The Sun.
London, England, 1857-04-10 00:00:00

Naval and Dlilitak y Intelligence.

An order was yesterday received at Chatham
directing the following changes and appointments
to be made in the staff of medical officers stationed
at that garrison :—First-class Staff-Surgeon J. G.
Wood; M.D., has received directions to proceed to
Edinburgh for medical duty with the troops in that
city ; Second-class Surgeon A. R. Ridgway, M. 8.,
is relieved from duty at Fort Pitt, for the purpose'
of embarking at Woolwich in medical charge of
troops proceeding to Canada ; Second-class Surgeon
H. Huish, M.D., has relieved Second-class Surgeon
W. Poole at the garrison, the latter medical officer
being about to retire from the service.

PORTSMOUTH, APRIL 9.

By dint of great exertions the troop-ship Transit
was kept afloat during the night, and the dockyard
artizans working all night they were enabled to get
the paddle-frigate Furious out of dock to-day, and .
into it the Transit was taken this afternoon. It was
not till 5 this afternoon that the water was got
out of the dock, and then there was found to be
on the starboard bow of the Transit a hole of a foot
in length and about six inches wide, and from
which the water shipped by the vessel is up to the
despatch of this report pouring in a perfect stream,
although the ship's engines are also hard at work.
This hole it is evident was caused by the vessel
striking on the stock of her own anchor and break-
ing it. Au official inquiry is to be made into the
matter, and therefore it is unnecessary to circu-
late any of the reports that are afloat as to the
cause of this serious disaster. Without referring
to the inconvenience to which it has put some 800
officers and men, it is impossible to estimate the
consequences to them had the ship been 12 hours
further from a port into which she could put. It
is the general belief that she must have gone down,
as the water was gaining upon her rapidly. A
very painful feelincr has been excited at this port
in consequence of this disaster to the Transit. The
three last Government transports that have left
this port, and indeed England, have all come to
grief of one sort or another. The Megmra got on
shore, the Urgent broke down, and now the Transit
almost sinks-herself by that anchor that is supposed
to be the mainstay of a ship.
Yesterday, the crew of the Locust, 3, paddle-
wheel steam vessel, at Sheerness, Lieutenant-Com-
mander J. B. Field, were exercised at manning and
arming their paddle-boats. Each boat carried its
complement of muskets and a 24-pounder howitzer,
and gave chase, loading. and firing in rapid succes-
sion. This unexpected turn-out, although known
to the port authorities, took the natives by sur-
prise. Many were the conjectures until the matter
was explained. Each boat's crew. in turn was
chased.

It has been determined 'that Admiral Wallis
hoists his flag at Portsmouth, and not on board
the Edinburgh, at Sheerness.
kgrait deal of activity now prevailsin Chatham
dockyard, in conseluence of an order which has
been given by the Admiralty to complete those
steam screw corvettes and vessels now constructing
with all despatch. Among 46e most forward of the
former class of vessels is the Racoon, screw cor-
vette, 21 guns, which is now being painted and
made ready for launching on the 25th inst. The
Charybdis, 21, screw corvette, is &so progressing
very fast, and will be launched during the present
year. The Mersey; 40, building-in No. 7 slip, will
be the longest frigate in the service, her extreme
length being 336 feet ; the dock in which she is
building has had to be lengthened 60 feet. An extra
number of shipwrights have been placed on her, in
order that she may be finished as early as possible.
The Hero, 91, the Hood, 80, and the Irresistible,
80, are also ordered to be completed forthwith and
fitted as screw steamers. The -vessels now in pro-
gress at this dockyard give an aggregate of 20,000
tons.

The Cumberland, fitting at Sheerness for the flag
of Rear-Admiral of the Red Provo William Parry
Wallis, has received, by the Dee steam vessel, from
Portsmouth, 180 seamen, including seamen-gun-
ners„- also from the Waterloo 36 first and second
class boys. Her marines are daily expected to
join. Lieut. J. L. Perry, gunnery lieutenant, has
taken up his commission and joined. The Cumber-
land is being coppered, and will be put out of dry
dry dock in a few days.
The Miranda, 15 screw steamship, Capt. R. Hall,
arrived at the Great Nore at 11.15 a.m. yesterday
from the Mediterranean and the Black Sea. She
saluted the flag of the Commander-in-Chief, which
was returned by the Waterloo. She afterwards
anchored at the Little Nore for discharging powder,
shell, &o. She is ordered to be paid off and placed
in the second division of the steam squadron.
The Terror iloating-battery has returned to
Sheerness, and taken up her moorings, after being
out on trial of various experiments under the
superintendence of Captain Edward P. Halsted
and his stiff-officers, of the steam-squadron of re-
serve.

