The Sun.
London, England, 1866-01-30 00:00:00

Naval and Military Intelligence.

The iron-cased frigate Royal Alfred, 18, 4,045
tons, 800-horse power, got up steam and worked her
machinery yesterday alongside Portsmouth Dock-
yard. To-day she will make a preliminary con-
tractors' trial of her machinery off Spithead, in
readiness for her trial at light draught of water over
the measured mile in Stokes Bay.
The Conqueror, screw line of battle ship, 2,845
tons, 500-horse power, Capt. W. G. Luard, arrived
at Spithead at 3 p.m. yesterday, from China, and
on anchoring exchanged salutes with the Victory,
the flagship in Portsmouth-harbour of Admiral Sir
Michael Seymour, G.C.8., the Admiral Command-
ing-in-Chief of the port and district. The Con-
queror has brought to England the battalion of
Royal Marine Light Infantry that has recently been
on special service in Japan, and a number of in-
valids, naval and military. The Royal Marine bat-
talion embarked for service in Japan at Plymouth
in December, 1863, under the command of Lieut.-
Col. Sather, and arrived' off Yokohama,
Japan, in
June, 1864; where it landed and encamped. In the
following August the bzittalion re-embarked in the
Conqueror, and proceeded with the allied fleets t 9 the
inland sea, where it was present at the bombardment
of the enemy's batteries at Simonasaki on the sth of
September, 1864. On the following day, the bat-
talion was landed under the command of Lieut.-Col.
Penrose as part of the allied force placed under the
command of Lieut.-Col. Suther, (Lieut.-
Col. Adair, third Lieut.-Col. of the Royal Marine
force, commanding the second battalion under Col.
Sather on the occasion), and participated in the
destruction of the forts and storming of the stock-
ades. In October the battalion arrived at Yoko-
hama, where it was disembarked, and formed part
of the garrison of that place until August, 1865,
when it was re-embarked in the Conqueror, and
left for England under the Command of Lieut.-
Colonel Penrose, its late commanding officer, Col.
Suther, C. 8., having previously obtained leave to
proceed to England. On the passage from Yoko-
hama to Hongkong, the Conqueror experienced a
terrific typhoon, to repair the damage inflicted by
which a stay of three weeks was necessary at the
last-named port. The battalion has brought to
England as its "lawful prize of war" two brass
field-pieces captured in the attack on the stockade
at Simonosaki. Having left behind in China and
Japan about 100 volunteers, the present strength of
the battalion is 26 officers, three staff-sergeants, 25
sergeants, and 350 rank and file. The Legation
guard of Royal Marines, who have been in Japan,
since March, 1863, for the protection of her Ma-
jesty's Minister and the Legation, have also re-
turned to England with the battalion in the Con-
queror.

His Netherland Majesty's screw steamer the
Watergeus (6 guns), Commander Escher, which
put into Falmouth with partial damage and short
of fuel on the 30th of December, resumed her voyage
to Java from that port on Saturday morning, after
repairing and coaling.
The spring half-yearly changes of quarters of the
Foot Guards will take place on the Ist of March.
They are as follows :—Grenadier Guards.-Ist bat-
talion from Wellington Barracks (the head-quarters)
to St. George's Barracks, and a detachment to
Chelsea Barracks ; 2d battalion, from Windsor to
Chelsea Barracks ; 3d battalion, from St. George's
and Chelsea Barracks to Windsor. Coldstream
Guards.-Ist battalion from Chelsea Barracks (the
head-quarters) to Wellington Barracks, with de-
tachments to Kensington Magazine and Bucking-
ham Palace Barracks ; 2d battalion from the Tower
to Shorncliffe Camp. Scots Fusilier Guards.--Ist
battalion, from the " old wing" of the Wellington
Barracks, Kensington Magazine, and Buckingham