The Sun.
London, England, 1866-09-13 00:00:00

Naval and Military Intelligence.

- VALETTA, Sept. 6.—Her Majesty's screw gun-
vessel Assurance, 4, Commander W. H. Pym, ar-
rived on the 29th ult., with despatches from the
Commander-in-Chief and letters from the squadron.
Lord Clarence Paget, with the Victoria (flag), Prince
Consort, Royal Oak, Gibraltar, and Assurance, left
Patras on the 27th, and was cruising off Cephalonia,
when the Assurance sailed for Malta on the 28th.
The Enterprise hove in sight, but having five days'
quarantine to perform, she was sent back to Corfu
to ride out her quarantine and to await the arrival
of her new commander (Bosanquet.) The Wizard,
2, Lieut.-Commander P. J. Murray, was ordered
to Candia on 23d of August, to take the place of the
Arethusa, 35, Capt. Macdonald, in order that the
latter vessel might return to the Piraeus, there being
much excitement at Athens, consequent on the antici-
pated revolution in Candia, and which it was ex-
pected would increase rather than subside on the
return of the king to his capital about the 12th of
September from Corfu. The Tyrian, 2, gunboat,
Lieut.-Com. the Hon. V. Montagu, was to return
to Patras on the Arethusa's arrival at Athens, and
remained for a short time there, to keep the cur-
rant shipping in order during the absence of the
squadron. The Psyche, despatch vessel, Lieut.-
Coin Sir Francis Blackwood, left Malta after the
arrival of the Overland Mail, with despatches for
the Commander-in-Chief, who is cruising on the
south-west of the island of Cephalonia, where he is
expecting to be joined by the Enterprise. The five
ships will then proceed to cruise off the south-east
of Sicily. Letters from Naples received yesterday
state that her Majesty's ship Resistance had been
for a short cruise in the Bay with the Consul- '
General on Board, and, after exercising great guns
at a target, had taken up an anchorage at Castella-
mare, where she remained on the 31st of August.
No further cases of cholera had occurred on board
besides the two mild cases previously reported. The
Resistance is probably by this time on her way to
Malta, where it is likely she will be docked to clean
her bottom before proceeding to join the squadron
with the Commander-in-Chief. Letters from Con-
stantinople to the 29th ult. speak of the cholera in
that city as being of a mild type. The cases were
not numerous, nor were there apprehensions of its
spreading. Dr. Domville, Deputy Inspector-
General of the Royal Naval Hospital, Bighi, ar-
rived here in the Surat from Southampton, and is
performing quarantine in the Lazaretto. Dr.

Henry C. Woods, Assist.-Surg. of the Royal Oak,
has been appointed by the Commander-iu-Chief to
the Tyrian, to do duty pro tem., vice Ashford,
deceased, until the arrival of Dr. Wil-
liam Inman from the Donegal, who has
been appointed to the Tyrian by the Admi-
ralty, and is expected here from Southampton on
the 13th inst. Dr. Woods, on being relieved
will return to his proper ship, the Royal Oak. The
Tunisian screw corvette Mansour, 10 guns,
Capt.
A. Bin Attia, arrived off the port of Malta on the
Ist inst. ; but having 330 Hadjis on board from
Alexandria, she was not permitted to enter. She
anchored outside, and after her wants had been
supplied proceeded on the following day for Tunis.
A military court of inquiry is likely to be held to
investigate an accusation brought by Col. Chandler,
against Lieut. Bernard, Royal Malta Fencible
Artillery, of perjury, in giving evidence in a recent
police case. Although Col. Chandler, on being
warned by the magistrate, withdrew the charge,
Lieut. Bernard, it is said, has laid'the matter before
his commanding officer, in order that it should be
brought before the high military authorities. The
people of Malta are anxiously looking out for the
return of Sir Henry Storks. On his arrival in Lon-
don from Jamaica being announced here, the elected
members of Council and the Chamber of Commerce
itnmecliately telepraphed their congratulations to his
Excellency, expressing a hope that he would shortly
resume the government of this island, which con-
gratulations were acknowledged with thanks by his
Excellency, by telegraph. A similar message of
congratulation was, I believe, despatched by post by
the Archdeacon of Malta. The Psyche returned
yesterday afternoon with despatches from the Com-
mander-in-Chief, who was cruising on the 4th inst.
with the squadron about 50 miles east of Zante.
The Psyche sailed again a few hours after arrival for
Tripoli with Mr. Drummond Hay, her Majesty's
Consul-General for that Regency. Her Majesty's
ship Racer is ordered to leave Corfu for Malta, after
landing our Minister, Mr, Erskine, at Corinth. The
Enterprise will probably return to Malta soon. The
Assurance (now in port) will leave, after the arrival
of the next Marseilles mails for the Admiral. Capt.
E. Johnson, of the English screw steamer Sesostris,
arrived yesterday from Liverpool, reports that he
came into collision with the schooner Edward, of
Hamburg, on the Ist inst., at 1 a.m., for Cape de
Gallo. It is said that the schooner carried no light.
The damage was not serious.

