The Sun.
London, England, 1854-01-02 00:00:00

NAVAL INTELLIGENCE.

PORTSMOUTH, JAN. 1.
The Diamond, 28, Captain W. Peel, sailed front
Spithead yesterday morning, for the Mediterranean.
The Basilisk, 8, paddle-wheel sloop, Commander the
Hon. F. Egerton, was placed in the steam factory basin
yesterday morning, to have her defects repaired.
The Frolic, 16, Commander Nolloth, was paid advance
yesterday at Spithead.

The Fairy and Elfin Royal yachts hauled into the
steam factory basin yesterday morning.
The Sealark, 8, brig, bent sails yesterday afternoon.
She will speedily be commissioned as an instruction-brig
for naval apprentices.

The Diligence store-ship arrived at Spithead this after-
noon from the eastward. It is supposed she will take
out supplies to the fleet in the Dardanelles.
The Dauntless, 24, screw•frigate, was commissioned
this morning by Captain Alfred Phillip Ryder.

PLYMOUTH, JAN. 1.
Her Majesty's frigate Pique, 36, was commissioned
yesterday by Mr. Carr, the Master, for Captain Sir
Frederick W. Nicholson, Bart. On Tuesday a party of
Royal Marines, under command of Lieutenant M'Cul-
lum, consisting of two sergeants, two corporals, one
drummer, and 43 privates, will commence duty on board.
The paddle-wheel steam-ship Sidon, 22, Captain
George Goldsmith, has arrived from Portsmouth to take
stores for the fleet in the Mediterranean, calling at
Lisbon.
The screw steam-vessel Rifleman, 8, Lieutenant•Com-
wander H. Christian, having had repairs made good,
went out of harbour yesterday, and is appointed to sail
to-day for South America.
• The steam-vessel Avon arrived yesterday from Ports•
mouth.
The brig Nautilus, manned by naval apprentices,
sailed yesterday for Falmouth.
Letters from the St. Jean d'Acre, at Lisbon, state
that she arrived from Plymouth in six days, during two
of which there was a dead calm, when she got up steam
and attained an average rate of I.oi knots.
The merchant brig Mariner, of London, was off this
port yesterday morning, three months and two days from
the Mauritius, with sugar.

SHEERNESS, DEC. 31.
The Monarch, 84 guns, guard-ship of ordinary, Capt.
Charles Hope.—The officers and crew of this ship were
paid off yesterdirternttfreer•years' commission having
expired. The principal part of her blue-jackets volun-
teered
for her again, and she has this day been recom-
missioned by Capt. Charles Hope, Captain-Superin-
tendent of her Majesty's dockyard here. The following
officers have been re-appointed to her—Capt. Charles
Hope,. Comniander Josiah Thompson, Lieut.• George '
B. Williams. For Service in Ordinary—Lieutenants
Timothy Macnamara, Thomas Cartwright, and Perceval
Baskerville; Mister Peter Francis (additional). For Ser-
vice in Myrtle—William S. Bourchier, Paymaster John
Williams. The late surgeon, Jason Lardner, is not re-
appointed. James Bankier, M.D. (Dec. 12, 1834), is
ordered to join. Assistant-Surgeon William James I
Hamilton (additional), for service of ordinary, and Mark
Hamilton, M.D., Second-Master Augustus F. Mug-
ford, recently appointed to the steam frigate Cyclops,
will remain doing duty in the Monarch until a Second-
Masterjoins. Second-Master (acting), Charles Anstey.
Alfred Wood and Edward W. Gordon, clerks, are also •
reappointed. She is to have the same number of men
she had during her former commission.
The Cressy, 80 guns, new screw steam-ship, Captain'
Henry J. Codrington.—Thefollowing officers have taken
up their commissions and joined :—Commander John
W. Doville (February 25, 1853), Master John J.
Brown, and the Paymaster, Walter Burke. The seamen,
gunners, marine-artillery, and marines for this ship,
have arrived, and are at present borne out on the books
of and victualled from the Waterloo, 120 guns, flag-ship.
The Cressy having had all her fitments connected' with
her screw, feed pipes, &c., completed in No. 3 dry dock,
was put out of dock yesterday, and berthed in the fitting
basin.
The Waterloo, 120 guns, flag-ship, Captain Lord F.
H. Kerr.—First Lieutenant Thomas B. Christopher
has taken command pro tent, of the Hart, and proceeded
to Harwich and other ports on the east coast to enter
volunteers for the navy under the new Admiralty regu-
lations. Captain Lord F. H. Kerr has, by Admiralty
order, been doing duty as Captain-Superintendent of the I-1
dockyard during part of the period Captain Charles .b:k../
Hope was on leave of absence. Yesterday the offieers
and the entire staff of this yard underwent their quar-
terly muster in his presence.

WOOLWICH, Dec. 31.

APPOINTMENTS

Lieutenant —Edward A.lllackett (1847), recently
serving in the Duke of Wellington, 131, screw steam-
ship, to the Cressy, 80, screw steam-ship at Sheerness.
Master —Ge,brge Henry Blakey (1849), to the Gladi-
ator, 6, paddle-wheel steam-vessel, of 430-horse power,
ready for service as an advanced war steamer, at Port*.
mouth.

Mate—James A. Forbes (1853), to the Cressy.
Midshipman—George Parsons, to the Dauntless, 24,
screw steam-frigate, at Portsmouth.

Assistant-Suigeniis—Charles F. William (1846); to
cy.clorot steatn-frigate, fitting at Sheerness for the
Mediterranean station.

