The Sun.
London, England, 1866-01-29 00:00:00

Naval and Military Intelligence.

• VALETTA, Jan. 24.—Her Majesty's despatch ves-
sel Psyche, 2, Lieut.-Commander A. R. Blane, which
left for Marseilles on the afternoon of the 12th inst.,
conveying Major Clarke, Royal Engineers, Director
of Admiralty Works, returned on the morning of
the 18th, and has now resumed her former moorings
inSliema Creek. The Chanticleer, 17, Commander
W. H. Fenwiek, left Malta on the morning of the
22d inst. for Spithead. The Meeanee, 60, Capt. G.
Wodehouse, left in the afternoon of the same day,
also for Spithead. The Meeanee took as passengers
Mrs. and Miss Wodehouse, Miss Denham, Lieut.
Crowley, 32 soldiers, 7 women, 16 children, and two
Maltese. H.M.S. Victoria, 102, Capt. J. G. Good-
enough, went out of port on the 22d instant
for the usual monthly exercise of target firing,
and will return on the 26th instant. The iron
ships Caledonia, 35, Royal Oak, 35, and Enterprise,
4, left port on the following day for like practice.
The last mentioned ship came out of dock on the
20th inst., and the other iron ship on the station,
the Resistance, was admitted on the 22d. The Cale-
donia is to be docked in the course of the month.
The Cossack, 20, Capt. R. D. White, lately returned
from the coast of Syria, was inspected to-day, the
21th inst., by the Commander-in-Chief. The Fire-
fly, surveying steamer, Commander G. R. Wilkin-
son, which it was at one time thought would be
sent home to be paid off and broken up, will proba-
bly be paid off here. The Skylark, 2, screw gun-
boat, Lieut.-Commander 11. R. Swinton, has been
sent from Gibraltar to Lisbon to communicate with
the British Consul. The following appointments
have been made from the flagship :—A. D. Barnard,
Sub.-Lieut. of the Phoebe, to the Chanticleer; J.
A. Fraser, Sub.-Lieut. of the Enterprise, to the
Caledonia ; G. W. Russell, midshipman, of the
Chanticleer, to the Caledonia. Capt. J. White,
commanding the English screw steamer Memnon,
which arrived on the 20th inst. from Alexandria,
reported that early in the morning of that day he
fell in with the wreck of a vessel at a distance
of about 35 milest south east of St. Elmo Light-
house. The direction indicated being as nearly as
possible in the track of ships between Malta and
Alexandria, the gunboat Tyrian has been despatched
by the Commander-in. Chief to look for the wreck
and bring it into port. I regret to state that the
Malta and Alexandria Telegraph cable, so recently
repaired, has again stopped working. The fault is
supposed to lie about 50 miles nearer Alexandria than
the one which has just been made good. The tele-
graph steamer Hawk, having returned to Malta on
Monday, the 22d inst., immediately commenced
preparations for another expedition, and left again
for the vicinity of Alexandria to-day. Orders have
also been despatched to her Majesty's steamer Peli-
can for her to repair to the scene of operations to
render all the assistance in her power. Capt. J. G.
Gooienough will, we understand, be the new flag=
captain of Lord Clarence Paget on his lordship
assuming the command of the Mediterranean squa-
dron in succession to Vice-Admiral Sir Robert
Smart, whose time of service expires on the 20th
of April next." •
The departure from Greenhithe of the Peruvian
armour-clad steam ram Independencia was an-
nounced at Woolwich on Saturday. It appears that
she was under orders to call at Southampton to ship
300 seamen and officers to complete her ship's com-
pany, and then proceed to her destination. She was
towed down the river in charge of a pilot by three I
river steamtugs.

Her Majesty's 17-gun steam sloop Zebra was on
Saturday hauled into basin at Woolwich to be exa-
mined and prepared for service. The Vivid tender,
Commander Timothy Sulivan, was also taken into
basin, after examination and repairs, and will be
provided with a chart-house on the bridge, sug-
gested by her captain
.and sanctioned by the Ad-
miralty, as a shelter from the inclemency of the
weather.

The steam store-ship Industry, Staff-Commander
YOuel, having been undocked, was on Saturday
taken down the river from Woolwich dockyard by
Commander Dillon, of the Steam Reserve, on trial,
and afterwards went up to Deptford to receive a
Cr() of victualling stores for Rio de Janeiro and
Ase;_.nsion.

The Salamis, 2, paddlewheel despatch vessel,
Commander Francis G. Suttie, under orders to pro-
ceed to China, will sail from Portsmouth about the
or 12th proximo, awl will call in at Devonport
on her wa.r down Channel. The S 'Mails was tried

over the in,,asurel mile course in Stoke's Bay, near
Portsmouth, on Friday, in accordance with the Ad-
miralty regulations for ascertaining the speed of all
her Majesty's ships prior to their departure from
England on foreign service. The Salamis, on Friday,
drew 10ft. liu. of water forward, and loft. 4in. aft,
having six months' stores in her hold, and 166 tons
of coals in her bunkers, and being in all respects
complete and ready for sea. Six runs were made
with full-boiler power, the respective speed of each
run made being 12.721, 14.063, 13.091, 14.342,
13.091, and 11.402 knots ; the mean speed of the
ship at full-boiler power, 13.619 knots ; steam pres-
sure, 251 b. Vacuum—forward engine, 25in. ; after
engine, 26.5 in. Revolutions of the engine—maxi-
mum, 32 ; minimum, 31. With half-boiler power
four runs were made over the mile, with the follow-
ing speeds-10.434, 12.203, 10.055, and 12.203
knots, the mean speed at half power of the ship being
fixed by these figures at 11.224 knots. In trying
the turning powers of the ship, by making circles to
port and starboard, the following general results
were arrived at :—With full power, to port, the
half circle was made in 2 min. 46 sec. and the full
circle in 5 min. 2 sec., the times respectively in turn-
ing to starboard being 2 min. 38 sec. and 5 min. 5
sec. ; with half-boiler power the circle was made to
port in 6 min. 16 sec., and to starboard in 5 min.
59 sec. The trial gave every satisfaction. The en-
gines '1
of the ship are by Messrs. Ravenhill, Ilodg-
son, and Co., and are of 250-horse power nominal.
The ship herself has gained some fame by her late
drawn battle with the Helicon in their Channel race
for speed.

