The Sun.
London, England, 1854-02-14 00:00:00

PREPARATIONS FOR WAR.

All the arrangements for the transport of troops to
Malta are pushed forward with the utmost despatch.
The Guards will embark first, then the regiments of the
line in England and Scotland, and lastly those in Ireland.
The announcement of the intention to send out a cavalry
force turns out, for the present at least, to be premature,
no decision having as yet been come to upon that point.
There will, however, be five squadrons of picked men,
in all 500 sabres, included in the division, probably for
staff and escort service. In general terms it may be
considered as certain that the whole of the first division,
except, perhaps, the regiments from Ireland, will have
set out by the Ist of March, and that the latter will
have embarked before the 10th. The steamers thus
far definitively engaged for this service are the Hima-
laya, the Ripon, the Orinoco, the Manilla, and the
Golden Fleece ; nor is it likely that the Government
may defer taking up any more until after the 17th,
which is the last day for sending in tenders. As to
sailing-vessels, the result of the tenders will be known
to-day. Only seven or eight are required, and Mr.
Dunbar's ship the Canterbury, of 789 tons, commanded
by Captain Carvel, has already been secured. The
ports of embarkation and the exact days of sailing will
be determined according to circumstances. The Guards
embark at Portsmouth on Saturday, Government has
determined that the effective strength of each regiment
or battalion sent out shall be made up to 850 bayonets,
and soldiers from other corps have been permitted to
volunteer. Thus, the 4th Foot have received an acces-
sion of 142 volunteers, the 28th 109, and the 77th 99.
Whether the strength of the 93d Highlanders is so
nearly up to the mark that it requires no greater num-
ber, or whether the kilt acts as a damper to military
enthusiasm at this season of the year, we know not, but
the accession of volunteers to that regiment is at pre-
sent only 13. The 2d battalion of the Rifle Brigade
wanted 199 men, and they were at once obtained, but
what deserves special notice is that of this number 102
are volunteers from the Ist battalion, which only re-
turned home on Sunday from the Cape. There is no
doubt that the 33d and 50th, which are in Ireland, will
snake up their effective strength with equal facility.
Taking the force now under orders for the Mediterra-
nean, a brigade already formed there, and the regiments
next for service, the British contingent for the defence of
Turkey will amount to 20,000 men, with 40 guns, admi-
rably horsed and provided with a full proportion of am-
munition waggons. Of this auxiliary army, as we
announced yesterday, Lord Raglan takes the chief com-
mand, but it is not expected that he will leave England
for that purpose until the beginning of next month.
We cannot compete with the great military nations of
the Continent in the numerical strength of our
troops, but we shall endeavour to compensate for
this by perfect discipline, effective equipment, carefully
"elected officers, and, above all, the unflinching
courage of our soldiers. To render these as telling
as possible in the force which we are now despatching
to the East, several measures of great importance
have been adopted. First, 250 picked men in
each battalion are to be armed with Mini 4 rifles.
Brigade commands, instead of being given to anti-
quated general officers, will be conferred on young colo-
nels, who will have the temporary rank of brigadiers.
Thus, the brigade of Guards will be under the command
of Colonel Bentinck. Colonel Eyre, who so greatly dis-
tinguished himself at the Cape, will, we believe, act as
Adjutant-General. The batteries of the Royal Artillery
under orders for the Mediterranean are to be made up
to the number of 180, being more than double their
strength on the peace establishment. Even in minor
points all that can promote the efficiency or the comfort
of the troops on service will be carefully attended to, for
the civilisation of modern times is in no respect more
strikingly contrasted with that of the ancients than in
the consideration that while it has vastly increased the
power of nations in the prosecution of war, it has not
exercised any enervating influence over their courage and
patriotism.

SOUTHAMPTON, FEB. 13.

A. telegraphic despatch has to-day been received by
Captain H. Austin, C. 8., the Admiralty Superintendent
of Packets at this port, announcing that the Govern-
ment has chartered the Royal mail steamship Orinoco,
•f 2,800 tons and 750-horse power, belonging to the
West India Mail Packet Company. The troops she is
to convey will be embarked from Southampton for Malta,
and the Orinoco is to be ready by the 18th inst. The
temporary repairs to the ship will be effected by that
date. The arrangements for the accommodation of the
troops will be carried out by Captain Vincent, R N.,
the superintendent of the company, who has already
commenced coaling the ship. The Orinoco is admirably
adapted for carrying troops, and will accommodate with
comfort nearly 1,500 men, owing to the shelter afforded
by the spar deck, which extends from stein to stern, and
leaves the maindeck quite free fore and aft for the use
of troops on the voyage, at the same time affording ex-
cellent opportunities for berthing them under proper
cover. We understand that the company's steamer
Thames, hourly expected to arrive from the Brazils, and
the new steam-ship Atrato, expected in about 10 days
from the Clyde, will also be placed at the disposal of the
Government. The Atrato would carry about 1,600 or
1,700, and the Thames about 1,000 men, both ships
being well suited for the transport service
The General Screw Company's steamer Propentis,
chartered by the Government, is i❑ the dry dock, but
►ill be got ready for sea as soon as possible.

ROYAL ARTILLERY.

WOOLWICH, F. 13.

Captain Burrow's Company, 4th battalion, marched
from the garrison at 10 o'clock a.m. to-day, headed by the
drums and flutes of the regiment, to the Royal arsenal,
and embarked on board one of the Wcolwioh steam-
packet company's ♦essels hired specially for the occa-
sion, for conveyance to Tilbury Fort, to relieve Captain
Paynter's company, Bth battalion, first for foreign ser-
vice, and under orders for the Mediterranean. Captain
Paynter's company, on being relieved, will return tc
head-quarters this afternoon in the same steam-packet.
Captain Stacey's company, 7th battalion, recently re-
turned from' service in Canada, has been placed under
orders to proceed to-morrow by railway to Dover,
to relieve Captain Swinton's company, 11th battalion,
the latter being sixth on the roster for foreign service,
and placed under orders to proceed to the Mediterranean
station.' Captain Swinton's company will arrive in
garrison to-morrow afternoon.