The Sun.
London, England, 1866-12-03 00:00:00

Naval and Military Intelligence.

VALFsra, Nov. 26.—Just a word by the Psyche,
which leaves this morning for Marseilles with Capt.
Mends, C. 8., Director of the Transport Depart-
ment at the Admiralty, who is returning to Eng-
land. Col. Ross, C. 8., Deputy-Quartermaster-
General, and Capt. Willoughby, R.N., resident
transport officer, who came over in the Psyche, have
been stationed in Egypt, for the purpose of conduct-
ing the service of the transport of troops through
that country. Formerly our troops were conveyed
to and from India by way of the Cape of Good Hope,
wider the Indian Government. In future this service
will be performed by the Transport Department at
the Admiralty, the whole of which service has been
organised by Capt. Mends. The troops will be landed
at Alexandria and pass by Benalassal, via Z agazig, by
the sweet-water canal to Suez.; the large steam troop-
ships, especially constructedtember. for the
Two will run
co purpose, will
mmence running next Sep
between Portsmouth and Alexandria, and the other
three on the station between Suez and Bom-
bay. The first departure of troops from England will
take place on the 14th of September next year.
Captain -Mends received every assistance from the
Viceroy and his officers in organizing the service
through Egypt. The works of the Suez Canal are
being very actively carried forward by M. de Les-
seps, who at present, however, is not in Egypt. An
average depth of 7 to 9 feet has been obtained be-
tween Port Said, along the salt water canal, and
the rest of the distance to Suez is traversed tempo-
rarily by a fresh-water canal of about 7ft deep, con-
nected with the other by means of locks andpower-
ful pumps. As far as 60 station the full width of
the proposed ship canal has been excavated of 60
metres. From that point to 70 station at Ismaila
the width is incomplete. All that has been done has
been done well, and reflects the highest credit on
the science, skill, and persevering energy of the
French engineers. The real difficulties of dredging
in a constantly dissolving sand are now commenc-
ing ; but well-informed persons entertain but
little doubt these and all others may be over-
come by time and money. As to what amount of
these important necessaries will be required to
bring the great work to a successful completion it
is scarcely possible at the present state to hazard a
conjecture. Her Majesty's ship Mega3ra will leave
Malta on Thursday next for England, with naval
and military invalids and time-expired men. The
French Government steamer La Come left on the
24th inst. for the eastward. The following Govern-
ment notice was issued on the 23d of Nov. :—" In
consequence of official information received, the
officer administering the Government, having heard
the opinion of the Board of Health, has been pleased
to direct that arrivals from Leghorn and Genoa be
admitted to pratique, and that the quarantine on
arrivals from other ports on the continent of Italy
be reduced to five full days."
The greatest expedition is now being used at
Chatham dockyard in hastening foward the con-
struction of the ironclad ships now building at that
establishment. In accordance with a telegram re-
ceived from the department of the Controller of the
Navy, 70 additional shipwrights and other me-
chanics will be placed on the Turret ship Monarch
this morning, in order to expedite the building of
that vessel. The extra hands to be employed on the
Monarch will be taken off the wooden unarmed
Blanche partially completed.
The armour-plated screw steamship Lord Clyde,
24, Capt. Roderick Dew, C. 8., flag of Admiral
C.D., was removed on-Friday from her moorings in
Hamoaze to No. 2 dock at Devonport, to receive a
screw with two fans only.
The screw steamship Ocean, 24, Capt. C. S. S.
Stanhope, was removed on Saturday from llamoaze
into Plymouth Sound, and will shortly sail for the
Mediterranean.
The paddlewheel steam storeship Dee, 1, Master
Commander George Raymond, having received
some slight repairs at Keyham, was removed on
Saturday to the dockyard at Devonport, where she
will to-clay ship stores for Woolwich.
Rear-Admiral the Hon. George F. Hastings, C. 8.,
hoisted his flag on Saturday on board the armour-
plated screw steamship Zealous, 20, Capt. Richard
Dawkins, and saluted the flag of Port-Adairal Sir
William F. Martin, 1C.C.8., which was duly ac-
knowledged by the Royal Adelaide.
The foremast of the armour-plated screw steam-
ship Achilles, 26, Capt. Edward Vansittart, was re-
moved on Friday last, after which she was placed
at moorings in Hamoaze, Devonport.
The screw steam gunboat Sepoy (tender to the
Dauntless (left Plymouth on Friday with stores for