The Sun.
London, England, 1861-05-15 00:00:00

THE NAP Y.,

The following letter, dated Valetta, May 8, is
from a Malta correspondent :—" Her Majesty's
surveying-vessel Medina, Capt. T. A. B. Spratt,
C. 8., returned into Valetta on Saturday last, hav-
ing completed the soundings between Malta and
Tripoli ; and the Scourge corvette, Commander
W. J. Jones, has also returned to Malta, after con-
veying to Tripoli and Bengasi the telegraph stores
for those stations, and a portion of the staff of the
Alexandria and Malta telegraph. On the arrival
of the steamer Malacca from England with the
Malta and Tripoli portion of the cable, these two
vessels will accompany her to show the line of
route, and otherwise to assist in laying the cable.
The operation of paying out will be conducted by
Mr. Fordo, telegraph engineer, while Capt. Spratt
will, on board his ship, lead the way for the Ma-
lacca. The depth of the first 40 miles of the route
has been found to be greater than anticipated, but
not so much so as to give rise to apprehensions that
any serious difficulties will have to be encountered,
the extreme depth being not more than 400 fathoms.
Her Majesty's gunboat Assurance, Command Ayn-
slay, left this rort on the afternoon of the 2d inst.
for Candia ; and the Mohawk, Commander Howard,
arrived from Corfu on the sth, which place she left
on the 3d inst. I enclose you an extract of a letter
from Corfu of this date There has been a slight
disturbance at Zante between the islanders and the
English soldiers in garrison, and two of the latter
were stabbed. At Corfu the most perfect tranquil-
lity prevails, and the paragraphs in the papers
abroad stating that-great agitation exists here among
the people are untrue. His Excellency the Lord High
Commissioner, who left this on the 18th ult. for
the Southern Islands, accompanied by two men-of-
war, is expected back about the middle of the pre-
sent month.' "

The inauguration of No. 10 dock at Portsmouth,
forming the outer entrance of the steam basin of the
dockyard, took place yesterday on the occasion of
the admission into it of the Marlborough, 131,
screw, Capt. W. H. Stewart, C. 13,, flagship of Vice-
Admiral Martin. No. 10 has been built in continua-
tion of No. 7 dock, and forms a new passage to the
steam-basin from the harbour, more available at cer-
tain times of tide than the old entrance at the north
corner of the yard. It may be fairly considered the
only dock at Portsmouth capable of receiving a ship
of the Marlborough's size, with her guns, stores, and
crew on board. The design of the new dock, is,
however, defective from the unnecessary height of
the inverts over the dock flooring, which decreases
the depth of water, a fault which should have been
most studiously avoided.

The Megasra, screw troopship, Com. S. Henderson,
arrived at Portsmouth yesterday from Devonport,
with supernumeraries, &c. She requires repairs in
her engine department, but will be made ready for
the conveyance of draughts of regiments to the
,Mediterranean..

The Icarus sailed from Spithead yesterday for
Sheerness.

The Industry is expected to sail for Woolwich
from Portsmouth to-day.
The Avon, paddle, having been found to have
sustained little damage by grounding, will sail for
Devonport today or to-morrow.
No orders have yet been received at Portsmouth
for the outfit of any fleet of gunboats for service on
the North American station, or elsewhere, as has
been reported, and the only known cause which may
have led to such a rumour is the instructions re-
cently issued by the Controller of the Navy for the
regulation of the first class steam reserves.
The Cressy, 80, screw, 400-horse power, Capt. T.
Harvey, arrived at the Nore on the evening of the
13th. She was inspected by Vice-Admiral John-
atone yesterday, and brought into Sheerness har-
bour to be paid off.

The Ganges, 84, Capt. J. Fulford, will be paid
off at Sheerness this morning.
Although some progress has been made, there is
still a great deal of machinery to be received at
Chatham Dockyard horn the Government and pri-
vate engineering firms before the works connected
with the building of the new iron steamer Achilles
can be commenced.

The following appointments have been made at
the Admiralty :—Lieut. H. C. Gilbert, to the Tra-
falgar ; Lieut, E. E. Richards, to the Hero ; Lieut.
Noel Osborne, to the Marlborough ; Lieut. Alger-
non G. Wootton, to the Excellent ; Lieut. Edward
G. Maddock, to the Donegal; Lieut. Edward Bark-
ley, to the Southampton, for service is the ordinary ;
Lieut. Alfred Eaton, to the Challenger; John C.
Hutchings, Master, to the Formidable ; John C.
Drew, mate, to the Medina ; G. G. Hunt, mate, to
the Mersey ; John Sear, chief engineer, to the Cam-
berland, for the Galatea, confirmed in rank ; Adam
Dunn, chief engineer, to the Asia, for charge of the
machinery of the Adventurer, after the latter ship
shall have been paid; James Sangster, chief engi-
neer, to the Shannon ; James Mangnall, chief en-
gineer, to the Challenger; George H. Beaton,
first class assist.-engineer, to the Driver; J 091.118
Rothery, first-clas4 assistant-engineer, to the
Diadem ; Robert Madge, first-class assistant-en-
gineer, to the Fisgard, for charge of the machinery
of the Antelope ; Aifred Mason, first class assist.-
engineer, to the Challenger ; George Wynhall, first
class assist.-engineer, to the Asie, for charge of the
Cygnet ; William J. Thomason, acting assist.-surg.,
to the Challengqr ; C. M. S. Shuckburgh, midship-
man, to the Hero; Leonard W. Sewell, naval cadet,
to the Mersey ; John Moir, second-class assist.-en-
gineer, to the Challenger; Thomas N. Crowder,
third-class assist.-engineer to the Driver ; James
Mutter and James Bell (B), third class assist.-en-
gineers, to the Challenger; Edward J. Miller, John
Dunlop, and Henry T. Smeddle, acting third class
assist-engineers, to the Asia ; Richard M. Griffith,
acting third class assist.-engineer, to the Fisgard,
for the Vivid ; Robert Jones, acting third class
assist.-engineer, to the Trident ; Peter Erskine, act-
ing third class assist.-engineer, to the Cumberland,
for temporary charge of the Bullfrog; James Frazer,
acting third-class assist.-engineer, to the Cumber-
land, for service in the Meanee ; James A. Dick and
John Taylor (C), to the Cumberland, as supernu-
meraries. C, J. Norcock, E. R. W. Noble, and Henry
J. Oldfield have been nominated to naval cadetships.