Orders have been received at Sheerness to pre-
pare to receive the Cressy on her return home from
the Black Sea,

At the monthly examination of officers to qualify
for promotion and of candidates for entry into the
service, which terminated at the Royal Naval
College yesterday, the following passed and received
certificate; :-

Mates, R.N., for Lieutenants—Messrs. B. W.
Bax, A. Cowburn, A. K. H. Legge, C. F. Walker,
H. C. Wogan, W. A. K. Craven, and T. B. Pratt.
Second Master for Master, R.N.—Mr. C. B.
Ryall. For Naval Cadets—Messrs. E. S. Dawson,
F. Smirke A. G. M'Kechnie, H. Y. Bridger, C.
J. Dox.it, lA.. F. Hood, and H. H. Rawson.

The troopship Lebanon, Captain Cook, 2,000
tons burden, moored alongside Woolwich pier, was
yesterday inspected and surveyed by a staff of
artillery and naval officers, prior to the embarka-
tion of the troops for canada. and Halifax. She
has been fitted out expressly by order of Govern-
ment, and is replete with every accommodation
which the soldier can desire for his convenience and
comfort clarinet- a, lengthened voyage. The decks
are spacious and lofty, running fore and aft
throughout the length of the ship, and well venti-
lated, with separate compartment for the women
and children. The saloon and officers' cabins are
elegantly arranged, and possess similar accommo-
dation to the li;bt-class berths on board the Penin-
sular and Oriental. Company's steamers in the Me-
diterranean service. The officers charged with the
survey expressed their satisfaction with the healthy
accommodation and completeness of the arrange.
ments.

The Bann and Brune, fitted out at Woolwich
for the China expedition, are ordered to transfer
their officers and crew and return stores to the
Levan and Slaney, the Bann and Brune having
been pronounced inadequate to the voyage out.
The following appointments were made yester-
day at the Admiralty
Lieut. J. E. Bickford, to the Hastings ; Lieut.
C. A. J. Heysham, to the Himalaya; Alex. Brown,
master, and J. H. W. Bowman, paymaster, to the
Vesuvius ; J. Lewis' paymaster, to the. Cordelia ;
C. H. Niblett, paymaster, to the Cumberland.

STATE OF TRADE.

MANCHESTER, Arlin, 9.

A fair demand continues for most kinds of yarn
and cloth. Medium qualities of T-cloths, from 61b.
weight upwards, have been taken in large quan-
tities during the week, and stocks have been well
cleared. There is also more inquiry for longcloths
and low printer 3. There is a fair business in India
shirtings and other fabrics, but less than might
have been expected. In moat of these goods prices
are very firm. In yarns there is quite sufficient
business to keep prices steady, and spinners are
mostly free from stock, with prices rather in favour
of the seller.

LEICESTER,
nuAPRIL 9,
The hosiery trade continuel quiet, mafact u era,
generally speaking, only producing for immediate
Wants, being averse to creating stock at the present
high rates material.

NOTTINGHAM, APRIL 9.
The lace trade is more active, more particularly
for goods connected with the home trade. Busi-
ness, however, is by no means as brisk as it was
anticipated it would be, the season being a very
late one. After Easter the demand will, no doubt,
improve, and, as all departments are in a healthy
state, a goOd trade is expected. The demand for
plain goods continues, and there is more doing in
fancy laces. Silk and cotton are still exceedingly
dear.

In hosiery the trade is in a flourishing state, and
there are prospects of continued briskness.
Materials, both silks and yarns, are firm.

SPLENDID NUN TO AUSTRALIA.-The. —the .ttayal
steamship European accomplished a splendid run out to
Port Philip. She left the Needles at 1 a.m. on the 14th
and made St. Vincent on the 24th at midnight,
beating the Simla by four hours; she remained there five
clays and four hours, leaving on the 30th, it 4 in the
morning. From that place she experienced a succession
of light favourable winds and fine weather, never having
bad occasion to take in a reef in her topsails, or furl a
topgallant sail. It is an extraordinary fact,• that in lat.
E 6 deg. S. she experienced a calm for seven days. She
made the land off Warrnambool at half-past 6 p.m. on
the 9th Feb.' The distance she ran is 12,625 miles,
which E-he performed in 1,276 hours, or at the rate of
9 9-10th knots an hour. She was under steam for 1,005
boars, and consumed 1,700 tons of coal ; and lras- under
sail only for 277 hours. Her greatest run under steam
in the 24 hours was 317 knots, the only time sbe ever
exceeded 300 knots, her shortest being only 173; and the
greatest distance she performed under sail only being
249 knots, and the lea-t 160.