The Channel Fleet, under the command of Rear-
Admirals Hastings G. Yelverton, C. 8., and Fre-
derick Warden, C. 8., will, according to present
arrangements, sail from Portland for the coast of
Ireland, in search of rough weather, on the 18th
inst. The fleet will be absent from the English
Channel about six weeks, and Bantry Bay will be
made the port of rendezvous and anchorage.
Yesterday Port Admiral Sir Charles Fremantle
inspected the crew of the Ocean, 53, in Plymouth
Sound, and Admiral-Superintendent Drummond
inspected the crew of the Leopard, 18, alongside
the Devonport Dockyard, preparatory to their I
being paid off.

Messrs. Humphrys and Tennant, marine engi-
neers, have received an order from the Admiralty
for the construction of the engines, of 1,100-horse
power nominal, for the Monarch turret-ship, ordered
to be built at Chatham dockyard. We have from
time to time reported the excellent performance of
the engines fitted by this firm to the armour-plated
corvette Pallas, now With the Channel squadron, and
we are informed that it is owing to the satisfactory
working of this ship's machinery, both on her trials
over the measured mile and at sea, that the Admi-
ralty have determined on fitting the Monarch with
engines on the same principle.
The Prince of Wales, screw three-decker, 800
horse power, was removed out 01 the ship basil' of

TILE SUN, LO o,

Portsmouth dockyard, after a careful calking inside
and outside, and to-day will be removed to her

moorings i❑ the upper part of the harbour, near
her sister vessel, the three-decker Marlborough. It
was understood daring the recent visit of the Ad-
miralty to Portsmouth that their lordships contem-
plated cutting down and converting both these ves-
sels to turret ships for Channel service on the plan
of the Royal Sovereign, but no orders on the sub-
ject have yet been given -by the board. Heavily
plated and fitted each with three double double gun
turrets, they would make a formidable addition to
our coast defences, while their conversion could at
the same time be effected with much less of the
elaborate finish, and consequent cost, that attended
our first attempt at the same kind of work with the
Royal Sovereign. The Prince of Wales and Marl-
borough now as wooden three-deckers are only fit
for conversion to turret-ships, or to be stripped of
their machinery and broken up.
The Orestes, 1,715 tons, and Harrier, 748 tons,
unarmoured wooden (screw) corvettes, both in dock
at Portsmouth, with their machinery taken out and
partially stripped of their planking, have been con-
demned and ordered to be broken up. The Admi-
ralty have now to decide whether they are to be
broken up in the docks where they lie, or sent away
to some private yard for the purpose. The most
economical course would be to break them up where
they are, the expense it would entail would to ren-
der them temporarily floatable for transport being
something considerable. The breaking up of these
two vessels by the shipwrights and labourers of
Portsmouth yard would also afford a legitimate op-
portunity for the " absorption" of any surplus money
likely to remain unspent from the sum voted to the
shipwright department in the Estimates for the cur-
rent year.

The Netley and Trinculo, screw wooden gunboats,
fitting out in the steam basin of Portsmouth yard,
will in a short time be ready for trial under' steam
and commission. They are said to be intended for
service on the Canadian lakes, but it cannot well be
believed that Sir John Pakington's Board of Admi-
ralty would despatch unarmoured wooden gunboats
to a part of the world where if they ever met with
an enemy he would certainly be one carrying armour-
plating.

The Himalaya, screw iron troopship, has still a
large number of men engaged upon her in com-
pleting her repairs and outfit, considerable im-
provement being made in several of her deck fit-
tings. Her stern tubing and new aft screw shafting
were sent down to her yesterday from the steam
factory. With the immense work this vessel has done
under steam her machinery has necessarily at vari-
ous times urtdergone extensive repairs. The engines
in fact may be said to have been renewed three times,
and now, we believe, the only portion of her original
machinery remaining in her is one piece of her screw
shafting.

