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

PREPARATIONS

'OR WAR.

The 63d Regiment, now quartered in Dublin, is under
orders for a " particular service," and will either pro-
ceed to Greece or be drafted in companies on board the
Baltic fleet. Recruiting is actively going on to fill up
the ranks, 200 men having volunteered to the regiments
forming the first division of the expeditionary force.
A depot is to be formed in the Isle of Wight for the
regiments proceeding on active service.
Drs. Mitchell, Dumbreck, and Linton, staff-surgeons
of the first-class, have started for Constantinople by the
overland route.
The Master-Generalship of the Ordnance will not be
filled up during Lord Raglan's absence in the East.
The provisional battalion at Chatham has a second
time given volunteers for the regiments forming the
British contingent.
Arrangements have been made at Malta to accommo-
date 5,000 additional troops.
ADDITIONAL TROOPS FOR THE EAST.—It is reported
that the following regiments, in addition to those already
named, have received orders for embarkation to join the
army proceeding to Turkey —The 20th, 34th, 38th,
and 97th Foot, and the 42d and 79th Highlanders.
These, with another brigade to be formed from troops
now stationed at Gibraltar and Malta, consisting of the
30th, 47th, and 55th Regiments, will constitute the
third division of the army, thus making the total force
of infantry 25,000 men. The service companies of regi-
ments proceeding to the Mediterranean, for service in
our garrisons there, are ordered, from the Ist inst., to
be completed to 700 rank and file. The 63d, from the
Linen Hall, and 21st from Richmord Barracks, are un-
der orders for embarkation tie the East. Letters to
that effect were received ye4terelly. 1,300 recruits
have been already obtained_ and since the aug-
mentation of the army has been promulgated.—Lublin I
Daily Express.

—SOUTHAMPTON, MARCH 3.
We understand that the Lords Commissioners of the
Admiralty have issued circulars to all the large steam-
packet companies, inquiring what steam-vessels can be
placed at the disposal of the Government for the con-
veyance of troops or stores.
The name, tonnage, and horse-power of the vessels.
The port at which the vessels are ; or, if not in Eng-
land, when and where they may be expected. If in
offering the vessels any derangement of the mail or
other service will take place. Whether any of the ves-
sels are adapted for the conveyance of horses below ;
and, if so, whether the internal fittings will have to be
removed. The expenditure of coal per day in each
vessel. If the ships should proceed to ports in the
Mediterranean, whether the company would undertake
to coal their own vessels, and not to draw upon the
Government stores. The probable expense, on rough
estimate, of the employment of each ship for one, two,
or three months.

The only assistance which could be rendered from this
port, without interruption to the mail packet service,
would be the new steam-ships Colombo, Candia, and
Simla, belonging to the Peninsular and Oriental Com-
pany, and the Magdalena, 2,750 tons, and 750-horse
power, and the Medway, 1,800 tons, and 450-horse
power, belonging to the West India Mail Company. The
Magdalena is already chartered by the Government, and
will be a most efficient troop-ship. The Medway might
be got ready for sea within a short time, and would carry
700 or 800 men. The Colombo, a new screw steamer,
of 1,800 tons and 400-horse power, belonging to the
Peninsular and Oriental Company, is expected in a few
days from the Clyde. The Simla, of 2,600 tons burden
and 600-horse power, is getting ready for sea at
Greenock with the greatest despatch, and, it is
hoped, will be in Southampton in about six weeks.
The Candia, of 2,250 tons and 500-horse power,
is now in the Thames, and may be got ready
for service in about two months. All these
vessels would be most powerful and efficient
aids to the steam transport service of the Govern-
ment,pated that and
any will
omdf oe
thenblt t
of
ce os
ns beoffered. a
tnryac
to of
ai
ltheir
companies lt
ships, is n
tohwte al
will
pt iciro
pose the employ
with-
drawal of which would put a stop to the mail service ;
but will, on the contrary, merely tender such steamers
as can be spared for the present, thus throwing upon the
Government the onus of withdrawing the mail packets
in the event of the exigencies of the public service ren-
dering it necessary to do so.

