The Sun.
London, England, 1856-03-26 00:00:00

Naval and iti.l3tary Intelligence.

Sir Charles Wood, Birt., M.P., First Lord of the Ad-
miralty, and Rear-Admiral the Right Hon. Sir Maurice
F. F. Berkeley, K.C.8., M.P., Senior Naval Lord of
,the Admiralty, accompanied by his son and private secre-
tary, Mr. Berke:ey, arrived at Portsmouth on Moaday
Light, and were entertained at the Admiralty-house by
Vice-Admiral Sir George F. Seymour, K.O B , G.C.H.,
where they slept. Yeetarday morning, at 10.30, steam
e as ordered to be got ep on board the Admiralty yachts
Black Eagle, Master-Commander Petley; Vivid, Master-
Coniinarr. er W. H. Alien, and Fire Queen, Master-Com-
mander F. W. Paul ; mad about 11 o'clock the Lords
of the Admiralty before naniud, accompanied by Sir
Gorge Seymour, Captain Codrington, C. 8., and Cap-
tain the Hon. J. R. rriimmond, C. 8., embarked in
the Black Eagle for Spitheart. The Vivid and Fire
Queen followed, and, u her Majesty's steam yachts
Fairy and Elfin were going out at the same time to
try their Machinery, &c., prior to being reported
ready for the service of the Court, the scene pre-
, ,eoted was a very interestintr one. The Vivid bad on
board Lady Codrington, Mr. Berkeley, Commanders Risk,
Crofton, and Sauwarez, R.N. The Fire Queen had on
hoard Lord do Blfiquiere, Sir Wm. Jolliffe, M.P., and
Sir Wrn. Stewart (friends of the Commander-in-Chief,
Vice-Admiral Sir G. Seymour). The Admiralty squad.
ron steered towards the fleet, on the way to the Mother-
bank, the flag-ship Victory having previously made sig•
nal for the Colossus, Si, Capt. the lion. Henry Keppel,
C. 8., and the gun•boat flotilla under his command, to
get under way, signal having previously been made from
the flag ship at Spithead early in the morning for all to
get up steam. When their L rrdships arrived at the
Motherbank the gun-boat squadron (compriling between
20 and 30 four and two gun 'steam-vessels) weighed in
two columns, following the Colossus, and proceeded 'to-
wards the westward. The gun-boats, in addition to their
steam; made all sail tolteeptheirallotted stations ; in doing
this the fleet-keeled Vivid acted as a sort of whipper-in,
being ever and anon sent by the Admiralty ahead to order
such and such a boat to get upend keep berstation. When
off Osborne Vice-Admiral Sir G. Seymour and friends
returned in the Fire Queen to harbour, and landed at 3'
o'clock. The B:ack Eagle' with the Lords of the Admi-
ralty o board, proceeded with the flotilla for Portland,
where they will muster and manoeuvre them, and not re-
turn befoie Thursday. The whole force passed over the
" Bridge" ( dr the Needles) at about 2 o'clock, at which
spot the Vivid left them, making all speed towards
Portland in twalines, one on each quarter of the Colossus,
and each keeping position as well as it could according to
the seniority of toe respective cominanders. Toe Admi-
ralty members were to sleep on board the Black Eagle last
evening and resume their manceavring of the squadron
this morning in Portland Roads. The Vivid returned to
Portsmouth harbour at hall-p.ist 4 to land her visitors and
to recoal, and will proceed to Portland this morning with
A !miralty despatches. So extensive a movement in con-
nexion with the fleet, at Spithead, combiner! with the
beauty and clearness of the weather, caused quite a com-
motion at Poi tsinouth and Ryde. tier Msj -sty and the
Court are expected to revisit Osborne on or !about
the 10:di proximo, when the salute by the fleet will be a
very inter .tsting feature should the weather prove as
favourable for a spectacle as yesterday. When the gun-
boats are completed amid comm,ssioued we believe they
will be formed into a coast block.a.le should the war be
ended and their services not required with the fleet.
The last coast blockade was abolished by Sir J. Graham
when he was first Lord of the Admiralty about 1831.
The Wand,rer, 6, new screw despatsh gun-vessel,
Commander Luce, went out of harbour and joined the
fl.,tilla at tie Motherbank yesterday, and accompanied
it to Portland.