The Warrior, ironclad frigate, in the steam basin
at Portsmouth, is ordered to be completed by the
shipwright and factory departments, and made ready
to receive her armament by the end of Januarynext.
Many improvements are being effected in thefittings
of this handsome frigate. The main sewer pipes—
generators of fever and diarrhoaa among the crew
during the commission—have been taken out of her,
and scupper holes for the discharge of the water
from her decks have been cut through her armour-
plating. Additional scuttles for ventilation and
light have also been cut through the armour-plating.
All the main bulkheads below, with the exception of
the two plated with armour, have been cut through
and water-tight 'doors fitted, and to make the ven-
tilation below as perfect as possible the plated bulk-
heads should be treated in the same way. If money
and time could both be spared for the purpose, some
simple yet efficient means should be applied for the
protection of her rudder head and after stern post,
and her rcrew should be " over-hung."
The Urgent, screw, iron troopship, Capt. S. H.
Henderson, is lying in the steam basin at Ports-
motlth yard refitting for further service. New boilers
and condensers are being prepared for her, so that
some time will elapse bef ore she can again be avail-
able for troop transport.
The Cunard steamers Tarifa and Europe, which
have been completely overhauled and refitted for the
reception of the 13th Hussars, left the Mersey yes-
terday at 2 p.m.
.for Quebec. The Tarifa has on
board 13 officers, 182 men, and 172 horses. The
officers are Lieut.-Col. Jenyns, C. 8.; Capts.Clarke,
Lanes, an d Hill ; Lieuts. Ford, Clay, and Webb ;
Cornets Hamilton, Pole, and Ellis; Lieut. and Adjut.
Joyce, Surg. Armstrong, and Vet.-surg.Varley. The
Europe conveys 13 officers, 144 men, and 131
horses. 'file officers are Major Maclean ; Capts.
Atkinson, Huddleston, and Miles ; Lieuts. Starkey,
Higgins, and Hone ; Cornets Bieber and Moore ;
Paymaster Frith, Riding-master Hubbard, Quarter-
master Cresdee, and Assist.-Surg.Milburn. To-day.
at 9 a.m., the Allan steamer will go alongside the
great landing stage and take on board nine officers
and 153 dismounted men of the same regiment, and
detachments for other corps, to the number of
about 240, and sail about noon. These vessels also
take out several hundred tons of military stores.
The Walmer Castle, troop-ship, one of Mr.
Green's fleet of Indian transports, fitted with spe.ial
care for the service, having embarked the three bat-
teries of Royal Artillery, as detailed in the Times
of Tuesday, sailed yesterday about 3 p.m. from
Woolwich Arsenal on her voyage to Madras direct
under orders not to call at any intermediate port.
She was towed down the river, in charge of a pilot,
by a couple of steamtugs, and was cast off to pro-
ceed on her voyage under sail, in charge of Captain
Styles, who, calculating on the ship's ordinary rate
of sailing, had no doubt of being able to land the
troops at their destination ten or twelve days before
Christmas.

The 63d (the West Suffolk) Regiment, under the
command of P. W. Carter, left the East Infantry
Barracks, at Aldershott, on Monday morning, head-
quarters and five companies to Glasgow, three com-
panies to Ayr, and two companies to Paisley. Two
special trains were provided by the South Eastern
Railway to convey the regiment to its destinations.
The regiment was accompanied by no less than
seven infantry bands to the railway. The 63d
Regiment has been quartered since its return from
Canada in the summer of 1865 in the East Infantry
Barracks, and has been in the 2d or General
Campbell's Brigade.
The division at Aldershot had its usual weekly
field-day yesterday morning. The troops marched
from their quarters at 9 o'clock and at 10 were
formed up near Norris-bridge and Eelmore. Having
been supplied with 15 rounds of blank ammunition
the various evolutions and manoeuvres incidental to
a sham fight took place, lasting over two hours, at
the conclusion of which they marched past, the troops
returning to quarters shortly after 1 o'clock. By
the removal lately of several regiments, and the large
number of " duty men" required for the guards and
sentries of the camp, the strength of the troops on
the field was less than on any occasion during the
past two years.

The report that scarlatina had broken out among
the children of the married troops at Aldershot camp
in consequence of overcrowding in the huts and bar-
racks is entirely without foundation. During the
past eight months only three or four cases have oc-
curred
eil
and none
appointmentsnnehaveprovedf atal.
The have
been
the Admiralty :—Staff- Commander George made at
to the Zealous, commissioned ; Lieut. G. E. Barnes,t
to the Lion ; Lieut. H. E. Maclean, Lieut. G. F.
Somerset, Lieut. R. W. Stopford, and Lieut. John
Way, to the Zealous ; Sub-Lieut. Philip H. Rickman
and Sub-Lieut. George Usborne, to the Zealous;
Sub-Lieut. George M. Powell, to the Lord Clyde ;
Alfred A. Ashington, Frederick E. A. Croker, Cecil
F. Foley, Douglas E. B. Henderson, Arthur. B. H.
Kirwan, Henry Cr: Napier, John P. Pipon, and
Thomas F. Pullen, midshipmen, to the Zealous ;
Lord George G. Campbell, Henry F,. Bourchier,
Francis J. Brooke, Blanchard IL F. Coward, and
Spencer H. N. Login, Naval Cadets, to the Zealous.

r ONION.r.,

RYLAND'S IRON TRADE CIRCULAR.—The right of
publication of the Iron Trade Civcular (Ryland's),
with the copyright and goodwill, wa a sold by auction at
the Hen and Chickens Hotel, Birmingham, yesterday, by
Mr. H. Smith, of tho firm of Fallows and smith, "under an
order of the High Court of Chancery, made in a cause,
"Ryland v. Holt and others." Tho first bi A was £lOO, and
after a spirited competition it was knock' ad down for £6BO
Mr. G. Ryland, ono of the partinerfl in :the late firm, was
the purchaser.