PORTSMOUTH, MARCH 3.
Each day developer more plainly the advance of the
equipment of Sir Charles Napier's fleet, and the con-
tinued fine weather helps to an incalculable extent. The
victualling proceeds almost without intermission ; so does
the gunnery drill of Admiral Chads. A perpetual can-
nonading from 9 o'clock in the morning until 4 in the
afternoon (allowing only for the dini.er-time), is daiiy
going on, and attracts great interest Ashore.
Aboard of survey, consisting of Captain H. Smith,
C. 8., of the Neptune ; Captain Hutton, of the Prince
Regent ; and Captain Crispin, jun., Captain of the Vic-
toria and Albert, with three medical officers, was held
to-day at the Royal Naval Hospital Hasiar, Capt. Super-
intendent Courtenay, on about 60 41?,Olants to be in-
valided ; 15 marines and 45 seamen, soveral being coast-
guardmen newly draughted to serve afloat, were found
unfit for active service on board ship, and were passed
accordingly. The Prince Regent has completed her six
months' provisions and stores for active service already.
She will be paid down to-morrow at Spithead by the
pay staff from the Admiralty, together with the Odin,
Capt. Scott, in the basin, repairing boilers, &c. The
Eoscawen, 70, Capt. Glanville, was pail to-day. The
post of Flag-Captain to Sir Charles Napier has been
offered to Capt. Dalrymple Hay, of the flag-ship Vic-
tory, who distinguished himself in actbn with pirates
in the China seas, when commanding tie sloop Colum-
bine. The Prince Regent and Odin are the only ships of
Rear-Admiral Corry's squadron from vbich paybooks
have as yet been received. We trust the sailing of
the fleet will not be delayed on accouit of the non-
performance of this clerical duty on beard ship. We
believe we are correct in asserting that if neces-
sity requires, the whole of the fleet now at Spithead might
be sent to sea to-morrow night. All the ships were
to-day completed with water before 12 o'clock, and they
will have shipped their provisions by to-morrow at noon.
Thus the victualling department of Clarence-yard have
shown what can be done on an emergency. Rear-
Admiral Corry returns from town to-morrow. Commo-
dore Martin, of the Duke of Wellingtor, although ap-
pointed to the Nile, 91, has the option cf commanding
that ship or a division of the smaller stean-frigates, with
a broad pendant of the first class in the Leopard, 18.
The Arrogant, 46, having coaled, returned to Spithead
this morning, and the Dauntless, 33, came in for the
apparently for Plymouth, on special
like purpose. The Magicienne, 16, has steamed away
steorvtilicee. westward,
service, Porcupine has been despatched
to look up volunteers on the coast. The Blenheim, 60,
is adjusting her compasses in the harbour, preparatory to
going out to Spithead. The Cmsar, 91, new screw ship,
Capt. Robb, has been got out of harbour thisday. Her re-
markably speedyequiPm ent reflects the higlaeft credit on all
engaged upon her, the engineer department es3ecially. She
she ran throigh the fleet,
and thence iito the har-
bour again. She had a large
Stokesnaaftbe r
Lwi Bay,ghhi
et
h,and made tw) runs along
party on board. Her
machinery worked most splendidly ; not a r'vet or screw
andtsee measuredind
oe dwno utto thetmo illCe,
displaced. She was tried ahead and astern, and an•
swered perfectly. She realised a mean speed of 101
knots per hour, and came into harbour at 4 p.m. to
complete for sea. Whatever ill fortune night have at-
tended her launch, she seems to have shaken it off. The
speed of the Princess Royal on Monday was 10.7, not
4.7, as erroneously printed in the notice of her trial.

