The Sun.
London, England, 1856-01-29 00:00:00

Naval and Military Intelligence.

Her Majesty's pa'ldle-wheel steamer Spitfire, Captain
Spratt, was admitted into the basin at Woolwich on Sa-
turday from the Mediterranean, having been in commission
four years and a-half, during which time she has been
principally engaged in surveys, and has rendered some
important services in that capacity. Her machinery
will have to be refitted, and she will likewise require
a thorough repair, after which she is to continue her
surveying operations in the Mediterranean. The
Spitfire is one of the steamers which was in constant
attendance on and preceded the fleet for the purpose
of carrying on soundings, ac., in the Black Sea.
Lieutenant Mansell, of the Spitfire, has commissioned
the Tartarus, which will be ready for service in a
few weeks. She has been ordered to the Mediterranean,
and will take out the officers and crew of the
Spitfire to join the Medusa or Medina, one of the latter
ships being intended to prosecute the surveys in con-
junction with the Tartarus. The Spitfire is to be paid
off on Saturday next.
The Coquette, lately launched from the shipbuilder's
yard at Blackwall, and commissioned by Master-Com-
mander Risk, was received into basin at Woolwich on
Saturday to be fitted for sea. She is to be manned with
six 32 pounders and two pivot guns.
A new gun-boat, the Griper, arrived at Woolwich
yesterday morning from Messrs. Scott Russell's, and is
to be rigged and fitted with despatch.
The Admiralty yacht Master-Commander
Allen, entered Woolwich basin yesterday.
The screw-transport Northumberland, No. 51, arrived
yesterday morning off Woolwich Arsenal from Deptford,
having shipped the greater portion of her cargo there.
She has room for about 30 tons of ammunition and other
stores, which she has commenced embarking at Wool-
wich, and will most probably leave to-morrow for
Greenhithe and Balaklava.

The strength of the British navy at the present time
is as follows :

38 screw line-of•battle ships,
25 heavy screw frigates,
61 powerful screw corvettes,
4 screw floating batteries,
7 screw troop frigates,
19 heavy paddle frigates, and
67 various paddle corvettes.

Total, 221

Oar old sailing frigates of 42 and 46 guns are conver-
tible to screw mortar frigates, and the oldest to shell
magazines, as the Fox, &c. ; our splendid merchant
navy—such as the Peninsular and Oriental Company,
the Royal West India Mail Packet Company, the Cunard
line, the General Screw Company, Green's, Wigram's,
Smith's, and others, with hundreds of light draught
screw merchant steamers, would be available for Govera-
ment service in two mouths.
The screw gun-boats arrive at Portsmouth daily from
the eastern yards. We understand they are to anchor
in line at Spithead, preparatory to commencing practical
evolutions in a sham attack upon the liners and forts,
as well as target practice whilst under weigh. They can
have no better sport than trying their skill at one of
our old hulks to be moored inside the Nab Light, and
see what they can do at 1,000 yards range, as well as a
little rifle practice at the same time, having some dam.
miss on the hammock nettings to represent the enemy,
and then a little reward for the best shot.

The London, 90, Capt. A. Kuper, was paid off on
Saturday at Deyonport, and will be re-commissioned,
Capt. Jarvis, as store-ship for the Baltic.
The Nile, 90, screw, Capt. G. R. Mundy, will be
taken out of Keyham basin on Wednesday next.
The Cossack, 20, screw, Capt. J. H. Cockburn, went
out of harbour, yesterday.
The 99th Regiment, now on its passage from Van
Dienien's Land, may be expected in England daily. Pre-
viously to the departure of that corps in October many
•f the men volunteered their services to the lst battalion
of the 12th Foot, stationed in Australia.

The following appointments were made yesterday
at the Admiralty :
Lieut. T. Macnamara, to the St. Vincent, for service
of Portemouth ordinary; ft. T. Saunders, master, to the
Rodney ; Geo. Gilpin, master, to the Esk ; W. P.
Hains, promoted to master and appointed to the Falcon;
Geo. Forster, naval instructor, to the Impregnable ;
Robt. Bernard, surgeon, to the London • Alex. Jeffreys,
paymaster, to the Eurota4 ; S. L. H. Giles, paymaster,
to the Ermonth ; Wm. Wiles, paymaster, to the Hawke;
E. F. Raffell, assistant-paymaster, to the Blenheim ' • E.
B. Walker, assistant-paymaster in charge, to the Mo-
hawk ; Jas. M. Carmichael, clerk, to the Rodney;
Hamilton M. Cole, assistant-clerk, to the Conflict.
The following naval cadets have been appointed
Nupenrameraries to the Victory, the appointments to
bear date the 25th of January inst. :
L. N. Moncrieff, E. H. Steel, Wm. E. K. Cockett,
Chas. C. Rising, A. H. Markham, P. R. H. Parker,
John P. Bridges, Chas. Stuart, Robt. Barton, and Geo.
Wesley ; and to the Impregnable—N. Maskelyne, Geo.
W. Hand, R. H. C. Lawson, Chao. Mason, G. H. Bor-
ton, R. M. Sporling, and R. W. Benvon.