The Sun.
London, England, 1861-04-27 00:00:00

THE NAVY.

.
The following letter, dated Valetta, April 21, is from our
Malta correspondent.--
"Her Majesty's frigate Liffey, Captain Preedy, arrived
here last night from Tunis, having onboard Mr. R. Wood,
her Britannic Majesty's Consul at that Regency. The ob-
jeet of Mr. Wood's departure has not yet transpired, and it
seems to have been somewhat unexpected, at least at Tunis,
where the announcement and the presence of an English
frigate to carry him away took people by surprise. There
are various rumours on the subject.
"There have been no further arrivals or departures of
her Majesty's ships &ripg the week. The Gannet, from
Smyrna, and the Medina, from Alexandria, are expected.
As at present arranged, the Medina is to touch at Tripoli,
where she will embark Mr. Fredk. Crowe, her Majesty's
Vice-Consul there, who has obtained leave of absence.
"The Ampbion, it is said, will shortly leave for Beyrout,
and I learn from Messina that the Doris is expected there
from Malta, the Victor Emmanuel having left on the 15th
inst. for Palermo, to relieve the Mars, which has been
ordered back to this island. It is rumoured that the Lap-
wing has been ordered home.
"On the 13th inst. in-the barracks of Cospicua a soldier
of the 2d battalion, 23d Regiment, named Mat thew
O'Hearn, loaded his rifle with powder and ball, and placing
the muzzle in the vicinity of the left sixth or seventh rib,
fired, the-ball passing out at his back. He was carried to
the hospital in a dying state, and death supervened a short
time afterwards.
" Since the day before yesterday Malta has been in direct
communication with Naples, the two cables across the Straits
of Messina, which were broken some time ago, having been
relaid by the Italian Government. The chief cause of the
delay in the transmission of messages between England and
this island has now been remedied. A telegram was re-
ceived from England yesterday in 15 hours.
" Her Majesty's ships in port are the Neptune (flag of
the Commander-in •Chief), the Hibernia (flag of Rear-
Admiral Codrington, C. 8.),
_the Liffey, Doris, Amphion,
Alacrity, Assurance, Lapwing, and Quail, and the tug
Hearty.
" A letter from Tunis of the 16th inst. announces that the
new Constitution of the Bey was to come into force in a few
days, when the inauguration was to be celebrated by a great
public festival. •
"Her Majesty's "frigate Terrible Capt. Glasse, came in
yesterday from Corfu, return there with a mail on.
the 23d inst. The following is an extract of a letter re-
ceived by her, dated April 17 :
" The ships in port are the Caesar (flag of Rear-Admiral
Dacres, C. 8.), Orion, James Watt, Algiers, Terrible, and
gunboat Foxhound.
"'As the Orion was practising at a target, on the 6th inst.,
one of the Greek steamers rounded the point of the island
of Vido, and got hit by a shot, which fortunately did no
further injury than to go right through her side and
lodge in the bulkhead of one of the cabins. The Greek flag
was immediately hauled down, and the greatest consterna-
tion reigned on board, as she had many deck passengers,
chiefly Albanians. On her being struck boats from the
men-of-war in port put off to her to ascertain if any one
was hurt and to explain how the event happened. On
the next or the following day she was hove down, and re-
paired by order of the Admiral, who was in consequence
placed in a very unpleasant position, as the worst construc-
tion will, no doubt, be placed upon the occurrence by the
lonians.
" ' General Sir G. Buller held his half-yearly inspection
of all the corps in garrison last week, and expressed himself
much pleased with the high state of efficiency of the troops.
The foot races of the garrison came off on the Esplanade on
the Bth inst., the prizes varying from Bs. to 155., except the
mile race, the prize of which was a very handsome silver
watch, and was won by an artilleryman. The short races
were won easily by a sergeant of the 2d Regiment, named
Franklyn, who is the best short-race runner in the garrison
at present.
" ' The Lord High Commissioner, Sir Henry Storks, will
proceed to the Southern Islands in a day or two in the
lonian steamer, accompanied by the Orion and James Watt
as a guard of honour.'
" A let' er from Suez of the 17th inst. states that her
Majesty's ship Hornet left Aden for Jeddah and Suez on
the 19th inst."
The Bulldog and Lightning steamers were still off Fal-
mouth, with the derelict wreck in tow of the former, on
Thursday at 1 p.m. The progress making was so slow as to
lead to the supposition that some impediment obstructed
the motion, probably the chain cable and anchor, which
were adrift from the wreck. The wind being northerly,
although the weather was moderate and fine, prevented an
easy approach to land, which was but two leagues distant.
The Bulldog had secured her tow rope through the keel of
the wreck.
Yesterday the War Department transport Baltic arrived
at the Ordnance Wharf, Chatham, and commenced unload-
ing 2,000 8-inch shells from Woolwich, to be taken into
store. The Government transport Thames also unshipped,.
at the Gun-wharf, 2,460 of the 24-pounder shells, together
with a number of the 100-pounder Armstrong gun-carriages
from the factory at Woolwich.
The steam floating battery Etna, 16, 200-horse-power,
having completed the shipment of her stores, shot, shell,
cables, &c., got up steam early yesterday morning, and at
10 a.m. steamed out of Chatham harbour, attended by the
Adder paddlewheel steamer, tender to, the Wellesley, 72,
and the Monkey paddlewheel steamer, tender to the Fis
gard, 42, to be in readiness to render any assistance. The
-lEtna was to proceed direct to the Thames, in charge of
Lieut. R. S. Bateman, to take up her position off the land
batteries at Shornemead and Coalhouse Point, where moor-
ings have been laid down ..for her. The floating battery
Thunderbolt, 16, 200-horse power, will probably leave
Chatham harbour for the Thames to- day.