The Liverpool, screw frigate, Capt. R. J. Lam-
bert, arrived at Spithead yesterday morning from
the Channel Fleet.

The Oberon, paddle steam sloop, Commander
Verney, which sailed from Spithead a few days
since for the westward, en route for foreign service,
made her number off Portsmouth avin on Saturday
as sho steamed through Spithead from the westward
and retraced her course to the eastward again with-
out stopping at Spithead.

The screw steam frigate Topaze, 31, at Devon-
port, was put in commission on Friday, by Capt.
W. M. Dowell, C. 8., for service in the Pacific. Sho
burdens 2,659 tons, and has engines of GOO-horse
Power, in charge of Mr. Andrew M‘Farlane. Her
complement will be 515 officers and men.
The screw steam gunboat Rainbow, having been
thoroughly refitted at Devonport, was taken into
Ply mouth Sound on Friday last to test her engines
and machinery.

The screw steam frigate Doris, 30, belonging to
the first division of the Steam Reserve in llamoaze
is ordered to be put in commission at Devonport
for service in the West Indies. She has a burden
of 2,483 tons, and has engines of 800 horse-
power, under charge of Mr. Francis C. Alton.
Mr. Torn B. Read is master, and she will have a
complement of 490 officers and men. She is now in
the basin at ICeyham, and will shortly be placed in
dock. _ _

The screw steam tender Dapper left Plymouth on
Friday to join the Britannia at Dartmouth.
An order has been received from the llorse Guards
directing the depot of the filth Regiment to be held
in readiness to proceed to Dover early next month,
to await the arrival in England of the service com-
panies now on passage home from India. The
depot of the 56th Regiment is also expected to leave
next month for Portsmouth to join the service com-
panies of the regiment on their arrival in England
from India. A draught of one officer, one sergeant,
one drummer, and 45 rank and file of the depot of
the 84th Regiment are under orders to proceed to
Malta to join the services companies. Lieut. Spreat,
of the Coast Brigade, Royal Artillery, has com-
menced a tour of inspection of the forts and stations,
as well as the detachments of the Coast Brigade, in
the eastern district.

The whole of the Infantry of the Aldershot divi-

sion formed up on the Queen's-parade, North Camp,
on Thursday, under the command of Major-General
Russell, C.B. The troops were exercised in a
variety of field movements and changes of
position. They then marched past, in quarter dis-
tance column in quick time, counter-marched by
ranks, and again marched past at the double ; after
which they filed off to their respective quarters.
The force on the field consisted of the 13th, 17th,
28th, 31st, 63d, 69th, 74th, and 92d Regiments.
On the same day the Cavalry Brigade was exercised
in route-marching.

Brigadier-Gen. Campbell, C. 8., assumed the com-
mand of the 2d Infantry Brigade at Aldershott on
Wednesday. The Brigade formed up in line of con-
tiguous columns on the parade in front of the
barracks, and was inspected by the Brigadier-
General. The troops then marched past in open
column of companies in quick time, countermarched,
and again marched past at quarter-distance from
the reverse flank. They were afterwards put through
a series of field movements.

One wing of the 14th Regiment now at Ports-
mouth is under orders to proceed from that garrison
to Weedon. The remainder of the regiment will fol-
low on the arrival of other troops at Portsmouth
from India, now very shortly expected.
Lieut. F. Tracey, Royal Engineers, has been or-
dered to do duty in the South Wales district, in ac-
cordance with instructions received from the Horse
Guards. Pembroke dock has been included in the
western military district by order of the Comman-
der-in-Chief.

In consequence of the recent stormy weather in
Milford Haven the detachment of Royal Artillery
stationed at Thorn Island fortress could not put off
from the island, and as no communication could be
had with it from the port, the men suffered very
much from the want of food and fuel.

In the announcement on Friday in our naval and
military intelligence of the distribution of medals and
gratuities by Major-Gen. Warde, at Woolwich, the
name of Sergt. Grooves was given in error, instead
of Brigade Serg.-Major Groves, employed for some
years past in the direction of the Royal Artillery
post-office. The latter received a good conduct
medal and a gratuity of £l5.
Col. Maxwell, commandant of the Royal Marine
Light Infantry, at Woolwich, received an order on
Saturday from the Royal Marine-office to hold in
readiness a detail of his division for service on board
her Majesty's 30-gun screw frigate Doris, commis-
sioned at Devonport for the North American and
West Indian stations ; and also two sergeants and
three corporals for Ascension. The following officers,
non-commissioned officers, and privates wereaccord-
ingly selected and paraded for inspection :—Capt.
Allen, Lieut. Rutherford, 3 sergeants, 4 corporals,
and 51 men. The officers of the division are desir-
ous of contradicting a report which has gained cur-
rencp—that two of their men were flogged a few
weeks ago. This report is utterly unfounded.
During the command of Colonel Maxwell, since
June, 1865, not one case of corporal punishment
has been deemed necessary in the whole division,
nor has a divisional court-martial sat during the
past two months. It may be likewise added that
the division continues to maintain the high cha-
racter for sobriety and soldierly bearing attributed
to them by the Lords of the Admiralty in their late
half-yearly inspection.