The Sun.
London, England, 1866-09-06 00:00:00

Naval and Military Intelligence.

The War Department transport Bomarsund, Mr.
Spicer, master in charge, left the Ordnance-wharf,
Chatham, yesterday, with the armament for the
paddle-wheel steamer Virago, 6, 1,059 tons, 220-
horse power (nominal), fitting for the first division
of the steam reserve, consisting of one 110-pounder,
and three 12-pounder Armstrong rifled guns, and
one 10-inch and four 32-pounder smooth-bore cast
iron guns, with platforms, carriages, and fittings
complete. 'The Virago, since she has been in the
shipwrights' and engineers' hands, has been almost
rebuilt, and is now one of the strongest vessels of
her class, additional stanchions and knees having
been introduced in her frame to enable her to carry
the heavy guns which will compose her armament.
Her original machinery andengines have been taken
out, and the engines lately belonging to the paddle-
wheel steamer Rhadamanthus fitted in their stead.
The Virago is now ready for being commissioned,
it being intended, it is understood, to despatch her
to the West Coast of Africa.

Yesterday the steam dredging machine employed
in Chatham harbour was towed down the river to
Sheerness, for the purpose of being used in clearing
away a bank of sand and mud formed near the en-
trance to the steam basin.

The chartered convict ship Corona will embark
100 convicts from the Chatham Convict Prison to-
day for conveyance to the penal settlement, Western
Australia. She will call in at Portsmouth and Port-
land for convicts from those establishments.
It is stated that the Admiralty is about to pur-
chase of Mr. Hay, of Sunderland, his new steam
yacht Corra Linn, to be employed as a surveying
vessel on the coast of Africa. On her trial trip a
few days since, under the inspection of Government
engineers, she passed over the measured mile, oppo-
site the Shornmead Battery, in 6 minutes 21 seconds.
Her engines are by Clarke, of Sunderland, and her
dimensions are-163f t. between perpendiculars, 26ft.
extreme breadth, with Oft. draught of water, and
300 tons burden. She is now fitting out at Graves-
end for the coast of Africa.
An order was received at Chatham garrison yes-
terday from the Horse Guards, directing the
detachment of Royal Artillery, ordered to embark
for Canada, to proceed this morning to Liverpool,
for embarkation on board the steamer Moravia, for
Quebec. The infantry troops under orders to em-
bark for Canada will join the vessel selected to con-
vey them to their destination, either at Gravesend
or Portsmouth.

Staff Assist.-Surd. J. E. Fishbourne, doing duty
at Chatham, has been ordered to embark for Cal-
cutta, and will be relieved at Chatham garrison by
Staff Assist.-Surg. G. Traynor. Staff Assist.-Surg.
G. E. Wills, doing duty with the detachments of
Royal Engineers stationed at the Isle of Grain, has
received orders to embark for the Bahamas.

The three battalions of infantry at Chatham gar-
rison having been now completed to their full esta-
blishment by the transfer to that station of the
various depot battalions in Ireland, the whole of
which are now absorbed in the English battalions,
the following are the East India and other depots
now attached to each battalion, viz., Ist Depot Bat-
talion-Ist and 2d battalions of the Ist (King's
Royals) Regiment, Ist and 2d battalions of the 15th
Regiment, 2d battalion of the 17th Regiment, and
109th Bombay Infantry; 2d Depot Battalion-Ist
and 2d battalions of the 2d (Queen's Royals) Regi-
ment, Ist and 2d battalions of the Bth (the King's)
Regiment, 29th Regiment, 30th Regiment, and
106th Bombay Light Infantry ; 3d Depot Battalion
—lst and 2d battalions of the 10th Regiment, 2d
battalion of the 14th Regiment, Ist and 2d batta-
lions of the 224 Regiment, 34th Regiment, and
45th Regiment.

Mr. I.ethers, chief inspector of the Metropolitan
Police doing, duty at Chatham Dockyard, has been
appointed by Sir R. Mayne acting superintendent
of police at Deptford Dockyard.
Lieut.-Gen. Sir F. Graham, K.C.8., Colonel of
the Plymouth division of the Royal Marines, has
been appointed Colonel of the Artillery division,
vice Gcn. Sir C. Menzies, K.C.B. and K. 11., de-
ceased. Major-Gen. Alex. Anderson has been ap-
pointed to succeed Lieut.-Gen. Sir F. Graham, as
Colonel of the Plymouth division.

RAILWAY INTELLIGENCE.

MONMOUTHSHIRE.

The report of the directors states that the traffic
receipts for the half-year ending the 30th of June
last amounted to £74,851, and for the correspond-
ing half of last year to £71,068, showing an increase
of £3,783. The expenditure amounted to £34,248,
or 46 per cent. of the receipts, against £35,521, or
50 per cent., showing a decrease of £1,273 ; and the
net earnings amounted to £40,603, against £35,546
in the same half of 1865, showing an increase of
£5,057. The re-laying account had been credited
with £5,000, transferred from the general revenue
account. The average rate of interest paid on the
whole amount of borrowed capital was £4 Bs. Bd.
per cent. per annum. The general revenue account
showed a balance of £21,515, out of which it was
proposed to declare a dividend at the rate
of 6 per cent. per annum on the ordinary shares
payable on the sth of October next. The dividend
for the corresponding half of 1865 was at the rate
of 61 per cent. per annum. An Act had been ob-
tained for constructing a railway from the London
and North-Western Railway Company's line at
Brynmawr to the Blaenavon Ironworks. The
capital account to the 30th of June showed that
£1,301,814 had been expended, leaving a balance
of £90,000 to the credit of that account.