The Sun.
London, England, 1856-03-25 00:00:00

Naval and Military Intelligence.

The Baalbee steam transport, No. 89, Capt. Hockley,
arrived at Spithead on Sunday evening from the Crimea;
five days and 20 hours from Gibraltar. She brought
Arta-- •
jor Hope, Royal Artillery; Capt. Greville, Royal
lery ; ajor Penton, of the Middlesex Militia ; Dr.
M. Caine, Capt. Waller, 7th Royal Fusiliers ; Lieuts.
Baler and Beifield ; Mr. Hardinge, and 36 intermediate t
passengers and in+alids. She also brought 77 guns from
the remains of Sebastopol, 137 boxes of damaged pow-
der, and other items of cargo. On thethat instant,
10 miles east of Gibraltar, she paned Jura and
Hydaspes steam transports ; on the 18th, 40
males east of Cape St. Vincent, she spoke the
brig Amelia Hill. The Tyne, 4, naval store-ship,
Mr. P. Wellington, R.N.., Master-Commanding, arrived
at Spithead on Sunday evening from the eastward. Her
Majesty's steam-frigate, Magicienne, 16, Capt. Vansit-
tart, arrived at Spithead on Sunday evening from Ply-
mouth, and joined the fleet. The Wanderer, 6, screw de-
spatch gun-boat, Commander Luce, arrived at,Spithead
and joined the fleet yesterday. The Horatio, 8, screw
mortar-ship, Capt. the Hon. A. A. Cochrane, CB C.
, ar-
riyed at Spithead from the east ward yesterday, and j
tain
oined
the fleet. The Centaur, 6, paddle-wheel frigate, Cap
Clifford, C.B.,was taken out of the basin after refit; ester-
day, and the gun-boat Hardy was taken into dock for re-
pairs. The Algiers, 91, Capt.H. J. Cedrington, C.8.,wi1l
be undocked, after refit, this day. Her Majesty's State
yacht Victoria and Albert, Capt. the H.
Joseph Den
d -
man, was yesterday ordered to be prepared and got re ay
for servieeby4 p.m. this day. We believe she goes on an ex-
perimental cruise, to test the efficacy of some Welsh coal.
The Government are about purcha-ing the steam-transpot t
Resolute, which arrived at Portsmouth on Saturday.
She is of iron, and a sister vessel to the Transit.
The following ships of the fleet (all steamers) were at
Spithead yesterday :
Gans.
131
101

Duke of Wellington
Royal George
Orion

Guns.
Belleisle (hospital ship) 24
Cruiser l7
Magicienne l6
Archer l5
Desperate
Conflict
Devastation
Wanderer
Merlin 6
Tyne 4

