The Sun.
London, England, 1860-11-02 00:00:00

A better from Malta, dated Valetta, October 26,
says :--" Her Majesty's gunboat Assurance, Com-
mander Aynsley, arrived here on the 21st inst. from
Alexandria (9 days), and from Suda Bay (2 days).
Admiral Martin, with the line-of-battle ships that
were on the coast of Syria, was quitting Suda Bay
for Corfu when the Assurance left. It is now re-
ported that 10 line-of-battle ships are to remain at
Corfu during the winter, and that constant com-
munication is to be maintained between the Com-
mander-in-Chief and the naval authorities here by
means of three gunboats told off for the service.
Her Majesty's despatch boat Banshee left Malta on
Saturday last for Constantinople. This vessel was
to have conveyed Lieut. Smith, of the Royal Engi-
neers, and Lieut. Porcher, of the Royal Navy, to
the coast of Africa, on an antiquarian expedition to
Cyrene, as stated in my last letter ; but according
to new arrangements, the Boxer gunboat has been
substituted for her. The Boxer went round on
Tuesday from Sliema Creek to the dockyard to have
her boilers, which have been undergoing repair,
replaced. The crew of the St. Jean d'Acre line-of-
battle ship are still on board the receiving ship
Hibernia, and since their removal I understand the
health of the men has much improved, nor do I
hear of any new cases of sickness having occurred.
Accounts have just been received from her Majesty's
gunboat Recruit, in the Danube, stating that the
crew had been suffering severely from low fever.
Six working hands were at one time all that were
left to carry on the work of the ship. Two or three
deaths had occurred among the men, and two in-
valids have arrived at Malta. I have accounts, re•
ceived this morning, of her Majesty's surveying
vessel Medina. She was at Smyrna on the 21st of
October. The Dutch war steamer Cycloop, Capt.
Taewater, left Malta for Constantinople on the 20th
inst., and the frigate Van Wassenaer, Capt. Van
Voss, of the same nation, on the following day,
for Holland. The Dutch transport barque Helder
arrived here from Alexandria on the 23d inst., also
bound for Holland. The Prussian gunboat Lorely,
Capt. H. Kusm (the same which some time back
conveyed despatches from the King of Naples, at
Gaeta, to the Neapolitan commander of the citadel
of Messina, ordering him on no account to surrender,
unless he received an order to such effect from the
King), left port on the 21st inst. for Constantinople.
The French corvette, Colbert, Capt. Boisguil-
renneud, arrived on the 21st inst. from Toulon, and
left on the following day for Beyrout. She has on
board stores and 52 supernumeraries for the French
fleet."
The screw corvette Orpheus, 21, 400-horse power,
was yesterday commenced being coppered in No.
2 basin at Chatham Dockyard, preparatory to join-
ing the second division of the steam reserve, for
which service she is expected to be ready by the
10th inst.

The Arethusa, 51, converting at Chatham Dock-
yard to a screw steamer, is in a very forward state,
and every effort is being made to complete her with
all despatch. Only a portion of the dock in which
she is lying being covered in, advantage is being
taken of the present fine weather to hasten forward
the work.

Letters received at Plymouth from the paddle-
wheel steam sloop Hydra, 6, Commander Richard
V. Hamilton, state that on the 7th of October she
was at Port Royal, Jamaica, eight days from
Grenada, and that she was preparing to leave for
Greytown, where she would remain some time.

The utmost activity now prevails in all depart-
ments of Pembroke Dockyard. The following are
the names of the vessels already in progress—viz.,
the Defiance, 91 ; the Triumph, 91 ; the Zealous,
1 ; the Tweed, 51; the Aurora, 51 ; the Perseus,
17 ; the Shearwater, 11 ; the Pandora, 5; the Nassau,
4 ; the Tartarus,4 ; and the Newport, 5. Of these the
Pandora, the Nassau, the Tartarus, and the New-
port are to be wholly armed with the Armstrong
guns. The following are also preparing to be laid
down without delay—viz., the Blake, 91 ; the Ra-
leigh, 51 (to replace the one lost in Macao Roads in
April, 1857, when Sir H. Keppel saluted the French
Admiral's fiat while his ship was ; the
Trent, 17 ; the Humber, 6 ; the Rye, 5 ; besides
two large paddlewheel steamers.

The Landrail, 5, screw, Commander Martin, went
out of Portsmouth harbour yesterday to Spithead
on the completion of her repairs. She is expected
to proceed to the West Indies, calling in at Ply-
mouth Sound on her way down Channel.

The Euryalus, 51, screw, Captain Tarleton, C. 8.,
is hourly expected at Spithead from the Cape. The
Fire Queen, paddle, Master-Commander Paul, has
received orders to proceed to Spithead immediately
on the frigate's arrival, for the purpose of disem-
barking H.R.H. Prince Alfred and suite.

The Cygnet, 5, screw, at Portsmouth, shifted the
pitch of her Griffiths' propeller yesterday, and re-
sumed her experimental trialsto• day. The Strom-
boli, 6, paddle, in the steam reserve at the same
port, will also test her boilers and machinery to-day
in Stokes Bay, on the completion of her repairs.
The Diadem, 32, screw, Captain Cockburn, has
been removed from No. 8 dock at Portsmouth, and
placed in the steam basin to complete her rest.
The Royal screw yacht Fairy was afterwards placed
in the same dock.

The harbour men-of-war at Portsmouth yester-
day struck their summer spars and sent up their
winter ones.

The Eagle, 50, sailing frigate, Commander Strode,
has nearly completed her outfit at Portsmouth as a
training ship for Southampton water.

The following appointments were made yesterday
at the Admiralty :—Lieut. H. M. Miller, flag lieut.,
to the Impregnable; Lieut. A. A. Hanson, to the
Centurion ; Lieut. Wm. H. Childers and Lieut. H.
Salmond to the Charybdis; Lieut. A. `Williams to
the Firebrand; G. Giles, master, to the Charybdis;
M. L. Bridger is nominated to a naval cadetship ;
E. L, Trafford, midshipman, to the Royal Albert

R. A. Smith, A. R. Hewett, and V. E. J. B. von
Donop, midshipmen, to the Charybdis; F. Fore-
man, chief engineer, to the Cumberland, for charge
of the machinery of the Anson ; J. Churcher, chief
engineer, to the Emerald ; J. Hood, promoted to the
rank of chief engineer, and appointed to the Asia,
for charge of the Medea ; E. J. Giles, paymaster, to
the Charybdis ; and J. Hay, assistant-paymaster
in charge, to the Porcupine.