The Sun.
London, England, 1857-06-08 00:00:00

Naval and Military Intelligence.

THE NIAGARA.
The Niagart:, United States screw frigate, Capt.
Hudson, arrived at Spithead on Sat urday morning,
soon after daylight, and anchored. Her appear-
ancefrom the shore was anything but prepossessing.
On; looking aloft, however, the seaman's eye in-
stantly detects the beautifully-stayed masts and
well; squared yards. Her size, and we believe her
ton Gage, has been considerably over-rated. Her
length has been stated to be nearly 390 feet, which
would make her longer than the Himalaya ; whereas
the Niagara is 45 feet shorter than the imalaya, 1
but has more beam. From fore-part of figurehead
t o'_after-Part of taffrail she is 339 feet 6 inches ;
breadth of beam, 56 feet. In outward appearance
she.looks like a foreign troop-ship. It is only when
on board that her *advantages are perceptible. The
bulwarks on the upper deck are full 7 feet in height,
offering great protection from an enemy's fire. On
this deck 12 monster guns of 11-inch bore are to be
worked, and shutters can be lowered in all direc-
tions so as to get an acute angle.
.There can be no doubt, provided accuracy of
range could be obtained, that she would be a most
formidable antagonist ; but we should infinitely
prefer in time of action such frigates as the Live-
rieuse, Shannon, or Emerald, with their present
armament. Descdnding to the main deck of the
Niagara, the great space afforded is immediately
perceptible, there being nearly eight feet under the
beams, which are of great strength.
We feel satisfied at the present moment she is a
disguised ship of war, for her fighting quarters on
the main deck, with 68 and long 32 pounders,
would be perfection. Her engine-room is very
beautifully arranged, but the temperature much
above what we bad expected. Lieut. Wells is now
doing duty on board the Niagara, and visitors will
have the advantage of being courteously received
and introduced to the rest of the officers. The con-
sul, Mr. Vincent Pappalardo, introduced Cap-
tain Hudson to the commander-in chief, Ad-
miral Sir George Seymour, and other authorities,
naval and military. . The ward-room far sur-
passes in size and arranaement that of any ship in
the British service. There are about 30 officers in
al 1 , and a present crew of 450 ; her full complement
would be 700. The mess-tables and berthing-places
of the men are of a first-rate character for comfort.
The Niagara came into harbour before one o'clock
and moored alongside the Rodney, 90, two-decker.
She will be taken into the fitting or steam-basin
to-day, and her alterations immediately commenced
to enable her to receive her portion of the sub-
marine cable. The commander-in-chief paid a visit
to the Niagara after Divine service yesterday.

The Colossus, 80, screw, Capt. Thompson, is still
lying at the basin moorings at Sheerness, landing
all her stores, and stripping with all possible des-
patch. The order is now that she is to be paid off,
and placed in the second-class steam reserve on the
16th of this month.

The Ganges, 84, is fitting for commission at
Sheerness. Report says she is intended to carry
the flag of Rear Admiral R. L. Baynes, and to re-
lieve the Monarch in the Pacific.

The Renown, 91, is still in the basin at Sheer-
nes-, fitting her machinery. She will soon take her
trial tiip, when she will be placed in the second-
class steam reserve, in charge of Mr. Robert Nicoll,
chief engineer.
The Terror, 14, floating battery, Capt. Frederick
Hutton, is in No. 3, dry dock, Sheerness, fitting as
a battery for Bermuda. . _

The Elst India Company's troopships Owen
Glendower and Vernon have arrived at Gravesend,
having on board nearly 500 invalid troops from re-
giments serving in India. The Owen Glendower,
Commander Watson, sailed from Kurrachee on the
11th February last, having on board 235 non-
commissioned officers and men belonging to the Bth
(the King's), 24th, 27th (Enniskillens), 81st, 87th
(Royal Irish Fusiliers), and the Royal Artillery,
with 33 women and children. During the voyage
six men died, and one insane soldier, named Mahon,
belonging to the 24th Regiment, jumped overboard
when the vessel was near St. Helena, and was lost,
although every effort was made to save him.
The Vernon reached St. Helena on the 21st of
April, and arrived in the Thames on Friday, after
a fine passage of three months and twelve days.
A banquet was given by the Grenadier Guards at
the London Tavern on Saturday evening. Covers
were laid for 60. The chair was taken by his Royal
Highness Prince Albert. Among the company
were his Serene Highness Prince Edward of Saxe
Weimer ; Colonels Wood, Ellison. Wynyard,
Lindsay, Stanhope, Cadogan, kc.
The officers of the 17th Lancers gave their annual
dinner at the Clarendon Hotel on Friday, when
they were honoured with the company of the Duke
of Cambridge.
The Sydney screw steam transport, Captain
Thornhill, arrived at Spithead on Friday night,
from Gibraltar, which she left on the 31st of May,
bringing 12 officers, three ladies, 29 soldiers' wives,
40 children, and 384 men of the 15th Foot, and
four horses. She went into harbour yesterday
to land them. _

The Mauritius and Cleopatra steam transports
are hourly expected at Portsmouth to embark troops
fur China.