Cressy
Colossus
Hawke
Arrogant
Retribution
Pearl
Tartar
And a fleet of gun-boats at the Motherbank.
The ship Burlington, Captain Gamble, 126 days from
Hong Kong, and eight weeks from the Cape of Good
Hope, which landed a mail at Falmouth on Saturday,
arrived in Plymouth Sound yesterday (Monday) morn-
ing. She has about 200 invalids, viz., some soldiers
belonging to the 59th Regiment, and seamen belonging
to the flag-ship Winchester, 50, Captain Thos. Watson ;
the frigate Sybille, Captain the Hon. G: B. Elliott ; and
the sloop Racehorse, 14, Commander Edward K. B.ll'
nerd. The naval invalids will be landed at Plymouth.
The Burlington took in some wine, horns, and hides at
t is Cape.
The ilaughty, 2 goes, screw-steam gun-boat of
60 horse power (nominal), left Sheerness on Sunday last
at 4.50 a.m., for Portsmouth, to join the next gun-boat
squadron for exercise there.
The African paddle-wheel steam-vessel, Second-Mas-
ter-Commander Rheuben Harvey, left at 9.25 a.m. yes-
terday for Ipswich, for the purpose of towing to this
port one of the new mortar-vessels built there.
The Mohawk, 4 guns, now screw steam gun-vessel of
200-horse power (nominal), arrived here from Chatham
at 12.45 p.m. on Sunday last, to complete her fitment,
and prepare for immediate service.
The -Victor, 6, new screw steam gun-vessel, Com-
mander T. R. Algernon de Horsey, steamed out of she
fitting basin, Sheerness, at 2 p.m. yesterday. She is to
complete her coating, take in stores, ammunit,on, dye
adjust her compasses, and proceed to Portsmouth.
An extensive military hospital has been commenced at
Sheerness by Messrs. R. T. Caralisle and Co., Govern-
ment contractors, of Bermondsey
.New road, London.
It is situate in the south-east quarter of the Ordnance
land, within tie present, line of fortification, and is en-
tirely detached from any other buildings of the new bar-
rack department. The present hospital, for all cases con-
tagious or otherwise, being in the midst of the old gar-
rison barracks, has frequently been found most inconve-
nient, and in many cases injurious to the health of the
troops generally.
The left wing of the officers' quarters, now erecting by
Mr, J. Hall, of Queenborough, wilt shortly be ready for
the officers' occupation, giving ample accommodation to
a large number of officers and their attendants, order-
lies, dec.
The following important circular, in reference to the
new regulations issued by the War-office for the payment
to recruits of the whole of their bounty, has been re-
ceived by the commanding officers of depots at the pro-
visional battalion, Chatham :
" Adverting to the Royal Warrant of the 22d of Jan.
last, which provides that recruits enlisted on and after
the 31st of that month shall be entitled to receive in
mosey the actual sum specified as a bounty, and that
they shall be supplied with a complete kit at the, public
expense, 1 am directed to acquaint you, with reference
to the circular letter from this department No. 1,215,
dated. the 21st of December, 18;55, that the personal part
of the bounty admissible for the men of the regular
cavalry, . artillery, and infantry, who desert before
final approval, but who on recovery to the service
are pardoned and forwarded to their regiments or depots
as recruits, will in future be limited to the amount
actually paid to the map previously to his desertion, whe-
ther ss. on attestation, or 205., including 15s on immedi-
ate approval. " B. HAWES."
The despatch of gun-boats for fitment at Woolwich
continues with even more than ordinary rapidity, and in
some cases they appear barely in a state to leave the
builder's yard with safety. The Roebuck, from Scott
Russell's, has arrived at :Woolwich, a mere shell, un-
painted ; and a second from the same establishment is
expected to-morrow in a like primitive condition, The
Thrasher and the Spanker were to-day admitted into the
outer basin to go through the hands of the riggers.
Lieut.. Sullivan, late of her Majesty's ship Vesuvius, has
been appointed to the command of the Thrasher, and
dais morning 'performed the ceremony of hoisting his
pennant on board.
The gun-bciats Procris and Grappler were this morn-
ing launched at Messrs. Pitcher's building-yar. I, an.l are
to be forwarded thence to Woolwich to receive their en-
gines; masts, and otheregear.
The mortar-vessela-numbered 53 and 54, built by Wil-
liam Briggs and Sons, Snederland, were launched yes-
terday afternoon, and will he despatched to London
towed by the Queen steam-tug.
The paddle-wheel steamer Vesuvius, Commander
Hors, has completed her repairs, and has been fitted
with new boilers and engines. Her guns were this morn-
ing hoisted on board. They consisted of two 68-pounders,
four 32-pounder.4, and two 24.pnund brass howitz
The crew and offizere having been transferred to the
Ardent during therepairs and aro to be turned over to the
Ve,mviva on Wednesday. She will then proceed from
Woolwich to Portsmouth, to join the squadron.
A number of split mortars have arrived at Wools ich
'Arsenal, from Shoeburyness, per Phoenix.
A few days ago at Woolwich, ore of the mortars, under
proof, with an ordinary charge, burst with so mueli force
that a portion of the fragments, at a distance of 800 feet
from the spot, fell through the roof of the contractor's
(Messrs. Kirk and Parry) office, fortunately without
doing any further injury.
Her Majesty's gunvessel Erne, 60-horse power, was
commissioned on the 17th. Lieutenant J. D'Arcy,
R.N., late of her Majesty's ship Queen, who has re-
cently returned from the Black Sea, is to take up that
appointment. The vessel is fitting at D2ptfard, and is
progressing rapidly.
The fao wing appointments vere ma le yesterday at
the Admiralty :
Ur:mender Ennis Chambers, to the Driver, as Act-
ing Commander, vice Gardner, gone to hospital ; Lieut.
A. W.'Gillctt, to the Osprey ; Lieut. J. R. D. Cooper,
to the Vigilant ; Lieuteuset Charles C. Mitchell, to the
Alacrity ; the Rev. J. W. Grimes, naval instructor
(confirmed), to the Magicienee ; David Craigie, master,
to the Sal urn : Denton El. Speer, master, to the Coquette;
A rtbur N. Phillips, master's assistant, to the Esk ; end
Michael \Yelling, surgeon, to the Celatton.
An order from the War-office has reached the officers
commending the troops stationed at the Curragh camp,
that they are to hold themselves in readiness to proceed
to Dublin, where they will occupy the barracks there.
The detachment of the 26th, Carrieroniane, under or-
ders to proceed frets the depot of that regiment at Chat-
ham to Bermuda, to strengthen the service companies
at that station, are not expected to leave the Provisional
Battalion until Tuesday next.