Acting Acsistant-Surgeons—Thomas Daly (1853), to
the Boscawen, 70; fitting at Chatham for the flag-ship
of Rear-Admiral Arthur Fan•hawe, C. 8., on the North
America and West Indies station ; John Caldwell (1853),
to the Euryalus, 50, screw steam•frigate, at Chatham ;
W. H. Cruise (1853), to the Pique, 40, at Devonport ;
Wm. S. Roche (1853), to the Dauntless screw steam-
frigate; -Henry G. Ruby (1853), to the Impregnable
flag-ship, at Devonport.
Commodore Henry Eden having had his broad pend-
ant on board the Fisgard flag-ship taken down on Fri-
day, at sunset, Commodore John Shepherd, his suc-
cessor, arrived here about 10 o'clock a.na. to-day,
and had his broad pendant hoisted on the Fisgard,
and assumed the duties of Commodore-Superintend-
ent of Woolwich Dockyard. The whole of the
heads of the department attended at the Commodore's
offices, and were introduced by Commodore Henry
Eden to Commodore John Shepherd, and the past and
present commodores subsequently visited all the depart-
, ments and works in the yard. The new commissions of
the officers whose names will be borne on the books of
the Fisgard were received in the course of the forenoon,
and entered accordingly for service under Commodore
John Shepherd. Among the offices now borne on the
books of the Fisgard are—Capt.-Superintendent Robert
Smart, K.H., stationed at head-quarters in London ;
and Capt. Craigie, Capt. James V. Baker, Capt. Henry
Broadhead, Capt. William L. Sheringham, Capt. Arthur
W. Jerningham, and Capt. Peter Fisher, the command-
ing officers of the six out-stations of the Royal Naval
Coast Volunteers; Lieut. Robert Robertson (1840), in
charge of the steam reserve afloat, and the engineers on
check on shore ; Master-Commander John E. Petley,
and the officers of the Black Eagle ; Master-Commander
Henry W. Allen, and the officers of the Lightning ;
Master Edward K. Calver, for service in the Speedwell ;
Master John C. Giles, for service at Somerset-house ;
Mr. John Dinnen, Inspector of Steam-machinery, for
service at Somerset-house ; the officers for service in the
Asp, Woodlark, and Gossamer surveying vessels, and a
number of officers borne in addition for surveying ser-
vice. There are also seven paymasters—George W.
Pickthorn, James W. P. Foord, Julian A. Messum,
Edwin J. Forster, Henry N. Sande, Richard Curgenven,
and Henry T. Nettleton—borne for service at the seven
stations of the Royal Naval Coast Volunteers.
Mr. R. Millar is appointed to be agent for sick and
wounded at Stornoway.
Mr. Thomas Jamieson is appointed store-receiver' at
Deptford. _ • •

Captain Ramsay, Second-Lieutenant Lane, 1 sergeant,
1 corporal, 1 drummer, and 46 privates of the Woolwich
division of Royal Marines left head-quarters here at 2
o'clock p.m. to-day, and proceeded by the North Kent
Railway to Strood, en route for Chatham, to embark in
the Euryalus, 50, for service in that screw steam-frigate.
The remainder of her complement of Royal Marines will
be made up by 1 serjeant, 1 corporal and 17 gunners of
the Royal Marine Artillery, from their head-quarters at
Portsthouth.

Tan MADAGASOAR.—The following is an extract of a
letter from her Majesty's ship Madagascar :—" St. Vin-
cent, Cape 'de Verd, Nov. 18,1853. Here we are, only
14 days from. Plymouth, and, pretty well half way on
our passage ; no thanks to any one but a merciful Pro-
vidence, for they sent us away fearfully undermanned,
and if we bad had a gale of wind, which was not im-
probable at this time of year, I don't know what ,we
should have done, for the few we had 'consisted of 21
able and ordinary seamen, including 10 seamen from the
President, and a few additional marines and boys. We,
are odinfortable; however, and our skipper is a ' regular
brick.' * 41' * When we make snug for the night, we
do it by stoppering-all the haulyards, tacks, &6.,
is deathAo start them. We leave here to-morrow
morning • for' Rio. • The President, 50, with the flag of
Rear, (Admiral Price, sailed the day before us, but we
have not met, as she was going to Tenerife." •

BUCKINGHAM PALACE IMPROVEMENTS.--The renova-
tion of the exterior of the new front of Buckingham- I
' Palace having been completed, the scaffolding has been,
entirely removed, and the principal front of 'the royal
edifice no‘x presents a very much improved and inipos-
ing appearance. The additions which have been made _
to the palace at the south side, forming the south wing,
which comprises new ball-rooms of considerable extent,
and a riding-house for the use of her Majesty and the
royal family, with numerous other apartments for their
use, and will add greatly to the comfort and convenience
of the illustrious inmates, at the same time that they
vastly improve the appearance of the palace from the ex-
terior. The grand central gate of the principal entrance
is being elaborately carved, the solid stone pillars on *kl,
each side being cut with emblematical figures and ornao ..,r
ments of an appropriate character, which will add con-
siderably to the decorative beauties of the new front, . L
and complete the intended improvements. One of the
pillars is already finished, and presents a very pleasant
effect. The stone pillars of the gates on either side of 3
the grand entrance are being caved in a somewhat simi.
lar manner. We believe that these elaborate and beau- .
tiful carvings in stone-work are executed by fcircign
artists engaged specially for the purpose, -77 •
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