The Sun.
London, England, 1853-03-21 00:00:00

REINFORCEMENT OF THE MEDITERRANEAN

FLEET.

We stated some days since that the Mediterranean
fleet if ould most likely be reinforced, and we expected,
from an order given last week, that none of the men be-
longing to the steam squadron at Spithead should be
allowed leave on shore, that before this some of the ships
would have taken their departure for Malta. It appears,
however, that on Saturday orders were received at
Portsmouth for Rear-Admiral Corry's baggage to be
landed from the Prinee Regent, 90, and on that day,
our correspondent states, " the Prince Regent, 90, Cap-
tain Frederick Hutton, and Leopard, 16 (paddle-frigate),
Captain George Giffard, fired a signal-gun at 1.30
p.m., and hoisted the blue peter at the fore; and it
was, supposed that sudden orders had come down for
them to put to sea, and their destination the Mediter-
ranean. They unmoored, and awaited further orders.
Yesterday, our correspondent says, writing at four
p.m., " London, 90, Captain Mundy, has just fired a
signal-gun, and hoisted the blue peter at ' the fore.
4.20 p.m., Sidon, 22, Captain Goldsmith, has just
hoisted the blue peter at the fore. Prince Regent and
Leopard are quiet." At all events, the ships are on the
qui vive, and, with the exception of the London, which
ship is still above 150 short, are fully manned, and
ready for any service.
We have intelligence from Malta to the 14th inst.
The Wasp, 14, screw-ship, Commander Lord John Hay,
had arrived with dispatches from Constantinople, to the
effect, it was believed, that the nearer Admiral Dun-
das's fleet was to the Dardanelles the more satisfactory
it would be to the Turks, and the more advantageous to
the preservation of the peace of Europe. The gallant
admiral's fleet was in the highest state of excellence, and
perhaps there never was a small force so united and so
effective for any service it might be called upon to
perform.

The detail of the British force in the Mediterranean
is nearly as follows :- -

SHIPS OF THE LINE.

Guns. Men.
Britannia 120 1000 Capt. Carter (flag-ship)
Trafalgar 120 960 Capt. Greville.
Albion 9O 820 Capt. Lushington.
Rodney 92 820 Capt. Graham, C.B.
Bellerophon 7B 650 Capt. Lord G. Paulett.

Arethusa 53 500 Capt. T. Symonds.
Modesto l6 145 Corn. Lord. Compton

STEAM-VESSELS.
Guns. Men. h.p.
Retribution 28 300 400 Capt. Drummond.
Tiger 14 220 400 Capt. Giffard.
Furious 10 220 400 Capt. Loring.
Fury 6 160 515 Coro. Tatham.
Wasp (scrow)l4 170 100 Cora. Lord J. Hay.
Niger (screw)l4 170 400 Com. Heath.
Caradoc 2 63 350 Lieut.-Com. Derriman.
Triton 3 65 260 Lieut.-Com. Lloyd.
Shearwater 3 54 160 Lieut.-Com. Gordon.
Thus making a force of five sail of the line, a heavy
frigate, and a sloop, three steam-frigates, three steam-
sloops, and three other steamers. Total, 16 ships, 666
guns, 6319 men, and 2980-horse power in steamers. In
addition to the above, there is a steamer, the Antelope,
at Gibraltar ; the depot ship Ceylon, at Malta, and a
steam-sloop at Lisbon, the Inflexible, 6 guns, 160 men.
—Herald.

PORTSMOUTH, MARCH 20.

In accordance with the Admiralty circular recently re-
ceived in this dockyard, orders were yesterday issued to
all the departmental officers, announcing that all boys,
in addition to the apprentices, may attend the Mathe-
matical School after working hours, and those who wish
may attend three times a week. A large number have
already availed themselves of this opportunity in order to
fit themselves for apprentices when vacancies may offer.
The Fairy, Royal yacht, Master-Commander Welch,
went out on Friday to try another of Griffith's' patent
screws, under the direction of Captain Crispin. The
trials we lately reported of the screws on this principle
were three-bladed screws, but as the rule of the service
is to have all screws so constructed or fitted that they
can be raised to the deck through a well or shaft cut ex-
pressly for that purpose, and through which only a two-
bladed screw with the blade in a vertical position can
pass, a doubt existed as to whether the same results
could be achieved with a propeller of two blades as was
realised with that of three. The results of the trials of
Friday, as furnished us by one of the patentees of
Griffiths' screw, are reported as follow :—With the pitch
of the screw at 8 feet 6 inches, 12.242 knots per hour ;
10 feet pitch, 11.742 knots ; and with a 12 feet pitch,
11.092 knots.

