The Sun.
London, England, 1854-10-20 00:00:00

AIISCELLANEOUS.

A court•martial will shortly be holden on Mr. West,
the assistant Surgeon of the Rolla, at Portsmouth.
Sprightly, tender to Victory, Master Commander
Allen, baying a party of engineering officers on board,
went down yesterday morning to inspect the defences
at the entrance of the Needles passage.

The following is an extract from a letter dated Con-
stantine Bay, September 26, 1854. The writer is a non-
commissioned officer of the Royal Artillery, who went
to the East in one of the recently despatched transports.
He says, " I was never landed after leaving Woolwich
until I arrived at Eupatoria, where the artillery were
put on shore, with the non-commissioned officers who
had volunteered for service in the commissariat depart-
ment, so that I just landed in time for the thick of it."
The account he gives of the battle of Alma agrees with
those which have already appeared. He adds, "All I
want at present is soap and tobacco, for I have not had
a wash during the last five days. No wonder the cholera
is amongst us. I suppoi.e you have heard that Sergeant
Cook died of cholera at Varna. I picked up an old chew
of tobacco this morning, and had a splendid smoke, but
I expect plenty tomorrow, as we have just been
ordered to strike tents—it is supposed, to make a dash
at Sebastopol."

MILITARY.
DUBLIN, OCT. 19.—The Evening Post says :—"We
understand that orders have been received for drafts of
the 30th, 33d, 49th, 60th, and 68th Regiments to pro-
ceed this day (Thursday) from Fermoy to Cork, and to
embark on Friday and Saturday, on board the Jura
steamer at Queenstown, and proceed at once to the
Crimea."
GALWAY, Oct. 18.—The third dvision, No. 8 com-
pany 40th Regiment, under command of Lieutenant
Fitzsimons, arrived here to-day, at three o'clock p.m.,
from Limerick. The last division leaves Limerick on
Friday next for Galway.

MILITIA.
The following regulations, it is said, will be carried
out in the Irish militia
" All old captains and subalterns in the Irish militia
are to retire, but are to have the privilege of retaining
their regimental rank and of wearing their uniform.
" Lieutenants and ensigns who served in the militia
when they were last embodied, and have been receiving
half-pay, are to have the same continued to them on
their retiring.
" No captains or subalterns to be appointed in future
who are not active youg men.
" Adjutants of militia regiments are not to be more
than thiity-six years of age, and must have served in the
army for some. years." -

TRIAL TRIP OF THE STEAM-SHIP PACIFIC.
The Pacific steam-vessel, launched on the 25th ult.
at Millwall, and guaranteed by the constructors to attain
a speed of 16 statute miles an hour, has since been
tried, both in the open sea and at .the measured mile,
and the following is the report of Captain Thompson,
her commander, who tried the vessel on. behalf' of him-
self and owners : •
First trial at sea'under steam alone, distance from
headland to headland named in nautical miles :—Ar-
rived at the North Foreland at 3.37, and made the
South Foreland at 4.47, a distance of 17 miles, in one
hour and ten minutes, against tide running at the rate
of 2t knots per hour, giving an average speed of 141
knots, the engines making 25 revolutions, per minute,
with a pressure of 161bs. to the square inch of the
boilers, and a consumption of 32 cwt. of coals per hour.
Arrived at Dungeness at 6.22, or a distance of 21 miles
from the South Foreland, in 1 hour and 25 minutes,
against the tide running 2 knots per hour, increasing
her speed to 14/ knots, and making the number of revo-
lutions 24/ per minute, the pressure being 161bs. the
square inch-of the boilers, and the consumption of coals
32 cwt. per hour. Arrived at Beachy Head at 8.35, or
a distance of 31 miles from Dungeness, in 2 hours and
13 minutes, with the tide in favour at the rate of 1
knot an hour, making an average speed of 14 knots,
with 26 revolutions per minute, a pressure of 19Ibs. to
the square inch, and consumPtion of 32 cwt. of coals per
hour. Arrived at the Overs light-vessel at 11.0, or a
distance of 36 miles from Beachy Head, in 2 hours 25
minutes, with the tide running against at the rate of 2
knots per hour, the revolutions being 25/ per minute,
with a pressure of 181bs. to the square inch, and a con-
samption of 32 cwt. of coals per hour.
Second trial at the measured mile in Stoke's Bay.—
The first mile run in 4 min. 30 seeds. ; second, in 4.10 ;
third, in 4.23; fourth, in 4.8; fifth, 4.19; sixth, 4.3; the
two latter runs giving a speed of 14.34 knots or 16.51
statute miles per hour, and the mean average speed of
the six runs was 14.11 knots or 16.24 statute miles per
hour.
Third trial for economy of fuel, with two boilers only,
working expansively, engines with half steam.—Started
from Beighten at 5.30 a.m., and arrived at the Tongue
light-vessel at 6.47 p.m., making a distance of 89 miles
in 13 hours 17 min., making 15 revolutions per minute,
with half steam, and 12Ibs. pressure on the square inch,
consumiug 12 cwt. of coals per hour, or 14 tons 8 cwt.
per day.
From these data it. will be seen that both at sea and at
the measured mile the speed of the Pacific has exceeded
the contract speed, and that she is consequently the fastest
ocean steamer now afloat. Her exact tonnage, as mea-
sured by the Custom-house officers, is 1,469 2892-3500
tons, and the nominal power of her engines is 500 horse
over, she has evidently greater speed in proportion to