The Sun.
London, England, 1866-10-01 00:00:00

Naval and Military Intelligence.

The full Board of Admiralty, under the presi-
dence of Sir John Pakington, M.P., made their
first inspection of the naval departments at Wool-
wich on. Thursday. In company with the first
Lord were Vice-Admiral Sir Alexander Milne,
K.C.8., Vice-Admiral Sir Sydney Colpoys Dacres,
K.C.8., Mr. Ducane, Civil Lord, and Lord Henry
Lennox and Mr. Pakington, Secretaries. There
were also in attendance Mr. E. J. Reed, chief con-
structor of the Royal Navy, Sir Richard Mayne,
K.C.8., Chief Commissioner of the Metropolitan
Police, and Mr. Mallalieu, Inspecting-Superinten-
dent of the Dockyard and Royal Arsenal Force. A
guard of honour, composed of 100 men of the local
division of Royal Marine Light Infantry, in com-
mand of Capt. Delacombe, drawn up within the
Dockyard, presented arms on the arrival of the
Board, and the broadside guns of the flag-ship
Fisgard fired an Admiralty salute of 19 guns. Mr.
Reed pointed out the slip on which he proposed
shortly to lay down the keel of the Thalia, a new
vessel to be built precisely after the lines of the Juno.
The subject of cutting down and converting the 81-
gun ship Repulse, now about five years on the
stocks, was again taken into consideration and par-
tially consented to. After going the round of the
basin, and visiting the Niobe, 4-gun sloop, built at
Deptford, and in course of completion at Woolwich,
the Sylvia, new gun vessel, preparing for the
surveying service, the double screw iron and wood
gunboats Viper and Vixen, and other ships
preparing for the pennant, their lordships lunched
with the Captain Superintendent, and again
entering their carriages proceeded to' the Royal
Marine quarters. The whole of the divisions were
then drawn up in review- order, the undiscip-
lined recruits in the rear of the battalion in
marching order, together with the regimental band.
The usual visit front and rear having been gone
through, as well as the marching past, &c., the bat-
talion-was dismissed, and the Board proceeded to the
officers' mess-room, billiard-rooms, 'library, &c.,
the cooking departments and kitchen—in which
their lordships' attention was called to a new, steam
apparatus, with superior powers, fitted with double
vertical pipes on an improved principle, similar to
one erected at Portsmouth. The board then went
through an inspection of the heavy gun drill in the
battery commanded by Captain Carrington. They
• subsequently entered the new recreation building.
Their lordships then visited the Marine Infirmary,
under the superintendence of Dr. Salmon, deputy-
inspector of hospitals, and were informed by him
that, although the present strength of the division
is 1,650, the hospital wards contain but the small
number of 94 invalids, including seamen of the
navy. The board having completed their inspection
of the Royal Marine establishments, retusned to the
pay office in the dockyard, and were occupied up-
wards of two hours in investigating claims founded
on insufficiency of pay, no provision for decayed
factorymen, the suspension of the gratuity, and
other grievances. The petitioners desiring an audi-
ence were 60 in number, and were admitted
as they desired, either singly or in small num-
bers, and were all informed that their coin-
plaints would be attended to in due time. At the
close of the official inspection it
.was announced
that their lordships had intimated their intention of
replacing the former status of the dockyard under a
commodore, as heretofore. Captain Edmonstone,
C. 8., the present captain superintendent, was given
to understand, it is stated, that his promotion to
that grade would be forwarded to him shortly.
The United States' paddle sloop Frolic, bearing
the flag of Rear-Admiral Goldsborough, Commander
in Chid of the United States' squadron in European
waters, arrived in Portsmouth harbour on Friday
from Southampton river. • Rear-Admiral Golds-
borough landed at the dockyard, and, accompanied
by Rear-Admiral Superintendent G. G. Wellesley,
visited the ironclad frigates and turret ships and
other objects of interest in the yard.
The Sir John Lawrence, sailing Indiaman, ar-
rived at Spithead on Saturday from Calcutta with
invalided and time-expired soldiers, &c., on board
from various of her Majesty's regiments serving in
India. The troop • list and accompanying officers
comprises—Capt. Beckley, 105th Regiment, in
charge of the troops ; Capt. Thomas, Ist Dragoon
Guards ; Lieut. Graves, 7th Foot ; Assist.-Surg.
Baker, 27th Foot, in medical charge of troops ; 20
invalided soldiers, 1 woman, and 2 children, for the
Royal Victoria Military Hospital at Netley ; 91
time-expired soldiers, 3 women, and 5 children, for
their regimental depots. The troops will be disem-
barked this morning, and the Sir John Lawrence
will sail immediately afterwards for the Thames.
The crew of the paddle-wheel steam frigate Leo-
pard, 18, Capt. Charles T. Leckie, at Dcvonport,
were paid wages on Saturday morning, and in the
afternoon that portion of the men who belong to the
eastern ports left the Sound in the paddle-wheel
steam tender Medusa, Master-Commanding Thomas
Potter, which will go first to Portsmouth.
The screw steam.gun vessel Dart, 5, Commander
Marcus Lowther, left Plymouthon Friday afternoon
for the West Coast of Africa.

In consequence of the activity now prevailing in
the iron shipbuilding and other departments at
Chatham Dockyard, a large number of hired
labourers have been entered for service at that esta-
blishment, and additional hands will be taken on as
required.
The screw sloop Swallow, 9, 60-horse power,
Master-Commander E. Wilds, will be put out of
commission, and her crew paid off in the steam
basin at Sheerness Dockyard this morning.

Capt. Cook, of the steamship Europa, telegraphs
from Quebec, on the 26th, that the Europa and