The Sun.
London, England, 1854-04-03 00:00:00

PREPARATIONS FOR WAR.

Those of the Greenwich pensioners who are fit for
service are now recalled to active duty. On Saturday,
in pursuanbe of orders, the Greenwich pensioners of
Liverpool, 42 in number, assembled at the naval ren-
dezvous, Red-cross-street, for inspection by Commander
Bevis, R.N., who informed them that such of them as
were found fit for service should be drafted on board
ship. Upon inspection it was found that 22 were fit
for active service.

Notices were also sent round yesterday from the staff
office of pensioners to a number of the pensioners Who
recently passed the examination held at Deptford as to
their fitness for service, that they will have to join the
coast guard service in the course of next week to assist
in performing the duties of that branch of her Diajesty s
service.

Notice has been given that engineers at present work-
ing for private establishments, if they have had about
two years' experience in the mercantile steam-vesssels at
sea, may be entered as acting assistant engineers in the
Royal Navy.
In addition to the Pyrenees, already despatched with
horses to the Royal Artillery for the Mediterranean,
Mr. Dunbar has five other transport ships now ready at
Deptford, two, the Morayshire and another new ship
fitted for the conveyance of horses, and three, the Dun-
bar, the Bombay, and the Canterbury, fitted for the con-
veyance of infantry. It is supposed the sailing vessels
for infantry will be employed for conveying a portion of
the six regiments of the line, which it is contemplated
to send with a siege battery of artillery to the Baltic to
operate with the fleet under the command of Sir Charles
Napier.
Yesterday the prayer prescribed for time of war was
offered in the various churches of the metro/ olis ; and
in most of the nonconformist places of worship supplica-
tions were made for the triumph of truth and justic and
a speedy return of peace.

LAUNCHES OF SCREW MEN-OF-WAR.
Royal Albert, 131 gans, 500-horse power, will be
launched at Woolwich on the 28th inst.
Curacoa, 30 guns, 350-horse power, will be launched
at Pembroke on the 27th.
Hornet, 16 gun; 100-horse power, will be launched
at Deptford this month.
Harrier, 16 guns, 100-horse power, will be launched
at Pembroke, May 13.
Swallow, 8 guns, 60-horse power, will be launched at
Pembroke about the middle of June.

The 23d PORTSMOUTH, APRIL 1.
Royal Welsh Fusiliers have received orders
to leave this garrison on Thursday next, and proceed to
Southampton to embark, in the West India Mail Corn-
pany's steamer Trent, for the East. The 42d Royal
Highlanders have received orders to embark here on the
10th, and most likely will be conveyed to the East in the
steam-troop frigate, Megmra, which arrived from the
West Indies on Friday, and is now under process of re-
fit with all expedition.
A company of Royal Artillery disembarked to-day at
the dockyard, from the Duke of Cornwall steamer ; they
came from Dublin.
Mr. Duncan, of the Ordnance Department (powder
depot), at Priddy's Hard, Gosport, has been appointed
Ordnance Storekeeper at Marchwood Powder Maga-
zines, near Southampton, which have been for some
years ont of use for munitions of war. A small military
post will be immediately established there. These ma-
gazines are constructed to hold about 24,000 barrels of
gunpowder, situate close to Southampton Water, into
which a small pier runs for kindling and shipping
powder.

The Desperate, 8, screw corvette, Captain D'Eyncourt,
left Spithead this evening with letters and papers for
the Baltic fleet.
The Rhadarnanthus steam transport arrived to-day
from Woolwich with the engines and boilers for the new
80-gun ship Colossus, preparing for commission with all
despatch in this dockyard.
The Megtera, 16, iron troop frigate, Captain Johnson,
hauled into the steam factory basin this morning to refit,
with all despatch, for the conveyance of the 42d High-
landers to the East.

APRIL 2.
The James Watt, screw steam-ship, Captain Elliot,
sailed from Spithead this morning for the Baltic, The
wind was fair for her to make sail, but she got away
under steam for the purpose of testing her machinery.
arrived at
The Tyne, store-ship, Master-CommanderJ. B. Tucker,
this port yesterday from Ascension, with old
stores, naval invalids, and 15 marines. She left the
island on the 20th of February, at which time only the
Tortoise, 12, Captain Kitchen, was at the island. The
Athol, 4, store-ship, Master-Commander Pearse, sailed
thence on the 25th of February-for the south coast and
England.
The Pigmy, steam-tug, returned into harbour last
evening from troop service. She is to be fitted with a
pivot gun, for service in the Baltic.

