The Sun.
London, England, 1860-08-30 00:00:00

THE NAVY.

A Malta letter, dated Aug. 25, says :—" During
the past week the Mediterranean fleet has been re-
inforced by the screw frigate Melpomene, Capt. C.
J. J. Ewart, and screw line-of-battle ship Orion,
Capt. J. S. Frere. The Melpomene arrived here on
the 23d inst., 11 days from Gibraltar, and the Orion
on the 25th (to-day), also from Gibraltar, after a
passage of 10 days. Her Majesty's line-of-battle
ship Cressy left port on the 23d inst., and is still in
sight, cruising off the island. Her Majesty's scree'
troopship Mega2ra, Commander Henderson, lately
returned from Corfu, left Malta on the 23d inst. for
England, with 154 naval and military invalids, also
the following passengers :—Lieut. Gregory, ('apt.
Davis, R.M. ; Mr. Allen, R.N. ; Lieut. St. Aubyn,
22d Regiment ; Lieut. Phillips, R.N. ; Mr. Holmes,.
Mrs. Pemberton, Mrs. Holman and two children,
Miss Allen, Miss Churchward. Her Majesty's ships
in port are the Hibernia, receiving ship ; the Queen'
the Orion, and the St. Jean d'Acre, I ine-of-battle
ships ; the Melpomene, screw frigate ; the Grey-
hound, screw corvette ; the Boxer, gunboat ; the
Caradoc, despatch boat. By the French steamer
Du Trembley, arrived on the 22d inst. from Tunis,
we learn that on the 19th inst. (Sunday) the Hatti
Humayoum was promulgated at the Bardo, the
official residence of the Bey, and the mail for France
was detained for 24 hours to despatch the news to
the French Government. The Du Trembley left on
the 23d, on return to Tunis.
Her Majesty's screw steam-sloop Pioneer, 350
horse power, Mr. May, master, in command, left
Woolwich yesterday morning, on the engineer's
trial of machinery after repairs. The Pioneer has
been fitted with peculiar care to join Dr. Living`
stone's expedition in the Zambesi, and has been:
freighted at Woolwich with a heavy cargo of vie"
tualling and other stores for the use of Dr. Living-
stone and the exploring party who accompany him-
The Pioneer anchored at Greenhithe for the adjust'
ment of her compasses, &c,, under orders to sail to-
morrow for Plymouth, whence she will proceed in
tow or under convoy as far as Madeira, and will be
there cast adrift to make her own way towards be
destination. Before leaving Woolwich basin she
underwent a most rigid examination and thorough
survey, to ascertain her capabilities for the long
and trying voyage the little ship is about to under-
take. Mr. May, R.N., who has taken the com-
mand, and who has already served five years With
Dr. Livingstone, came home from the Zambesi ev
pressly to take out the Pioneer.
The Emerald, 51, screw, Capt. A. Cumming, sir
rived at Spithead yesterday morning from Alder-
ney, with two batteries of Royal Artillery on board'
under the command of Major Lennox. They were
disembarked by steamtug, and joined the head'
quarters of the 15th brigade, stationed in Ports'
mouth garrison. The Emerald will have to be
placed in dock, having on Tuesday morning, wbile
getting under way in Alderney harbour, and in
charge of a pilot, struck on a rock on the ebb tide,
where she hung until released by the returnia
flood. Her discharge-pipe is broken by the shit?!
straining while on the rock, but her other datnaP:
are not thought to be very serious. Hawsers WO"
got out, and every precaution taken by Capt. Cull'
ming and the officers of the ship to prevent her r.,e,
ceiving any more injury than was unavoidable will'
she lay in her perilous position.
The Rhadamanthus, paddle, Master-Commander
Sturdee, sailed from Portsmouth for Devonport yes'
terday morning.
The Osborne, Admiralty paddle yacht, Master-
Commander G. K. Bower, sailed from Spithead 515'
terday for the westward.
Practice with shot and shell, the former at 91
and the latter at 1,800 yards, has during the Paso
week been made with Armstrong 12-pounder guild,
at Cumberland Fort, near Portsmouth, the hea
quarters of the Royal Marine Artillery. The e;
suits of the firing at these ranges have furthe4
proved the wonderful accuracy of the weapon, ilo
it has also reflected the highest possible credit Oa
the officers and men of this corps by the skill ail
knowledge they have displayed in its working-
The tops and lower rigging have been place,
over the mastheads of the screw steam sloop Car
lew, 9, Commander Shaw, at Devonport.
The bottom of the screw steamship Gibraltort
101, having been coppered in No. 1 dock, Key'll
steam-yard, she has been removed therefrom, and
is now in the basin. The gunboats Goshawk a°
Partridge have been placed in the dock.
The screw steam Coastguard ship Hawke,,l
Capt. W. Crispin, put back to Plymouth Soundc:he
Tuesday, owing to the boisterous state of t'
weather.
The new contract-built steam gunboat H°eron'
,
having been coppered, is removed from No. 4 feat
Devonport dockyard, in which the new gun°
Dotterel is now placed, for examination, BZe. AA al
The following appointments have been Infw-
the Admiralty :—Lieut. St. Vincent D. Lake to thl
Spiteful ; Lieut. Stanhope G. Price, to the Cal°
bridge ; Richard T. N. Pearce, master, to the spit':
ful ; William Roche (b), assistant-surg., confirraea
in the Falcon ; Thomas B. Potts, 3d class assistir.
engineer, to the Hornet; and Edmund G.
clerk, to the Blenheim.