flat
now being used in the mill is Riga flax, and emits an
odour very much worse than any other flax that has
come thence ; but, after all, these are the merest guesses,
and worth nothing as yet. It was stated on Tuesday
to be the intention of the Messrs. Wilkinson to close
their mill immediately for a time. The occurrence of
this scourge, and the consequent closing of the mill, ism
very sad calamity for the many operatives em.
• ploy 4 Ofrf.