Yesterday, Capt. E. G. Fanshawe, superintendent of
Chatham Dockyard, mustered the whole of the officers and
crew of the Wellesley, 72, guardship at Chatham, on the
occasion of his first visit of inspection to that vessel. The
crew were afterwards paid wages to six months, but, under
the new arrangement recently introduced into the navy,
they will in future be paid monthly, which is considered
throughout the service generally a great boon.
The Glocester, 50, fitting-at Chatham for harbour service

in lieu of the Hussar, fifth-rate, converted into a target-ship,
is undergoing very extensive repairs, in order to adapt her
for the service for . which she is destined. In consequence
o'f the extensive nature of the alterations required to be per-
formed on her, it will be some time before she is completed.
The naval transport Aid, in No. 2 dock at Chatham,
which experienced some serious injuries in being driven
ashore on the Sussex coast, in the neighbourhood of Beachy
Head, has undergone complete repair at the hands of the
dockyard shipwrights. The whole of her old planking has
been stripped off, and the injuries to her keel made good.
Some of her timbers, which were found to be very decayed,
have been replaced with new. Yesterday a numerous body
of caulkers commenced caulking her, in order that she may
be got out of hand by the end of this month.
The Barossa, 21, screw steam corvette, 400-horse power,
has been removed from the fitting basin, Sheerness Dock-
yard, to her mooring in the harbour. She is placed in the
this d• class steam reserve.

591
2,125
3,254
3,505

1,706
1,070
3,328
20,186
7,139
3,266
7,371
4,450
1,766
699
106
1,5?6

'389
1,281

790
4,139
6,912
460
649
574

980
29,672

1,214

2,893

45,136
14,417
3,896
2,469
10,734
4,829
13,329
1,416
43,758

'592
72,217
50,469

601
1,395
27,000
18,795

- -
The Worcester, 50, which was placed in dock at Sheer-
ness on Tuesday last for the purpose of I eing lengthened
45 feet amidships, and being converted into a screw steam
vessel, has been taken back to her moorings in the harbour,
as she is found to be unfit for alteration.
The Wildfire paddle-wheel steamvessel, 76-horse power
(tender to the Formidable at Sheerness), Master-Comman-
der George Brockman, has been taken out of dock after
undergoing extensive repairs; and the Lizard, 1, iron pad.
dle-wheel steamvessel, 150 horse power (tender to the For-
midable), Lieut.-Commander John M. Scott, has taken her
place to be repaired.
The crew of the Sandfly gunboat, 60-horse power (tender
.to the Cornwallis), Lieut.-Commander Harington C. On-
slow, have been turned over to the Surly gunboat, at Sheer-
ness; and the crew of the Fly gunboat, 60-horse power
(tender to the Comwallis), Lieut.-Commander John S.
Keats, have been transferre t to the Griper gunboat at
Sheerness, as both the Sandfly and the Fly need extensive

repairs.
The Hasty gunboat, 60-horse power, is being prepared for ,
service as tender to the Castor, 36 (training ship for the
Royal Naval Reserve), Commander J. Palmer, at Shields,
and will proceea to LAW UMWLaII)II 11l a levy
The Sampson, 6, paddle, Capt. G. S. Hand, C. 8., whose
arrival from China was reported in The Sun of yesterday,
sailed from Singapore on the 12th of January, arrived in
Simon's Bay on the 20th February, and sailed again on the
27th ; arrived at St. Helena on the 12th of March, sailing
again the same day, and passing the Western Islands on the
14th. She experienced light winds the whole passage until
nearing the Channel. During the passage she bad been
under steam 17 days. She brought home a detachment 'of
Royal Marines (47), under the command of Lieut. W. H.
Poynts, a portion of the battalion formed as part of the
Chinese expedition. She also brought 20 supernumeraries
from the squadron, and 10 of the crew of her Majesty's late
ship Assistance. The Marines and supernumeraries have
been landed, the ship officially inspected, and it is expected
that she will go into Portsmouth harbour to pay off.
The Jasper, 1, screw, gunvessel, Lieut.-Commander W.
H. Pym, arrived at Spithead during Thursday night, from
the West Indies. She left Bermuda on the 21st of March,
and experienced gales of wind the greater part of the
passage, arriving in the Channel on the 21st inst. Saw five
large ships in the Chops of the Channel on the 23d inst.,
inspected at Spithead yesterday, and will
which were supposed to be a portion of the Channel fleet.
rto pay off.
gS
Tel ahwteeaEshmoaffirebrcoalivally d, 51, screw, Capt. A. Cumming, at Spithead,
is expected to sail for the Brazils to-day, or early to-morrow
morning, calling in at Plymouth Sound.
The Cressy, sailing transport, arrived at Spithead from
China yesterday morning, with a detachment of the 2d bat-
talion Ist Royals on board. She sailed from the Cape of
Good Hope on the 22d of February, and from St. Helena on
the 9th of March. Fine weather has been experienced on
the passage home. Easterly winds were met with 10 days
prior to the ship's arrival at Spithead. She had been four
days in the Channel. The York, transport, left the Cape
a day prior to the Cressy. The detachment of the Ist
Royals on board comprises Y. G. Urquhart, in com-
mand; Brevet-Major J. P. Gore; Lieuts. A. W. Lowe, G.
W. Thompson, W. G. Brown, G. J. Stewart, J. H. Towns-
head, R. L. Roberts, and H. G. Thompson; Assist.-Sorg.
Y. Birnie, 14 sergeants, 2 drummers, 13 corporals, 202
priyAtea, 4 worm, and 4 411dreia, Three cichtlifi MUM