MThe ..A.astralian steam transport, Captain Castle,
from Gibraltar, arrived at Spithead yesterday, with
12 officers, 17 sergeants, 14 drummers, 308 rank
and file, 35 women, and 41 children of the 15th
Foot

On Friday two Russian steam'yachts—the Vella
and the Bakan—built by Messrs. Samuda, with
machinery by Ravenh'll and Miller, passed down
the river under steam and canvas, to test their
capabilities before leaving for Cronstadt on Tuesday.
Count Lacenclorf, Lieutenant Peschowroff, Lieu-
tenant'Skariateen, of the- Russian navy, and a
large party of gentlemen accompanied the yachts
in their trial trip. These vessels are intended for
the same purposes as our Trinity yachts, attending
the lighthouses, and beacons of the coast, for which
use they are specially designed. The results were
most satisfactory, and when under steam the boats
of each steamer (light cotters), fitted on Clifford's
plan'for lowering, were several times manned and
let down quite free of the ships in a few seconds,
without at all slackening the speed, the Count La-
cendorf and Lieutenant Skariateen being in one
boat and Mr. Sarnuda in the other.

The party of riggers and smiths, upwards of 50,
employed since the arrival of the Agamemnon at
Greenwich on Friday, in riveting the mooring,
chains and making her snug, were engaged inces-
santly throughout Friday night up to midday on
Saturday, when they returned to Woolwich. The
shipment of the submarine wire is to commence to-
morrow or Wednesday.

The steam troopship Dutchman, Jas. Kavanagh
master, having landed her cargo of shot and shell
from Gibraltar at Woolwich, is di-icharged the Go-
vernment service. She is compactly fitted with con-
veniences as a troopship, and is provided with a
couple of steam cranes fitted to the quarter deck,
by means of which 1,200 tons of cargo are removed
in the course of 24 hours.

The military store screw eeamship Balaklava,
Capt. Win. Pe datt, aud Ihe sailing transport Somer-
set, laden with returned stores ti-Jm Portsmouth,
were yesterday morning moored off Woolwich
Arsenal to discharge their cargoes.
In consequence of the recommendation of the
authorities of the storekeeper's department, Royal
Arsenal, Lord Panmure has issued an order for
several of the chief -foremen. of the department
named to be discharged, with liberal pensions for
long and faithful services.

PARIC-CRESCOTT GARDENEL—In these beautiful gar-
dens a fancy fair, for the sale of useful and ornamental
-.work, will be hell to-morrow and on Wednesday. From
the list of patronesses, and the laudable object of their
zeal, there is no doubt the fair will be very fully and
fashionably attended.
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extraord
W'--13Y hinerr Majesty's Royal Letters Patent for valuable and
ary improvements in the most powerful and bril-
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such extraordinary power that some, three and a-half mato,
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Saturn's ring, and the double ktars ; with the same Weseot e
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tant, and an object from 16 to 20 miles. For the wai-tcoat
pocket, an are of larger. and ell sizes, with inc easing
po won s accordingly. The %al Exhibition, 1851.—A "sal Q-
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Glass, Pe,uwielrf: person can be seed
Waistcoat Pocket
tine size of a walnut, by w
and known one aud a half mile distant. answer every
p„rpo,o on the rac.
selousresree,
clearly
at the Opera Houses,
Country sconerY, d
invaluable for shooting, deer-stalking, yachting,
"en at 12 to 14 miles,
Thoy are tiemou, gimekeepers, Endt to si orL'wo", go ,
Rt
jecours"imsm"ltetistei
derived
riCerivt
del
Camp, Perspe ;tve,
A preserving Spectacle
pow, re. aplanro.bilit
power. rh.e great. .advantagere
greatest .
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power
to to hn es
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_by
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Or-
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and it affords all the assistance that possibly could be desire .
ANemarle.street, Piccadilly,—Observz—opposite 1.1 0
York Hotel. W.