The Sun.
London, England, 1860-03-23 00:00:00

211 E NAVY.

The Duke of Somerset, as First Lord of the Ad-
miralty, held a levee yesterday, at the Admiralty.
The Avon, paddle steam tender, arrived at Ports-
mouth yesterday from Devonport.
The Prince of Wales, 131, screw, at Portsmouth,
.has commenced shipping her boilers in the steam
basin.

Letters have been received at Plymouth from the
screw steam corvette Pearl, 21, Capt. John Borlase,
C. 8., dated Singapore, February 5. They state
that she made rather a quick passage out, but the
frigate Imperieuse, 51, beat her by about a weak.
The thermometer was as high as 120 when passing
through the Straits of Banca. The paymaster of
'the Pearl is coming home sick. One of her crew
had been injured by a tiger ; these animals are, it
is said, increasing in the island at the rate of one
a•day, in consequence of the reduction of the Go-
vernment head-money, which is now so low that it
offers no temptation for the risk of human life
when seeking the destruction of such formidable
antagonists. The Pearl will probably take coal on
her upper deck, and take transports in tow to Hong
Kong. The monsoon was reported to be blowing
very strong outside, with a heavy swell, and a plea-
sant passage was not anticipated.
The padlewheel steam surveying vessel Porcu-
pine, Capt. Otter, steamed from Hamoaze on Wed-
nesday into Plymouth Sound, to try her machinery.
The trial was considered satisfactory.
The screw steamship Trafalgar, 91, Capt. Fan-
shawe, took on board her powder in Hamoaze on
Wednesday, and steamed in. the Sound, in charge
of Mr. Charles Gahau, master of the flagship Im-
pregnable.

The screw steamship Desperate, 8, was appointed
to be taken out of Leyham dock yesterday (Thurs-
day). _ _

Retired Rear-Admiral Richard Devonshire died
at his residence, St. Andrew's-terrace, Plymouth,
on Monday.
The screw steamship Conqueror, 101, Capt. J.
Wilcox, C. 8., belonging to the Channel squadron,
is expected at Plymouth to repair, she being leaky
abaft, near the stern-post.
The steam transport City of Nantes, from Amster-
dam, yesterday completed the discharge of 450 tons
of boxwood in Woolwich Arsenal, used for making
plugs for the Minie rifle bullets, mallets, &c., and
left for London.

The following appointments were made yester-
day at the Admiralty :—Lieut. Claude E. Buckle,
to the Hero; Lieut. Edward T. Parsons, to the Cen-
turion ; Lieut. Henry T. Rogers, to the Excellent ;
Henry G. Raynes, master, to the Donegal; A. De
G. Sutton, master, confirmed, to the Atalanta ;
John J. Covey, second master, to the Skipjack ;
George Hickman, paymaster, td the Pearl ; Julian
W. Torbett, clerk, to the Fisgard ; and John Rice,
promoted to the rank of second-class assistant-en-
gineer, in the Princess Charlotte.

THE ARMY.

The Ist Battalion Rifle Brigade, under the com-
mand of Lord Alexander Russell, stationed at
Portsmouth, will leave that garrison for the camp at
Aldershott on the 27th inst. The Ist Battalion
11th (North Devon) Foot will, on the same date,
proceed from Aldershott Camp to Portsmouth, and
occupy the quarters vacated by the Rifles.
A general parade of the Royal Marine Light In-
fantry yesterday took place at Woolwich, in the
square within the barrack quarters, when Colonel
Stransham, commanding the-division, presented to
Acting Sergeant-Major Woon, late of the Ist Bat-
talion, serving in China, a silver medal awarded to
him by the Lords of the Admiralty for " meritorious
conduct, especially for his gallant behaviour while
serving in China." Sergeant-Major Woon has like-
wise been granted an annuity of £lO. This non-
commissioned officer succeeded in saving the life of
one of his officers, as also of a drummer boy, about
14 years of age, during the assault upon the Chinese
battery in the Peiho. The poor lad had been struck
down by a round shot, which completely carried
away the inner part of his thigh. He was lying
hopelessly. in the mud (according to the report),
the missiles of every description flying thickly
about him, when he called out to Sergeant-Major
Woon to take him to a place of safety, which he did
at the imminent risk of his life, and deposited him
in a boat at -some distance. Sergeant-Major
Woon was five years in the Arctic regions with
Capt. M'Clure. On leaving China he was presented
with a piece of plate, as a token of the esteem in
which he was held by his comrades there. Colour-
Sergt. Francis, wounded in the foot under the
Chinese forts, was presented at the same time, by
Col. Stransham, with a medal, awarded by their
lordships for long service and good conduct, which
carries with it a gratuity of £l5. Sergt. Francis
is about to be invalided, being irrecoverably „lamed,
and consequently incapacitated for further active
service. He served in the Syrian campaign, in the
Crimea (for which he was decorated with the
medals), in the Black Sea, on board H.M.S. Retri-
"bution and was engaged in the attack ou Odessa.
Several privates, invalids recently joined from
China, for survey, on account of wounds, then pre-
sent, were in succession promoted, in the presence
of the battalion, to the rank of corporal; one cor-
poral was made a sergeant, and the distinction of
the colours was conferred on Sergt. Donnell, wilts
had received three wounds. The two latter were
absent on furlough. Col. Stransham spoke an en-
couraging word to each of them, and having shaken
hands with the two sergeants, the battalion marched
to Woolwich-common, and went through the first
course of company drill, commenced for the season.
Yesterday the East India troopship Nile,
Captain Holmes, arrived at Gravesend from
Madras, disembarked her troops at Custom-
house-quay, when the whole of the sick and
wounded, to the number of 48 men of all ranks,
were forwarded to Chatham. The Nile sailed from
Madras on the 24th of December, the passage home
being made in 90 days. The troops who embarked
belonged to the 12th (Prince of Wales's) Lancers,
Ist battalion Ist Royals, 44th Regiment, 68th Light
Infantry, and 69th Regiment, undenthe command
of Lieut. R. F. Mirth], 74th Highlanders. Eight
deaths occurred on board during the voyage. The
Nile touched at St. Helena in 41 days from Madras,
and brought home a few men of the St. Helena
Regiment. After the troops had been medically
inspected at Fort Pitt, nine men were taken into
hospital, and the remainder forwarded to St. Mary's
invalid depot to await their discharge.