CRYSTAL PALACE, YESTERDAY.—Admissions on pay-
ment, 8,981 ; ditto by season tickets, 649 ; total visitors,
9,630.
FIRE ON BOARD TUE SCREW STEAM•SHIP VESTA.—On
Sunday morning an alarm was raised that the large screw
steam-ship Vesta, lying off East-lane, Bermondsey, was
on fire. The ship was of several hundred tons burden,
And was under the command of Capt. Kavanagh, and
hound for Oporto. It was loarled with a general cargo.
p
The total amount of stock in the alai was valued at
rs
several thousand pounds sterling. It appea that three
Custom-house officers were engaged looking to the load-
ing of the ship, when oue of the officers perceived smoke
issuing from the hatchway. Upon the revenue officers
going below they found that the ship, in the under put
of the lower deck, was in a blaze. The fire spread uith
such rapidity that in the course of a few minutes not less
than 100 bales of hemp were ignited. The powerful
steam. lower float arrived very cpportunely. The engine
*a-a- eet to work, but in spite of that the fire continued
tea spread, and at length it rushed up the hatchways and
fired the combings. After three hours' hard work the
firemen subdued the fire. 100 bales of hemp were cla-
stroyed, and.ibe whole el the remainder of the cargo con-
itiderably damaged by fire and water. The fire, it is sup-
posed, was caused by one of the men trimming an oil
lamp, when a spark fell from the wick upon the hemp.
. ADULTERATION OP FOOD.—At the last weekly meet-
ing of the Birmingham Board of Guardians Mr. Maher
gave notice of the following motion, which may not be
ufitroithy the attention of similar bodies in the country
—" It having been ascertained beyond doubt that
human food is being adulterated to an alarming ex-
tent in this county, and as there are at present in the
w,cik.house of this parish upwards of 1,000 poor per-
sonsonany of whom are of tender age, infirm, and
sickly, and .a large number of persons receiving out-
door relief, none of whom have any choice in the se-
lection of their food, or means of detecting impurities
in it,- Resolved, that it is the duty of their guardians
to know as far as practicable that they are supplied
with sound food and. medicine ; stud, with a view
thereto, the. clerk of the board be directed to inform
ail, persons under contract to supply food and drugs
to this parish, that f: pm and after the 26th of April the j
articles supplied by. theta for the use Of the poor shall be
subject to such analysation as the guardians may from
time to time think proper to authorise, without further
Lotice from this board."