The Sun.
London, England, 1854-06-15 00:00:00

THE WAR.

NAVAL AND MILITARY INTELLIGENCE.
It is reported to be the intention of her Majesty's Go-
vernment to take possession of Sitka, and all the other
ports in the Pacific belonging to the Russians.
Her Majesty's steam-vessel Scourge, Commodore
Adams, left Plymouth on Monday afternoon for the
coast of Africa, and put into Falmouth on Tuesday.
The Minx, tender to the Scourge, made a trial trip
and returned to Plymouth Sound on Tuesday.
The frigate Indefatigable, 50, Captain Hope, got
masts, lower yards, and topmasts on board at Plymouth
on Monday, and was taken to the jetty on Tuesday to
be rigged.
The bri4 Mariner will go out of harbour at Plymouth
on Saturday.
The brig Fly is to be fitted as a coal depot at Ply-
mouth. She was brought to the floating basin on Mon-
day to have her ballast taken out.
The Hermes steam-sloop, paid off on Saturday last, on
her return from service on the East India and China sta-
tion, is ordered to have her defects made good at Wool-
wich as early as possible, that she may again be brought

forward for commission.
The Vulcan, 6, screw-troopship, Commander Von
Donop, is complete in the shipwrights department, at
Portsmouth, and will be ready for service on the 16th.
The Powerful, 84, Captain Manse], at Portsmouth,-
has completed her internal fitment, and is now ready to
leave the basin and receive her armament.

Mr. Laing, M.P., Chairman of the Crystal Palace
Company, Sir Joseph Paxton, and several members of
the Crystal Palace Direction, with the foreign commis-
sioners who had come to this country to be present at
the opening of the Palace, visited Woolwich Dockyard
yesterday, and, by order of the Admiralty, were con-
ducted by the heads of the departments over the factory
and the various branches of that great naval depot. After
a visit of about two hours' duration, the members of the
committee of the Crystal Palace Company embarked in
the Dryad steamboat of the Woolwich Company, en-
gaged specially for the occasion, and went up the river
to Millwall to inspect the Leviathan iron steam-vessel,
building by John Scott Russell and Co. She is rapidly
progressing ; upwards of 500 feet in length of the keel
plates have been laid. The first main kelson, the inner
skin of the ship, and a considerable portion of the mid-
ship section are now in place, and it is confidently ex-
pected that this large ship will be completed within the
time prescribed by the contract—viz., 18 months from
December last.
Yesterday the Lords of the Admiralty gave notice at
Lloyd's that another transport was requited to convey
troops from the river Thames, Portsmouth, and Cork to
the Cape of Good Hope, and then bring troops home to
Cork. Ships were taken up yesterday by the Admiralty
to convey troops from the river Thames to the Mauritius
and Ceylon, and from the Thames, Portsmouth, and
Cork to Quebec.
At 8 a.m. yesterday the clipper screw steam transport
Tynemouth, of London, commander Lieutenant Adam
D. Dundas, from London for Constantinople and Varna,
with Captain Grant in charge of 310 of all ranks, exclu-
sive of officers of the ambulance corps, put into Sheerness
with damage, having been in collision in Sea Reach with
the cutter Galeed, of Salcombe. Her damage is being
made good by the dockyard authorities at Sheerness.
The Colossus, 80, having had her stern altered to adapt
it to the screw propeller, and having had her bottom cop-
pered, was taken out of dock at Portsmouth into the
fitting basin yesterday afternoon. She was taken under
the shears, and received her bowsprit and foremast, and
will be completed in masting to-day. She is at once to
go round to the steam basin to receive her boilers and
machinery, and get ready for commissioning immedi-
ately. She is a handsome ship, and though not built for
a screw, she bids fair, from her form, to attain to a good
speed under steam. She was built at Pembroke in 1848,
from the designs of Sir William Symonds, and is of 2,589

tons burthen.
The Locust 3, paddle-wheel steam-vessel, Lieutenant-
Commander Day, was taken out of dock at Portsmouth
yesterday into the steam basin. She has a few defects
to snake good in her machinery, which will be effected
with all despatch„ after which she will proceed to the
Baltic on gun-boat service. She is a paddle vessel of 284
tons and 180 horse power, built of wood.
The Termagant, 24, screw steam-frigate, to which Cap-
tain the Hon. Keith Stewart was apponted on Tuesday,
is in the steam basin at Portsmouth nearly complete in
the engineering department. Captain Stewart is brother
of the present Earl of Galloway, brother-in-law of the
Duke of Marlborough and Lord Faversham, and first
cousin to Sir James Graham, First Lord of the Admi-
rAlty. He served in the Asia, 84, at the battle of Nava-
rino, and subsequently in the same ship at Lisbon, then
bearing the flag of Rear-Admiral Parker ; afterwards in
the Stag, 46, on the same station ; and again in the
Cornwallis, 74, flag-ship of the Hon. Sir C. Paget, on
the North American station. He was advanced to his
present rank July, 1842, having entered the navy in
April, 1827.