The stearn•s!oop Geyser, Commander Tower, went out
of Portatokilth harbour yesterday, and Faded for the
westward.

The Glatton, 14, steam-battery, Captain Cumming,
was doe'. el yesterday fer refit.
The Algi.±rs, 91, Captain Codrington, C. 8., was un-
doeked yest rday at Portsmouth after refit.
The screw steamer Andes, of the Cunard line, has ar-
rived at Liverpool from Portsmouth, where she landed
invalids from the seat of war. Sae is still retained by
Government as a transport, under orders to ho prepared
fer sea when required. The sttatn•ship Alps is also in
port, welting Government orders.
Yesterday Mr. John Laird launched from his Liver-
pool shipbuilding yard.: two iron mortar-boats. To-day
he will launch two more, one from Liverpool and the
other from Birkenhead. _ _ _

The following instructions have been issued rum the
Admiralty relative to the regulations to be obs:oved in
the gunboat flotilla. It is tie direction of the Com-
mander-i❑-Chief that the following arrangements bo at-
tended to

"The gunboat flotilla has been divided into three large
squadron,: Red squadron, under Capt. Codrington, C. 8.,
White squadron, wider the Hon. Capt. Keppel, C.B. ;
Bine squadron, under Capt. Yelverton, C.B. ; and the
left squadron under Capt. Key, C. B. Tne gunboats are
to be painted black on the outside, the funnels end mat-
beads above the rigging t) be painted as follows —Red
squadron, red ; blue squadron, blue ; white, white ;
light, black and two white rings. The red, whits, and
blue squadrons will carry ensigns according to the colour
of squadron. The light
_squadron will carry a blue en-
sign. The three large squadrons have been divided into
four subdivisions, and will be distinguished by vanes at
the main as follows :-Ist subdivision, two colours per-
pendicular ; 2,1, two colours horizontal ; 3d subdivision,
colours as Ist subdivision, with ball on two bars ; 4th
subdivision as 2d subdivision, with ball on three bars.
Tne light division divided into two or more subdivisions,
will be distinguished by vanes at the tore. let subdivision,
same as great division ; 2d subdivision, same as great
division. When a ball is hoisted with a signal, it is to be
considered as addressed exclusively to gun-boats. If a
divisional flag is hoisted with the ball, the signal is to
tlAtt particular division of gun-boats. When gun-boats
of different division. have the same pendant, the divi-
sional flag will be heisted with the pendant, to denote the
particular gun-bolit intended., The divisional flags for
the gun-boats are as follows : —Red squadron, Q ; blue
squadron, It ; white, P ; light, S."
The large new lunatic asylum for insane soldiers, in
course of erection at Fort Pitt, Chatham, for the use of
soldiers arriving from foreign stations, is nearly com-
pleted, and will shortly be ready for the reception of this
class of patients. The asylum forms a most desirable
building for such a purpose ; it is situate within the ram-
parts which surround Fort Pitt, and is in a fine open si-
tuation, commanding a beautiful prospect in every direc-
tion. A large corridor extends the whole length of the
building, which is intended for the use of the patients,
who will thus be enabled to take open air exercise daily,
regardless of the weather. The ramparts form a bar-
rier to the rear of the asylum, and in the front is a taste-
fully•arranged garden, railed off, in which the insane men
wilt be allowed to walk, and from which they will be
able to see and converse with their convalescent com-
rades. The internal arrangements provide accommoda-
tion for a large number of patients, and the various wards
are admirably adapted for the use they are intended.
Captain George Goldsmith, the newly-appointed Cap-
tain Superintendent at Chatham dockyard, formerly in
command of the Sidon, on the Medit, !Taman station,
has arrived at Chatham and taken up his command at
the dockyard, succeeding Roar-Admiral Wyvill, who has
been promoted.
The Surprise gunboat, Commander Harcourt Vernon,
has arrived at Chatham from the Thames, to be fitted
for sea, and is to be brought forward with all despatch.
The launch of the Etna, 16, floating battery, now
nearly completed, at Chatham dockyard,, will, it is un-
derstood, take place on the 3d of April.
The screw transport Eagle, 171, Captain Maclean,
having discharged her cargo of condemned stores from
the East, was on Monday evening paid out of the trans-
port service, and her number cancelled. , She will be
- docked for eXaminatidn.
The gunboat Fcrvent was yesterday morning ordered