The Sun.
London, England, 1854-08-12 00:00:00

DEPARTURE OF SIR JOHN BURGOYNE FOR

THE EAST.
We understand that General Sir John Burgoyne left
London last night for the East }report says for Sebastopol.

THE DESPATC.Fi GUN-BOATS.

The first of the new class of despatch gun-boats for the
Baltic—the Arrow, Lieut.-Commander Joliffe, built by
Mare and Co., of Blackwall, with engines by Humphrey
and Co. was taken out of the basin at Woolwich yesterday
and tried down the River for a short time. Lieut. Joliffe
being absent at the court-martial on the second master,
Mr. Mugford, the master of the Fisgard, was in .charge.
Mr. Watts, the assistant surveyor of the navy ; Mr. Peak°,
assistant master shipwright ; Mr. Hughes of the engineer-
ing department of the Admiralty • Lieut. Hore, the com-
mander of the Beagle—the second vessel of the same class,
were on board.

The Arrow, now nearly finished, presents ono of the most
elegant specimens of a dashing cruiser that can be found
afloat. She was not down to her proper bearings yester-
day, but was sufficiently advanced towards a state of com-
letion to give a very good idea of what she will be when in
blue-water. She has the fine lines of a wholesome sea-
going yacht, with all the substantiality of a strong stout
man-of war, that can not only fire 98-pounders, but can
take her chance in receiving them. Her hull is long, low,
and sweeping ; her masts not very tall, but well propor-
tioned and raking; whilst her rig, that of a three-
masted schooner, sets her off most admirably, and gives
altogether a saucy character to the handsome craft. She
had yesterday her two formidable guns on board—those
new 93 cwt. pieces of ordnance—fitted amidships on slides,
and adapted to throw shells of nearly 1001 b. weight. Her
four howitzers are not yet on board. Her machinery,
which is all placed under the water-line, worked most
smoothly and efficiently—there was not the slightest heat-
ing, and the vibration on board was scarcely felt at 93
revolutions. On Monday next she will have everything on
board, and will be ready to sail to the Baltic. Lieut. Here's
ship, the Beagle (also built by Mare and Co., with Hum-
phrey's machinery), will soon follow her, and with this first
instalment of the dispatch squadron,
Sir Charles Napier
will have two most effective and powerful additions to his
fleet, either for fighting or running.
Of their tonnage and class-470 tons and 160-horso power
—these vessels are, beyond comparison, the best designs
ever turned out by the Admiralty. They not only look
well and float well on the water, but it can be seen at a
glance that they possess those properties that stamp them
at once as the real " cay of the fleet."
It should be noticed, gala specimen of what British enter-
prise, under official direction, can accomplish on an emer-
gency,s and engines have been constructed,
completed for service,in I than
und onethos:
tthheemse ships
months.lass four

THE ELECTRIC TELEGRAPR AT SHEERNESS.
The wires of the Admiralty electric telegraph have been
laid down through the town, have crossed the inner and
outer drawbridges within the fortifications at Sheerness,
and are new completed to the north-east corner of the dock-
yard wail, within the garrison. The line will be com-
pleted
days from to-day, and will be
immediately set to work. This will remove the necessity
of keeping an establishment of officers and signalmen in
e communicating ships (between Sheerness dockyard and
the North t Ken- ItailwaY) which are now moored in the
River Medway, by which a considerable saving will be
plated within two or three
effected.

TRANSPORT.
port, Commander P. C.
stOamODtrans
Lovett, arrived at 12 o'clock noon yesterday. Com-
mander Lovett communicated with the admiral, sent his
invalids to the Waterloo at 2.15 p.,.
, and immediately
proceeded for Woolwich and Deptford. The Holyrood
The HolyirrHooEd,iih?rLedY
left Ledsund on the 3d inst. The fleet were then expected
to commence their operations against Aland on the sth or
7th, the attack havi French dela.yed in consequence of the
non-arrival of the artillery- The whole of the
steam fleet under Sir Charles Napier was there, consisting
of the Duke of Wellington, Majestic, Princess Royal, St.
Jean d'Acre, James Watt, and Cumberland, the latter a
sailing ship. The Belleisle, hospital ship, was with Sir
Charles' squadron also. Commodore Grey's squadron,
with the French troops, arrived there on the Ist inst. The
three Russian prisoners who gave themselves up were all
private soldiers. A Russian artilleryman also
made his
escape, and, when taken on board, gave freely a particular
account of the fortifications and the internal arrangements
making for the defence of Bomarsund. He made his escape
on the 2d, when the principal part of the French troops
were landed on the island, from 12 to 14 miles below. Bo-
niarsund, who were landed merely for exercise. This Rus-
sian soldier states that the troops are all living six upon
four allowance, and the principal part of them would be
glad to be released and taken on board as prisoners. Ho
states they have all made up their minds not to fight if
they can help it, and, if sent out to do so, will to a man
run the first opportunity, being treated most cruelly by
their officers.
On the Holyrood's passage home she put into Memel.
By a letter from there by her there were when she loft more
than 1,300 neutral vessels discharging and loading there.
Memel streets were swarmed with Russian merchants, all
eager to charter vessels with produce brought overland
from Russia into Prussia, and shipped off from Memel as
Prussian property. Certain it is, that nearly all nego-
tiations for charters from Memel are made by Russian mer-
chants temporarily residing there, who are assisted by all
sorts of grades of Prussians acting as interpreters.
The Holyrood on her homeward passage spoke the Daunt-
less in the North Sea, 40 miles to the westward of Holmons,
and the Nimrod hired transport, No. 112, off the Island of
Laeso, in the Cattegat ; she was bound for Copenhagen.
When she called at Memel, she left 47 coast volunteers
there to man 14 prizes taken for breaking the blockade,
then anchored there under charge of the British Consul.
The Prussians say the blockade of the Russian ports is
quite a bugbear, as all the Russian produce is constantly-
being transported across the frontiers into Prussia, and
shipped off at Memel for all parts of the world. Very largo
shipments of hemp are continually taking place from
Memel ; this, they say, will toll its own tale to the world
at large. The liolyroocl brings several privatQ despatches

for merchants in England, which will be landed at Wool-
wich. The mails left by the Nicoli on the 2d inst. , via
Dantzic. The cholera is on the decline in general through-
out the fleet, the cases being very few when the Holyrood
left. She brought home eight invalids from the fleet, seven
of whom were sent on board the Waterloo. One landed
at Memel in a dying state from consumption.
The following invalids, brought home by the Holyrood
hired steam transport, were received on board the Water-
loo yesterday :=Henry Lover, gunroom steward of the
Desperate ; Cornelius Mahony, captain of the forecastle of
the Gorgon; George Morris, yeoman signalman of the
Cressy; Edward Arnold, A.B.} of the Gorgon; Michael
Thomas Dunn, engineer's steward of the Tribune, who was
by mistake sent to the Black Sea, instead of the White
Sea ; John COok, R.M. snpernumary, to the Baltic fleet, last
from the Belleisle hospital ship, late of the Duke of Wel-
lington ; John Young, A.B. of the Cuckoo ; Win. Smith,
A.B. of the Princess-Royal; David Ritchie, A. 8., from the
James Watt, was (in consequence of severe illness) sent on
shore at Memel—all these men will undergo a medical survey
on board the Waterloo or at Melville Hospital, Chatham.
The invalids sent up from Deal Hospital by the steam
vessel Wildfire have been sent up to Melville Hospital.
The surgeons of the Waterloo, Devonshire, and Janus have
proceeded up to Chatham with them in the Wildfire, to
assist in the medical survey.