PLYMOUTH, APRIL 1.
The horse transport ships Alipore continues in the
Sound, and as the experience of her behaviour at sea
will give the public some idea of what may be ex-
pected from the numerous other ships hired for
the satue important service, we have made a few
inquiries regarding her. She is a fine model, and
is fun frigate rigged, registers 811 tons, and
burdens 1,116, with a general cargo. In the hold
she has 100 tons pig ballast, and 130 tons shingle. The
horses, 52, are berthed with their heads towards the
hatchways, in padded stalls, 7 feet long by 2 feet 2
inches wide in the clear ; they have loose slings cons-
stantly round them. The platforms on which they
stand are of plank, with battens. Forward, on the lar-
board bow, the platform for nine horses has given way,
the knees or joints having started, and the plank, only
an inch and-a-half thick, having broken. These defects
are thoroughly repaired by the artizans of the dockyard,
who laid down two and a-half inch planks where neces-
sary. The maindeck gives ample accommodation to 52
artillerymen. She sailed from Woolwich for Malta at 5
p.m. on Thursday, the 23d of March, and passed through
the Downs the next evening ; on Sunday night she was
off Beachy Head, and on Monday near the Owers light-
ship. She neared the Eddystone on Wednesday at 4
a.m., and was only off the Manacles at 8 the next day,
when she bore up for Plymouth. Strang westerly winds
veering from W.S.W. to W.N.W., prevailed during this
time. Owing to the horses, the Alipore cannot carry
sail enough to beat to windward, and she is said to have
gone 25 miles to leeward on one task, in the Channel.
She now draws 14ft. forward and 15ft. bin. aft.
Some 180 tons of Government stores, saddlery, sze,,
hastily stowed at Woolwich, in the 'tween decks,
will ba put below. It is suggested that such vessels
ought to have more ballast in them when prepared for
sea, and that horses sent in sailing vessels, should be
embarked at a western port, near the Atlantic, so as to
avoid the difficulties of the Channel passage. Major-
General Sir Harry Smith, with the brigade-major and
his aide-de-camp, inspected the Alipore on Saturday
morning.

APRIL 2.
The Alipore sailed for Malta about 10 o'clock. Wind
easterly, fresh.
The crew of her Majesty's screw steam-ship Nile, 91,
Commodore Martin, bent sails yesterday.
The screw steam-ship Algiers, 90, got up steam yes-
terday. She is now moored off Keyham, and will be
taken into that dock to-morrow, to have the valve of the
distillery apparatus fixed.
The Belleisle, originally a ship of 74 guns, but of late
used as a trooper, will be ready in about a fortnight to
Proceed to the Baltic as a hospital ship. The orlop and
quarterdeck will be devoted to the requirements of the
fleet, and on the main deck the ship's company will mess
and berth. She is only to carry six 32-pounder guns,
and not 24, as was at first stated. The Belleisle fidded
topmasts yesterday.
The steam-tender Prospero arrived yesterday, with
seamen from Queenstown for th screw .steam ship Nile ;
she coaled, and returned immediately to Cork.
The Impregnable, 120,
Captain Lowe, got up lower
yards, topmasts, and to
Pgallantinasts yesterday, for the
summer.

A company of artillerymen left Plymouth on Friday,
by the merchant steam-vessel Duke of Cornwall, for
Woolwich.
Captain Superintendant Sandom of the Royal Wil-
liam Victualling-yard, has advertised for tenders on the
12th inst., to supply 2,000 quarters of wheat, weighing
60Ib. per bushel.

SOUTHAMPTON, APRIL 2.
Official information has been received today by the
Admiralty packet authorities, that the 7th ruailion

It is stated in the Siecle that the cavalry regiments
which we propose sending through France are to be
quartered, while in Paris, on the Quai d'Orsay and at
the Ecole Militaire, and that both officers and men will
be most hospitably entertained during their stay in the
French metropolis.

Lieutenant the Hon. L. Curzon, Rifle Brigade, is ap-
pointed extra aide-de-camp to Lord Raglan; Captain A.
Walsh, Ist Life Guards, is to be aide-de-camp to Lord
de Ros ; and Lieutenant the Hon. H. Cliff4rd, Rifle
Brigade, is to be aide-de-camp to Brigadier-General
Buller.

Colonel Colt has received a Government order for
4,000 of his revolvers, which it is understood are to be
supplied to the fleet.

Thirty-two army assistant-surgeons belonging to de-
pots of regiments have been ordered to attend in London
to receive instructions previously to their immediate em-
barkation for the east.
All the shabraques of the cavalry ordered to the seat
of war will be discontinued, in order to lessen the weight
which the horses have to carry.
_..

Lord Hardinie; the Gene;al Commanding in Chief,
has issued cards for a farewell banquet to the comman-
ders of the expeditionary force on Thursday next,
although it has been intimated that the staff must be
prepared to leave at a few hours' notice. Lieutenant-
General Brown, the only one of the staff as yet gone,
started after a notice of three hours. The Earl of Lucan
has not yet left for the East, indeed the precise day for
the departure of the staff has not yet transpired.
The Government purpose sending out all kinds of
clothing and food, which can in any way conduce to the
health of the troops. A large quantity of tea will be
shipped, as the use of water alone in any way will be
prohibited, owing to its deleterious character, without
the operation of boiling. The French propose shipping
a large quantity of wines, and it is supposed that some
arrangement will be made by means of which our Go-
vernment will be able to follow the example.
Yesterday (Sunday) afternoon an order arrived at the
Woolwich division of Royal Marines, for one sergeant,
one corporal, one drummer, and thirty private, to hold
themselves in readiness to proceed by railway this day
to Portsmouth, to embark for service on board the Pene-
lope paddle-wheel steam frigate, under orders to proceed
to join the Baltic fleet. The officers will be selected from
the Portsmouth division.