The Duke of Wellington, screw, 131, Captain H. B.
Martin, C. 8., has now nearly 400 men on her books ;
this number, however, includes officers, marines, and
stokers. Of able seamen she has not entered many.
The shaft had the last piece fitted to it yesterday after-
noon : it is altogethe4loo feet in length. Captain War-
den and other officers of the steam department of the
Admiralty visited this ship yesterday. There does not
appear much probability of her being ready to get steam
up by the let proximo, as originally intended. Nearly
500 men of different classes are at work upon her, and
every possible dispatch is being employed in fitting her
for sea, but there is yet much to do to her. Her model
propeller, of cast iron, seven tons weight, was cast in
this dockyard foundry on Thursday, in the presence of a
large concourse of officers.
The Hastings, 72, Captain Austen, was to sail from
Simon's Bay for England on the 6th ult. to be paid off.
Captain Erskine, of the Royal Marines, of the Winches-
ter, 50, died on board the Hastings at sea on the Ist of
December from the exhausting effects of the climate of
Burmah.

It is rumoured that Rear-Admiral Corry will give up
the command of the Channel squadron for the office of
Superintendent of Malta dockyard ; that Rear-Admiral
Berkeley, C.B. M.P., will leave the Admiralty to take
the command of the Channel squadron ; and that Rear-
Admiral Houston Stewart, C. 8., will succeed Rear-
Admiral Berkeley at the Admiralty.
The quarterly muster of the artisans of this dockyard
was made yesterday by Rear-Admiral Superintendent
Fanshawe, C.B.

The Megera troop steam-ship, Commander Johnston,
at Spithead, will embark detachments of the 36th, 67th,
and 69th Regiments at this port on the 26th inst. for
the West Indies, to join the head-quarters of their re-
spective corps.

The Illustrious, old 72, fitting here as a block-ship for
Spithead, has been undocked after partial recoppering,
&c. She is to have an armament of 39 broadside guns
and one pivot, so that she will be enabled to fight 20
guns on each side.
_ _

Government, after the various specimens they have
had of contract meats, have at length, we are informed,
wisely decided to supply henceforth from their own re-
sources, instead of by contractors, as hitherto, salt beef
for the navy, in order that implicit reliance may be
placed on the good quality' f this article of consumption.
Thirty bullocks have for the last four or five weeks been
slaughtered weekly at the Royal Clarence Victualling-
yard, Gosport, and the beef there carefully cured under
the vigilant and zealous superintendence of Mr. John
Davies, R.N., the master attendant of that establish-
ment. An order, for the supply required for the vessels
about to proceed to the arctic regions was completed at
this yard on Thursday, the beef being of prime order,
and far superior both in quality and curing to that here-
tofore obtained. It is believed this new and considerate
arrangement will afford very great satisfaction.
The Prince Regent, 90, Captain Hutton, and the
Leopard paddle-frigate, 12, Captain George Giffard,
were ordered yesterday to prepare for see. They ac-
cordingly unmoored in the afternoon, and hoisted the
blue peter, for all persons to repair on board. It is re-
ported they sail for the Mediterranean, the Leopard to
tow the line-of-battle ship in light winds or calms. They
start to-morrow.

The Rhadamanthus steam-transport, Master Com-
mander Belam, arrive to-day from Chatham with stores,
and came into harbour to unload.

The Tyne, 6, store-ship, Mr. Peter Wellington,
master, R.N., commanding, arrived at Spithead this
afternoon from Deptford, en route to the Coast of Africa
and the Brazils.

SHIPS IN THE SOUND.—Queen, 116, Captain F. T.
Mitchell ; Vengeance, 84, Captain Lord Edward Rus-
sell ; Magicienne (steam-frigate), 16, Captain T. Fisher ;
Leander, 50, Captain G. St. Vincent King • Arrogant
(screw team-frigate), 47, Captain S. G. ireemantle ;
Argus (steam-sloop), 6, Commander Richard Purvis ;
Valorous (steam-frigate), 16, Captain.C. H. M. Buckle.
IN HAMOAZE.—lmpregnable' 78, Captain Arthur
Lowe ; St. George, 120, Captain Joseph Niai, C.B. ;
Desperate (screw steam-frigate), 8, Captain W. W.
Chambers ; Sans Pareil (screw steam-ship), 70, Captain
S. C. Dacres ; Hogue (screw steam-guard-ship), 60, Cap-
tain Wm. Ramsay ; Edinburgh (screw steam-gunnery-
ship, 58, Captain R. S. Hewlett ; Nautilus, Sylph,
Avon, Confiance, Pike, and Diligence—transport.

PLYMOUTH, MARCH 19.
Her Majesty's ship Vengeance, 84, Captain Lord
Edward Russell, was towed yesterday from Ilamoaze
into the Sound by the Avon and Amphion steamers.