The Sun.
London, England, 1854-03-06 00:00:00

PREPARATIONS FOR WAR

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The transport of some 2,000 horses to the Mediter-
ranean is the greatest difficulty that is likely to arise in
connexion with the undertaking of sending our army to
co-operate in the defence of Turkey. Our military autho-
rities have comparatively little experience to guide them
in a matter of the kind, and we would suggest that
persons conversant with the horse trade between Aus-
tralia and India, might do good service by coming for-
ward and showing how the ships engaged in this service
should be fitted up.
A good deal of misapprehension exists with reference
to the regiments that are to form the second division of
the expeditionary force. These have not yet been posi-
tively named, but it is quite certain that they will be
taken regularly as they stand upon the roster. The
order to be in readiness for foreign service has been
addressed to more regiments than will be included in
the second division, and that order must not be con-
sidered as involving any certainty that the corps re-
ceiving it will form part of the British contingent.

PORTSMOUTH, MARCH 5.
The victualling of the ships at Spithead for six
months' foreign service was completed yesterday.
There are now at this rendezvous to-day the following
ships, the complements of which we give, as nearly as
we can arrive at them without consulting the ships'
books :

Horse-
Guns. Tons. Crew. Power.
Princess Royal, Captain Lord
Clarence Paget, flag of Vice.
Admiral Sir Charle s Napier,
K.C.8., Sz,c 9l 3,129 880 400
Prince Regent, Captain Hut-
ton, flag of Rear-Admiral
Corry 9O 2,613 821
Edinburgh, Captain Hewlett,
flag of Rear-Admiral Chads,
C.B 5B 1,772 660 450
Royal George, Captain Cod-
rington, C.ll l2l 2,616 1,100 400
St. Jean D'Acre, Captain the
Hon. Henry Koppel lOl 3,600 900 650
Boscawen, Captain Glanville 70 2,212 620
Hogue, Captain W. Ramsay 60 1,750 660 450
Imperiouse, Captain Watson,
C B 5l 2,547 530 360
Arrogant, Captain Yelverton 47 1,872 450 360
Amphion, Captain A. C. Key 31 1,474 320 300
Tribune, Captain the Hon. S.
T. Carnegie 3O 1,570 300 300
Dauntless, Captain Ryder 33 1,490 300 580
Leopard, Captain Giffard
Valorous, Captain C. H. M
Buckle l6 1,255 220 400 ,
Dragon, Captain Willcox
Bulldog, Captain W. C. Hall 6 1,123 160 500
Frolic, Commander Nolloth. 16 511 120
They have each been ordered (this day) to draw charts
for the Baltic.

Every day will add to this force, which will eventually
include the three-deckers, Duke of Wellington, 131 ; St.
George, 121 ; Waterloo, 120 ;Na
jeepsutuen,eB,ll;243ol;enC:esimar:
91 ; Nile, 91 ; James Watt, 91 ; Algiers, 91 ; Monarch,
84 ; Ganges, 84 ; Cressy, 81 ; i
60 ; Ajax, 60 ; Euryalus, 51 ; Fox, 42 ; Pique, 40 ; and
numerous others. Sir Charles Napier will, we believe,
command personally 20 sail of the line, and 10 sail of
French. There will be about 50 sail of smaller ships,
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120, an order having been received yesterday, appoint-
ing Captain Hutton to the Neptune, and Captain Smith,
C. 8., from the Neptune, to the Prince Regent. Capt.
Hutton takes with him Commander Bunce, Lieutenant
Brandreth, and 50 of the Prince Regent's crew. When
the change of officers and ships was made known on
board the Prince Regent yesterday, the whole ship's
company, who really love their admiral and captain, and
are devotedly attached to their matchless ship, wanted to
follow the admiral, as one man, into the Neptune, and
when told that only 50 would be allowed to be draughted
by the Admiralty, their countenances betokened the sin-
cerest dejection. Subsequently all the petty officers went
aft on the quarter-deck and respectfully requested that the
Admiralty might be memorialised for their removal with
their admiral and captain. The Neptune will be some
time getting ready. She has lower yards and topmasts
up and topgallant masts pointed, but has only 150 men
on her books besides her draught of Royal Marines.
We expect, therefore, that Rear-Admiral Chads will be
the first despatched with a "flying squadron " of frigates
towards the Baltic, that Sir Charles Napier will follow,
and that Rear-Admiral Corry will bring up the rear.
Captain Hay, of the Victory, has declined the flag-
captaincy to Sir Charles Napier. The Prince Regent,
the St. Jean d'Acre, the Amphion, and the Odin were
paid wages down to the 31st of January yesterday. The
Imperieuse, Tribune, and Valorous will be paid to-
morrow, leaving only the Arrogant (whose pay-books
have not yet been landed) of Admiral Corry's division to
be paid. The Blenheim, 60, Captain the Hon. F. J.
Pelham, has re-adjusted her compasses and will be ready
to join the fleet to-morrow. The Ca3sar, 91, Captain
Robb, is rattling down her rigging. The Odin, 16,
Captain F. Scott, is repairing bailers in the steam-
basin. The fleet are daily exercised in gunnery, reefing,
furling, &c. Mr. Parratt, of the Treasury brought down
last night from London a small tubular collapsing boat,
upon the principle of his admiral life-raft, which he has
this day taken off to the St. Jean d'Acre for the Hon.
H. Keppell. The 23d, 42d, and 79th Regiments are pre-
paring for active service. The two latter corps will be
augmented by volunteers from the 72d and 79th depots,
31 volunteers from the 11th Foot, 32 from the 65th, and 62
from the 35th embarked from this dockyard at 6 o'clock
this morning, in the Foyle, British and Irish Steam-
packet Company's vessel, to join the Ist battalion of the
Royals at Plymouth. The Foyle embarks the 93d
depot at Plymouth to-morrow, for the Isle of Wight.
The depot of the 2d battalion of the Rifle Brigade will
be conveyed to the Isle of Wight to-morrow in her
Majesty's steam-tender Sprightly.
The Cruiser, 14, Commander Cr. H. Douglas, will
join the Baltic fleet.