PLYMOUTH, FRIDAY EVENING.
Rear Admiral Berkeley, one of the Lords of the Ad-
miralty, arrived here last evening, and Sir Baldwin
Walker, Surveyor of the Navy, this morning. They are
come to expedite the fitting of ships.
The Duke of Wellington, 131,Commander H. B. Martin,
under charge of Mr. Thompson, Queen's Harbourmaster,
left the Sound early this morning. On getting between
Millbay-spur and St. Nicholas Island, the weather thick-
ened ; she was skilfully turned in the Narrows, and went
back to the Sound shortly after. The Desperate came
down harbour, and the. Duke subsequently went up
Hamoaze with all her powder on board, which was dis.
charged in harbonr. To-morrow morning she will be
docked at Keyham, and if the defects in her pump gear
or in her valves can be remedied in time, she will be
undocked in the evening. The orders are for her to be
made sound again by Thursday. Admiral Sir Baldwin
Walker inspected her to-day.
Admiral Berkeley issued orders at 6 p.m. on Thursday
to prepare the screw steam-ship Desperate, 8, Captain
W. Chambers, for sea, and at that time her decks were
lumbered, topgallant masts on deck, and sails unbent.
Every man had leave until 4 this morning, but by the
activity of the First-Lieutenant V. Johnson and a wil-
ling crew, topgallant masts were got tip, topgallant
yars crossed, and sails bent by half-past 7,, and steam
being got up in the meantime she shortly after went
into the Sound. At 11 o'clock she sailed for Carrick-
fergus and Dublin to bring men for the squadron.
The crew of the Royal George, 121, Captain Codring-
ton, were paid their wages to day, and she is ordered to
sail for Spithead to-morrow. The Rhadarnanthus ar-
rived yesterday, with machinery from Woolwich, and
the Nautilus, today with supernumeraries from Fal-
mouth.

Commodore H. B. Martin will probably remove his
flag t•-day from the Duke of Wellington to the Nile.
Commodore Seymour gave up command of the dock-
yard to-day, and it is expected he will hoist his broad
pendant on board the Duke to-morrow.

In consequence of the embarkation of the 93d High-
landers, the dockyard military guard has been reduced
from 55 to 43.

The equipment of the troop-ship. Belleisle, 24, as hos-
pital ship for the Baltic, has occupied the especial atten-
tion of Admiral Berkeley this forenoon. He went
through her, accompanied by Sir B. Walker, Commo-
dore Seymour, Captain Singcombe, &c. Doctor Alex-
ander Maecknie, junior surgeon of Haslar Hospital,
appointed inspector of hospitals on board the Belleisle,
will have under him two surgeons, three assistant sur-
geons, and one surgeon's clerk. All the lower deck of
the Belleisle will be used as an hospital. The first batta•

lion of the Ist Royals is expected to arrive here by rail
at 3 o'clock on Saturday afternoon, from Newport.

LIVERPOOL, MARCH 3.
Recruiting for the navy progresses rapidly, volunteers
freely offering themselves. Yesterday evening a num-
ber of men, including some from Ireland and the Isle of
Man, were forwarded by the mail train, and will be sent
on board the Governmeu ship Crocodile, whence they
will be dratighted on board vessels at Portsmouth, Ply-
mouth, and elsewhere, in accordance with Admiralty in-
structions. An order has been received at Liverpool
stating that several vessels of from 650 to 850 tons bur-
den are immediately repired as transports, and that they
would be engaged for three or four months positively,
and might be required for a longer period. Owners of
vessels of this class have sent in tenders, and it is under-
stood that several have been accepted. The 77th regi-
ment, which has arrived at Preston from Glasgow, will
be embatked at this port on board the screw-steamer
Kangaroo, which is expected here by every tide. On
her arrival she will go into the Sandon Dock, and the
embarkation will take place in the course of a few days.

PEMBROKE, MARCH 3.
The Ist Regiment of Foot, now doing duty in South
Wales, having received orders to hold themselves in
readiness to join the second division of the British army
for Turkey, the four companies now at the barracks here
will be relieved by the same number of the 85th Foot,
which corps will to a certain extent replace the let Foot.
The head-quarters of the 85th are at,present at Bristol.
Lieutenant-Colonel Crawley, R.E., has assumed the
direction of the engineering department in connexion
with the defences now in course of progress for the
better protection of the haven. Re succeeded Lieu-
tenant-Colonel Victor, who has proceeded to Constanti-
nople on particular service.

The volunteering for the navy has been. very successful
in this neighbourhood, upwards of 65 able-bodied fellows
having been sent round to.rlymouth as the last batch.
The fort at the western side of the dockyard has been
mounted with the guns sent for its armament. The
pieces of ordnance will be 24 in number, about half of
which will be 10 and 8-inch guns, which have been
mounted on traversing carriages. This battery was
formerly suppfied with 24-pounders, but last summer
the whole was altered to receive the present armament—
viz., 32's and 68's, which have been mounted by the
small detachment of the Royal Artillery statfoned here.