The Sun.
London, England, 1861-06-06 00:00:00

THE NA PY.

The following is from a letter, dated Valetta, May
31:--" The movements of her Majesty's men-of-war
during the week have been limited to the arrival of
the gunboat Boxer, Lieut.-Commander Cleveland,
on the 27th, from Marsala, to replenish her provi-
sions;the steam storeshipSupply,Master-Commander
Balliston, on the 28th, from England and Gibral-
tar with stores ; and the guntoatWeser,Commander
A. Johnstone, on the 29th, from Corfu, and to the
departure of the surveying steamer Medina, Capt.
Spratt, C. 8., and the corvette Scourge, Commander
W. G. Jones, on the 27th, for Tripoli, to assist in
laying the electric cable between Malta and that
place. On Saturday, the 25th inst., the merchant
steamer Malacca, having on board the cable, put
out of port for St. George's Creek, in the Bay of
Marsascirocco, on the south-east coast of Malta.
On the 27th the shore end was safely landed and
secured, and the Malacca, having been joined by
the two vessels just mentioned, started for her des-
tination, paying out cable as she proceeded, the
Medina leading the way. On the night of the
29th a telegraphic message was received here
through the cable, announcing that it had been
safely landed at Tripoli and telegraphic communi-
cation established with Malta. The same despatch
intimated that the Malacca was to leave for Ben-
gazi on the following day, the 30th. The weather
has been most favourable, and in' consequence a
considerably less quantity of cable has, I believe,
been used than was anticipated. The successful
manner in which this difficult operation has been
performed reflects great credit on all who have
taken part in it. The name of Capt. Spratt, how-
ever, deserves prominent mention. I may here
notice that the telegraph with England is giving
more satisfaction than it did some time ago. Mes-
sages are now sent and received in a few hours. I
regret to have to announce the death of Commander
Edward K. H. Hallett, R.N., which took place on
the 27th inst. Commander Hallett was on half-
pay, and was prom•)ted in 1841 to the rank he held
at the time of his demise. He commanded the boats
of the Bellerophon at Djebail and Sidon, and was
in that ship at the capture of St. Jean d'Acre in
1840. Possessed of a private fortune, he took up
his residence 21 years ago in this island, and suc-
ceeded in gaining the esteem of a large circle of
friends. He leaves a widow and four children."

The Osborne paddle yacht, arrived at Ports-
mouth yesterday, on her return from the Mediter-
ranean trip, in attendance upon the Empress of
Austria. The Osborne sailed from Malta on the
24th of May, Gibraltar on the 30th of May, and
Lisbon on the Ist inst.
Orders have been received at Portsmouth to
make the necessary preparations for the alteration
and conversion of the Royal Alfred, 91, screw two
decker, building there, into an iron-plated frigate.
This vessel, one of the improved line-of-battle ships,
is well up in frame.
The ships Genghis Khan, Conflict, and Boanerges
have been taken up for the conveyance of the 2d
battalion of the 11th Regiment from Portsmouth
to the Cape of Good Hope.

The result of the series of trials with her H.M.S.
Duncan, which have just been concluded, is to prove
that, whatever advantage may have been gained by
the three-bladed propeller over two-bladed propel-
ler is more than counterbalanced by the impossibi-
lity of raising the screw when the ship might be at
sea under canvass, and the frequent necessity its use
would impose of docking the ship.
The screw steam gunvessel Steady, 4, Commander
Grant, at Devonport, is destined for North America.
The following appointments were made yesterday
at the Admiralty !—Commander E. Hardinge to
the Dragon, commissioned; Commander W. H.
Fenwick to the Daedalus, commissioned; Comman-
der 0. W. Dalyell, to the Coast Guard, vice Rich ;
Henry Lanchester and John Etherington, acting
second-class assist-engineers, to the Renown ; Fred.
Hellett, acting second-class assist-engineer, to the
Fisgard, as supernumerary ; Richard Hobson, act-
ing second-elass assist-engineer, to the Asia, as
supernumerary.