SOUTHAMPTON, 111Ancii 4.
The Government have chartered the following ships,
belonging to the General Screw Steam Shipping Com-
pany for the transport service :—The Golden Fleece,
2,500 tons, 400-horse power; the Jason, 2,500 tons,
400-horse power ; Prince, 2,750 tons, 400-horse power ;
the Harbinger, 916 tons, 180-horse power ; and the
Cape of Good Hope, 800 tons, 120-horse power. The
last steamer will leave the London Docks on Wednes-
day for Constantinople, taking out a large cargo and a
number of passengers, and will also convey 120 officers
and men to Malta. The Golden Fleece, under the com-
mand of Captain Stewart, sailed from Greenhithe this
(Saturday) morning, in excellent order, for Leith,
whence, having embarked the 4th Regiment, she will
proceed to Devonport for further orders. The Har-
binger, now on her voyage from Australia, is expected
to reach Southampton towards the close of this month
or the beginning of April. The Jason and Prince, two
of the finest screw-steamers in the world, are being
rapidly got ready for sea at Blackwall,

PLYMOUTH, MARCH 4.
Commodore Seymour hoisted his burgee, red at the
main, as Captain of the Fleet, on board the screw steam-
ship Duke of Wellington, 131, to-day. This magnificent
vesssel was placed in the Queen's-dock at Keyham this
morning, in the presence of thousands of spectators,
numbers of whom kept thronging into the yard and on
board throughout the day, highly gratified at having so
convenient an opportunity of surveying her huge bulk
and examining her entire economy. The artisans of the
yard commenced their duties immediately, and, in order
to expedite her fitment, they will continue working, both
outside and inside, all day on Sunday. Admiral Berkeley
and Captain Sir Baldwin Walker inspected her yester-
day. They ordered her to be in the Sound again on
Thursday, if possible. The Admiral and Sir Baldwin
left by express train this morning for London.
Commodore H. B. Martin hoisted his broad pendant
this morning on board the hulk Bellona, on his appoint-
ment to the command of the screw steamship Nile, 91.
The screw steam-ship Royal George, 121, Captain H.
F. Codrington, left the Sound at noon to-day, steaming,
with Royal yards across, against a strong easterly breeze,
for Spithead.
Major Montgomery arrived here, by South Devon
Railway, at 3 o'clock this afternoon, in command of the
first detachment of the Ist battalion of First Royals.
It comprised above 330 men, who left Newport, Mon-
mouthshire on Friday, slept at Bristol, and came on
by the Bristol and Exeter Railway. At the station
they were received by Captain Wetherall, Alajor of Bri-
gade, and, being preceded by their own band, marched
at once to the Citadel, where they occupy the quarters
just vacated by the 93d Highlanders. At 7 o'clock this
evening the second detachment arrived at the station ; it
numbers about 250, and came from Carmarthen, having
slept on Thursday and Friday at Newport. The remain-
der of the battalion, quartered at Pembroke, is expected
here early next week. The 20th of March is now
spoken of as the probable date for their embarkation from
Plymouth. _ _

MARCH 5.
Two steam men-of-war passed up Channel near the
Bolt Head about 8 o'clock this morning. The first was
a paddle-wheel barque-rigged ship showing a white ensign;
the second was a screw with painted ports. Her three
topgallant-masts were struck, and she answered a signal
from the barque. Both were under steam only, the
wind blowing strong from the eastward.

LIVERPOOL, MARCH 4.

The new screw steam-ship Kangaroo arrived from the
Clyde last night, and this morning went into the Wel-
lington-dock, where she will be fitted and made ready
for the speedy embarkation of the 77th Regiment, which
remains at Preston until her fittings are completed.

DEPTFORD, MARCH 4.
Captain A. Milne, one of the Lords of the Admiralty,
paid an official visit to Deptford Dock and victualling
yards on Tuesday last, and was accompanied by Capt.-
Superintendent G. B. Martin, C. 8., during his inspec-
tion of the sailing transport vessels moored in the stream,